If there’s one thing I’ve observed by my time going home to Missouri, it’s this: There are hot people in the world who have no idea just how hot they are. I proved this fact to myself this evening when I wasted a good hour or two on the website Hot And Busted, which is a national round-up of hot dudes doing stupid things and getting their mugshots taken. Anytime I see a young person make life-altering mistakes it’s sad. But when they’re hot? That’s just devastating. I recently had a birthday back in St. Louis (I know, I know, I need to post some pictures…), and it was amusing how many of my East Coast girlfriends were attracted to the wholesome, corn fed, rural men of my hometown. Seriously, the plumbers and electricians of that part of the world could easily become models or socialite arm candy in New York. So, that’s my message to these boys, and any boys like them in small towns around the country: Don’t do meth or steal cars or drive drunk. There are entire professions dedicated to low-skilled but handsome men in a city like New York. Come here and be a photo assistant, or work in a bar, or even be a male model, though this last one is probably the least rewarding, emotionally and financially speaking. The moral of the story? Never get arrested, boys. Especially if you’re good looking.
Before we even get to the film, I should say something: I adore Emma Watson. I think she’s a smart, sweet little lady, and she was one of the inspirations for my book,Very Classy, because I wish there were more girls like her in the world. Even with that out there, I can say that her performance as Sam in the film ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ based on the best selling book by Stephen Chbosky, is going to ruffle a few feathers. One scene in particular, when her character and her slightly outcaste-ish friends put on a production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, has her wearing only a (conservative, mind you) bra. That alone is enough to get the Harry Potter boys in a tizzy.
I saw the film at a small screening Emma put together when I was in LA last week. I hadn’t read the book and I didn’t know anything about the film, apart from the appearances of Watson, obviously, with Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller, both of whom I think are fabulous new faces in film. (Well, not that new to me. I’ll confess I did recently watch Lerman in ‘The Three Musketeers’ when there was nothing else to watch on a flight to Paris.) I had mistakenly thought the film was lighter fare, a newer version of a ‘Clueless’ or ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’ for the new generation. I was wrong. Two hours after the film started, I walked out with sloppy, puffy red eyeballs.
Unlike, say, ‘Clueless’ and ‘Ten Things,’ which were set in idyllic California high schools full of rich, oddly attractive teenagers, this film takes place in a place not too dissimilar from where I grew up. And while I never had to deal with the sort of stuff Lerman, Watson and Miller do in the film (I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s some heavy stuff), I knew it was like to deal with bullies, fights, and boring hours in school libraries. Fun fact: I was in the high school marching band for three years. Not exactly a badge of cooldom, let me tell you. This is an honest, forthright story about a couple of kids, kids that I could have known when I was there age, coming of age and dealing with life, love and adolescence. There are some great comedic moments, many provided by Mae Whitman’s brilliant character, and moments of genuine pain.
The film made me laugh, and yes, it made me cry. (Shut up!) I loved Lerman’s performance, and I was endeared by Miller for reasons that will become apparent when you see the film. And I just adore Emma. It was nice to see her doing something out of the realm of magic. She also does an American accent, which was weird for me to see at first. But not as weird as the aforementioned Rocky Horror scene. Which she looks beautiful in, by the way.
To make a long story short: David Beckham, the world’s most famous heartthrob footballer, has launched his own line of bodywear with H&M. It’s the most exciting thing to happen to men’s underwear (manties?) since Calvin Klein printed his name on elastic waistbands. To celebrate the launch, I met up with David in LA and talked about his first fashion memories, his fashionable wife, and these new fashionable underpants to discuss the project for H&M‘s spring 2012 magazine.
On a fine day in Los Angeles, the view from Simon Fuller’s penthouse HQ on Sunset Boulevard is absolutely glorious. And so is the company. I’m perched in an office that overlooks sun-drenched Beverly Hills. In the conference room to my right is David Beckham, finalizing designs and production concepts for his new line of bodywear with H&M; in another room to my left is the legendary actor Michael Caine. As I wait for Beckham to join me for a discussion about football, fashion, family and the concept behind his new line of bodywear (I’ve been told it’s not mere underwear) I pass the time listening to the hypnotic cadence of Caine’s voice through the wall.
