In entertainment news today, Russell Brand and Katy Perry have parted in an amicable fashion, according to reports.
   Perry signed her divorce documents with her trade-mark smiley face, while Brand is not making any claim on his ex-wife’s fortune. The couple did not have a prenuptial agreement.
   Forbes had reported that between May 2010 and May 2011, Perry had made $44 million, while Brand made $7 million.
   The couple were married for 14 months.
   Meanwhile, So Solid Crew’s MC Harvey has backtracked over his claim in a Now interview that he had had a relationship with Britain’s sweetheart, Cheryl Cole.
   Cole then launched into a Twitter argument with Harvey after reading the interview.
   Since lawyers have been involved, Harvey has stated on Choice FM that the relationship was email-based but had never happened offline.
   He told DJ Max, ‘I will 100 per cent say that we had a communication relationship, but have I been out with her? No I haven’t.’
   Cole is now suing Now. A statement reads, ‘Cheryl Cole has today commenced legal proceedings in London against the publishers of Now magazine as a result of its two articles about her alleged “secret romance” with Michael Harvey.
   ‘Cheryl’s lawyers have asked to see Mr Harvey’s alleged emails which the magazine says are “proof” of the “romance” but it claims not to have them in its possession. Mr Harvey’s claims are denied by Cheryl and she looks forward to seeing both him and the magazine in Court at the very earliest opportunity.’

Life doesn’t stop for Nicole Scherzinger: right after finishing the US version of The X Factor, hair care brand Herbal Essences has announced that she is its new global ambassador.
   Commercials featuring the former Pussycat Dolls singer will break in July, in print and online formats. It is expected that some of her music will feature in them.
   Herbal Essences’ marketing director Kevin Crociata said in a release, ‘Nicole is such a beautiful, talented woman who lives every aspect of her life to the fullest. Her sense of self and her zest for life is a terrific fit with the spirit of the Herbal Essences brand.’
   Procter & Gamble’s Herbal Essences line features shampoos and conditioners, as well as styling products. The company says the brand is about innovative technology, performance ingredients and fragrance.
   In New Zealand, Herbal Essences Botanicals (RRP NZ$6·12) are available nationally. For more information, visit www.clairol.co.nz.

The première of Madonna’s new single ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’’ in Piccadilly Circus did not go particularly well: not only was the video late, but it ran without sound.
   The music video, which features Nicki Minaj and MIA in cheerleaders’ outfits, was directed by Megaforce. It makes references to a lot of Madonna’s past work and is meant to be tongue in cheek.
   Despite the malfunction in London, fans were generally very positive toward the new video when it hit the internet.
   Less contentious is the news that Back to the Future might head to Broadway. Broadway has, in recent years, been very kind to film-to-stage adaptations, including The Producers and Xanadu, which arguably did better there than in the cinemas in 1980.
   Writer–director Robert Zemeckis is in negotiations to pen a new script for the stage, according to ITN.

Top Beth Ditto with John Demsey, Group President, the Estée Lauder Companies Inc., in Paris. Above The Feeling Alive collection from Jane Iredale.

Beth Ditto is MAC’s latest collaborator, with her collection to be released in June. Along with Vanessa Paradis, Catherine Deneuve, Dita von Teese, Christian Louboutin, Juliette Binoche and Grace Jones, Ditto attended the Gala Sidaction dîner de la mode in Paris on January 26 as part of the MAC Aids Fund’s work, and to make the partnership public.
   Jane Iredale is launching a make-up collection called Feeling Alive, with two eye glosses, two Lip Plumpers, a lip-defining pencil and a rosy bronzer available from March. It’s a perfect beauty collection for the winter months.
   We’re wondering how many ‘unique’ shopping events Auckland can take later in February. In the spirit of Vogue’s Fashion Night Out—we’ve already been covering New York, Tokyo and Berlin editions—an event called Shop One Night hits New Zealand from February 23 at 5 p.m., running till midnight in the Britomart precinct, and has been realized by ShopWhatsNew.co.nz.
   The following evening, to kick off the New Zealand Fashion Festival, a shopping event called First Light takes place at Auckland’s High Street, O’Connell Street and the surrounding lanes. Karen Walker reveals her spring 2012 collection, while Ruby launches its Liam collection, all complemented by a shopping experience in the area. More details are at www.highstdistrict.co.nz.
   The winner between these two events: shoppers, who get more fashion than they would normally get on two days in Auckland.
   Finally, we hear that Bodyhaven Spa in the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor in Wellington is offering a Valentine’s couple’s massage for NZ$160 per couple for an hour, with bubbly and a copper tub soak, or pamper yourself for NZ$99. Call 64 4 495-3255 extension 8542 or visit www.bodyhaven.co.nz.

