Fashion: not my beat. When I arrived at MoMA last night for cocktails, I didn’t know what the event was about. A publicist, worried, furrowed brow, said to me: “You’re just here as a guest, right?” I replied: “You don’t want me write about it?” “Noooo!” she said. So okay, I’m really not sure what we were doing anyway. You don’t want press? It’s cool with me.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, two of my favorite people, happened to be there. This was very nice. We talked for a while, mostly about the sad passing of Nicole’s dad. Keith told me he’s finally on a real break before “American Idol” starts up again. The Urbans are headquartered right now in London, while Nicole shoots “Genius” with Colin Firth. She was wearing a beautiful dress, but I’m not sure who designed it and I’m not supposed to say.
The Modern restaurant was set up for dinner for 40, but we weren’t staying anyway. We were going to Amaranth on the Upper East Side, celebrating its 15th anniversary, for the birthday of my French journalist friend Dany Jucaud of Paris Match. So we had cocktails and talked to the wonderful Grace Coddington from Vogue. Anna Wintour walked by, and said a vague “hi” but didn’t stop for a nanosecond. I guess they see each other all the time. Another acting couple, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany, were there. Bettany was talking to someone, so Jennifer and I chatted. She’s lovely as ever.
Most interesting conversation was with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. A musical genius, he’s also way into technology and how it helps kids. He’s just launching a wearable computer bracelet called Puls. No e. He showed me how it works as he had one on each wrist. Now I want one. Unlike Apple’s Apple Watch or the Samsung watch, this works on cellular and WiFi and doesn’t to have to be hooked up to a phone. You get the internet, you can make calls, use Apps, etc. It seems pretty light and comfortable. The interface was very easy and quick.
Will funded it himself and is making it with investors. There’s no other big company. They’re using AT&T as their carrier. Foxconn, the company that makes iPhones, etc, is the manufacturer. He is incredibly serious and articulate on this subject. Check out his foundation at http://iamangelfoundation.org
Will told me that the Black Eyed Peas big — HUGE– hit “I Gotta Feeling,” was almost a song for U2. “I was hanging with Bono, and the Edge. They asked me to help out on the album No Line on the Horizon. I was playing with this melody. But I was too afraid to actually play it for them. It was supposed to be for them. But that version sounded different.” He also says Fergie is working on her record right now, and that will be followed by a new Black Eyed Peas record. “Wait til you hear it.” he said, beaming.
I ran into Catherine Deneuve, still stunning at age 71. She lamented about New York traffic and spoke mostly in French.
All this happened, and I don’t know why. I told Grace Coddington I was going to the famous Amaranth, and she said, “I’m a downtown girl.” Anyway, the veal Provencale was delicious.
