Singer And Style Icon Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Perfumes Will Be On HSN, But Apparently She Won’t

Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Perfumes

Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku perfume will be HSN’s Today’s Special Tuesday, but it doesn’t look like No Doubt’s lead singer will be on the air promoting it. That stinks.

If a celebrity is doing a line for a home shopping channel, using their star power to try and drive sales, then we think he or she should actually show up at the venue.

But Stefani is not listed on HSN’s online program guide for midnight tonight, when the Today’s Specials debut. But Stefani, the trend-setting blonde from Orange County, did do a video clip on her perfume for HSN’s Web site.

Here’s what HSN’s Web site says about the Japanese Harajuku dolls that the perfume comes in.

“Express your individuality with a selection of eau de toilette sprays inspired by Gwen Stefani’s love of the outrageous, eye-catching street scene of the Harajuku shopping district in Tokyo,” the site says. “Packaged in adorable doll decanters, each of the fragrances in this chic collection corresponds to the personality of a Harajuku Girl. Choose from Love, Lil’ Angel, Music, Baby and G and find a scent that fits your style.”

On The Network Where You Can’t Say ‘Orgasm,’ Joan Rivers Directs QVC Viewers To A Web Site With Bare-Breasted Women, Dreamgirls.com

Life is full of irony, and so is QVC.

The home shopping network recently banned host Lisa Robertson from saying the word ‘Orgasm,’ which is the name of a shade of blush from high-end cosmetics line NARS.

Then just over a week later, comedian and jewelry maven Joan Rivers is on the air telling viewers to go to a Web site where we found half-naked women. Here’s what happened Monday.

Rivers is not shy about promoting the jewelry she does for QVC, even wearing it to red-carpet events.

Rivers, who has been a QVC vendor for almost 20 years, was on the network talking about an enormous fabric flower pin that’s part of her jewelry line. As we have said, our motto is go big or go home, so we loved it. It was $29.50.

Rivers said she wore the huge flower on Sunday when she attended the star-studded premiere of the musical “Dreamgirls” in Harlem.

“Last night I went to this huge opening,” Rivers said on QVC. “That’s (the flower pin) what I’m wearing.”

Rivers told viewers to go to a Web site, “Look it up, Dreamgirls dot something,” to see photos of her at the opening. Well, we went to Dreamgirls.com, and there were no shots of Rivers.

Instead, we saw five very attractive bare-breasted women beckoning those over 18 to enter the site. We take it that Joan gave us the wrong URL.

But we did find several Web sites that had shots of Rivers at “Dreamgirls,” and she was in fact sporting her flower, in silver.

On “The Apprentice,” Rivers often wore her QVC jewelry. Maybe that gave her the edge that helped her win.

QVC Aims To ‘Redefine’ Black Friday With 28 Hours Of Non-Stop Shopping: Give Thanks For Three Today’s Special Values

In a PR Blitz that even caught the Associated Press’s attention, QVC Monday announced it is looking to give brick-and-mortar stores a run for shoppers’ money on Black Friday.

In a press release, QVC claimed it “is seeking to redefine Black Friday by offering all of the deals shoppers are looking for, with none of the craziness.”

To kick off “The New Black Friday, QVC is inviting America to get a jump-start on its post-turkey gift shopping with 28 hours of nonstop holiday shopping,” we are told.

The games Thursday, Thanksgiving evening, at 8 p.m. and continue until Friday at 11:59 p.m.

QVC Host Dave James

“When conventional retailers zig, QVC zags,” Claire Watts, QVC’s president of U.S. Commerce, said in a prepared statement. “This year, we’re joining the Black Friday fray – but in our own way – to make holiday gift shopping easier and more enjoyable than ever. The New Black Friday event at QVC offers a welcome escape from the mayhem – no long lines, no traffic, plus our customers can rest assured, knowing that they found really special gift ideas, at exceptional values.”

In addition to five hours of all-new, specially priced gifts Thanksgiving evening, QVC will offer three Today’s Special Value offers, items presented at exceptionally low prices, for a specific period of time. Holy crow!

AP’s David Bauder — who is a very nice guy, by the way — reported that QVC host Dave James will stay up 28 hours straight to do “telethon-like coverage” of the Black Friday event.

QVC shoppers will also get a sneak peek at the TSV for Saturday at QVC.com.

The nonstop shopping continues throughout the day on Black Friday, as QVC will offer a specially priced offer in every hour of programming. There will also be additional, specially priced offers at QVC.com.

QVC’s Black Friday programming will include, keeping with that Thanksgiving theme, “a cornucopia of terrific holiday gift-giving ideas”, the press release says.

