Designer Randolph Duke has dressed Angelina Jolie. He has dressed Jennifer Lopez. Now he's heading our way to dress Atlanta women. No, he's not coming to teach you to stick out your scrawny leg for all the world to see. Or help you put too much of your top shelf on display.
"We’ve come to the point where the red carpet is too much," Duke said, referring to this year's Academy Awards, which sparked spoof Twitter accounts for Jolie's right leg and a bit of J-Lo's um, anatomy. "It’s become a bit of a mockery."
He'll be keeping it real during his appearance from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Lenox Square Bloomingdale's, where he'll launch his new collection in the third-floor dress department.
"I tried to make dresses that I didn’t think were in the market," he said. "The customer today is looking for something unique. When it comes to making purchases that are in the cocktail/social area, it’s a luxury. It has to really be different. It has to be special."
The HSN personality and author of "The Look: A Guide to Dressing from the Inside Out," Duke also has dressed celebrities including Sharon Stone, Halle Berry and Barbra Streisand. During his appearance he'll display dresses worn at industry events by artists Minnie Driver, Celine Dion and Lopez (not the extra-revealing frock she wore to the Oscars) and might indulge in some frothy gossip about his famous clients.
"I dressed Angelina many times. Someone should have had the sense to tell her you don't stick the leg out to show what the dress does," he sighed. Natalie Portman, on the other hand, radiates a natural grace in his opinion.
The fashion trend he'd like to see die? "Tattoos on women. It’s incredibly distracting. It seems to forever compete with anything else you’re doing."
His fashion tips for any woman who wants to look her best? "Women should stop thinking about size and start dressing for their proportions. Go a little softer on yourself. Give in a little to that pair of leopard boots that you’re dying to try on, even though you work at Morgan Stanley and wear navy blue every day."
In fact, his overall advice stresses that style starts from within. "Be a little kinder to yourself," he said. "Allow yourself one day to say nothing critical about yourself. Edit your negative thoughts about your body."
And keep things under wraps when appropriate, presumably.
"Hunger Games" cast members to make free fan appearance
Members of "The Hunger Games" cast will be here at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Lenox Square's front parking lot outside the main entrance to promote the movie based on author Suzanne Collins' work. Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Leven Rambin (Glimmer), Dayo Okeniyi (Thresh), Amandla Stenberg (Rue) and Jack Quaid (Marvel) will appear at the fan event, which will feature giveaways and a question and answer session. It is free and open to the public. "The Hunger Games" will be released March 23.
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