By Bennett Marcus
Posted 06/03/11 at 01:30 PM
Karl Lagerfeld was among those honored for creativity at Wednesday’s Gordon Parks Foundation Awards dinner. We asked the Chanel creative director which of his creative endeavors, which include fashion design, photography, filmmaking and publishing, he enjoys most. “I never compare,” the Kaiser said. “So, I like fashion, I like movies, I like photos, I like books, I like all that, but they are so different that you cannot put them on the same level and make degrees of preference, eh? There are no degrees of preference; I’m mad for all of them.”
Why does the icon, now in his late-70s, continue to work so hard? “You know, days have only 24 hours, there is not so much time left. And years have only 365 days, so it’s really a full time job,” he explained cheerfully.
Karl’s friend Ingrid Sischy alluded to his work ethic in her introduction during the award ceremony. “When other fashion designers are kicking back after a day’s work, a show, or a long season, Karl is almost always off doing a photo shoot for a brand-new magazine or a powerful, established glossy, or a campaign, or a personal project he has assigned to himself,” Sischy told the crowd.
Lagerfeld’s acceptance speech was uncharacteristically short, thanking the organizers and saying how the photographs of the late Gordon Parks that he saw in Life magazine while he was growing up were an inspiration to him. “When I get a prize, I’m very flattered and very happy, but in a way I always feel ashamed because I think I could do better,” he said. “I consider myself lazy. In fact, I’m never pleased with myself, the best thing is to go ahead.”
By Bennett Marcus
Posted 05/27/11 at 12:00 PM
Lucy Liu snagged the best parking spot ever on Monday, right in front of the Museum of Modern Art, where she was headed for a party. There was even a carpet for her car, so it needn’t sully its tires on the pavement! The car itself was pretty cool, a futuristic Volkswagen XL1 concept, complete with gull wings. The auto company sponsored the dinner to celebrate its partnership with MoMA, and gave Liu a lift. The Kung-Fu Panda 2 star gushed about the car’s spacious interior and smooth ride, and claimed that driving in New York City helps her hone her evasive driving skills. Padma Lakshmi doesn’t own a ride now but said her first-ever car was embarrassing. “It was a rust orange used Pinto that my parents bought me for $300,” she laughed. Jewelry designer Eddie Borgo is also carless and rents when he needs to. His first car was a much-used Honda Civic. Gucci-clad James Franco gets around town with a driver now but said that during his very recent university days—his NYU graduation was just last week—he rode the subway to classes. Yoko Ono actually does own her own wheels. “I think we have one Volkswagen, don’t we?” she asked her rep. Finally, a New Yorker with a car! Does Ono tool around the city in her VW, running errands? “No, I don’t drive,” she said, laughing. “Lucky me.”
By Bettina Zilkha
Posted 05/27/11 at 09:14 AM
How can you guarantee a glamorous evening, filled with movie stars, models, and the ne plus ultra of the fashion world? By honoring the legendary Mario Testino. On May 26, El Museo del Barrio, New York's leading Latino museum, did just that, with a glorious black tie gala honoring the Peruvian-born photographer.
Kate Winslet, Josh Hartnett, Anna Wintour, Courtney Love, Hamish Bowles, Carine Roitfeld, and Donatella Versace all came to pay homage.
When I asked Testino, known for his stunning portraits, which one was his favorite, he said it was too difficult to choose. "It's almost like a parent that has children," he explained. I asked for his top five. "Kate Moss has been one of my favorites for a long time. I've worked a lot with her and I've managed to document her through the 20 years that we worked together. But there are many people like that: Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Demi Moore, and many more," he said.
What's next for Testino? "I'd love to find a way where I give back to my country or to my adopted country."
By Bettina Zilkha
Posted 05/24/11 at 10:32 AM
The Cinema Society and Bing hosted a screening of one of the most widely anticipated movies of the summer, The Hangover Part II, on May 23rd, and the crowd at the packed Landmark Sunshine Theater was stellar. There was a buzz of excitement as Patrick Wilson, Gina Gershon, Dermot Mulroney, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and Calvin Klein all waited for the movie to begin. Todd Phillips gave a short introductory speech. "Zach [Galifianakis] couldn't be here—apparently he doesn't own a suit," joked the movie's director. So what can you expect? A now famous tattoo on Ed Helms's face, which is a copy of Mike Tyson's; the original tattoo artist is trying to sue. Hasn't he heard the word "parody," and doesn't he have a sense of humor? There is a smoking monkey, a car chase, and lots and lots of trouble. You didn't really want me to give the story away, did you? Suffice it to say, it all happens in Bangkok, and yes, it's funny.
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