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DJ Cassidy

I don't know many men who can rock this rosy a hue and still look properly fine but, from the reaction of every lady in the crowd when DJ Cassidy and his crew hopped on stage, I wasn't the only one who found him fetching. The host with the most friends I've ever seen certainly set a stylish tone to his 27th Birthday celebration. And the celebrations were serious.

The Retro Kids were the first to hit the dance floor and had me holding back from hijacking their A-Mazing get-ups, while Tokyo and other member from her Juice Crew were making me see visions of a sea voyage, and I really really liked it (what's new -- I like most of what the Juice Crew does). I watched as bounty of chic girls and styled-up guys mingled with (or ogled at) a very popular Russell Simmons, and gazed a bit fawningly at the ever adorable Maxwell as he hit the floor.

The songs were tight all night and so danceable that we all forgot the heat, though some of us looked better while sweating to the soundtrack than others. My new DJ darling Miss Mia Moretti kept her cool all evening as did the disturbingly pretty Doutzen Kroes. I cannot say the same for myself. Nor for Diddy, who appeared slightly hot and bothered though very on point in his military-esque leather jacket when he breezed past us on our way out the door.

Happy Birthday Cassidy -- keep up the playing, the parties and the pink!

The PAPERMAG crew made the rounds at the opening of the Empire Hotel's new rooftop pool bar a few weeks back, but we thought we'd give the Pool Deck a proper shout out now that the summer roof bar season is in full swing. Once a single-room-occupancy hotel, the Empire Hotel underwent a major renovation last year. Its most recent addition is a bi-level 12th floor deck with a swimming pool and cabanas upstairs for hotel guests only, but on the lower level a bar, two terraces are open to the riffraff. It will also soon house the restaurant Center Cut from Jeffrey Chodorow. A terrace facing west offers a nice bird's eye view of Lincoln Center and includes a retractable roof for unagreeable conditions. The real treats, however, are the hotel's original red neon signs towering above the east terrace and casting their retro glow across the clean lined tables and lounge chairs. Summery quaffs make up the drink menu, including a number called the Malibu Cabana, made with Bacardi Coco, pineapple juice, Malibu, and Myers Dark rum ($15) and the subtler Sanderson Martini concocted of citrus vodka, apple juice and blended grapes and cucumbers ($16.) Until Center Cut's up and running, make do with a bar menu of small plate items that sounded more outlandish than the bottle service prices, namely a Foie Gras PB&J, with strawberry jam on toasted French bread ($15 -- take note David Burke & Donatella's!) and Millionaire's Devilled Eggs, topped with black truffles, caviar, and gold leaf ($15.) Overall, the Pool Deck is worth the schlep to the Upper West Side. It's an excellent after work spot for grown ups, an ideal local for showing off in front of out-of-town visitors and, if you've got a room (or are stealthy enough), to go for a dip.

The Pool Deck at the Empire Hotel
44 W. 63rd St.
(212) 265-7400

Photo at top courtesy of Empire Hotel and photo at bottom by Caroline Torem Craig

Bees are disappearing at a rapid speed and the ever-aware and awfully clever Derrick Cruz of Blacksheep and Prodigal Sons wants you to know, so he curated a heartstopping collection of works by talented artists and artisans around town and threw a killer party in support of our buzzing buddies and the creations they've inspired.

Earnest Sewn's Washington Street store is always a feasty treat for my senses but under the direction of Carlos Quirarte the beat-up boutique evolved into a sophisticated showcase, though for most of the evening it was too packed to get a proper look.

My fave works included a stunning, earthy and intricate installation featuring delicate branches against other-worldly objects by Mr. Ryder E. Robison, and an out-of-control Willy Wonka meets the Dark Crystal collection of confectionery cleverness by my good friends at Papabubble. In a true salute to the guests of honor, the candy-creators used sweets as their medium and made remarkable geometric sculptures, the majority of which contained solid gold necklaces suspended in liquefied sugar. If you are wondering what the hell I'm talking about don't worry, you can go and see all the bee-autiful goodness yourself as the exhibition continues throughout the month. It's well worth tempting yourself with the divine denim dangers of the shop to see these seriously stunning tributes.

A NEW HIVE
Earnest Sewn
821 Washington St.
(212) 242-3414

One of my fave NYC chicks, Dani Stahl designs a too too divine jewelry collection for Lia Sophia. The latest Lia Sophia collection is being feted this weekend at the Project Beach House in Malibu with a private dinner on Saturday and a clambake on Sunday hosted by Dani, Tory and Elena Kiam, Jessica Meisels and Gregory Link.