Beckham is busy today: he’s approving his bodywear’s packaging with H&M executives, and reviewing a TV commercial, shot by Alasdair McLellan, featuring his tanned and toned body slowly rotating in nothing but a pair of small white knickers. The last thing he does before we sit down to chat is coordinate the school run for his two eldest sons (he and his wife, Victoria Beckham, following the birth of a little girl last year, now have a brood of four). It’s decided that the eldest, Brooklyn, will go straight home from school, and Romeo will meet his father at the office. LA’s ever-present paparazzi will photograph the two messing around on a pair of motorbikes later today – father-son bonding at its best.
I’m in awe of how calm and collected David Beckham is. We grab some club sandwiches for lunch, and I can’t help but notice how genuinely nice, well-dressed, articulate and (as he manages his messy meal) in possession of terrific manners the guy is. For a man whose life has been determined by his ability to perform in a highly competitive team sport, he demonstrates impressive restraint and responsibility. Perhaps that’s what has allowed him to achieve so much in his mere 36 years as a world-class athlete, international sex symbol, cultural juggernaut and family man. His latest job title? Underwear designer, which is a gig we both agree he needs a business card for.
Derek Blasberg: I like the idea of you having a business card that says “underwear designer”.
David Beckham: Yeah! I think I should have some made. I don’t have any cards yet, so thanks for the idea.
Derek: What? You’ve worked in fashion for years now; I can’t believe no one’s given you a card – so when did you start paying more attention to how people dress?
David: I’ve always liked fashion. I might not have always worn great stuff, but I always knew what I liked. I’ve definitely worn stuff that maybe some-one else wouldn’t wear, but I wear what I think looks good.
Derek: Do you like to dress up?
David: I love to wear a suit. But I love to dress down, too; a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and some flip flops.
Derek: Do you have a daily uniform?
David: Not at all. The only thing I do is set my outfit out the night before so it’s ready in the morning.
Derek: No way. Do you really?
David: Yeah, I do. I got four kids, so getting them ready, plus getting myself ready – it would take too long.
Derek: Have you been like that since you were a kid?
David: I suppose the very first thing I remember, when it comes to fashion, is when I was a pageboy at a family wedding. I had a choice between wearing some boring old suit, or a pair of knickerbockers with ballerina tights and slippers. I went with the tights.
Derek: I’d kill to see that picture.
David: My mum’s probably got it somewhere. It’s not that I always wanted to be different, but I knew what I liked and that’s always what I wore.
Derek: Looking back on all of your sartorial decisions you’ve made, do you laugh about any of it now?
David: Always. I look back on some stuff and I think, “I can’t believe I actually wore that.” But I have no regrets – I knew at the time it was good.
Derek: Any specific I-can’t-believe-I-did-that moments?
David: Me and Victoria wore matching black leather outfits once. They were Versace. That’s one where I look back, like, “What were we thinking?” We laugh about that one.
Derek: I know that picture. To be honest, you both looked great individually. It’s when it’s matching that it becomes too much. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake once did matching denim ensembles, and it was a lot.
David: I remember that, too. It’s all good until you do it as a couple.
Derek: That’s one good thing about being an underwear designer: not that many people see it.
David: That’s very true.
Derek: Though, I guess that can’t really be said for you.
David: Yeah, in my case it’s more like a few million people see it.
Derek: But what a cool campaign! I love those pictures, and I’ve seen the mock-ups of the images for buses and billboards. You’re going to be, like, 60 feet tall and on the sides of buildings.
David: That’s the thing: H&M thinks big. They want it everywhere, and that’s great. When it came to the pictures, I thought it was important that I roughed them up a little bit. Alasdair [McLellan] did them; he’s so talented.
Derek: When you know the pictures are going on billboards around the world, do you blush?
David: Oh, are you kidding? I get embarrassed. Really embarrassed.
