Martha Stewart
Transom Week in Review: Narciso Rodriguez on Michelle Obama; National Book Awards Go Glam; Christian Siriano's Birthday Bash
The National Book Awards tried to glam things up, with mixed results.
Narciso Rodriguez told us about Michelle Obama's controversial Election Night dress at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.
We caught up with the MisShapes at Christian Siriano's birthday party at Citrine.
At the re-dedication of the Bridge Formerly Known as Triborough, we discovered that Nancy Pelosi isn't one for frivolous questions (but Martha Stewart is!).
We faced the new media reality and took advantage of the complimentary burgers at Tina Brown's Daily Beast launch party in the Meatpacking District.
We also learned about Out magazine's recession-proof readership and searched in vain for James Franco at the annual "Out 100" celebration. (We found him a few days later at a screening of Milk.)
Martha Stewart Would Have Fifth Avenue Named After Her; Glenn Close Says: 'A Dog Park!'
Wednesday evening at Pier 60, the dedication of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly known as the Triborough!) attracted a long list of high-profile guests—Sarah Jessica Parker, Carl Bernstein, Matt Dillon, not to mention gaggles of politicians and Kennedys. And Archbishop Desmond Tutu! The Daily Transom wondered what kinds of Manhattan landmarks this sort of crowd would like to be named after them.
"A dog park!" replied actress Glenn Close, who during the dinner would be reading alongside Matthew Broderick and Harry Belafonte from Ariel Dorfman's play Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark. "Or maybe a theater, that would be nice. Or the Empire State Building! But I guess that should actually be named after a guy." read more »
Transom Week In Review: Mary-Kate Olsen at the Accompanied Literary Society; Election Night Madness; Dominick Dunne Toasted
We channeled the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe alongside Josh Lucas, David Schwimmer, Arden Wohl, and Mary-Kate Olsen at the Accompanied Literary Society Halloween party.
The art world remembered Robert Rauschenberg at a Coalition for the Homeless benefit.
We spent an anxious Election Eve with Graydon Carter, Tina Brown, Salman Rushdie, Regis Philbin, and Nora Ephron at the New York Public Library’s Library Lions benefit.
The Juicy is Loose! Temple to the Sweatpant Gods Draws Gossip Girls... and Martha Stewart!
The label Juicy Couture is perhaps best known for outfitting young girls (and sometimes their moms who should know better) in cotton candy-bright velour sweatpants with the word "Juicy" written across the buttocks. Its clothes are often decorated with rhinestones and lots of hardware, combining the image of daddy's uptown little girl with a little bit of punk. Or, as Cintra Wilson wrote in the New York Times last month: "The girl for whom Juicy Couture is designed, I determined, is Lady Veruca Salt: the imperial tween in the candy store who screams: 'Daddy says only weak people have recessions. I want an Oompa Loompa NOW!'"
The organizers of Thursday evening's opening party for the label's new, 12,000 square foot flagship store at Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street had taken Ms. Wilson's words to heart. Outside the store, a small army of male models dressed in tight black Levi's, tuxedo shirts, ripped blazers, marching boots, bowler hats, and pink flowers in place of bow ties stared at guests through their emo eye-liner with monotone facial expressions. Inside, professional ballerinas in tutus twisted into ballet moves along the steps leading upstairs. Violinists scratched away at their instruments. Colorful little cakes were passed out. A gospel choir performed. And the publicist Leslie Sloane Zelnick was nearly responsible for a few broken limbs when she entered with her client Penn Badgley, accompanied by his Gossip Girl co-star and real-life girlfriend Blake Lively, Sex and the City hunk Jason Lewis, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Gretchen Mol, sending gaggles of lip-glossed tween girls in a stampede towards the door. read more »
Transom Week In Review: Gay Talese, Michael Musto, and 'Dee-ahhn' von Eff
We talked mob money with writer Gay Talese at the screening of Gomorrah.
After months of speculation, we got to the bottom of Marquee's temporary summer shutdown.
We tallied gifts, drank absinthe, and chatted with godfather Michael Musto at nightlife heir Liam McMullan's 21st birthday party.
Russell Crowe got a little testy at the Body of Lies premiere--par for the course, we suppose.
We partied with Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Fern Mallis, Martha Stewart and Rory and Elie Tahari as the CFDA welcomed its newest members.
Fashion Week Hangers-On Make Birthday Wishes at Calvin's 40th
Last night’s Calvin Klein 40th Anniversary party was held in a John Pawson-designed, temporary structure on 10th Avenue and 30th Street built specifically for the event.
Adjacent to the space—fittingly, it seemed to be constructed from the same building material used to turn Manhattan living rooms into second bedrooms—was the new Highline Park, which guests were invited to tour during the party (the park is not yet open to the public).
Once inside, the place looked something like a very glamorous high school quad—a slate-colored staircase ran the width of the building, most of which was occupied by seated cliques of attendees sipping drinks and appraising the entryway. read more »
Morning Memo: Martha Stewart's Bad Luck; Kirsten Dunst Spotted Snogging Drew's Ex; Spike Lee Defends Barack Obama
Palm Springs International Shortfest.
