She's Baack...

Eden & entourage tour Sydney Harbour

 Just when you thought it was safe to go to your local kiddies beauty pageant, pint sized pageant queen and chanteuse, 7 year old Eden Wood of Cootie Patootie fame has slipped back into town.

Eden meets a fan at Taronga Zoo

Eden comes with an entourage : make-up artist and hairdresser, agent, manager (her mum) and film crew. She's spent the last few days touring Sydney tourist spots, taken a harbour cruise, visited the Opera House and Taronga Park Zoo and even made it to the top of the Skywalk at Centre Point totally unperturbed as she stepped out onto the glass floor and gazed down at the 309 metre drop while her camera crew looked decidedly pale.

Eden is filming scenes for her new reality TV show having hung up her pageant crown at the grand age of 6. Never fear, locals aspirants are invited to the Cutie Patootie Pageant and Cute Camp, where Eden and mother Mickie Wood will give tips to Sydneysider tiny tots on how to gain success in the industry.
                                       
 Here's Eden's ode to Justin Bieber -Bieber Fever in which she has dreams of marrying Justin and err having his babies!

Cheyenne with Danni Minogue at ModelCo

# Gorgeous New York based model Cheyenne Tozzi ( a Shuttle discovery) attended the ModelCo Summer 2012 Collection at The Pier restaurant in Rose Bay.

ModelCo was started just 10 years ago by model Shelley Barrett who reckoned she had the inside knowledge on what women really needed for quick quality make-up fixes. Her fantastic success proves she was spot on.




Meanwhile across town at Dover Heights in a deserted mansion Channel 7's  Morning Show celebrated five years of top ratings. The locale was host Larry Emdur's previous home having just sold it to move into an even bigger house. Guests included co-host Kylie Gillies and regulars from the show like style queen Melissa Hoyer .
left : Edwina Bartholomew, Larry Emdur & Melissa Hoyer at The Morning Show bash (pic : Belinda Rowland)

Vale ABC presenter Alan Saunders

Sad news today with the sudden death of ABC presenter Alan Saunders who has passed away from pneumonia in hospital at the age of 58. Alan was broadcaster on Radio National and presented programs on food, philosophy and design.

Born in London, Saunders studied philosophy at the University of Leicester and travelled to Australia in 1981 to continue research at the Australian National University where he earned his PhD.
 He joined the ABC in 1988 and has been hosting broadcasts there regularly since. Last Tuesday he felt ill while presenting his radio show and was admitted to hospital.

In 1992 he was awarded the Pascall Prize for critical writing and broadcasting and in 2007 was awarded the Australasian Association of Philosophy Special media Prize.  He also the author of a book : A Is For Apple and Alanna.

Alan lived a few doors away from the Shuttle and we often ran into him in the street or at the many foodie shindigs around Sydney. His Radio National program The Philosopher's Zone was required listening and one of the ABC's most downloaded program. Alan's calm, cultured deep voice was very re-assuring in a world gone haywire- as though everything was OK. He'll be deeply missed.

Bad News for Baz

Jay McInerney is one of America's most celebrated writers having published many best sellers including the legendary Bright Lights Big City and The Last of The Savages. Bright Lights was made into a movie in 1998 and starred Michael J.Fox. A re-make of the film is underway.

Amy Fay Collins & Jay McInerney in New York

McInerney contributes to prestigious publications like Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and does book reviews for The New York Times and the Times Literary Supplement. He's the sort of hip writer that defines the new American urbane author- sophisticated, connected, knowledgeable and in demand.

He's just contributed a piece to the UK Guardian titled : "why Gatsby is so great". It's an ode to the great F.Scott Fitzgerald and his brilliant novel The Great Gatsby. McInerney is clearly a Fitzgerald fan and enthuses over the book and the extraordinary eight hour West End play Gatz which is receiving rave reviews. He likes Gatz because it presents the book in it's entirety and he clearly loves the poetry and mastery of Fitzgerald's writings.
It seems then he would be looking forward to the upcoming Baz Luhrmann production The Great Gatsby (in glorious 3D) to be released in early 2013.
Alas, no. As Jay says:

This is just one reason why I avoided the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, with a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola. And why I will almost certainly be skipping Baz Luhrmann's film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, much as I would love to see Isla Fisher in the role of Myrtle Wilson, the floozy mistress of Gatsby'

 Read more at The Guardian here  and see Jay McInerney's website here
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Andy Warhol once famously said of New York photographer Patrick McMullan " If you don't know Patrick you should go out more".

