Marc Jacobs, Designer Turned Pending Reality TV Star

Photo: Getty Images

More often than not, actors Kristin Davis and reality TV stars Sheree Whitfield, fearing the ebb of their Hollywood heydays, turn to designing. In a rare turn of events, we’ve watched designer, Isaac Mizrahi, flop on “Project Runway’s” shadow, “The Fashion Show”. But never would I have guessed, of all people — considering Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs are under one busy gay man’s whim — that Marc Jacobs would trail Mizrahi’s course and sign onto a reality show. And to think I assumed that all the publicity surrounding MJ was sufficient. Gay network, Logo, has confirmed Marc Jacobs’ participation in a “Housewives of New York” inspired reality show orbiting powerful, openly gay men, entitled, “Kept.” If we could have it our way, we would rename it, “Workaholic Gays of New York.”

Burberry London Fashion Week S/S 2010 Continued…

Here are some more photos! You can see the finale, Christopher Bailey and Emma Watson after the jump! Enjoy!

Duckie Brown S/S 2010, Bryan Boy Inspired?

Photos: Marcio Madeira via Men.Style.com and BryanBoy.com

It’s been a day since the start of Fashion Week and while browsing through Duckie Brown’s S/S 2010 collection, I found another use for my Bryan Boy addiction. I thought to myself, “Wait, wait a minute, didn’t I see a bow last year on Byran Boy?” Feverishly browsing through Bryan Boy’s archives I confirmed my suspicions and now I’ve presented it for all you fashionistas to see. Daniel Silver, Steven Cox, and I are not too different in some respects after all — we’re all addicted.

Celebrities + Connections = FW S/S 2010

Understandably the likes of Christian Siriano and Leanne Marshall reserved coveted spots in fashion’s prestigious Fashion Week, but upon hearing Kristin Davis of Sex and the City and Shereé Whitfield of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in the same sentence as FW S/S 2010, makes me ponder the desperation of Fern Mallis and her job of garnering waning attention to FW. Is she on the chopping block? Probably not. Is the event selling out? Yes Maybe. At least I know that Anna Wintour wouldn’t approve, and anything Anna says, we fashionistas follow. But being the nice critic (yes I’m an oxymoron) that I am, until I see their collections, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Vera Wang and Thakoon did blossom from change of careers, whether it was or was not by choice.

Quick Recap: Anna Wintour on Letterman

• I love Letterman, he’s hilarious and unafraid to jab Anna Wintour for being, “aloof, bitchy and mean to the staff.” Then he claims to be wearing a Vera Wang head piece (Letterman lowered his head to expose his receding hairline) just for Anna Wintour.

On an unrelated note pertaining to Obama (I can’t resist):

• According to Letterman, Obama is staying at a 30k/week beach house at Martha’s Vineyard to unwind. Letterman quips, “and to think people say that he’s a socialist.”

I love it!

Finally the Anna Wintour interview!

• She’s in a floral black and white print dress sporting her signature bob and oversize eye glasses.

• She just critiqued his socks and referred Letterman to Tom Brown’s pants that are cut to expose the socks.

• I commend Wintour for being a good sport about the NYT attacks on her personality. “I read in the New York Times this week that I’m an Ice Queen, I’m the Sun King, I’m an alien fleeing from District 9 and a dominatrix. I reckon that makes me a lukewarm royalty with a whip from out of space. What do you think?”

• Addressing the rumors instigated by The Devil Wears Prada, David Letterman says about Wintour that people say, “She’s tough Look out. Oh well, she’ll chew you up and chew you up and then fire you and chew you up and spit you into a cab.” Then he asks Wintour if she ever put anyone in a headlock. Wintour responds, “Maybe you.”

• Letterman asks Anna Wintour what someone, who has $20 in their fashion budget, could buy? She responds, “They could buy a lipstick.”

• Wintour and Letterman are going at it. Letterman asks whether major changes are made only a week before the deadline. Wintour replies, “yes” and that the magazine industry is unlike the TV industry, referencing how Letterman called Wintour to guest star in the ‘last minute’ (three days ago).

Commercial break. She didn’t seem too comfortable. Her false grin and gesticulation — rubbing her hands together — gives it away.

• After the break, Letterman showed a clip from The September Issue exposing the extent of Anna Wintour’s “100%” say in the final product. He got my hopes up when he told us that Anna Wintour would be hitting baseballs. I should have known better. Oh well.

— Francis Bea

Blackbook: Claire Danes, The Quintessential Modern Woman

Photo: Blackbook

Dress by Herve Leger by Max Azria. Stocking by Calvin Klein. Earrings by Alexis Bittar.

Life today is different from what our parents and grandparents had to endure in their generation. Segregation has been repressed to history textbooks, homosexuality has whittled homophobia down to the muscles and women have gained fair ground with men (yes these observations can be protested, but I’m referencing the ideals in the U.S.). African American and Asian couples, gay couples and billionaire women are familiar to us — and that’s a good thing. When I perused Blackbook‘s editorial on Claire Danes, I recalled yesterday’s New York Times Magazine on women and its interview with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia and the first female African president. NYT Magazine asked:

If women ran the world, would wars still exist?
No. It would be a better, safer and more productive world. A woman would bring an extra dimension to that task — and that’s a sensitivity to humankind. It comes from being a mother.

But if women had power, they would be more likely to acquire the negative traits that power breeds, like selfishness and territorialism.
It would take a very long term of women absolutely in power to get to the place where they became men.

Despite being a guy, I had to agree with her. What if Hillary Clinton were in power instead of Obama? Would she have derived a health care plan much like Israel’s? But then again almost anything else would be better than Obama’s attempt at reform.

Anyway, I’ve digressed but I’ve set up an prelude as to why I appreciate Blackbook‘s spread of Claire Danes. The spread above speaks for itself — The photography by Sante D’Orazio and styling by Elizabeth Sulcer, empowers women. The editorial pays homage to a new class of women who have pushed out the testosterone heavy apex while maintaining their beauty with highbrow clothes. I’m (not) sorry guys if this bit of news is hard to swallow — you better cope or else you’ll choke.

Bodysuit by American Apparel. Leather Corset Belt by H & M. Jacket and Shoes byGucci. Stockings by Wolford Gloves by Topshop.

Is it me or am I seeing powerful women opting to go pantless (Rhianna, Lady Gaga)?

— Francis Bea

Trend: Babies?

So when I perused the September issue of Out after its printing, I was awestruck by Grant Woolhead’s styling for ‘Baby Daddy’. Grab an issue and flip through the editorial (Lady Gaga is featured on the cover with amazing photography by Ellen Von Unwerth) — the babies are cute and the spreads are amusing. When I befell on V magazine’s editorial of Victoria Beckham’s collection (left) it got me thinking, isn’t the message a little dangerous? I’m going to skip over the statistics when it comes to child delinquency, but these shoots coupled with the celebrity pregnancy trend, it sure seems like babies are the new accessories.

I’m going to point out that Mrs. Beckham is quoted as having said, “Perfecting the female form and creating a strong silhouette is my aim. These are timeless, elegant pieces that, while beautifully made, are practical – well, relatively! I personally spend most of my day chasing the kids about!” After a glance through the lookbook, I wonder if the corset-like constriction from donning her collection has Mrs. Beckham mumbling ludicrous comments. Does she seriously believe most women are stick thin and flaunt implants? Well Mrs. Beckham, there is the answer to why your dVb denim collection just doesn’t seem to sell.