Naomi Campbell to be Honoured with the Fashion Icon Award at The Fashion Awards 2019

Peter Thomas -
L o n d o n ,   U K - 

Caroline Rush and Naomi Campbell.
Credit: Darren Gerrish, British Fashion Council.

The British Fashion Council announced that Naomi Campbell will receive the Fashion Icon Award at The Fashion Awards 2019, on Monday 2nd December at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Naomi Campbell will be recognised for her incredible contribution to the fashion industry, her world-renowned career as a supermodel, as well as her philanthropist work with charities and incredible efforts for a more diverse and equal future, especially in Africa. The Fashion Icon Award is one of the Special Recognition Awards that celebrate outstanding contributions to the fashion industry.

Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive commented: “We cannot think of a more deserving recipient than iconic Londoner Naomi Campbell, she has achieved exceptional work in the industry. Naomi represents female empowerment, activism and glamour and her voice is used for great impact. We are thrilled to present The Fashion Icon Award to Naomi and acknowledge her for her remarkable contribution to the global fashion industry and we look forward to celebrating with her in London in December.”

Born in London, Naomi Campbell’s career started at an early age. Discovered by an agent after school in Covent Garden, Campbell was the first black model to cover French Vogue in 1988, the first black model to be on the cover of American Vogue's September issue in 1989, the first black model to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, Russian Vogue as well as the first British black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue. She has since graced the covers of over 500 magazines. Today, with over 30 years in fashion, Campbell remains an unstoppable force and has starred in iconic campaigns for some of fashion’s most distinguished brands including Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Balmain, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Valentino and Versace.

Naomi Campbell’s numerous achievements are not limited to fashion alone. Throughout her career, she has become known for using her success to help those in need through her incredible work with fundraising and charity work across the globe. Naomi Campbell began charity work with Nelson Mandela in 1993, and in 1997 he named her “Honorary Granddaughter” for her endless activism. In 2018, Naomi Campbell had the honour of presenting a tribute to the independence leader, who would have turned 100, at the 2018 Global Citizen Festival in NYC. Naomi also made a passionate and emotional speech at Winnie Mandela's funeral, calling her “a woman of strength who endured much hardship and sacrifice”. In 2013, Naomi Campbell launched the Campaign “Diversity Coalition” with the aim to address racism in the fashion industry.

Naomi Campbell is not only known for being one of the original supermodels but also for being a global figure, and one of the most influential people on the planet. Her passion for female empowerment and Africa has seen her headline the 2019 Forbes Woman Africa’s Leading Women Summit and her ongoing mission to elevate and connect African designers with the global fashion community has seen her co-produce this year’s Arise Fashion Week in Lagos, Nigeria.

In 2005, Naomi Campbell founded Fashion for Relief, a charity merging fashion and philanthropy. Born in London, Fashion for Relief was one of the first fundraisers with an aim to help people affected by the disastrous floods that hit the UK in the summer of 2007. The fundraiser was supported by people including Elle MacPherson, Novak Djokovic, Jane Fonda, Sting, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Faye Dunaway and the Duchess of York, in aid of the Rotary Flood and Disaster Appeal for Great Britain. Since that day, Fashion for Relief has spread its wings to embrace global causes, raising millions in aide of disaster relief such as the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and child refugee crises, to name only a few. Fashion for Relief has been staged all around the world, from New York to Dar Es Salaam and the South of France. This year, Fashion for Relief will return to its roots, with a catwalk during London Fashion Week September 2019.

Previous awards received by Naomi Campbell include the Glamour Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2006, a Special Recognition Award at the British Fashion Awards in 2010, the Glamour Award for TV Personality in 2014 and most recently the Fashion Icon award at the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards.

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Mischa Barton dazzled in Los Angeles whilst Amy Jackson exuded elegance in Windsor

Josh Gold -
N e w   Y o r k ,  U S A - 

Mischa Barton [left] at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in LA.
Original dress modelled [right] during Paris Fashion Week.

Hollywood star, Mischa Barton, and British actress and model, Amy Jackson, stun onlookers in Ralph & Russo ready-to-wear at events across the globe.

Actress Mischa Barton dazzled at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in Los Angeles wearing a black lace embroidered evening gown featuring bell sleeves from the Pre-Spring/Summer 2019 ready-to-wear collection.

Mischa previously won MTV Movie and TV Awards in 2004 and 2006 for her starring role in The O.C. Mischa as a child star, famously appeared across from Hugh Grant in the film Notting Hill.

Amy Jackson in Windsor, UK.

British actress and model Amy Jackson exuded elegance at The Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo in Windsor, wearing a snow white cotton belted trench from the Pre-Spring/Summer 2019 ready-to-wear collection.

