A new 24-page fashion spread in the September issue of Italian Vogue features model Kristen McMenamy wearing oil-soaked black feathered outfits, withering away on a beach. Famed photographer Steven Meisel shot the controversial Gulf disaster-inspired images of McMenamy caught in nets, spitting up oil, and flopping like a dying seal on rocks. But while the images are powerful and striking, we're left wondering whether they were done in good taste.

Without question the photographs are beautifully constructed, and overwhelmingly dark. They bring about a sense of urgency that makes you want to educate yourself, donate money, or help in clean up efforts. But we do question the intentions of Italian Vogue, and whether or not they wanted to make a poignant statement or merely hoped to get attention by being provocative. We reached out to Italian Vogue for comment, but have not heard back as of press time.

Thus far there is one piece of evidence that leads us to believe this project had a positive objective. The seaweed-style necklace on the cover of the issue (and in several other shots) is made by eco-designer Kathleen Nowak Tucci of My Sister's Art, and made from recycled inner tubes sourced from the Gulf Coast. She told New York magazine that she did not find Meisel's spread offensive. "I thought it was disturbing and thought-provoking and utterly fascinating in its interpretation of the struggle for survival," Tucci told New York via email. "It is controversial and interpretative, which is indicative of great artistic expression." Knowing that Vogue stylists actively chose to highlight an eco-friendly item from the Gulf makes us feel better about the statement being made.

Here is what the fashion world is saying about the provocative photo spread:

"Glamorizing this recent ecological and social disaster for the sake of "fashion" reduces the tragic event to nothing more than attention-grabbing newsstand fodder." - Refinery29

"It's at once beautiful and revolting, eye-catching and alienating. So what is it: ballsy fashion journalism rooted in reality, or just a sick glamorization of a traumatic event?" - New York magazine's The Cut

"While the irony of using clothing worth thousands of dollars that was probably flown halfway around the world for the shoot is not lost on us, we can’t help but think that if this isn’t art, we don’t know what is." - Styleite

"Context is everything, and instead of being moved emotionally, the only actions that seem right in reaction to this inappropriate spread which aims to shock and awe are a wrinkling of the nose and a rolling of the eyes." - Jezebel

"For fashion Meisel's photos don't give you much to take away, but as art the imagery is poignant and intense. And we like to occasionally be reminded that it's possible for fashion photography to be so." - Fashionising

"Who does this make you loathe more, BP or the fashion industry?" - Fast Company

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A Very Exclusive Pooch

by Mike Krumboltz - Yahoo Buzz

How much would you pay for the dog of your dreams? $100? $500? How about $600... thousand? It may sound insane in the membrane, but a rare dog breed called the Tibetan mastiff is collecting those kinds of kingly sums in China. What's with the crazy prices? "The Today Show" profiled the nation's love of the pooches, and inspired a slew of Web searches along the way.

For those who prefer mutts to purebreds, here's a quick explanation of the newest "it" dog. The Tibetan mastiff is a large, fluffy canine that weighs between 100 and 200 pounds when fully grown. It's family friendly and makes a nice watchdog due to its protective nature. There is no doubt about it — the dogs are beautiful. They look like a cross between a lion and a small bear. But come on — no dog is worth more than a four-bedroom home. Right?

Extreme grooming: Dogs that look like panda bears, camels

Well, maybe, maybe not. "The Today Show" explains that the Tibetan mastiff is believed by many in China to be a kind of holy dog. The breed "is considered the guardian dog of the former Himalayan kingdom of Tibet and reputed to be the original source of many large dog breeds today." Most often, the buyers of these precious dogs are millionaires (who else could afford it?). Some speculate that the buyers get the dogs as a status symbol. Others contend that the dogs are just so great that they're worth the cost.

Following the morning show's segment, online lookups on "tibetan mastiff" and "tibetan mastiff pictures" both roared to life. Their 2,343% surge made the breed one of the most searched-for pups on Yahoo!, even surpassing the first family's favorite, the Portuguese Waterdog.

