New url for Peach Buzz
Bookmark this new url for Peach Buzz.. We have moved to Wordpress!
Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 29
Friday, September 29, 2006
Designer Knight dodges another ‘Runway’ bullet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Call it one of the worst kept secrets on TV. Atlanta designer Michael Knight officially made the final four Wednesday night on Bravo’s reality show “Project Runway.”
The episode revealed what many already knew: That along with print-loving Uli Herzner, rocker Jeffrey Sebelia and classically chic Laura Bennett, Knight had earned a spot for his mini-collection Sept. 8-15 at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park. They gained major exposure by showing their work in the same week that top designers, such as Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, showed their spring 2007 collections to retailers and the fashion press.
Pictures of the contestants’ collections have been widely circulated on the Internet. Buzz spies in Manhattan also clued us in about Knight’s inclusion in the high-profile position.
Wednesday night’s episode showed that to earn the spot at Fashion Week, each designer had to create an outfit that conveyed a point of view and offer three words to describe it.
After admitting to “a major brain freeze,” Knight created a plum-colored silk evening gown with a criss-cross neckline. He chose “sexiness,” “sensuality” and “sultry” to describe his “smokin’ hot” dress.
But the judges — show host Heidi Klum, designer Michael Kors, Elle fashion editor Nina Garcia and Wall Street Journal fashion writer Teri Agins — were less than enthused. Kors said the dress was “not very flattering” and added that Knight should have focused on his strength, sportswear.
However, no one was eliminated. The “Project Runway” winner will be crowned Oct. 18.
Hullinger back on air in ATL
Jeff Hullinger, the longtime sportscaster let go by Fox affiliate WAGA-TV in 2002 after 18 years, will be returning to Atlanta on WSB-AM radio in about two weeks.
He’ll be anchoring and doing news reporting in various capacities, said the station’s program director, Pete Spriggs.
Hullinger had been doing sports at a Tampa TV station for two years but said it wasn’t a good fit for him and he’s just glad to find a job back in Atlanta.
“WSB is like playing for the Braves or Yankees,” Hullinger told Buzz, unable to resist a sports analogy. (WSB-AM is part of Cox Enterprises, which also owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)
Hullinger’s career has included anchoring at news/talk WGST-AM, being a fill-in host for CNN’s now defunct “TalkBack Live” show, calling games for ESPN and doing play-by-play for the Atlanta Falcons.
New ‘Morning X’ lineup set
Whimsically monikered 99X marketing rep Eric “Dutch” Van de Steeg slid us a note Thursday, informing us that the modern-rock radio station has made a decision regarding its new morning show. 99X plans to relaunch “The Morning X” on Monday. No names were given, but there’s ongoing speculation that former 99X music director Sean Demery has been lured back to Atlanta for the gig.
Longtime listeners may recall that as the station’s music director in the 1990s, Demery had an active hand in things back when the station was playing Nirvana ad nauseam the first time around.
We also are hearing that Leslie Fram will continue to be a presence on the show. Again, the station has confirmed nothing except to send out a press release stating that the new show will be “Making Atlanta history … again.” Well, technically, the station’s listeners will more likely be the judge of that. …
A blushing ‘best’
We honestly didn’t think our week could improve after scoring our very own personalized chair Wednesday in Woodruff Park. But before we even had an opportunity to get all Niles Crane on that award Thursday, we were floored when readers began e-mailing Buzz Central to congratulate us on winning the Best Ear to the Ground category in the just-out Best of Atlanta 2006 issue of Creative Loafing.
We blushed deeply as we read: “Best of all, Buzz is rendered in a readable style that’s snarky, amusing and authoritative, yet doesn’t take itself too seriously.” Well, Loafing got that right. (We have Star Jones Reynolds’ publicist on speed dial, after all.)
Congrats also to our colleagues Cynthia Tucker, Rodney Ho and Wendell Brock, who were also named as Loafing “best of” recipients. Ajc.com, meanwhile, was named best local Web site in the issue.
Sick bay?
All day Thursday, rumors swirled on the Internet as to whether “Boston Legal” actress Candice Bergen had suffered a stroke. Late in the news cycle, the Emmy-winning actress’ publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, attempted to clear things up by telling online gossip Website Tmz.com that her client, thankfully, did not have a stroke.
Schaeffer confirmed that Bergen suffered a bout with high blood pressure and was hospitalized “for a few days” for observation. She says the actress is on medication and is back to work on the set of the daffy David E. Kelley series.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Jerry Lee Lewis is 71. Actor Ian McShane is 64. TV personality Bryant Gumbel is 58. Actor Drake Hogestyn (“Days of Our Lives”) is 53. Singer-bassist Les Claypool of Primus is 43. Actress Jill Whelan (“Love Boat”) is 40. Actress Emily Lloyd is 36. Actress Natasha Gregson Wagner is 36. Actress Rachel Cronin (“Ed”) is 35.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Marylin Johnson and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
