QVC Horns In On The Oscar’s Red-Carpet Glitz In LA Another Year

QVC will be back in Cali this weekend for the second year in a row to ride the red-carpet coattails of the Oscars.

Claiming that it got “impressive viewership” with its first such broadcast, “Buzz on the Red Carpet – Live from LA” will, or so the press release says, QVC “once again take viewers behind-the-scenes with exclusive content from top fashion designers, beauty newsmakers, celebrities and more.”

There will be two live broadcasts, this Friday at 9 p.m. (ET) and Saturday at 8 p.m. (ET).

During the shindig at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, “Gossip Girl” actress Kelly Rutherford will finally debut her luxury handbag line during the Saturday broadcast.

“Much like New York during Fashion Week, there is no place like Los Angeles during awards season,” QVC U.S. CEO Claire Watts said in a canned statement. “’The Buzz’ on the Red Carpet broadcast aims to offer engaging programming that takes our viewers where they want to go. With our lineup of personalities and industry experts, we feel confident that this season will be full of excitement for our customers.”

Fashion designers including Isaac Mizrahi, Dennis Basso and Marc Bouwer are scheduled to appear during the broadcasts along with Lori Goldstein, the Kardashians and Melania Trump.

Actor Matthew McConaughy’s girlfriend (and mother of his child) Camila Alves and costume designer Janie Bryant, of “Mad Men,” will also present their latest collections. They will join some of the best in the beauty business including Kate Somerville, Josie Maran, Laura Geller, Smashbox and Tarte, among others, will be on hand.

QVC.com will host a special online preview of the event now through Friday.

The Wall Street Journal On HSN Honcho Mindy Grossman, Why Home Shopping Is Hot And ‘Pooh-Poohing’ Designers

Did you realize it’s “The Golden Age of TV Shopping”?

We know, we’ve been telling you that for more than a year now, but The Wall Street Journal made it official Thursday, with a big feature with that “Golden Age” headline.

It looks like Journal reporter Elizabeth Holmes actually plopped her butt onto a plane and made the trek to St. Petersburg, Fla., to find out exactly why the hell upscale designers such as Reem Acra (who is so high-end we had never heard of her), Mark Badgley and James Mischka, and Naeem Khan are now selling their wares on HSN. In the past, they were selling their duds to celebs like Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry.

The Journal story mainly focuses on HSN and its evolution (which has some irate customers wanting to start a revolution) under the helm of CEO Mindy Grossman. But it also references the market’s dominant player, QVC, and its hip vendors such as razor-thin celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and “Mad Men” costume designer Janie Bryant.

Your's truly with designing team Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who are a big part of The Journal's home shopping story

As usual in one of these home-shopping-networks-are-no-longer-downscale stories, we have the usual quotes from Acra and Khan (who has designed for First Lady Michelle Obama) knocking electronic home — that is before they swallowed the Kool-Aid.

“I never watched it before,” Acra told The Journal, referring to HSN. “I pooh-poohed it. But now look at it. There are items I would want every single day.”

Ah, a true believer now.

Naeem Khan's $870 bag for HSN

Then the story gets to the obvious: High-end designers have gone to HSN because they can move a hell of a lot of product on it, which is pretty crucial when sales for upsale goods have crashed. Mischka told Rupert Murdoch’s financial rag that Badgley Mischka sold 18,000 units of one particular jacket on HSN. It would take a lot of couture gowns to ring up that kind of revenue. Volume, volume, volume.

We did learn a few things from The Journal, like that HSN keeps track of sales by the minutes, and uses that “intel,” as Jack Bauer would say, to guide hosts. The story says that when HSN host Bobbi Ray Carter mentioned the quality of one of Acra’s jackets, it’s sales shot up. So HSN had Ray talk in more detail about the material in the piece.

HSN chief Mindy Grossman

The article talks quite a bit about Nike veteran Grossman, who came on board to HSN in 2006 and began making it more fashion-forward by courting a host of big-name designers.

Grossman did her research, asking people about HSN, and told The Journal she got three responses, “Some who shopped, some who didn’t, some who did but they whispered that they did.””

We never whispered, Mindy! We were always loud and proud about our HSN and QVC purchases, despite being surrounded by snobby Manhattanites (most of whom where transplants from the Midwest).

The Journal story goes on about Grossman, saying, “The new CEO cleaned house, shedding brands that she didn’t think made sense for the network.”

We guess the “shedding” refers to the exits of vendors like Suzanne Somers, Terry Lewis, Beyonce’s mom Tina Knowles and a parade of others. The departure of Terry Lewis and her Classic Luxuries line still has some HSN shoppers calling for Grossman to be drawn and quartered.

