AIW Exclusive: One Republic Live at Avalon

Allow me to preface this by saying that Laura Lane (read her blog here) is one of the most caring and most genuine people I've ever had the fortune of knowing. (She's also incredibly talented.) I knew it the night she gave me her plus 1 for a Pre-Grammy Party Honoring Timbland at Avalon, one of the first events I ever got to cover.

She really went out of her way to make sure I got in (and we've had each other's back ever since). That might not seem like a big deal, but I'm telling you: Hollywood is full of really fake people who could give a flying fuck about you.

Thanks to her, my intern at the time--and now good friend--Carla, got to experience a truly amazing and intimate concert featuring Timbaland, Missy, Chris Cornell, Keri Hilson and One Republic.

(That's right, we hustled our way into the party off of one wrist band!)

I'm first and foremost a music girl, and nothing has been able to top this event thus far.

There's nothing like watching live music by true musicians! Below is my video of One Republic performing their hit single "Apologize."

If you look closely, you'll see Miss Laura Lane herself (with our girl, and E! Online's Party Girl, Cristina Gibson) in front of the stage!



Lots of folks (Fergie, Solange, Ludacris, Larenz Tate, Taylor Swift, Travis Barker, Jordin Sparks, Danja, Kat Von D, Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Joe Simpson and Melody from the Pussycat Dolls) came out to support Timbo the Great. Check out my video of Paris Hilton below rockin' out to One Republic!



And here's Paris flipping the bird...



Some pics from the red carpet...


Hair by Carla Jackson : )


Fergie Ferg...her makeup was all caked on and shit...yuck! Side note: While I was making my way through the crowd inside, I suddenly felt someone tugging on my hair. I turned around and it was none other than Fergie herself! She was holding onto my hair for support...guess she was trippin oh stumblin...lol!

Taylor Swift was a total sweet heart! Now, why'd she have to go get mixed up with the Jonas Brothers? They ain't nothin' but trouble!


Check out my previous blog entry for more on Travis Barker.


I wasn't the least bit interested in her, but Kat Von D was actually a pretty cool chick!


Melody...


Carla held it down and interviewed Jordin while I peeped the scenery inside.

The Night Travis Barker Touched My Hair!

Am I the only one holding on to the dream that Travis and Shana will one day get back together for good? Probably! But I don't care. I love the two of them together. They were so cute on Meet the Barkers. I actually thought they made a better couple than Nick and Jessica.

Damn you, MTV reality show curse! Damn, I say! (Speaking of Meet the Barkers, I'm putting the DVDs of the show on my x-mas wish list! Do they exist? Anyone?)

When I met up with DJ AM's other musical half at a Grammy Pre-Party Honoring Timbland, he had some pretty crazy things to say...and oh yeah, he twirled my hair. Cut to me fainting. Lol!

AIW: What do you like a girl to wear when she goes out with you?

TB: I like something soft. I don't like things to be real hard. Even if it looks good on you or whatever, if it's uncomfortable or hard to touch, it's not cool. I think something comfortable and cute. I don't know. Not to be a pervert, but I'm not hard to get off. But just be comfortable.

AIW: Is there something girls wear that you absolutely hate?

TB: I hate when women dye just one piece of hair (he proceeds to play with my hair), just one piece of hair. I think it's weird. *He laughs* That's it!

So yeah...needless to say, the interview was pretty much done after that : ) And fyi, my hair is all one color thank you very much!

I actually have some exclusive videos from inside the party! I'll post those soon.

Vanessa Williams Ain't No Ugly Betty!

Vanessa Williams is so beautiful to me. She always murders it on the red carpet. I was blown away when I saw her in person. She was wearing a purple Emanuel Ungaro gown and a jade necklace. Genius!

AIW: What do you love about Emanuel Ungaro's designs?

VW: Well, this is the first time I've worn Ungaro. Of course there's hay in the back of it right now, but I love the color. It's comfortable because of the beautiful knit. It's classy.

AIW: I love your necklace!

VW: The necklace is from a friend of mine who's a designer in Egypt. She's phenomenal.

AIW: What's something every girl should have?

VW: If you're going to spend money, get well-made shoes because they'll last a long time and they won't kill your feet.

AIW: Who's your favorite shoe designer?

VW: I love Sergio Rossi. The latest stuff that he's had in the past season is genius. It's funky; it's stylish; and also irreverent.

That's all the questions the big star had time to answer. I hope to talk to her at length one day, especially about beauty. The girl hasn't aged one bit!

Adrienne Bailon Talks Style

Lord have mercy, this is going to turn into a blog about the Kardashians I know it! But they're so darn sweet...and available.

