25TH ANNIVERSARY
FASHIONABLE FRIENDSHIPS … FAG BREAKS
WITH CANDACE BUSHNELL … PUMPING FOR
LOVE … ALL IN GEORGE WAYNE’S GLORIOUS
NEW YORK ORBIT THIS MONTH
In this world of high fashion, filled with evil piranhas and back-biting
barracudas, it’s a welcome respite to spend time with genuine
fashionistas. There are a few good souls in this dog-eat-dog business
and I choose to cultivate friendships with good, cool people like
Nicole Miller and Donna Karan, to name but two. It is without hesitation,
then, that when summoned to join them for an event, I am there with
bells on.
The quintessential all-American fashion designer, Nicole Miller
recently celebrated her 25th year in the business with a wonderful
dinner party for her friends and business associates. And I have
to tell you, it was a tremendous honour, when I arrived at a hip
Bowery boîte The Chinatown Brasserie, to find I was to be
seated at the most important table of all – hers. And rightly
so – my friendship with Nicole goes back some 15 or more years.
We first bonded when we were part of a chosen group of New Yorkers
invited to visit Miami way, way back before South Beach became the
American Riviera. We were the wildcatters personally asked by the
then Mayor of South Beach to come visit, take a look, and see if
this indeed could be a place where the hip could revel. On that
fist visit to SoBe, there were but two or so hotels on Ocean Drive;
we were sequestered at The Park Central, the first of 18 South Beach
properties developed by real estate developer Tony Goldman, widely
considered the founding father of South Beach. Goldman, who has
a knack for turning around declining historical districts, was also
a driving force behind the transformation of New York’s SoHo
in the 1970s. During dinner, Nicole and I happily regaled fellow
diners – including Stan Herman and Fern Mallis, the mavericks
who created New York Fashion Week, ageless socialite Ann Dexter-Jones
and uber-fashion show producer Kevin Krier – with tales of
how we were the first to discover South Beach. Of course, Nicole
had to mention how she would be up early roller-blading along the
promenade, while I was stumbling back to my hotel from some nightclub.
Oh those were the days!
MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE…
A BATTLE OF THE TV VIXENS
WAS RAGING…
Later that evening, I enjoyed a cigarette break with another fabulous
dinner guest, Candace Bushnell. I couldn’t wait to quiz the
sex columnist-cum-authoress-cum-television producer about her much
anticipated new television show Lipstick Jungle, adapted from her
2005 book of the same name and, of course, about her falling out
with television producer Darren Star. Star bought the rights to
her first book, Sex and the City, making it the international phenomenon
it later became. Star and Bushnell no longer speak. Of course, this
has a lot to do with the theory that she was basically bamboozled
out of the millions and millions and millions of dollars spawned
by the tales of Carrie & co. This time, she is reading the contracts
more carefully. Lipstick Jungle, starring Brooke Shields, has been
acquired by NBC as the jewel of its fall schedule. It follows the
lives of three-powered friends in New York: “These women aren’t
looking for Mr Big, they are Mr Big” boasts the tagline. Of
course, this time there is no involvement whatsoever with Darren
Star. But, proving what a barracuda he is, Star’s gone and
developed a knock-off version of his own called Cashmere Mafia,
starring the fabulous Lucy Liu. “Sweetie, I can’t be
worried about what he is doing,” was all she would be drawn
to say on the subject – puff, puff. Suffice to say, for us
here in Gotham, this will be the battle royale of autumn 2007: Lipstick
Jungle v Cashmere Mafia. May the best vixens win...
RUBBING SHOULDERS
-AND BICEPS-
WITH THE KENNEDYS
The evening also benefited Nicole’s favourite charity, Riverkeeper,
which helps keep New York’s Hudson River and its tributaries
clean and pollution-free. Robert F Kennedy Jr, vice-chair, rose
during the fourth course to give the most eloquent, heartfelt speech.
I tell you: those Kennedys have a talent for tugging the heartstrings.
“This [fashion] is an industry that by nature can be frivolous,”
he opined, “but Nicole Miller is a designer with not only
style but substance.” I was as impressed as the rest of the
party, who flocked to congratulate Mr Kennedy on his speech. I had
to grab an arm to get his attention; oh my, I thought to myself,
he also has enormous biceps. Very impressive. |