We did get a kick out of the anecdote in the story about Mischka “falling off the stage” the first time he and his partner Badgley appeared on HSN. But unfortunately for viewers, the camera wasn’t on him when that little mishap took place.

Hell Has Frozen Over: Vogue Editor Anna Wintour Was In QVC’s Rock Center Pop-Up Shop Tonight

We got home from an exciting Friday night working out and food shopping at Pathmark and immediately tuned into QVC’s live telecast from Fashion’s Night Out in Manhattan.

Sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian launched their QVC K-Dash line tonight at the home shopping network’s temporary store in Rock Center, and they were on when we turned on the Q. They were showing off a gorgeous, large pebble leather purse that came in army green and black, that was selling at a featured price of $217.

All three Kardashian girls designed the line, but nasty Khloe couldn’t make it to the telecast. We like Kim and Kourtney, and thought they were sweet. And we liked not only their handbag but some of their apparel pieces.

Host Lisa Robertson looked great, with her makeup much more natural looking, not the harder beauty-queen look she sports back in West Chester, Pa.

The QVC telecast has also been shooting live from sites in SoHo, the Meatpacking District and other Manhattan spots, and the Big Apple is hopping, with stores open late for Fashion Week and a crowd in QVC’s pop-up shop.

Sometime during this telecast someone mentioned that fashion’s sunglass-addicted ice queen, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, had been in QVC’s “shop” earlier in the night, signing copies of her September issue. High fashion queen meets home shopping network?

Who’d a thunk it?

Emmy-winning “Mad Men” costume designer Janie Bryant also debuted her new MOD QVC line. We loved a faux fur capelet she had in her collection for $100.

Designer Lori Goldstein, who was profiled in The New York Times Friday, was also on the air with Robertson, with a jacket and dress.

The Times said that Goldstein is doing a jewelry line for high-end jewelry house Fred Leighton.

HSN Vendors’ Six Degrees Of Separation: Jennifer’s Husband Sylvester Stallone Helps Laurie’s Spouse, Lionsgate Honcho Jon Feltheimer, Fend Off Icahn

In the HSN “family,” one vendor’s husband may have helped another vendor’s husband keep control of his company.

We’re taking about Jennifer Flavin’s husband, action movie star Sylvester Stallone, saving the bacon of Laurie Feltheimer’s husband, movie studio chief Jon Feltheimer.

Sylvester Stallone have given Lionsgate a hit with The Expendables

Flavin, as any home shopping fan knows, sells the Serious Skincare line on HSN. Laurie has an apparel and accessory line called Hot in Hollywood on HSN. Here’s the deal.

Laurie’s husband Jon, whose nickname is “Felt,” runs Lionsgate, a film and TV studio that has produced movies like the “Saw” film series, the Tyler Perry money makers, and the hot Emmy-winning TV hit drama “Mad Men.”

We interviewed Jon at Lionsgate in Santa Monica two years ago when we were working for place whose name we refuse to say, and profiled the company.

Laurie's husband Jon Feltheimer

At the Emmys that year in LA, where “Mad Men” won the award for best drama, we saw the show’s leading man Jon Hamm give Jon Feltheimer a warm embrace at the Governor’s Ball after the awards.

But that was then, when Lionsgate was the toast of the town. This is now. Lionsgate has recently had a string of dud movies. That provided an opening for corporate raider Carl Icahn, who has mounted a hostile takoever bid against Lionsgate, increasing his stake in the publicly traded company.

The battle between Jon Feltheimer, Lionsgate and pesky and persistent Icahn, who has blasted Lionsgate management for producing box-office bombs this year, has been going on for months. It’s hard to keep track of it.

Laurie's Today's Special

Wall Street analysts agreed that Lionsgate needed a blockbuster film to prove that management still knows how to create a big movie. And Flavin’s husband, Stallone, provided it in “The Expendables,” a Lionsgate film.

The action flick, which also features Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke, was No. 1 at the box office this past weekend, raking in $35 million.

Stallone’s potential rescue of “Felt” and Lionsgate may wind up one of the most important feats he’s ever performed.

Laurie should take Jennifer for a nice dinner, either on the West Coast or when they’re in St. Petersburg at the same time to appear on the Southern Channel.

Anyway, Laurie had HSN’s Today’s Special Wednesday: a ruffled military-style jacket for $50.

While we’re at it, host Bobbi Ray Carter’s eyes are looking awful wide open and slanted up, unnaturally so. We know you’ll slam us for saying this, but we think she’s had some work done.

