"Avatar" Star Zoe Strips, Mary J Blige Trips

Film star Zoe Saldana, R&B queen scramble for dollars
By A. Scott Walton
Never mind that most ads for Calvin Klein Underwear are shot in black-and-white.
Calvin Klein Mens for Summer 2010
The label still deserves praise for featuring more models "of color" in its campaigns than any other prestige brand that comes to mind. Other labels should be envious of Klein's track record.

Actress Eva Mendes
At a German trade show this week, "Avatar" star Zoe Saldana (above) was introduced as the next spokesmodel for innerwear that's become synonymous with comfort and controversy. The off-shoot collection is called Envy.
The initial campaign shot of Saldana released to the media leaves a bit to be desired: sure it evokes that fiber-optic sheen of the blockbuster movie she most recently starred in, but it doesn't necessarily distinguish the look and feel from what's already stagnating on retail shelves.
Will the Zoe Saldana campaign come between you and your cash card?
EYES WIDE SHUT?: Somehow, it's hard to envision a day when a sunglass collection "co-designed" by Mary J Blige can begin to compete with the labels (i.e. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Fendi, Versace, etc.) that she and her musical ilk helped to popularize. Frankly, it's hard not to forecast a quick bootlegging effort chasing any sunglass brand the R&B diva attaches her name to, either. But here she goes: Blige just announced the launch of an exclusive collection of shades (4 styles, $165-$225 per pair) to be sold only at Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman stores starting, according to WWD in October.
(Pardon ESS for asking, but: isn't the prime time for buying sunglasses over by then?; and are those stores really where Mary J's core fans shop?)
Just askin'...
Huffington Post - Mary J's College Decree Bogus?
SCAD - Go fly a kite!
Washington Post - Plus-sized women strike a pose

Atlanta Denim Fiends Get A Nudie Show!

Does this latest cry for attention from Calvin Klein Jeans offend you?
If so, join the online screeching that seems to be gaining volume now that there's a billboard towering over Manhattan's SoHo district that depicts the sort of amorous "artistic license" that folks in the fly-over states assume that neighborhood's known for.
And if the latest entreaty from the Virginia-Highland's Bill Hallman boutique reaches your inbox, treat it as "Safe for Work". It may say it's an invitation to a "Nudie Show" Thursday evening, but it's merely an opportunity to go and watch skinny models meander around in designer jeans that are dyed and stitched dark and tight so that the wearers' true "fit" shows through over time.
As Nudie's web site proclaims: "(We're) naked truth about denim. Denim has the ability to age beautifully – formed by its user into a second skin, naked and personal. The longer it lives the more character it gets. The indigo is a living colour that fades and gives the denim its character. The more you wear your jeans the more beautiful they get. Jeans are more than just a piece of clothing."
The Calvin Klein Jeans motto has always seemed more succinct: SEX SELLS!
Which message appeals most to you?