Confessions from the Velvet Ropes

Riley Keough by Glenn Belverio in the new issue of ZOO magazine, #19, the Music Issue. Plus, Viva Elvis Presley!

   

Dear fashion Frannies, iPod Pollys, and Elvis acolytes:

The new Issue of ZOO is out. It has the feature I wrote on model Riley Keough. For those who don't know, she is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley. Photographer Joe Lally shot a fantastic story of Riley and I'm--to paraphrase Minnie Pearl--jes' so PROUD to be a part of it!

Above: Two photos of Riley Keough by Joe Lally

Even though this was not an Elvis story per se, I did do a lot of research about the Presley legacy (and FTR, I have always been a HUGE and unapologetic Elvis Presley fan). The King died in 1977 (the same year Marc Bolan, who drew inspiration from Elvis, died as well, funny enough) and Riley wasn't born until 1989--so she never knew him in person.

One thing I revisited while working on this story was the mind-blowing Elvis comeback TV special that aired in 1968. Truly mind-blowing when you consider that this icon who was so closely associated with the 1950s in fact paved the way for the music of the '60s (but was denounced by some dunces as "square" in '68. They just didn't get it.) But Elvis did seem adrift by the end of the '60s, his career sidelined by a too-long film contract that produced only a few memorable films (the rest were throw-away kitsch and he knew it.)  He was jealous of the Beatles and even tried to sick the FBI on them in the early '70s (LOVE that.)

But Elvis was still undeniably cool in the wake of Beatlemania. In his comeback special, he was devastatingly sexy. Clad head-to-toe in leather, he performed un-plugged versions of his hits--and a nation swooned. See for yourself:

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Glenn Belverio

Coney Island 2008: Looks like Astroland and Ruby's Old Thyme Bar and Grill have eluded the wrecking ball for another year. Plus, the Mermaid Parade is June 21.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

That's me at Ruby's on the Coney Island boardwalk during the Mermaid Parade in 2005. I was just reminiscing about that summer, reading my report about the Dreamland Artist's party, featuring Ronnie Cutrone, at Ruby's. It's here on A Shaded View on Fashion: A day in Coney Island.

Last year, I went to the Mermaid Parade with my pals Aric, Tom, Corey, and Lee. After pigging out on corndogs, fried clams, hot dogs, french fries, and beer at Ruby's--we had a ball checking out all the hot, tattooed Brooklyn boys and watching the little old men dance to Frank Sinatra and Diana Ross songs played on the jukebox--we wandered  through the crowd of mermaids, pirates, punks, and wenches before taking a long walk down the boardwalk and ending up in Brighton Beach. None of the Russian bars would serve us (we're too gay and un-Russian, I suppose--even though, Hello! I am part Ukranian) so we wandered aimlessly until we met an old Puerto Rican man who took us to a wonderful dive bar in Sheepshead Bay. His now infamous line was, "You're gay? That's your fucking problem!" It was oft-repeated by us for the rest of the day and night.

Somehow me found our way to a bowling alley in Bensonhurst and after fortifying ourselves with vodka and scotch in the alley's cocktail lounge (the tougher-than-nails barmaid barked at us, "Don't fucking expect me to read off the list of beers, okay?") we somehow managed to play several rounds of bowling. I became the instant villain of the group because I bowled 7 strikes in a row and won the first 2 games (only to be slaughtered by Lee at the end.) I haven't bowled since the days when Andy Warhol carried my fetus around NYC in a jar, so I have no idea how I did so welll. Lee and I also miraculously avoided a gay bashing, despite the fact that we were flagrantly and flamboyantly (and loudly) commenting on the asses, pecs, and biceps of all the straight Polish, Russian, and Italian working-class hunks who were there bowling.

After that--and it must have been Corey who navigated us there--we ended up at a Trinidadian gay bar in the heart of Crown Heights. We were welcomed with open arms and shots of tequila. I was later told that this was considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Brooklyn. We were total thrill junkies that night. I remember the precise moment on that bar's dance floor when the novelty wore off and I was ready for something else. I think, however, Lee and I just settled for The Cock or The Hole or Big Balls back in Manhattan.

Am planning on visiting Ruby's again at the Mermaid Parade on June 21. If you're reading this, plan on meeting me there for a beer--it's on me!

