Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most influential and enduring designers of the 20th century, empowered women by reinventing pants as a sleek, elegant staple of the female wardrobe.
Saint Laurent, 71, died Sunday night at his Paris home after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, said Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent's close friend and business partner for four decades.
"Chanel gave women freedom," and Saint Laurent "gave them power," Berge said on France-Info radio. He called Saint Laurent a "true creator" who went beyond the aesthetic to make a social statement.
"In this sense, he was a libertarian, an anarchist and he threw bombs at the legs of society," he said. "That's how he transformed society and that's how he transformed women."
The Gucci Group, which acquired the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house in 1999, said the designer's death "leaves a great emptiness but also a sublime inheritance."
"This genius of creation shattered the codes to create French elegance which today makes Paris a grand capital of fashion," Gucci said.
Berge, speaking Monday on the France-2 TV station, stressed Saint Laurent's "profound love" for women. He used fashion to "serve women" and not "use them," said Berge, who collaborated with the designer for four decades and was his former romantic partner.
In his own words, Saint Laurent once said he felt "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
Saint Laurent widely was considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.
The designer raised the stature of fashion while making it more accessible, it is widely agreed.
President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Saint Laurent for "putting his mark on a half-century of creation, in luxury as well as ready-to-wear." First lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who graced Saint Laurent's runway during her modeling career, said she had a "heavy heart" on learning of his death.
"He was an exceptional artist and human being," she said. "He made not only beauty, but also women's strength sublime."
For Culture Minister Christine Albanel, the designer personally touched women's lives.
"This brilliant idea that a woman could be the most feminine possible while dressing like a man ... it seems to me decisive," she told Associated Press Television News. "Little by little, women get rid of their corset and then they live differently."
From the first YSL tuxedo and his trim pantsuits to see-through blouses, safari jackets and glamorous gowns, Saint Laurent created instant classics that remain stylish decades later.
"Mr. Saint Laurent revolutionized modern fashion with his understanding of youth, sophistication and relevance. His legacy will always be remembered," said Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa.
Saint Laurent was born Aug. 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria, where his father worked as a shipping executive. He first emerged as a promising designer at age 17, winning first prize in a contest sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat for a cocktail dress design.
A year later, in 1954, he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale school of haute couture, but student life lasted only three months. He was introduced to Christian Dior, then regarded as the greatest creator of his day, and Dior was so impressed with Saint Laurent's talent that he hired him on the spot.
When Dior died suddenly in 1957, Saint Laurent was named head of the House of Dior at age 21.
He opened his own haute couture fashion house with Berge in 1962. The pair later started a chain of Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutiques.
Saint Laurent's simple navy blue pea coat over white pants, which the designer first showed in 1962, was one of his hallmarks. His "smoking," or tuxedo jacket, of 1966 remade the tux as a high fashion statement for both sexes. It remained the designer's trademark item and was updated yearly until he retired.
Also from the 60s came Beatnik chic — a black leather jacket and knit turtleneck with high boots — and sleek pantsuits that underlined Saint Laurent's statement on equality of the sexes. He showed that women could wear "men's clothes," which when tailored to the female form became an emblem of elegant femininity.
Some of his revolutionary style was met with resistance. There are famous stories of women wearing Saint Laurent pantsuits who were turned away from hotels and restaurants in London and New York.
Saint Laurent's rising star was eternalized in 1983, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted a show to his work, the first ever to a living designer. He was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 1985.
But bouts of depression marked his career. Berge, who lived with the designer for years, was quoted as saying that Saint Laurent was born with a nervous breakdown.
When Saint Laurent announced his retirement in 2002 at age 65 and the closure of the Paris-based haute couture house, it was mourned in the fashion world as the end of an era. His ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, which was sold to Gucci in 1999 for $70 million cash and royalties, still has boutiques around the world.
Saint Laurent had long been rumored to be ill, and Berge said on RTL radio Monday that he had been afflicted with brain cancer for the past year.
"He no longer liked the world of today's fashion ... he said it didn't understand him," Berge said.
"He had a great, immense love affair with fashion. It's true that he left the profession, but in a couple you can split up because you must do so ... and still be very unhappy," he said. "That was his case."
After retirement, Saint Laurent spoke of his battles with depression, drugs and loneliness, though he gave no indication that those problems were directly tied to his decision to stop working.
"I've known fear and terrible solitude," he said. "Tranquilizers and drugs, those phony friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober."
A funeral ceremony was scheduled for Thursday at the Saint Roch Church in central Paris, Berge said, moving the date announced earlier forward by a day. Saint Laurent's ashes are to be placed in a vault in the Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakech, Morocco, which he and Berge purchased in the 1980s, their foundation said.
Via associatedpress
They say everyone’s got a story to tell…and if you happen to be a headline hogging celebrity in an uncharacteristically gay relationship, it might earn you a million dollars.
