[FashionRatty] tag: president

Was Gordon Ramsays Alleged Affair Just a PR Stunt?

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:57:17 +0000

It has been quite a rough week for top British chef Gordon Ramsay after author Sarah Symonds went public with claims she has been having a ten-year affair with the married “Hell’s Kitchen” star.

Ramsay however came forth on Thursday and dismissed the allegations as “a load of BS” while appearing on the BBC’s “Good Food Show.”

But Miss Symonds was employed in February this year to be the U.K spokesperson for the controversial internet dating service AshleyMadison.com which caters to those looking to have a secret extramarital affair.

“Symonds was the face of the company in the U.K and we wanted to generate some buzz and one of the ideas we threw around was if she was too have a high-profile affair,” Noel Biderman, President & CEO of AshleyMadison.com tells Tarts. “At the time she specifically asked if an affair with a top British chef would accomplish what we needed to do.”

So could it all be a PR stunt or did Symonds really have something to hide? The relationship between the spokeswoman and the company fizzed out after just a few months as Symonds reportedly wanted to head to Hollywood and pursue her lifelong ambitions while the company needed someone who would stay in the U.K.

“There were no ill feelings when she left,” Biderman says, adding that he has since reached out to Symonds in the wake of the Ramsay infidelity claims but has not had a response.

(source)

New York, Paris, Milan, SoSaLa?

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Utah Stories Front Page
New York, Paris, Milan, SoSaLa?

November 18th, 2008
Could South Salt Lake become the next fashion capital?
by Rebecca Edwards

If it seems unlikely that South Salt Lake, or SoSaLa as it has been coined recently, could become the latest hot spot for fashion and entertainment, it may be time to reconsider. With the likes of East High becoming forever imprinted on the pop culture psyche via the High School Musical (HSM) movies, and the hottest literary phenomenon since Harry Potter, the Twilight series, being penned by a BYU alum, it seems the time is ripe for Utah to splash onto the fashion scene as well.

Central Point South Salt Lake
One man has a big vision for the future of SoSaLa and Utah's place on the world fashion stage. Stacey Eastman, founder and president of Pulse Management, has partnered with Elite Model Management to open a full-fledged talent agency in SoSaLa. Eastman's hip office is the cornerstone of the new Market Street Station shopping and urban living center being developed at 2100 South and Main.

Despite swanky, new digs and the recent attention the entertainment world has given Utah thanks to HSM and American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, the question still remains: Why Utah?

"I have operated in seven different cities for over 21 years in many different markets," Eastman said. "And all of our superbowl rings (Vogue covers) have been procured by Utah talent alone."
For the past two decades Eastman has discovered and represented some of the biggest models in the world, including Utah discovery Hye Rim Park who has walked runways for top designers all over the world and graced the covers of magazines like Vogue.

Pulse, whose mission includes "slamming forth an intense revolution of raw, clean, talent" was established two decades ago by Eastman, a successful fashion photographer. In that time, Eastman has discovered some of the top models in the business, including recent phenom (and Utah native) Ali Stephens. Ali is the latest in a long line of successful models that Eastman and his team have discovered in Utah. Within three days of Pulse discovering her, she was walking the runway in Milan. Another Utah discovery, Hye Rim Park, has not only graced the cover of Vogue, but has been heralded by editors and photographers alike as one of the top ten models in the world.

SoSaLa is in good company. Elite also has modeling agencies in Chicago, Miami and New York.
The success of talent discovered in Utah caught Eastman's attention, and it's not letting go. Over the past ten years, he has been working more and more with Utah models, leading to the opening of the SoSaLa office in June, 2008. This is the first office Elite, one of the world's leading agencies, has opened in a market that is virtually unknown to the fashion world at large.

"This is the first time since 1965 that Elite has entered into a partnership like this, and it's in South Salt Lake. There's something in the water," Eastman jokes. "When Brigham Young said that 'this is the place,' he didn't know how right he was. Elite has launched more industry icons over the past 65 years than anyone else, and we have been able to accomplish this partnership solely because of the people we have been blessed to work with."

Eastman is not shy about crediting the lifestyle and family values of Utahans as contributors to the success of his models. "I haven't been able to put my thumb on it, but in 21 years the only thing I can come up with is that it's got to be the lifestyle. Whether part of the predominant religion or not, religion attracts other religious people, and that is accompanied by a certain lifestyle."

