One of the unsung stars from President Barack Obama’s Inauguration this past Tuesday is gettin’ some love from the world of Fashion this week. Aretha Franklin, my Detroit homegirl, sang a powerful rendition of My Country Tis Of Thee just before Obama was sworn into office (the first time, not the second time) but it was her auspicious headwear that kinda stole the show. It turns out that Aretha went to milliner Luke Song, who bases his company in Detroit, MI, for a hat to wear to the inauguration and was provided with the flamboyant hat that had everyone talking (er, Twittering) as soon as she took center stage. Women’s Wear Daily reports on how Aretha met her hat and just who is Luke Song:

Aretha Franklin might have garnered lots of attention singing “My Country This of Thee” at the inauguration, but it wasn’t only for her voice. One question was on the minds of millions – what was she wearing on her head? Turns out a collaboration between the artist and Detroit-based milliner Luke Song. According to Song, Franklin came in to his Detroit showroom last week looking for a special hat for the big day. “She’s our regular customer and comes to us often,” Song said. “She actually had three to choose from for that day, but went with her second choice. It probably looked better on camera.” Franklin donned a heather gray wool piece that Song had hand-molded to give it some serious shape. The trim and ribbon were decorated with Swarovski crystals and would run in the regular collection for $179. For those who don’t get up to Detroit too often, Song wholesales under the label Mr. Song Millinery throughout New York, California and much of the South. “We’re big in Southern states but being in Detroit is good for us,” Song said. “There are a lot of big stars that come through to this town – gospel singers, lots of big-name church people who want to wear big hats. Some big names come through Detroit.”

As much as I like Justin Gaston’s new choice in headwear, I really have to give props to Luke Song on this masterpiece. At first, I was a little WTF? about the hat but it has since grown on me. Aretha rocked it right (tho, President Obama looks pretty slick in it as well) and I’m very happy to know that Aretha chose to wear a Detroit designer to the Inauguration. Click HERE to check out Luke Song’s official website to see the other wares available from his Detroit-based Millinery. Don’t be surprised if I dress up as Aretha Franklin for Halloween this year ;) After the jump, because it was such a stirring rendition, check out video of Aretha Franklin performing My Country Tis of Thee at this week’s Inauguration …

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Twilight star Taylor Lautner, who has been beefing up his physique in order to adequately play the role of Jacob Black in the upcoming sequel film New Moon, was spotted making his return home after an ambitious trip to the gym this week. Upon arrival, Taylor — tryin’ to look as cool as can be — hocked a loogey onto the pavement before getting out of his cherry red car and struttin’ his stuff into his home:

At least now we know that the lad doesn’t like to swallow. I know, I know … the joke is an easy one to make but sometimes, you gotta work with what the gossip gods give ya ;) You know, Taylor is lookin’ more bulky in these photos … even underneath all of that clothing, he looks like he continues to pack on the lbs. Also, don’t y’all think he looks a lot like Adam Brody … but with muscles?

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

Last week we got our first look at Katie Holmes in the new Spring/Summer ‘09 ad campaign for Miu Miu (the ad was released on the same day that we got our first look at Victoria Beckham in her new ad campaign for Emporio Armani Women’s Underwear) and today we check out another Miu Miu ad photo from the same campaign:

The star shows her flair for the dramatic, put to excellent use in her recently-lauded Broadway turn, putting her outstretched hand to a flame.

Yes, very dramatic. I much prefer this photo to the first Miu Miu photo featuring Ms. Holmes. There is an air of Greek theater in this photo that is lacking in the first one. I dunno that the campaign will sell many articles of clothing but there is a flair in this new photo. The full ad campaign should be released soon, NY Fashion Week is nearly upon us. Between the two photos we’ve seen thus far, which one do y’all prefer?