Jones New York has launched its optical eyewear collection in New Zealand, available through Visique. The range features tailored frames that are masculine in style, with a selection of fashionable colours and modern materials.

   Brancott Estate, meanwhile, has released a new smartphone application, called World’s Most Curious Bottle. There are 14 ‘unique consumer experiences’ on the app, including entertainment and wine information, that users can unlock when they scan the QR code on the new Brancott Estate labels. The app is compatible with Apple and Android.
   Opening today at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is The Inverted Mirror: Art from the Collections of la Caixa Foundation and MACBA, representing movements such as Dau al Set, the El Paso group, the Vancouver School and the Düsseldorf School. It features 93 works by 52 artists who worked with various media, especially photography, video and large-format sculpture. Artists include Antoni Tàpies, Sigmar Polke, Julian Schnabel, Jeff Wall, Martha Rosler, Michelangelo Pistolletto, Thomas Ruff, Gillian Wearing, Bruce Nauman, Andreas Gursky, Martí­n Chirino and Antonio Saura.
   The introduction below from curator Alvaro Rodríguez Fominaya is in Spanish, while the walk through the gallery is silent.

Todd Cole/ASOS magazine

Above Elizabeth Olsen, on the cover of ASOS magazine, wears a MiH Aztec jacket, and an Elizabeth & James striped silk Ella blouse. She wears an ASOS long-sleeve Breton top inside.

ASOS—once better known as As Seen on Screen—has continued to grow in profile. Its latest magazine features actress Elizabeth Olsen on its cover, photographed by Todd Cole at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York, reportedly one of her favourite spots in the city.
   She is the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and was one of the break-out stars at the Sundance Film Festival 2011 for thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene, about a woman who chooses to leave a cult.
   Her new film, Red Lights, with Robert de Niro and Sigourney Weaver, débuts at this year’s Sundance, while Liberal Arts, with Zac Efron, was released this week. Her horror film Silent House opens March 9.
   ASOS has 18·5 million unique visitors per month, 7 million registered users, and 4 million active customers, according to its own data.

Courtesy Charlene K

Above Charlene K has managed to gain a following among the Hollywood set, including Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon.

As every gift is considered prettier with a bow, a woman is portrayed as even more sophisticated with a jewel.
   When one is surrounded by fascinating pieces such as a pair of earrings, a chic pendant, a fabulous bracelet or an eye-opening ring, an instant shimmer of grace lights the room and instantly illuminates one’s surrounding space. Jewellery is seen as an important factor for many; the late actress and famous fashion icon, Elizabeth Taylor, once said, ‘I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance, you can only admire it.’ Taylor was not the only one to have highly appreciated a precious stone’s intimate embrace; a number of other women are also known to value the idea of adding a slight chic glint to their wardrobe.
   Jewellery brand Charlene K has won the hearts of many top female celebrities including Eva Longoria, Tyra Banks, Audrina Patridge, Taylor Armstrong, Julia Ling, Reese Witherspoon and other fashionably chic women in Hollywood. Charlene K is described as ‘contemporary, classic, trendy, and perfect for any occasion.’ As we look through the brand’s vast range of different pieces we understand to what extent they can be revealed as exclusively hip and stylish as they shimmer and shine. The pieces underline the wearer’s allure and refined appeal. The Charlene K collection consists of highly radiant and rare gemstones that are extremely attractive and fashionable. The collection varies from overly sophisticated to very simple and sweet.
   The accessory brand was founded by Teong Kay and his wife Gigi. The brand is named after the couple’s daughter, Charlene. Teong’s thirty-year experience in the fashion industry began with two successful dress companies he founded earlier on, Pave Couture and Saint Romei. Both collections were soon sold in famous high-end stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. It was not until 2005 that Teong and his wife created creative jewellery pieces that would come to life and become a luxurious feature amongst celebrities and fashion aficionados. The jewellery collection comprises wonderfully artistic pieces with rare gemstones from stunning turquoise, attractive amethyst, to majestic onyx of a fascinating deep black texture; the pieces are beautifully balanced with a mix of gold, rose gold or sterling silver. An instant magnificent flare is evoked as the wearer indulges in fabulous pieces of luxury. In order to fulfil one’s taste, one may choose from a number of designs depending upon one’s desire and personal preference.
   When speaking to Teong during Accessories The Show, a three-day event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York on January 8–10, he enthusiastically presented an array of pieces featured in his lovely collection. His brand could be found in hundreds of stores in America as well as in Canada, London, China, Korea, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia and Europe. Charlene K not only travels across the world revealing stunning creations, it also flutters amongst high-end fashion-lovers who are looking for a special flash of shine that many find in the beauty that hides within a simple jewel.—Lola Saab, Paris Editor

Courtesy Charlene K

Above Charlene K’s press clippings show numerous celebrities wearing its jewellery.