Derek: I do like that it’s a subtle logo. Nothing too flashy poking out of the trousers.
David: That’s what we wanted to go for. I don’t think men want to wear something that’s too branded anyway, especially with my name all over their underwear.
Derek: Is the circle in the logo a football?
David: It’s a football, it’s a globe, it’s whatever you want it to be. It wasn’t meant to be a ball, but people obviously think of me and think of the sport.
Derek: How did this collaboration come together?
David: I started working on a bodywear project more than a year ago. At the time it was just me and my team; there was no collaboration with anybody else. But, H&M heard that I was bringing out a range and approached us, and it all came together.
Derek: How far along were you with your line?
David: We had product. We were a long way along. We had something physical to show H&M, and as soon as they saw the product they were like, “We’re in, we want it.” They took our ideas to another level.
Derek: H&M has teamed up with other designers in the past, like Karl Lagerfeld and Alber Elbaz. But, this is a completely different concept, isn’t it?
David: Longevity is what we’re trying to create here, and that’s different from the other collaborations they’ve done. It’ll continue for years. Or, at least I hope it does. Derek: What made you want to do underwear in the first place?
David: Everyone needs underwear. I love underwear, I love bodywear. Obviously, the relationship I had with Emporio Armani, and the success that I had with them a few years ago, got me thinking, “Why don’t I have my own range?” The sales and the interest in that Armani stuff was incredible.
Derek: In a way, especially for men, it’s an untapped market. There definitely aren’t too many high-concept, low-price options for us fellas. Were you thinking about your price points when you were designing, or did that come from H&M?
David: It’s a high-end product, with high-end standards, but we wanted it to be affordable for everybody. I’d imagine most people want to go into a store and buy a pair of underwear and not spend a ridiculous amount. That’s what’s great about H&M. They know what they’re doing; they know what price point they can hit and what the public want.
Derek: Tell me a little bit about the design process. Did you sketch or work with prototypes?
David: That’s one thing about me – everything I’ve ever done, I’m involved. If I can’t be hands-on and totally involved, I don’t want anything to do with it. It’s something I’ve always done throughout my career. I don’t want to just give my name to someone to do whatever they want. I think H&M loved the fact that I was totally involved.
Derek: I know she’s got her own fashion career, but did your wife chime in when you were putting this together?
David: She saw the range and she saw it on me. She loved it. We all loved it straightaway, because it’s so simple and well done. She’s definitely someone whose judgement I trust, and she does have an expertise.
Derek: Your kids are pretty stylish, too. Do you dress them up, or do they do that on their own?
David: I used to try and dress them up, but now they’re at the age when they want to wear their own things. They are three different characters. You got the oldest, who’s twelve, and he’ll just wear his soccer shorts and a t-shirt. The middle one, Romeo, he’s nine and he’s kind of the fashion one, so he’ll go in and pick out a pair of skinny jeans and a vintage t-shirt and a funny hat. One Christmas, he asked for a pair of spat shoes. And now, the youngest, Cruz, he’s seven and he’s hitting it right as well. He loves Justin Bieber, so anything that he’s got Cruz wants, like the big high-tops with the skinny jeans. They all have their own style.
Derek: Here’s something I always want to ask British people who raise kids in America: do they have a British or an American accent?
David: There’s a slight British accent, but when I listen to them talk I can hear an American twang.
Derek: How’s your accent doing? Do you find yourself saying American words more, like “elevator” instead of “lift”?
David: Yeah, I do. I also catch myself calling my kids “dude”, every once in a while, so there are a few words creeping in there.
Derek: I see an “H” poking out of your t-shirt on your neck. Is that a tattoo for Harper?
David: Yeah, that’s the newest one.
Derek: All the kids get a tattoo, right?
David: Yep. The boys are on my back.
Derek: You’re running out of room on your body.
David: I am! But tattoos have always been a form of self-expression for me. My love for my family, or things I’ve gone through in my life. Every one has a meaning. There’s not one on me that I’m going to regret.
Derek: Okay, what happens when your eldest boy wants to get a tattoo?
