Designer Maria Pinto, well-known for dressing first lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, used her eye for fashion to curate antiquities from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for a new exhibit that includes a century-old shredded bark Brazilian ceremonial costume and a woven monkey fur necklace.
The materials are a stretch from the rich, bright purple silk Pinto used to design the sheath Obama wore during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. "Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto" opened Friday and includes an Inuit raincoat made of seal intestines. It was the first item that caught Pinto's attention, she said.

Welcome aboard the mother ship, Emma Bing.
The woman who was her mother's inspiration for writing what millions of pregnant women consider their bible, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," is now pregnant herself and joining the family business.

Are you ready for Simon and McFerrin?
Paul Simon probably never had a vocal partner quite like Bobby McFerrin, who coaxed him onstage for an impromptu performance of a Simon and Garfunkel hit — the highlight of opening night of Jazz at Lincoln Center's 25th anniversary season.

London Fashion Week kicked off on Friday with a colourful show by British duo Antoni and Alison, who marked their 25th year in style with a striking array of painted silk dresses.
With the emphasis on simple tailoring to show off their paintwork -- which ranged from graffiti to flowers and bold brushstrokes -- Antoni Burakowski and Alison Roberts presented a playful collection for spring/summer 2013.

Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine on Friday launched a lawsuit against French magazine Closer for printing topless pictures of her, the royal family said.
"St James's Palace confirms that legal proceedings for breach of privacy have been commenced today in France by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge against the publishers of Closer Magazine France," a spokeswoman said.

"Misery" and "Titanic" star Kathy Bates revealed Thursday that she has had a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, insisting she is beating cancer for the second time.
Bates, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, had been silent on Twitter since May, after her show "Harry's Law" was canceled by NBC television.

Media and entertainment group Disney revealed Thursday an unexpected $50 million write-down at its movie studio and lower-than-expected summer advertising revenue at broadcaster ABC.
The write-down was linked to a project that was abandoned, said Disney's chief financial officer James Raulo.

Lady Gaga marked the launch of her debut perfume Fame by making herself the centerpiece of a surreal black-tie masquerade soiree and getting a tattoo on the back of her head.
Gaga, 26, took over the Guggenheim museum on the final day of New York fashion week for a piece of performance art -- or should that be publicity? -- that started off with her sleeping in a Plexiglas replica of a Fame bottle.

Prince William and his wife Catherine reacted with fury Friday after a French magazine printed topless photos of her, saying it evoked painful memories of press harassment of William's mother Diana.
The young British royals, who are currently in Malaysia, were consulting lawyers over what they called a "grotesque" breach of privacy by the French version of Closer magazine, palace officials said.

During the season debut airing Wednesday on Fox, the audience cheers her, Simon Cowell defers to her and Spears is crisp, if not a wit, in her contestant verdicts.
We get the pop princess who knows how to hold the spotlight, not the young woman who has struggled in her personal life, in the taped premiere of "X Factor." Live episodes start airing in November.
