Mr. President
My name is Fabian Basabe. I’m a thirty-year old man, married and expecting my first child. I recently opened my own restaurant in South Florida called Da Vittorio. By starting a classic concept Italian eatery, which was an enormous investment for me, I now provide jobs for many grateful hardworking Americans. Therefore, in this severely wounded economy of ours, I would expect more from the leader of the world’s most free and powerful nation than a never-ending stream of negative assessments from you and your administration that do nothing more than discourage the general population from spending money.
After witnessing your televised speech Monday evening, I cannot shake the uneasiness I feel from comments such as "this is the greatest depression we have ever faced". Thank you. While I’m sure the public is aware that times are not easy, what they truly do NOT need is to be continually reminded of this. Mr. President, what we need from you is inspiration, not prophecies of doom. Because of such bleak attitudes as yours, people are afraid to spend money and businesses are failing because of it. You should be encouraging Americans to plug back into their lives, to NOT be afraid of investing and believing in a nation that won’t let them down. With all due respect for your elected position, you are like the slow car in the fastlane, creating hazardous traffic for the rest of us. People need a push to start living again and supporting their communities by investing, providing jobs, spending money and helping to move our economy.
Allow me to propose something: Let the U.S. Government help its citizens by ordering states to enforce a one week tax exemption; no taxes on anything consumers buy! This will incite people to consume. Stores will sell out of products and be forced to restock. Manufactures will resume mass production and so on. The country needs a jump start! Stop preaching. Stop explaining your mistakes. Stop trying to be so approachable. You are the President of the United States! So put your jacket on, take my advice and get to work! Or would you prefer to come to Miami and personally explain to my employees why they are out of a job? Explain to them why they won’t have money to pay rent and feed their families? Saddest of all, they would probably not be finding new jobs any time soon as they are in line behind millions of Americans already out of work!
Mr. President, the biggest issue we face as consumers is the housing problem, yet your stimulus plan does nothing to solve it. The federal government should purchase all outstanding mortgages on foreclosures, then re-sell them to banks healthy enough to afford them. This way the banks, in turn, can provide loans for new home buyers.
As things are now, you are basically imitating President Roosevelt who once paid workers to ...<< MORE >>
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "What Happens at The Abby Stays at the Abby!"
I guess not only what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... When in LA, what happens at The Abby stays at The Abby!!! For those of you who live on Mars, The Abby is the most popular gay bar in, apparently, the world, and I have been there a few times, generating by the way, my usual and very unoriginal snarky mention on Jossip and Gawker -- like it or they matter. It's a fun bar with a mixed crowd, a lot of industry folks, and sometimes it smells kinda funny, but it is always jam packed with very entertaining people.
That other night, I was not planning to go out at all, I swear. I was planning to have a bite at home and catch up on my TiVO and go to sleep before 4 a.m. when my cell vibrated and Traver Raines, of Heatherette, my favorite fashion spectacular of Fashion Week, convinced me that staying home when one can go out with friends is a crime against humanity. between you and me, I would have gone out for a lot less, but anyway, I dropped the remote and met him and his posse.
When I got there, I noticed with disappointment that it was not that busy of a night, hence not so much fun -- but I was wrong. GIVE IT UP FOR WILLIAM BALDWIN ladies and gentlemen, and his personal crew of transvestites, including the one he sleeps with on Dirty Sexy Money, Candis Cayne. Have you seen the show? I am not really a fan of it, especially because Donald Sutherland is in it and when he talks his mouth is always full of saliva and it coats his teeth and really is a little bit disgusting. I guess that's the dirty of the title? surely not the sexy. Anyway, it was fun, and I was really impressed by this short guy who was dancing like a very competitive competitor on Dancing With the Stars.
A couple of nights later, after starting at the very cool Glamour party at a beautiful home on the Hills, I went to a party that Kevin Iwashina, my former agent at CAA was hosting. when i got there, I realized that it was a democratic fundraiser and I did not want to participate because I am a Republican and I felt like a traitor. To add to my discomfort, my friends from Current TV, Max and Jason, really wanted to take pictures and I did not want to let them down
and feel twice the traitor, so I convinced Brittny Gastineau, who is a Republican as well, to take pictures with me, while holding a sign I made that read "I VOTE MCCAIN." Max and jason were happy, we took the photos and ...<< MORE >>
Fabian Basabe: "This Certainly Would Be the Most Expensive Piss I NEVER Took!"
As you may know, PAPERMAG blogger/"Leaky Club Kid" Fabian Basabe was arrested a few weeks ago and an item ran in Page Six. We asked Fabian what went down, and here’s his response.
Dear Readers,
Below is my official statement regarding my arrest. I sent this to Paula at Page Six as well although she gave me no reason to believe they will make a retraction. I thought you would find it both interesting and disturbing. Gossip columns lack so much integrity today. They would rather be first instead of being right.
I would like to address and correct the item regarding me, posted on Page Six on Thursday May 9, 2008. Around 11 p.m. I was on my way to Crown Bar in West Hollywood. I was in Brittny Gastineau's car, and she was driving. It was just the two of us. Two blocks or so from the bar, NOT in front of it, she pulled over and I got out of the car, and walked into an alley to look for parking. While I was looking for a parking spot for her, I was approached by a cop who thought I was about to take a pee. I was NOT peeing against a wall, and most importantly, I did NOT have my pants down at any time. Because the cop thought I was going to pee, he asked me for my license and, once he ran it, four warrants from 1999 and 2000, NOT just one as it was stated, came up, so the cop arrested me on account of dated bench warrants. I was able to speak to my lawyer, Vahe Jordan, provided by Mark Heller, only the next afternoon. In this lapse of time, wrong information had been released to the press, information which led to the wrongfulness of the item.
