Known for being controversial, Madonna has now caused another stir with her new album title ‘MDNA’.

MDNA, similar to the name for an ingredient in the drug Ecstasy, MDMA, she claims it is because ‘she is really into initials’ as it is a shortened version of her name.

Madonna revealed the name of the album on the Graham Norton Show last Friday, but as it was a pre-recorded show, it was leaked on Twitter a few days before. MDNA was then trending on Twitter with questions surrounding whether it was a joke or if this shocking title was just a rumour. The show aired on the Friday where Madonna confirmed her plans for her upcoming album.

Anti-drugs campaigners have spoken out about their disapproval towards the Queen of Pop’s choice of album title. It has been quoted that they feel Madonna was ‘ill-advised’ but whether she was or not, the album title along with much of her previous work has created a controversial buzz. Drawing attention to Madonna, her either ‘ill-advised’ album name or planned name to get people talking is reflective of other choices over the years. From raunchy outfits and provocative dance moves to dating men half her age, Madonna has spent her career making shocking decisions but she does not seem to want to stop and still causing a flurry of media, and now social media  attention.

Madonna was on the Graham Norton show to promote her new film W.E. The film focuses on the relationship between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII.  She wanted to work on this project as she was interested in the story that made headlines in the 1930’s. Determined to find out what drove the pair to make extreme sacrifices for love, she stated on the show that she found letters, documentaries and other historical documents to make the film as authentic as possible. She said the film lead her some interesting findings that are expressed in the film.  Some have speculated that there are parallels between Wallis and Madonna, as both are Americans who moved to England, but she denies that there were any links that encouraged her to focus on this film.

Madonna has spent the last three years working on this project and has now decided to go back to music. She will be touring later this year and her album is due for release on March 12, 2012.

Posted: January 17th, 2012 under Madonna, Uncategorized.
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Global superstar Beyonce Knowles has given birth to a baby girl. The Crazy in Love singer and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, aka Shawn Carter, have named their daughter Blue Ivy Carter - she was born on Saturday 7 January, 2012.

With speculation that Beyonce had given birth over the New Year weekend – Twitter rumours exploded that she had given birth to a girl and named her ‘Tiana- May’.  With no confirmation to support the claims meant that the media and the couple’s fans were left on tenterhooks for over a week until they finally revealed on Sunday that Beyonce had given birth on Saturday night.

Typically celebrity, the couple have given their daughter an unusual name. Blue Ivy has sentimental value for the couple as Ivy is based on the couple’s love of the number 4. With Beyonce’s birthday on the 4^th of September, Jay-Z’s  the 4^th of December, the couple married on the 4^th of April and finally with Beyonce’s most recent album called ‘4’, the couple decided to use the roman numeral IV (which they both have tattooed to their wedding fingers) to incorporate into the middle name Ivy. The name Blue is rumoured to be from Jay-Z’s collection of Blueprint albums.

With the most powerful couple in the music industry as parents, it is no doubt that Blue Ivy will be a superstar baby. She has already trended on Twitter and been tweeted about by celebrity friends of Beyonce and Jay-Z, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce’s sister Solange Knowles, both highlighting how loved she is going to be.

It has been reported that despite the birth of her first child Beyonce will continue to work hard and do the work that she loves. Beyonce’s hard working attitude has always been reflected in her music and any project she is involved in, so it is no surprise that she doesn’t want to stop working or slow down any time soon.

Beyonce and Jay-Z are the first celebrities to have a child in 2012, but they may not be the only big names to become first time parents this year. Speculation has surrounded Sienna Miller and boyfriend Tom Sturridge, with claims that the she is pregnant and rumours of an engagement. It is yet to be confirmed but it may be that Beyonce won’t be the only first time mum in celebville this year.

Posted: January 10th, 2012 under Beyonce, Jay-Z, Uncategorized.
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The rich & famous flock to the gala launch of the retrospective exhibition celebrating the work of Alexander McQueen.

The exhibition - Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - is being hosted by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York & will feature the designer’s best known work.

Only four days earlier the label was revealed to have received one of the most prestigious commissions it could be possible to have. When Kate Middleton arrived at her wedding she was wearing an exquisitely executed design by Sarah Burton, McQueen’s ‘right hand woman’ for many years & creative designer for the label since his tragic death last year. The commission brought with it an establishment acceptance of the late designer who was seen as somewhat of a rebel, as well as his designs which had often been viewed as somewhat risqué.

Already well known & revered in the industry before his death, McQueen’s prominence & that of his label has since grown.

Earlier this year Michelle Obama caused a furore among American fashion designers & journalists when she chose to wear a flame-red floor-length McQueen gown to state dinner in honour of China rather than something from an American label..

