London Fashion Week opened in a sombre mood this morning as British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman led a minute’s silence in tribute to the designer Alexander McQueen. McQueen, known by his real first name of Lee, started his career in the capital and was one of the city’s most feted fashion exports, was found hanged at his London home last week. Hours before Fashion Week opened a further tribute to the British designer came from supermodel Kate Moss, who took to the catwalk wearing one of McQueen's designs for the Fashion For Relief Haiti charity event. As the dress was auctioned Moss, who was a bridesmaid at the designer's 2000 Ibiza wedding to filmmaker George Forsyth, wept. The dress was bought by Arcadia boss Sir Phillip Green for £100,000. Opening the six-day London fashion event, Mr Tillman said: “His impact on London and this international fashion industry has been extraordinary. And he will be sorely missed. I know that we will all remember his incredible achievements and what he did for fashion here in London.” “He proved that this industry and this city is one of opportunity, he left school with one O-Level and, with a good mix of determination, hard work and genius, he became and will remain one of London’s leading lights. “He has inspired so many to follow and establish their own collection and has influenced many designers. To ensure London, his home city, continues to grow as a global fashion centre will be a fitting tribute to this brilliant man.” Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown, who has won praise for her support of British designers and the London fashion scene, echoed his words, saying: “I have no doubt this will be a creative and inspiring London Fashion Week and also a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen.” McQueen had not shown a collection in London since 2001, preferring instead to exhibit in New York and then Paris, but this week organisers said they would pay a “simple and respectful” tribute in keeping with the McQueen family’s wishes. Designers, buyers, stylists and journalists attending London Fashion Week will have the opportunity to pin messages of condolence on a board at main venue Somerset House, while at the On|Off event at Victoria House they will be able to view images from his collections on forty iPod touches attached to a wall. Elsewhere, luxury department store Liberty has dressed a tribute window with a giant Union Jack, a bright blue dress and the words “For McQueen and country”. It is thought the final collection created by the designer will be shown in private to invited guests in Paris next month. Yesterday, PPR, the French luxury group with a controlling stake in the designer’s companies, said that it planned to build on the McQueen brand. President François-Henri Pinault said: “The Alexander McQueen trademark will live on. This would be the best tribute that we could offer to him.” London Fashion Week runs until February 24 and will see designers Vivienne Westwood, Matthew Williamson, Christopher Kane and Aquascutum show collections. British brand Burberry will also show its collection in London, returning for a second time to the capital after eight years in Milan. This year, those unable to get tickets for the event will not miss out altogether. Burberry, alongside a host of other British designers will live-stream their shows over the internet. For the first time, the British Fashion Council has put together a live schedule so web users can tune in to events as they happen.London Fashion Week opens with silence for Alexander McQueen
Prime Minister’s wife Sarah Brown pays tribute to the British designer as she opens London fashion event
Bollywood News: It has some religion, a bit of politics and it’s set in the backdrop of a world shaking event, but for Bollywood superstar “If some issue is taken back home, I always tell people if they can take back a little more than an empty pack of popcorn, that’s interesting…that’s an added advantage to an entertaining film.” Shah Rukh, who plays a Muslim Indian with Asperger’s syndrome living in the US, finding his marriage to a Hindu single mother (played by Kajol) crumbling post-9/11, wouldn’t agree that it’s the Islam angle that is grabbing the most attention in the US. “A film normally deals with lots of issues, comedy, or it’s a tragedy or a serious film or a dramatic love story like …Khan is meant to be,” he said. “If one starts talking or deciding on issues before a whole film is seen, it’s kinda not right to do, specially as a “Normally, a film is more than the sum of its parts. It’s not like it’s a love story, it’s got a Karan Johar touch to social cinema, it has an angle of religion, it also has a part of politics, it has a world-shaking incident as a backdrop, it also has a lot of sweet songs. It combines all that. “To me as a filmmaker, or part of a film, any aspect of the film can only be decided once one has seen the whole film. But there’s no denying that there