Patrick McMullan

Harper’s Bazaar has all sorts of fun ideas tucked up its couture sleeve. The latest: recreating the Marc Jacobs spring ’08 runway show as a spoof, to be snapped by famed fashion photog Peter Lindbergh. This clip shows the on-set happenings at the magazine shoot. And make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the famous faces assembled in the “front row”—yup, that’s Marcia Gay Harden sitting near party photographer Patrick McMullan. Meanwhile, model Helena Christensen—does that woman ever rest?!—gets to play, as Mr. Lindbergh puts it, “the little bitchy fashion editor,” who looks at her watch impatiently while Mr. Jacobs does god-knows-what backstage. Hmmm…who could that be?

“People get bored and wait too long,” explains Mr. Lindbergh of the spread’s concept. “Because the bad behavior fashion crowd, you know?” Perhaps surprisingly to some, Mr. Jacobs appears an extremely good sport in the video, gladly making fun of his own notoriously-tardy fashion shows. “This is a good way to kind of end it,” the fashion designer says. “Just have it documented as a spoof and be on to the next. I’m really amused by it. And fashion is such a circus, and shows are such a circus. I think for anybody who doesn’t know this—it’s insane what we all go through. So it makes good pictures.”

Zena Scharf, the 24-year-old daughter of painter Kenny Scharf, has recently joined fashion photographer Patrick McMullan’s staff, where she works in the art department. She said it’s a nice place to work: "I’ve known him my whole life, basically.” When we ran into Ms. Scharf, she was on hand to help her pal-cum-boss at a party he was co-hosting on Thursday, Feb. 14, at uptown boutique The Parker. Ms.  read more »

The Parker, a small boutique on Madison Ave. near 78th Street, was overflowing last night with an eclectic mix of partygoers who had come to celebrate downtown designer-DJ Izzy Gold’s new, limited-edition “Kiss Kiss” T-shirt. The design of the soft, gray item was inspired by Patrick McMullan’s 1996 book of the same name—a weighty chunk of pages, it features the party photog’s favorite kissing pics taken over his 25-year career. (Later on, after the party moved to the meatpacking district nightclub Kiss & Fly, photos from the book were blasted onto a large projection screen dangling over the empty dance floor.) Mr. McMullan, a co-host with Mr. Gold, 26, and Ally Hilfiger, 22, was schmoozing and signing copies from behind a table in one corner of the store.  read more »

Who can claim the title of 2007’s most socially social New York society clan? In a major year-end party wrap cobbled together by Style.com, the aesthetically-inclined Web site asks—and, thank gawd, answers—that very question.

On one side of the party divide is the Peter and Minnie Davis/Tinsley Mortimer team. (Mr. and Ms. Davis are, for those who didn’t know, Ms. Mortimer’s siblings-in-law.) On the other: Ann Dexter-Jones and her three party-hardy kids—Samantha, Mark and Charlotte.

As Style points out, it’s been quite a year for both clans: Topper and Ms. Mortimer’s wedding got a major write-up in the Times; and Ms. Davis tied the knot with Syriana director Stephen Gaghan. (What they don’t mention, however, is that 2007 was also the year society scribe Mr. Davis found true love in a certain young social, Paul Johnson-Calderon.)

Meanwhile, Mr. Ronson’s single, Stop Me, climbed to the number-two spot on the British charts—no small feat, to be sure. What’s more, Samantha Ronson was, for a while anyway, queen of the tabloids, soaking up the buzz as her friendship with Lindsay Lohan continued to heat up. And then there’s their younger sis Charlotte, who we caught up with not long ago at her Nolita boutique, where she was introducing her 2007 Resort collection. Ms. Dexter-Jones, too, told us all about her new lease on life post-divorce, loving the high-thread-count sheets at her new digs in the Bowery Hotel.