On display at the retrospective are McQueen’s very early designs through to his final collection, but grouped according to theme rather than in any sort of chronological order.

As he walked through the exhibition McQueen’s former colleague & friend – the milliner Philip Treacy – reportedly said: “For me, this feels horrific, but [McQueen] would have loved it – he would have pretended that he didn’t, but he would have, and the wedding dress would have given him such a sense of validation,”

“Fashion is supposed to be effortless, but when I look at every piece I think of what he put into it and how in the end the sheer pressure of creativity killed him. He promoted this idea of himself as an enfant terrible but he was actually a very sweet and gentle person – he wouldn’t have wanted you to know that, either.”

Celebrities ‘on display’ at the exhibition included: designer Karl Lagerfeld, actress Renée Zellweger, singers Mick Jagger, Madonna, Beyoncé, & Rihanna, models Alexa Chung, Miranda Kerr, & Iman, & tennis star Serena Williams.

Meanwhile Clarence House has announced that the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress is to go on display, though as yet there is no decision on the time or venue.

“The Duchess of Cambridge is considering a number of options to give members of the public the opportunity to see, close up, the skilled British craftsmanship that went into the making of her wedding dress by Sarah Burton and her team as well as the Royal School of Needlework,” the statement read.

Posted: May 3rd, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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The moment many had been waiting for! Kept under wraps until the bride arrived at Westminster Abbey this morning, the designer of the royal wedding dress was finally revealed.

The dress worn by Kate Middleton for her marriage to Prince William today as well as that of her maid of honour – her sister Pippa - were designed by Sarah Burton, creative director at Alexander McQueen & 0ne of the world’s most talented designers.

Rumours that Burton was to design the dress abounded & it was widely reported that she had apparently been seen entering the Goring hotel in disguise yesterday afternoon. As Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey Buckingham Palace released a statement regarding the dress:

‘Miss Catherine Middleton’s Wedding Dress has been designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen’s work. Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress.

The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom. The dress design pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts tradition, which advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration. Ms Burton’s design draws on this heritage, additionally giving the cut and the intricate embellishment a distinctive, contemporary and feminine character.’

The dress made from ivory & white satin gazar had a skirt which featured arches & pleats, a silk tulle lace trimmed underskirt, & a swagged train measuring 2.7 metres. The ivory satin bodice went in at the waist & was padded at the hips. There were slender lace sleeves & the back had organza covered buttons. Intricate lace appliqué on the bodice & skirt was made from a design of rose, thistle, daffodil & shamrock.

Kate is thought to have worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress. & Burton & her team painstakingly carried out the whole process of making it by hand.

Pippa’s cowl neck dress was made from ivory satin-based crepe, & had the same button detail & lace trims as the Bride’s dress.

Beautifully simple, elegant & understated, the dresses were a triumph for British fashion as well as for Burton.

Posted: April 29th, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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The use of real animal fur for clothing sparks huge controversy & now it seems most people choose not to do so.

According to a poll conducted for the RSPCA 95% - 9 out of 10 people would not wear real fur; yet recent fashion shows in London, Milan & New York showed designs using real fur from a variety of animals including fox, mink, racoon & goat. Giles Deacon, Burberry & Julien MacDonald all featured fur on the catwalk

While some of the major fashion designers, such as Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani, have switched to fake fur, many fashion designers seem happy to continue working with it & real fur dominated the 2010 autumn/winter catwalks, with an astounding number of  designers – 400 to be precise still choosing to use real fur!

The RSPCA’s poll also found that 93 per cent of the public felt that clothing should be clearly labelled as to whether it was made from real or fake fur.

The results of the poll were released as Britain’s largest animal charity launched the Good Business Awards which recognize the ethical stance taken towards animals by companies in the food & fashion industries.

The RSPCA expressed its disappointment that so many designers had chosen to exhibit designs made from real animal fur this year, despite awareness of the ethical issues surrounding fur and its production

One of the judges – the fashion director for Cosmopolitan magazine, Shelly Vella said: “One of the downsides to my job is seeing so much fur dominating the international catwalks every season. It was something I believed to be firmly out of fashion but it’s crept back into popularity with a vengeance.”

Well known model, Twiggy, commented, ‘I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when fake alternatives are so effective.’

The results of the poll will be good news to those who campaign so hard against the use of real fur in the clothing industry  but it begs the question as to why so many fashion designers seem determined to continue with something which is ‘not in fashion’ for 95% of the population!

Posted: April 27th, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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The 41 year old Welsh actor Catherine Zeta-Jones this week issued a statement that she had checked into a clinic to get treatment for bipolar II disorder.