Adrienne Bailon--damn near a Kardashan since she's Rob's live-in girlfriend (not fiancee as Khloe cleared up for me earlier)--has been in the news lately for her semi-nude pics that were meant for Rob's eyes only. (Click here and here to see what I'm talking about. So that's where Adrienne got her "Robert Kardashian" tat. We already knew where Rob's "Adrienne Bailon" tat was.)

I think Adrienne and Rob make the cutest couple. Anyway, I thought I'd share what she had to say about what she likes to put on her enviable bod when we last spoke. Plus, some of her Kardashiantics.

AIW: The last time we talked you mentioned that you had just gotten Heidi Klum's skincare line. How did you like it?

AB: I actually gave it to my sister as a gift and she loves it! I think it was the moisturizer that she was obsessed with.

AIW: I know you and the Kardashian girls wear a lot of the same things. How do you explain that?

AB: Well, mainly it's Kourtney and I. Kourtney and I have the exact same style and we're the same size. Certain things look good on our bodies because we have very similar bodies. And we shop at Dash.

AIW: Do you shop together?

AB: Yeah, all the time! Kourntey actually is my stylist on some things so I literally would have borrowed some clothes from her. We like borrow each other's clothes. So a lot of the times people may see us in the same thing, but really it's the same item. She was wearing my dress that week and then I wore it the next week. We're like sisters.

AIW: What's something Kourtney owns that you love?

AB: Kourtney has the most amazing vintage Chanel belt that was actually Kris', her mom's, from like back in the day and it's amazing. I try to rob it from her every time I'm at her house. I try to walk out with it.

AIW: I recently caught the special where Rob slaps you!

AB: That was hilarious. That is Rob and I. We're just super stupid like that. We actually did it in Miami to Kim, and it was just for the shock value to see how they would react to it. He's the only boy. Obviously, they would be so furious if they saw their brother smack someone. Their reactions were hilarious and in Miami when we did to--we did it to all the sisters separately--and Khloe actually started fist fighting Rob like socking him in the face. It was pretty crazy. I'm like, "Khloe loves me!" She totally defended me.

AIW: There are so many celebs with fashion lines right now. Whose fashion line is your favorite?

AB: Actually, I love Ghita. Ghita is the clothing line by Kanye West's ex-fiancee, Alexis. I'm obsessed with it. I love Ghita.

AIW: Right! Why do you like her designs?

AB: It's super feminine. Everything fits amazing and she sells extra small.

I Love New York! Seriously!

I can't help it. I love the foolishness that is New York! She has a big personality and even bigger boobs. Lol! She had me crackin' up many a night on her VH1 reality shows and I love her for that.

I met the HBIC last night at the YRB Magazine "How You Rock It" Party.

After our interview (below), I asked to take a photo with her and she said--and I quote--"Oh, you don't even have to ask! She don't even have to ask. She's cool!" Ahh, New York thinks I'm cool : )

AIW: First of all, I love you! I've watched every single episode.

NY: You sat through all that stuff?!

AIW: Hell yeah! Now, who are some of your favorite designers?

NY: It varies. I'm a woman that loves to shop comfortably. Sometimes I go high-end, sometimes you go affordable. So I love Bebe. I love Gabbana and Gucci. I have a couple of Prada things and I love Jimmy Choo. I love that stuff.

AIW: I know you love matching your eye makeup to your outfits...

NY: I do love my eye makeup, but I'm the type of woman that I believe if you're gonna buy those expensive items only if you deserve it. I only buy something expensive if I did good in an area in life. I don't wanna break the bank every time I go shopping.

AIW: What makeup do you use?

NY: Oh my goodness, MAC! I swear by MAC and Bobby Brown and some days I like to use Bare Essentials.

AIW: So you love shoes. Do you prefer shoes over handbags?

NY: You know what? I'm so lazy! I hate taking the stuff out of my handbag. I might rock a handbag for a very long time because I don't wanna take all the stuff out of my purse so I'm definitely a shoe girl.

AIW: I know you're pursuing an acting career. Who's your dream leading man?

NY: It's so funny that you ask that because one morning I woke up and it was on Media Takeout that I was doing a movie with Will Smith. I'm like, "Why can't this rumor come true?" Anybody like that. I love Denzel Washington, Will Smith...there's so many guys I'd like to work with.

AIW: Are we going to see you on VH1 again anytime soon?

NY: They're like my family. That was my start. But you know I'm really looking forward to doing the movie thing, but you never know maybe I'll be back on VH1. As of right now, New York does Hollywood.

Guess that Kardashian!

That's a Kardashian alright, but it ain't Kim...it's Khloe! Miss thing's figure is on point!!! But more on that later...