Bailey, copyright ©1965 by the Condé Nast Publications (UK)

BBC/Kudos

Compare the pair. Top Jean Shrimpton, as she appeared in Vogue shot by Bailey in 1965. Above Karen Gillan and Aneurin Barnard as Jean Shrimpton and David Bailey in a publicity shot for We’ll Take Manhattan, which aired last week on BBC4.

The visitor stats have been very clear: one of the most searched-terms at Lucire has been David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton over the last few days.
   Presumably, it’s due to BBC4’s We’ll Take Manhattan, a TV film about a ground-breaking New York shoot by David Bailey and his model and lover, Jean Shrimpton. The shoot defined, according to the programme, the 1960s.
   As previewed in Lucire, the BBC4 film starred Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) and Aneurin Barnard as the couple. While it took a little while to get going—it begins with the pair boarding a jet to head to New York, then goes into flashback—with the charged arguments between Bailey and Vogue fashion editor Lady Clare Rendlesham occupying a great deal of the action once the story gets back on track. The centre of the argument: that it’s the 1960s, that Bailey wants to catch more liveliness, and that the stuffy portraits shown in British Vogue—which had, of course, covered the Coronation the decade before with HM the Queen and aristocratic ladies-in-waiting—were a thing of the past.
   Of course it’s idealized, but it’s not too far from the truth when the film claims that Bailey and the Shrimp defined the decade.
   The forces had been coming in for a while, but perhaps not with the youthquake that the Bailey represented after national service was abolished in 1962 and there was plenty of youthful energy around Britain. Technological changes in the 1950s and the telephoto lens already meant fashion photographers were experimenting with more lively shots, and Vogue photographers such as Irving Penn, Norman Parkinson and Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Lord Snowdon) were capturing moments that the magazine’s readers would not have seen the decade before. While staged, they appeared to be casual moments, with the model seemingly living her life in the editorials.
   What Bailey did was take this into raw sexiness, tapping correctly into the Zeitgeist. Starting at British Vogue in July 1960, Bailey had in fact met Shrimpton while she was being shot for a cornflakes advertisement by Brian Duffy. And unlike the film, Bailey was actually very grateful for the gig and knew what British Vogue was: ‘When Vogue offered to pay me to photograph beautiful women all day I thought I was on a dream-boat.’
   Gillan captures the innocent country girl that Shrimpton was at that point, which makes the transformation into ’60s sex icon all the more poignant. Never mind posh locations with Bailey: the Shrimp was on the floor, legs akimbo, complete with teddy bear or another prop. Skirts got shorter, progressively so till 1966, and Jean Shrimpton and her long legs modelled plenty in the decade. It might not be inaccurate to say that Shrimpton was the 1960s supermodel, along with Twiggy—certainly they were two of the most recognized women in Britain.
   Vogue had gone from being a magazine read by the well-to-do lady to one that reached the masses—and for the first time, its pages even became pin-ups.
   Bailey has remained in the public eye with his ongoing work, though Shrimpton has opted for a quieter life, running a country hotel. Both had reportedly approved of the script, which showed them in a positive light—though given Shrimpton’s silence over the years, we’re guessing it must have had some verisimilitude for her to give it the nod.
   There were some glaring mistakes—a 2005 Chevrolet taxi zooms by in a 1962 scene in New York—and Mad Men it was not, neither in feel nor in execution. Where Kudos was once known for lavish productions—Life on Mars springs to mind—some corners felt cut, probably thanks to the recession and the difficulty of securing locations that still looked “’sixties enough” in New York. It lacked the pace of another winter BBC film around this time last year: Eric and Ernie, covering the pre-fame period of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.
   But, on the other hand, period Vogue covers were faithfully re-created, the wardrobe department did extremely well securing period costumes, and Frances Barber stole the show with her portrayal of Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland in the New York scenes. And it summed up the period well: while a telemovie will take liberties with history, there was no denying that Bailey and Shrimpton were influential and very deserving subjects.—Jack Yan, Publisher