Zeta-Jones is reported to have been suffering from stress following the diagnosis of her husband American actor 66 year old Michael Douglas with stage IV throat cancer. A spokeswoman for the actor announced: “After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her bipolar II disorder. She’s feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films.”

Bipolar disorder – formerly known as manic depression – is estimated to affect about 1% of the adult population & up to 2.4 million people in the UK.

The news of Zeta-Jones revelation has been met positively with empathy & respect by the media, & by charities that recognize the potential impact of her admission for mental health awareness. Other celebrities – notably Stephen Fry & Paul Gascoigne – have helped to raise the profile of the disorder in recent years.

Marjorie Wallace - from the mental health charity Sane - said: “Zeta-Jones’s announcement will have a huge impact on people recognising mental illness is a condition that everyone can suffer from. The importance is for people to accept it’s a treatable illness rather than live with it for years so that they become more and more sucked into a downward spiral and at risk of suicide.”

She added: “I think with the diagnosis and accepting the need for treatment, Catherine will feel liberated and believe that things can improve, whereas those with bipolar I tend to experience severe mania as well as severe depression, bipolar II presents more as depression, feelings of sadness, hopelessness and guilt.”

Mark Davies, of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Clearly this is a difficult time for Catherine Zeta-Jones and we send her our best wishes.

“Bipolar disorder is a distressing and potentially severe condition and she will need a lot of care and support as she seeks to tackle it. But it is possible to overcome mental illness with the right treatment.

“She deserves great credit for revealing her illness in this way. There is still a lot of stigma around mental health, which often means that people stay silent and try to fight the illness on their own.

“When people such as Catherine Zeta-Jones speak out it, makes a big difference to the millions of other people facing mental illness.

“It shows them that they are not alone and that mental illness can affect anyone, rich or poor, famous or otherwise.”

Zeta Jones rose to fame in the TV dramatisation of H.E.Bates ‘The Darling Buds of May’ in the 1990s & graduated to starring roles in Hollywood movies such as traffic & Chicago. She married Douglas – twenty five years her senior – in 2000. They have 2 children -  Dylan aged 10 & Carys, seven.

Posted: April 16th, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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Yoko Ono the widow of former Beatle, John Lennon has consented to the publication of his letters

For the first time – more than thirty years after he was shot & killed in New York -Yoko Ono has given her permission for the publication of her husbands letters. to which she holds the copyright.

This first collection, to be published by Little Brown, who describe it as “an international publishing event.” is scheduled to be released in October 2012. The anthology will be edited by the British author & journalist Hunter Davies – the official biographer of ‘The Beatles’ -  who it is believed will also write the introduction to the book. Ono will help him to compile this first collection of the musician’s correspondence which will include Ono’s personal collection as well as items from other private collections of letters, postcards & doodles. So far Davies has managed to track down around two hundred pieces of correspondence.

The letters will be published in chronological order “so that a narrative builds up” & many will be reproduced exactly “in [Lennon's] handwriting or typing, plus the odd cartoon or doodle”.

Lennon is known to have been a prolific writer during his lifetime – in an era that pre-dated email - & it is hoped that more items will be unearthed from their many & varied recipients as well as from collectors & dealers. Little Brown pointed out: “Pen and ink were his medium. John wrote letters and postcards all of his life; to his friends, family, strangers, newspapers, organisations, lawyers and the laundry – most of which were funny, informative, campaigning, wise, mad, poetic, anguished and sometimes heartbreaking.”

One such item – of particular note because of its subsequent irony – was a letter sent by Lennon in 1971 to an art critic at the Syracuse Post-Standard which read: “Society only likes dead artists. I’m afraid Yoko and myself cannot oblige.” The piece was eventually sold for over £23,000 pounds in 2003.

Posted: April 12th, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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When glamorous Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor died last week she reportedly left a fortune estimated to be worth between $600m & $1bn

Ironically though, this wasn’t the result of her many acclaimed screen performances, but due rather to her shrewd business deals & an amazing talent as a perfumer. Hers was the original ‘celebrity perfume’ & unlike the celebrities of today who merely lend their name & get a fat cheque in return, Taylor had a ‘hands on’ approach. She forged an association with the highly respected company ‘Elizabeth Arden’ & even when in poor health personally supervised her collection of 11 perfumes.

The first of her fragrances to be released was Passion in 1987 & the last was Violet Eyes in 2010. White Diamonds - which was the scent Taylor herself chose to wear - has the accolade of being ‘the best selling celebrity perfume ever’. There is a rumour that the late actor Richard Harris was thrown out of Taylor’s mansion for drinking it! Elizabeth Arden’s description of the fragrance is “radiant, extraordinarily rare and overwhelmingly beautiful”. There are also a range of other products to complement the fragrance, including a body wash, body cream, body lotion & talc. White Diamonds & Passion combined are reported to have generated $1bn in sales since 1991. It is anticipated that there will be a marked increase in sales of the scent following her death.