David: I don’t have much of an argument, do I? I’ll try to say no, but at some point he’s going to say he’s 18 and I can’t really stop him.
Derek: Oh no… I’m sorry to break this to you, but I think you only have to be 15 here in the US.
David: Really? That’s all right, I’ve already told them it’s 18. And I’ve already told them it really hurts.
Derek: While we’re talking about your family, I have to bring up this amazing picture I just saw of your wife. She looks divine in this gorgeous Alaïa dress and killer high heels – and she’s holding a baby.
David: I know, and the baby’s outfit was colour-coordinated with Victoria’s, too, wasn’t it?
Derek: Yes, that’s the one! Major! Four kids and a lot going on – how do you all stay so fashionable?
David: For my wife, it’s a lot easier. Victoria knows what to wear and how to wear it. She has such a great sense of style. I think my sense of style went up a bit when I met her, too.
Derek: When you two got together, it didn’t just change your fashion sense; it changed the whole world for you guys. Like those Versace jumpsuits – everything is more intense in a couple. Would you consider yourself media-shy?
David: I’ve become more comfortable with the media over the years.
Derek: But, not at the beginning?
David: If you’re not around that world and you’re not used to it, suddenly when someone is following you and taking your picture, it’s weird. I had a little bit of attention before I met Victoria, but it blew up when people knew that we were together. There was the wedding, the first child. It’s something that just happened and I’ve got more used to it now, more than I was ten or 15 years ago. But, I’m not one of these people who will sit here and complain about being successful. Everything I have, I’m lucky to have – I’ve worked hard, of course, but I feel very privileged to be in the position I’m in.
Derek: Are you happy out here in LA?
David: Contractually, 2011 was my last year under my contract at the time. I haven’t decided what I want to do, if I want to play here or somewhere else, or even stop playing. I’m looking at the options. We love living here: the kids love the schools and Victoria loves it here, too. So, for me, at this point in my career, the most important thing is my family. It’s whatever makes them happy.
Derek: Would you miss playing?
David: I still love playing the game, and that’s why I haven’t retired. I still know I can do it at a high level of play. A lot of guys finish by 34 or 35. I’m 36 years old, and to be honest, I’m still loving it like I did when I was 21, so there’s really no reason for me to even think about retirement yet.
Derek: But, it’s not like you don’t have other projects. Speaking of, did you know Calvin Klein started in fashion before he moved on to underwear? Maybe you’ll do the reverse: Start in underwear, and then move into fashion.
David: Who knows? Five years ago, if someone had asked me if I was going to have my own underwear range I would have said, “Probably not. No.” And if someone had said to me ten years ago that I would be playing soccer and living in America, I would have said the same thing. But plans change, life changes. So, we’ll see. I love suits, I already have a range with Adidas. Maybe in the future something else will happen.
Derek: You once said that you wanted to open a fish ‘n’ chip restaurant.
David: Was it fish ‘n’ chips? I think it was a pie and mash shop. But, since you’re an American, you probably don’t know the difference.
Derek: Yeah, I don’t.
David: Pie and mash is a proper East London thing, which is where I’m from, so I had it for years as a kid and it’s what I was brought up on. I’ve always said I would love a pie and mash shop one day, but I have to be in London for that.
Derek: Maybe you could do it here in California, especially if there isn’t one. It’s another untapped market.
David: Well, you never know.
Derek: Now that’d be a killer business card: footballer, underwear designer, pie and mash shop owner.
David: And dad. And husband. But, not in that order.
First, a confession: I haven’t read a single one of the books in the trilogy, despite the badgering of my friends, and I walked into last night’s premiere of the ‘Hunger Games’ without having a slightest idea of the premise. That’s probably why I was so scandalized when I found out the concept behind the movie: Umm, did you know the entire plot revolves around a televised game where two dozen poor children have to fight to the death, merely for the entertainment of rich people? I joked with my friends that it was an accurate observation of modern society, particularly if we get some of those Republican candidates in the White House. But upon proper reflection, a poor people Super Bowl of death is pretty messed up.