Chile, Ms. Bevy is tired! I just touched down off my good ole Jet Blue flight from the Big Easy aka “Nawlins” aka home of the only rapper that can still sell records, Lil Wayne!!!! New Orleans is a magical place; yes it’s humid, hot and stinky in the summertime, but all that is an afterthought once you get into the culture of the city! New Orleans will feed you, offering sustenance for your stomach and your soul. Only a fool wouldn’t take it! From $2 beignets at Café Du Monde to gourmet dining at Emeril Legrasse’s Delmonico’s (thanks Joanna) you can’t help but eat until you are about to bust! Once your belly is poking out like you’re six months pregnant with a “stranger’s baby” (I promise to explain later) you are ready to dance off your shrimp/catfish “po boy” with some good music!!!

Which brings me to why I was actually in N.O.L.A. I was partaking in the most incredible music festival I’ve ever attended, the Essence Music Festival! Imagine tens of thousands of people in the Superdome (yes, the same one from Katrina, these are resilient people) partying to Rihanna, Mary J Blige, Chris Brown, Patti LaBelle (with a LaBelle reunion -- Ms. Patti may have fierce shoes but Nona Hendryx has got a fierce ass!), Jill Scott, Kanye and perennial favorite Frankie Beverly and Maze (they closed the festival and the entire place did the electric slide -- it’s electric boogie woogie woogie!). Whew, doesn’t that sound like a ki-ki good time? Well, that was just a sampler, kind of like the seafood platter at Acme Oyster House -- you have a little bit of this and a whole lot of that and it is so good you still want more!

The best is yet to come, but I must unpack my Hurricane drink mix (kind of like Kool Aid except that I add Hennessy for that extra kick!) that I purchased at the Walgreen’s on Canal Street and make myself a cold one! In New Orleans I started drinking around 10 a.m. and didn’t stop until 6 the next morning, so I’m well past my deadline! That explains why I felt so connected to a few of the lyrics from Lil’ Wayne’s smash hit “Lollipop.” “Shawty wanna thug, bottles in the club” -- that was definitely my mantra for the weekend! Now that’s all “shawty” is going to say about it for now, but once I feel more like my “Big Bevy in the Big Easy” self, I will post more of the sordid details, promise!

I was just browsing one of my favorite theater news-related sites Theatermania.com and saw that the upcoming season of Playwrights Horizons sounds fabulous! Not to say that most of their seasons don't -- they really know what's up when it comes to quality stage productions such as Grey Gardens which was transferred to Broadway after opening at Horizons two years ago. Opening in November the legendary Victoria Clark (Light in the Piazza, Encores! production of Follies), Jonathan Groff and Skip Sudduth will star in Craig Lucas's new play Prayer for My Enemy which will be directed by the recent Tony-winner for the direction of South Pacific Bartlett Sher. Will be interesting to see these musical theater pros speaking instead of singing.

The season opens on Aug. 22nd with a play called Three Changes starring small screen stars Dylan McDermott and Maura Tierney. On Sept. 25th Adam Rapp will be directing his new play Kindness starring Sam Waterston's daughter Katherine Waterston. In February stage and film character actress extraordinaire Dana Ivey will star in The Savannah Disputation directed by Tony winner (for his direction of the revival of Chicago) and all-around Broadway success story Walter Bobbie.

Visit www.playwrightshorizons.org for more info.

Pictured above is Jonathan Groff at this year's Obie Awards. Photo courtesy of theatermania.com

As of today it will be much easier for all you Brooklynites and/or Times Square-a-phobes to satisfy your theatrical cravings when a new TKTS booth opens in Downtown Brooklyn on Jay and Myrtle Streets on the ground floor of the MetroTech Center. Just like the booths in Times Square and the South Street Seaport, they will sell discount tickets up to 50 percent off for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows as well as music and dance performances and Brooklyn performing arts events. The booth will be open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays selling tickets for same night and next day performances. Since most tourists won't make the trek I bet this location will be much more pleasant -- you could get your tickets to Gypsy and be back in time to grab a drink and laugh at the long sweaty line of people in Times Square hoping to get that last ticket to Thurgood.

Photo from gowanuslounge.com

1. We were just browsing through Built By Wendy's online shop, when we were like, "is that... could it be... is it??" and then were like, "it is! it's Bobby Tisdale!" Bobby Tisdale is one of our favorite stand-up comics (if you've never seen him do his thing, go see him!), and has joined the ranks of former BBW models Robin Tunney and David Cross. He actually looks kind of dashing!

2. Remember how Converse commissioned Pharrell, Julian Casablancas and Santogold to collaborate on a song called "My Drive Thru" and it was pretty awesome? Well the whole thing just got a little awesomer with the release of this animated music video. Check it out -- it's streaming at converse.com.

