Yohji Opens Paris Flagship

- DNRNews.com, KATYA FOREMAN, Oct. 30, 2008

PARIS — Yohji Yamamoto has opened the doors to a new Paris flagship at 4 Rue Cambon.

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Architect Sophie Hicks said she wanted the 6,500-square-foot store, which debuted Tuesday, to appear to “float.” To do this, she employed a three-dimensional window blind made from rows of folded shoji gami paper (a thin material typically used for Japanese screens) that suspend on wires like lines of flying seagulls. “The view is more important from the outside,” said Hicks, describing how the installation allows passersby to steal glimpses of the interior in a nod to the restraint of traditional Japanese aristocratic women.

The same abstract form is also featured on a wooden wall sculpture flanking one side of the store’s narrow entrance — one that leads into a sparse white space with seven mannequins floating on metal poles.

“When I first met Yohji, I thought, ‘This man likes a white box, and I like a white box too, so let’s not try to be clever,’” Hicks said. “Yohji Yamamoto is Japanese, but on one level he is Parisian, too. ... So I wanted his store to float in Paris, to be a Japanese world with a subtle feeling of Paris in [its] atmosphere.”

The 1,080-square-foot men’s wear space extends itself over three rooms. Pieces from Yohji Yamamoto’s winter 2008/2009 runway collection are hung on moveable stands that can accompany shoppers to the fitting rooms. Men’s accessories also are on display, as are semi-measure services for both men and women.

Keizo Tamoto, Yohji Yamamoto's executive vice-president and CEO, said he expects the store to generate around 1.5 million euros, or around $1.9 million at current exchange, in its first year.

Yamamoto’s Rue du Louvre store, which until now has housed the men’s and women’s collection and Y’s brand, is currently the brand’s most successful store in the world, Tamoto said, noting the unit will now be devoted to Y’s. The firm also owns a neighboring Y-3 store on Rue Etienne Marcel.

Tamoto said the company began working on the flagship project two years ago, prior to the economic meltdown. “This is just a coincidence. And Paris will not disappear with this climate, I hope,” he said, adding that there are no more retail ventures planned for the foreseeable future.

Beyonce's "Single Ladies" Video Choregrapher is No Lady

- sandrarose.com, October 28, 2008



See the tranny choreographer in Beyonce’s Single Ladies video. I had no clue because I was mostly focused on Beyonce and the other female. My source confirms that the other woman is truly just that because she was a student of his. Shocking!

A Single Man Gives Beyonce a Run for Her Money

This split video footage displays a man dressed in a man-kini doing the same choreography that is done in Beyonce's new "Single Ladies" video. Also note that Beyonce's trannie choreographer (the darker skinned female) appears in her video in full drag! Way to generate a buzz and promote those singles B!

Grade-A Meet - Soho's New Rendezvous Spot

-UrbanDaddy.com, NYC

We're always on the lookout for a good rendezvous point.

Whether it's for business, pleasure or a little bit of both.

That's why we think you'll be intrigued by Meet, a meeting space/anything-goes Soho townhouse, and one of the most unique spots we've come across in some time, officially taking reservations now.

Think of Meet as Soho House meets Julian Schnabel's private living room. Ornate wallpaper, interesting art and unique nooks abound. But that doesn't mean it's all play and no work. Since the place was designed for creative business meetings and corporate getaways, it's jam-packed with anything you might need (A/V, plasmas, tech support, really expensive office furniture) and, more importantly, what you might want (a stocked kitchen, a personal concierge, a parlor/library with art books and sofas).

But what we're really intrigued by is the...extracurricular possibility of the space. Since the place is all yours when you rent it, the owners have an anything-goes policy. So if you're looking to throw an old-school spiked punch holiday party, need a new space to run your high stakes strip poker game or have a burning desire to host a screening of your three-part documentary on the life and music of Air Supply (we'll be busy that night), this is your place.

Your old strip poker den suddenly seems so uncouth.
Meet at the Apartment, open Nov 1, taking reservations now, 101 Crosby St (near Prince), 212-966-1550 or hello@welcometomeet.com

Jennifer Hudson's nephew missing after slayings

By Associated Press
October 25, 2008, 4:39 am PDT

A photo released Oct. 24, 2008, by the Chicago Police Department shows 7-year-old Julian King. Chicago Police issued an Amber Alert Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 for King, who police say may be related to singer and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. Authorities were looking for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban missing with the boy inside, near a home where two people were found dead. One of two people found dead at the home is also believed to be a relative of Hudson. (AP Photo/Chicago Police Department)Associated Press CHICAGO - Authorities investigating the shooting deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were searching for the missing 7-year-old nephew of the Oscar-winning actress.