Apart from this point – and I’ll get back to that in a minute – the movie itself was suspenseful, brilliantly made and captured my attention from the very first scene to the climatic, sequel-alluding final one. I didn’t look at my phone once; well, they had confiscated our cell phones when we came to the premiere, so I couldn’t have if I wanted to anyway.
Some other notes: I was surprised that there were so few scenes with Miley Cyrus’ arm candy and alleged hottie Liam Hemsworth (who is the other Hemsworth boy, who is not Thor), and I was thrilled to see Josh Hutcherson have such a major role, who played the sensitive boy in the Kids Are Alright. The majority of the film, however, belonged to Academy Award-nominated Jennifer Lawrence, who is a fine little actress. I saw flashes of a young Elizabeth Taylor in more than a few scenes, and I’m a big fan of her round, pleasant looking face. (Where are this girl’s fashion campaigns already?)
Since we’re speaking of looks, I was unexpectedly inspired by the costumes of the citizens of The Capital. I’ll throw one of Elizabeth Banks’ city looks below, seen with the dowdy poor people looks of Lawrence’s people. They were very old-school-John-Galliano-meets-a-young-Zac-Posen-and-this-season-Alexis-Mabille-couture, with Pat McGrath doing some colorful face painting. Stanley Tucci, who I love to see in movies even when he’s not playing a big gay queen (see: ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘Burlesque’), looked resplendent in a blue messy bun, blue eyebrows and Chiclet-sized artificial teeth. And who doesn’t want to see Lenny Kravitz in a gilded eye liner?
Final thoughts: It was a good movie, and a tense, enjoyable way to spend 140 minutes. Yet walking out of that theater and into the Calvin Klein and Cinema Society-hosted after party at the Standard Hotel, I couldn’t help but feel just a wee bit dirty that in this movie (and the book that inspired it), which is aimed at teenagers and young adults, there were so many kids actually killing other kids. One boy in the film, who doesn’t look old enough to legally buy cigarettes, is a trained assassin and snaps another child’s neck in broad daylight.
Look, I know adolescent murder isn’t a new concept or anything (Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon’s ‘Fear’ was my favorite movie in high school), but between the school shootings and all these anti-bullying campaigns being shoved down my throat, this seemed shocking. We live in a society that says violent video games and heavy metal music are responsible for spurring kids to go into their high schools with shot guns under the trench coats – but no one is batting an eyelash when Hollywood makes a glossy film that shows a beautiful black teenage girl getting speared in the heart by another child? To make this point even more ironic, across town last night, Harvey Weinstein had organized a screening of Bully, a documentary aimed at raising awareness at hostility and violence in high schools. To be clear, I’m not complaining. I liked the movie, and I know it will be a huge success. I guess I’m just scared that the premise is too on the nose.
As my frequent flyer status indicates, I spend my fair share of time in airports. But coming back from the Six Senses resort on the outskirts of Phuket, Thailand, yesterday was a grueling experience, even for me. There were boats, buses, planes, taxi cabs and one really feisty female flight attendance on an OpenSkies trip from Paris to Newark that I wanted to strangle. The good news is that I got home late last night safe and sound, and the even better news was that spending nearly 24 hours in midair gave me plenty of time to catch up on so many of the films I missed last year. As I had joked around Oscars time, I hadn’t seen hardly any of the nominated films. (Yet, somehow, I managed to see the ‘Footloose’ remake twice. Not counting the premiere I went to as well.) So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on four Oscar-nominated films, including ‘Drive,’ ‘The Iron Lady,’ ‘The Descendants’ and ‘The Artist.’
