Sew Done

Tonight's episode of Bravo's Project Runway will result in the *gasp* final three designers who get to show their collection at New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Bryant Park. Except, well, as we already know, all five designers actually got to "show" at The Tents. Yeah, yeah, this is a tactic the producers use to maintain secrecy around the final three but by allowing the five designers to show, they've only managed to cheapen one of the show's high-points.

OK, so the show has been going down a "cheap," or rather tacky, path this entire season (prom dresses, ick; WWE Divas, double ick.) Yeah, even though Tim Gunn proclaimed that this was the most talented cast to date, it was also the most boring. Honestly, I cannot remember the names of half of the cast. So, Carmen Webber (Carmen like the opera, Webber like the baller) is still ingrained in my mind (damn you, you giant tranny!) but most everyone else who got auf'd in the beginning of the season never seemed to register in my brain.

And you could just see the producers of the show trying so hard to stir up some drama with their incessant "group" challenges. You would think there would be an all out war at least once! But no.

Now, the boys over at Project Rungay theorize that it may be because most of the designers were pretty established in the industry already. They had reputations to protect and nobody wants to be remembered as the villain of the show. Yeah, that makes some sense, but honestly, I rather see raw-talent and quick-tongues than watch demure kittens playing with yarn. It's boring, and it's reality-show suicide.

So, Bravo, take Tim's advice for next season, and for the love of fashion, make it work!
SPOILER ALERT.

Here are my favorite looks from each designer in the following order (going down):

Jillian Lewis, Sweet P Vaughn, Christian Siriano, Rami Kashou, Chris March

Celebuspawns

Rumor has it that Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of late-great Kurt Cobain and the sometimes rock-star/actress (but always erratic) Courtney Love, will be the new face for Chanel in 2008. She will also be featured in a fashion spread for Harper's Bazaar this March.

Despite having such (in)famous parents, 15- year-old Frances Bean has lead a pretty low-key life. She seems really sweet and modest, too.

"These people are fascinated by me, but I haven't done anything," she says. "If you're a big Nirvana fan, a big Hole fan, then I understand why you would want to get to know me, but I'm not my parents... People need to wait until I've done something valid with my life."

I predict that we will be hearing more about her in the upcoming years.



Here are some other celebrity offspring worth taking note of:

Zoe Kravitz: The 19-year-old daughter of "The Cosby Show" alum, Lisa Bonet, and bonafide DILF, rocker Lenny Kravitz is taking her chances as an actress. She had small roles in two film in 2007 ("The Brave One" and "No Reservations") and is slated to appear in two more films this year. The spitting image of her gorgeous mom, Lisa Bonet, Zoe has dabbled in modeling, too. She is currently dating "3:10 to Yuma" star, Ben Foster who is eight years her senior. Though she is enrolled at SUNY Purchase, something tells me she might forgo college and strike while the iron is hot.


Rumer Willis: Rumer, 19, is actors, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore eldest daughter, and plans on following her parent's footsteps with her own career in acting. She was slated to be the Miss Golden Globe (the girl who hands the award to the winner) this year but lost the opportunity when the award show was canceled. Still, her career doesn't appear to be stalling -- she is starring two upcoming films, "From Within" and "I Know What Boys Like," and is a red-carpet staple. Yet, her career seems to be eclipsed by constant fodder in the blogsphere about her, um, unique looks. Regardless, it doesn't seem like Rumer is going anywhere anytime soon.


Evan Ross: Evan is singing legend and overall diva, Diana Ross's son. Unlike his famous mama (sorry, Diana, "The Wiz" was a joke), Evan is trying his luck in acting, and 2008 looks like it is going to be his year. He is starring in SIX films this year. I would keep your eyes and ears opened for him.

Heatherette back on the map?

Last night's episode of Bravo's Project Runway featured guest judges Richie Rich and Traver Rains -- better known as flamboyant-design duo, Heatherette. A couple of weeks ago the pair also showed up to lend their designs for a catwalk challenge on Bravo's Make Me a Supermodel. Honestly, I had almost forgotten they existed, which is kind of weird considering my withstanding love/hate relationship with the fashion house.