Pulse models are selected not just for physical beauty, but for being well-rounded and having a strong family support system. Eastman has found that although Utah is not immune to the typical pitfalls of being a modern teenager, such as rebellion and drugs, the kids he works with from Utah seem to display behavior that is contrary to what he finds in the rest of the country.

Central Point apartments have attracted young hip professionals, like Justin Erikson pictured above.

"Predominantly, kids are the best here," he said. "It has a lot to do with the parents and the entrepreneurial attitude of the state. People here are industrious. They live up to the slogan of the beehive state. They are healthy, driven, very entrepreneurial-minded, and passionate. If I go to Portland, to get the kids to do anything is like pulling teeth."

Eastman prefers to sign models who are more than just a pretty face, with involvement in school activities, sports, church, and good grades being crucial factors. Since 1992, he says he has found those qualities most often in kids from Utah. The contradiction of Utah's image and that of the fashion industry is not lost on Eastman, but he remains confident that the move to Utah is the right one. And Utah seems to be welcoming Pulse Management with open arms.

"We had so much political support," Eastman said, describing the grand opening street party he held in SoSaLa that was attended by 4,000 people. "This is not what you are used to in the fashion world. If Elite opened a second office in Manhattan, the mayor wouldn't go out of his way to endorse it. We received so much support from the president of the Utah Film Commission, Governor Huntsman, the mayor of South Salt Lake, and the police and fire chiefs. The support has been overwhelming for us."

The welcoming and supportive attitude of the Utah community has even caught the attention of the Elite office in Manhattan, according to Eastman. Attention that Eastman looks forward to keeping. Pulse has a variety of upcoming events planned, including partnerships with the Twilight movie premiere this coming weekend, the Sundance Film Festival, and an upcoming fundraiser for Huntington's disease.

Eastman has a powerful vision for what he calls the "New SoSaLa," and he plans to bring that vision to fruition through creative partnerships with local and worldwide entertainment and fashion leaders. Pulse has partnered with Wasatch Helicopters to offer sightseeing tours, heli-boarding, and heli-skiing, leading to a new helicopter pad across from the Pulse office. In addition, the number one casting director in Utah is putting in an office right next door.

"We're in the process of building a production capital, encompassing all aspects of the entertainment industry," Eastman said. "We're partnering with local clothing designers, the film industry, spas, salons, sound stages. This is what keeps us at the top of the totem pole, and I'm the only one in the world with the relationships to pull it off."

Eastman is committed to making a difference in the entertainment industry, and unbelievably to some, Utah is one of the keys to making that happen. As he said, "When we find a girl we can't always tell when she will make it, but we can tell if. In South Salt Lake, it might take months, a year, or longer, but it will happen. It's only a matter of time. We're changing this town."

Russian president visits Cold War ally Castro

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:26:45 +0000

HAVANA (AP) - Russia’s president met with ailing revolutionary icon Fidel Castro on Friday, winding up a visit aimed at freshening relations with his country’s old Cold War ally and raising Moscow’s profile across the rest of the Latin America.

Hillary Clinton Secretary of State - Its Official!

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:24:55 +0000

Hillary Rodham Clinton will join President-elect Barack Obama’s national security team as Secretary of State.

Democratic officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Obama will name the New York senator as his Secretary of State at a press conference in Chicago on Monday.

Obama also plans to announce that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will remain in his job for a year or more and that retired Marine General James M. Jones will serve as national security adviser.

Bill Clinton cleared the way for his wife to take the job by agreeing to disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997. He’ll also refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference, and will cease holding CGI meetings overseas.

Former President Clinton’s business deals and global charitable endeavors were expected to create problems for Hillary’s nomination. But in negotiations with the Obama transition team, the former president agreed to several measures designed to bring transparency to his post-presidential work.

Here is the full text of the internal guidance about the agreement.

Critics have pointed out that the President-elect’s team doesn’t represent the change he promised on the campaign trail, with all of his top choices having served in either the Clinton or Bush administration.

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TJ Maxx: The World of Off-Price Retailing

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:46:37 +0000

Last week Monday, TJ Maxx put up thirteen reputable bloggers for a daylong event at their Farmingdale, MA (near Boston) offices to demystify the world of off-price retail. No magazine editors—just bloggers and it felt empowering for our medium.