To double check the accuracy of this statement, please feel free to track my police record on Internet, and you will be able to find the exact location of my arrest and the exact reason why I was brought in. There is no fine for public urination. Public urination in California falls under indecent exposure, a much more serious crime, which is why Mr. Heller, in an attempt to help me with the press, used a medical excuse of a condition I frankly don't have. Furthermore I was not aware of these outstanding warrants and am most urgently resolving all legal matters in Los Angeles. I was released on a 75K bail, and, to add further insult to injury, I later learned my credit card was charged $93,500 to facilitate my release, and this does not include legal fees. This certainly would be the most expensive piss I NEVER took! As for people claiming to speak ...<< MORE >>
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "I Almost Wiped Out!"
There are more photos in this gallery. View them all.
Brittny Gastineau and I had dinner at STK last night in West Hollywood and when we were walking in there were no less that 40 paparazzi casing the joint because Cindy Crawford and Reese Witherspoon were also having dinner there. So anyway they photographed us going in and the flash bulbs were so blinding I tripped on the step and almost wiped out! Well... I said almost! Anyway, we were able to make a graceful exit. If anyone has the video footage, send it over! I think I screamed like a girl! Thanks for the cool pictures, Gary!
...<< MORE >>The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "I'm Starting a Band!"
It is your typical Sunday night in Los Angeles, and I just finished watching Kubrick’s The Shining, which somehow inspired me to write you. I was wondering if everybody says that The Shining is a masterpiece because they mean it or out of pressure… I secretly think it gets kind of boring from time to time, but I keep it to myself because I tried to say what I really thought in public out loud a couple of times and I thought I was going to get stoned, and I don’t do drugs, if you know what I mean. To balance things out, I am watching Gladiator now and they are beating the shit out of each other -- and that’s what I call a movie!
Anyway, before I go on narrating some of the latest LA events, I would like to address a Page Six posting about my wife and I, ducking out of a PAPER event hosted by Lindsey Lohan at the Sunset Marquis, because they were not serving booze. I would like to say that that is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. And I would also like to say that when I was saying my goodbyes to my beloved PAPER editors and crew, I read despair and thirst in their eyes as well. You know she's sober now, so none else can drink either. I only hope they won’t stop serving booze at Villa or Teddy’s when she goes, otherwise it would be dry night every night.
Moving on.
A week ago I went to the premiere of Bra Boys, a documentary based on the lives of the members of the surf tribe of Marouba Beach in Australia. Besides the fact that the documentary is fantastic, the party at the Directors Guild of America was a lot of fun and the after-party at Hyde was even more fun. The three brothers the documentary focuses on were there, and I met them, and truthfully, I need to say that they are some cool mates.
Some two weeks or so before that, I went to a Prada party at the store in Beverly Hills. Nadine Johnson organized it and… in my modest opinion… New Yorkers just do it better. It was one of the few parties in Los Angeles were nobody wore faded jeans, and it was so refreshing. L.A. and faded jeans, people: two peas in a pod. But that’s a whole other blog.
So are you guys noticing I am using paragraphs? That’s because I care about your comments and opinions! And now don’t hold this against me and don’t comment “kill yourself” or “my opinion is that you should die a painful death,” because that is not nice.
And now some personal news: I am starting a band!
...<< MORE >>Fabian Basabe Is "Completely Out of Party Shape After a Few Months in Healthy and Sunny L.A."
OK, I have a retraction to make: Do you remember the blog I wrote about the Halston party at Don Hill's? When I wrote that neither the designer nor investors showed up, the place was rocking and we had so much fun? Well, it turns out that I was a victim of my own impatience and I left too soon, as designer AND investors AND celebrities such as Helena Christensen, Christian Slater, Damon Dash, Veronica Webb, Padma Lakshmi, Georgina Chapman and Harvey Weinstein, and of course Tamara Mellon were all in attendance. Do you know what that means? It means two things: that the place rocked even more than I thought it did, and that I am completely out of party shape after few months in healthy and sunny L.A. Hey, don't be too hard on me, in L.A. everything shuts down at 2 a.m., which is when people just start putting their party shoes on in NYC! And although I tried very hard to train in Miami with my friends “the mean boys” -- who go out like Miami is NYC and a half -- I still feel very much behind.
I am like an athlete who broke a knee and is back in this season after time off. Or a celebrity just out of rehab who starts drinking again. So, truthfully, it happened that I was so tired that I had to take a day off from the shows and the partying -- ah, the horror, the horror -- and stay in bed all day. Alone. I got up purely because I was starving, both for food and some company, and I ended up at Bobo, New York's chicest new eatery du jour, the same place were Adam Lippes held his fashion dinner. I was there with Kipton Cronkite, a pre-eminent banker (and relative of Walter) and Addison O'Dea, and while feasting on the delicious, albeit small, portions of food, I was taken aback by a radiant Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick taking the seat opposite from me. Looking beautiful even after her grueling Sex and the City shoot, it was testament to her status as a true star. Katrina Pavlos came by to say hello towards the end of our dinner and I am so excited to attend her next Grand Classics screening at SoHo House!
The next day I woke up much fresher and in a better shape and full force ready for Sean John's party. Or at least I thought it was a party. In reality it was a fashion show, and when I arrived a standard 45 minutes late, ready for my fabulous cameo, I found out that security shut down the door. The fashion show started promptly at 6 p.m., both because it was a ...<< MORE >>
Fabian Basabe Hits up the Parties, the After-Parties and the After-After-After-Parties
Fabian Basabe Gets His Seat Stolen at the Malo Show
So I managed to sit down and got ready to enjoy the show... when i saw her: Kelly! Kelly Bensimon, that is, sitting straight across from me, on the other side of the massive oval catwalk. This is how it all went down: We make eye contact. I smile. She smiles and waves. I wave back and she keeps waving, very excitedly. Then she stands up and starts walking toward me... so I stand up and meet her in the middle of the catwalk where we hug and the photographers go crazy and people are staring! After chatting for a bit, we realized nobody was looking at us anymore, so we hugged goodbye and went back to our seats and got ready for the show.