A suspect in the deaths was in custody Friday night, but young Julian King had not been seen since the bodies of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found Friday afternoon.

A family member entering Donerson's South Side home Friday afternoon found the woman shot on the living room floor. Responding officers later found Hanson shot in the bedroom, police said.

At least one of the victims suffered defensive wounds, said authorities who described the shooting as domestic violence.

William Balfour, a man suspected in the deaths, was arrested Friday but had not been charged, law enforcement sources told the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times.

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said investigators were talking to "a number of people in custody" but she declined to elaborate. An Amber Alert issued Friday said Balfour was a suspect in the double homicide.

Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. Public records show one of Balfour's addresses as the home where Donerson and Jason Hudson were shot.

The Cook County medical examiner's office said autopsies for Donerson and Jason Hudson were pending.

Balfour's mother, Michelle, said her son had been married to Hudson's sister, Julia, for several years, but they were separated. She also said Donerson had ordered him to move out of the family's home last winter.

Jennifer Hudson's personal publicist, Lisa Kasteler, said the family wanted privacy.

The tragedy comes as Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, continues to reach new heights in her career. Her song "Spotlight" is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled debut album has been a top seller. She was featured in this year's blockbuster "Sex and the City" movie and is also starring in the hit film "The Secret Life of Bees."

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls." In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for "American Idol," which launched her career.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

"My faith in God and my family, they're very realistic and very normal, they're not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that's just another place that's home," she said. "I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I'm just Jennifer, (so she says), 'You get up and you take care of your own stuff.' And I love that; I don't like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean."

Hudson recently announced her engagement to David Otunga, best known for his stint on VH1's reality show "I Love New York."

Hudson's representatives would not disclose her whereabouts Friday. She had been scheduled to appear Monday in Los Angeles to collect an ensemble cast honor at the Hollywood Awards for "The Secret Life of Bees" with co-stars including Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning.

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AP Music Writer Nekesa Moody in New York and AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Terrence Howard got screwed out of Iron Man Sequel

Photo by Ferdaus Shamim, WireImage

Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard as James "Rhodey" Rhodes in "Iron Man 2". This was a shock to him and everyone else. Rumor has it that it was over a money dispute which Howard denies.

Terrence is currently touring and promoting his new CD of jazz inspired songs. He sings and plays guitar on his new baby, titled "Shine Through It".

Marvel Studios hasn't released a comment yet describing the reasoning behind the change in actors. Cheadle and Howard are a part of the cast of the upcoming "Crash" sequel. Wouldn't you like to be a fly on that set?

See Terrence Howard in "Iron Man" below. This really is a must-see movie!

Get Ready for More Beyonce'

- iTunes

For her third solo album, Beyoncé not only features the powerful R&B vocals of her own, but also those of her alter-ego Sasha Fierce. The two-sided album will contain more of a classic R&B-jazz sound on Beyoncé's side, while Sasha's hip-hop vibe emulates the sound of her surname. The set is led by singles "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," and you'll get the former immediately when you pre-order before the album is released on November 18 on iTunes.

Visit the Apple Store to place your order.

Toni Braxton is the latest to leave Dancing with the Stars

Toni Braxton will not continue on with the "Dancing with the Stars."

The singer and her professional partner, Alec Mazo, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition. The pair received a score of 22 out of 30 from the show's judges during Monday's performance after a less than spectacular West Coast swing. The R&B singer was booted after that score was combined with viewer votes.

Braxton, has coronary microvascular angina and was pleased with her stint on the program. "I wanted to do better. I wanted to breathe better. And I was definitely breathing better. I've come a long way from Week One to Week Now" said Toni.

Celebrities remaining in the competition include TV personality Brooke Burke; singer Lance Bass; former NFL star Warren Sapp; Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene; actor Cody Linley; and actresses Cloris Leachman and Susan Lucci. Chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, actor Ted McGinley and comedian Jeffrey Ross were previously eliminated.

Who Knew Our Next President Had Rhythm

Check out Obama bustin' a move on Soul Train.

We apologize for missing the posting of the Tina Knowles (Beyonce's mom) on Soul Train video. YouTube pulled the plug due to rights violations.