Love,
Glenn Belverio

 

Agyness Deyn Mannequin Unveiling Party at Rootstein and Co., May 22, 2008

Dear Readers,

Last night I attended the unveiling of the Agyness Deyn mannequin at Rootstein's showroom--an event produced by Mao PR. Not in attendance was Agyness Deyn. Some guests whispered that one's passage into mannequin-dom is an indicator that a model has jumped the shark. Today, reports rolled in that Burberry was dropping Deyn and that Mario Testino was over her. Is it over for Agy?

Check out my full party report at A Shaded View on Fashion.

Best,
Glenn Belverio

Life Ball 2008: Agent Provocateur fashion show, Sharon Stone, Debbie Harry, Linda Evangelista, Kim Cattrall, Patricia Field, Lydia Hearst, Marcus Schenkenberg, Terence Koh, Habsburgian aristos, shameless hedonists land on planet Vienna. By Glenn Belverio.

Dear androids, glamdroids, fembots, gaybots, alien sex fiends, tattooed love gods, Westwoodians, butt pirates, and vicarious voyeurs:

Somehow I survived my first night on this Vienna trip, donned my American astronaut suit and headed over to the Life Ball with Bruce Benderson. (FYI, last year the Life Ball raised 1,200,000 euros for the fight against AIDS. The stats for this year's take-in have not been calculated yet.) Sharon Stone, the annual co-chair of the event, made her appearance during the over-the-top opening ceremony along with special guest Linda Evangelista and Kim Cattrall. I find it rather heart-warming that the entire city of Vienna officially hosted and embraced this, the largest, AIDS fundraiser in the world, which was held at Vienna's City Hall. It's something you would never see on this scale in conservative New York/America. I doubt I will ever see the day when Mayor Bloomberg ordains a giant AIDS benefit at City Hall which celebrates and flaunts deliciously blatant hedonism as flagrantly as the Life Ball does.

Bruce and I arrived early to catch every second of it. It all began rather bizarrely with the Vienna Boys Choir, scantily clad Agent Provocateur models, a green spaceship descending Broadway-show-like on the stage, and ballerinas dancing with aliens dressed in traditional 19th-century bohemian attire to "Vienna Calling." Things returned to a certain degree of normality when the divine Debbie Harry hit the stage and the simulated acid trip was put momentarily on hold....

Joe Corre of Agent Provocateur (right) with marching model

Sharon Stone

Debbie Harry

Me in my spacesuit

Bruce Benderson went as a human cash machine. His Marxist, anti-corporate America message was, "Capitalism supports AIDS."

Coffee, Tea, or Me meets Deep Space Nine: Inside City Hall I ran into Beno, one of the Austrian flight attendants from our plane.

After the opening show, Bruce and I went backstage before the Agent Provocateur show....

The Agent Provocateur show had various themes: naughty French maids (of course), the Night Porter look (very Euro), tattooed rough trade, and pirates (a nod to mum Vivienne Westwood's legendary Pirates collection from the '80s). Joe Corre sang onstage (we all watched on the monitor backstage where it was more comfortable) and Amanda Lepore sang a song with Chicks on Speed which was written by Larry Tee. During the show, model wranglers where screaming out the names of those who needed to get onstage NOW: "LYDIA!!! WHERE IS LYDIA!?!", "NINA HAGEN!! I NEED NINA ONSTAGE NOW! NIIIIIINAAAAA!!" As the models rushed back and forth in front of us and hair and makeup people scrambled around with their instruments, I truly felt like I was in an emergency room at a hospital instead of a fashion show.

I was very happy to see that Lydia Hearst made it to the Life Ball this year. (She was on a modeling assignment in Japan last year). She was one of the sexiest models in the show.

I did not get a photo of Nina Hagen, whom I revere, unfortunately. "She's not doing photos now," Roxanne Lowit told me. "Too sweaty."

Terence Koh soaks up, contributes to the glamour.

Marcus Schenkenberg and George Wayne. When George pinched one of Marcus's eraser nipples, it swelled to three times its normal size. I think they should take this show on the road.

Amanda Lepore in Vienna trip outfit #265

International superstar Andre J

The fantabulous Codie Ravioli is on a just-off-the-runway high.

If this isn't "Fellini-esque" I don't know what is!

Andre and Marcus

. .
Obvious photo caption: Horny model.

Oh, Suuuuperman...(I think they are Austrian TV hosts....like Kathy and Regis, but 3 billion times sexier.)

After hearing reports that Patricia Field would not be attending, we saw her magically appear at the VIP after party in the backstage area.

Codie and I ended up at the after-after party at Volksgarten. The sun was coming up as we sat in the outdoor terrace.