3. Exciting news: This Friday, 7-Eleven stores are celebrating their 81st birthday by giving customers a free Slurpee. On the same day, they'll be introducing the first Slurpee energy drink, Black Ice. Apparently, the drink is black, which is kind of creepy.

4. According to NME.com, Albert Hammond Jr. went on the record saying that The Strokes are "definitely figuring out something to do for 2009."

5. On July 16 at 7 p.m., James Frey and Terry Richardson will be chatting with John McWhinnie at The Strand about their new collab, Wives, Wheels, Weapons. The book takes three stories from Frey's recently released (and much praised) Bright Shiny Morning and pairs them with photographs by Terry Richardson.

The experience of stepping through the unmarked basement door at Kyo Ya is so transporting it's like something out of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, as Seventh Street's gritty tenements melt away into a sleek, Kyoto hideaway. Curving cherrywood-slatted walls gleam throughout the space, furnished with less than a dozen tables, a bar and a chef's counter. The 10-course kaiseki menu is what draws lovers of genuine Japanese cuisine, but if you haven't called at least a day ahead, you can forget about enjoying it. Ordering a la carte is no less authentic, though, especially if you simply pick a price range and put yourself in the staff's capable hands. You might end up with gloriously fresh sashimi ($MP) like delicate pink snapper or a buttery Tasmanian salmon, or crisp and tender fresh bamboo shoots ($9) that will make you sorry that you've ever experienced the canned version. Sweet baby eggplant ($9) may very well change your view on that veggie, too, and goma tofu ($8.50) avidly adopts flavor from a potent dashi broth. Bozushi ($18), a house specialty meaning "pressed sushi," is flattened, then rolled around rice, garnished with seasoning and poised to become the next big trend in town. The mackerel version came with a lacing of ginger and a thin layer of kelp. Sea eel ($12), lightly fried and served in dashi, tasted meatier than expected, and the miso black cod ($28) was as sweet and silky as you can hope. The quiet, cozy interior, carefully-executed cuisine and loyal clientele makes walking in here near impossible. No wonder fans want to keep it in its Narnian closet.

Kyo Ya
94 E. 7th St.
(212) 982-4140

photo from sortednyc

It was a good old fashioned love-in last night in the Meatpacking District, as Theory teamed up with the Public Theater to present a smashing preview of their upcoming Central Park production of Hair. The front porch of the Theory store, on the corner of Gansevoort and Greenwich, was transformed into a veritable Age-of-Aquarius-style love fest as guests (the crowd was fashion and theater heavy -- think Vogue editors and Broadway stars) sat on the ground on colorful carpet "dots" and swayed their arms to classics like "Aquarius," "Black Boys," "White Boys," and of course, "Hair." And it all seemed very relevant considering the current state of political and global affairs; indeed, after the emcee declared our current war "illegal," the crowd responding by roaring with applause.

Eurosleaze rarity Papaya Love Goddess of the Cannibals (that even I had never heard of) by Italian cult fave Joe D'Amato is now out on DVD. This 1978 film by D'Amato was made at the height of when he cranked out some his most shocking classics -- like Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, Anthropophogous, Beyond the Darkness, Erotic Adventures of the Living Dead, etc. D'Amato (whose real name was Aristede Massaccesi and died in 1999) was a legend for those of us who like our exploitation rough, and this one has its share of shocks.

The movie, originally titled Caribbean Papaya, opens with the lovely native Papaya (Melissa Chimenti) making love to a man and then biting off his penis. She's part of a group of nationalists apposed to industry coming in and ruining their island. A female reporter (Sirpa Lane) and a man building a nuclear power facility (Maurice Poli) are captured by Papaya and her gang and are forced to witness the hilarious "disco cannibal blood orgy" that is promised on the DVD box. There's lots of soft-core sex and various other weirdnesses and while it doesn't have the impact of the director's memorable Porno Holocaust (which featured a mutant killer native with a giant penis roaming an island), it's still great fun to watch a movie that none of us ever expected to lay our hands on from this great Italian maestro of cinematic sleaze.

The other night, French luxury handbag line Longchamp celebrated 60 years of Paris-based purse perfection with a shindig that brought the kids out in spades. Take a peak at some of the stylish Longchampaphiles.