In 1999, tongues started wagging in the fashion world about Heatherette's in-your-face-Barbie-fantasy-world-meets-Lisa Frank's-wet-dream clothing line, and I fell in love.

I also fell hard for the designers: there was Richie Rich who looks like Amanda Lepore as a drag-king and Traver Rains who totally milks the whole "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" schtick. I just love when designers look fun themselves (think Galliano, Jeremy Scott, etc.)!

Anyway, I wanted to own anything, ANYTHING that Heatherette put their crazy stamp on. But, while I'm still drawn to most anything pink, I got Heatherette out of my system around the same time I washed my temporary pink hair-dye out. And it all seemed to come to a screeching halt when I saw a Heatherette shirt emblazoned with a unicorn at a Burlington Coat Factory in. upstate. New. York.

And it seemed like their star was fading around the same time, too. Still, while I'm not a Heatherette fan-girl anymore, I'm glad that they're still around, having fun, retaining that magic that made them special in the first place. Check out Kim Kardashian, Jenna Jameson and, but of course, Amanda Lepore walking their spring 2008 Ready to Wear show. Guess they still have enough juice to pull in the celebrity cameos!


While that's all fine and dandy, I was most excited to learn that Heatherette is collaborating with M.A.C. for a limited-edition collection out March 27! (Check the promo picture on the left. So much pink, yum!) Maybe I didn't get Heatherette entirely out of my system? Thank you, Bravo.

P.S. I can't lie, when I saw Richie Rich on 34th street one summer day, I totally squealed. But like a true New Yorker, I acted aloof.

I believe in Santogold

When both Rolling Stone and Spin magazine listed Santogold as one of their top artists to watch in 2008, I just had to check her out. And, boy, did they get it right this time!

When Philadephia-bred Santi White's gig as punk/ska band Stiffed's singer went kaput after releasing just two albums, she moved onto a solo project -- this time, as Santogold.

Even before releasing her first single ("Creator") last month, Santogold had some high-profile fans -- Icelandic pop star Bjork even hand-picked her to open up her Madison Square Garden show last Sept. She also toured on Sri Lankan-native M.I.A.'s British tour, who just happens to be her friend and fellow Brooklyn-transplant.Which is interesting enough, considering many are likening Santogold's music to M.I.A. And, while the similarities are there -- they both collaborated with producers DJ Diplo (with M.I.A. in more ways than one) and Switch -- Santogold still holds her own ground.

Her sound blends her rhymes over reggae, ska, and electro to create some truly catchy gems.

Santogold will drop her debut album later this year. Until then, this should hold you over:




Ya, dig?

Celebrity Rehab

Going to rehab is a rite of passage in Hollywood. Nicole, Lindsay, Britney have all made trips to rehab for one reason or another (alcoholism, drugs, etc.) at one point in their careers. And while we all predicted that would happen eventually to these notorious party-girls, I was shocked to learn actress Eva Mendes (We Own the Night, Ghost Rider) checked into rehab.

Totally didn't see that one coming.

According to USmagazine.com, Eva is getting treatment for her substance abuse in cushy, "exclusive" rehabilitation facility, Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah (the same place Lindsay Lohan and Mary-Kate Olson completed treatment programs.)

So what exactly goes on at these rehab centers?
Do they even work? Hey Lindsay, how 'bout it?

Well, I was genuinely interested in seeing how this whole thing went down, so when Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew premiered on Vh1's Celebreality line-up earlier this year I made sure I watched.

Just one minor problem, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew turned out to be the most depressing show in the entire world.

The first episode introduces us to the celebrity patients. And the "biggest" star is Daniel Baldwin but honestly, I can't recall this Baldwin brother starring in anything worth noting, sry2say. Two of the other "stars" were former contestants on other Vh1 shows (re: Chyna and Brigitte Nielson.) The other patients are so Z-list, they're not even worth mentioning.

Oh wait, there were two that definitely took me on a trip down memory lane:
Shifty from Crazytown ("'Come my lady, come, come my lady,' and share my crack pipe") and Jamiee Foxworth (Judy Winslow loves ganga, and dabbles in porn), sadly brought me back to my childhood.










Anyway, I don't know what I was expecting, but I sure wasn't prepared to see Grease's bad-ass Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) reduced to a wheelchair or, worse yet, convulsing while trying to detox.



