Thursday, April 28, 2011

Shala Moradi

Kate Middleton's bridal gown won't be hers alone for long. The minute the princess-to-be arrives at the steps of Westminster Abbey, a designer watching the royal wedding on TV on Long Island will put pen to paper and begin a mad scramble to knock off the dress-seen-round-the-world for sale to the masses. The ceremony will still be in full swing as Shala Moradi -- head designer of the Garment District dressmaker Faviana -- sets in motion the frantic job of getting their version of the gown to stores within weeks. It's a grueling process. Moradi's alarm will buzz at 4 a.m. Friday, the day of the wedding. She'll grab a cup of tea, and watch television while still in her bathrobe -- anxious for that crucial first glimpse when Middleton steps out of her Rolls-Royce Phantom to enter the church. "I don't get nervous. But it's a little bit of pressure with the timing," said Moradi, who has designed spinoffs of must-have dresses everywhere, from the Oscars to Chelsea Clinton's wedding. First, she'll figure out two crucial details -- fabric choice and silhouette. After making a rough sketch at home, it's off to Faviana's 17th-floor showroom on Seventh Avenue, via the Long Island Rail Road, to begin making a sample. During the commute, Moradi will be fielding calls from her assistants, pattern makers and marketing team. Her two sons, who work in the family business, will sit next to her on the train, pulling up by-the-minute Middleton pics on their iPads to get a close look at the design elements of her gown. Once at work, employees will be dispatched all over the Garment District to buy the fabric, beading, trims, and any necessary materials to make the dress. Their version will likely cost less than $2,000 and will be sold online and in department stores. "When it's a special event like this, there's an excitement in the office," Moradi said. Her dress won't be an exact replica of the royal bride's, whose gown will likely have a huge train -- far too fussy for non-princess brides. By the end of the weekend, Moradi's company will have all of the details ironed out and a finished sample, which they'll ship to China for production. "Depending on the style, it should hit the market within eight weeks," said her son Navid Moradi, the company's president. The dash to get out a dress isn't unusual for Faviana, who are known for spinning out "inspired dresses" worn by celebs such as Angelina Jolie and Taylor Swift. But the demand and the rush for a Middleton lookalike gown beats anything in recent history. "This is going to exceed by far any order that we've done," said Navid Moradi. - NY Post EXCLUSIVE

Monday, April 25, 2011

Magnum Ice Cream


Only one man keeps Anna Wintour waiting. The Vogue editor-in-chief sat patiently alone for 15 minutes at the IAC building for Karl Lagerfeld while he worked a press line to promote the three-part short film series he shot for the US launch of Magnum ice cream. The Chanel creative director then joined Wintour in a VIP section at the party Thursday night along with Chanel-clad Rachel Bilson, who appears in the films, and Lagerfeld's ridiculously good-looking bodyguard, Sebastien Jondeau. Our spy said, "Anna was there to support Karl and seemed happy and relaxed waiting for him. Nobody approached her." It was a short visit here for Lagerfeld, who arrived on his private jet from Paris late Wednesday, bumping into his friend and fellow icon Valentino on the tarmac at Teterboro amid a flurry of luxury suitcases and handsome entourages. Lagerfeld jetted out early yesterday, but not before again bumping into Valentino, who was boarding his own jet to spend Easter in St. Barts. - NY Post

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Nigella Lawson wears a burkini

Nigella Lawson at Bondi Beach in Australia with friend Maria McErlane
"Nigella was protecting herself from sunburn, nothing more than that," said her spokesman. Miss Lawson purchased the burkini from Islamic swimwear company Modestly Active. - The Telegraph
http://www.modestlyactive.com/

Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff

Twin brothers who were once boyishly handsome TV stars in France have undergone so much plastic surgery that they’re nearly unrecognizable. Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff, now 60, had chin implants, cheek implants, botox and fillers. - Daily Mail