You can watch the "Today Show" segment below. But beware — it may inspire you to take out a second mortgage and max out your credit cards. But that's only if you're in China. If you're in the United States, you can probably find a Tibetan mastiff for between $800 and $3,500 (about the same as most purebreds).

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The world's largest tent Khan Shatyr has debuted in Kazakhstan's capital city, Astana.

The nearly 500-foot tall structure is host to a variety of exciting green features, designed by Foster And Partners, who are known for implementing inspiring sustainable techniques in their other creations, like the Virgin Galactic SpaceportQueen Alia Airport. and the

Inhabitat reports that the arid region of Astana is subject to drastic shifts in temperature, so the Khan Shatyr is designed to remain between 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, even when the outside atmosphere can vary from -30 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

The tent accomplishes this climate control in an efficient way by utilizing three translucent layers of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) fabric. Take a look at lush greenery inside of Khan Shatyr basking in the sunlight brought in from the illuminating material in this photo.

In the winter, this exterior channels light and warm air to prevent condensation. In the summer, the cool air displaces the hot air which is vented through the top.

A 492-foot tripod column runs up the center of the tent, supporting a web of cables attached to the EFTE skin, stretching out to a radius of over 650 feet. Take a look at this incredible photo that shows the central tripod stretching from the uppermost peak down to the bustling visitors below.

With over one million square feet of space provided inside for the people of Kazakhstan to enjoy, the Khan Shatyr contains everything from a water park and garden to a shopping mall and movie complex. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants!

 

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All About Marc Mezvinsky - Yahoo Buzz!

by Mike Krumboltz

On July 31, Chelsea Clinton will marry longtime sweetheart Marc Mezvinksy. As the nuptials draw nearer and the wedding bells grow louder, the interest in Bill and Hillary's future son-in-law grows larger.

Over the past week, online lookups for "marc mezvinksy" soared nearly 80%. Those who don't know his name (but are aware of the impending event) pushed Web searches for "chelsea clinton fiancé" up 132%.

And the Mezvinsky-mania doesn't stop there. Related lookups on "marc mezvinsky photos" and "marc mezvinsky job" are also popular. (By the way, he's an investment banker and does very well for himself, thank you very much.)

Usually, the pre-wedding searches are all about the bride. However, in this case, searchers are most interested in learning about the groom's mom and dad. Indeed, theirs is an interesting story.

Edward Mezvinksy
We don't know much about Chelsea and Marc's relationship — what they like to do, whether they engage in baby-talk, etc. But we do know they have at least one thing in common: Politically connected parents.

Marc's father, Edward Mezvinsky, was a congressman from Iowa for two terms during the 1970s. That's the good part of his resumé. The bad part: He's also a convicted felon. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to defrauding investors out of $10 million, and served several years in prison.

What exactly did he do? You know those Nigerian email schemes that clog your spam folder? Well, Ed Mezvinksy got caught up in one. He didn't start it, but he did attempt to scam people into giving him money. The ruse did not end well.

People magazine reports that he is "remorseful for what happened," adding, "It was a terrible time, and I was punished for that. And I respect that and accept responsibility for what happened."

Chelsea throughout the years: Her adorable toddler photos with dad

Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinksy
Like Marc's father, Marc's mom served as a United States representative. From 1993–1995, she was a congressperson from the great state of Pennsylvania.

Ironically, she lost her footing after she changed her stance and began supporting then President Clinton's budget, "after months of publicly voicing her opposition to the bill because it did not contain enough spending cuts." That last-minute change was "political suicide" (her words).

According to Politics Daily, she attempted a comeback with a run for the Senate, but her husband's legal problems forced her to drop the bid. Prior to her stint in Congress, Ms. Margolies-Mezvinksy was a television reporter for NBC.

The siblings
Chelsea Clinton isn't just getting a husband. She's getting a whole bunch of brothers and sisters in the bargain. Marc Mezvinsky has 10 siblings, several of whom are adopted.