Martha Stewart has been the victim of natural disasters this summer. First, Ms. Stewart's farm in Bedford, N.Y. was struck by lightning earlier this summer, and now her East Hampton home on Lily Pond Lane was also struck with a bolt, which fried her stereo system and her electronic driveway gate. [P6]
Kirsten Dunst was spotted making out with Drew Barrymore's ex Justin Long at Sunset Junction in LA, where she seems to have returned after a summer spent hanging around New York. [NY Daily News]
Chloe Sevigny took a seaplane to Atlantic City to celebrate the opening of the new nightclub The Chelsea, which is owned by her brother Paul. Once there, the Sevigny siblings danced until dawn. [P6] read more »
Chevy Chase Attends Martha Stewart's Peony Party
Once again Martha Stewart has chronicled her social life on her blog and posted photos from her Second Annual Peony Party at her farm in Bedford, New York. Yes, it was a party to celebrate a flower, which is a way for Ms. Stewart to show off her exceptional gardening skills. (Or those of her gardners.) "When my gardens are looking so amazing, I just love sharing with my friends," she writes.
Most of the guests photographed seem to be Ms. Stewart's employees: her housekeeper Lily, stylist Tom Borgese, gardeners Kim, George, and Erika, her chef Pierre, Mary the personal trainer, property director Mike Fiore, assistant Kate, and seven Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia employees including chairman Charles Koppelman.
Oh, but wait! Who's that tall man in a denim jacket chatting up the crowd? Why, it's Chevy Chase! read more »
Morning Memo: Simmons Robbed; Runway Renovated
A suitcase filled with $15,000 worth of Russell Simmons jewelry was reportedly stolen when one of Mr. Simmons' employees left it in the hallway of a Bleecker Street building for about 30 minutes. [P6]
Heidi Klum says that Project Runway will get a facelift on Lifetime that will include more catch phrases and a "Hollywood flair." [Forbes via The Cut]
Jennifer Lopez stopped by Obama's offices to talk about "matters close to her heart." [People read more »
Kanye West is so Blogging This
It's no Martha Stewart posting pictures from her trip to the Bahamas, but Kanye West has got himself a little blog. Sure, he's been at it for some time now, but it seems that Mr. West's blog hasn't quite found its...identity. read more »
Martha Stewart Posts Her Own Time 100 Photos
We get so entranced by Martha Stewart's accounts of her horse's enflamed rear hock and white asparagus updates on her blog that we didn't even notice the photos she posted yesterday from the Time 100 gala that took place May 8. She even brought her own photographer! read more »
Morning Memo: Martha Blogs Perez; Gisele Makes $35 M. a Year
Martha Stewart blogs, posts pictures of Perez Hilton at the White House Correspondents Dinner. [The Martha Blog via Daily Intel] read more »
Department of Justice Approves Sirius-XM Merger
The Associated Press reports that The Justice Department has approved Sirius Satellite Radio's plan to buy its rival, XM Satellite Radio, for $5 billion.
Sirius, which is home to Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Judith Regan, The Rolling Stones, and others, will incorporate XM's programming which includes Oprah Winfrey, E!, and Fox News. read more »
Frédéric Fekkai: A Pleasant Surprise
Last night, The Daily Transom chatted with Frédéric Fekkai, the haute hair salon mogul, who was co-hosting a party with his wife, Shirin von Wulffen and Martha Stewart, who was absent because of the death of her mother, Martha Kostyra, last Friday. Guests at the cozy affair—held in the Galerie Mark, which sits beneath the soon-to-reopen Mark Hotel on Madison Ave. and 77th St.—drank to the publication of Sandy Hill’s new book on entertaining, Fandango. read more »
Martha Stewart Settles on Katonah
Residents of tony Katonah, N.Y., are willing to let Martha Stewart put the town’s name on her furniture, mirrors, pillows and chair cushions—but on nothing else. Paint? Definitely off-limits. Lighting and home textiles? No and no. The lifestyle mogul behind Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. has finally reached a compromise with the Westchester County villagers after concerns were raised by several individuals and groups—including Native Americans who were reportedly upset that the name of a 17th-century tribal chief could be used to sling Ms. Stewart’s wares.
Settlement in Stewart Trademark Feud [AP via Newsvine]
Plaza Celebrates 100 Years With Martha, Donald and ... Paul Anka!