is an aspect of religion in the film.” Nor would Shah Rukh look at this and other recent “Films normally are for entertainment. One doesn’t really make a conscious decision to make a statement with it. Within entertainment, if a statement gets made, it’s really nice for a filmmaker. “You know, maybe 3 Idiots talks about education, but it’s an entertaining film. Similarly Chak De! India talks about patriotism, but it’s a sports film. “You can have issues related in a film, but when filmmakers of commercial proportions like Karan, myself and Kajol and all get together, it’s not to highlight an issue because it’s too expensive as a commercial venture to make a film about an issue and not entertain.” To Shah Rukh, “the most interesting part of the fact as an actor is that I’m playing a character who’s got Asperger’s. It’s also not in any which way to show it in a light which is not nice…but for an actor that’s a great thing to do, you know, to play a (person with a) disorder like this which very few people know about.” “Hopefully, I’ll be able to convince people about it when they see (the film). I don’t think at least commercial filmmakers from India really make a big-time film which is localised or even localised by an international issue,” he said. “Commercial we will only know once the film releases,” said Shah Rukh when asked if MNIK isn’t one of Karan Johar’s least commercial offerings so far. “…Yes, the only thing it has amiss is big set dance pieces, but we just felt with the disorder we were dealing with, it would look very unrealistic for the character Rizwan Khan to indulge in dancing of the order of we normally see in a Hindi film of Karan’s, or you might have seen earlier. “Except for that, I think the venture is extremely commercial,” he said. “In the last five years, there’s a whole paradigm shift as to what people accept as a commercial film,” Shah Rukh said describing it as “Karan’s evolution from making and keeping up with the trends of new commercial cinema in India and elsewhere”. On professional challenges he faced during its filming, Shah Rukh said it was a “very difficult” character to play. “If I was to just put it simply, it’s very seldom that I’ve really gone ahead and played a character which exists in real life. “And whenever you’re dealing with a disorder or a near…atypical situation, the first thought is that the sort of parameters you have to set that in no which way you are derogatory or deriding the disorder. “You have to make the protagonist very proud of what it is. The second part is you have to come as close to reality in depicting that characterisation and so one had to study a lot and one does get worried…” But a couple of people affected with the same disorder who were shown the film had told them “…it’s a great portrayal, it’s very close to someone with this kind of disorder”. “Of course, having said that, I have taken a few cinematic liberties with it, because I’ve used three or four traits which may not exist simultaneously in one person and tried to create one character who has Asperger’s, called Rizwan Khan.”‘My Name…’ won’t make a statement: SRK
Before the event, Shah Rukh said on his tweeter account: “Nasdaq will be fun. Have to make sure I reach on time, otherwise will end up being blamed for economic upheaval across the world too..ha ha.” Shortly after ringing the NASDAQ bell, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol spoke with New Yorkers about their new film. “The film has nothing to do with it. It is a love story…and what people can do to achieve their love,” Khan said and noted that film explores the impact of 9/11 on people completely unrelated to the last year’s incident. Shahrukh Khan also underlined that he had “no issues” with the Newark incident. “I have been stopped often enough,” he said, referring to his fans. “But some of the interviews are little interrogative,” the actor said. “Its not big deal…if I’m going to a country then I have to respect the rules of that country,” he said, stressing that the incident was not a publicity stunt to On working with Johar, Khan said: “The greatness of Karan is as a writer.” Kajol said while the duo had no idea of what was happening in the market front, it was still a lot of fun. “We had a great moment,” Khan said. Their latest movie centres around a Muslim man, who faces difficulties in social interaction, and falls unconditionally for the beautiful Mandira, a Hindu single mother living out her version of the global dream of success. The movie, also starring Jimmy Shergill and Tanay Chheda, will be released on February 12 worldwide and will also premiere at the 60th annual Berlin International Film Festival during the week of its release.SRK, Kajol create history at NASDAQ
Responding to a question, Shahrukh Khanclarified that the film is unrelated to last year’s incident at the Newark Airport in the US where he was stopped by immigration officers because his name showed up in one of the check-lists.
promote his movie.
