Bebe Buell Talks Boyfriends, Music & That Dirty Word
Photo: Alan Mercer
Bebe Buell’s life is what blockbuster movies are made of. In the seventies, she was a successful fashion model—not to mention 1974′s November Playmate of the Month—and Max’s Kansas City standard, exactly where she sang into hairbrushes with Patti Smith and befriended (then dated) a lot of a legendary rock musician such as Elvis Costello, Todd Rundgren, and Steven Tyler. Nowadays, she’s most likely much better identified as Liv Tyler’s mother, but the 58-year-old’s about to adjust that with her first significant album, Difficult Adore, a set of grunge-meets-glam-rock tracks in which Buell’s raspy wail demands listeners spend attention.
As of late, Buell’s dreams of getting on stage instead of backstage are operating out pretty nicely. Last week, she played a packed New York Fashion Week bash to a sea of bouncing hipsters and the first few days of March will discover her rocking out at the Tough Rock Cafe in Hollywood, Florida. She’s most excited, even so, to play Hiro Ballroom’s final blowout at the end of the month. We had a opportunity to meet the kick-ass Buell in between rehearsals of her upcoming a single woman show and chatted for practically two hours about everything from those renowned boyfriends to posing nude to effectively raising Liv. If we learned a single thing, it is why you ought to never, ever call Bebe a groupie, but you possibly want to read the rest.
ELLE: You are suddenly carrying out a million different issues, why now?
BB: I listen to the fans. I’m not a corporate machine. I’m not Lady Gaga, I’m not Madonna, I don’t have a million dollars behind me and large giant record businesses. I am an organic artist. I really do what I do because of a really rabid fan base, but of course, an artist like me also fights demographics simply because, if you attempt to say to someone who’s never ever seen me, “Oh, you’ve gotta see this, it’s outstanding,” they cannot wrap their head about it. I’m not 15 and I’m not somebody who has a thousand hit records under my belt. The musicians that play with me are all world class. Small by little, I just maintain producing a lot more strides. I’m not gonna call myself the small engine that could simply because I’m 5’10 and I’m far from little—I’m the small engine that roared. Now I’ve got a fever about what I’m undertaking, because I think it’s crucial for girls to make this kind of statement, not to have an expiration date.
Wes Bentley: Don’t Call It A Comeback
Wes Bentley & Amanda Seyfried at the premiere of Gone. Photo: Getty Images
Before swooning for Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko, we obsessed over Wes Bentley in American Beauty: same good looks, same dark, but sweet, rebellious teen with a cause. Yet, Bentley—who gave life to Beauty‘s Ricky Fitts—left much to be desired post-fame. “I didn’t think [American Beauty] would give me the attention it did,” the actor told ELLE recently. “I wasn’t prepared for that at all, and that’s part of why I didn’t react so well.”
Bentley’s hinting at a decade’s worth of drug addiction, divorce, loss, and apathy toward his career that led to a run of low-profile roles making little to no splash. But Gone, the new film in which he stars with Amanda Seyfried, commences a trifecta of high-profile, hotly anticipated films in which he acts this year. After Gone, in which he plays a detective helping Seyfried find her sister, Bentley will be seen in Lovelace (also starring Seyfried) and The Hunger Games (as Seneca Crane). “That’s what attracted me to acting to begin with, not really being locked into one experience in life,” Bentley said of his diverse choices. “And it is kind of special, not just experiencing yourself switching characters and intentions and backgrounds, but also seeing someone else do the same thing, at the same time.”
The actor’s talking, of course, about Seyfried, who goes from distressed heroine in Gone to porn icon Linda Lovelace in the movie of the same name. “I didn’t recognize Amanda when she walked into the room as Linda,” Bentley added. “It took me a minute because I know her and I’d look at her and think ‘Who is this person?’ She loved that because she felt like she had made the transition physically.” Bentley plays the photographer who snaps the photograph of Lovelace for The Deep Throat poster. He continues, “It’s a really interesting moment for Linda, in the script. It’s a moment of reprieve from predators. The character I play, he’s not trying to prey on her sexually. He wants to get out of her something from the shoot that’s deeper, much more to do with how she feels.”