Those include: the Nintendo Wii Gaming System with accessories, case and games; Panasonic HD Video Camera; Clarisonic Facial Cleansing System (enough with that damned Clarisonic!); and Philosophy Merry-Mint Chocolate Box 3-in-1 Shower Gel Duo.

Throughout the holiday season, QVC has extended its returns policy; gifts purchased between now and Dec. 23 may be returned up until Jan. 31 next year. But that’s not special: HSN and ShopNBC have done the same.

Do You Know ‘Home Shopping Diva’ Meg Flather? Well, Apparently Millions Of You Love Her

Have you ever heard of Meg Flather?

According to a press release, Flather “is known to millions as one of home shopping television’s most popular on-air personalities,” appearing on QVC, HSN and ShopNBC.

It says she worked on home shopping networks as “a cosmetics salesperson…One of television’s top cosmetic hawkers beloved by millions of women.”

Well, we’ve been watching home shopping networks for at least 15 years — maybe more — and we don’t know who the hell she is. Never heard of her. In other words, the press release is full of crap.

Be that as it may, Flather managed to get a blurb Monday in the “Inner Tube” column of the New York Daily News’s TV section. The item plugged Flather’s Dec. 12 performance at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan. Her show, where she does comedy and sings, is called “Home Shopping Diva…songs of love, loss, & lipstick.”

The News says that Flather is looking to trademark her moniker “Home Shopping Diva.” Yes, we’re sure there’s a long line of women looking to use that name.

The press release on Flather’s Dec. 12 gig says, “In addition to hommage to the great female singers and composers who inspired her musical career, Flather’s ‘Home Shopping Diva’ includes some comedy songs as well as sendups of the home shopping TV phenomenon and heartfelt snippets of her work advising women seeking the lost luster of their youth.”

We can’t wait.

After Allegedly Jilting His Bride, HSN Celebrity Chef Todd English Spotted ‘Sucking Face’ With Leggy Chick, New York Post’s Page Six Spy Says

The New York Post’s Page Six must have someone tailing HSN celebrity chef Todd English. We’re even starting to feel sorry for the guy, even though he allegedly jilted his bride-to-be and left her at the altar the day of their wedding.

Monday’s Page Six, in an item headlined “Face Time,” reports that English, who was on HSN last week with his green cookware, was rebounding well after leaving Erica Lang, his former fiancee.

Page Six says that English was spotted “sucking serious face” with a pretty young thing at the Brass Monkey Bar in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

The Post broke the story about English dumping Wang, who got her revenge by giving the tabloid an exclusive about how he was a cad who dumped her on their would-be wedding day.

English responded by filing domestic abuse charges against Wang, whe he claims hit him in the head with his own watch.

HSN fans don’t seem to be holding any of this against him.

Get A Sneak Peek At QVC And HSN Vet Judy Crowell’s New ShopNBC Collection Online

Judy Crowell

Former QVC and HSN host Judy Crowell’s new collection on ShopNBC debuts early Tuesday morning, and the items are now up on the home shopping network’s site.

Her first show is on at 2 a.m., too late for us. But Crowell has faux leather handbags ranging in price from $32 to $66, as well as several scarves.

She even has a pair of reading glasses, at $30.

While Crowell is only bringing in accessories this visit, when her Judy Crowell Collection does its full launch next year she will be selling sportswear and outerwear, as well.

Crowell’s husband, fellow QVC and HSN alum Paul Deasy, already hosts a jewelry line for ShopNBC called the Gem Insider.

Fashionista Isaac Mizrahi Dishes To New York Daily News About The Plaid Cheesecake He’s Doing With Junior’s For QVC

Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi debuts on QVC Dec. 4, and Seventh Avenue is all abuzz.

Mizrahi, who has taken to wearing a silly scarf on his head, will be bringing premium apparel, accessories, housewares and cheesecake to West Chester, Pa. Yes, that’s right, cheesecake.

In a Q-and-A in the New York Daily News Sunday, Mizrahi says he “is doing a collaboration” with world famous Junior’s  cheesecake. The result is a cake “with a plaid fondant top,” he tells the News. 

We know what plaid is, but we have no idea from “fondant” is. Anyway, Mizrahi already gave Women’s Wear Daily the scoop on his QVC stuff. And WWD has a photo of the tartan plaid cheesecake.

Mizrahi also told the News that he had whipped up some chocolate tuille cookies for QVC, but they couldn’t be successfully shipped. The designer said that QVC is going back to the drawing baord to try to find the right recipe that will make the cookies pass the shipping test.