Vienna morning and almost time to get back on the plane and collapse.

Love,
Glenn Belverio

Life Ball 2008: The party plane to Vienna and Welcome Party at Le Meridien with Amanda Lepore, Marcus Schenkenberg, Terence Koh, Debbie Harry, Andre J, Danilo, Patrick McMullan, George Wayne, Bruce Benderson, Coffee, Tea, or Me. By Glenn Belverio.

Blasting off for Planet Life Ball: Amanda Lepore was comfy and cozy for the 8-hour flight in her Barbarella-inspired pajamas.

Dear glamazons, glitter addicts, polymorphously perverse pretties, and wurst lovers:

The 48+ hours I spent in Vienna this weekend were a blur of liquid eyeliner, outsized eyelashes, silver glitter, metallic fabrics, bubbly Schlumberger, male/female/transgendered flesh, interplanet Janets, galaxy girls, randy flight attendants, jumbo bratwursts, more Schlumberger, Habsburgian majesty, and meta-narcissism. It all started with the chartered party plane from New York to Vienna--a madcap journey that, if only some Hollywood hack was smart enough, should be made into a modern version of the "Airport" movie series. (Lord knows there are enough jealous, uninvited bitches out there who would love nothing more than a disaster film version of our fabulous trip.) I'm picturing Terence Koh in the Dean Martin role and Andre J taking over for Jacqueline Bisset.

"If they could see me now!" Me and Iggy in Business Class.

Robyn Berkley of People's Revolution and author Bruce Benderson. That's Marcus Schenkenberg and Poppy behind them.

Hair wizard Danilo and Amanda. As you've probably figured out already, Amanda changed her outfit about 317 times on this trip. And why shouldn't she?

A red carpet awaited us on the tarmac. Yes darling, the gla-more was non-stop.

Debbie Harry and Miss Guy

"If It's Friday, This Must Be Austria": Jet-setter Terence Koh holds the passport to chic. The sunglasses reminded me of an Issey Miyake runway look circa 1983.

Work that carpet! Amanda and Marcus greet the Austrian press.

Room with an Old European View: When attending the Life Ball, I always stay at the ultra-chic Le Meridien hotel. I had a big, beautiful room with a sweeping view of the back garden, wonderful old buildings and the tower of Stephensdom.

Before the party, Bruce Benderson and I did some sight-seeing. I never grow weary of Vienna's dramatic beauty no matter how many times I visit. Makes one almost long for the grand old days of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, non?

Let's get this party started right! Marcus Schenkenberg cozies up with the Berlin chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at the Le Meridien Welcome Party.

The higher the hair, the closer to God....and endless glasses of Schlumberger help, too!

Just friends, lovers no more: George Wayne and Patrick McMullan

The fabulous Tina Preschitz of People's Revolution. She's from Austria!

Me (right) and one of the Sisters. I can't remember which one it was now but after the Life Ball, one of them attacked me for being an American and went into some tired rap about Bush, despite the fact that I did not vote for him and I do not support most US policy. I'm basically a Socialist but I am irritated by the cliche of European anti-Americanism. Memo to Berlin Sisters: A. You're from Germany, so I would shut up. B. Your group is an off-shoot of an organization founded in America--the San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. It's called respect, girlfriend. That's right, I just got real.

Larry Tee, who DJed the party, thinks he's being photographed for Last Night's Party.

Poppy (right) and friend. Poppy and I had a ball on the plane ride over, reading the Cosmo sex quiz out loud and making fun of the TV crew who wouldn't stop filming her and Marcus for the entire flight. (They were asking Marcus shallow questions like, "What is your opinion of one-night stands?" Talk about the AIDS crisis directly, media!

Andre J feigns shock as Codie Ravioli deep-throats a jumbo Vienna sausage.

My turn! After the soiree there was a small "after-party" in my hotel room. It was very Coffee, Tea, or Me, but that's all I'm saying.

Stay tuned for my coverage of the Life Ball featuring backstage at the Agent Provocateur fashion show....

Love,
Glenn Belverio

Life Ball 2008: Coverage coming soon!

Dear Readers,

I returned from Vienna yesterday and am still editing all of my photos from Life Ball 2008. Here is one (nipple) teaser of Marcus Schenkenberg and George Wayne backstage at the Agent Provocateur fashion show. Please check back here later today/tonight for full coverage.

Love,
Glenn Belverio

Albert Maysles book party at John Bartlett, May 2nd, 2008

Me and filmmaker Albert Maysles. Photo by Joy Yoon.

