Katherine Keating in Manhattan Special

Dom Perignon & Ghislaine Maxwell Invite you to a cocktail reception Celebrating the launch of Ideapod

116 East 65th Street, NYC
Thursday, September 19, 2013

Photo above: Katherine Keating, The President Of Iceland- Olafur Ragnar GríMsson, Dorrit Moussaieff, Ghislaine Maxwell.

It takes the tabloid media awhile to catch up. Katherine Keating, daughter of former Prime Minister Paul Keating has been living in New York now for over 10 years.
Keating apparently visited the home of the late Jeffrey Epstein and managed to get photographed by a paparazzi being farewelled by Prince Andrew.
There is a problem with the reporting here though: Epstein's NY house is regarded as one of the cities more substantial residences and he may well have had numerous guests staying over the years. Keating has been photographed with and is apparently pals with Prince Andrew's daughters, hence, it's not too a leap of logic to suggest she was in fact visiting Andrew seeing that it was he who showed her to the door.


Such hyperventilating like this is a tad over the top when the  Daily Mail / MailOnline  say that she must "answer allegations" why she was there. Allegations? Is it really anyone's business why she visited someone?.
Anyway here is a photo roundup from uber New York social snapper Patrick McMullan who knows everyone who should be known in Manhattan and Los Angeles.

# McMullan was a guest at a Sydney exhibition many moons ago at which other guests included the late Min Keating (Paul Keating's mother and Katherine's Grandmother) and the late Lady Sonia McMahon. The three of them got on famously and dined together later.
All photographs; copyright: Patrick McMullan / PMc

Keating is regular seen at the smarter New York parties..with her younger sister Alexandra Keating

Getting married..

 Despite all the delays and political machinations it's almost assured that the Same Sex Marriage act eventually will come into law with a Parliamentary vote
Thriving new businesses are bound to spring up catering to the various newly weds who will be rushing to get hitched.
And perhaps that's why popular society figure Glen Marie Frost (pictured) has just been ordained as a Civil Celebrant.

Glen Marie lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands (with her much loved cat) and could be one of the most popular Celebrants in the business. A former model and later political wheeler and dealer with the Liberal Party, she has made numerous impeccable connections over the years and is a regular on the social circuit and is seen at all the best parties.
But be assured : Glen Marie will perform a wonderful and memorable ceremony for any couple planning to get hitched no matter what their orientation is. All that matters is that they are in love!  Isn't that wonderful !

 Below: Glen Marie with Ros Packer & the late Lady Sonia McMahon

Sad passing as David Grant dies

David Grant and partner Katerina

Special events organizer David Grant has died from a brain tumor at age 55. David was the genius behind the legendary Cointreau Balls organized by PR supremos Deeta Colvin and Nikki Andrews. A few hundred select people including international guests were ferried by limousine to secret locations all over Sydney to be greeted by unforgettable scenarios created by the genius Grant.

David then went onto design shindigs at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was soon in demand by Olympic Committees around the world who commissioned him to organize their parties and social events. These had to be perfect considering the dignitaries including crowned heads of state who attend. Along the way he was hired by US presidents and world leaders to put together unforgettable events. David was a much loved personality, funny and charming who always remembered every person and every name. A sad loss indeed and most especially for his family- wife Katerina who David married this September and sons Seigfried, Max, Jack and Lewis, his parents, Bill and Maggie and brothers, Michael and Peter, and first wife, Lisa.

# Unforgettable Cointreau Balls included a circus tent on the sand hills at Wanda near Cronulla, Beach and various factories around Sydney and the Maritime Museum with a Titanic theme.. Guests would be collected by limo (impossible to book one for the night) and delivered to an unknown location to dine on cuisine by Sydney's best chefs, sip champagne and of course, drink Cointreau.  Below: scenes from the Cointreau Ball

Turning off The Tap

the old Sydney Tabernacle - now the Eternity Theatre

Darlinghurst's Tap Gallery closes permanently tomorrow much to the relief off neighbours in the upwardly mobile East Sydney suburb. No doubt a smart architect's office or advertising agency will arise in it's place.
Whispers has never actually been to the Tap but it was popular with Sydney's hard-core group of gate-crashers who would be acceptable if they brought something to the party, like at least personality- that was good enough reason to never enter it's doors.
The other was for very good reasons like safety. the Tap began giving live "performances" some time ago with rather large audiences. The problem is that they never had fire safety doors. That's an
 insult to all the other theatres and galleries that spend a small fortune complying with safety laws apart from the shocking matter of risking visitor's safety.
The Tap's persistent claims for help from Sydney Council who shut down Tap's performance space have also fallen on deaf ears much for the same reasons. Council did not have or were not prepared to rent premises to a gallery that flouts safety laws. Council should be applauded for that.

