Victoria Beckham didn't wait long after the conclusion of her Spice Girls World 2007/2008 Farewell Tour to start work on her next project-a new line of upscale dresses called POSH frocks. The mother of three and wife of soccer-stud David Beckham is said to have received inspiring consultations from none other than Roberto Cavalli and Marc Jacobs before beginning her new venture. Quality seems to be the key element for Posh, as we see expensive fabrics, finishes, and embroideries contribute to a price tag of $1,200 or more on many of the dresses. The POSH frocks are scheduled to debut during New York Fashion Week, and will be available in upscale department stores.

This will be Victoria Beckham's second shot at clothing design. Her line of jeans-dVb by Victoria Beckham, priced at around $300-failed to sell as well as expected and suffered the treacherous fate of landing on clearance racks. Nevertheless, Beckham still hopes to launch a line of shoes and bags at some point in the future... More >> ..

Ryan Phillippe, ex-husband of actress Reese Witherspoon, recently purchased a new home in Hollywood Hills for a reported $7.175 million. The home christened "Rising Zen," by builder/producer Sylvio Tabet was originally listed at $7,470,000 and was on the market for a mere 34 days before Phillippe jumped on it. Perhaps an impulse-buy after his divorce was finalized earlier this month?

The living space is described as a fusion of Asian and modern architecture with both city and ocean views. The 8,300 square foot space, comes complete with 5-bedrooms, 7-baths, two master suites, a two-story gym, and media room with 14-foot ceilings. Outdoors expect to find a Koi pond, chef's barbeque, spa, sauna, steam room, fire pit, and Asian-style gazebo.

Reese filed for divorce in 2006 after seven years of marriage citing "irreconcilable differences," but Phillippe's rumored affair with "Stop-Loss" co-star Abbie Cornish is more likely to be the reason behind the split... More >> ..

Zhao Danyang "won" a lunch with famed Investor Warren Buffet for a cool 2.1 million Friday evening in an Ebay charity auction. Buffett, dubbed the "Sage of Omaha" has a history of financial success, to say the least. When Buffett began buying Berkshire Hathaway in 1963, it was selling for measly $7.60 per share. As the director, Buffett has since transformed the textile company into a major holding company worth $120,000 per share, the highest stock price in history. At a net worth of 62 billion dollars, Forbes crowned Buffett the richest man in the world. With those kind of assets, nerdy is suddenly hot.
Zhao Danyang, a Chinese fund manager will have lunch with Buffett and up to seven guests at Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse on 49th street and 3rd Ave. The 2.1 million will be donated to Glide, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that offers programs for the poor, hungry, and homeless. In 2006, Buffett announced his plan to give away his fortune to philanthropic organizations, with the largest chunk (over thirty billion dollars) going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation... More >> ..

Last night, Tuesday, June 24th, Patron and V1 Private Jets presented the launch of Gradient Magazine at the W Downtown Residences with hosts Sabine Heller, Claw Money, Sky Nellor, Bettina Prentice, Paul Sevigny, Max Snow, Sue Stemp, Antonia Thompson, Alvin Valley and Eleanor Ylvisaker with music by DJ Scotto (designer Sue Stemp dressed all the girls on the host committee) from 7-10pm.

Guests at the futuristic venue celebrated Frequency 1 of Gradient Magazine, a new complimentary book founded by Matt Fried, Barris, and Alan Vinogradov that chronicles new and avant-garde fashion, arts, furniture, architecture, and people. The second issue will include "The Lens", a party pictures page, as well as expanded fashion coverage, exciting new photographers and contributors, and a special feature on some of the hottest downtown New Yorkers.

Supporters came out in droves including a 6 month pregnant Chessy Wilson, who is carrying baby boy Franklin, nightlife impresario Eugene Remm, heiress and actress Annabel Vartanian, Marissa Anshutz, Brian Wolk and Claude Morais of Ruffian, Marc Jacob Muses' Dion OJ Bey and Great Scott McKenzie, notorious 14 year old Alex Goldberg , designer Abigial Lorick, famous photographer Alexis Dahan (who will be photographing Lydia Hearst for French playboy), artist David Foote, Emma Snowdon Jones, Rebecca Guinness, Karine Haimo Bulgari, model Nell Rebowe, Serena Merriman, Etta Meyer, jeweler Monique Paen and singer Virgil Price... More >> ..