Apart from his upcoming appearances on QVC, Mizrahi is also a reality TV star, featured on Bravo’s “The Fashion Show.”

Do Married Handbag Designers Bruce Makowsky and Kathy Van Zeeland Have Naughty Photos Of QVC CEO Mike George? Why Else Would They Be On The Home Shopping Network Almost 24/7?

QVC CEO Mike George

Is there a handbag overload at QVC, from the married designer duo of Bruce Makowsky and Kathy Van Zeeland?

That’s what some posters to the network’s forums are griping about, and doggone it, we have to agree about this bag blitz.

Makowsky and Van Zeeland have separate, and very different, handbag lines on QVC.

And recently everytime we turn on the No. 1 home shopping channel we see either Makowsky, with his upscale pricey leather bags, or his pretty wife Van Zeeland, with her inexpensive faux leather, overly ornate purses. Sorry, we like our bling, but she just goes overboard, to the point of gaudy.

On the thread “Not Another Overpriced Handbag”, there were plenty of complaints about the Today’s Special Value, which is a $190 glove leather satchel from the B. Makowsky line.

“I am sick and tired of all the handbags/purses the Q is pushing,” poster Kpal wrote, “Has the Q heard of inflation and recession? Sure we all are going to pay a nearly $300.00 in a couple of colors.”

Poster February agreed with her, “kpal, although I really like handbags alot, I think they have been showing wayyyyyy too many lately~ like you said it’s hard to avoid B. Maks or Kathy VanZ etc.”

And here’s one final shot from BKHLIH.

“Totally agree about the overkill in purse TSV’s, but where are the other brands–stone mt, maxx ny, etc as TSV’s?? It’s either KVZ or B Makowsky…they must have a heck of contract with QVC,” she wrote.

We have nothing personal against Makowsky and Van Zeeland. There is a charming video on QVC’s Web site where they talk about their cute meet.

Van Zeeland was a buyer for a store, and Makowsky came in to show her his bags. After spotting Van Zeeland, “I said, ‘Wow, forget about the bags,’” he says in the video clip.

“I forgot the bags, and the rest is history,” Van Zeeland says.

Aside from the bag blitz, QVC is already airing boring, generic Christmas gift shows. When we need a good snooze, we tune in to them. And to think, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. So many more holiday gift shows to look forward to.

We saw host Jane Treacy demonstrating an “interactive” lion cub, at $44, on “Great Gifts” Saturday night, and we were ready to shoot ourselves.

Get Your Gucci Watches At ShopNBC

Talk about high end. ShopNBC, which sees itself as the place for premium watches, is now selling a wide selection of Gucci watches.

The No. 3 home shopping channel has about 50 men’s and women’s Gucci watches on its Web site, as well as several Gucci perfumes.

The watches range in price from $460, for one with a rubber strap, to $1,330, for a stainless steel number with diamonds and a mother of pearl face.

Our favorite is the twill fabric bracelet watch, which has the trademark Gucci logo all over it. That watch is $540. Just in case you’re looking for a Christmas gift for us.

During ShopNBC’s third-quarter call last week, CEO Keith Stewart said that the network has positioned itself as “the definitive destination for watches,” with watch sales up 66 percent in the quarter.

HSN’s Italian Cameo Guy Amedeo And QVC’s Robert Lee Morris Have Something In Common: Rounded ‘Organic’ Silver Jewelry

It was a first for us, but we caught the L’una By R.F.M.A.S. sterling silver jewely line on HSN this week.

We liked the pieces, but they are strikingly similar in their organic, rounded look to the work of couture jewelry designer Robert Lee Morris, who has a lower-priced line on QVC.

Anyone familiar with RLM Studio on QVC will immediately know what we mean when we say the R.F.M.A.S. jewelry resembles Morris’s. In fact, even the initials in the two jewelry lines are similar. But HSN’s pieces are handcrafted in Tuscany, Italy.

The name R.F.M.A.S. is the combined initials of the two Italian designers of the jewelry, Roberto Faraone Mennella and Amedeo Scognamiglio. HSN regulars know Scognamiglio, because he does beautiful cameos for the home shopping network. Sterling silver is quite a new medium for him to bring to HSN.

Both men were on the show this week. Mennella is really handsome, and Scognamiglio is cute, charming and very funny.

We especially liked the R.F.M.A.S. necklaces with small silver donuts strung on black or colored cords; a large rounded ring; a half-moon pendant; a donut pendant and a 15-inch tube collar necklace, which we can’t afford at $200.

If you are petite, you know that 15-inch necklaces are hard to find.

Unlike Morris, R.F.M.A.S. also does enameled pieces, some with an animal-print look.