Dianne Brill was the It girl to end all It girls -- save for Madonna -- during the 80s. She was what people called "the babe who's everywhere" -- at parties with Andy Warhol, on the runway at Thierry Mugler couture shows, on the silver screen in The Slaves of New York. Just like the decade she ruled, her look was excessive. She was busty, sultry and her shinier-than-diamond platinum preceded Madonna's Blonde-Ambition-ponytail. No dumb-blonde, Dianne took her assets very seriously, like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl. In the early '90s she also wrote a book titled "Boobs, Boys and High Heels: Or How to Get Dressed in Just Under Six Hours" -- D was never one for subtlety! Now she's a very successful business woman with her own cosmetics line. She calls everything something unmentionable like "eye lingerie" instead of eye shadow, "negligee for your lips" for lipstick, and a mascara is of course "bra & panties." I mean, she's a visionary! And she's obsessed with pearls that she puts fresh water pearl powder in all her face products from foundation to concealer.

Here's a clip of D giving tips on how to be the babe you were always meant to be. She's equal measures Jayne Mansfield and Avon lady. Watch the part where she tells you how to kiss a boy. It will give you the chills!

1. Set your TiVos! Feist is set to guest-star on the (39th!) season premiere of Sesame Street on August 11th. In addition to the Canadian chanteuse, other notables such as Will Arnett, Jessica Alba, David Beckham, Heidi Klum, Neil Patrick Harris and Jack Black will be stopping by the Street. And according to a press release we received, "Sesame Street continues in its play on pop culture with all new parodies including: 30 Rocks, Pre-School Musical and Are You Smarter Than an Egg Layer."

2. Stop by Santos' Party House tonight and be sure to look extra cute -- the stylish trio behind Opening Ceremony (Humberto, Carol and Olivia) will be DJ-ing.

3. Apparently, former SNL-ster Chris Kattan got married over the weekend to model Sunshine Tutt near Yosemite Park. Check out the photo above from the wedding -- that's a cavalcade of comic cuties if we've ever seen one!

4. Spike Lee will be filming the July 19th performance of Passing Strange. According to theatermania, "distribution for the film, to be produced by Steven Klein -- one of the show's producers and an investment banker -- has yet to be secured, though all options, including cable television are being explored."

5. Currently rocking our world: this photo of a bacon burger on a donut!

The new 3D version of Journey to the Center of the Earth opens Friday and I have to admit, the 3D is pretty terrific. I'm just a sucker for 3D anyway... ever since I saw Vincent Price swinging into Carolyn Jones' room in 3D in House of Wax when I was a kid and cowered in my seat I've been hooked. I'll see anything in 3D -- and have. I remember the monster's hands outstretched in Creature From the Black Lagoon... the falling rocks in It Came From Outer Space... the liver on the end of the stake jutting over my head in Andy Warhol's Frankenstein.... Demi Moore in 3D in Parasite.... those bountiful girls in The Stewardesses.... even Jason and Freddie in 3D in Friday the 13th 3D and Freddy's Dead....

Journey to the Center of the Earth is basically a kid's movie -- with the likable Brendan Fraser as Trevor, a scientist who travels with his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) to Iceland where they team up with hottie guide Hannah (Anita Briem) to follow clues left by Trevor's missing brother. It's based on the supposition that the Jules Verne book was actually a secret code to an actual map to the center of the earth. A rock slide and a long fall down a crater leads them to this mythical kingdom and there are dinosaurs, creepy flying fish and giant venus fly traps to satisfy the kid in all of us. Directed by visual effects man Eric Brevig, the 3D is pretty wonderful. Based on the Fusion System -- a state-of-the-art camera rig developed by filmmaker James Cameron which is more portable -- the effects are just eye-popping and thrilling. Having Brendan Fraser just brushing his teeth and spitting into the camera is a hoot and a dinosaur's spittle flying into your face is enough to have you squealing with delight. The movie is lightweight and sweet, but I had a great time with the glasses. So grab a bunch of kids (or just steal some) and head to the theater Friday to see the movie.

At the end of June, unbeknownst to many, the spring ‘09 menswear shows took place in Milan and then in Paris the following week. Menswear as a whole is becoming more important; men are buying more designer clothing and accessories than ever and they are aware of luxury brands like they never have been before, and over the last three years we have witnessed the birth of many houses' men’s lines. The men’s shows are the first shows of each season -- they begin just before couture and more than two months before the women's ready to wear -- and as a result, their role is that of a barometer for where the upcoming season may be headed.

Over the next weeks I'll bring you my take on SS09 men’s collections, with reviews of the shows that I think are the best or most influential.

To begin, I will tackle the Calvin Klein Collection. The Calvin Klein brand has many different facets to it, and the Collection line is CK’s high-end offering designed by Italo Zucchelli. I'm sort of feeling a Calvin Klein moment coming on lately with minimalist fashion looking fresh for the street again. Something that I like about this collection is its blend of all-American jock and Euro-futuro looks.