Just after 8:00 on the evening of October 1st, with a large group of dapperly dressed guests gathered in Grand Army Plaza below, a 12-foot cake shining in the spotlight amidst them, and a small cast of hosts counting down from ten on stage, the first sparks of light erupted from the rooftop of The Plaza hotel. They flared into the air and then were followed by others of their kind, exploding from different roof levels in the building. Some shot out of windows, others stayed along the surface of the facade creating spiraling sparkles of light against the hotel. At the finale, the building appeared to explode, as small fireworks shot out of every window and rooftop with a burst of light. read more »
Hot to Trotter: Martha Stewart Teetotals at James Beard House’s Hamptons Jamboree
“I’m on the wagon,” declared domestic diva Martha Stewart with a laugh, clutching a glass of flat water as she strolled around winemaker Christian Wölffer’s 170-acre estate in Sagaponack on Saturday, July 21. read more »
The Time 100 Double-Helix
“I’ve met an estimated 56 of 100,” said NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, surveying the crowd at last night’s Time 100 gala. “I always assumed I might come as a guest but not a lapel-wearing member.”
Oh, Mr. Williams, don't be so modest! Or quite so serious, either: he said he was most looking forward to meeting Elie Wiesel, author of Night.
When guests include the likes of Cate Blanchett, Martha Stewart, Michael J. Fox, Harvey Weinstein, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Richard Branson, Tina Fey, and Stephen Schwarzman, that almost seems like taking things a bit seriously.
But Elie Wiesel was there, just like the others, to be honored at Time’s third annual party for the magazine’s hand-picked influencers. It was held, as these things are nowadays with an almost monotonous regularity, at Jazz at Lincoln Center. read more »
Meet the Junebug Weddings Contest Winner!
It's a rainy day here in Seattle but I have a lot to do today: read more »
When I'm Not at Blockbuster, I Think of Movies To See...It's a Metaphor For Life
I love to cook and I have a beautiful, big new kitchen that has a full-size oven, lots of counter space and a big gas stove. The new kitchen calls for new pots and pans, fine china, and all the many utensils and gadgets that would never have fit in the closet we used to call a kitchen. In theory, registering for these things fills me with great joy and excitement. But in reality, it's a stress-inducing, pressure-filled nightmare.
Yogurt maker? Ice cream maker? Griddle? Creme brulee torch? Miniature heart-shaped molds for making molten chocolate cake? Sorting the useful (spoons, spatulas, cutting boards) from the useful-only-in-my-Martha Stewart-inspired dreams requires disciplined analysis.
Monday: Martha Sells Turkey Estate, CNN Blows Bubbles
- How the mighty have fallen! Ex-executive, ex-con Martha Stewart may sell her $9 million Turkey Hill estate to a "Connecticut-based local TV host." This personality, Mr. Mar Jennings, will own the hallowed grounds on which Ms. Stewart's not-impenetrable empire was built. (New York Post)
- Is "buzz"-happy Red Hook still the same neighborhood? Maybe. According to the Times, "local real estate agents" agree that the majority of residents still live in projects--and the Red Hook Houses have nearly the lowest average income in New York. That stat comes from a NYT piece on the neighborhood's African American "old timers," in which real estate nicknames like "Poor Block, Junkie Paradise, Crazy Corner" are rattled off without a hint of condescension or discomfort. (New York Times)
- CNN loves the bubble, or at least it loves bubble stories. Thus we are all alerted this morning to the big news that real estate does not necessarily make a good short-term investment. The story's headline reads: "With the real estate bubble losing air, is this your big chance - or the single worst time to buy?" Everyone panic. (CNN/Money)
- Eloquent Metropolis gives a brief overview of the recent infiltration of public art, including Sarah Sze's Corner Plot in Central Park ("self-contained by its submerged plot"), Nancy Rubins' Big Pleasure Point at Lincoln Center ("Hurricane Katrina"), and Jeff Koons' Balloon Flower (Red) at 7 WTC ("of course... now trite."). (Metropolis)
- Questionable Expert Assertion of the Day: "Long Island City, along with Greenpoint, Brooklyn, contain the same potential as such Manhattan areas as Chelsea or the Lower East Side." (Globe St.) - Max Abelson read more »
Single Housewives Don’t Have Hubby, Kids; Homemade Sorbet? Yes!
The Transom
The Best-Laid Plans...
One evening a few weeks ago, I fortified myself with a strong cocktail and trundled off to the Barnes & Noble on Union Square, in search of some guidance. I knew what I didn’t want: anything that bore the imprint of Martha Stewart. And definitely no bridal magazines, with their 3 to 1 advertising-to-content ratio.
Looking now at the wedding planner I carried home that night, I am filled with regret. And by wedding planner I mean "a book full of lists and information”, not "an opportunistic person with so-called connections.” It’s a pink and spiral-bound book, full of faux-retro drawings of martini glasses and lipsticks and palm trees, and advice like "drink a lot of water” and "have tons of sex with your fiancé .” It’s been marketed as a non-traditional book for brides who want to forge their own paths. The front cover shows an "edgy” bride with a cocked eyebrow and an asymmetrical haircut, smirking slightly. It’s all very Bratz culture meets Pink, with a dash of the cranky redheaded lady from Sex and the City.I am generally good at avoiding such pap, but submitted in a moment of weakness/optimism/Jack Daniels and fruit juice. read more »
Think Pink!