...<< MORE >>Fabian Basabe's Back in Town... And Back at the Cubby Hole!
I attended the Adam by Adam Lippes show over the weekend. I have been his strong supporter since the very beginning, partially because he is terribly talented but mostly because he and I have been friends forever, mildly at first, and incandescently after the week we spent in Rio de Janeiro for New Years Eve several years ago. When we hugged goodbye at JFK after our returning flight, I knew that a deep gratitude for surviving the vacation, a new found appreciation for the little things in life and secrets as dark as our perfect tans were the pillars of a very long-lasting friendship. And in fact, here we are, years later, still sensational looking, him, at the head of a very successful clothing line named after him, and me, just hanging out backstage….
Anyway, the show was great, and Anna Wintour was there, who I had never seen at Adam's so... kudos man, you keep getting better and better and I am proud of you! After the show, I joined Jonathan Morr, Bob Collacello and Paul Beirne, all veterans of the Rio vacation, and went for lunch at Stand, Jonathan's new very cool burger joint, and I realized that when you are happy and with friends, food tastes so good. Or maybe Jonathan simply knows what he is doing and Stand is a very good restaurant.
Later that night, I met Adam at the dinner for his new collection at BO BO, a very cool-looking restaurant, and shared a fun table with Cynthia Moureto, Fabiola Beracasa and the one and only Jenne Pipino, whom I love. Next stop was, of course, the Beatrice Inn but... I don't know, maybe I am completely jaded by Los Angeles, where kids go to a club to party, rather than to network, so I grabbed my posse and left in a hurry. Destination: The Cubby Hole, the lesbian bar around the corner. Yes, I have been there before, and I went back there because one, it is fun, and two, that is where I met Josh Hartnett so, you know... I gave it another shot. He was not there, but we still managed to have a great time and dance like fools!
And after a quick pit stop at Model Karaoke at Cipriani, I called it a night, since the next day I had to wake up at the crack of noon. ...<< MORE >>Fashion Week Guest Blogger Fabian Basabe Returns -- But First He Has to Recover in Quito...
Best of the week: - dinner at Quattro, a very good Italian restaurant on Lincoln road, with my whole Miami posse, highly entertaining people who live in the hot weather all year round and as a consequence are completely cooked and can't really construct a logical sentence. I love it! - drinks at Club Deuce, a dive bar whose location I can never remember because of a mysterious yet recurrent confusion that attacks me more or less by the end of my first bottle of patron. it is very unfortunate because I'd like to go back, I mean the place is great, in the best dive bar tradition, it is dirty, it smells bad, people there are weird looking and scary and the bartenders are mean mean bitches. most popular drink there? Jack Daniel's of course, the slut of all whiskeys. and Budweiser. I love it! - Club Set, which allows in only kids UNDER 21,or at least that was my impression, when I found myself surrounded by fresh innocent faces begging, begging, begging to have a good time. I REALLY love it!
Worst of the week: - Halo, where the policy is: if you are in here than you are a VIP. wrong! what the f*ck. liers! it is like saying that everyone is pretty. plus, if everyone is a VIP than everyone is treated the same which completely defeats the purpose, I learned that in my quantum physics class. ...yes I did! ...okay ...<< MORE >>
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "I am done with Vegas for at least a few weeks!"
And right when you thought you got rid of me...
Hi guys, I am back! And I have a question: why are you reading this blog if you
think I am a douche bag? Come on, exit this page and make room for all those who
like me, because yes, they are many and many more.
Did I get rid of you?
Did I now?
Okay then, keep reading, but now the douchebag is you!!!
Anyway...
Let's talk about my endorsement campaign. I was asked to be the face, literally,
of a very cool skin care company, Dr. Alessi, which is based in Los Angeles and
whose promise is to make every client look like me. Pretty groovie, yeah? And,
as if that was not enough, Dr. Alessi is the founder of an amazing charity
foundation called face forward, so I am definitely proud and flattered they
asked me and I hope I will do I good job representing them.
Now, let's talk about my TV project. I was approached by Lifetime and asked to
participate in an episode of their show Top This Party. Basically, the show
follows you and your party planner's trials and tribulations during the
organization of what tries to be the best party EVER. Since I just got the
endorsement campaign, and my friend Brittny Gastineau wanted to throw me a party
for that, we just jumped at it and said YEEEESSSSS! and just like that I am back
on TV. Let me just say that after my extensive study of parties I kinda knew
that this party was going to be... well.... but as you know I never say no to an
party, so I cheerfully accepted the job, packed up and left for Vegas, where the
show was going to be filmed.
I was in Vegas for 6 days... have you ever tried anything like that? And I
thought LAST time I went it was brutal!!! (well.... they did take me to Celine
Dion's concert....) No, seriously, 6 days is just way to much, the air is just
poison there... I am so glad it's over, and I am done with Vegas for at least a few weeks!
The show was a lot of work, but it was fun to film. our party planner is named
Breakfast, because he throws parties that go on all night and in the morning
fixes a very good breakfast for everyone. I am serious, there really is a man
out there who actually takes pride in his ridiculous nick name. the party was at
prive, the club of the hotel, and it was absolutely vegas style, and special
guests were heatherettes travor and richie rich, out of the blue ...<< MORE >>
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "...but even I know that you don't f*ck with Oprah"
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "I Will Never Be the Man to Turn Down a Password Party!"