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Everyone’s favorite 20-year old underwear model/crooner Justin Gaston stepped out on the town with his 16-year old girl friend Miley Cyrus here in SoCal last night and, thankfully, the couple opted out of wearing matching outfits (which, as we are well aware, they are fond of doing). In fact, the couple looked totally mismatched … and Justin’s sassy new winter cap was the real star of the outing … behold:

Despite the lack of cold weather here in SoCal last night, I think the hat really works for good ol’ JG. You don’t see enough knit hats with balls on them anymore. In fact, true story, I even picked up a similar hat when I was in NYC last. Since it’s been in the 80s for most of the past 2 weeks, I’ve not had the chance to wear it out yet but now that the rain is rolling into town and the temps are cooling down significantly, mebbe I’ll finally be able to. In any event, I much prefer seeing Justin out on the town with his snazzy hat over seeing him with, oh I dunno, Miley Cyrus? I wonder how long until Miley starts wearing a matching hat of her own.

[Photo credit: X17]

Yesterday we got our first look at Victoria Beckham, in all her fierceness, on the cover of the February issue of Russian Vogue magazine. Not only did she look pretty cool on the cover but she looked damn fine in the two accompanying photos we saw yesterday as well. Today we get to check out the rest of the photos, scanned by the Victoria Beckham Blog, that are published in this new issue of Russian Vogue magazine:

Overall, the shoot is pretty slick … but I still contend that the photo of VB in the red dress that we saw yesterday is THE best of the bunch. She just looks amazing. After the jump, check out the remaining photos from the photospread to see which one is your fave …

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Hold on to your hats, Twilighters. A couple of weeks ago we learned from trusted sources (actress Ashley Green [who played Alice Cullen in Twilight] talking to People magazine, MTVNews) that High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens had auditioned for the role of Leah Clearwater in the upcoming Twilight sequel New Moon. That news sent shockwaves thru the Twilightverse and was a source of much strife among fans of the Twilight Saga. Today we have more casting news … and it might cause the same sort of reaction from fans. The absolutely reliable Marc Malkin, of E! News, is reporting exclusively that Dakota Fanning is in talks to play Jane (one of the main vampire characters from the European Volturi clan). Even more surprising, I think, is that the report claims that Dakota didn’t even have to audition for the role … she was merely offered the part and both sides are now in negotiations to see if they can seal the deal. Be warned! The following report may contain spoilers for those of you who have yet to read the Twilight books:

Dakota Fanning…with fangs? It’s possible. I can exclusively report that the 14-year-old child star—she turns 15 on Feb. 23—is in talks to play Jane opposite Robert Pattinson & Co. in New Moon, the upcoming sequel to box office megahit Twilight. “There were no auditions,” a source reveals. “They just offered it to her outright, and now they’re in negotiations. They’ve been going back and forth.” Jane is a member of Italy’s Volturi, the most deadly group of bloodsucking killers in author Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling series. In the casting notice we got our hands on earlier this month, Jane is described as a petite blonde with a “Botticelli angel-like face…[and] crimson irises.” While fellow Volturi guards Demetri & Felix “are three times the size of her, they are terrified of her,” the casting notice reads. Coincidentally (or maybe not), an online petition started by a Twilight fan already asks the studio, Summit Entertainment, to cast Fanning because she would be “perfect” for the role. Early last month, Entertainment Weekly suggested Pushing Daisies star and Broadway diva Kristin Chenoweth. “Her voice is certainly high enough, and at 4′11”, she’s also short enough,” writer Amy Wilkinson proposed. Director Chris Weitz is expected to start shooting New Moon in March in the U.S. and Italy. If all goes as planned, the movie will hit theaters on Nov. 20.

I suppose we can forgive Malkin for thinking that the vampires in Twilight have fangs … but I absolutely believe his reporting on this casting news. He is very much in the know about these things and he is not one to post unsubstantiated information just to get attention. Whether or not Dakota gets the part remains to be seen but, it sounds like the role is hers if she wants it. I hadn’t considered Kristin Chenoweth as Jane … she’s prolly a bit too old to play the part but Malkin is right, she is short enough. I know that many Twilight fans were really upset at the prospect of Hudgens joining the cast of New Moon … but mebbe Fanning will be better received because it’s feasible that her casting sprang from an online petition started by a fan? What do y’all think? Is Dakota right for the part of Jane? Would you like to see her get the part?