An article from House.gov explains that while a reporter in 1970, Ms. Margolies-Mezvinksy was covering a story on Korean orphans. She was apparently "so moved by the experience that she became the first single woman in the United States to adopt a foreign child, a Korean girl."

Again, according to House.gov, the family consists of "Margolies’s two children, Mezvinsky’s four children from a previous marriage, two sons born to them, and three Vietnamese boys whom they adopted together."

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Gray-Haired Matt LeBlanc: 'I Dyed My Hair the Whole Time on 'Friends''

By Us Magazine | Thursday, July 29, 2010, 3:57 PM

Joey's gone gray!

 

Six years after the finale of "Friends" — and four after spinoff "Joey" ended — fans might be shocked to see Matt LeBlanc, now 43, sporting silver hair.

 

But LeBlanc has a big secret bottled up. "I dyed my hair the whole time on 'Friends,'" he admitted Thursday at a Television Critics' Panel in Beverly Hills for his new Showtime series "Episodes."

 

"I just was sick of doing it," LeBlanc explained of darkening his locks.

 

And his 4-year TV hiatus was just what the doctor ordered, he said. "When 'Joey' ended, I took a lot of time off... I just really was kinda burned out. I just wanted to be a dad."

 

LeBlanc has a 6-year-old daughter, Marina, with his ex-wife Melissa McKnight. "We have a great bond, and it's the best thing in my life."

 

On "Episodes," LeBlanc plays a character named... Matt LeBlanc. "It's a character," he added. "It's not me. It's the public's perception of me more than really me."

 

Will LeBlanc reunite with "Friends" cohort Courteney Cox for a cameo on her ABC hit "Cougar Town"? "I haven't been asked!" he admitted, laughing.

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Butch Patrick of 'The Munsters' Set to Marry Big Fan

By Mike Krumboltz, Yahoo! Buzz | Friday, July 30, 2010, 2:02 PM

 

You know the saying "there's someone for everyone"? Well, it's true. Butch Patrick, 57, who played young Eddie MunsterThe Munsters" TV show in the '60s, is getting married. And not to just anybody. He'll tie the knot with his self-described "biggest fan," with whom he used to correspond when they were kids. on "

 

News of the impending nuptials sent Web searches on the groom sky high. But not even the surge of interest in all things Butch Patrick (his signature widow's-peak hairdo is particularly popular in the Search box) could match the level of lookups for his betrothed, Donna McCall.

 

Here's the story: When Mr. Patrick starred on "The Munsters," he and Ms. McCall would write back and forth to each other. Donna, it turns out, was a big fan and had a massive crush on the youngest Munster.

 

According to My Fox Philly, years passed and the two fell out of touch. Then, Ms. McCall, now 55, tracked him down on the Internet. The two exchanged phone numbers, talked, and agreed to meet for the first time at "Dracula Con II" in Philadelphia. Next thing you know, they're engaged.

 

[Video: Steve Urkel 12 Years Later]

 

Ms. McCall is a former cheerleader with the Philadelphia Eagles, a fact that helped contribute to the booming searches on "donna mccall eagles" and "donna mccall cheerleader." In an article for Philly.com, Mr. Patrick joked that while he does hear from female fans fairly often, not many are cheerleaders.

 

Says the future Mrs. Munster: "My first crush was Butch Patrick. I met him for the first time, but I feel like I've known him forever."

 

McCall accepted Patrick's proposal (of course), and now the two are set to tie the knot. "It's a great love story," says Ms. McCall, a retired pharmacist. "We're very happy together." Congratulations, guys!

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GaGa bares all for the music monthly

photos from MTV-UK

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LONDON – A restoration project for Leonardo da Vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks" has revealed new details and suggest the Renaissance artist may have painted all the picture himself, instead of with his assistants as previously thought, a British gallery said Wednesday.

The 18-month conservation project involved removing much of some badly degraded varnish that was applied to the painting in the late 1940s, enabling experts to take a much closer look at the picture's brush strokes and styles, the National Gallery said.

The cleaning revealed the painting's full tonal range, especially in the darker areas, and resulted in a clearer sense of how the artist intended for space to recede through the rocky landscape, the gallery said.