Taylor’s jewellery – which included the La Peregrina pearl once owned by Queen Mary I. - will be auctioned, with most of the proceeds going to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and to amfAR, which she helped found in 1985. The pearl was purchased by Richard Burton at the Sotheby’s auction for $37,000 & given to Taylor as a Valentine’s Day gift during their first marriage.

Posted: March 31st, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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Elizabeth Taylor – actress & icon - has died of heart failure in a Los Angeles hospital following her admission 6 weeks ago. According to her spokeswoman – Sally Morrison – her children were at her side.

Ms Taylor had suffered from multiple health problems for some years. As well as suffering from a heart condition, she had survived a brain tumour & had reportedly broken her back on five separate occasions. She was largely confined to a wheelchair as a result of osteoporosis for the latter part of her life.

Notable performances in some exceptional films, a glamorous presence & a colourful personal life all contributed to the high profile life she enjoyed.

Taylor was born in London in 1932 to American parents who returned with her to live in the United States of America when she was 7 in order to avoid the conflict of the Second World War.

She made her first screen appearance as a nine-year-old in the 1942 Universal comedy’ There’s One Born Every Minute’. Other notable roles she played as a child were as Priscilla in ‘Lassie Come Home’ & as Velvet Brown in the film ‘National Velvet’. She moved on to some memorable adult performances including Father of the Bride, A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer  Reflections in a Golden Eye & Cleopatra. winning Oscars in the ‘Best Actress’ category for her roles in  Butter field 8 & the 1966 drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Married eight times to seven husbands, probably her most famous relationship both on & off screen was with Richard Burton. The couple married in 1964 and divorced a decade later. They remarried in 1975 and then separated again the following year. During this period they were seen as the epitome of Hollywood glamour, their lives a whirl of exotic social activities & movie collaborations. “It was probably the most chaotic time of my life,” Taylor later recalled. “It was fun and it was dark – oceans of tears – but there were some good times too.”

Taylor helped found the American Federation for Aids Research motivated by the 1985 death of her friend Rock Hudson & went on to raise an estimated $50m to fight the disease. She was a close friend of the late singer Michael Jackson & championed his innocence when he faced charges of child abuse.

Taylor is survived by her two sons, Michael and Christopher, by Michael Wilding; her daughter, Liza, by Mike Todd; and her adopted daughter, Maria.

Posted: March 24th, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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Hugh Laurie launches his career as a blues musician with an intimate performance to promote his forthcoming album.

British star Hugh Laurie - aged 51- is the highest paid actor on US television, in one of the most popular TV shows in the world – House. Allegedly receiving over $400,000 an episode for his portrayal of the character of Dr Gregory House, Laurie is taking a short break from the show to pursue his new career.

Laurie has starred in several British TV series including ‘A bit of Fry & Laurie’ – with his long time friend & writing partner Stephen Fry - & ‘Jeeves & Wooster’. He is also a classically trained musician & has performed on several TV shows, including playing the guitar in several episodes of House.

His album – Let Them Talk – due to be released on May 9th – was recorded in September last year at Ocean Way studios in Los Angeles. It mainly features cover versions of his favourite tracks with Laurie singing lead vocals & playing guitar. There are also guest slots from Dr. John, Tom Jones & the blues singer Irma Thomas.

Joe Henry – the singer & songwriter who produced the album – said: “I’m sincere when I say I think people will be stunned, not just at how much time he’s devoted to his musical life but how interesting his take on the music is.”

Foreseeing that there might well be criticism of his move into a musical career Laurie said in a statement to be released with the album: “I was not born in Alabama in the 1890s. I’ve never eaten grits, cropped a share, or ridden a boxcar. I am a white, middle-class Englishman, openly trespassing on the music and myth of the American south. If that weren’t bad enough, I’m also an actor: one of those pampered ninnies who can’t find his way through an airport without a babysitter.”

For his first ever gig, Laurie chose to perform to a small selected audience – which included his friend Stephen Fry – in a small venue in New Orleans, Louisiana. Commenting on his choice of location he said: ‘In my imagination New Orleans just straight hummed with music, romance, joy, despair. ‘Its rhythms got into my gawky English frame and, at times, made me so happy and sad; I just didn’t know what to do with myself. I love this music as authentically as I know how.’

Posted: March 23rd, 2011 under Uncategorized.
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