Bowie Stuns Paris !

Bowie Wong that is - the Australian fashion designer has been featured with some of the world's top designers like Schiaparelli, Chanel and Versace in this feature of OTT (over the top) designs. They describe the gown as This Round Dress.
 What fun !

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The Australia Day honours have featured two of Whisper's favourite characters.
Popular show business publicist Bruce Pollack (below right) who has handled some of the biggest stars in the world has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia “for significant service to the community in the areas of social welfare and public health.” Pollack is also an LBGT activist who helped make the  Sydney Mardi Gras one of the most famous street events on the planet.


 Meanwhile in the snooty Southern Highlands young newspaper executive Cristian King  (pictured with former PM Julia Gillard) who publishes the LatteLife group of newspapers has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his "outstanding contribution to the community of Wingecarribee Shire". Pretty heady stuff for a lad of just 20 years old who recently defended himself in court when a local councilor attempted to obtain an AVO order against him. The councilor sensibly dropped her request. King also broadcasts on local FM radio.

Introducing The Langham

SYDNEY HAS a new 5 star hotel-The Langham on Kent St in The Rocks. It's actually been there a few years as The Observatory Hotel run by the Orient Express people.

Sarah De Bono

The Shuttle has spent many a pleasant evening there for small shindigs. One for Sarah, Duchess of York and another for the Irish actor Gabriel Byrne who lived there while was he was filming Jindabyne . Keanu Reeves called it home for around six weeks and we once lunched with the late and wonderful British actress Susannah York in the hotel's Galilieo Restaurant.

Langhams are a name-in London and Hong Kong so we expect great things from them. They haven't changed much, just the name at present but it was always a wonderfully elegant old style hotel with superb service and that looks like it will continue. Certainly with their launch party last Wednesday, the future looks cosy. Sydney rock oysters and caviar, grilled duck and other such delicacies all washed down with great lashing of Laurent Perrier dispensed by an army of waiters bearing magnums of the stuff.
Megan Gale says she almost lives in The Langham whilst in Melbourne or London so we trust her word.

 One guest we were eager to meet was the gorgeous songbird Sarah De Bono who was such a success on The Voice. See her video below. Check out the unique staff uniforms :lovely pink Jackie Onassis, Chanel style suits with pearls .And full marks for the little gift as we departed, a bunch of lovely flowers.

the return of The Bag

The Jackson family continues their endless exploitation celebration of Michael Jackson's demise life.

Germaine Jackson flew into town on Monday night for Who Magazine's party for singer Rhianna and announced a tour of the Jackson Family to  honour Michael's life. Who Magazine parties are a nightmare. You aren't allowed to take photos. Just to show there were no hard feelings we took some anyway.40 minutes was enough of this bun fight.

                                                                                                

Paloma Picasso and James Gordon

Time was pressing and Paloma Picasso beckoned at Tiffany for the launch of her new range of jewelery. It's been 12 years since Picasso was in town. Tiffany's party at their new Martin Place store was welcome relief and a low key affair with about 80 good customers and an endless supply of Billecart salmon brut champers.

Paloma lives in Marrakesh these

days and we are jealous. We had something in common. tSS and Paloma had frequented many of the same houses inhabited by expatriates in Marrakesh including the fabled home of the late Yves St Laurent, with it's magical sunken garden. Paloma's range of jewelry is heavily influenced by her Moroccan life with Arabic diagonal motifs.

The last Tiffany's party tSS went to was for Elsa Peretti. She invited us to travel to New Guinea with her 2 days later. We went. It was a big mistake. We'd go to Morocco with Paloma though. She's fun.

More importantly, Tiffany's signaled the end of the world-wide recession with the gift bag !. The gift bag had vanished in the past 2 years as promotional budgets were crimped or a pathetic attempt was passed off-usually a collection of sub standard cosmetics or fake tans and samples. The kind of stuff given out in department stores.

During his years of a partying in New York Andy Warhol refused to leave until he had his gift bag firmly clamped under his arm. He collected them . He had rows and rows of shelves of gift bags. He never opened them and said one day he was going to have a big bag party and sit down and open every one like an excited child at Christmas. He would telephone friends the next day and say "what was in the bag ?" He got excited thinking about all those presents waiting to be opened. He died before that happened. Now they're in the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

And Paloma was no slouch with hers. A beautiful set of silver cuff links-just perfect to wear at Chanel's parade the following night at the Inglis Newmarket stables. Chanel's new range is mainly hessian based which I guess is why they choose the stables.$3000 for a hessian mini-skirt. Why not ?. Guests trotted out their ancient Chanel . We spotted 2 fake Chanel handbags. The cheek of some people !. And there was a gift bag full of Chanel make-up                                                                                 

Chanel people

But the verdict was unanimous amongst those who had been at Tiffany and Chanel-Tiffany was fun but Chanel had better looking waiters.

wait person

Kirk Pengilly & Layne Beachley

INXS's Kirk Pengilly and wife,world surfing champion Layne Beachley were at Tiffany. Layne  had a date the following day-giving surfing lessons to Zac Efron on Bondi Beach.

Zac Efron at Bondi Beach