It also affirmed that Leonardo likely painted the entire picture himself and intended for it to be unfinished.

The restored painting showed a range of completion from the barely sketched hand of the angel to the fully realized heads of the main figures — consistent with many of Leonardo's works. The Italian artist, said to be the "eternal perfectionist," is thought to have left his pictures unfinished because he wished to return to them later, gallery spokesman Thomas Almeroth-Williams said.

In the past, scholars believed the different levels of finish in "Virgin of the Rocks" showed that Leonardo was helped by assistants.

The painting dates from about 1491 to 1508 and is a later version of one on display in the Louvre in Paris.

The latest cleaning project followed years of scrutiny of the masterpiece.

In 2005, experts using infrared technology found two drawings hidden beneath the surface of the picture — one design was never painted, and the second one revealed Leonardo changed his mind about the subject several times.

The painting goes back on display in the National Gallery on Wednesday.

 

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NEW YORK – Dubbed "The Wedding of the Century," the Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky nuptials this month are shrouded in secrecy. Lynnley Browning lifts the veil on the mansion, the party, the guests, and the gift bags.

If Chelsea Clinton gets a migraine during the final fitting for her custom Oscar de la Renta wedding gown, she'll have a stylish new place to rest her cerebral head.

Clinton recently bought two cream, lavender, and taupe sofa pillows at Hammertown, a tony home-furnishings store in Rhinebeck, New York, the quaint village on the Hudson River where she is marrying private-banker boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky this month.

Rhonda Cayea, manager of Hammertown, described the $178 pillows as "understated"—an adjective that doesn't apply to much in Rhinebeck.

 

 

Steinberg / Adao / INFGoff.com

Take Astor Courts, where Clinton and Mezvinsky will tie the knot July 31. The turn-of-the-century 26,000-square-foot mansion, built to resemble the Grand Trianon at Versailles, has five bedrooms, seven fireplaces, indoor clay tennis courts, and an indoor Mediterranean-style pool. A few months ago, the photographer Annie Leibovitz, who lives in the grand dairy barn on the estate, gave David Bowie and his wife Iman a tour of her multimillion-dollar digs as they were house-hunting. The $12 million mansion has since been taken temporarily off the market—until the wedding drama is over.

The Beaux Arts mansion, built by Gilded Age tycoon John Jacob Astor IV, sits high on a bluff, surrounded by 3,500 bucolic acres and dense forest that, these days, are crawling with Secret Service agents—all in Defcon 1-style security mode for the closest thing America gets to a royal wedding.

"Get out of here," a tall, blond, and very fit Secret Service agent wearing shorts and an azure "Cape Cod" T-shirt laughingly told an intruder, who had taken the half-mile walk up the gravel toward Astor Court's iron gate. "I have nothing to tell you," the agent added.

To the intruder on the gravel path, the scene in the forest evoked Errol Flynn in tights as Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men hid among the maples and oaks. Along the borders of the estate, workmen were busy repairing crumbling stone walls.

The locals call it "The Wedding of the Century." But it's so private, so shrouded in secrecy, neither the local sheriff's office nor the town police have been given any details about how to deploy, said Tom Traudt, the Rhinebeck town supervisor. "I expect we'll get a head's up 10 days or two weeks before the event," he told The Daily Beast.

Secret Service agents aren't the only ones in lockdown.

Josh Kroner, the affable owner and chef of Terrapin Restaurant, an upscale eatery in town that's catering the rehearsal dinner, is spending the entire week out of his kitchen to deal with security, White House staffers, local farm suppliers, and the event's quasi-celebrity planner, Bryan Rafanelli, in Boston. On his plate: how to make the dinner at Grasmere, a Revolutionary War-era private estate with a Georgian brick manor and Edwardian stone barns, all spread out over 525 acres of farmland, hayfields, and forest, cozy and intimate.