McMullan at work

Along with 81 year old Bill Cunningham he is a regular fixtures on the New York social, party and fashion scene. McMullan even has his own TV show and online magazine PMc Magazine. If you have party in New York and Patrick isn't there (or at least one of his snappers) it's a dud!

Sydney publicists could probably learn a few things from a night out with Patrick. There are probably three of the old guard snappers left in Sydney (Melbourne prs are far more civilised) who really know what it's all about, know the new and old faces and aren't bedazzled by the latest X Factor contestant.
The above snap of Jay McInerney is by McMullan who has worked on projects with the writer- here are a few of his latest pics from New York:

Anne Hathaway & Jim Carrey at Stella McCartney's fashion show.

Dita Von Teese

Bill Cuningham

exclusive : Tiger Lilly Grows Up

Michael & Paula with Tiger Lilly in 1996

She's been protected from the public gaze by her sisters Pixie & Peaches and step-father Bob Geldorf but now 17 year old Tiger Lilly, the child of the late Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates has posted  some pictures of herself on Twitter.

Pixie Geldorf & Tiger Lilly

 Michael died in Double Bay's Ritz Carlton Hotel in 1997 ( the Shuttle shared a drink with him in the bar the night before) and Paula died from a drug overdose in 2000.

"A Dingo Took My Baby"

They were the words uttered by a confused Lindy Chamberlain that fateful night in 1980 in the shade of Uluru when the unfortunate mother rushed to tell her husband Michael their new baby Azaria had been snatched from their tent. Lindy had seen a quick blur of the dog disappearing with a bundle in it's mouth. Today, a Northern Territory coroner has finally concluded that Lindy told the truth.

Sam Neil & Meryl in Evil Angels

Lindy & Azaria

In 1988 Meryl Streep immortalized the line In the film Evil Angels ( A Cry In The Dark) which detailed the extraordinary events of one of Australia's most infamous mysteries.

Harry M.Miller & Lindy in 2009

The sad tale of the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain, and the subsequent witch-hunt against Lindy who was to be jailed, accused of Azaria's murder is probably even more relevant today with the Leveson Inquiry into the media underway in the UK and the recent Finklestein Inquiry in Australia.
Lindy was crucified in print, depicted as an awkward and cold woman. A cruel spotlight examined every minute detail of her actions and convinced the public she had murdered her own child.

Two years ago Lindy attended the book launch in Kings Cross of entrepreneur Harry M.Miller's autobiography. Miller became Lindy's agent during the turbulent years when she was cleared of the murder. Far from the cold, seemingly stern woman devoid of emotion depicted by the mass media in the 1980s, Chamberlain is warm and friendly.

As for Harry, today he is in a nursing home suffering from the onset of alzhiemers disease. The sudden change in the brilliant media manipulator has distressed his friends and family.

Watch This Film

There is a real buzz in the industry about director Cate Shortland's new film Lore. The flick was premiered at the Sydney Film Festival on Saturday night and it has been picked up by Music Box through French-based international sales agent Memento Films for distribution in the US.

Lore is a joint Australian, German and the UK production by Porchlight Films which had a huge success with the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. 

An adaptation by Cate (left) and Robin Mukherjee of Rachel Seiffert’s The Dark Room it's the story of Lore, a young German girl who must get her four younger siblings to her grandmother on the other side of the country after her Nazi parents are arrested by Allied Forces.

Lore fans Rachel Ward &Matilda Brown

Saskia Rosendahl

     

Underbelly Razor star Jeremy Lindsay Taylor & wife Marnie Pleffer at Lore

Lore is beautifully filmed and newcomer Saskia Rosendahl gives a superb performance as the main character. A name and a movie to watch.










Below: watch Cate talk about Lore on SBS:

Great Gasby Inspired Rugs

 To Iona, the Darlinghurst home of movie director Baz Luhrmann and his designing wife Catherine Martin who is the genius behind all those fantastic sets on Moulin Rouge, Australia , Romeo & Juliet and the upcoming Great Gatsby 3D epic staring Leo Di Caprio.

Iona is fairly unique in Sydney-a huge mansion with gardens more suited to the ritzy eastern Suburbs. It's bang smack in the middle of trendy Darlinghurst and East Sydney, surrounded by blocks of flats, terrace houses and just a stone's throw from bustling Kings Cross. Once through the large wrought iron gates, it's an oasis of calm.