Chatting with the likes of Shoe Smitten’s Anna Basham, Fashion Bomb’s Adriana Nova and the lovely duo of Angie and Greg Cox of You Look Fab let me know that there are likeminded bloggers passionate about style and fashion!

On the evening prior to the fun-packed proceedings I’m soon to speak of, TJ Maxx put us up in the impressive Fairmont Copley Plaza for the night, (I didn’t get any personal pictures sift through the site for your own viewing pleasure) and took us for a bite to eat at Skipjacks. Both the hotel and dinner were a fantastic prelude to Tuesday’s activities which saw the TJ Maxx President, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Manager of Media Relations spend their time unravelling TJ Maxx’s elusive business structure for us bloggers.

For a few of us, myself included, the world of off-price retail was a mystery. The mantra behind the fashionomics (as TJ Maxx so eloquently terms it) of off-price retail is simple: selling clothing and accessories from major-label brands at low prices. The economics is even simpler by virtue of

1. the solid relationship TJ Maxx’s buyers have with a plethora of vendors the world over.

2. the opportunistic buying strategies TJ Maxx employs in favour of more traditional department store methods of buying.

When a department store reneges on orders due to poor sales or errs in forecasting trends, overrun is the end result and this excess product is snapped up by TJ Maxx from vendors at a slashed price. In turn, this marked down price TJ Maxx receives is generously extended onto the consumer in the form of close to rock-bottom prices for choice, high-end items. Moreover, this expedient type of buying occurs year-round unlike department stores that purchase merchandise seasonally so you, as the consumer, never really miss a beat. Now if you can wrap your head around this concise little spiel, then you have a firm hold on the nuts and bolts of off-price retailing.

The model however does have an adverse effect. Karen Coppola, the Senior Vice President of Marketing, spoke of the negative perceptions TJ Maxx receives when it’s pitted alongside discount or high-end department stores. Quite frankly, I can admit to having a difficult time putting my finger on which category TJ Maxx falls under. Is it a discount store? Well, technically yes when you can score a purple silk Marc Jacobs’ dress for $79.99!

Does TJ Maxx compare to Macy’s, Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus? Naysayers are quick to disagree and quip about the quality and the brands at TJ Maxx being comparable to Walmart. Granted, less than five percent of TJ Maxx’s merchandise has unnoticeable irregularities, a minute hallmark the company has been unable to shake over the years.

However, the fact is that carrying a characteristically prim Marc Jacobs dress or a cream and black Michael Kors tunic dress is not mark of a fashionably fledgling brand and when TJ Maxx can afford to stock the likes of Catherine Malandrino, Vera Wang, Versace and a host of other high-end brands, it’s kind of a slap in the face to be contrasted stores such as Walmart and a slight to be excluded from the rung of high-end department stores.

Despite the misconceptions, none of these issues truly faze TJ Maxx. They take pleasure in their gutsy off-price business model and it came across in each respective presentation made by the executives.

All this talk of off-price retailing was capped off with a themed game titled the “The Price Is Right” in which items from TJ Maxx were modelled and we all had to guess the price to claim each coveted item. As a man amongst women, the odds were stacked against me. Pregame jitters got the best of me as I overshot my first four guestimates by a good $100. Nerves were one thing, but I was equally hard done by the fact that some of the prices were just too good to be true. Eventually I nabbed a Michael Kors bejewelled tunic dress that was originally priced at $157. My guess: $49.99!

Afterwards we were off to do some heavy duty taste-testing at the TJ Maxx outlets just beside their headquarters. Having already spoiled us (the swanky hotel, the care packages filled with goodies, and the giveaways) our hosts granted each of us a $250 shopping spree.

Based on the day’s events, it’s evident that the folks at TJ Maxx are working hard at shaking the “cluttered store” stereotype that has plagued them over the years. I’d never considered TJ Maxx as a shopping destination and truth be told their menswear department could do with some touches of avant-garde, but I was mightily impressed with what they had to offer in terms of womenswear.

Dainty dresses galore could be spotted in the newly implemented boutique area called Runway at the Maxx. Similar to The Cube, Runway at the Maxx is a space set aside for appeasing the shoppers’ cosmopolitan shopping tastes. The space is stocked with not only stunning designer evening wear, but it’s teeming with casual and career minded ensembles and fashion forward footwear and accessories.

I’m hopeful that a boutique space for men will surface in the not so distant future….

