(All Photos by UnBeige except below portrait by Sara Jaye Weiss)
When we asked Keith Johnson to describe in a word the new TV series that follows him around the world as he seeks new items for specialty retailer Anthropologie, he didn't have to think for very long. "Experiential," he replied, surrounded by the eclectic mix of furniture, decorative objects, clothing, books, and accessories that makes Anthropologie's Rockefeller Center outpost resemble the cavernous—and skillfully merchandised—attic of your impossibly well traveled Great-Aunt Talitha.
"My passion is finding things," said Johnson, "shopping and unearthing those hidden items." As buyer-at-large for Anthropologie (owned by Urban Outfitters), Johnson travels six months of the year to help keep the brand's 123 retail shops stocked with an evolving assortment of stuff geared to delight the fashionable, educated, and creative woman, aged 30 to 45. His experiences—from scouring Parisian flea markets and London antique fairs to visiting roadside workshops in South Africa and the studio of Tunisia's leading designer of prayer mats—are the subject of Man Shops Globe, which premieres tonight on the Sundance Channel. The eight-part series, produced by World of Wonder, tracks Johnson's acquisitive adventures on multiple continents: think The Amazing Race meets Antiques Roadshow.
As longtime fans of Monsterpiece Theater, we were eager to see how Sesame Street would follow through on its promise to create a Muppet parody of Mad Men, the AMC series that recently added three more Emmys to its growing awards cache. Our first question: casting. Prairie Dawn seems born to play mild-mannered striver Peggy Olson, and Grover (in drag) might just be able to pull off the buxom Joan Holloway, but what muppet could convincingly embody Don Draper? Our first thought was the soulful and enigmatic Mr. Snuffleupagus, but the requisite fedora and gray flannel suit would only make him mopy, and Don has no patience for whining. Sesame Street decided to go out on a limb and cast Guy Smiley—once the show's go-to game show host type—in the smoldering lead, although he's far from smiley here. In fact, he's downright mad.
After our report yesterday about the Georgia O'Keeffe-mania sweeping the nation, we got word that Joan Allen, who plays O'Keeffe in the upcoming Lifetime biopic, would be the lead guest on Tuesday's episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. We made sure to tune in and after a round of John Madden Karaoke and a dynamite segment that interpreted the facial expressions of President Obama (turns out the chief executive thinks often about novelty juice drinks, notably Hi-C Ectocooler), Fallon welcomed Allen. When talk to turned to O'Keeffe, he admitted to not knowing much about her, including how she acted or spoke. "I never actually got footage to hear how she talked, except as an older woman," said Allen. That gave Fallon an idea. "It kind of gives you creative license. You can make her sound like whatever you want," he said. "And then everyone would be doing impressions of your impression." Fallon decided to demonstrate with a couple of O'Keeffe impressions that were enough to make us choke on our Hi-C Ectocooler. We've posted video of the full episode below. Fallon channels O'Keeffe at 24:41. Then keep watching for the tale of Allen's memorable encounter with a trio of donkeys when filming the movie in New Mexico.
Hanna-Barbera turns 70 this year, and although the skies are, alas, still free of Jetsonian flying cars, the Paley Center for Media is celebrating in a Grape Ape-sized way. "Yabba-Dabba-Doo! A 70th Anniversary Salute to Hanna-Barbera" explores the history and creative legacy of limited animation pioneers Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, who first collaborated in 1939 on Tom and Jerry cartoons. An exhibition on view through September 10 at the Paley Center's Los Angeles outpost is a treasure trove of cartoon history, including Iwao Takamoto's first doodles of the Scooby-Doo gang, early designs for The Jetsons, and photos from voice recording sessions of shows such as The Flintstones and Johnny Bravo. If there is any justice in the world, Laff Olympics, Space Ghost, and Snorks are also prominently featured. Meanwhile, Hanna-Barbera's big 7-0 is also a perfect opportunity for us to call your attention to this clip of Snagglepuss, as portrayed by Bobby Moynihan on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. It's terrific, hilarious even.
Fans of Mad Men will recall from the show's season two premiere that Don and Betty Draper celebrated Valentine's Day 1962 with a trip to the Savoy Hotel, where they endured some...technical difficulties before ordering room service and watching Jackie Kennedy's televised White House tour. Don and Betty's plans for the third season, which kicks off August 16, are still anyone's guess, but Starwood is hoping that die-hard fans will swap the Savoy for the St. Regis and take advantage of the hotel's new Mad Men package. Even at a starting price of $895 (what recession?), we think it's one suite deal.