 Martin has designed a set of Art Deco inspired floor rugs which really are sensational. With The Great Gastby due to be finished by November and released in early 2013, there is bound to be a surge in interest in Roaring Twenties design similar to the impact Moulin Rouge had for around 2 years (it was impossible to avoid a Parisian style party in Sydney or Melbourne).

 The last time the Shuttle visited Iona it was in a run down state with parts of the roof missing. Baz & Catherine reportedly spent a million dollars restoring the listed house. In parts it resembles a lavish film set as can be seen in our snaps of Catherine's rugs, pictured in various rooms in the house.

Iona-surrounded by apartment blocks (http://mydarlingdarlinghurst.blogspot.com.au)

You can see more of Catherine's rugs here :
www.designerrugs.com.au   www.mokumtextiles.com   www.anthropologie.com

exclusive: Naomi Watts channels Grace Kelly in China

Naomi Watts (wearing Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Fine Jewelry), CEO of Montblanc Lutz Bethge, Nicolas Cage and Jessica Alba

Shuttle pal, the gorgeous actress Naomi Watts attended a party in Shanghai this week and our Chinese operative has sent us some pics of the shindig.

Amber Heard

The Chinese economy is going gangbusters so upmarket label MontBlanc have opened it's largest store in the world in the ritzy Sanlitum area and they bussed in a few Hollywood pals to do the honours including Naomi, Nicholas Cage, Jessica Alba, Amber Heard and assorted Chinese stars including actress Maggie Cheung.

Four sumptuous floors carry all manner of goods like the brand's famous writing pieces, clocks, leather goods and fine jewellery and a range of beautiful watches dedicated to Grace Kelly- the Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco.

Patina Lin Jia-qi

Bianca Bai

 

: Zhang Liang & Patina Lin Jia-qi

Maggie Cheung

Rock Gi & Shatina Chen

Bonnie Chen

 

Knit your own Queen & Dame Kylie!

Press Association

  The lack of Union Jacks fluttering from Sydney buildings was noticeable. Melbourne did a little better. Perth with an immigrant population of Brits comprising around 30% was by far the winner with countless Jubilee parties and bunting. Canberra begrudgingly hung one from Parliament House. 

She is, after all our Queen as well. Thank God for the Singing Budgie Kylie Minogue cunningly disguised as a Pearly Queen, and Rolf Harris CBE,AM at the Diamond Jubilee Concert. (Surely it soon should be Dame Kylie and Sir Rolf!) 

 

 

Press Association

Here is a treat for you to while away the hours during these gale force winds and pounding rain: 

Knit your own Queen!

Yes, with a little patience and this pattern, it really is possible to make your own spectacular Diamond Jubilee memento…

YOU WILL NEED

For the doll
◆20g (¾oz), approximately 37m (40yds), of beige DK yarn.
◆ A small amount of pale grey DK yarn.
◆ Very small amounts of black, cream and red DK yarn.
◆ 10–15g (¼–½oz) polyester toy stuffing.
For the clothes
◆ 25g (1 oz), approximately 55m/60yds, of royal blue DK yarn.
◆ A small amount of black DK yarn.
To get the rest of the instructions you need to go the Britain's oldest published magazine The Lady here.

Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney is in full blast until 11th June as the town is transformed into a spectacular canvas of light, music and other arty projects.


 It's the biggest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 400,000 attendees in 2011.
Now heading into its fourth year, Vivid Sydney was ranked in the Top Ten global ideas festivals by the influential Guardian newspaper in the UK.

Go to the Vivid Sydney website for more info on where events are taking place

Put The Union Jack Out

Today begins four days of celebrations for the diamond jubilee of HRH Queen Elizabeth 11 of Australia (and other places). We expect to see the streets of Sydney lined with Union Jack bunting. Yesterday Her Maj went to the races at Epsom for the Derby with mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins singing the national anthem. The only time the Shuttle has encountered The Queen at the races was at Royal Randwick when she visited in 2001 and the royal party arrived by coach and horses to parade down the track in front of a few hundred thousand punters. As the crowd were stopped  from crossing the track (including us) to allow the procession to pass, a crusty old pensioner oblivious to the who the VIPs were, moaned to the policeman holding us back saying :"I don't care if the bloody Queen of England's coming, I need to place a bet!"
PS: The little couple at the back waving excitedly from the commoner's enclosure are John & Jeanette Howard. Johnny was at the Palace this week to get a shiny bauble for ensuring Australia remained a British colony.
Here is an exclusive message from Her Majesty for Shuttle readers on this special occasion :