DRIVE: When the movie first began, I thought ‘Drive’ would be an updated version of ‘Days of Thunder.’ (Yes, I just referenced that 1990 film. Remember Nicole Kidman’s old hair? And face?) Then the sexy, curvy red head from Mad Men gets her face blown off. Literally. Getting over the fact that this wasn’t going to be a romantic comedy was tough for me, especially considering the last thing I saw Gosling in was ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love,’ and I’m convinced his character was a gay gigolo on the DL. Don’t get me wrong: I was into Gosling in a gorier role, and for some reason I also really like seeing Carey Mulligan suffer, and it was a good movie, even if it did skew a touch too Bret Easton Ellis and Quentin Tarrantino in some spots. (Like, did we really need to see his foot in the skull of the dude in the elevator?) But still, maybe I’m too romantic, but I kind of wanted to see Mulligan get Kidman’s perm, Gosling to win the Indy500, adopt the Latino kid, and call it a day. But, oh, the soundtrack was so major. After Azealia Banks’ ’212‘ and Zebra Katz’s ‘Ima Read’, the title song was one of the most overused during fashion week.
THE DESCENDANTS: I’m just happy I watched this film, which starts with a woman dying after a boating incident, on my way home from Thailand. I had just spent five days frolicking on boats in the Thai sea, and something tells me that the wooden boats with car engine motors weren’t exactly up to the safety codes I have become accustomed to. ‘The Descendants’ was perfect for the plane, which I mean as a compliment but is probably slightly insulting too. George Clooney is a pleasant face to see when you’re floating above the earth, and since this movie had real no suspense or action it was completely palatable and enjoyable. Now, if I had seen it in a theater or on my couch, I may have been bored. No fist fights, and Clooney somehow resisted the urge to show any shred of sexiness or manliness by wearing flip-flops, baggy khaki’s and floral waiter shirts the entire film. (Really? No one even suggested a wet Tshirt scene?) I loved Shalaine Woodley’s performance too.
THE IRON LADY: The entire time I was watching this film I was thinking the same thing: Michelle Williams must be so pissed off this movie came out last year. She didn’t stand a chance against Meryl. No one did. (For the record, I still haven’t seen ‘My Life with Marilyn.’ I’m not ready yet, and that’s because I really like this Michelle Williams, and I don’t want to risk seeing her portray Marilyn Monroe, my childhood fantasy and the ultimate icon, and not liking her.) There isn’t much to say about ‘The Iron Lady.’ I know that some people complained of historical accuracy or whatever, but it’s the Meryl show, and she is so splendid in that role. A well deserved Oscar.
THE ARTIST: I have a confession to make: I went to some of the Weinstein Company’s buzz-creating events for The Artist last year, including a lunch at the Monkey Bar where I met Jean Dujardin and Bernice Bejo, before I saw the film. For some reason, up until yesterday, I just couldn’t bring myself to watch a silent movie. I could never someone to see it with me in the theater, and whenever I tried to watch a screener at home something (with sound) would always distract me. So, in a away, the plane was the perfect venue for me to shut up (no pun intended) and sit through it. And I’m so happy I did. I loved every minute of it. I found ‘The Artist’ to be a modern version of Sunset Boulevard, which anyone who knows me will understand is probably the biggest compliment I could give. (Seen the movie with Gloria Swanson, and seen the Broadway musicale with Glenn Close. But I guess Dujardin would have had to succeed in offing himself to make it a more apt comparison.) The film was lighthearted and fabulous. Since landing in New York last night, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is a film curator at a large museum here in New York, who said the only people who like ‘The Artist’ are people who had never seen a silent film before. Even though he was being nasty, he’s probably right. But who cares? I have seen my fair share of silent movies — I watched a 1924 silent Peter Pan on Monday night, in fact — but that didn’t stop me from being intoxicated by the sheer joy in ‘The Artist.’ And the fact that the same intoxication became an international phenomenon and even won an Oscar? Well, that makes me want to smile as much as Dujardin did in the film. It also makes me want to pencil on a mustache, buy a dog and slick my hair back, but I’ll stop myself.
NOTE; This is not a Christmas carol. This is not a family song either. It should only be listened by those with an open mind to ethnic subversive pop music with graphic language. So, there, you’ve been warned.