Amy is known for her work in Indian films. She began her modelling career at the age of 16, and went on to win the Miss Teen World competition in 2009.

Director A. L. Vijay cast Amy as the leading lady of the Tamil language period drama Madrasapattinam in 2010 which launched her career as an actress. Amy continues to act in Indian films of all languages, including Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada.

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Cole Sprouse and Robert Cavalli Party in Tuscany

Josh Gold -
T u s c a n y ,  I t a l y - 

Cole Sprouse and Robert Cavalli

Riverdale star Cole Sprouse and Robert Cavalli celebrate the launch of Triple RRR Spring/Summer 2020 collection during the 30th anniversary of Pitti Uomo with an after party titled “One Night in Florence”.

The pool party was held at the private Villa di Cavalli in the hills of Florence, Tuscany.

The event followed an afternoon bruncheon at another family residence in the city center where the designer’s, Spring/Summer 2020, collection was unveiled and light Florentine fare was served across a hidden backyard garden.

Hollywood star Cole Sprouse from Riverdale, fashion editor Declan Chan, New York socialite Inga Rubenstein, and more were served HeavenSake from renowned fashion show producer, Etienne Russo, of villa Eugenie, who produced the event.

Guests danced around the pool all night long to sounds by Venetian born DJ Simone de Kunovich.

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Marisa Tomei Looks Spectacular at the 73rd Tony Awards

Josh Gold -
N e w   Y o r k ,  U S A - 

Oscar winning actress Marisa Tomei stunned crowds in a dress by UK fashion house Ralph & Russo at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards.

Hollywood star Marisa Tomei looked phenomenal in Ralph & Russo couture attending the 73rd Annual Tony Awards in New York City.

Wearing a midnight blue floral silk chiffon gown with a sheer bustier, embellished with crystals, glass beads and silk thread-work from the Autumn-Winter 2016/17 couture collection.

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Madness at London's V&A

Peter Thomas -
L o n d o n ,   U K - 

Madness Collection. Image: V&A.

V&A goes ‘one step beyond’ celebrating 40 years of Madness with acquisition of the band’s instruments and costumes.

The V&A has acquired a selection of objects charting the 40-year history of the band Madness. This includes a newspaper print suit worn in the music video for the 1986 single ‘(Waiting for) The Ghost Train’ and on the cover for the band’s greatest hits album Utter Madness, as well as a saxophone played by Lee Thompson at the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012.

A British band from humble beginnings in London’s Camden Town, the self-proclaimed ‘Nutty Boys’ have achieved global success with 15 top-ten singles, 12 studio albums, a film and a musical. The Guardian called them a ‘British pop institution’, Madness’s diverse influences include ska, two-tone, East-end Music Hall songs and variety shows, resulting in a unique look and sound that gave birth to era-defining hits like ‘Driving in My Car’ and ‘Our House’.

Newly acquired objects include Lee Thompson’s London Olympic Ceremony Union flag kilt costume, published sheet music including for hits including ‘Baggy Trousers’, the compete run of the Madness comic – Nutty Boys, a typescript for Our House – the Madness Musical and a collection of posters, badges and tour t-shirts. Highlights from the collection are now on display in the V&A’s Theatre and Performance galleries, celebrating 40 years of the band.

Singer Graham (Suggs) McPherson. Image: V&A.

Simon Sladen, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Performance, said: “It’s wonderful to welcome the Nutty Boys to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Theatre and Performance Collections. Madness’s influences are as varied as our collections themselves, from Music Hall to Variety, Ska to Two-Tone, with their impressive career encompassing not only a film and chart topping singles and albums, but also inspiring a stage musical. They play with and are a part of British iconography and continue to entertain us forty years after first getting together in Camden.”

The V&A is home to the UK’s national collection of theatre and performing arts related materials, from theatre and ballet to opera, musicals and rock and pop. Founded in the 1920s, the collection includes set models, designs, stage props, costumes, original posters, paintings and photographs, representing live performance in Britain over the last 350 years. The selection of Madness objects joins Theatre and Performance acquisitions including the Glastonbury Festival Archive, Pete Townshend’s guitar and costumes worn by Tina Turner.

Madness: Our House


Madness: Waiting for the Ghost Train

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Beyonce Performs at Pre-Wedding Event in Udaipur, India

Josh Gold -
U d a i p u r,   I n d i a - 

Beyonce Knowles-Carter wears custom embroidered
gown by Khosla Jani while performing at a pre-
wedding event celebrating Isha Ambani & Anand
Piramal in Udaipur, India on December 9

Grammy-winning singer Beyonce wore a stunning custom made gown by Khosla Jani channeling her inner Indian Princess while performing at a pre-wedding event celebrating Isha Ambani & Anand Piramal in Udaipur, India on December 9.

