Silver Screen Icon Elizabeth Taylor photo credit: ap
Dame Elizabeth Taylor dazzled last night at the 28th Annual Macy’s Passport 2009 Fashion show benefiting awareness for HIV/AIDS organizations, which over the last 28 years has raised $28 million and is projected to raise another $1 million this year as well. Elizabeth holds this cause very near and dear to her heart and has always been a part of this charitable organization since it is inception. TV, movie, music, and dancing stars came out to Barker Hanger in Santa Monica to lend their support and voices to this important event and most were in awe of the rare opportunity to visit with screen legend Elizabeth Taylor. Celebrity stylist Colin Megaro, fresh off of dressing Emmy Award winner Michael Emerson from Lost admitted that he was excited to meet the Dame and “I don’t know if I should shake her hand and say hello or if I should get down and bow.” Similarly, Halloween II star Octavia Spencer, who told me her fall fashion must have were Spanx “because they keep everything tied down!” and confessed, “I am going to worship at (Elizabeth’s) feet and hopes she gives me a little of that stardust!” Mike Steger from 90210 disclosed to me that Jessica Stroup was the hottest woman on his set because “she has the best fashion on the show and she is edgy,” while maintaining that he was looking forward to meeting Taylor because he is “a huge Richard Burton fan.” Featured designer of the evening’s fashion show Rachel Roy, a self-proclaimed “child of 1940’s film,” was happy to meet the famous leading lady.
Red Carpet Roxy and "Brothers & Sisters" star Gilles Marini
Sexy and always down to Earth Gilles Marini of Brothers & Sisters, who I last visited with on the beaches of Cannes this past summer and mentioned to me that he was going to bring back the classic, old Hollywood looks of the 1940’s and 1950’s and would love to see Iron Chef host Mark Dacascos win Dancing with the Stars, revealed that upon meeting Dame Taylor, he would “try to pretend to be normal. She is a icon.”
Gorgeous Nicole Murphy in David Meister with daughter Bria in white Armani Exchange dress and younger daughters
Nicole Murphy, eternally radiant and who was beaming because her daughter Bria would be making her first walk down the Macy’s Passport runway just like she had done 4 times previously, recounted the first time she met Elizabeth Taylor at this same event years before-“She is a legend. You look across the room and say OMG, that’s Elizabeth Taylor.” Dancing with the Stars contestant Kathy Ireland and her partner Tony Davolani, still touched by the Patrick Swayze tribute on their show the night before and that Swayze was “was such an inspiration. I hope he was looking down smiling,” were very excited to meet the night’s host and Davolani stated that she was “a fairy godmother.”
Entertainer La Toya Jackson
As is widely known, the late music legend Michael Jackson was extremely close friends with Dame Elizabeth Taylor and was very active in raising awareness and funds for AIDS education and research. Last night, I spoke with La Toya about this-which was one of her brother’s favorite causes-and she reiterated to me that she became active in this project to honor Michael and even with the tragedy and devastation of his death “to put good back into the world.” She assured me that Michael’s children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket were “doing very well with our big family and all of their many cousins.” And so I posed what was the best way to honor Michael’s memory? Jackson responded, “To think about the wonderful person he was. When Paris said, ‘You are the best daddy in the world,’ she humanized him in that moment and the world began to see he really was just like everybody else.” And surely he would want us all to continue the fight against this devastating disease.
Click here to go to the Macy’s website to see how you can help in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
