To many people outside of New York, fashion shows are full of glamorous people, gorgeous models, and mouth-watering clothing. They think of the goodie bags, the celebrities, and that warm fuzzy feeling you must get on the inside knowing you're part of the elite. Sorry to tell you, but it's never really like that.
Chloe Sevigny turns 35 today. Project Runway winner Christian Siriano is turning 24. Owen Wilson is 41. Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is turning 39. Former MSNBC anchor Rita Cosby turns 45. Elizabeth Perkins of Weeds is 49. Singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik is 40. Comedian Kevin Nealon is turning 56. The Office's Oscar Nunez is 51. The rapper Fabolous is 32. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett turns 47. Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens is turning 86. And former Dynasty star Linda Evans is 67.
Bravo revealed today that it's giving Christian Siriano his own reality show which will feature the season 4 winner of Project Runway as "he sets up a new shop and markets his clothing line." Last night, however, Siriano was at Juliet, Todd English's new supper club in Chelsea, where he attended Moskova Affair, a party to celebrate the launch of Stoli's newest flavor of vodka, Gala Applik. As Jessica Szohr, Chace Crawford, Kelly Bensimon, and Richie Rich took in a performance by The Vau de Vire Society, an "acrobatic and aerial avant cabaret troupe," nightlife reporter Douglas Marshall took a moment to chat with the designer/realty TV personality (pictured here with his boyfriend, Brad Walsh) about New York's nightlife scene and how many gays it takes to make a venue too gay.
Big news from the Bravo universe, as a host of its stars break out on their own. Oh, and Padma's hiding a big secret in the Top Chef oven.
• Does Lindsay Lohan have a beef with Taylor Momsen? At the G-Star show on Tuesday night, LiLo (with sister Ali in tow) refused to pose for pics and then started casting aside seating cards for celebs like Juliette Lewis, Christian Siriano, and Gossip Girl emo teen Taylor Momsen. When event staff intervened, Lindsay got all aggro and dropped an F-bomb, naturally. But give the girl a break. She was apparently just trying to position herself near her crush, True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten. [P6, NYDN]
• At the G-Star after-party at the Bowery Hotel later that night, Mischa Barton was a little unsteady on her feet and was slurring her words. She then hit the DJ booth, where she "danced in her own world" for an hour. [P6]
• While other celebs were at Fashion Week, Chris Brown rocked a neon orange vest over, quite appropriately, a wife-beater, back home in Richmond, Virginia. He started his year-long community service for assaulting Rihanna by picking up trash and cleaning police horse stables. Next up, graffiti removal and washing cars! [Us, NYDN]
• A new survey finds that New York City is no longer the fashion capital of the universe. For the first time in five years, NYC came in second place and Milan snagged the top slot. Or at least this is what a research firm based in Austin, Texas is now claiming. [NYDN]
• The best and worst in July fashion mags. [Cut]
• It looks like Anna Wintour has decided to embrace The September Issue, the forthcoming doc about Vogue's inner workings: Anna herself will be hosting a "splashy" screening next month. [FWD]
• Jason Wu on his morning ritual (espresso at Starbucks, in the office by 10am) and his roommates (his two cats, Jinxy and Peaches). [Times UK]
• Christian Siriano's latest collaboration? It's with Starbucks, apparently. [Cut]
Celebrity stylist Harry Josh and nightlife kingpin Nur Khan hosted "Spring Fling" at the Gramercy Park Hotel on Saturday night. A bevy of celebs and social scenesters turned up for the fête, including Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, Kate Hudson and mom Goldie Hawn, Ed Norton, Ashley Olsen, Spike Lee, Winona Ryder, Liv Tyler, Phillip Lim, Narciso Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Karolina Kurkova, Georgina Chapman, Rachel Zoe and Rodger Berman, Kate Bosworth and James Rousseau, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Josh Hartnett, Daria Werbowy, Lily Donaldson, Molly Sims, Hamish Bowles, January Jones, Richie Akiva, Peter Som, Richard Chai, Christian Siriano, Cherry Jones, Jason Sudeikis, Guy Oseary, Lake Bell, Brian Atwood, Zoe Kravitz, and Quincy Jones. [PMc, VF, FWD]