Amanda Seyfried Had A Very Happy Birthday
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Being the face of a major beauty brand has its perks, as actress Amanda Seyfried discovered last night: to fete her birthday and her new spring 2012 campaign with the company, Clé de Peau Beauté hosted a massive party at New York City’s exclusive Norwood House. “I’ve never been a spokesperson for anything in my life,” Seyfried admitted to a roomful of revelers at the start of the evening. “But the last year and a half has been a great journey, and I’m having so much fun.”
According to Lucia Pieroni, Clé de Peau’s Makeup Creative Director, the spring products—glistening lipsticks, a face luminizer, and golden eye shadow palette—were inspired by chocolate, candlelight, and the pearlescent conch shell. But of the three inspirations, chocolate ranks at the top of Pieroni’s list. “Chocolates, cakes, and other sweets” she encountered at the Patisserie Valerie in London influenced the lipsticks’ creamy, sparkling textures (names of tubes range from Chocolate Truffle to Plum Pudding). “They’re really yummy, but they don’t make you fat!” says Pieroni about her creations.
This would explain the three floors of desserts at Norwood. On the second level, there was an entire buffet of pies, tarts, tiered cakes, and rock candy sculptures, while the top floor housed a chocolate bar replete with MarieBelle confections and hot cocoa. The highlight of the night was when guests, holding candles distributed by—you guessed it—candy stripers, cheered for Seyfried as a massive peanut butter-and-chocolate cake was wheeled out.
The Short Suit Makes Its Red Carpet Debut
Photo: Getty Images
Amanda Seyfried’s been making the red carpet rounds in honor of the international premieres of her new movie, In Time, for a few weeks now. In LA, she wore a spring look from Prabal Gurung, and in London last night she rocked one of the season’s biggest trends—the short suit. It was everywhere in September: brightly colored at Jenni Kayne, slinky at Stella McCartney, preppy at Bill Blass and printed at Gurung, but Seyfried’s shiny blue suit hails from H&M. Think it works on the red carpet?
News: Shoe Scents & Lohans
Justin Timberlake & Amanda Seyfried at the premiere of In Time. Photo: Getty Images
Diane von Furstenburg says that New York will likely have to “bite the bullet” and move their show schedule forward to avoid a complete fashion month meltdown next season. {NYTimes}
Despite lacking a creative director, Dior’s revenues are up 21%. {Fashionista}
Best Dressed: Camilla Belle in Salvatore Ferragamo, Kate Bosworth in Proenza Schouler and More
Few actresses look as consistently chic and sophisticated as Camilla Belle, who went for some sparkle in a fringe-y Ferragamo frock. Amanda Seyfried wore a colorful dress from one of our favorite spring 2012 collections: Prabal Gurung. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looks so great in this Richard Nicoll bustier dress that it’s not even fair. We love the ’50s silhouette and jungle print of Felicity Jones’ Dolce & Gabbana number. Finally, Kate Bosworth, wearing spring 2012 Proenza Schouler, dons yet another off-the-runway look that no one could pull off except for her.
Alexa Chung fetes second Madewell collection with A-list pals
As I mentioned yesterday, Alexa Chung’s second collection for Madewell debuted online in the States (unfortunately it also seemed to crash the site!). Last night, the British starlet hosted a star-studded party to fete the launch of her follow-up collection with a swag of celebrity pals. It seems it does pay to have friends in high places, as some of Hollywood’s hottest young thangs descended on the Chateau Marmont to help Alexa celebrate.
Some of A-listers to attend included Abbie Cornish, Dianna Agron, Busy Phillips, Joy Bryant and Amanda Seyfried. Kate Bosworth also fronted up to the bash, gushing to WWD: “[Alexa's] just so talented.” Gal-of-the-moment Elle Fanning was also in attendance wearing one of the pieces from the collection, a cream lace dress with scalloped trim and a pair of chunky wooden platforms. “It’s cool to see her in my dress,” Alexa said.
Click on to see more pics from the party and a video of the making of Chung’s lookbook…
J. Mendel Spring 2012
September 16th, 2011
J. Mendel’s Spring 2012 collection gave us feminine pieces that are both timeless and modern.
The designer is highly regarded for his red carpet worthy gowns and furs, so it was a refreshing to see his day-wear having a more slouchy sportswear feel featuring vertical stripes and bold colour blocking for a more modern aesthetic.