Beyonce's gown was a hand embroidered, red silk organza dress in the designers classic mirror embroidery and took 6 nights to complete get this beautiful piece ready for the "Bae" to perform in front of an A-List guest list including Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Hillary Clinton.

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Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Marry in India

Josh Gold -
J o d h p u r,   I n d i a - 

Within the walls of the spectacular Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India, Nick Jonas married Priyanka Chopra.

Priyanka Chopra wore a 48-multipanelled organdy sherwani embellished in silk detailing. Two organza layered drapes complete this exuberant, luxe look. Fabulously folksy in spirit, it radiates joy and sentiment. The beautiful dress was designed by Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla.

Nick Jonas wore a pale pistachio green/aqua Banarasi cotton Bakhiya kurta, embellished in finest threadwork embroidery in various stitches.

The happy couple, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra looking exquisite in her wedding dress by Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra during their wedding celebrations 

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' wedding was held at the Umaid Bhawan Palace

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Remembering Stan Lee, 1922 - 2018

Josh Gold -
L o s   A n g e l e s,  U S A - 

Stan Lee, 1922 - 2018. Image courtesy of  Marvel

Stan Lee, the co-creator of numerous superhero characters such as the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spider-Man and Iron Man passed away Monday in Los Angeles at age 95.

An Ambulance was rushed to Lee's Hollywood Hills home. He was reportedly taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where Lee later passed away.

Disney and Marvel released a joint statement honouring the memory of Lee:

Today, Marvel Comics and The Walt Disney Company pause and reflect with great sadness on the passing of its Marvel Chairman Emeritus, Stan Lee. With a heavy heart, we share our deepest condolences with his daughter and brother, and we honor and remember the creator, voice and champion of Marvel Comics.

“Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created. A super hero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart,” said Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.

Array of Stan Lee Comics courtesy: The Comics Bolt

Stanley Martin Lieber, aka Stan Lee, loved the written word from an early age, and wanted to craft stories like those in his favorite books and films, which he consumed voraciously. From a simple upbringing in the teeming landscape of Manhattan, young Stanley worked his way through a succession of jobs until the day he found himself an assistant at a comic book publishing company—Timely Comics.

In between refilling artists’ inkwells, erasing pencil lines from comic pages and fetching an untold number of lunches, Stanley expressed his desire to write and create tales of his own; in the May 1941 issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #3, he got his wish. Readers would find a prose story in that issue, “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge,” sporting the byline of “Stan Lee.” A star was born.

“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you're able to entertain, you're doing a good thing.”  STAN LEE, 1922-2018.

Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Stan "The Man" Lee

As Stan’s roles and tenure with Timely Comics grew and evolved, so did the company itself. With Stan at its helm, Timely Comics morphed first into Atlas Comics and then into the name that would catapult it into legend and forever be synonymous with Stan Lee: Marvel Comics.

As Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, Stan “The Man” Lee made his voice the voice of the stories themselves. Writing virtually every Marvel title and working with such luminaries as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan and John Romita, Stan began building a universe of interlocking continuity, one where fans felt as if they could turn a street corner and run into a Super Hero. A rich collection of characters grew out of his nonstop plotting sessions with his artists, including the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and more. Today, it would be almost impossible to find a corner of the Marvel Universe that Stan didn’t have a hand in.

Marvel fans found a friend in Stan Lee. He introduced the famous “Stan’s Soapbox” to speak directly to his readers, reaching a personal level rarely seen in comics of the day. Always pushing for new ways of creating comics, Stan also inaugurated the “Marvel method” of plotting and art, creating some of the most iconic stories in the industry to this day.

Stan Lee, 1922 - 2018. Courtesy of  Marvel

When something mattered to Stan, you felt it in his words, whether in an editorial or in the stories themselves. With passion for the medium, he helped refine and reform the Comics Code Authority and addressed hot-button issues like discrimination, drugs and intolerance.

Stan stepped up from his position as Editor-in-Chief in 1972 to tackle the role of Publisher at Marvel Comics, and while a strong succession of writers followed in his wake, his spirit and voice remained throughout the adventures that followed. His outspoken love for comics even extended to a series of college campus talks; given any chance to educate and illuminate on the industry, he took it. An entire generation of young readers expanded and strengthened their vocabulary and knowledge through Stan’s stories.

In later years, Stan took on new projects of his own outside of Marvel, but always kept one eye on the universe he created, watching with pride as it continued to grow and expand. Stan worked tirelessly to promote Marvel properties and characters to the film industry, and his spunky cameos in Marvel films and television series became an important part of his legacy.

Stan Lee, 1922 - 2018. Image courtesy of  Marvel

Over the years, Stan was widely recognized for his remarkable accomplishments, receiving the National Medal of Arts, being inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame and Jack Kirby Hall of Fame and being named a Disney Legend. He continued to work, write and enjoy life and creativity every day—and the world is better for it.