Khloe is a sweet heart! The first time I saw her was at a Kanye West after party. She was there with sis Kim, damn-near-sister-in-law Adrienne and brother Rob. I tried to interview Kim. I asked her, "What's your favorite steal?" and she said, "Um...." *poses for a photographer* "Anything on eBay." Then, she proceeded to go inside. (I still love Kim though. She talked to me for a whole five minutes at the Ultimat Vodka Kickoff at Kress. She didn't talk to anyone else that night! So she more than made up for it. Click here to read that story.)

Next thing I knew, I see Khloe about to zip by past me to follow her. And I'm like, "Khloe you have to talk to me." She says, "I can't. I have to go with them. But you can walk with me." Ever since then, she's held a special place in my heart. Even though I didn't really get anything from her that night because it was so loud in the party, I really appreciated how nice she was.

I managed to track down her publicist and schedule an interview with her on the phone weeks later. Click here to read that story.

Anyway, tonight I had the great pleasure of seeing my girl yet again at the YRB Magazine "How You Rock it Event." Here's us catching up:

AIW: Hey, Khloe! Do you remember me? I spoke with you on the phone for The Style Network?

KK: Oh yeah! How are you?!

AIW: Good! It's great to see you again.

KK: It's so funny. I was on my way back from a DUI class.

AIW: That didn't even break yet. I wouldn't have asked you about it anyway.

KK: Oh, girl I don't care!

AIW: You look A-mazing! I know we talked about you getting fit and everything, but you must've gone into overdrive since we last talked.

KK: I've been doing the same thing. I've been working out really hard.

AIW: Your silhouette is amazing!

KK: Thank you!!! I've been working out really hard. Just trying to get in shape. It's a struggle every single day. My weight always fluctuates. The point is that I don't get discouraged. I always try. I still kind of eat what I want, but I eat small portions and I try to indulge in healthy foods as best I can.

AIW: It looks like you're keeping up your natural hair color.

KK: Yeah, it's kind of coming through. I haven't colored it in forever. But I really want to dye it back dark again. I might break and do that.

AIW: Kim has totally changed up her style.

KK: Yeah! Isn't she amazing?

AIW: You look a little bit conservative, but still sexy right now. Are you trying to go that route as well?

KK: The older we get, we all evolve. And when kind of one of us does it, we all hang out so much that we slowly do it even though we don't want to. It's weird. But yeah, I'm still young. I'm 24. So I still want to be a little sexy. I'm wearing a sexy fitted turtleneck.

AIW: Who are you wearing?

KK: I have no idea. There's no tag in it. This was actually older. It was to the floor and I got it cut. So I recycle clothes.

AIW: What about your shoes?

KK: They're Fendi and Lia Sophia jewelry.

AIW: Are you still trying to pursue an acting career?

KK: I've been doing hosting. I'm going to be hosting for MSN on Monday and Tuesday for Dancing with the Stars. It's going to be really cool. So I'm excited about that.

AIW: Is Adrienne and Rob still engaged?

KK: They’ve never been engaged, but they’re still together. They live together.

AIW: How is Adrienne and the whole family doing during this hard time?

KK: I love Adrienne. She’s really become like a sister to us. We love and adore her. We’ve all been through stuff, every single one of us and we’re there for each other. I love her. They were her pictures and someone stole them. Everybody does it. And they weren’t…She was in a bra. I don’t know. I don’t really see it as being a horrible thing. We’ve all been through it all. So it’s only another thing to bring us closer together. We’re there for her no matter what. She’s a great person.

Speidi Bring The Hills to Me!

Okay, I'm a huge fan of The Hills. I've always defended it saying, "It's not scripted. They just do re-takes if they didn't get something." The whole re-take thing never really bothered me because, as I would explain to the skeptics, they were just living their lives and only did things over for the sake of the show.

I even had this long-running joke between my boyfriend and I where we would yell "cut" whenever he or I said something crazy or funny and say, "Sorry, we have to do that again. The cameras didn't get it." And then we'd go back in the moment and repeat what was said. Lol!

Anyway, my tune changed when I came face-to-face with Speidi at Kress. There they were followed by an MTV camera crew being filmed walking into the restaurant. No problem. That's normal. In between filming, I approached Heidi asking for a quick interview. We talked a little about fashion. Then, one of the producers asked if we could continue when filming was done. He said they'd film the last scenes on the roof--where the Ultimat Vodka launch party was going on--so I should try to catch her there. Fine. But what was up with all this "directing?" Final location: Roof. Hmm...suspect!

