Dis-dressing news
A colleague passed along yet another celebrity-centric magazine for my gawking pleasure, Hollywood Life.
(Digression: It’s the kind of magazine that’s so in-the-know that they use the name “Taryn‿ on the cover without bothering with a last name. My best guesses: They were either referring to character actress Taryn Manning, who plays tarts in everything from “Crossroads‿ to “Hustle & Flow,‿ or comfortable shoemaker Taryn Rose.)
Inside, I found the dishiest story on the dirty tricks that go on as designers clamor to dress the Oscar nominees.
(Digression: If you’ve seen the ad of me holding an Oscar on our home page, which I adore, that’s my head on Renee Zellweger’s body. My God, do we have the same skin tone? She’s wearing Carolina Herrera to accept her “Cold Mountain‿ award. And, of course, Herrera has promised to not dress any other stars for the same events that Zellweger attends.)
Some highlights:
*Valentino (the designer, not Rudolph) once said that dressing a winner is worth $25 million in free publicity.
*In 1996, Sharon Stone reportedly played Valentino and Vera Wang off each other for an Oscar gown. She ended up going with neither – and instead wore a $22 Gap top.
*America’s trailer-to-Tinseltown sweetheart, Hilary Swank, is one fickle fashionista. In 2000, Swank backed out of her Christian Dior gown and went with Randolph Duke. Believe it or not, it’s been alleged that her stylist was bribed with a $1,200 Spanish wood bed! In 2005, she had an ad contract with Calvin Klein. After two weeks of meetings with Klein’s designers, at the last minute she showed up in Guy Laroche. And before the Golden Globes that year, she cast off her Harry Winston jewelers when Chopard offered her a six-figure check to wear theirs. That’s our million-dollar baby.
It’s a filthy, ugly business, and I, for one, am glad to not be a part of it.
Comments
The only phrase from this post that I understood was "Renee Zellweger’s body" - and I wish I hadn't seen that. If Tim Burton ever decides to bring The Corpse Bride to Broadway, Renee Zellweger would have to bulk up to play the lead.
Posted by: Nils | March 4, 2006 10:00 AM
I am so bummed that they've never put my head on someone else's body! And you DO have the same skin tone, by the way.
Bloscar replies:
They previously had my head atop an Oscar statuette, which left me feeling sort of ... exposed. Yet lustrous.
Posted by: Deb Pickett | March 5, 2006 8:47 AM
And don't forget what Heidi Klum did to Jay McCarroll!
Posted by: Maggie | March 5, 2006 7:42 PM