I was loving the embossed stars and stripes T-shirts and the football shorts, and not so loving the not-so-new neon suits and the black and white suit parade, which I feel the kids were all over this time last year. But the full color look was sweet in a glacier blue.

The collection was nicely styled and made one think that knickerbockers are totally normal (they are not; they are unusual) and look great with a sweatshirt (which they seem to). Enjoy my top five looks from Calvin Klein’s Collection Spring ’09.

Totally Rad: New York in the 80s
Take a journey back to a New York City where every other storefront wasn't a bank and downtown wasn't overrun with frat boys at Paul Kasmin, which boasts a gallery full of paintings, sculptures and works on paper from our favorite rose-tinted, fetishized art decade. It’s not just a group exhibition, but rather the group, with artists including Cindy Sherman, Robert Longo, Jeff Koons, Kenny Scharf, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. You might be considered totally not rad if you miss it.
Paul Kasmin Gallery, 293 Tenth Ave., (212) 563-4474. Opening private view July 10, 6–8 p.m. Through Aug. 22.

Pretty Ugly
Not only is beauty in the eye of the beholder, but apparently, so is ugliness -- and perhaps both can be reversed. “Pretty” and “ugly” have been in flux since the beginning of time, and this group exhibition naturally challenges our established notions of the concepts until our perceptions of aesthetics are virtually ambiguous. A marvelous notion, but good luck applying it to the exhibition’s poster image: an even-more-distorted-than-usual four-eyed Michael Jackson clutching the slimy claw-hand of E.T.
Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, 620 Greenwich St., (212) 627-5258, and Maccarone, 630 Greenwich St., (212) 431-4977. July 10–Aug. 29.

The Shallow Curator
Finally, an exhibit that lets us relax and do exactly what we want to during the summer: not think too hard. Per the press release, these isolated pieces -- fashion sketches by painter-turned-designer George McCracken, photographs of canines shredding fine handbags by product photographer Gisel Florez -- are deemed “intellectual cul-de-sacs.” Perfect! Appreciate the aesthetics, the artists’ sense of style, and then leave, feeling only refreshed and ready for, say, a brew, some shopping or an outdoor concert.
Winkleman Gallery, 637 W. 27th St., (212) 643-3152. Opening reception July 11, 6–8 p.m. Through Aug. 15.

It band Young Lords host this weekly Saturday night dance party at Home Sweet Home, drawing a very stylish brit fashion crowd, including VPL's Victoria Bartlett and designer Darryl Kerrigan, who let off steam on the small dance floor. It's a great place to see different fashion-forward looks and hear unique dance music. This strange bar is off the beaten path, and the crowd remained very cool early in the evening, until around 1 a.m. when bridge and tunnel type hipsters packed the place. Then the cool crowd left.

The stage will be star-studded this fall with big name celebrities flocking to up their theater cred on Broadway and the West-End. Some of the names you can see here and abroad are:

Jeremy Piven playing a producer torn between making art or making money in a Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Speed the Plow. The original production starred Madonna in 1988.

Peter Sarsgaard will be making his Broadway debut alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Zoe Kazan in Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull about a bunch of artists living on a Russian estate -- and well, use your imagination about what happens there.

Katie Holmes will attempt to revive her career in the revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons also starring fellow screen stars -– but not stage strangers, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and John Lithgow.

Weeds star Hunter Parrish (he plays the hotter and older of Nancy's two sons) will be making his Broadway debut as the lead, Melchior, in Spring Awakening. He takes over for Jonathan Groff.

Hottie Josh Hartnett will be starring in the London production of the new stage adaption of Rainman. He’ll play the Tom Cruise role of course, and X-Files actress Gillian Anderson will also be seen on the West End this spring in a production of A Doll’s House.

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The gays can get hitched in Cali (Yipee!), yet all the hotties I want to tie the knot with are straight as an arrow and married! Oh well. Here’s my list of ten socialite husbands I want to take homo on the range.

Jon Ylvisaker, husband of Eleanor Lembo Ylvisaker (Meet me in the john, Jon.)

Josh Gruss, husband of Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss (I want to get my Gruss on)

Brook Taube, husband of Ferebee Bishop Taube (I’ll swim in that Brook any day.)

Eric Zinterhofer, husband of Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer (I’m hot for the ‘Hof.)

Jamie Beard, husband of Veronica Swanson Beard (Jamie, if you ever need a gay beard, I’m available.)

Cabell Brown, husband of Vanessa Killebrew Brown (Cabell is my sexual Kabbalah.)