When I made it up to the roof, I saw Brent Bolthouse a.k.a Heidi's former boss. He had fired Heidi in the most recent episode and his company was conveniently in charge of throwing the party. I immediately knew there was going to be some kind of confrontation. Next thing I knew, a different producer went to Brent and said, "Okay, when Heidi and Spencer come up, you have to be at a certain spot." Ugh! That did it right there. I watched as Spencer confronted Brent then go back to the corner where the camera crew and Heidi were waiting around until it was time to shoot another scene. That's pretty much how it was the rest of the night.

Oh well, I'm still glued to my set on Monday nights. And yay for a 5th season!

I didn't get another chance to speak to Heidi (they finally wrapped at around midnight or past that), but here's what I got from her earlier that night:


AIW: What's your style like?

HM: I like everything. I like to change it up. I like classic. I like sexy. I like fun. I like to mix it up.

AIW: Who are some of your favorite designers?

HM: I love Chloe. I love Stella McCartney. I love Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano. There are so many.

AIW: Zebra print was a big part of your fashion line with Anchor Blue. Why was that?

HM: I just thought it was fun. It thought it was something that no one's really done yet.

Jenna Jameson, Is That You?

Nope! That's ex-DK member Aubrey O'Day at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Miami. If she had never met BFF Kim Kardashian, I'd still have my DK!

Here's how I choose to remember Auburella: Best friend to Aundrea Fimbres, sweet, genuine...and, oh yeah, pre-nose/boob job and lip injections.

"I don't think I've ever had anyone in my life that's been so opposite from me, but been so perfect."

Beyonce Recognizes Real

"[Brandy] is a great singer. I love her vocal arrangements. I love the lyrics."
--Beyonce

Correction!: Brandy is the greatest singer. She has the sickest vocal arrangements in the game. And her lyrics are fire!

Anyone who knows me knows I love Brandy! So it pleases me to no end to see that Beyonce gave it up to the true Queen B by including Brandy's song "Focus" on her iTunes playlist.

With no further ado...

No Mirrors in Lisa Edelstein's House?

House star Lisa Edelstein probably should've checked out a mirror before leaving, well, home to attend the 15th Annual Lint Roller Party.

I'm all for wearing whatever the hell you want, but not when you're a high-profile celeb on the red carpet. Perhaps if her Michelle Mason jacket was long enough to cover her funky Katie Rodriguez shift, the look would've worked.

"I dress the way I feel," she explained to me. Well, she must not have felt like herself that night looking the way she did.

Not only did I mistake her for Katey Segal from afar, but a fellow reporter, whose sole purpose for attending the event was to get some House scoop, failed to even recognize the actress and completely ignored her!

But there was one person who had no trouble identifying the mystery woman.

"I love House!" raved Emmy Rossum, who trailed Dr. Cuddy on the red carpet. "I haven't met her, but I was super excited to just see her. I was like, 'Ahhh! She has a dog just like me. We can be friends!'"

I guess you had to have been a real fan of Lisa's to see past the crazy lady chic outfit.

"I Love Her 'Cause She Got Her Own..."

So Ne-Yo has a song called Miss Independent where he bigs up all the HBIC's--head bithces in charge--out there. In it, he has a line that goes: "She got her own thing. That's why I love her." When my boyfriend heard it, he started hating on that line. Of course, he was frontin' 'cause that's how I be. Lol!

Next thing I know, Ne-Yo puts out a remix of the song with Jamie Foxx and Loso called She got her own. Every other line is: "I love her 'cause she got her own." I'm all for it, but it's just funny to me considering the fact that it blows up the one line that irked my boyfriend.

Anyway, it's one of my fave songs out right now. But why couldn't they have gotten any A-list chicks for the damn video? Jill Marie Jones and Teyana?! Really, Ne-Yo? How did their non-working asses get on...oh, answered my damn question!

Introducing Crystal Rock Audigier!

That blonde cutie on the left may seem like a regular ol' gal, but she's not! That's Christian Audigier's daughter, Crystal, who just came out with her own line of eco-friendly yet equally colorful line of apparel called Crystal Rock. Did I mention that she's only 15?! Russian designer 16-year-old Kira Plastinina better watch out!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Crystal at her boutique on Melrose this evening and I must say: The girl is a sweetheart! She was super nice and very approachable. Not at all what you would expect from someone in her privileged position.

A couple of tidbits: The prodigy goes to Beverly Hills High--yes, she loves the new 90210; MTV was inside the boutique filming for Crystal's upcoming My Super Sweet Sixteen.

Enjoy these rather bright pics from the event. I am in love with those pink studded leggings!:

Emmy Wins in My Book!