Hello PAPER Readers! Sorry for the long silence... or should I say, you are welcome for the long silence? Here is your favorite... how do you say it again... Oh yes, Douche Bag, with more from Los Angeles, to which I am fast becoming addicted. Now, I don't want to kill the healthy competition between East Coasters and West Coasters, and sure, the fashion, parties, power and money are greater in New York, but I am sorry, you cannot compare the lifestyle. When in New York City, people are struggling with the incoming cold weather, meetings, sirens and crowds, while everything is so pretty out here in LA! People are genuinely happier and I mean... why not? Everyone is good looking! And on my part, today I had a killer meeting about a new show concept, ate lunch outside, and came home to sit in my jacuzzi for 45 minutes and now I am watching TV while trying to focus. Not bad right? Work AND play! And did I mention everyone is good looking in LA?
So let's re-cap the last few weeks’ activities...
First of all, happy belated Halloween! This year I had two parties, two nights in a row, but I could not resist, and dressed as that asshole from Filthy Rich Cattle Drive both times. With great success, I might add. Everyone complimented my gear and a few people genuinely told me that I looked like Fabian Basabe, to whom I politely replied thank you, because YES, I did take it as a compliment.
The eve of Halloween I went to a friend's house in Malibu, where I found out that if there is a lesson to be learned from the movie Mean Girls it is this: Halloween is the time of the year when girls have an excuse to dress like sluts. I mean... the slutty bunny, the slutty Dorothy, the slutty indian, the slutty pirate, the slutty punk vampire... and a girl who just decided to cut the bull and just wear underwear and a bra. At least she didn’t pretend, you you know what I mean? After a couple of hundreds of drinks, our generous and mightily organized host jammed all of us guests into minivans and shipped us to the Malibu Inn, a shaggy bar on the ocean, where I spent many many nights during my college years, along with my Pepperdine friends and the whole cast of Baywatch... It was the ‘90s, you know?
Anyway, things haven't changed and the place was packed with college kids who
really know how to party -- they just started, are new to it, fresh
and never tired, and have absolutely no intention to stop. It was GREAT!
The next night, I started off at the Chateau Marmont, trying to be civil, a little tired from the night before, but then I ran ...<< MORE >>
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: Everyone There Wore a Rented Old School Tuxedo or Very, Very Wide Legged Jeans With Experimental, Unknown Sneakers..."
But I did make my way to this one awards gala that I just have to share it with you -- unpacked boxes be damned! First, let me preface it by saying was so far beyond wretched that to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I can't reveal the actual event. Otherwise I will not be invited back, and I wouldn’t want to miss the chance to pick up a few more horror stories next year. Anyway, here we go.
The first red flag was the perhaps the dress code, "Black Tie Optional.” Amused, I decided to wear a pair of jeans and a jacket. I figured I might be a little under-dressed, but people would forgive me. Thank god I didn't wear a tux! Everyone there wore a rented old school tuxedo or -- taking the "optional" to heart -- very, very wide legged jeans with experimental, unknown sneakers and shirts that even the boys from 'NSYNC would have ditched. The women looked like they were either going to the prom in Arkansas or to Sunday mass.
I was hit on by: (in this order), Lil' Kim's ugly sister, in a leopard blue dress... shirt... I don't know -- it was torn up and she looked like she had been run over by a car. Next: a barefoot cougar sucking on a lollipop, followed by a guy who is producing a movie who would like me to be in it. He handed me his business card -- which had his picture on it! (Does it double as his driver’s license??) Making my way through the crowd, shaking my head in disbelief and trying to keep to myself, I saw it; it being the buffet table, an extravaganza of sushi next to pasta next to cookies next to caramelized apples the size of a New York studio. A selection that would make any self-respecting New York girl with body issues (and some boys -- you know who you are) purge from ten feet away. That did it. I packed up my posse and on the chorus of some tacky seventies disco song and we took off for saner pastures. ...<< MORE >>The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "You Are a Brand!"
Hello my dear readers. What follows is an interview with Paul Anderson, a mega-agent who managed to launch and bring success to many TV and radio personalities -- we are talking about godly skills here. Unfortunately for me, I was way beyond salvation even for him, but at least -- probably out of pity -- he granted me this interview, which I share with you.
Paul’s job is mainly focused on helping the talents he is working with to focus on their own skills and build what is called in the business, a “personality brand.”
See, apparently, each one of us has certain characteristics and traits that define us and make us more appealing to a certain audience than to another. Once you understand who your audience is, and you are able to win it, you establish followers. Your stakes go from commodity to brand, you stop being a disposable face that can be replaced by the next hot thing, and basically win the hearts of Americans and are in the business to stay, baby!
OK, the interview is not at all extravagant, but I am completely intimidated by him and could not bring myself to ask him any of the hundreds of silly questions that so easily pop in my mind daily. By the short and focused responses you might get what I mean… he is business and he is not afraid to show it.
On my part, I am going to go back to plotting my next blog.
Fabian Basabe: How is a manager different from an agent? What do you consider yourself?
Paul Anderson: A typical manager is involved in all aspects of a talent’s career, including long term strategic goal setting. An agent is more focused and targets specific deals the manager and/or talent are pursuing. The best agents are involved in all aspects of a talent's career.
FB: Describe your typical day.
PA: There is no such thing as a typical day. That’s one of the great things about being an agent, you never have the same day twice.
FB: What personality traits does a great agent have?
PA: A great agent needs to be a good listener; be able to “read the room,” and have excellent communication and follow-through skills.
FB: What's the biggest perk of doing what you do?
PA: Meeting and working with a terrific range of personalities and characters.
FB: Biggest downside?