Huge Eric Muhammad - whose 6ft8ins frame meant he was once detailed to look after Jacko's three kids - is secretly demanding $150,000 dollars (£91,000) for his sick piece of memorabilia. But the conniving minder's shameless betrayal is exposed on video today after he tried to clinch a deal with an undercover News of the World reporter. Muhammad took the silky black mask from the Thriller star's limo after he drove children Prince, Blanket and Paris to the Los Angeles hospital where doctors frantically tried to save their dying father. In a meeting with our investigator, posing as a rich businessman, the burly guard pulled the mask from a plastic zip lock bag and told us: "This is the only way I could, you know, preserve it. This was HIS and you are more than welcome to DNA it. "It still has his MAKE-UP on it. It still SMELLS like him. "It's very sentimental to me and it's personal. The number that I had initially in my mind was to offer it up for 200 hundred grand." Then in an effort to prove his closeness to Jacko, and the provenance of his goods, the free-talking security man MOUTHED OFF about the night the King of pop died, BLAMED personal medic Dr Conrad Murray for the tragedy and BRAGGED how the Jackson children lovingly nicknamed him Big E. Muhammad's attempt to line his own pockets comes just after Michael's rhinestone-studded glove - worn for his first Moonwalk dance in 1983 - was sold to a Hong Kong gaming resort boss for $350,000 (about £212,000). But that was a legitimate auction. Slippery Muhammad's offer is a hush-hush private get-rich-quick scheme. We were tipped off by an LA businessman who had already been approached, and our man took the 'customer's' place. Within seconds of entering our suite at the Intercontinental Montelucia hotel close to his home in Phoenix, Arizona, Muhammad was boasting of his close relationship with the Jackson clan. Muhammad, 36 - who boasts of celebrity clients including Britney Spears, Kanye West, Claudia Schiffer and Bette Midler - guarded Michael for the final three months of his life at the star's Bel Air mansion. His role included driving Jacko to and from rehearsals for the This Is It tour, running errands for the superstar and taking the kids shopping. "I was the first one he seen everyday when he came out of the house," bragged Muhammad, sporting a bright orange shirt with his name embroidered on the collar and large fake diamond cufflinks. "I took care of the children, I took care of him. I took care of whatever he wanted. I'd bring him his food at rehearsal and make sure he got into the house at night." Muhammad drove Jackson to the last rehearsal two days before his sudden death on June 25 and said the 50-year-old star appeared "fit and healthy". The minder blamed Dr Conrad Murray for the tragedy, accusing the medic of dozing off after administering powerful prescription drugs to get the singer to sleep. "I think Dr Murray left him under this anaesthesia, whatever it is, too long," said Muhammad. "Dr Murray would get there quite early but MJ wouldn't go to bed sometimes until five in the morning. "So once Dr Murray got him under, he'd take a nap. I just think he made a bad mistake and it cost MJ his life." Muhammad said he was one of the security team booked to accompany Jackson on the UK This Is It tour that was never to be. "It would have been phenomenal," said Muhammad. "It was all set and I had my own apartment. Michael said the fans in London are unbelievable." Outrageously the minder views the sale of Jacko's mask as some sort of compensation for missing out on the tour. "I was looking online and there's a lot of stuff on there but none of it is personal items," he said. And, pointing to a brown smudge of make-up on the nose area of the mask, he added: "This IS a very personal item. "I was responsible for cleaning the cars, so I'd take all Michael's valuables or things I thought might go missing and just keep them. And ironically I just kept that mask! "So that's it, man. He'd be rehearsing in that. When he'd come out he would wear it. I was just fortunate enough to be where I was at the time to get it." Setting his first price at $200,000, greedy Muhammad told us: "I was really banking on getting the money from the tour to do me well, and I'm not asking for a handout... "To part with that, it's a big sentimental piece for me, obviously consider that." When told he was asking too much, 22-stone Muhammad agreed to a cut-price $150,000 (£91,000). Bizarrely, despite blatant betrayal by SELLING one his boss's possessions, muslim Muhammad claimed he would never exploit tragic Jacko by TALKING about him for cash. "I would never give an infidel the pleasure of that," he said arrogantly. "Michael was very into Islam. That's why we were all Muslims doing security for him. "He's not somebody I'd want to talk bad about. People have no loyalty!" No Mr Muhammad, obviously not. . . * KNOW a scandal Maz should expose? Email maz@notw.co.uk or call his team any time on 020 7782 4402.Michael Jackson's trusted bodyguard caught trying to sell star's mask for £100k
Smudge