Emmy Rossum is one of my favorite fashionistas to watch. She's just so classy, which is refreshing. Plus, she has one of the most exquisite faces I've ever seen.

When I first interviewed Emmy at the 3.1 Phillip Lim Los Angeles store opening this past summer, she was very gracious and seemed totally unaffected by the craziness that is Hollywood.

Just how I imagined she would be!

She was the same way at the 15th Annual Lint Roller Party. She wore an elegant Dolce & Gabbana frock and Jimmy Choo shoes. Her sweater-clad pooch made for the most adorable accessory.

The starlet had to rush inside, but she did tell me that her absolute fave color to dress up in is pink and that her musical inspirations include Ray LaMontagne, Cilla and Gem. She's also a big fan of House--and guess what? Lisa Edelstein was there! Stay tuned for what she had to say about that!


UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that the pic I posted of Emmy doesn't show her face, which is problematic since I was all raving about how gorgeous she was. So, above is a beauty shot of the girl. Isn't she something? That's how I imagine Greek goddesses looked like. (Click the image to see a bigger pic.)

Stephanie Tanner Says the Olsen Twins have Bag Lady Chic in the, Well, Bag!

As promised, here's what Jodie Sweetin b.k.a. Stephanie Tanner had to say about Mary Kate and Ashley's unique style at the 15th Annual Lint Roller Party.

"They have a very distinct style and with their book and everything, I think it's amazing what they've done with their fashion sense and their ability. A lot of people don't like it, but I think that their able to pull it off. They own that look and they just make it work. That is style to me. Whatever you choose to wear, just pick it and make it work."

Amen to that!

On a side note, it was really nice to see Jodie looking happy and healthy at the event in her aqua David Meister satin sheath--and not a hot mess on MTV's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew if you know what I'm saying!

Good Day Wonderland!

Tonight I attended the 15th Annual Lint Roller Party Presented by The Best Friends Animal Society where I met one of my favorite TV personalities ever: Jillian Barberie-Reynolds! I love her. I've been watching her, Steve Edwards and Dorothy Lucey on Good Day LA since I was in grade school--you know, back in the day when her and Dorothy hated each other?!

It was so obvious, and a slight bit uncomfortable to watch at times. Over the years, the girls got past their differences--I seriously considered asking Jilli about what that beef was about (probably just women being women), but decided against it (not for our first meeting anyway)--which made me supremely happy! Because to be perfectly honest, as entertaining as it is to see the drama between frenemies go down, I'm all about sisterly love. Paris and Nicole's and Lauren and Heidi's reunions? I ate that shit up!

Aside from the obvious fact that Jilli is an ardent animal lover, another thing you should know is that she has some Auberella in her. In other words, she's a white chick who's very much into rap and all things black. She has the reverse Michael Jackson complex, basically! I remember getting a kick out of her over emphasizing how much she loved Warren G or Dave Chapelle at six in the morning--I'm telling you, catching that foolishness woke me up faster than a cup of coffee ever would!

For all the Valley girls like myself (geographically speaking--I'm so not a Valley girl in any way, shape or form!), I asked the lovely Jilli about her fave hot spots in the area, fashion and beauty...and I couldn't help but throw in a question about hip hop at the very end.

AIW: What are some of your favorite hot spots in the Valley?

JBR: Well, obviously, The Commons is always good. I love going to The Commons. I don't do the East Valley a lot; I do the West Valley. So I'm always in Calabasas. There's Dash, obviously. There's Lisa Rinna's store, Belle Gray. Those are my favorites.

AIW: Do you have any favorite restaurants there?

JBR: I wish there were more! Sol y Luna is a great Mexican restaurant right there in Tarzana. Thank God! And we go to Ruth's Chris. We love steak so we go to Ruth's Chris.

AIW: Whose celebrity closet would you love to raid?

JBR: Probably Heidi Klum because she kinda has it down. I love the way she dresses with three kids. I don't think she has a ton of nannies running around, but she always look so pulled together. Because I don't have a nanny, I know how hard it is just to get yourself ready, it's not easy.

AIW: You've had a lot of guest celebrity anchors fill in on the show. Which celebrity would you love to see delivering the news beside you next?

JBR: Oh my gosh. There's so many! We had Wayne Brady on the show today. I think Wayne would be amazing. Female? Maria Menounos. She's a good friend of mine. She would be amazing.

AIW: Are there any rap albums that you know all the words to?

JBR: Probably, anything by N.W.A. I'm obsessed with N.W.A. and Snoop Dogg, but probably The Chronic. I know all the words to it.

Okay, it's late! More on the event tomorrow, including what Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner) thinks about the Olsen twins' bag lady chic movement.