PA: Lots of travel that takes me away from my family.
FB: What would you tell a 21-year-old who wants to be you in 10 years?
PA: Identify your passions, educate yourself about those passions, and do everything you do with integrity.
FB: How do you convince an A-lister that you're the ...<< MORE >>
The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "Be on Time and Stay Away From the Bullshit."
Rule #1: Be original -- don't be a whore! Sleep with people because you like them... not because you think it will help you. You will just get passed around.
We are all familiar with stories of shady agents who want you to meet them at their homes at night in order to make a move, or tell you, “that is how the industry is...” NO! This is a terrible misrepresentation and a sad story unfortunately told over and over again. This is business! You are talent and they are agents. The agent makes money when you make money. If you are talented you will work, period! If you are young and inexperienced and a bit naïve, you will most likely become a pet to an agent that finds you hot... but pay attention, this is a very expensive city and every day will cost you. Do not be intimidated, just be aware... you are after a profession and you should be professional. There are hundreds like you and you are not the first to use sex as an "in.”
The industry gets a bad rap as it is... be original, actually keep your clothes on, strengthen your skills by taking classes and getting real work experience, be on time, and stay away from the bullshit.
I recently interviewed a talent agent at a top talent agency who prefers to remain anonymous. Like most powerful agents, she prefers to let her work represent her.
How is a manager different from an agent? What do you consider yourself?
I'm an agent.
Describe your typical day.
There is no typical day for an agent. It is truly different every single day.
What personality traits does a great agent need to have?
They must be aggressive, personable, patient, a good talker and a good listener.
What's the biggest perk of doing what you do?
Watching people succeed.
Biggest downside?
The job is never done... ironically, that is an upside as well.
What would you tell a 21-year-old who wants to be you in 10 years?
Nothing is handed to you. Be ready to work for it. Overtime is part of the job.
What advice would you offer someone new to the industry?
Acting is a profession that doesn't want or need you. Be prepared for that. Wake up every morning and know you are going to be successful.
How important is networking?
Very important; in this world, it's always who you know.
What education or training do you recommend?
Be an assistant and a waitress.
In the age of Gawker, TMZ, etc., how has your job changed?
It hasn't. Just another distraction during the day.
PAPERMAG: The Life and Times of Fabian Basabe: "WOW! I Do Some Really Stupid Shit!"
Fashion Week is long gone, and while I was initially approached to guest blog for the week, the fine PAPER people have asked me to continue blogging... so here goes!
I'll start with a little about me and what I am up to this fall...
So I recently signed with a talent agency in New York, Don Buchwald and Associates. I had to put together a reel and a press book, and while I’ve had people to organize me in the past, at the end of the day if you want to get something done you must ultimately do it yourself. So I began... I went online and skimmed through articles and press mentions about me.... WOW! I do some really stupid shit! And I thought no one was looking -- ha!
You learn a lot about yourself when you actually pay attention! Well, it is not all bad... there are some nice features from very respectable (and fair) writers, front-page stories, magazine covers and, well, a whole lot of fan messages. But then there is the stuff that stays.
Yesterday I was pictured alongside Paris Hilton, Brandon Davis and Lindsay Lohan in the Post and compared to a "perpetually coked-out, poker playing party boy who is mad, bad and dangerous to know" character on that new ABC show Dirty Sexy Money. WTF! I mean, okay I get it... I have a bad rap, and that's the stuff that sells. Do people really want to hear about me laying out on my terrace all day or watching movies? I certainly wouldn't. But a Thanksgiving DUI? People love to hate and for those who only know me from what they read, I can't say I don’t understand the reaction.
I have been quoted saying ridiculous things like "if you don't have to work why would you?" and "hot people have sex, that's what we do," and thank you, but I do not need a reminder of all the other things I have said. Umm, it's called a sense of humor?
But the truth is... I want to work. I got a call the other day from Howard Stern's people, to do a pre-interview while they consider having me on the show. The man asked me a series of ludicrous questions about my life, relationships and my past, which I delivered in truth. Then he asked me why would I want to be on the show, what did I have to promote... I had no answer. But then I thought about it... ME! I have to promote me! It is not that I do not want to work, it is that I can't get a job! People think I don't need it or I would not take it seriously. That simply is not true! For ...<< MORE >>
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe Interviews... um... Ann Coulter!
Fabian Basabe: Having lived in New York, have you ever attended Fashion Week in New York?
Ann Coulter: No, though I'd like to just be at a cocktail party where I could talk to people eye to eye.
FB: We have both had our troubles with The New York Observer. They called you "the Republican Michael Moore", and "Rush Limbaugh in a miniskirt.” Don't you think your legs are much better than Rush or Moore's?
AC: Don't knock Rush Limbaugh's legs -- they're better than Hillary's.
FB: Time magazine took an unflattering cover shot of you with a fish eye lens. Which fashion photographer would you most like to shoot your next Time cover and in what setting?
AC: SHONNA VALESKA! She shot the cover photo on my next book. (If Democrats Had any Brains, They'd Be Republicans -- in bookstores Oct 2.) Shonna also shot the best photo ever taken of me for… Time magazine. Time didn't use that photo, instead choosing one of me mid-blink. (The photo editors are either blind or there's some sort of ideological agenda at work. I can't decide.) It is now available in poster size from Young America's Foundation.
FB: You frequently appear in short skirts. Whose skirts do you like this season?
AC: Hmmm, I'm not sure. What's John Edwards wearing? We seem to wear the same panties.
FB: A video of John Edwards fixing his hair appeared on Youtube. Who takes longer to do their hair -- you or John? Who has a better colorist?
AC: Speak of the devil! I do. It must be difficult to concentrate when you have to worry about being sued by the client.