Jean-Francois Astier, husband of Jackie Astier (I want to French kiss this Frenchie.)

Chris Cuomo, husband of Cristina Greeven Cuomo (Truly Cuomo-licious)

Euan Rellie, husband of Lucy Sykes (Brits do it better.)

Charles Thompson, husband of Olya Thomas (Hey Charlie –- let’s get a room at 60 Thompson)

Pictured from l to r, Eleanor and Jon Ylvisaker; Josh Gruss and Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss; and Jamie Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard

After eight steadfast years of dressing everyone from Britney to your co-worker sitting next to you in tight-ass, high-wasted jeans -- first on E. 7th St. then at the swankier Kenmore St. digs -- the beloved downtown boutique The Good The Bad & The Ugly is shutting its doors, and quite frankly we're shocked! We're not sure of the reasons why but the email we got gives us some reassurance by saying "No fear, Judi Rosen New York will live on. Stay tuned." True to its character, GBU is going out in style by holding a three-day good-bye blow-out featuring "booze, babes and bargains," and final sales days will be July 11 and 12 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Below are the details on the party schedule.) So run on over there and grab the marked-down goods while they last. This sure does feel like the end of an era. We're all so broken up over the sad news but we wish Judi and her co. all the best and we can't wait to see what the inimitable Judi Rosen's got up her sleeve for the next round!

Friday, July 11
Deep discounts, samples and other goodies from past seasons.
Free champagne & treats provided by Heartschallenger ice cream truck.
DJs Billy and Lil' JR 
 
Saturday, July 12
Heartschallenger ice cream truck
Jams courtesy of J Penry

Sunday, July 13
4-7 p.m.
We’ll be grilling, chilling, and swilling! 
PARTY DOCTORS ARE IN THE HOUSE!! 
Sam Jayne and Ivan Sunshine of Love as Laughter

Having DJed the SVEDKA float in NYC's parade last year, I'm aware of high energy and a turned-out crowd for one of the world's top gay pride parades. And after attending the Eurocup victory fiesta in Barcelona, I thought nothing could top the electricity in the streets of La Rambla. But no one had told me the entire city of Madrid had marked their calendars for the Gay Pride Parade celebration -- and attended!

The world-renown parade in Madrid starts at 6 p.m. (which is actually 7:30 p.m. on Spanish time), and as one of the country's largest festivities, sees more than one million in attendance. We headed down early to check out the scene at the float line-up, and were lucky enough to meet this year's Mr. Gay Pride winner gaying his way through press and afficionados in ass-hugging swim shorts and sash. No doubt he was gorgeous with a tight, hot body and a butt that didn't stop, but that wasn't the only criteria that crowned him the winner. "They judge everything from personality to charm," he told me. "They look for the whole package." Speaking of package...

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We were so taken with Jeffrey Kilmer, the photographer who shot our Bushwick fashion story (check it out in our August issue, on stands later this week), that when he told us that he has a thing for photographing skinny hipster boys he meets while traveling, we thought, now there's a concept we can get behind! So we invited him to share his photos with us on PAPERMAG. Here's the first installment of his regular series, "Kids from My Travels."

NAME: Marlin
AGE: 18
OCCUPATION: Student, studying history and folklore
HOMETOWN: Columbus, OH
PHOTOGRAPHED: In the Short North Arts District in Columbus
FAVORITE COLUMBUS HANG: Kafe Kerouac (2250 N. High Street), one of very few independently owned coffee houses on the OSU campus, the cafe has a lot of character (unlike your typical Starbucks) and is a great place to chill, pretend that you're studying, have a good cup of coffee named after some great writer that was required reading in high school, and see (and hear) some great acts from poetic potlucks to local bands.

NAME: Matt
AGE: 18
OCCUPATION: Tableside chef at Zed451, culinary student
HOMETOWN: Orange County, CA
PHOTOGRAPHED: In he South Loop of Chicago, near his loft
FAVORITE CHICAGO HANG: Tatu Tattoo (1754 North Ave.), this cool little tattoo shop, where I got my first tattoo and piercings. And Sultan's (2057 North Ave.), they have the best falafel in the world, hands down.

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It's no secret that Mr. Mickey loves loves loves Mark Ronson so we don't need much of an excuse to run a photo. Here's Mark wearing a dapper Dolce & Gabbana suit at the Rose Tree Jam. We're not sure what the Rose Tree Jam is but we're sure it's fun.

Looks like a royal wedding in Sweden might be in the works as Crown Princess Victoria's hunky personal trainer boyfriend Daniel Westling is moving into the Palace! Those Scandinavians are so modern!!!