This week, Kroner's longtime catering director, Hugh Piney, a chatty Brit, is busy fielding phone calls from reporters and making sure there's enough horseradish-encrusted Ahi tuna with miso aioli—Terrapin's signature dish—to feed Chelsea's nearest and dearest. "We use all the local farmers," Piney said. "We can get everything here—except fish."

With 8,300 residents, Rhinebeck is sometimes dubbed "the Hamptons of the North." The entire town, which grew rich—and Democratic—amid the influx of wealthy Manhattanites over the past 15 years, is straight out of The Great Gatsby—with a heavy dose of liberal consciousness thrown in. (Think Pilates, organic food, and a surprising number of Tibetans.) The nearby Rhinecliff Inn serves the "Millionaire Mojito," and Uma Thurman, Drew Barrymore, and Sarah Jessica Parker have all been spotted in town. But don't expect locals to snap their pictures. "One thing about this town, we like to respect people's privacy," says Cayea.

 

How do you pull off sneaking hundreds of A-listers, including the president, into this sleepy hamlet on the Hudson?

Still, a little digging reveals that some guests have been booked at the Beekman Arms, a favorite dining establishment of Bill and Hillary, who live in Chappaqua, which is a 90-minute drive north. Larry Cihanek, the inn's host, and a former advertising executive, once seated the two Clintons at a table near the bathroom, while five Secret Service agents covered the kitchen and lurked outside under the eaves. "I usually put children next to the bathroom because they like to play around," Cihanek said. He paused, with a twinkle in his eye, and added, "So does Bill."

According to The Hudson Valley News, guests invited to the wedding include President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Clinton confidant Terry McAuliffe, and media mogul Ted Turner.

But how do you pull off sneaking hundreds of A-listers, including the president, into this sleepy hamlet on the Hudson?

Patricia Garofal, a neighbor and friend of Kathy Hammer and Alfred Seelbinder, the wealthy Democrats who own and live at Astor Courts, has been eyeing the helicopters flying over River Road—the entrance to the estate—for weeks. And according to a resident insider, Countess Iliana Kerckerinck van Meeteren, who lives in a nearby estate overlooking the Hudson River, has been tapped to provide use of her private helipad to certain guests.

"The security's going to have to be intense because of the number of ways you can access the property," said Garofal, who signed a confidentiality agreement with Hammer, a former executive at Oxygen Media, and Hammer's property-developer husband, Seelbinder.

Given that Amtrak runs through the Hudson River side of Astor Courts, Garofal said it was likely the wedding party would rent out entire train cars to ferry guests to and from Manhattan, 90 miles south.

Apparently, those who make the trek will receive—spoiler alert!—gift bags that include Rhinebeck Farmers' Market paper calendars and orange tote bags with woodcut honeybee prints. According to a resident insider, the co-owner of The Paper Trail, a chic local emporium of paper goods, jewelry and gifts, is assembling 310 gift bags.

At $2 a piece, those totes are in fact "understated."

Lynnley Browning is a frequent contributor to the business pages of The New York Times and is a former Moscow-based correspondent for Reuters, where she covered energy and commodities. She lives in Hamden, Connecticut, with her son.

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Lady GaGa To Release Perfume?

Ever wanted to smell like GaGa? Reports claim that now you can...

Lady GaGa is reportedly planning to launch an 'unusual' new perfume in time for Christmas.

Marketing magazine claims that the Alejandro singer is helping develop her own fragrance with Coty - who will produce and market the scent.

Coty have previously helped make model Kate Moss's signature fragrance which was launched in 2007.

Lady G's perfume release will allegedly be accompanied by a huge marketing campaign, including magazine and TV advertisements.

GaGa and Coty have yet to comment on the rumours.

Meanwhile, the Bad Romance hit maker is said to be splashing her well-earned cash renting a £3.2 million home in LA.

GaGa, real name Stefani Germanotta has reportedly spent £16, 384 a month renting the mansion in Bel Air, which has a huge swimming pool and an 'incredible view' of Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean.

Lady G also made the news this week after claims that she is no longer on the market after hooking up with ex-boyfriend Luc Carl.

 

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