FB: Sexual harassment is a big issue in certain industries such as politics and the modeling business. Do you think people who trade sexual favors really get ahead?
AC: It seems to have worked for Hillary.
FB: You are a brilliant self made and accomplished woman. Would you ever date a model?
AC: Is the model a Republican?
FB: Which is the Bigger Disaster... a) Britney Spears at the VMAs... b) The New York Times.
AC: At least there's hope for Britney.
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe Interviews Baby Fashion Guru Holly Doran
Fabian Basabe: OK, Holly, in five sentences or less... tell me everything. And then I have more questions!
Holly Doran: So Posh Squeaks is an online baby boutique featuring luxury items for newborns and new moms. I came up with the idea when I was pregnant with Finley and couldn’t find a website that carried classic, high-end, quality baby clothes. Frustrated, I decided to open a place of my own. I reached out to fellow fashion moms like Plum Sykes, Marina Rust, Emilia Fanjul, and Meredith Melling to see what brands they loved. What was their most coveted gift and what gifts they find completely useless? With their feedback, a lot of research and months of editing the line, I put together a well-chosen collection of little luxuries, essentials and gifts to make babies and new moms DROOL. "
FB: Fashion Week is for big boys and girls... is there a secret underground mini runway where the nannies bring the little ones to play dress-up while mommies are making their rounds at the shows?
HD: There definitely is!! Appleseeds in Chelsea is the place to see and be seen for the under six set. This members-only indoor playground is like a SoHo House for little ones and memberships are going fast. They have a 2,500 square foot playground and classes, including yoga, cooking, art, music and even science!! Every few hours they do a “toy sweep” and sterilize everything in sight, so if you are a germaphobe mom (like me), you can rest easy. Annual membership is available through Posh Squeaks and is absolutely the MOST thoughtful gift for a downtown mom.
FB: you work/live in the devil's lair...what have you learned that you would like to pass on to the younger generation about fashion?
HD: This sounds very very cliché, but... BE YOURSELF. It is so easy to get caught up in all the baloney when you are new on the scene. Those who do just look silly. Stay focused. Stay real. Stay true to yourself and you will find respect and success.
FB: Who are your favorite baby clothing designers?
HD: Baby CZ, Caramel Baby of London, Marie Chantal, Bella Bliss, Amber Hagen Cashmere, and Gordonsbury Layette. Pixie Lily makes the MOST beautiful pima cotton layette, which every new baby deserves. We ...<< MORE >>
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe's Back in New York and Painting the Town Red
So I landed at JFK early from the red eye, went home for a power nap, had a late lunch at Cipriani's (the one in Grand Central Station) and headed over to the New York Yacht Club for Chris Benz's fashion presentation.
Now, as I have tried to convey in this blog, Fashion Week is a lot of fun, but then, amidst the multitude of events, you stumble into the one that is really very cool! The Yacht Club is, in my opinion, one of the best building in NYC, and Chris's presentation was in its best room... you know, the one with the miniature boats and the wooden walls and the mosaic glass mirrors on the ceiling? That one. Now, pack it up with slick socials, cool fashion people and gorgeous models, add a soundtrack straight from the 1920s, stud it with girls wearing Benz's colorful and elegant creations and top it off with Chris, the cherry on top, in a panama hat and a bow tie. It was fun and original and true to Chris' inspiration -- a modern take on a bygone era.
The next stop was the Vogue event at the rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel where we were greeted by an army of models and cute PR girls, whisked into the elevators and immersed in the perfectly crowded roof top space. I said hello to Holly Doran, Meredith Melling Burke, Zani Gugelman, some of my favorite party photographers and some new faces. Many were hyped to head over to Marc Jacobs, John Varvatos and Marc Bouwer, but we decided to have a quieter evening, despite the chug-a-lot competition of Mosquito, a lethal drink of vodka, passion fruit, mint, sugar and a not-really-identified liquor.
OK, I said quieter not quiet. After Vogue, we headed to dinner at the ever fabulous home of Ann Dexter-Jones. Evenings at her home are always like Christmas -- you see friends that you love, you meet people that become friends that you love, the house is welcoming and Ann... well Ann is just Ann: the best. We spent some time with Greg Calejo, Scott Currie, Vannessa von Bismarck, Mike and Marcy Warren, and many other cool New Yorkers. It was the perfect way to recover from the ever-traumatizing experience of last weekend in L.A. I am pulling the plug now, and going to sleep. Tomorrow I am heading to Princess Pants... I mean Stacey Bendet's for the Alice+Olivia presentation. See you there! - FABIAN BASABE
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe's Frustrated in L.A.: "I Was Asked to Wait in a Tiny Room Overlooking a Dumpster with Stained Sofas and no Flat Screen TV!"
Let me start off by saying, what the f*$k! I am called away from Fashion Week, take a flight that was delayed three hours, sequestered from civilization, held up in a Marriot in Burbank while my friends are flying to Vegas for the VMAs literally across the street (yes my hotel was in front of an airport) and for what????
So let me begin. After reading over a ginourmous stack of paper -- my contract -- clearing it with my agent at Don Buchwald, disturbing my attorney and family friend on a weekend to sign off, I accept an invitation to be a contestant on a game show called Do You Trust Me on CBS hosted by Tucker Carlson. I sat patiently all day at the cement pond they called a pool waiting for my call time today, did a long phone interview and basically was a good sport and did not complain about anything.
I was finally given a call time and a driver picked me up to drive me to Studio City. I was greeted and asked to wait in a tiny room overlooking a dumpster with stained sofas and no flat screen TV! Hours later I was sent to hair and makeup, briefed, did a wardrobe check and put back in my room to learn they went over budget and time and were being kicked off set at 10 p.m... Yes I was still there at 10 p.m.!!!