In the end, though, there can only be one winner; (as Heidi Klum might say, “You’re either in or you’re out.”) And in this case, Patrick McMullan must pick the winning bunch—“that ultimate litmus test of social visibility.” While the Dexter-Jones/Ronson squad racked up an impressive 422 photos credits on the social shutterbug’s Web site, the Davis/Mortimer clan reigns supreme. The trendy trio said "cheese" for Mr. McMullan’s lens a whopping 732 times.

 

 

 

Out of The Daily Transom mailbag yesterday came an extra special invitation. Like a pair of beacons on a foggy horizon, all pink and precious, was the announcement of Amanda Lepore’s birthday party, which will be held at Star Lounge tonight. Then we realized that the fog wasn’t fog at all—it was déjà vu! Ms. Lepore, the transgender fashion icon made famous as the face of fashion label Heatherette and MAC cosmetics, has already had at least one birthday party. Well, according to Michael Musto anyway. The Village Voice writer’s column this week dives feet-first into Ms. Lepore’s Lotus libations, where the fuzzy scribe was kicked out by a beefy security guy. Maybe Mr. Musto’s exile has turned Ms. Lepore into a Paris-Hilton-on-New-Year’s or a Patrick-McMullan-after-publishing-a-book type. Then again, perhaps the evening’s sponsors and the birthday girl just dig publicity.

“I enjoy parties, as you might know,” photographer Patrick McMullan told the Transom on Monday, Dec. 3, at the Valentino boutique on Madison Avenue, where the socialite Muffie Potter Aston was hosting the third—yes, third—fete for his new book Glamour Girls (Harry N. Abrams, $75). “There’s hip-hop glamour girls, society glamour girls, the grand dames, there’s young girls,” he said.  read more »

We just heard from Plumm co-owner Noel Ashman, who called the Daily Transom back in order to respond to party promoter Ivy Supersonic’s most recent allegations, which can be found by clicking here.

According to Mr. Ashman, Plumm’s general manager notified the police after he discovered the vandalism. “That’s what he does when anyone vandalizes something of that nature.” Nobody recorded any phone conversations with her, he said; connecting the dots was up to the police.

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The relaunched Absolute arrived today, looking very similar to its previous incarnation, which shuttered shortly before the March 2006 issue hit newsstands.

Under its new ownership, Michigan-based Hour Media, Absolute will only be distributed through a controlled circulation of super-rich New Yorkers. (Free copies will go to households that make over $500,000 a year). But one can still subscribe: six issues for $90. Previously, it was sold on newsstands for $8 an issue. (The blow-in cards follow after the jump.)

Hour Media's less luxurious publication, New York Home, actually costs a bit less. That publication is six issues for $9.

The magazine's cover stock is remarkably similar to the old Absolute's, only it is about half as thick. Much of the inside of the magazine attempts to mimic the styling of Absolute 1.0.  read more »

The magazine's editorial staff has changed, and there's a new list of contributing editors. Celeb photographer Patrick McMullan is the only holdout from that previous list. But Greg Lindsay, who happily got paid for an Absolute piece that got killed along with Absolute 1.0, is now listed as a contributing editor. -Michael Calderone

"Patrick, can we take a picture?" said a voice in the crowd encircling Patrick McMullan as he autographed copies of his new book, KISS KISS, a pictorial history of the glitterati locking lips.

"Yes. I can dish it out, but I can take it," Mr. McMullan said, looping an arm around the admiring guest. "A lot of photographers, they can't take it, but I can."

Last week's party was at the transgenderly named new bar-restaurant PRE:POST. Its owner, Carlo Seneca, laid out his vision. "We want a high-end clientele. We want to be open 'til like 8 in the morning, serving food. Whoever it is picks up a score by 4 a.m., come back here, start drinking, score again."

Well, score! Art dealer Michel Witmer sat with John Paulus, who last month claimed in the press that he had very adult encounter with American Idol funboy Clay Aiken in a Quality Inn. Mr. Paulus was, for once, tight-lipped. "Journalism is a nasty business," said the charming Mr. Witmer. His family has owned The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other papers for "150 years," he said. "There are lawsuits all the time."  read more »