Beginning next Sunday, guests checking into the St. Regis New York can opt for a Mad Men experience that includes in-room dining (shrimp cocktail, New York strip, apple cobbler), cocktails (Bloody Marys), and personal shopping at Bergdorf Goodman with a shopper who specializes in 1960s fashion (might we suggest a zippy frock by Lisa Perry?). But wait, there's more! Upon arrival, guests will receive a copy of George Lois: On Creating the Big Idea, which should spark a spirited debate about the largely forgotten legacy of Julian Koenig, Lois's former partner. And because nothing completes an illusion like toiletries, guests will find "Don Draper's cologne and Betty Draper's signature red lipstick" waiting for them. Ready to book? Call Denise Harnett (212-339-6738) and tell her UnBeige sent you. To quote the immor(t)al Roger Sterling, "See you at the St. Regis!"
With the season three premiere of Mad Men only weeks away, AMC is rolling out a slew of online gewgaws (which we prefer to "social media-based viral marketing initiatives"). Along with the typical quizzes and e-cards is Mad Men Yourself, a just-launched site that allows user to create their own stylized '60s avatars (that's us, at left, going for a chic Betty Draper look that is veryMichael Kors fall 2008) by choosing from an assortment of body shapes, facial features, hairstyles, and accessories—including a martini, a cigarette, and a doughnut, recalling a time when all three were acceptable to savor in the workplace. Drop your avatar into settings such as the Sterling Cooper offices, a picnic, or a pattern that looks ripped from the Draper family sofa. The illustrator behind the application's infinitely customizable characters is none other than Dyna Moe, who you may recall as the creator of Mad Men Illustrated, the delightful series of drawings inspired by scenes from the show and the New York-based illustrator and designer's own cache of period advertisements. "The show is famous for its meticulousness," she said recently. "And I try to reflect that in the simple cartoony way that I draw." Now go forth and Mad Men Yourself.
While "The Fashion Show" has completed its first season, the show's host, designer and regular television gadabout, Isaac Mizrahi, is planning to keep himself extra busy starting this December when he launches "Isaac Mizrahi: Live!" a new program on the QVC television shopping network. The NY Daily News describes the show as "a sort of talk-show-meets-hawk show," wherein Mizrahi will take calls from viewers to chat about whatever comes up, as well as the QVC staple of selling you things. The designer is having a set built into his own studio, so he can keep the show close to home, and in a big move for the network itself, it will be the first of their programs to be shot in HD. Here's a bit of commentary from the Daily News:
Mizrahi's move might be a peek into a new future for fashion: As high-end designers become more and more accessible through diffusion labels sold a mid-level retailers, brands like Mizrahi are looking to home shopping as a new way to reach even more consumers. The numbers are staggering: QVC reaches nearly 166 million homes, while its competitor HSN reaches 90 million.
Bryan Batt is a man of many talents. When he's not playing the fabulous, closeted art director Salvatore Romano on AMC's Mad Men, Batt keeps busy designing contemporary interiors as the co-owner of Hazelnut, a gift and home accessories store in the Big Easy. Three words: New Orleans toile! His latest project is a home decor book. According to Publishers Marketplace, Batt has just inked a deal with Clarkson Potter for a tome that will explore his favorite spaces and "through his own witty commentary and design techniques, show readers how to create their own stylish and enchanting spaces." While the book isn't slated for publication until fall 2011, Batt will be back in living rooms in a few short weeks: Mad Men's third season premieres on August 16.
Despite our loyalty to all things Isaac Mizrahi, we had resolved to abandon The Fashion Show, Bravo's Project Runway manqué, when it was revealed in a design history-themed challenge that many of the contestants had never heard ofHalston or Madame Grès, which is analogous to a bunch of art students staring blankly at the mention of Picasso or Rubens. Good luck with the fashion careers, kids! Still, we'll try to forget Reco's "Halston-inspired" corset dress and give the show another try tonight, when designer Isabel Toledo, currently the subject of an outstanding exhibition at the Museum at FIT, and Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey serve as guest judges for challenges that involve draping [Madame Grès cackles from beyond the grave] and a spangled red carpet gown. We think this is contestant James-Paul's competition to lose, but will his Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic and self-described "post-colonialist approach" be derailed by compulsory Swarovski crystals? Meanwhile, one designer gets reprimanded for ripping off Lanvin, although judge Fern Mallis notes that if you have to steal from someone, you couldn't do much better than Alber Elbaz. Here's a sneak peek...
What do you get when you combine America's History Channel-stoked fascination with all things World War II (admit it, you're not immune to the charms of grainy Hitler footage) with the burgeoning national pastime known as "scrapbooking"? Nazi Scrapbooks from Hell, a special that airs tomorrow night on the National Geographic channel. They had us at Nazi Scrapbooks. Sandwiched between episodes of The Dog Whisperer, the hour-long special provides a look into the photo album of SS officer Karl Höecker, the adjutant to the commandant at Auschwitz. Taken between May and December 1944, the chilling photos capture quotidian life at the concentration camp for Nazi officers and staff: relaxing on the terrace, eating blueberries, stopped mid-singalong by a sudden downpour. In its monstrous ordinariness, Höecker's scrapbook reveals the snapshot as an ideal medium for capturing the banality of evil.