Marvel and the entire The Walt Disney Company salute the life and career of Stan Lee and offer their undying gratitude for his unmatchable accomplishments within their halls. Every time you open a Marvel comic, Stan will be there. Please join us today in remembering Stan “The Man” Lee.

“Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created. A super hero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart”.

BOB IGER

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company

“Stan Lee's contributions to Marvel, a company he helped forge into a household name, will forever live on and we will continue to celebrate the imaginative characters he helped create and the fantastic universe he helped build. My thoughts and prayers go out to his daughter and brother at this time.”

IKE PERLMUTTER

Chairman of Marvel Entertainment

“Stan Lee's passion, charisma, and his love for the characters and stories he created shaped Marvel into what it is today. His relentless drive and dedication to tell imaginative stories changed the lives of countless fans for over 75 years, and his spirit lives on in the people he's inspired. His legacy will never be forgotten. My thoughts go out to his family at this difficult time.”

DAN BUCKLEY

President, Marvel Entertainment

“To so many of us he was a father figure, a mentor, a best friend. Stan let us into the pages of his comics and into his world. He told us all about himself, warts and all. He made us laugh when things were bleakest, he let us in and made us feel like we were a part his family so that when he creatively took a chance and leaped off the precipice of that building, we were always right there with him. He wasn’t just a guy in a suit, he was Stan 'The Man' Lee! Goodbye my friend and of course…EXCELSIOR!”

JOE QUESADA

Chief Creative Officer, Marvel Entertainment

“No one has had more of an impact on my career and everything we do at Marvel Studios than Stan Lee. Stan leaves an extraordinary legacy that will outlive us all. Our thoughts are with his daughter, his family, and the millions of fans who have been forever touched by Stan’s genius, charisma and heart. Excelsior!”

KEVIN FEIGE

President, Marvel Studios

“There aren't enough hyperboles left in the Marvel Universe to cover the tremendous titan who was Stan Lee. His wondrous wit, his crafty creativeness, and his spectacular showmanship were all hallmarks of his genius. In the words of Benjamin J. Grimm, ‘I gotta go now, I think I got somethin' in my eye.’”

JEPH LOEB

Executive VP, Head of Television, Marvel Entertainment

“There are so many of us who would not be the men and women we've become, and be where we are today, without the influence Stan Lee had on our lives; not only through the heroes he created and the lessons we learned from them, but from the example 'The Man' himself set in life. The more I got to know Stan, the more I saw how he put a little piece of himself in each and every character he created, and by doing so, he allowed readers to see their own reflection and imagine the possibility that they, too, could transcend their problems and become something amazing, uncanny, and fantastic.”

C.B. CEBULSKI

Editor in Chief, Marvel Entertainment

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Naomi Campbell and HRH Prince Charles at Royal Reception in Lagos, Nigeria

Peter Thomas -
L o n d o n ,   U K - 

Naomi Campbell and Prince Charles

Last night supermodel, Naomi Campbell, was spotted wearing Ralph & Russo couture at a royal reception in Lagos.

The evening was held in honour of Prince Charles and his Tour of Nigeria.

Wearing a black silk velvet column gown edged with devoré ostrich feathers and accompanied by a blush pink silk gazar opera coat.

Naomi's stunning gown and coat are from Ralph & Russo's latest Spring/Summer 2018 couture collection.

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Hailee Steinfeld Wears RALPH & RUSSO Couture to the 2018 Europe Music Awards

Fez Escalante -
B i l b a o ,   S p a i n - 

Hailee Steinfeld stunned in Ralph & Russo couture

American Actress & Singer, Hailee Steinfeld, stunned in Ralph & Russo couture at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards in Bilbao.

In Steinfeld's first appearance, she stunned the audience wearing a silver silk zibeline mini dress. It featured a structured black velvet frill, embellished with silver sequins and Swarovski mirrored stones. The dress debuted at Ralph & Russo's Autumn-Winter 2018/2019 show in Paris.

Later in the evening, Steinfeld wore a pale pink tulle and devoré ostrich feather off-the-shoulder mini dress, embellished with laser cut sequins, pearls and opalescent stones, also from the Autumn-Winter 2018/2019 couture collection.

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Kim Kardashian West Launches Two New Fragrances

Josh Gold -
L o s   A n g e l e s,  U S A - 

Kim Kardashian West launches Body II Fragrance

In Los Angeles, social media superstar, Kim Kardashian West launched two new fragrances: Body II and Body III, both come in bottles modelled on her famous body.

Body II is a beachy floral scent with notes of bergamot and fresh coconut, and Body III is a unisex, woody floral with notes of pink peppercorn orpur and black pepper Madagascar orpur.

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