• The Costume Institute Gala is a mere five days away. Fashion Week Daily has a roundup of who's going, who isn't, and what everyone will not be eating. (Chicken, in case you were wondering.) [FWD]
• The Observer on Alexandra Kotur, the "Viscountess of Vogue." [NYO]
• It seems some women are so addicted to the discount designer site Gilt Groupe that they're practically going bankrupt buying stuff they really don't want or need. [TDB]
• It's official: Madonna is attached to Louis Vuitton's new ad campaign. [Grazia]
• Isaac Mizrahi rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. The market has been having a surprisingly solid week so far. Could the two be connected? We'll say yes, if it's okay with you. [Facebook, WWD]
• Retailers in Soho who were expecting to see a boost in sales thanks to the opening of Topshop were greatly disappointed this week. [Crains, photo via Flickr]
• Some fashion insiders are a bit miffed that Michelle Obama has shown "zero interest in the big guns of American fashion" in favor of the "new and niche." [WWD]
• Daisy Lowe is getting her own show on MTV. [Pipeline]
• Victoria's Secret has signed up Christian Siriano to do makeup. [Fashionista]
• Nina Ricci's new designer will probably be Peter Copping. [FWD]
• A day in the life of Thakoon Panichgul. In Hong Kong. [Style.com]
• The beauty brand Stila may have gone bankrupt. [Fashionista]
Tyra Banks, Suze Orman, Keith Olbermann, and Phil Donahue were among the honorees at the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Marriott Marquis on Saturday night. A few of the people on hand for the occasion: Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan (left), Chris Noth, Clay Aiken, T.R. Knight, Tim Gunn, Christian Siriano, Cherry Jones, Robert Verdi, Heather Matarazzo and Carolyn Murphy, Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie, Ana Ortiz, Junior Vasquez, Jay Manuel, Hanna Storm, Brad Rowe, Jenny Shimizu, Stockard Channing, Judith Light, S. Epatha Merkerson, State Sen. Eric Schneiderman, and Hedda Lettuce. [PMc, Wireimage, Advocate, Access Hollywood]
• Saks has agreed to pick up Christian Siriano's fall line. The collection will be sold at the in-store boutique for up-and-coming designers. [NYM]
• Rachel Zoe is launching a budget clothing line. Because she can. [SW]
• Kira Plastinina, the 16-year-old designer and Russian mogul's daughter who watched her company implode recently, is ready for her next challenge. She's going back to school. Possibly to Parsons, in fact! [FWD]
• The company that bought the rights to the Bill Blass name now has plans to revive it and is currently hunting for a creative director. [Fashionista]
• H&M reported its first drop in quarterly profits in more than five years. [BN]
• Not only does Olivia Palermo shop at Strawberry's (or doesn't), she says she shops at the Strand, too. For, like, books and stuff. [Racked]
• The ever-humble Kanye West would now like to be known as Martin Louis The King Jr. The "Louis" refers to Louis Vuitton, obviously. [NYDN]
Vanity Fair and USA Network celebrated the launch of "The Character Project" photo exhibit at Stephen Weiss Studio last night. Editor Graydon Carter, the mag's publisher Edward Menicheschi, and NBC Cable Entertainment president Bonnie Hammer were on hand to welcome Mena Suvari, Christian Siriano (left), Lucy Liu, Donna Karan and daughter Gabby De Felice, Katie Lee Joel, Rachel Roy, Rosie Perez, Jeff Goldblum, Peggy Siegal, Rose McGowan, Sylvia Plachy, Michael Musto, Gigi Stone, Lisa Anastos, Caryn and Jeff Zucker, Paz de la Huerta, Sky Nellor, Jeremy Kost, Josh Bernstein, Yigal Azrouël, Elise Overland, Bettina Prentice, Sarah Sophie Flicker, Kipton Cronkite, Liam McMullan, Izzy Gold, and Gossip Girl's Amanda Setton and Dreama Walker. [PMc, Wireimage, Getty, VF, NYO]
Fashion Week is finally coming to a close. Click through for a final recap of the shows, parties, and gossip from the past day or two.
Project Runway season 4 winner Christian Siriano is showing for the first time in the tents today and no doubt hoping that, unlike last season, the likes of Saks and Bloomingdales pick up his fledgling line. But despite the fact that helming a fashion label at the tender age of 23 would hardly have been his fate without the help of reality TV, Siriano, normally so full of sass, is now regretful about his decision to compete in the show: "It definitely gave me a platform, but for other young designers I would say, it's not the best way to go if you want to be a real, serious designer." Sounds like someone is struggling to reconcile designing and promoting for Payless with his glamorous boyhood dreams!
