Barbie has needs too...

David Levinthal
Barbie (Lingerie) 1997

I don't know about you, but I could use a little off-the-wall levity right now.

Which is why I'll be checking out Bad Barbie, an exhibition of David Levinthal's series of photographs, starring Ms. Blondie, her long-time beau Ken, and a breakout role for G.I. Joe. Click here to read more (parental advisory in effect) or visit:

John McWhinnie @ Glenn Horowitz Bookseller
50 1/2 East 64th Street
New York City
November 4th through December 5th

My Elegant Evening with the Countess

Oh yes I did.


The dynamite Kerry Robinson of Zuber thought of one person and one person only when she saw that the Alliance Francaise was hosting a signing of Real Housewife LuAnn Countess de Lesseps' new etiquette book.

Yes, my addiction to the Real Housewives series is one of my dirtiest secrets - although more dirty than secret as I love to talk about it whenever given the chance.

Last night we listened to LuAnn tell the story of her life which is actually rather interesting. Did you know that she was the Italian Vanna White for a time? I particularly liked that she is completely open about her modest background and the less glamorous things she did to pursue her ambitions. Like working as a night nurse while making a go of it as a commercial model in New York City. That said, she certainly leans on that title rather heavily.

A few juicy morsels:

LuAnn loves to sing so watch out - a Countess album may be next! Apparently Bravo is too cheap to pay for the rights to the songs she sings to air her in action.

She has spent some time at the Chopra center during this difficult time of her divorce and meditates twice a day. A woman there told her that first marriages are for meeting your biological mate and producing children. That done, the marriage has been fulfilled and there is no failure in moving on. This resonated strongly with LuAnn.

This woman (who lives next to Ramona) asked her what her sign was....

Taurus with Cancer rising was the answer.

Did the RHoNY show doom her marriage? It didn't help, but there were signs for awhile that things were heading south.

And although I bought a copy of Class with the Countess just to get a picture with her, I *secretly* can't wait to read it only because it is more about her life and less about class. Now, a book by Ramona on manners - that would be something.....

Click here if you want more more more RH guilty pleasure!

All photos - except top - courtesy of Junenoire Photography/FIAF

Made me smile 2

Yes, that's Lucille Ball brandishing a whip as part of a bizarre dance sequence with cat-besuited ladies in the 1946 film Ziegfeld Follies. It alone (and only) is worth the price of admission.

Your Own Private Karl

If you were in the tents during Fashion Week, you may have espied the great Kaiser Karl and thought to yourself, "My, he's taken his diet to an extreme." But fear not, it was the pocket-size Karl LagerFELT making the rounds, escorted by Project Runway alumnus Jack Mackenroth.




With my lovely editor Isabel Venero and designer and author of Tartan JeffreyBanks...



Only front row for Karl - natürlich...



Kit from PR gives Karl leather pants....



Two of my favorite men....


Click here for more of Karl Lagerfelt....

What Joan Would Do

It's that time of year when we are all setting resolutions and actually believing we will adhere to them and become creatures of perfection.

In this spirit, I thought I would offer a few words of wisdom on how to live well from the woman who taught me that wire hangers are just not on. Yes, that's right, Mommie dearest herself, Joan Crawford. You may even add a few new items to your list.


"That old saw, 'When in doubt, don't,' is never so true as when it comes to clothes. Or getting married." Joan knows of what she speaks, and shares many other pearls in the 1971 masterpiece My Way of Life.

On how to accessorize:

"My rule: Don't buy a dress until you can afford all the right accessories and if, like me, you can't spend your life in hair curlers, have a hat made to match. I always get a yard and a half of extra of the fabric I've ordered for a new dress. Half a yard for gloves and a yard for a turban or breton."

On throwing a successful party:

"The best parties are a wild mixture. Take some corporation presidents, add a few lovely young actresses, a bearded painter, a professional jockey, your visiting friends from Brussels, a politician, a hairdresses, and a professor of physics, toss them all together, and try to get them to stop talking long enough to eat!"


On how to lose weight:

"At times I've deliberately gained weight. I did for Mildred Pierce because I thought it suited the part....But the best condition I was ever in was when I was doing What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in a wheel chair. I had to wheel myself around, push back and forth, turn quickly, and I was the thinnest I've been in years....(Get a wheel chair and try doing your housework in it!)"


On Packing:

"I always pack in daylight. In artificial light when I'm in a hurry it's too easy to grab the wrong accessories and find myself in Kansas City or San Juan with a hot pink dress and a shocking pink hat - and that's a catastrophe."


On Cleaning:

"I had no one to help me [clean] and I didn't want to spen two months making beds and scrubbing bathrooms. I called a neighbor who put his maid on the phone. 'I know someone for you,' she said. 'But I don't know whether you can put up with her. She's never heard of a bucket or mop.'
'Handsies, kneesies?' I asked.
'Yep,' she replied.
'Bring her over tomorrow morning. That's just my cup of tea. I never did think you could get into corners with any mop. '"

On regrets and being yourself:

"People are always asking me if there's anything I regret, or would change. The answer is no! Not a thing. If I hadn't had the pain I wouldn't be me. And I like being me. Everyone should. I have a friend who says 'Treasure yourself.'

"I follow that advice by doing a certain amount of self-pampering. I surround myself with happy colors - yellow, coral, hot pink, and Mediterranean blues and greens. I've persuaded myself that I hate things that are bad for me - fattening foods, late nights, and loud and aggressive people head the list. I'm friends with myself, so I do things that are good for me, otherwise I couldn't be good for others. I spend my time with people I'm fond of, and that includes my working time, too."


Photo credits: Top and bottom by by Eve Arnold - click here to read about Ms. Arnold's wild experiences photographing Joan; #2 by Joseph Griffiths, #3 Warner Bros. Publicity Photo, #4 from Whatever happened to Baby Jane?

Made me smile.

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's iconic film The Birds, Mattel has just released this commemorative Barbie.

"Top Dog": Pure Camp, Pure Bliss

Sally Struthers with her chow, Chester

Some people who know me are surprised by how lowbrow my tastes can run. Yes, I really did stay up until 3 A.M. watching a Rock of Love marathon, and, yes, the Real Housewives series - all of them - is must-see TV (much to my fiance's horror). I fully embrace my love of Camp - there's only so much Proust one can read before one needs a dollop of Peyton Place. As Susan Sontag says, "it's good for the digestion."

So when I saw the book Top Dog by Liz Walker, John Haynsworth, and Bonnie Skinner Levy, a 1980's time capsule complete with B-list celebrities clad in leather and sequins hamming it up with their favorite canines, there was no question that it was coming home with me.

Dallas Hairdressers Danny Kapavik and Richard Florio, "the leading purveyors of Big Hair in a city known for all-out 'dos" with Yorkshire Terrier, Baby Jane.

San Francisco socialite Mrs. Francis A. Martin Jr. with Labrador, Nicol
Now this is a room I would love to see more of - love its ambiance of patina and old guard elegance.

Barbara Lazaroff, 2nd wife of Wolfgang Puck, with Jaguar, Melon, and Zandra