Perhaps it’s because fashion people find it so innately enjoyable to tell their coworkers, the people they spend all day and all night with on this month-long circus that is the collections, “Imma take that bitch to college / I’m gonna give that bitch some knowledge.” We do, after all, love to tell people what to wear, how to act, and what’s in and what’s out every season. Regardless, this has officially the song that has been in my head since it debuted on the Rick Owens catwalk yesterday. And it’s spread like wildfire: It’s the anthem in the Harper’s Bazaar car, the V magazine team knows every single word, Vogue Japan’s Anna Dello Russo just likes saying the word “bitch” over and over again, and W magazine’s Edward Enninful will sing it to complete strangers. (He’s good like that.) So, happy listening, kids.
It’s that time: Paris fashion week packing time. It’s an organizational feat I dread, but one that I have gotten particularly skilled at over the years. Behold, my beloved electronics case:
So, what have we got in here? Let’s start with that big black thing on the bottom left, and work our way around.
- The black round-shaped thingie was originally intended to be a makeup bag, I believe. I found it when I was working at Vogue (so we’re talking mid 2000′s here, people) and it has proven to be the most valuable organizational device I own. Sturdy, zippable, reliable, and sheer so that you can see what’s in it without having to open it. It will house the rest of the contents on this page.
- Camera lens cleaner. By all means and all accounts, and I’m an amateur photographer. But a clean lens is vital.
- Computer charger.
- This is my newest fashion week electronic addition: The Samsung Galaxy Note. It has a huge screen and fabulous features, my favorite of which is the Doodles program. (Did you see my New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week doodles?)
- Chapstick. Very important in these chilly times. Especially when you talk as much as I do.
- My camera of choice: The Canon S95. I have a few cameras, but this is the smallest and sleekest for stealth fashion week reporting. I’m saving up for the S100. Maybe next season.
- Camera battery charger.
- Two batteries for my voice recorder.
- Matches from the Chateau Marmont. (Whenever I think of matches I think of the last scene in the Fifth Element. Anybody else with me?)
- The iPod, full of embarrassing and cheesy Top 40 music. As I’ve already said on this blog, don’t judge me for my musical tastes.
- iPod charger.
- Samsung Galaxy Note charger.
- David Yurman watch, which was a gift from David’s son Evan, who is my oldest friend in New York. (We met when we were both at NYU and he was flirting unsuccessfully with a girl in a photo class. Thankfully, she turned out to be a lesbian.)
- Portable speakers. These are called the X-mini, and I bought them at the MOMA store in Soho. They pack some mean sound for being so tiny, and they charge off the same cord that reads my camera’s memory card.
- Camera cord.
- AC plug so that I can hook my iPod with the aforementioned cheesy music directly into our car when we’re in Paris.
- Handheld voice recorder for last minute, on-the-go interviews. Very old school, no?
- Two converters. I come prepared. Let’s do this, #PFW!
First of all, yes, that is Celine Dion. In the flesh. Even if it looks like a wax figure. She’s just that good.
A few weeks ago, when I was in Las Vegas for Chanel’s store opening (see my pictures from the fete here, and watch my interview with girls like Alexa Chung, Jessica Alba and Jessica Alba here), I had the good fortune of seeing Celine Dion in concert at Caesar’s Palace. Before the show, I was invited to meet Celine (I brought my friend Douglas Friedman, who is in the above photo), and she looked divine, smelled great and was extremely personable.
It was a fabulous show. It opened with a montage of her on a far flung world tour and some very personal footage of her with her family after she took some time off her tour and had her twins. Then, for the next two hours, she serenaded a crowd of mostly Asians, Canadians and gay men.
In the weeks after the show I bragged to my friends about seeing Celine. But mostly I meant it as a joke. I mean, Celine in concert is pretty ridiculous. She makes bad jokes, does goofy faces, and she over emotes at any given opportunity. But, in the wake of Whitney Houston’s tragic and untimely death, I couldn’t help but have a new found respect for Celine and this performance.