That’s what insiders at the New York Post’s notorious Page Six are saying might be in the works for Lindsay Lohan. It seems now that she’s been seen getting very publicly affectionate (and by “public” we mean photographed on Diddy’s yacht at Cannes) with girlfriend Samantha Ronson, she might be willing to go on record about being gay, or gay for now, with a major celebrity news publication. Namely, OK! Magazine.
According to the Page Six source, the magazine offered Lindsay Lohan approximately one million dollars for her “coming out” story. And she apparently needs the cash.
The source stated, “Lindsay really wants this to happen and she needs money.”
Of course, it pretty much goes without saying that all parties involved have denied or refused to comment on this possibility. Lindsay’s people say she passed on the offer and OK! says they don’t comment on “future editorial.”
Aside from the money, which isn’t a bad deal considering Lindsay didn’t have to make any babies to get a million dollar payday from a celeb rag, she may also want to go speak up now, since her parents have already been making all kinds of comments about her sexuality and relationship with Ronson.
Daddy Lohan recently confirmed that his daughter is going steady with Ronson, stating that the relationship is “evident to anyone with half a brain.” (i.e. Dina Lohan)
Meanwhile, Dina Lohan has stated regarding the rumors, “it’s so silly. We actually laugh about it now. It really hurts but you develop a thick skin. You have to ignore it.”
Well, Dina, it looks your daughter is still laughing about these rumors. All the way to the bank.
Via actressarchives.com
Fern Britton has told viewers that she had not previously felt the need to go public about having stomach surgery to help her lose weight.
The 50-year-old co-host of This Morning underwent gastric banding two years ago.
In a statement, Ms Britton said she was "very pleased" with the results but added that she would not want to influence others to follow her lead.
Speaking on the ITV1 show, Ms Britton said that only a handful of people previously knew she had the procedure and she had not felt the need to ring around. She said she had not expected such an enormous interest in body perception.
Ms Britton said she spoke very carefully about eating less and exercising more and what she said was "absolutely true".
She also made light of the situation, quipping: "Please tell me we've got cake on the show because I need fattening up."
She added: "Next time, if I have a face-lift or haemorrhoids or something, I will ring the Sunday papers straight away."
Anne Diamond, who lost nearly four stones in weight with a gastric band, backed Ms Britton.
She wrote in the Daily Mirror: "She still looks wonderful, is now much healthier and less likely to suffer from diabetes, heart disease, stroke or even cancer and her life has probably been extended by some 10 years."
Gastric banding reduces the size of the stomach so that only small meals can be eaten, while still giving the impression of being full.
Via ukpress
Broadcaster Terry Wogan has accused Eastern European countries of being ‘racist’ after none voted for the UK’s entry in this years Eurovision Song Contest.
Britain, who were represented by Andy Abraham, finished joint last in the competition, which was won by Russia.
In his column in the Sunday Telegraph, Wogan said that Abraham’s skin colour meant he was like the “elephant in the room” at the competition.
“East of the Danube, they won't be voting for any black singer any day soon," he wrote.
Wogan said it was “scandalous” how few votes the United Kingdom received, adding that those who care about the competition “will have had it up to here with the blatant political voting from the former satellites of the USSR”.
Representatives from the embassy’s of Eastern European countries in London have defended the results.
Eerik Marmei, the deputy head of the Estonian embassy in London, told the Telegraph that “the accusation of racism is totally rubbish."
Via gigwise.com
Eva Longoria runs in red at the Hope! 5K Charity Run/Walk for Padres Contra El Cancer at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Eva's hubby, Tony Parker, had a tough game on Thursday and was eliminated by Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Eva was in the stands, however, cheering her man on - looking perkier than ever!
Eva, 33, and Tony, 26, celebrate their one year wedding anniversary this July.
Via infosjeunes.com
Song change helped George Sampson win Britain´s Got Talent
domingo, 1 de junio de 2008 | Etiquetas: News
Britain's Got Talent winner, George Sampson, said that he believes a last-minute song change helped him to victory.
The 14-year-old dancer from Warrington, who beat nine other acts to win the contest, had been due to perform to a Bee Gees track.
But George changed his mind just an hour before he was due to go onstage and opted to repeat his dance performance of Singing in the Rain, which had got him through to the final.
He said: "I wasn't sure about the choice of song and, about an hour beforehand, we changed it back.
"I didn't know about switching my act at the last minute but I went to Simon Cowell and he said: 'You should do it because there have been so many requests for Singing in the Rain.'
"He said: 'As long as you top it, you'll get the greatest comments'. I probably wouldn't have won if I'd done the Bee Gees."
George, who was knocked out in the preliminary stages of last year's contest, will now appear at the Royal Variety Performance and take home £100,000 in prize money.
He said: "This is the top of the triangle, like the star on the Christmas tree." George said he plans to spend his money paying off his mother Lesley's mortgage to thank her for paying for his dance lessons.
