Lil’ Kim made a grand arrival at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Berlin, Germany ahead of the 2009 MTV Europe Awards (which is taking place today) but she was lookin’ a lot more like a lost member of the Jackson family rather than her usual self:

I mean, you can see how she might easily be confused for La Toya Jackson in this outfit … and mebbe that was the goal. HMMM … if I were La Toya, I’d watch my back. I find it hard to believe that anyone would dress this tacky unless they were up to some heinous no good. I mean … right? Would someone actually go out in public dressed like this … on purpose?

[Photo credit: X17]

Mom and entrepreneur Nicole Richie, who already successfully launched a jewelry line called House of Harlow 1960 as well as a maternity wear line for A Pea in the Pod, has announced that she will next be launching a contemporary fashion line called Winter Kate … and Women’s Wear Daily has all the deets. Here is but one example of what we can expect from Nicole and Winter Kate:

Nicole Richie has a new baby and a new contemporary women’s clothing line. The label, Winter Kate, which will debut in spring, expands a fashion business that already includes the accessories line House of Harlow 1960 and a maternity collection, Nicole for A Pea in the Pod. The 37-piece Winter Kate line, which takes her daughter Harlow’s two middle names, will hit stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ron Herman, Intermix and Kitson, beginning in February. “It feels as though I’ve always been working on this collection, but officially I started putting it together in early 2009,” said Richie, who is lying low at home after the birth last month of her son, Sparrow. “I’ve wanted to design a clothing collection for a very long time.” Richie, who has become known for her eclectic bohemian style with a Sixties and Seventies flair, said she has torn fashion pages out of magazines for years and also draws inspiration from her favorite animals, including peacocks and other birds. The line includes mostly tops, vests and bed jackets in colorful vintage-inspired silk, crepe and chiffon because these tops are a mainstay of Richie’s own wardrobe. “I probably wear the same two pairs of jeans every day as the background to a fabulous top,” she said. “Bed jackets are a staple of my wardrobe because they are a gorgeous way to give jeans and a white T-shirt a completely different look.” Also key for spring dressing are “definitely a beautiful, fun slip dress in a great print and also a leather jacket to turn the romantic day dress into an edgy night-out outfit,” Richie said. Her collection includes long slip dresses, asymmetrical short dresses, tunics and a kimono-sleeved, maxidress, which are meant to be layered with vests in cotton macramé, suede or silk, or a shrunken leather jacket. “I purposely made the slip dresses in both solids and prints,” Richie said. “Wear the prints by themselves or with a great vest or jacket and wear the solids as basics to an outfit with many layers.” Priced from $35 wholesale for a camisole to $110 for a long kimono dress, and as much as $598 for the leather pieces, the line is positioned similarly to her accessory collection, which now includes shoes for spring. “Fashion should be accessible,” Richie said. “That was my philosophy when designing House of Harlow 1960 and it remains my philosophy for Winter Kate.” Both lines, she noted, are aimed at the same customer. “She is a woman like me: She does not look at labels; she knows how to mix and match. The pieces can be dressed up, made casual, but most importantly, they provide the wearer a means of self-expression and fun.”

Now, I know what you’re thinkin’ … Does the world really need another celeb-designed fashion line? … and you’re prolly right, it doesn’t … but it’s clear that Nicole is working really hard to express herself creatively with these new product lines and she is finding inspiration in her daughter Harlow Winter Kate. You can’t really blame the woman for wanting to create these products when she has such adorable inspiration leading her on … even if the clothes do look a bit like they came from the House of Zbornak (or at least from Dorothy’s closet):

Whether or not this new line will be a success remains to be seen but it’s evident to me that Nicole’s new life as a mom has really given her the push to expand her creative horizons. I wish her the best of luck … mebbe one day she’ll be able to hand the reigns of her fashion empire to Harlow when the time is right.

[Source, thanks Jo]

Celebs of varying stature and fame made their way to Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center in NYC, NY last night to attend the 2009 American Ballet Theatre Gala. Musician Rufus Wainwright, who tends to have more of an affinity for opera, was in attendance as well as Gossip Girl newbie Joanna Garcia and BFFs Natalie Portman & Mila Kunis. The newly single Emmy Rossum (who filed for divorce from her hubby a couple of weeks ago) showed up on the arm of Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons:

Oh wait, I’m sorry … Emmy showed up with Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, not Sideshow Bob … sorry about that. But, c’mon, you can see how I got confused. It’s nice to see young celebs taking an interest in the arts … why, David and I attended a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet here in LA just this last July for my birthday. I sincerely hope the celebs who attended last night’s gala affair did so out of an honest appreciation for dance rather than an available opportunity to dress up and pose in their finery for a photo op.

[Photo credit: Wireimage]

While many of the other former castmembers of the 90’s TVs series Saved By The Bell are enjoying relatively happy lives these days (and were invited to participate in the recent People magazine reunion of the cast), it turns out that Dustin Diamond (who played Samuel Screech Powers on SBTB) is not doing so well by comparison. RadarOnline reports that Diamond is being sued for unpaid property taxes and his car has already been repossessed. If you add to that the fact that the guy looks like the living embodiment of the Quagmire character from Family Guy and, well, you’ve got a dude who is in dire straits:

Train wreck actor Dustin Diamond is being sued for more than $21,000 in unpaid property taxes and had his car repossessed, RadarOnline.com learned exclusively. The 32-year-old actor, who found fame playing dorky Samuel “Screech” Powers on the TV hit Saved By The Bell , seems to have hit hard times judging by financial court actions against him. RadarOnline.com discovered that Screech was sued by Ford Motor Credit Company on November 26, 2008, for $544 which resulted in the repossession of his 2005 Ford Expedition. And he hasn’t been saved by the bell from the Department of Revenue in Wisconsin, either. On June 30 of this year Screech was sued by the department for $21,015.62 in unpaid taxes against his property in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He previously had been tagged with a small claim by the Wisconsin Electric Power Company, on March 3, 2009. That was settled. After Saved By The Bell ended in 2000 Diamond appeared in a few reality shows, including The Weakest Link, Celebrity Boxing 2 and Celebrity Fit Club. In 2006 he infamously starred in a porn tape Screeched, aka Saved By The Smell, which showed him engaging in various acts with two women. Diamond – who has also done stints as a stand-up comic – claimed that the tape was leaked as a mistake but his manager conceded that he hoped it might raise his profile.