Rosie ODonnell: there will b no more

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:46:38 +0000

Rosie O’Donnell posted a message on her blog following the airing of her one hour NBC variety show Rosie Live. In her online shorthand she said, “there will b no more”.

Nielsen ratings showed that only 5 million viewers tuned in to watch Rosie’s comeback and evidently that doesn’t cut the mustard. Special guests on the show included Alanis Morissette, Clay Aiken, Liza Minnelli, Alec Baldwin and Ne-Yo.

The Hollywood Reporter said:

“There’s nothing like a good holiday variety show, and this was nothing like one.”

Rosie also wrote on her blog that even though the ratings were poor and the reviews harsh, it was still a thrill for her. She had stiff competition from an ABC special that dominated the time slot. Barbara Walters, Rosie’s old boss from The View, interviewed President elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

Photo: Wenn

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The Jays Chat About Operation Fabulous

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:33:15 +0000

The Salt Lake Tribune wrote a nice profile about J Alexander and Jay Manuel as the took a break from filming Operation Fabulous. The show, which they are calling a cross between ANTM and Extreme Makeover, was picked up by the CW and is expected to air in 2009.

Image: Newscom

CW expects the show to do well because of the Jays chemistry and the different elements they each bring to the table.

“Jay is your parent in tough love. He tells you the way it is, but only because he wants you to be the best you can be,” CW president Dawn Ostroff said. “As much as Miss J criticizes and rolls his eyes, deep down, he’s just looking for the girl who can get it done.”

The Jays promise that Operation Fabulous will be far less cut-throat than ANTM.

“But we like working with real women too,” Jay said. “We want them to feel good about themselves. We aren’t giving them ‘makeovers’ on ‘Operation Fabulous.’ I actually hate the word ‘makeover.’ We’re teaching them to enhance and maintain what they’ve already got.”

The article is long and gives you a pretty good idea about the new show and about the Jays’ relationship. Read it for yourself here.

Tags: j alexander articles, j alexander interviews, jay manuel articles, jay manuel interviews, operation fabulous, top model judge

Madonnas film on AIDS in Malawi airs on Sundance

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:21:24 +0000

Madonna’s awakening to the crisis in Malawi - an impoverished African nation where one million children are orphaned by AIDS - had many consequences.

She adopted one of those orphans, her 3-year-old son David. She is building a school there.

And she has told Malawi’s harrowing story in her documentary, “I Am Because We Are.” With an audience thus far limited to isolated theater screenings, it will be screened for everyone with its TV premiere on Sundance Channel at 9 p.m. EST Monday (World AIDS Day).

The feature-length film was written, produced and narrated by Madonna (directed by Nathan Rissman). It consults experts including President Bill Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

But the film’s real power is its images, which are often dismaying but, here and there, reflect hope and a remarkable will to survive.

“I had many goals,” said Madonna during a phone conversation from her Manhattan home a few days ago. “I did get to a point where I thought, ‘I’m being overambitious, I’m trying to say too much, I’ll never accomplish it.’ But I feel proud of the fact that I did get to make all my points.”

Among her points: an insistence that any crisis comes with solutions, however hard-won and piecemeal.

The film offers its audience a menu of constructive responses.

“If all you can do is live life in YOUR world in a way that shows you are responsible for the people around you, that’s a course of action,” said Madonna. “People can be of service in large ways and small.”

The first wide exposure of “I Am Because We Are” may be coming at a propitious time, which befits the pop superstar who made it, with her knack for anticipating and identifying cultural trends.

On the eve of a new presidential administration, Americans seem set on a more idealistic path, however alarmed they may be by economic threats along the way.

“People really are going, ‘Wow! I can no longer ignore what’s going on around me.’ There are changes in the air,” she said.

Madonna’s busy schedule continues apace. But the artistic life that drives it “is a world you create and you inhabit, to express yourself, and to inspire and reach out to other people,” she explained. “It’s also a consolation, a place you go to to protect yourself.” That’s true now, in particular, during her highly public split with Guy Ritchie, her husband of eight years, which she described as “not easy, I’m not going to lie.”

Though on a brief New York break from her concert tour, Madonna said the day’s long to-do list called for this AP interview to be followed by interviews she would be conducting herself: with prospective head mistresses for the girls school she is building in Malawi.

“We’re all going there together at the end of March,” she said, referring to David, 8-year-old son Rocco and 12-year-old daughter Lourdes.