A producer had the audacity to offer 500 dollars for my time!
OK, I am done venting... but I guess this is show biz! Something I have to get used to once I move to LA. Basically, it’s a lot of hurry up and wait! And sometimes with no result! Oh well, at least it is sunny!
Check in this week for more Fashion Week coverage, because I am coming home! -FABIAN BASABE...<< MORE >>
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe Does Burbank
Greetings from the Valley!
So I was put up at a hotel in Burbank! People in the Valley are just different -- take for example the genius who designed the layout of this hotel and put the pool on the wrong side of the building, so basically I sat on a plastic lounge chair and looked at a wall with zero sun! This lasted about thirty seconds! LA is all about the fresh burn... so I made a decision that I could not suffer anymore and headed to the Beverly Hills Hotel and met Dori Cooperman for lunch with some friends and sat by the poolside in a civilized setting.
I mean honestly, who goes to LA and stays in Burbank!?
Back to Fashion Week... a great event that I hope you all were aware of was the DHL sponsored rooftop party at in Bryant Park hosted by Zac Posen to benefit TeachersCount, a national non-profit that supports the teaching profession. The centerpiece of the exclusive global partnership is the "Tote for Teachers" campaign.
I think we can all agree that good teachers are invaluable to our society and should get way more recognition, respect and funding. If you can find the time, go online to www.toteforteachers.org and buy a bag, 100% of the proceeds will go to TeachersCount.
While I was still recovering from the previous night, It was good to see Annie Churchill, Maggie Betts and Allison Aston... always gracious and eager to support a cause. - FABIAN BASABE
PAPERMAG: Fabian, on His Way to L.A. to Compete in a Game Show, Chills with Diana Ross in the Admirals Lounge at JFK
Dear readers... I owe you a write up on the DHL-sponsored Zac Posen event which had a great turnout and benefits a great cause, Teacher's Count... bear with me as I am currently at the Admirals Club at JFK waiting to board a flight to L.A. Oh yeah... I forgot to mention... I am competing to win a million dollars on a game show this weekend! In the spirit of the generous charitable efforts this Fashion Week, I hope I win so I can put it to good use helping people. Will keep you posted! Wish me luck!
[one hour later]
I am still in the Admiral's Club as my flight was cancelled due to a mechanical problem... which I just learned is code for "we had too many empty seats and need to combine flights." I am so mad!!!! Like CBS couldn't send a plane for me!!!!
Anyway, I am hanging with Diana Ross in the lounge who is also on my flight so that's pretty cool! I almost did not recognize her but she looks amazing! And so nice... she is talking to everyone.... we have at least two more hours, so why not!
Okay I won't keep you just because I am bored out of my mind!!! - FABIAN BASABE
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe's Epic Evening
Let me start off by saying I was nursing an epic hangover all day!! EPIC.
So, after the ADAM show yesterday I went to the art-rageous party hosted by Vanity Fair at Bloomingdales. it was an amazing set-up and for a fantastic cause. If I were as talented and artist as some of those whose works were being auctioned, I would paint you a picture, but I just cannot. Think fun, bright lights, beautiful models in balloon fashions, art installations and pretty people. So that's all I needed, but I loved seeing Chris Benz (more on him next week), VF's Darryl Brantley and Bob Collacello.
OK, let’s take a second and talk about this New York City taxi strike!!! I paid
40 dollars to go ten blocks!! Something about crossing zones... what is this, DC? When I was there last for the Presidential Inauguration, I learned the hard way that you can literally take a 30 minute cab ride for six dollars if you stay in one zone, but if you take a cab two blocks and happen to cross a zone it will cost you 27 dollars!!
I miss my Hummer... cabs are bullsh*#t!
So I went home to take a cold shower because I am so over this humidity... got dressed and ready to make the rounds...
My first stop was at the MoMA for the Tommy Hilfiger event in support of UNICEF. I love that so many designers are pairing with charitable and relief organizations this year. While the craze and hype is not as insane as other years, I find there is more quality this fall. I ran into friends Peter Toumbekis and Cuba Gooding Jr. who invited me to the rooftop of the Gramercy for the In Style party. I dragged Amanda Hearst and her friend Dalia who is visiting from L.A. to join us.
The party was amazing... nothing crazy, just a good room and good people. And then she walked in. I am such a fan and I totally dorked out and told my friends about it. GWEN STEFANI -- there, I said it! Also in attendance were supermodels Karolina Kourkova and Natalie Lion. Then it got crazy... Cuba wanted to go to Room Service, so we piled in the cars and drove two blocks! I honestly had no idea it was so close. Cuba was a huge hit and then Kanye West joined us... you have no idea the mob scene that surrounded our private room.
And yes, there is more... after finishing a magnum bottle of Grey Goose and a bottle of Patrón Silver (my drink of choice), we wanted more fun!
Next stop, Tenjune, which I think it is the most exciting club in New York right now! The room is perfect and the owners Mark and Eugene are such a great team. The place is drama free, the ...<< MORE >>
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe Interviews Alice+Olivia Designer Stacey Bendet
Stacey Bendet: Pants.
FB: What excites you most about Fashion Week?
SB: New clothes. I promise my answers will get better.
FB: What is your inspiration this season?
SB: Wonderland, my show is “Alice + Olivia in wonderland,” a sort of mod take on Wonderland; escapism with an ethereal twist.
FB: What are you doing differently this year and how do you expect it to impact the viewers and fans?
SB: The show this year is a presentation, we are only showing a small selection of the actual line and it is staged more like a theatrical performance than a show.
FB: Are there any specific models you like to hire year after year?