The last word on the closing of the Tap Gallery goes to the owner who has been talking to various local newspapers about the lack of financial help from Council who have just spent $millions on restoring the Sydney Tabernacle right across the road from the Tap and turning it into the wonderful Eternity Theatre (with all the correct safety features) along with planned renovations to a Community Centre on the opposite side of the road: on one hand she was extolling her promotion of unknown artists over the years (most who still remain unknown today) and was quoted as saying: "now I will have to dump all the art into a skip". As for the claim that Tap fitted new fire doors at a wasted cost of $10,000 (apparently raised via donations ) -the building has been sold- and that this was the responsibility of the building's owner, what was not revealed is that the owner happens to be a relative.
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Also soon to close it's doors and already in receivership is Kings Cross nightclub Hugos Lounge which has hosted numerous visiting stars over the years like Kim Kardashian and Mick Jagger.

Eastern Suburb's newspaper LatteLife hosted a recent party there and many moons ago Whispers also celebrated with a dinner party at Hugos with guests like New York's uber social snapper Patrick McMullan, PR supremo Deeta Colvin and the late Lady Sonia McMahon.
Hugos, despite the best efforts of owner Dave Evans, brother of controversial chef Peter Evans, is yet another victim of the new lock-out laws that is devastating Kings Cross and Oxford Street.
So Vale Hugos, we will miss you & thanks for the fun over the years.

Fabulous No-Bodies

Ground Hog Day

The Shuttle met the designer Oscar de la Renta in Sydney a few years ago. It was at a party in a marquee erected outside the Park Hyatt Hotel with a magnificent view across to the Sydney Opera House.
Oscar arrived with the late Lady Sonia McMahon. He said he loved Sydney and Melbourne and wished he had discovered the cities much earlier. As to a question on  Australian fashion :"it shows promise" was the master's diplomatic reply.

What Oscar would think about the froth and bubble of the 2 cities seasonal fashion shows is a mystery. Same guest list, same location, same designers. Each and every show is like a repeat of the last. Just the fabrics change.
 One social writer recently resorted to trilling about the seating arrangements at the last David Jones show, excitedly reporting that they had scored a front row seat and that a fashion publicist who had incurred their displeasure had been relegated to the back row.
The inanity of the reporting (possibly influenced by the heavy advertising of Australia's 2 leading department store chains) is as vacuous as the guest list-"fabulous nobodies" in every sense. A series of alleged social faces who feature at every event as Ipad wielding publicists breathlessly inform the feverish paparazzi of  the arrival of yet another footballer or TV news announcer. At least the French champagne proffered soothes the boredom.

Now Oscar de la Renta has declared war on these guest lists and is to ban them from his New York 2014 parades : "decision-makers in the business should not have to fight their way through "30,000 people, and 10,000 who are trying to take pictures of all of those people, who are totally unrelated to the clothes". And he has allies on the New York Times including Cathy Horyn and the legendary Susy Menkes.  Perhaps it's fortunate Mr de la Renta didn't experience Sydney & Melbourne's low-rent-a-crowds and departed with fond memories of our local fashion industry.

Kevin Spacey Wins Big Time

Paul Ramsay

He's received rave reviews for his Richard III at the Lyric Theatre and  now actor Kevin Spacey has won over billionaire Paul Ramsay who parted with $200,000 for a pair of tickets for the closing night next Sunday with champagne after with Spacey. Ramsay also bid $100,000 at auction to play tennis for an hour with the Hollywood star.

Ramsay was at a Spacey's charity dinner at Justin Hemmes' Est Restaurant last week which raised $350,000 for the Kevin Spacey Foundation that supports young actors, directors, producers and writers in film and theatre.

Bachelor Ramsay, worth $1.5Billion with his nursing home empire and Prime Media which operates regional TV stations was a close friend of the late Johnny Baker who died last year.
When the pair met about 30 years ago Bakes said to Ramsay "I've got the contacts and you have the cash,we should travel together". 

Lady Sonia & Baker

And so they did every year with Ramsay funding lavish holidays around the world whenever Baker wasn't also accompanying the late Kerry Packer who loved to take Bakes on his private jet to keep him amused. Paul was also a pal of Lady Sonia McMahon who died shortly after Baker and he felt the loss of both friends deeply. Perhaps he has now formed a new bond with Spacey. They do have mutual interests.
Host of the dinner Justin Hemmes parted with $21,000 for harbour cruise for 20 and to play ping pong with Spacey

Next week : our exclusive on the London blogger who started  a Spacey Family Feud !

