Amy Winehouse's dress sold

Amy Winehouse's dress sold

Amy Winehouse's dress sold_ After Amy Winehouse died in July, we were certain her inimitable style -- the beehive, that eyeliner -- would live on forever in fashion magazines and runway inspirations.

But we had no idea that her dresses would stick around -- and for such a high price! CBS News reports that the white chiffon dress Winehouse wore on her "Back To Black" cover album sold at auction for 43,200 pounds, or about $67,500.

That's four times more than the predicted amount and a staggering sum for a single dress.

To put the number in perspective, Elizabeth Taylor's gold sari, which she wore when in 1964 as a newlywed to Richard Burton, sold for around 30,000 pounds.

(Incidentally, Winehouse once invoked Liz herself when shooting a Harper's Bazaar editorial. But she said she didn't want to look like her -- "She had purple eyes. That's weird.")

The "Back to Black" dress was designed in 2006 by Disaya, a graduate of London's famed Central Saint Martins fashion school who sold the dress to Kerry Taylor Auctions a few weeks ago.

The plan was to auction the dress then donate the proceeds to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which was established after the singer's death to benefit substance abusers, children and horses, the latter being one of Amy's passions.

After today's major sale, Mitch Winehouse, Amy's father, told the Telegraph:

source: huffingtonpost

Daniel Craig rips the Kardashians

Daniel Craig rips the Kardashians

Daniel Craig rips the Kardashians_ The Bond star said he feared his own quickie marriage would be ‘thrown back’ at him and Weisz if it fails later down the line.

‘We got away with it,’ said the current 007 spy. ‘We did it privately and we’ve got a lot of people to thank for that. But that was the point – we did it for private reasons.
‘The whole point is that it was a secret. A secret is a secret in my mind,’ Craig added.
The blue-eyed Dream House actor wed his 41-year-old co-star in front of four people in New York in June. They had been dating for just six months.
Craig, 43, said he was ‘in love’ and ‘very happy’ but was still wary of those who are cynical about their short engagement. ‘Ultimately, people are saying, “Give it six months”,’ he revealed.
‘Well guess what? I’m not responding. Life is long and I am hopefully in this for the long run.’
Craig is happy to turn the spotlight on celebrities who flaunt their relationships to make a quick buck.
Targeting Kim Kardashian specifically, he ranted: ‘Look at the Kardashians, they’re worth millions. Millions! I don’t think they were that badly off to begin with but now look at them.
‘You see that and you think, “What, you mean all I have to do is behave like a f***ing idiot on television and then you’ll pay me millions?’’ I’m not judging it. Well, I am, obviously.’
In the interview with GQ magazine, Craig said: ‘There’s a lot to be said for keeping your own counsel. You can’t buy your privacy back.’


Read more: metro

Best commercials of 2011

Best commercials of 2011

Best commercials of 2011_ Many people groaned last winter when it became clear that Super Bowl XLV would be packed bumper to bumper with automotive ads. It's not a category that's exactly wowed with its creativity in recent years.

It was a pleasant surprise, then, when many of the car spots proved not only tolerable but wonderful. Now, with the year almost passed, it's become clear that two of those ads in particular--Chrysler's "Born of Fire" by Wieden + Kennedy and Volkswagen's "The Force" by Deutsch--weren't just among that evening's best spots. They turned out to be among the year's best.

Many people groaned last winter when it became clear that Super Bowl XLV would be packed bumper to bumper with automotive ads. It's not a category that's exactly wowed with its creativity in recent years. It was a pleasant surprise, then, when many of the car spots proved not only tolerable but wonderful. Now, with the year almost passed, it's become clear that two of those ads in particular—Chrysler's "Born of Fire" by Wieden + Kennedy and Volkswagen's "The Force" by Deutsch—weren't just among that evening's best spots. They turned out to be among the year's best.
Those two ads are joined by a third car commercial, Nissan Leaf's "Gas Powered Everything" by TBWA\Chiat\Day, in Adweek's ranking of The 10 Best Commercials of 2011, presented here. Those auto spots were all expertly conceived and executed, with great atmospherics, details, and flourishes. And interestingly, they're all so different—an environmental appeal in a bleak alternate universe; a rugged defense of Motor City's heritage and pride, featuring a powerful celebrity cameo; and a kid in a Darth Vader mask just trying to exert a little mind control around the house. Together, they represent the best automotive advertising has to offer.
Elsewhere, the list celebrates work across a wide variety of products, themes, styles, and geographies. You've got candy bars and zombies, cats with thumbs, and film-directing bears. You've also got two spots focused on the environment, and two explicitly about the humanizing power of technology—fundamental concerns in an age when our lives, and the world, can feel like they're spinning out of control.

source: huffingtonpost

Elvis Costello box set

Elvis Costello box set

Elvis Costello box set_His aim remains true, even if his own pocketbook becomes a target: Elvis Costello is throwing barbs at the record label releasing his upcoming live box set because of the inordinately hefty price tag it carries.

A post on Costello's website appropriately entitled "Steal This Album" advises fans to steer clear of a 3-disc, 1 DVD, 1 vinyl record collection of a live concert in L.A. from April 2011.
Although he describes 'The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook' as a "beautifully designed compendium" that finds his backing band "the Imposters in rare form," Costello and Co. object to the $202.64 retail price.
"Unfortunately, we at www.elviscostello.com find ourselves unable to recommend this lovely item to you as the price appears to be either a misprint or a satire," the biting post declares, also opining that the price tag must be an "elaborate hoax."
"All our attempts to have this number revised have been fruitless," his site continues, but it promises Costello completists that these "items will be available separately at a more affordable price in the New Year, assuming that you have not already obtained them by more unconventional means."
Artist-label beefs have been going on for years but oftentimes the offended musician has something other than the fans' wallets on their mind.
In 2009 Morrissey asked devotees not to purchase reissues of solo and Smiths recordings, but that was partly because he wasn't going to see a dime from them. To Declan MacManus' credit, he seems to be urging people to ignore a release he would make a profit on.
Helpfully and selflessly, Costello is directing holiday-purchasers toward one of the greatest collections of American music available.
No, not Justin Bieber's holiday album: Elvis recommends gifting the massive Louis Armstrong collection entitled 'Ambassador of Jazz' available for a relatively thrifty $149.99 . Reminding us that Satchmo was "one of the most beautiful and loving revolutionaries who ever lived," elviscostello.com also admits that the jazz great still outclasses one of rock's most literate voices: "Frankly, the music is vastly superior."
Thanks for the tips, Elvis! You truly are this year's model citizen.

source: yahoo