SB: I love Margaret at Marilyn -- her personality shines through in every shot. I also love Caroline d’Amore… She isn’t full time modeling anymore but she has great style.
FB: Are there any new faces in your show?
SB: Yes, the beautiful Sadie Kargman, daughter of Jill Kargman. She is three.
FB: Are you expecting any specific guests this year at your show?
SB: Oh yes, my little niece Madden. She’s one month old and this will be her first trip to New York. Fabian Basabe is coming. He’s gorgeous. I hope he wears one of my men’s cashmere hoodies.
FB: Describe what you expect the backstage environment to be before your show.
SB: Fun. I always like it to be fun. The show/performance should have a lighthearted energy to it. I hate when people get all stressed, like the show is the end of the world… It’s fashion, it’s whimsical and I like the girls to feel good.
FB: If you were not wearing your own designs, who would you wear?
SB: My boyfriend’s Adidas sweatpants. Or maybe a great, gold lame, ‘70s one-piece.
FB: If you were to dress a super hero, who would it be and how would you dress him or her?
SB: Well, I thought I was Wonder ...<< MORE >>
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe's Excited for the ADAM Show!
Okay, let me say ADAM one more time. LOL.
At the beginning of his solo career, Adam's talent had been channeled only into very, very cool underwear. Made with high-end cotton and featuring possibly the best cut around, his undies still hold a special place in my heart.
No but seriously, it is amazing stuff. And now he has reached out to a very cool and chic ready to wear line for both men and women using great fabrics such as high-end cottons and cashmere and applying them to even greater cuts that are very wearable and will make you look hip! There may or may not be a secret after-party where the Patrón shots will be abundant and... well, I will let you know... the fashion presentation is at 5 p.m. -- see you there!
-FABIAN BASABE
...<< MORE >>
PAPERMAG: Fabian Basabe's Fashion Week Eve Wrap-Up
Welcome to the evening before Fashion Week officially begins. However, you would think that it was in full swing if you had been with me last night. This evening's activities combined one of the grand, established names of baubles and one of newest most talented fashion house. Let us begin with a pair of names that we all know: Van Cleef & Arpels.
I arrived at what was appropriately called “Une Journée à Paris” at the Hammerstein Ballroom to throngs of people outside desperate to get inside for a peek at VC&A's latest creations. After navigating my way past the press on the red carpet I entered into what could only be described as hysteria. Aside from the crowds there were statuesque models modeling selected pieces (occasionally with poodles who were sporting their own jewels) on the runway, which was followed by a show straight out of La Cage aux Folles, except that these really were women. And stunning ones at that!!
I ran into several of New York's more delightful and fabulous young damsels including Tinsley Mortimer and her sister Dabney and the elegant newlywed Minnie Gaghan (née Mortimer), among others. After several other brief hellos I decided to briefly abandon hope of making it up the elaborate stairs to the upper levels and had a quick drink at the bar. Once I had reinvigorated myself, I braved it up the back stairs to the top where I reconnected with the previously mentioned group as well as one of my favorite New York couples: Dennis and Corralie Charriol Paul as well as the always radiant CeCe Cord.
I left the VC&A party just before the fire marshal shut down the door and headed over to Trovata's fashion presentation, which luckily was running late. I arrived just in time to find the ever classic and gorgeous Lauren Bush who has been very busy with her non-profit foundation, FEED, which she founded and is the director of.
Here is its mission statement: (http://www.feedprojects.org)
The FEED project was started by Lauren Bush, Honorary Spokesperson, to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme. The proceeds from FEED products go to feed hungry children in school around the world through WFP's school feeding program. WFP fed 21.7 million children in over 74 countries in 2005. Yet around 400 million kids in the world still go to bed hungry every night. Hunger and malnutrition kill more people than AIDS, malaria, and TB combined. In fact, every five seconds a child dies because he or she is hungry. The FEED project will raise awareness about child hunger as well as give an education, a full belly, and a brighter future to one hungry kid at a time!
so take a moment from your hectic schedules and get involved! -FABIAN BASABE
PAPERMAG: On Fabian Basabe's Plate Tonight: Une Journee a Paris and Trovata Show
PAPERMAG: Introducing Fashion Week Guest-Blogger Fabian Basabe
So, summer is finally over and I only spent three weeks of it in New York. And as much as I enjoyed my time elsewhere and abroad, I have to say that I’m glad to finally be home. As my dear friend, Bobby Zarem put it, “I Love New York.” I miss the city when I’m away and never really understood those people who say or feel that they have to get out. I need all 24 hours of it… the noise of construction… the crazy cab drivers honking their horns and yelling inaudible obscenities from out their windows. I need Madison Avenue, and the homeless that have better addresses than most Americans… the familiar faces at any time of day… the crazy, secret parties late at night that you can never remember how to find your way back to… I need to know that if I want mozzarella sticks or a Maine lobster at 4 a.m., I can have it in hand in 10 minutes or less. I need a city that can deliver… the simplicity, complexity, the lust and seduction, the arrogance and insecurity, and all the rest of it… So, Fashion Week begins today -- that seven-day stretch beneath the tents in Bryant Park, where designers flaunt their latest fashions, models run naked behind the stage, and champagne and celebrities are equally abundant. Seasoned fashionistas are gearing up. Many household names return to claim their coveted front-row seats, while the newbies decide who they’ll latch onto this fall for a few freebies and a photo-op. And some others, my God, have no business being here. The parties… the pictures… I assure you, what happens during Fashion Week does not stay at Fashion Week. From behind their dark glasses -- everyone is watching. And if they aren’t, well, that’s where I come in. By no means am I actually involved in the fashion industry. I am a guest… a personality… a friend of fashion, if you will. I have many relationships with genius talents and pretty faces, and will ...<< MORE >>