Dear Edie addicts, grey gardeners, film freaks, and menswear 'mos:

This Friday night D.A.P. Books hosted a book signing with filmmaker Albert Maysles, director of mega-cult film such as "Grey Gardens" and "Gimmie Shelter." I'm a huge fan and was thrilled to meet Mr. Maysles in person. I told him how much I loved his phone conversation with Little Edie Beales on the extras of the Grey Gardens DVD. His new book, which is distributed by D.A.P. is called "The Albert Maysles Scrapbook" and it is beautiful. Everything from the Beales of Grey Gardens to Fidel Castro in Havana in 1961 to Sophia Loren at Cannes way back when. The book signing took place at menswear designer John Bartlett's store in the West Village--Bartlett is interviewed about Grey Gardens on the film's DVD extras--and it was fun to see his rugged chic male archetypal clothing once again. (I will forever remember his menswear extravaganza exhibitions back in the late '90s that were inspired by Joseph Beuys and Jean Genet.)

The Boys in the Boutique: John Bartlett and Bruce Benderson

Jason Morrisson and Aric Chen

Knitwear designer Tom Scott and stylist Haidee Findlay-Levin

Fist statue at Bartlett's. Subtle!

After the opening, a bunch of us headed over to the famed Pink Teacup on Grove Street for some guilt-ridden, sinfully delicious soul food...

Aric is having a hard time deciding between the fried chicken, chitterlings, ham hocks or chicken and dumplings...

I chose the chicken and dumplings with collard greens and potato salad and I was not disappointed. I''m gonna need to run off and crunch a lot of calories before the Life Ball or I'll never fit into that space suit!

Haidee digs into the most dangerously addicitve substance known to mankind: The Pink Teacup's corn fritters. Sweet. Greasy. Fluffy. Orgasmic. It won't be long before the FDA starts regulating them.

Thanks for visiting!

Love and fritters,
Glenn Belverio

Ron Galella Andy Warhol That's Great! book party at Staley-Wise Gallery, May 1st, 2008.

Above: Ron Galella is going to shoot you...and there's nothing you can do about it.

Dear shutter-buggers, stalkers, and annoying Italian gnats:

Last Thursday night I attended the photo exhibit and launch of Ron Galella's new book, "That's Great!"--his collection of Andy Warhol-themed paparazzi photographs. Truth be told, I helped Ron write his essay for the book about Andy and, like Minnie Pearl, I was jes' so proouud to be thar! I even had a price tag dangling from my Dior sneakers.

Oh my god, is that....yes! Yes, it is! It's Randy Jones, the cowboy from the Village People! Here he is with a friend and Ron's wife, the lovely and entertaining Betty Galella, who is pretty in pink and pearls (Candy Pratts Price is all about odd number strands of pearls this month.). Readers of my book might recall the chapter where Randy Jones complained about the noise at Adrien Brody's birthday party that was raging close to his East Village apartment. A rain of eggs hailed down on Brody and friends when the DJ didn't turn the music down enough. But, sez Randy, "I wasn't even in NYC that night! But I LOVED the publicity!" We love Randy, whether he hurled eggs or not. He radiates charisma, positive energy and a glowing tan. I anxiously await his upcoming Playgirl centerfold. Oh, and btw...that's Ron's photo of '70s Elvis behind Randy. I'm obsessed with Elvis and stood in front of that photo and analyzed it for 20 minutes. Recently I interviewed his granddaughter--the model Riley Keough--for the music issue of ZOO magazine, out next month.

Power trio! Randy, Betty, and Ron pow-wow and dish about the opening's attendees.

On the way to dinner, Betty and I stumbled upon this Charlie Manson grafitti on a West Broadway sidewalk. Or is it Frank Zappa?? I'm having a post-post-modern senior moment here, can someone help me out?

Ron arrives for dinner at Tre Merli. I loved the stacked empty bottle decor behind him but Betty just dismissed the empties as "dead soldiers."

Me and Betty at dinner. Betty, a Kentucky blueblood, had me in stitches all night. When we arrived she told us, "The ONLY reason we're here is because LINDA EV-AN-GELISTA and the other girls used to hang out here back in the '90s...the food here SUCKS and we're only here for the AMBIENCE....as you can see [gestures around the restaurant] there's lots of EUR-O-TRASH  here...but honey, who am I to talk because I'm bridge and tunnel TRASH!" FTR, the raw artichoke salad and veal cutlets did not suck. I also love Eurotrash.