I get it -- it's rehab; it's not supposed to be all rainbows and sugarplums. But it just got a little too service-y for me, and that's way out of left field for the Celebreality genre.

These are the people who are responsible for shows like "Rock of Love," "Flavor of Love," and "I Love New York," where bad behavior is definitely encouraged. And (guess what?) copious amounts of liquor and an open bar are always, always present in the hopes people will drink one too many. The producers know that the show is only going to be that much more entertaining.

Think back to Rock of Love's first season's "Don't threaten me with a good time! "Tiffany (pictured right.) She was drunk out of her mind on the few episodes she did appear on and she was reality TV gold!

But of course, liquor, nor any other vice, is not on Celebrity Rehab's menu. Subsequently, there's no real bad behavior (unless you count Kenickie's fights with his girlfriend Vicki who looks a lot like Anna Nicole's Hillbilly cousin, Shelly. y/n?)

And the show ends up being a little too kumbaya for the Vh1 audience (re: me.)

So, in theory, Celebrity Rehab should work. It has "star" power and it has built-in drama, but it doesn't. It's actually boring and it just fails.

Though, on the plus side, Dr. Drew is the poor-man's version of CNN's delectable anchor, Anderson Cooper, and that might be reason enough to watch the show for a few more episodes.yes, please!

Amy, Amy, Amy

Last week on Bravo's Project Runway, Ricky won the Levi's denim challenge with the dress pictured above. Now, I could get into a rant about my distaste for Ricky (how the hell is he still in the game is beyond me), but I'll refrain because this post is not about that, instead it's about his styling choices for his model, which judge Michael Kors likened to none other than Amy Winehouse.

"I love Amy Winehouse and honestly, you must, too," Kors said to Ricky, whose model donned, what else, a bee-hive pomp and black cat-eye makeup.

Even though Amy's usually blasted by the media (whether it be about her drug problems, her turbulent marriage, or her fashion choices), designers seem to be keen on her. And Kors is not the only designer who "loves" her.

German-born designer, Karl Lagerfeld drew inspiration from Ms. Winehouse's look for Chanel's pre-fall Maison d'Art show in London.









At a little more than two minutes into the clip (above) Lagerfeld himself appears and raves about Amy as his muse. Even going as far as to compare her to 1950s/60s sex kitten Brigitte Bardot.

Lagerfeld goes on to describe Amy as, "the greatest talent coming out of England... for the moment."




Check out more designers below who appear to have taken a cue from Amy for their Spring 2008 ready-to-wear lines: (Photographs courtesy of style.com)


Chado Ralph Rucci

















John Galliano

















Givenchy


















But if do you plan on copying Amy, at least refrain from the crack pipe.

He goes by the name of Lupe Fiasco

Last spring when I was studying in Madrid, I missed SU's Block Party. I didn't really miss it, per se, because really, Ciara and Lupe Fiasco? Eh, let's just say that I wasn't exactly drowning my sorrows with chupitos (re: shots) over that one. Lupe was still touring for his "Food & Liquor" album, and though I loved his first single, "Kick Push," I hate to say that I was disappointed by the rest of the album.

So, when I heard the first single, "Superstar"off of his sophomore effort, "The Cool," I was pleasantly surprised. Since the album was released in December, they played his album a lot at my work, and I fell in love with whole album -- and that's a lot of love, considering there are 20(!) songs on the track list.

I'll admit the album is a bit ADD because every track is so distinctive from one another, that you'll find yourself wondering if it's possible that you're listening to a different album with each song. But no, Lupe being the genius that he is, managed to pack this smorgasbord into one album. And that's what I love about it.

Lupe goes from spitting rhymes at rapid fire speed (think Twista; remember him? Me, neither) on his song "Go Go Gadget Flow," proclaiming his resurgence in the hip hop scene, to "Paris, Tokyo" where he raps in a slow, sing-song pace about the guilt he feels for leaving his mom behind while he's touring the world (aw!).

Seriously, though, if you want to take a break from listening to hip hop/rap songs about Applebottom jeans and fur boots, check Lupe out. In fact, I'll do you one better, you can check out my favorite songs here:







Now you have no excuse.