In an effort to memorialize his late love, Anna Nicole Smith's boy toy and famewhore, Larry Birkhead dished out a disgusting near $3,000 at an auction held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for lingerie worn by his baby momma. Birkhead claims the $1,800 pink bustier and $1,000 white negligee is for his 1-year-old daughter Dannielynn to remember her mother by. On top of purchasing worn, used, preowned undies (pick your euphemism), they were from one of Smith's many Playboy shoots.
"I have a lot of history I have to put together that [Dannielynn] doesn't really know about," said Birkhead. "Playboy was such a big part of Anna's career." There were a lot of things that were part of Smith's life though but that doesn't quite mean it would be educationally sound to purchase drugs and alcohol for the baby either. Can't he just give Dannielynn a piece of jewelry or some.. More >> ..

(picture taken from New York Magazine's website)

I ran my hand back and forth under the bar, searching with my fingers for the ubiquitous "purse hook." Manhattan women love this brilliant little invention that allows them to hang their Fendi or Louis Vuitton bags between their knees at fine establishments everywhere, thereby avoiding taking up precious bar space with their trophy accessories, or having to put their $2000 carryall on the floor.

"There's no hook; I already checked," said Celest, with a look of mild exasperation.

I was confounded; Bar Q is brand new and should be up on this newest trend in civilized bar-going.

Then it hit me, "Ahhh...yes. Lesbian owner..."

Anita Lo, celebrated, hard-core chef/restaurateur, whose signature accessory is a folded, cotton bandana used to hold back her short, punky, black hair, seems unlikely to have a collection of delicate handbags to worry about... More >> ..

Emma Watson, best known for her role in Harry Potter flicks, has landed a much more glamorous role than that of a brainy teenage wizard. The barely-legal actress has scored a reported $6 million contract with French fashion house Chanel, to become the new face of the brand's popular fragrance, Coco Mademoiselle. This ought to add nicely to her estimated $4 million per Harry Potter installment, which helped her rank 15th on Forbes Top-Earning Young Superstars for 2007.

The line has been courting her for quite some time, dressing her for premiers and such, before deciding that she was the perfect fit for the coveted-role. Former Chanel faces include Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou, and the 2-year contract has her set to replace current rep Kiera Knightley whose contract expires this summer. Though Chanel brings visions of the downfall of Kate Moss, perhaps Emma has the wiser of taste in selecting roles outside of the HP series... More >> ..

Cheers star Ted Danson and his Oscar-winning wife Mary Steenburgen felt the crunch of recent property market doom as their previously listed $18.5 million home was marked down to $16.75 million after a year of no takers. Ted and Mary moved on from their renovated Cape Cod-style house in the Malibu Colony, and I want to move in. Look at the 3,500 square feet of hickory floors, not to mention the  8-foot sliding French doors opening out on an oceanfront patio and deck, complete  with panoramic ocean views and a dining room that overlooks the Pacific. The house also boasts an oceanfront tearoom that features a ceiling-mounted projection screen- just one component of a mega entertainment system. The master bedroom has a fireplace (decadent, even for LA) and a large sun deck. Seems worthy of  $18.5 million if you ask me.

images provided by realestalker.com

Eight times Grammy nominated, Avril Lavigne was offered $5.2 million in cash for her Mulholland Estate in Beverly Hills.  When most of us can only dream of such wealth at 24 years old, Ms. Lavigne is leading the life of luxury. For Ms. Lavigne, it’s not undeserving. Eight Grammy nominated and a six time platinum first album aside, she has cash now, time for shopping. So, what do you get for $5.2 million? There are 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 6,864 square feet –plenty of room to run around –cash in hand, tropical gardens with a swimming pool, spa, and tennis court. Let’s not forget the gourmet kitchen, butler’s pantry and library.

images provided by bergproperties.com

New mother, singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, has listed her Hollywood Hills home on the market for $7,995,000. Maybe her new maternal instinct and desire for a more child-friendly abode is behind the decision to switch nests along with her son, Max, and husband, music marketer, Jordan Bratman. Her elevated, architectural mid-century house doesn't appear to be at all child-friendly. The 6,500 square feet home has a gym, a pool (a virtual death-trap for toddlers) and a 12-person spa with a fireplace (look, but don't touch the pretty flame, darling). There are also 5 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, making it hard to find junior when he crawls away. The master bedroom is 1,200 square feet, and there's an 18 seat professional screening room. Christina's newfound motherhood inspired her to change appearances, so living quarters seems only natural.