Below is a video of Spacey talking about his foundation;

Louis Vuitton Goes Down Market

The Shuttle had an invitation to last night’s “glittering VIP” opening party for Louis Vuitton’s magnificent new George Street emporium but had to turn it down due to a prior engagement.

“But how can you miss it” pleaded  a breathless PR operative “when we have an amazing list of top celebrities coming ?”

“like who ?”. 

“Lara Bingle , Erica Heynatz, Melissa Doyle, Miranda Kerr !”

“anyone we may not have run into last week ?”

“Cate Blanchett, she’s cutting the ribbon ?

“look we love Cate but she’s a tad over exposed in Sydney at present . Who else?”

“ Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones?”

“Love Ronnie but I'm seeing him at a private party this Sunday. We’ll send our photographer to get a few snaps"

“terrific, I’ll make sure he has a good spot on the black carpet”

“you mean a carpet with one of those boards with your name plastered all over it ?”

“Yes”

“No thanks. The whole idea is to have shots that are different to the paparazzi pics-you know maybe with the product inside the store and so on”.

Ronnie & Jo Woods at LV

And so it went and driving that night at 6.30pm over the Harbour Bridge our cynicism was confirmed. Opening anything on a Friday is verboten in this town mainly because you miss the Thursday deadline for Sunday’s society pages. 

But hearing  LVHM overlord Phillip Corne being interviewed on 2GB (nighttime audience-Long Bay Jail, nursing homes, the deranged etc) tell the befuddled listeners they could save for years to buy a Louis Vuitton piece which could be handed down through their family, or of the two South American peasants who saved a lifetime to purchase a LV suitcase (presumably with no money left to travel ) the madness of the modern world was confirmed.

They did get one thing right-using top party designer David Grant. A veteran of many Olympic Games events and the legendary Cointreau Balls, there is none better.

On Wednesday we had a long conversation with one of Australia’s top movie PRs who has promoted some of the biggest stars in the world and we both agreed about the new breed of publicists armed with a "communications degree” who can do everything but communicate.

The opening of Louis Vuitton was reminiscent of  the opening of the Martin Place Armani store a few years ago.

The Shuttle phoned the PR firm (new in town) to politely inform them we would be attending.

“Oh we can't have media inside” was the snooty reply “we have VIPs coming. You can stand outside the marquee” Miss Bossy Boots said.

“Who ?” we asked. 

“Lady Sonia McMahon, Boy George and Julian Clary”

“Well the reason I’m ringing is because Lady Sonia asked me to escort her” I replied “and Boy George told me today that Armani can ‘f"ck orf” unless they gave him a few outfits and Julian Clary will be in Brisbane. Well that's what he said at lunch two days ago".

We went with Sonia in the end and it was usual suspects (without Lara Bingle as she hadn’t become one yet). No Boy George and no Julian Clary.

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Cate with LV head honcho Philip Corne

Cutting the ribbon for the opening of a new store seemed an odd job for one of the world's top movie stars but Cate Blanchett had a good reason to last night (apart from the set of new LV luggage delivered to her a few days ago)

Now that Giorgio Armani has dropped out as a sponsor for the Sydney Theatre Company-step forward Louis Vuitton. And the brand comes with it's own champagne label, Moët & Chandon, perfect for those all important patron   parties.

Is Lincoln Heading For Hollywood?

Rumours are circulating that good looking actor Lincoln Lewis could be headed for Hollywood and a star role in a new US TV series.

Lincoln Lewis

Lincoln, the son of former Australian rugby league great Wally Lewis has a number of appearances coming up on Oz TV including the new Underbelly Razor series that begins next Sunday evening on the Nine network and which is sure to receive high ratings.

Lincoln joined his co-stars in the drama Slide  ( screened on Fox8.) last week for a dinner in the Graceland's Room in Surry Hills Winery to celebrate the new series launch.

Slide is about a bunch of teens making their way into adulthood-something Lincoln has had some experience with, when he and his former co-star from Home and Away Jodi Gordon were involved in a bizarre episode in 2009 with police being called to a harbour-side house with claims of bikie members breaking in to attack the pair. Whatever happened that night, it's probably just added to Lewis's mystique especially after it became public knowledge that he and a 'starlet'; had made a saucy film together.

And on the subject of Jodi- she and fiancee  Braith Anasta attended last Thursday's Myer parade at the Carriageworks, cuddling in the first row throughout the parade.

Lincoln & Slide co-stars :Gracie Gilbert* Ben Schumann
Adele Perovic*Emily Iris Robins*

Jodi has just finished filming the tele-movie Blood Brothers with Lisa McClune. Gordon plays  the wife of the real-life 'perfect murderer' Jeffrey Gilham, jailed for the 1993 killings of his parents and brother.

