subscribe to style file blog via RSSBlasblog: The It Crowd
October 28, 2009 6:05 pm
I spend a lot of time in mixed company, but I can safely say that the crowd last night was the most diverse I’ve ever encountered. Everyone was there. To my left was Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis; to my right, China Chow and Amanda Brooks. Six rows down were Daphne Guinness and Steven Klein. In front of me, Rosie Perez; behind, Ice-T and his charming (if rather indiscreetly dressed) wife, Coco. Fashion royalty, hip-hop royalty, and actual royalty? Only the late, great Michael Jackson could bring them all together in one room. Such was the New York premiere of This Is It, the MJ doc that Kenny Ortega, who was to produce the King of Pop’s ill-fated London performances, put together with B-roll from concert rehearsals. (The film was broadcast simultaneously in cities around the world; it will be in theaters for a limited, two-week run, then released on DVD in March.)
The reaction? Von Thurn und Taxis, who had met him during her days of eighties excess—and stayed in touch during her days of nineties domesticity—thought the film portrayed him in a normal, approachable, even endearing light. Ice-T reckoned it reaffirmed his iconic status as a musical genius. Guinness liked his outfits. There were many to be dazzled by, including several Balmain jackets. (My favorite was a pair of skinny orange jeans worn with penny loafers and a shiny silver double-breasted jacket.) But the real takeaway is that Jackson was a consummate showman, dancing, singing, and, yes, dressing the pants off everyone around him. As diverse a crowd as it was, everyone agreed on that.
tags: Amanda Brooks, Balmain, China Chow, Daphne Guinness, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Steven Klein