Hollywood's favorite billboard - the Hollywood sign itself - will have its soul ripped apart by the real estate market, the facet that erected LA's most famous monument to begin with. In a paradox only a movie executive could dream up, the 85 year-old icon, birthed with the intention to promote Los Angeles' growing housing market, is now being threatened by developers who want to disturb the pristine backdrop and forbade future generations of hikers to pass by the 45-foot word. The Chicago-based investment group that owns the 138 acres behind the sign has put the land up for sale for $22 million.

 

Activists and environmentalists are beside themselves about the possible McMansionization of their beloved Cahuenga Peak (once owned by Howard Hughes). While Lady Liberty presides over New York and the Eiffel Tower illuminates the City of Lights, the Hollywood sign is guardian to Tinseltown. In the sign's birth, as in its potential death, money has proven to be the true icon of Hollywood, creating and destroying the drive of our fragile city... More >> ..

Oh, the wedding of Ashlee Simpson! We joyously speculated so many details: a buffet of Taco Bell and cornbread, morning sickness while exchanging vows, black nail polish on the groom, and Milli Vanilli not singing the lyrics of "Shout." Unfortunately, our fantasies have been tarnished by the $1.4 million dollar deal between Joe Simpson and People Magazine for the photos of his teen daughter's wedding- a true documentation of the rushed nuptials.

 

With two offsprings' flailing careers under his belt, Joe Simpson, manager, father, some kind of minister, and soon-to-be grandfather, had to somehow pull in cash for his daughter's shotgun wedding. People would only pay up if sister Jessica attended the wedding with her semi-boyfriend and football star, Tony Romo. The two split before the wedding, but pretended to date again so Papa Simpson could collect his cash under the magazine's demands.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case $1... More >> ..

After living under the tiny frame of Angelina, the unborn Jolie-Pitt twins will need a much larger home for their time on Earth. Enter the power couple's latest signing: a three year lease on a $60 million mansion perched on 1,000 acres in the South of France, where many speculate Jolie will give birth within the next few months.

 

The colossal home, complete with 35 bedrooms, a lake, a moat, twenty fountains, an indoor pool, a banquet hall and a producing vineyard will hopefully be large enough to hold whatever future children the two plan to have or adopt (if memory serves, Pitt mentioned staffing an entire soccer team with his family. Or is that football in France?). The pre-Roman masterpiece in the Provence region, known as the Chateau Miraval, provides an apt stronghold from the paparazzi with a network of hidden tunnels, aqueducts, and cascading stonewall terraces. In this fairy tale land, King Brad and Queen Angelina will reign over their private kingdom, away from the fanfare of attention they've worked their whole lives to construct... More >> ..

Remember Britney's last staged comeback in Las Vegas? When she arrived to dance rehearsal five hours late and four margaritas deep? When she lip synced shamelessly, meandered with a total lack of choreography, and then fell off stage while scurrying to the dressing room?

 

Fast forward about 100 Arby's trips and 300gallons of Frappacinos, and Britney is refueled for her Vegas return, staging another comeback to prove that her last year of craziness was naught for ought. Last week, Spears met with the Maloof brothers, Palms Hotel owners and obviously risky businessmen. The two sides are in talks to offer Spears $10 million for a six-show comeback, provided that Britney will get in shape, clean up, and abide by the strict performance schedule. According to an insider, "Britney hopes to get in shape and make a splashy comeback in Las Vegas. She wants the show to be full of high energy and flashy costume changes... More >> ..

Actress Denise Richards has been making the media rounds for her new E! reality show, It's Complicated. But it's not like she needs the money. Richards reportedly receives $60,000 per month in alimony from ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, as well as $52,000 per month in child support for their two daughters, Sam and Lola. That adds up to $112,000 per month, which can buy a pretty lavish lifestyle - and fund an ongoing ugly battle with Sheen. As Richards now knows, nothing pays off like a messy, public divorce from another celebrity. Makes me wonder if that's why she married him in the first place. Sure, Ferris Bueller-era Charlie was a bad boy to die for, but post-Wall Street he'd surely lost his sheen. Richards' foresight inspires me.