George will join the show's other finalists onstage for a live UK tour, which starts this Friday.
Britain's Got Talent's ratings peaked at 14.4 million viewers on Saturday night, making it the highest-rated entertainment show so far this year.
Via ukpress
Jodie Prenger was voted as the winner of BBC One's I'd Do Anything last night.
The 28-year-old will now play the role of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh's new West End production of Oliver!
After the result was announced, Jodie thanked viewers for picking her as the winner. "You have genuinely given me my dream, I can't actually put into words how I feel," she said. "I'm so grateful and so chuffed. I'm just Jodie from Blackpool and to be here is my dream."
Head judge Andrew Lloyd Webber commented: "She's the people's choice. I think people love her, they love her open personality. I think they relate to that personality and I think that's what makes her Nancy for the public. Her strengths are her personality and her very, very strong voice."
Mackintosh added: "I'm thrilled for Jodie. She is obviously the public's view of what they want to see as Nancy. She'll give a terrific performance and I really look forward to putting her into training and getting her into rehearsals."
Jessie Buckley, 18, was voted as the runner-up. 17-year-old Samantha Barks had finished in third place earlier in the night before Jodie and Jessie battled it out in the final showdown.
Samantha revealed: ''I'm very, very proud of myself - I made it to the final which is something I thought I'd never do. It's been an amazing experience - thanks to everyone who has supported me."
Speaking after the show, Jessie explained: "I'm crying tears of happiness because I've just had the happiest experience of my whole life! It's onwards and upwards and now I'm reaching for the moon."
Winner Jodie had previously been backed by Lloyd Webber after Mackintosh admitted he was unsure about her suitability for the role of Nancy.
Via digitalspy.co.uk
Transformers hottie Megan Fox accepts the “Next Big Thing” award onstage during the taping of Spike TV’s 2008 “Guys Choice” Awards held at Sony Studios on Friday in Culver City, Calif.
The ceremony will airs on Sunday, June 22 @ 10PM ET/PT on Spike TV.
Megan, who just turned 22 earlier this month, posed with screenwriter Diablo Cody and Harold & Kumar actor John Cho (pictured below).
Diablo wrote the screenplay for the comedic supernatural thriller, Jennifer’s Body, out 2009. The film follows a cheerleader (Fox) with a perfect life who becomes the girl from hell when she gets possessed and begins killing boys in a small town. Her best friend must then find a way to stop her.
Via buzznet.com
Sarah Jessica Parker hasn't ruled out 'Sex and the City' sequel
| Etiquetas: Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex And The City
Sarah Jessica Parker will make a second 'Sex and the City' movie - if she can find a balance between her careers as a mother and actress.
Positive early reviews of the new film - an adaptation of the hit TV series - have prompted the 43-year-old to consider following it up with a sequel - but only if it doesn't drag her away from young James Wilkie, her son with actor husband Matthew Broderick.
When grilled on US TV show 'Today on Thursday', Parker said, "You'd have to ask my son... He'd have to be willing to let me be that diligent...
"This last experience has been two years, and it's been the real last year of my life professionally. And I've had to figure out how to make certain that he is well and good. But I've been absent in a lot of ways and it's time for me not to be for a while."
But she admits the real decision will be based on the first movie's box office success: "Honestly, the truth of the matter is I think we've felt so privileged to arrive at this day, that we have not uttered the word (sequel). I feel it's really out of our hands. I don't know."
Via iol.ie
Rapper Nas has revealed the video for "Be a N****r Too," the lead single from his upcoming untitled album, due July 1 via Def Jam. The clip was unveiled for media last night (May 29) at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York.
The treatment for the black-and-white video, directed by Rik Cordero, features Nas looking at his reflection through a mirror and rapping about racism, politics and religion, among other things, while images of people of different races sporadically appear throughout. "We all black within, okay / we all African, okay," the Queensbridge rapper rhymes over a piano-heavy beat.
Towards the middle of the video, a scene of what appears to be a white slave owner pointing a gun at a black male slave emerges, right before the song shifts into its chorus: "They like to strangle n*ggers / blaming n*ggers / hanging n*ggers / still you wanna be a n*gger too?"
At the end, Nas, still facing the mirror, says, "F*ck you. You had it all and you threw it all away." When asked about the significance of that portion of the video, Nas said the concept was Cordero's idea and he "just went with it."
According to Cordero, the clip was inspired by old Spike Lee films. It features cameos by Latina rapper La Bruja and actor John Cho ("Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle"), among others.
Although the album won't be titled "N****r" as originally planned, its cover -- an image of Nas' bare back with welts similar to the ones slaves endured from lashings -- "speaks for itself. It says 'n*gger' real loud," he said.
That image was on display in the room during the screening last night but at the time was not being trumpeted as the official cover. A Nas spokesperson confirms it will be used as such.
Via billboard.com