Photo from Hello! Magazine

I worship hats. And I literally lionize the "millinery magician" Stephen Jones and steadfastly refuse to stuff his haute creations into my luggage. Tredging through the airport crowned with bits of his whimsy à la Anna Piaggi or Arden Wohl may send a bizarre signal to homeland security, but any possible ramifications are surely worth saving a chapeau from possible squashage!

While in Paris my inner madhatter had a major samsara upon reading Hint magazine's 'hinterview' with Stephen. I was so inspired by his creative process -- entirely distinct collaborative techniques with Rei Kawakubo (for Comme des Garçons), L'Wren Scott, John Galliano (for his eponymous label and Christian Dior), Giles Deacon and Marc Jacobs -- that I immediately skipped to my loo down la rue Saint-Honoré to Colette and procured this Alice in Wonderland tête trifle.

Sir Jones (has he been knighted yet? he ought to be...) will be fabricating frippery for the forthcoming Coco Before Chanel film starring Audrey Tatou and (fingers crossed!) will accept an offer to design hats for a potential flick about Nico of the Velvet Underground.

Opening at the Cinema Village this week is Eight Miles High, a fascinating look at the wild life of Uschi Obermaier (played with real sex-kitten allure by Natalia Avelon), a German supermodel from the late '60s who lived with a radical group Kommune 1 in Berlin before moving on to rock groupie status with the likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Jimi Hendrix. She eventually moved into a wild customized bus with a real character -- Dieter Bockhorn (David Scheller) -- and traveled around the world with him, living a hedonistic, nomadic life. Director Achim Bornhak based this on Obermaier's sensational autobiography, High Times, and the movie's wild, sexy and fun.

Neal Medlyn is one of downtown’s most talented and flexible performance artists. He played George W. Bush to Karen Finley’s Martha Stewart in Finley’s George & Martha; he has built tragic/comic one-man operas around the songs of Lionel Richie, R. Kelley and Phil Collins; he danced in Adrienne Truscott’s recent hit show at DTW; and he was a sexy, table-hopping rascal in PS 122’s C’est Duckie. He does it all: sings, dances, acts, strips and writes his own shows. His latest endeavor is dedicated to Prince and was co-written and musically arranged by Kenny Mellman (Herb of Kiki & Herb), with choreography by Truscott and drumming by Carmine Covelli.

Hi Neal. So What’s this show all about?
It’s the story of these two characters who meet and fall in love, and I play both characters. And there’s an evil character (played by Carmine Covelli), who tries to break them up. One of my characters becomes really jealous and he ends up trying to kill everybody, and then he descends into Hell and he ends up returning as a Messiah, somehow.

So that’s the story line of the whole show?
Yes. And there’s a live band on stage: Kennie Mellman on piano, Carmine Covelli will play the drums. Adrienne Truscott is choreographing a dream ballet and she will dance it in the show.

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There's Cher in sequins, and then there's Madrid Gay Pride. Hosting more than one million visitors per year, gay pride here has expanded from a homo fete to an iconic, cultural experience. And with good reason. Everyone heads to the Chueca neighborhood for outdoor drunkedness, drunken dancing and some major cruising. However, keeping our wee-wees in our pants, my BFF Matt Bell and I made sure we did some proper sightseeing before the nightly festivities.

While some gays were eager to start early...

Matt and I headed to the famous Plaza Mayor. Obviously this was the highlight of Matt's tour...

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This is a Technicolor dreamgirl whom I recently spotted on Greenwich Street, while hanging out at hair guru Ben Skervin’s annual Gay Pride Day (formerly known as Gay Freedom Day in the ‘80s) blow-out extravaganza. She was like a walking MTV graphic that hit my eyes like a meteorite. Yes, I loved her love of all things rainbow and bright, but it was her neon naughty and nasty nympho paraphernalia that sparked my imagination. Her wicked whip she carried was whimsically wild and wonderfully wacky. She was so on point with her look (check out this shot from John Galliano’s Paris S/S 2009 men’s show from style.com) that I insisted that she crash Ben’s Gay Day fest (note the cocktail in her hand).

Her inspired multi-colored three-haircuts-on-one-head look (she had the perfect rat tail); the gold dokey boner chain around her neck; the bubblegum-pink high top Converse sneakers (they almost felt like go-go boots on her); her cosmo-pink eye shields (sooo St. Mark’s Place) and pink Day-Glo fingertips (sooo Debbie Gibson) were all pure ‘80s magic, the opposite of all the drag queen Dynasty looks that were unleashed on that same Sunday. With all that pink, there wasn’t a triangle to be seen (times have changed), though she did have a rainbow button pinned on, of course. She, in all her glamorous glory, had a posse of at least 20 other brown beauties decked out ‘80s techno-style in tow. You go, candy girls! They almost made you forget how devastating the ‘80s actually were for gays in the wake of the AIDS crisis (RIP Rommel Wilson and David Seidner… fashion misses you).