Retro ‘Mad Men’ Fashion Coming To QVC

We met her on the set of “Mad Men” in LA, and Emmy-nominated costumer designer Janie Bryant is bringing a clothing line to QVC, according to AOL.

Thanks for the heads up, you dunces in West Chester. We had to find out about this news relating to one of our favorite, and Emmy-winning, TV shows from our sister Karen today.

Bryant will debut her line in September, which will have that Birdy and Joan 1960’s look.

“The Mod line will appeal to lovers of vintage fashion with its boleros, capelets and Jackie Kennedy-esque pillbox hats,” AOl said..

“Mad Men” will premiere its fourth season on AMC July 25.

We met Bryant during the summer Television Critics Association press tour two years ago, when AMC took the press to the show’s set in downtown LA. All the cast was there. We stalked Jon Hamm, who is not only good looking but charming and funny. He’s a Pisces.

It’s ‘Hot In Hollywood’ For HSN Vendor Laurie Feltheimer’s Husband, As He Faces Hostile Bid At Lionsgate From Carl Icahn

Laurie Feltheimer does a line of clothing and accessories called Hot in Hollywood for HSN. And things are indeed getting hot in Hollywood (well, technically, Santa Monica) for her husband Jon Feltheimer, who is CEO of Lionsgate Entertainment, the indie studio that produces shows like AMC’s “Mad Men” and movies like “Precious.”

Carl Icahn — the man that some call an “activist investor” and others call a pain in the butt — has made a hostile bid to increase his stake in Lionsgate. Icahn has been breathing down Jon Feltheimer’s neck since last year, when the billionaire investor griped about the acquisitions Lionsgate was making.

Lionsgate purchased TV Guide Network, and is now in looking to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Miramax Films.

We’ll spare you the boring financial details, but the bottom line is if Icahn succeeds in increaseing his Lionsgate stake to 29.9 percent, he would become its largest shareholder. As such, Ichan would be in a position to potentially oust Lionsgate’s current management or look to merge or sell the studio.

We interviewed “Felt,” as Jon Feltheimer is called, last year, and he seemed like a savvy guy. We wish him luck in his continuing saga with Icahn.

These are hot

Laurie Feltheimer, meanwhile, will be at HSN in Florida Friday with shows for her Hot in Hollywood line.

Dare we say it, but we spotted a motorcycle peep-toe bootie in gray that we really like, for $60.

Maybe Jon should send a couple of pairs of these over to Icahn.

Jon Hamm, As Don Draper Of ‘Mad Men,’ Mocks QVC In ‘Saturday Night Live’ Opening Monologue

Mad Men's Jon Hamm brings Don Draper to QVC

We thought we’d died and gone to heaven when we heard Jon Hamm, who portrays the mysterious troubled anti-hero of AMC’s “Mad Men,” was hosting “Saturday Night Live” for a second time. It was even more fantastic when we watched the opening monologue last night, which was laugh-out-loud funny.

We’re having trouble posting the video clip, but we hope to get it up shortly. But here’s the link to it on Hulu.com.

Hamm was hilarious, and began talking about the roles he’d played before getting on the Emmy-winning “Mad Men” — including a supposed stint on QVC. Hamm started out by talking about his supposed role in the early 1990s on the teen sitcom “Late for Class,” where he played “Bonzo.” We see two high school kids standing by their lockers, and then we see Hamm — in character and wardrobe as Don Draper.

Hamm then says he next gig was on QVC. We’re shown a big-haired QVC host (was it supposed to be Pam McCoy or Mary Beth Roe?) virtually screaming and hawking a raft of turquoise jewelry. Once again, Draper walks into the scene.

“Calm down, you’re hysterical,” Hamm says, a la Draper. “I feel like I’m selling jewelry with a little girl.”

Hamm then slaps the QVC host in the face and walks off. “Wait, I love you,” the host calls out to Hamm.

“I should have sex with that woman,” Hamm says. He then goes on to describe what he says was a breakout career moment for him — doing stand-up on “Def Comedy Jam.”

Again, we see Hamm as Draper, with a cigarette and a drink, onstage before an African-American audience. He starts talking about women “with big bootys, adding “they need to wash their ass.”

Ending the monologue, Hamm says, “Believe it or not, that is how I got ‘Mad Men.'”

The last time “SNL” made fun of QVC was during Sen. John McCain’s presidential run, when he and his wife appeared and did a skit in which they were QVC hosts.

We’ve seen Hamm during the Television Critics Association press tour, and even went to the “Mad Men” set in LA with a group of reporters, but we never had the nerve to introduce ourselves. We eavesdropped on his conversations with other writers, and he was always charming, funny and self-deprecating. And gorgeous.