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Earlier today, folks got together here in SoCal at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, CA to announce the nominees for the 81st annual Academy Awards, which will be handed out on February 22:

Leading the pack this year is the David Fincher-directed film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which scored 13 nominations in various categories. Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader and Frost/Nixon join Button in the running for the top prize, Best Picture. Here are a few pictures of actor Forest Whitaker and AMPAS president Sid Ganis making the nominee announcements in the major categories and a run-down of which films will compete for Oscars next month … and which films/people will not:

Batman and Clint Eastwood? Forget about it. The Dark Knight, the superhero thriller that was expected to make history as the first comic-book adaptation to take a best-picture nomination, and Gran Torino, which the Hollywood veteran starred in and directed, were left out of the contest for Oscar’s top prize. Instead, the far more serious Holocaust-themed The Reader took the fifth berth and its director, Stephen Daldry, also managed to slip into his category. The other nominees announced for top prize in the 81st Academy Awards Thursday morning in Los Angeles followed the script of the prognosticators: the era-spanning fable The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which led the crowd with 13 nominations; gay-themed political biopic Milk; TV-landmark drama Frost/Nixon; and romantic crowd-pleaser Slumdog Millionaire. As expected, Heath Ledger’s vividly twisted take on the villainous Joker in The Dark Knight scored a supporting nomination for the Australian actor, who died a year ago today at age 28 after suffering an accidental prescription-drug overdose. He’s the seventh actor to compete posthumously in the race, though only Peter Finch won a best-actor trophy for 1976’s Network. Going up against Ledger are Philip Seymour Hoffman as a problematic priest in Doubt, Josh Brolin as a city supervisor turned assassin in Milk, Robert Downey Jr. as the ultimate Method actor in Tropic Thunder and Michael Shannon as a perceptive mental patient in Revolutionary Road. After her two Golden Globe wins, Kate Winslet was expected to earn a supporting nomination for her tormented concentration-camp guard in The Reader as well as a lead spot as a distraught suburban housewife in Revolutionary Road. Instead, only her work in Reader was recognized. The British actress, 33, has been up for an Oscar five times before without a win. Others in the lead-actress lineup are Meryl Streep as a formidable nun in Doubt, Anne Hathaway as the black-sheep sister in Rachel Getting Married, Angelinia Jolie as the troubled mother of a missing boy in The Changeling and Melissa Leo as a struggling single mom in Frozen River. Making up the supporting-actress category: Penelope Cruz’s tempestuous ex-wife in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Viola Davis as the mother of a possible abuse victim in Doubt, Taraji P. Henson as a loving adoptive mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Marisa Tomei as a worn-out stripper in The Wrestler and Amy Adams as a naïve nun in Doubt. Making it into the lead actor lineup: Sean Penn as an openly gay politician in Milk, Mickey Rourke as a washed-up grappler in The Wrestler, Frank Langella as the ever-enigmatic Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, Brad Pitt as the foundling who ages backward in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Richard Jenkins as the burnt-out professor who gains a new lease on life in The Visitor. Joining Daldry in the director’s race: David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Gus Van Sant for Milk, Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon and Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire.

No real surprises here … the surprises would’ve come if a film like The Dark Knight had received a nomination for Best Picture. And while I really loved Gran Torino, I am not that shocked/appalled that it was not nominated for Best Picture either. I am a bit surprised that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received so many Academy Award nominations, especially since it’s been doing so poorly at the other awards shows. Surely, with 13 noms, it’s bound to win something. Angelina Jolie, too, must have her fingers crossed now that she’s been nominated again for her work in Changeling. My money/support is on Meryl Streep’s portrayal of the stern nun in Doubt to win Best Actress, tho (Meryl remains the singular actor with the most Academy Award nominations). MUCH PROPS and LURVE goes out to Marisa Tomei for FINALLY getting some recognition and scoring a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her amazing work in The Wrestler. She’s been the unsung actress in all of the previous awards shows, at least now she has a chance to get some Oscar love from the Academy. I am relieved that Heath Ledger scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. I have a really good feeling that he’s going to win the Academy’s next posthumous Oscar … I can feel it in me waters. And so … the nominations have been announced, the stage will soon be set and in a month’s time we’ll know which films and actors/actresses will be judged as the best of 2008. Take note, the Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Feb. 22 … with Hugh Jackman as host. Woot!

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