“I’m very involved in a lot of things that are going on there,” she said, and as she makes return visits with her kids, she wants them to gather insights into the plight of the world’s underprivileged. “And David’s always going to understand where he came from, and what his life could have been like.”

Meanwhile, she hopes her film can spread the message to millions more.

“It has an impact on the people who see it,” she declared. “The more people, the bigger the impact.”

New Yorks Best Black Friday Fashion Sales

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:32:40 +0000

Opening Ceremony Blowout Sale

What: 50% Off already marked down goodies from A.Wang, Band of Outsiders, and more.

When: Thru December 11th.

Where: Opening Ceremony, 35 Howard Street, (between Broadway and Crosby streets); 212-219-2688.
Gargyle 3-Day Gift Shop

Refreshments, free tote-bags, and select savings for 3-days only.

Thru November 3rd.

Gargyle, 16A Orchard Street, (between Hester and Canal streets); 917-470-9637.
Jumelle Sale

30% Off Fall Collections

Till it’s gone.

Jumelle, 148 Bedford Avenue, (between N. 8th and N. 9th streets); 718-388-9525.

3.1 Phillip Lim Sale

40% off on mens and womens fall 2008. 30% off kids.

Till January 1st.

3.1 Phillip Lim, 115 Mercer Street, (between Spring and Prince streets); 212-334-1160.
First Among Equals Sale

30% off the entire store including Corpus, Filippa K, Fremont, and Hyden Yoo.

Thru December 4th.

First Among Equals, 177 Orchard Street, (between Houston and Stanton streets); 212-253-2202.

Housing Works White Saturday Sale

It’s a thrift store, what isn’t on sale?!?

Saturday, November 29th.

Housing Works Housing Works Thrift Shop, 245 West 10th Street, (between Hudson and Bleecker streets); 212-352-1618.
Oak Thanksgiving Sale

30% Off all sale items and online including United Bamboo, Henrik Vibskov, and Chronicle of Never.

Thru December 1st.

Oak, 28 Bond St., (at Lafayette Street); 212-677-1293; 208 N. 8th Street, (between Roebling Street and Driggs Avenue); 718-782-0521; and 668 President Street, (at 5th Avenue); 718-857-2080; and online at www.oaknyc.com.
Rogan and Loomstate Holiday Sample Sale

75% off Rogan T-shirts (now $20), Denim at $40, Dresses at $40.

Thru December 7th.

Rogan/Loomstate Sample Sale, 91 Franklin Street, (between Broadway and Church streets); 646-827-7554.

Thistle & Clover Sale

40% off clothing and accessories from Eskell, Tylho, Iro, and Publicka.

Thru Sunday December 14th.

Thistle & Clover, 221 DeKalb Avenue, (between Adelphi Street and Claremont Avenue); 718-855-5577.
Seven New York Sale

70% off Fall Winter 2008.

Thru December 1st

Seven New York, 110 Mercer Street, (between Prince and Spring Streets); 646-654-0156.
Suite Orchard Black Friday Sale

Extra discounts on black items in the store.

Thru Sunday November 30th.

Suite Orchard, 145a Orchard Street, (corner of Rivington Street); 212-533-4115.

Otte Black Week Sale

30% off markdowns on the online store. Enter “BLACKWEEK” at checkout.

Otte, 121 Greenwich Avenue, (between Horation and Jane streets), West Village; 212-229-9424; 1281 Madison Avenue, (between 91st and 92nd streets), Upper East Side; 212-289-2644; and 132 North 5th Street, (at Bedford Avenue), Williamsburg; 718-302-3007.

Marg Helgenberger and Alan Rosenberg split?

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:48:30 +0000

National Enquirer is reporting that CSI’s Marg Helgenberger turned 50 and left her husband SAG President Alan Rosenberg.

“Marg hasn’t been happy for a long time, and as 50 approached she finally told Alan she wanted to start the second half of her life alone,” a close family friend told The ENQUIRER.

The strawberry blonde actress – who turned 50 on Nov. 16 – and Alan, 56, have been married since 1989. They have a son who turned 18 on Oct. 21.

“But both she and Alan love their son, and want to minimize any trauma the split would have on him. They’re excellent parents, but they just came to the decision that their lives together were no longer working.”

If this is true, I wonder if that is why Alan Rosenberg is suddenly starting to move forward with the SAG strike vote? You know use it as a distraction?

(source)

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