I’m not debating who had the better voice here. (I’m sorry, but nothing will compare to Whitney’s performance in The Bodyguard, and I scan still muster a good cry in the shower when I listen to Celine’s ‘All By Myself.’ So it’s a toss up.) But to see Celine still today is to see a woman still firmly in her element. There is nothing that could stop her from belting out those songs: Not a husband with bad prerogatives or a crack problem, both of which were probably factors in Whitney’s post-superstardom life.
Celine’s entire life is built for that stage presence. There is no line between the woman and the performer; her whole life is her performance and her existence is either on tour, on a private plane, or in her Nevada manse. On the other hand, Whitney Houston had had some ups and downs. Many had said the voice was gone.
Like everyone else, I was sad to hear that Whitney had died. Yes, she was an icon and genius and her music will stand the test of time. But, in a way, she was already gone. Yet Celine is still here, and so is that voice. When I walked out of Caesar’s Palace and snaked through the casino full of fat people chain smoking menthol 100′s cigarettes and past the official Celine Dion merchandise kiosks, I figured this is what Celine was born to do. She was designed for that performance, and she has never tinkered with her wiring. So, for that reason alone, as we celebrate the passing of a legend, I can’t help but pay homage to the existence of another icon.
And then, just for fun, I found this video which made me love Celine for a whole other series of reason. Girl is talented, but sort of insane.
Fashion is an industry of icons, and I consider myself lucky to have met many of them. I consider myself even luckier to have had the opportunity to work with some of them. Most recently, we at VMAN collaborated with Carine Roitfeld, the former French Vogue editor and arguably the world’s most influential stylist, on her own issue of the magazine. On the eve of the magazine’s debut, I had a chat with her about all things related to men’s style. Her responses were unexpected, insightful and, like the woman herself, provocative.
Some highlights? She thinks magazines who make men look overtly sexy are boring. She found Steve Jobs to be extremely stylish. She admires hip hop dressing, partly because it’s an extension of the very American idea of comfortable fashion. She says that the casting of a men’s fashion show is the most important thing, and that if a man is ever in doubt about what to wear he should put on a suit. The most important thing for a man to remember when he’s getting dressed? Nonchalance. She is French, after all. See below for our entire conversation:
Derek Blasberg: We’re very excited about your issue of VMAN. What are your first thoughts on men’s style?
Carine Roitfeld: I like trendy men, but I don’t like fashion victims. So I wanted the issue to fulfill that vision. The goal was to make fashion look smart and believable.
DB: You and I have spoken about what you think is a cliché version of men’s fashion. I was shocked that you think sometimes too much sex is a bad thing.
CR: I was looking at several men’s fashion magazines and I thought so many of them were so boring. They pushed sex so much it became vulgar. The boys were naked just to be naked. For me, that is not modern. I want beauty and something that is truly interesting, not just a naked man.
DB: Are you saying that people have forgotten the line between sexy and shocking?
CR: Yes. I like when a boy is very sexy; I liked when Tom Ford first put extremely sexy men on the runway. But I do not like it when male models start to look like sex toys. For me, that’s when they lose their beauty. It’s the same when a girl wants to dress weird just to be weird and get attention. There has to be a reason behind it. To do something merely shocking is too easy.
My last name has been an endless source of entertainment for my German friends for years. Loosely translated, Blasberg means “mountain the blows.” (So, yeah, now you see why my relatives moved to America so many generations ago.) Since it’s so expensive and tedious to change one’s name, I’ve since learned to embrace it. The fine folks at Nike certainly helped me on that mission with this jacket STADIUM MFG, a bespoke service that offers customization on a selection of Nike Sportswear icons. This is the NSW Destroyer Jacket.
The back of the jacket is a specially designed Blasberg logo, complete with those mountains that like to get blown so much. Not that the designs stop there; on the front of the jacket is a patch in the shape of my home state, Missouri, but printed in (my favorite color) leopard skin. On one of the pockets is one of my favorite sayings: “The jig is up.” It ain’t cheap (the jackets cost $680), but if you’re looking to upgrade your tried and true letterman’s jacket look, it’s a seriously chic option.
STADIUM MFG is located at Bowery Stadium: 276 Bowery Stadium, NYC