Tanya D. may have opened the show with an equestrian nod to Gaultier's most recent Hermès RTW collection, but the Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture show soon took a turn for the neon.

Prior to unleashing a flurry of models from their "cages" -- be it a hand-knitted, velvet-covered, embroidered, beaded, "whale-boned," feathered, latticed, laméed, leather-harnessed, crystallized, or snake-skinned birdcage of a construction -- Gaultier insisted that his "models are birds of paradise."

"They can remove the cages and fly," Gaultier assured Hilary Alexander. Harkening back to his archives, this is infallibly the first of JPG's haute couture collections -- since his atelier's daring made-to-order establishment in 1996 -- that so directly references his erstwhile prêt-à-porter career from the early 1980's.

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Bellissimo! Italian accessories brand Breil Milano has opened its first US store on Spring Street in SoHo, and she’s a stunner. The bi-level boutique features the brand’s watch and jewelry collections, along with sunglasses and their recent leather goods line.

“Swiss made, with Italian style,” their chronometer signature timepieces range from sporty to ultra-luxe. The Eros line, for example, boasts detailed watch dials with different design patterns, colored hands and bezels of Swarovski crystal settings as minute markers. The nautical-inspired Mediterraneo line is accented with two wood pieces resembling the hull of a ship, and it’s available with genuine “galachat” or “aqualino” straps (that’s fancy for stingray and snake skins, respectively).

The jewelry, which may look familiar from ads featuring the glorious Charlize Theron, is beautiful in its own right. With silver and red gold boules that have been individually hand-blown and threaded as necklaces or suspended as earrings, the Soffio collection is our definite fave. The Soffio ring is particularly intriguing, composed of three interlocking sterling silver boules that look like small-scale versions of “The Bean” (Chicago’s celebrated public art sculpture in Millennium Park).

An illuminated wall of unisex sunglasses at the rear of the shop showcases the label’s variety of eyewear styles. There are athletic shades, classic aviators, and some downright swinging '70s styles à la Terry Richardson. More traditional, however, are Breil Milano’s new leather goods and accessories, including wallets, belts, work totes, and duffels.

The 1800 square-foot flagship is a reflection of the brand’s elegant designs. It’s chic, but not flashy. Modern, yet warm. The marvelous hand-painted ceramic tiles that stretch along the left wall of the store are balanced by the more subdued light oak display fixtures and bronze silk tapestries. Best to behold all the beauty before inquiring prices… Though not unreasonable, the watches sell between $195-1400 and the jewelry tops off at $2200.

Breil Milano
148 Spring St.
(212) 925-1031

When we last saw Jo De La Rosa, she had just broken her engagement with Slade Smiley on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange Country. Having never really fit in with the botoxed and child-rearing women on the show, Jo left the O.C and headed to the real world -- L.A, that is. There, she concentrated on her music (an aspect of her life which she feels was largely ignored by the show) until she was approached by Bravo to do another show -- with Slade -- self-explanatorily entitled Date My Ex. Jo's prospective suitors live with Slade in a house, where they go on dates with Jo, who corresponds with Slade on who's a go and who's a no-go. Premiering July 21st, the show also chronicles Jo's burgeoning pop career and the release of her album, Unscripted. We chatted with Jo, now 26, about what's she been up to since her housewife days.

Is music what you have been concentrating on since you left Real Housewives of Orange County?
Yeah. Music has been my whole life and people don't know that, because Housewives didn't show that aspect of me. I've been in a recording studio with my dad my whole life. I'm a songwriter as well. There are a lot of things on the artistic side that people don't know about me.

How did your video shoot for your single go yesterday?
Amazing. So much fun. It really has been a dream come true. I think that the video is autobiographical. It shows the story about a girl who has been given this amazing life of luxury, and she's rebelling because she doesn't want it anymore. It's like two different worlds. I'm a little bruised and a little sore from the choreography.

How would you describe your music?
It is pop. Very young and fresh. It's definitely something girls [will listen to] before going out on a Friday night.

Why didn't you do a third season of Real Housewives?
I had moved from OC to LA, and I never really felt like I fit in with the other housewives. It's just a different life. They're amazing and strong women, but they were raising kids and they were married. I was just so young, and figuring out what I was going to do with my life. I'm really proud of everything I've accomplished so far. It's just the beginning.

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