Lawyers for MJ's estate want to stop Joe Jackson, 81, from getting his hands on reports including the singer's autopsy, toxicology probe, doctor's notes and UCLA hospital records in the final few hours of his life. They have filed a court motion blocking Joe and his legal team from pulling public records to show his family the exact causes of Jacko's death. Last week we showed the world the paperwork where coroners ruled Jackson's death was a homicide - but no further records have emerged about what was in the star's drug addled, stick thin frame. As yet police and California district attorney have not charged anyone. Dad Joe wants the world and his family to see what substances were in his son's system and ask experts to unravel what triggered his son's fatal cardiac arrest on June 25. The former manager of the Jackson 5 believes these documents will be the key in his planned private lawsuit case against Doctor Conrad Murray for wrongful death of his son. He is still considering whether he will file an action against concert promoters AEG as to whether they were complicit in MJs treatment. Joe insists Murray was employed by AEG to " look after the star's needs." However estate administrators John Branca and John McClain reckon that most of his medical records should remain secret on "privacy" grounds forever. In December LA judge Mitchell Beckloff denied Joe the right to contest Branca and McClain's right to govern the Thriller star's $1bn fortune. He is now hoping to bank a monthly allowance from his dead son's fortune. A source close to the family said : "Joe is a father simply trying to learn the truth about his son's death ; the family have had to endure almost seven months with these records being kept secret . "Now the estate, the people who are meant to be acting in Michael's best interests, are blocking him from doing that. "Joe is asking for this information to establish how strong our case would be against Murray and any other "The problem is Joe would need money from the estate to sue Murray on behalf of his son - but they don't want a part of it. "Joe has to present his case for cash to the judge, but cannot do that without these records. "We are going to fight this, but if we lose and the police either don't take the case to court or get a plea-bargain from Murray then Michael's health records will remain a secret forever. "If the estate get their way just how Michael died will be hidden forever. His family and fans will not have peace with that. If there was foul play no-one will ever know why. "It means the public may not know just what levels of drugs were in the star's body, what happened at Jacko's house and the hospital. These records are so important" The source added: "This is a delaying tactic. If the case is made criminal all these documents will be released to the public. We cannot understand the administrators' stance." Last night Brian Oxman, lawyer for Joe, told The News Of The World: "The world and Michael's fans should rise up in outrage that a grieving father should not be permitted to know how his son died." The estate lawyers have filed a motion to block Joe's subpoenas to pull medical records from UCLA hospital and the coroners offices. The row is set to explode in court when Joe, Branca and McCLain go head to head in the LA Superior Court on February 11. So far coroners concluded Jackson died from an overdose of Propofol, a hospital based anesthetic drug which Dr Murray told cops he had injected. Cops' affidavits also showed that Murray gave him a batch of prescription pills to help the star sleep hours after a rehearsal for his London comeback shows. However the autopsy, toxicology and hospital emergency room records have been kept under wraps. Last night Howard Weitzman - legal representative for the estate's administrators - said: "Mr Jackson is not entitled to the records as set out in our court motion. "He is before the court asking for a family allowance for his support and these records have no relation to that request. "The motion and requested order protects Michael's privacy. "If there is a criminal case against Dr. Murray the overwhelming number of items asked for by Mr Jackson will not be part of that case nor would they be released to the public."JACKSON COURT BID
Records detailing Michael Jackson's death could be hidden forever
Michael Jackson's drug intake and medical reports may never be made public thanks to an extraordinary court battle - The News Of The World can reveal.
Privacy
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We obtained a copy of the document and an amendment to it - that have never been published. On the original July 7 certificate deputy coroner Cheryl MacWillie refuses to give a cause of death. But after further probes, it is amended on August 31 by medical examiner Christopher Rogers to "homicide". He concludes Jacko died from "acute Propofol intoxication" due to an "intra-venous injection by another". Meanwhile Jacko's doctor Conrad Murray, 56, has hired a hotshot lawyer in case he is charged over the June 25 death. Hollywood legal eagle Michael Flanagan saved a nurse from a murder charge when she was accused of wrongly administering painkiller Propofol. Murray already has a Houston law firm building his defence. Police affidavits say he admitted loading up Jacko, 50, with Propofol and other drugs in the hours before his death. The prosecution is likely to use lawyer Patrick Dixon, who helped put Phil Spector behind bars. But yesterday a Jackson family source said: "We are all keeping our faith with the police. We want them to do this case properly and put away the man who we feel is responsible for Michael's death. "We want the authorities though to release details of what happened to Michael in his last few hours. We want the paperwork to come out to show just what drugs were put inside him and what happened in his last few hours alive. "Much of the documentation has been kept secret - and we can't understand it. "We still feel that there is more than one person responsible for Michael's tragic death. Joe won't give up on getting justice for his son and a lawuit is his focus." Last night a coroners office worker explained the void branding on the forms was issued by the health authority which holds the documents. They brand forms like this to avoid them from being used for fraudulent purposes.Michael Jackson: It WAS homicide