To be entirely honest, when Diamond’s utterly disgusting sex tape hit the market I lost pretty much all respect for him as a person. But, hearing about his sad financial situation only makes me feel sorry for him. It’s clear he piddled away all the money he made from Saved By The Bell and he completely alienated all of his former castmates who reportedly want to have nothing to do with him (or have him included in any SBTB reunions). One hopes that Diamond will be able to bounce back from his legal woes … so long as he doesn’t leak any further sex tapes to “raise his profile”. Ugh.

[Source]

Towleroad gives us our first look at Adam Lambert on the set of a photoshoot reportedly for his debut album. Wearing an outfit that leaves much to be desired, Glambert clearly pulled out all the stops to ensure that the artwork for his new album is überfabulous … behold:

Some set photos allegedly from the cover shoot for Adam Lambert’s album have leaked, including this one in which Lambert appears to be wearing a glittery Hefty bag and sporting a hair-do that takes its cues from Bob’s Big Boy. The cover is reportedly being shot by Warwick Saint and other elements of the shoot included Swarovski crystal eye pieces, lots of leather and spikes.

I dunno, y’all. I’m all for expressive fashion sense but I’m starting to think that Lambert might be going too far. Yes, he performed with KISS fairly successfully on the finale of American Idol but that doesn’t mean he has to start dressing like them to beat the moment into a bloody pulp. After all, let’s not forget that he lost the competition. As far as AI contestants go, I think he’s pretty talented … I’d hate for him to overplay his gimmick and then lose his shot at superstardom because he focused too much on the look rather than the sound. I’m afraid photoshoots like this might ensure that he become a laughable caricature rather than a serious musician.

[Source]

Style icon and all-around fashionista Beyoncé, Ms. Sasha Fierce herself, was spotted roaming the streets of NYC this weekend lookin’, well, less than her usual stylistically fashionista best. Homegirl was lookin’ like an around the way girl circa 1986 … are Jheri curls makin’ a comeback? Cuz … I OBJECT PROFUSELY!!

Having been born in 1981, Beyonce Knowles doesn’t remember much of the eighties. So perhaps she was unaware just how dismal the wet look hairstyle was first time round. Spotted lunching with husband Jay-Z in New York City yesterday, the normally immaculate-looking singer’s trendy outfit was let down by her bad hair day. The Halo singer was bang on trend in a cute polka dot playsuit with Chanel belt and patent peep-toe heels as she ate at Bar Pitti in the West Village. But the 27-year-old’s overall look was spoiled by her unflattering hairstyle, a far cry from her usual glossy golden locks. Beyonce is currently spending rare quality time with her husband during a break in her gruelling I Am… world tour. She was left shaken when a 6.6 earthquake hit Japan last week … After performing in Japan last week, Beyonce has been hanging out in New York, where the couple share a home. She is set to resume the tour in the Ukraine on August 29, before finally wrapping her concerts in Belfast on November 24. During her few weeks off in New York, the singer has reportedly been expanding her dance repertoire by studying ballet. Students at Manhattan’s Ailey School claim Beyonce attended an open ballet class last week. A ballet student said: ‘She came in like a regular student. No entourage and no attitude.’

Of all looks for her to borrow from did she have to delve into the Rick James repertoire? I mean, believe me, I love me some Beyoncé but this is not a good look for her … at all! I suppose we can cut her some slack considering the scary ordeal she endured in Japan … perhaps that earthquake shook her up somethin’ awful. I just hope this new Jheri curl look isn’t a permanent one. Ick!

[Source]

Naomi Campbell stepped out with her manfriend Vladimir Doronin and friends to do a bit of partying at Acqua Pazza in Ponza, Italy this week. Clearly the supermodel felt it was a fine occasion to get all dressed up … so, natch, she decided to dress like Native American princess Pocahontas:

As a world famous supermodel, Naomi Campbell has access to an amazing closet of clothes and the vaults of many fashion houses. But last night the model opted for a down to earth fancy dress look as she stepped out with boyfriend, Russian boyfriend Vladimir Doronin. But thankfully she didn’t go for complete authenticity, as the mobile phone throwing model opted not to accessorise the outfit with a tomahawk. Naomi and Doronin headed out with a group of friends all in fancy dress, for dinner at restaurant Acqua Pazza in Ponza, Italy. And with her hair in plaits and a headdress, Naomi made sure to look the part of the famous squaw. Her boyfriend went for a similarly striking look – as a naval officer. The 39-year-old model has been enjoying her holidays in Italy for the last few weeks.

I didn’t get the impression from this report that the event was a costume party but it had to have been … right? Sane people don’t just dress up in costume to dine out at fancy restaurants, do they? Whatever the hell was goin’ on, at least Naomi looked good as Pocahontas. I’m gonna assume the event was costume only and not jump the conclusion that Naomi done lost her mind. After all, we know that Naomi Campbell is a bastion of sanity, right?

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]