Lincoln has also completed the film Bait which stars another Hollywood ex-pat Julian McMahon, the son of the late much loved social figure Lady Sonia McMahon.

Jodi at Myer

Braith & Jodi

Our source says McMahon's US agent was particularly taken by Lincoln's boyish good looks and charm and typical laid back Aussie style that has translated so well Stateside with actors like Russell Crowe , Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana and believes he is perfect for American audiences. To date the Shuttle still hasn't had a call back from Lewis's agent.
                                                  











Here's a clip from Home &Away that shows off Lincoln's perfect pecs that would look right at home in Malibu:

exclusive : Lady Sonia McMahon dies

Sir William & Lady Sonia McMahon in that dress with president Richard Nixon at the White House

Julian McMahon & sister Debbie

much loved-Lady Sonia and son Julian McMahon

St Vincent's Hospital has issued a statement that Lady Sonia McMahon has died in a Sydney hospital.

Lady Sonia, the wife of former prime minister Sir William McMahon and mother of actor Julian McMahon, died late on Friday evening with her family by her side.
Lady Sonia, 77, had been battling cancer for over a year. Details of her funeral had not been released yet by her family, the hospital statement said.

It was just a year ago that Lady Sonia, one of Australia's most loved social figures attended the funeral of her great friend Johnny Baker along with her children including the Hollywood star Julian, who were by her bedside when she passed away late last night.

On the 24th of March tSS wrote about Lady Sonia's amazing entree onto the world stage when she appeared at a state dinner at the Richard Nixon White House.
Newspaper front pages around the world ran photos of Sonia's split gown with straps that revealed her tall shapely legs as she ascended the White House steps. The dress, now in a museum of contemporary art has been described by the Washington Post as the most talked about fashion garment to be ever seen in Washington.

ailing Sonia who took the White House by storm

Sad news today that Lady Sonia McMahon, widow of ex-Prime Minister Sir Billy McMahon is in the private wing of St Vincent's Hospital being treated for cancer. It's the third time Sonia has faced treatment and she has successfully fought of the disease before.
At 77 there is no keeping the much loved society figure down. Only late last year she recovered after a fall down the gangplank of media mogul Paul Ramsay's cruiser at a birthday party on Sydney Harbour and was soon back out on the party and charity circuit. Sonia is a regular at the Melbourne, Sydney and Ascot horse racing meets.

Lady Sonia at the White House with Richard Nixon

It was in 1965 when Lady Sonia and her husband Sir Billy, the then Prime Minister paid a visit to the Richard Nixon White House and the snaps of their ascent /descent of the White House stairs for a state dinner went flashing around the world making front page news as everyone asked who was the stunning 6ft blond in a revealing dress with slits up the side. The Washington Post has described the gown as the most talked about fashion item ever to be seen in Washington. That dress is now stored in the Powerhouse Museum.

Sonia was 20 years younger than Sir William when she married him in 1965 when he was 57. It has long been rumoured that Sir Billy was gay and had been advised by Liberal Party founder and Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies to marry if he wished his career in politics to advance. Lady Sonia and Sir William subsequently had 3 children.

Son Julian McMahon is a former model and the star of the US series Nip Tuck and is currently working in South Africa on the film The Smell Of Apples with Gillian Anderson.

Sonia & son Julian McMahon at Johnny Baker's funeral

Lady Sonia & Priscilla Presley

Julian fell out with Lady Sonia when against her wishes he married Danni Minogue in a short lived marriage in the late 1990's.

Sonia also faced legal battles when daughter Debra challenged the will of her late father and demanded a share of his estate. Estranged from her mother for several years, Debra turned to Spiritualism and alternative religious beliefs.
Julian has returned to Sydney to be by his mother's bed-side and was at the funeral of the late society walker Johnny Baker in August 2009 where Lady Sonia and her 3 children appeared united once again.

tabloid fantasies..

A devastating tale in the Murdoch tabloid, the Daily Telegraph of the sale of the late Johnny Baker's Edgecliff apartment.

It reports : "Now, with the passing of the legendary society "walker", Baker's executor has listed his small but fashionably located flat with expectations of $700,000 plus. Its online listing with Century 21's Tony Moses has brought an outpouring of tales."

Oh really ?. Why would a slew of society maidens-all who live in lavish Eastern Suburb's mansions give a toss about Bake's apartment being flogged ?.

The fact that Century 21 are huge advertisers with News Ltd is entirely co-incidental. Spoting free plugs for the Teles' advertisers is like looking for the endless mentions of Murdoch's cable TV channel Foxtel. Too easy.

Lady Sonia McMahon and the late Bakes.