Ron and friend. I can't remember his name, but he used to be a waiter and told us he served Andy Warhol two days before he died. Of course we all wanted to know what Andy ordered.

Dessert: A tower of lemon-y vodka shots and chocolate-accented lemon slices.

Macho, macho men! Moi and Randy Jones.

Thanks for visiting!

Love,
Glenn Belverio

Andy Warhol Double Marlon party at the Soho Grand, April 30 2008, featuring Kelly Cutrone, Jeremy Scott, Paul Sevigny, Ronnie Cutrone, Kenny Scharf, Mick Rock, louche leather lads and ladies, and art whores. Text and photos by Glenn Belverio

Above: The lovely and incomparable Kelly Cutrone before a repro of Andy Warhol's mighty Double Marlon

Dear Warholites, warm leatherettes, and cyber voyeurs:

I know it seems as if I, like Andy, would go to the opening of a toilet, but I'm actually fairly discerning. This recent Wednesday night I was invited by People's Revolution to bow down and pay homage to Warhol's silkscreen, "Double Marlon" at the penthouse suite of the Soho Grand Hotel. The piece will be auctioned off at Christie's next week--rumor has it that the opening bid will be 25 - 30 million--and comes from the same period that produced "Double Marilyn" and "Double Elvis" (which is the one I want to buy). Of course the actual "Double Marlon" was not at the party (but for some odd reason, security was still tight - no coats or bags were allowed in the penthouse. I thought, oh wow, they are fearing some kind of Tony Shafrazi-style act of art vandalism which really blew my mind because I didn't think that anyone even REMEMBERED that incident--the famed art dealer spray-painted "KILL LIES ALL" on Picasso's Guernica back in the mid '70s--so I was thrilled. But no. There was no painting to vandalize.) Also absent was Dennis Hopper (his name was embossed on the impressive and expensive leather-bound party invite as one of the event's hosts). Agyness Deyn was also supposed to be a host but I did not see her....if anyone has photos of everyone's fave IT Girl at this soiree, I would love to see them.

Anyhoo, the party was super fun. The champagne flowed freely and there were pretty and fascinating people crammed into the suite (which sort of resembles Faye Dunaway/Laura Mars' apartment in "The Eyes of Laura Mars"). Take a look for yourself...

Pretty, pretty: Emily and Robyn of People's Revolution. I will be partying with Robyn in my Andy Warhol-mylar-silver (sort of) space suit in less than 2 weeks at the Life Ball in Vienna.

Robyn and Ronnie Cutrone. Ronnie was Andy's assistant for many years--not to mention he also danced with the Velvet Underground during their multi-media stage shows--and helped produce many of Warhol's great works. He has had a successful art career since the '80s and has so many great stories. J'Adore Ronnie.

Many guests dressed in the spirit of "The Wild One", the 1953 motorcycle gang-themed film in which "Double Marlon" is a still from. So there was black leather everywhere, including this woman's dress on the left. Aside from Italian-made shoes, I don't wear leather clothing--no, not even a leather cock ring!--but I simply adore the look and the smell of it. And who doesn't?

Designer Jeremy Scott and one of his models. Note the trompe l'oeil zipper print. I went up to Jeremy and I was all like, "LOVE the vintage Stephen Sprouse, doll" and he was like, "Uuhhm...actually, I designed this" and I was all like, "OMG, OOPS! Faux-pas!" and he was like, "No, no, it's a high compliment!"

Jeremy did look luscious in leather.

It may have been literal, but I thought it was a beautiful touch to show "The Wild One" on large plasma screens throughout the penthouse. What a visually gorgeous black and white film. Marlon Brando in leather with those thick muscular thighs and large, firm buttocks in his tight jeans. 55 years later and his style is still ubiquitous. If only today's anemic, denim-clad hipsters had the courage to bulk up their matchstick-like legs.

Models cavort in front of "The Wild One."

Pretty young things. The girl on the left sort of reminded me of early Veruschka but maybe it was just the hair?

Guests feasted on a mountain of jumbo shrimp.

I think Paul Sevigny is a great DJ. He spun a terrific set of Velvet Underground, Joy Division, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Siouxsie. Divine.

Artist Kenny Scharf

Photographer Mick Rock

Curator Lia Gangitano and yours truly

Anthony Haden-Guest and friend

Going down? In the elevator with Ronnie Cutrone and Jeremy Scott moments after the party ended.

Thanks for visiting!

Love,
Glenn Belverio