HSN Host Colleen Lopez, Designer Wayne Scot Lukas Share An Order Of Fries At Fred’s: Next Time Invite Us

Wayne Scot Lukas

Here’s a Halloween surprise.

Designer/celebrity stylist Wayne Scot Lukas tipped off his Facebook fans Sunday that some of his leftover merchandise on ShopNBC has popped up on clearance at prices that are a steal.

That includes a Lukastyle techno suede jacket for $43 and a twist top, which we really like, for 15 clams.

Lukas, who was a fixture on HSN before moving briefly to ShopNBC, was hanging with HSN host Colleen Lopez recently in the Big Apple. Jersey native Lukas posted some photos of him with the luscious French fries, our favorite, they were chowing down on at Fred’s in Barneys in Manhattan.

Barney’s is so pricey that we hyperventilate every time we walk in there: We can’t even afford a shopping bag in that joint.

Lukas, who stood us up when we tried to stop by and see him in Monmouth (no worries, Wayne) a few months ago, said that Colleen was good and only had two fries. We guess she does not want to add any girth to that great skinny-minny figure she has now.

The chance of us only eating two French fries at a meal is one in a million: Colleen obviously has more willpower than us.

Lukas, by the way, has found a new home at QVC and is doing collections for several of the home shopping channel’s European networks, including QVC UK.

Seems Like Old Times As Ex-ShopNBC Jewelry Vendors Flock To HSN Thursday

Carlo Viani ring

HSN’s first Gem Artistry Day Thursday is a reunion of former ShopNBC vendors.

First of all, jewelry designer Carlo Viani had his HSN premiere in the early morning. He’d previously been on ShopNBC.

He was followed in the dawn hours by Gem Designs by Palermo and Dallas Prince, who both also used to grace the set at the No. 3 home shopping network in Minnesota.

And at 3 p.m. Effy, another former ShopNBC vendor, did an HSN show featuring its My Precious Rainbow line.

We’d love to have been a fly on the wall to hear what these folks said to each other about their former home shopping venue.

Anyone care to share?

Dr. Oz Comes To ShopNBC With Vits Tuesday

Nutritionist to the stars and best-selling author Dr. Oz Garcia will debut his Vivantage Nutrition line Tuesday on ShopNBC.

“Created as an easy, effective ingestible program, Vivantage Nutrition is designed for men and women who want to live a healthier lifestyle,” ShopNBC said in a press release Monday.

The two-day premiere will span Tuesday and Wednesday.

Dr. Oz Garcia has over 30 years in the health and wellness industry and is a worldwide leading authority in the development and implementation of nutrition.

Dr. Garcia has been featured in numerous publications, has been twice voted the “Best Nutritionist” by New York Magazine, and has appeared on Fox News as a nutrition expert.

He heads the health and nutritional services for Equinox Fitness Clubs worldwide and is the best selling author of “The Balance” and “Look and Feel Fabulous Forever.” Dr. Oz Garcia is the go-to nutritionist for A-List celebrities, for Fortune 100 CEO’s, and now for the ShopNBC viewers.

Available only on ShopNBC, Vivantage Nutrition is a line of research-based supplements for men and women who want to live a healthier lifestyle.

Here’s the hype:

“Vivantage products provide a complete and balanced vitamin and supplement program which is focused to maximize support for the body’s nutritional needs and overall health. Products include high quality supplements with formulas that are designed to work together making it simple to incorporate into a healthier lifestyle.”

The Vivantage Nutrition roster includes:

Vivantage Nutrition Multi-Vitamin 90 Day Supply (C74078) $58.47. Formulations developed specifically for women under and over the age of 50 and for men under and over the age of 50.

Vivantage Nutrition Daily Boost Antioxidant Drink (C74079) $22.80. A blend of antioxidants “bursting with berries and berry extracts.”

Vivantage Nutrition Energy Sticks 30 Pack (C74081) $35.51. Sugar-free, 10-calorie packets with B-6 and B-12 vitamins, natural caffeine from green tea, folic acid, potassium and antioxidants.

ShopNBC to Premiere Its First-Ever ‘Beauty Day’ Monday Night

ClickR

ShopNBC will kick off its first-ever “Beauty Day” Monday night at 9 p.m., featuring the network’s largest selection of beauty products ever offered on one day.

ShopNBC’s Beauty Day Event debuts with the First Anniversary of “Beauty Confidential,” a show dedicated to bringing viewers the very latest products from the beauty insiders.

The event will also feature the worldwide launch of ClickR Skincare, a skincare line designed with specialized formulations to help environmental overload while supporting beautiful, radiant skin. “ClickR products are rich in new technology and ingredients like gold, silver and diamond dust,” according to ShopNBC’s press release Monday. ClickR Skincare is the official skincare line of Sony Pictures’ new movie “Burlesque,” in theaters Nov. 24.

In addition, Beauty Day will feature premieres from Pacifica Beauty, Cosmedicine Skincare, and Plantogen Skincare.

Also on the roster are are items from ShopNBC’s existing beauty brands, including SKINN Cosmetics, Wholearth Beauty, RAW Essentials and Isomers Skincare.

Some of the products include:

Pacifica Beauty Discovery 6-Piece Set (C47224). Brook Harvey – Taylor, founder of Pacifica, shares her love and passion in this collection of unique and complex fragrances.

Pacifica

Cosmedicine Best Skin Ever Kit with Bonus (C70114). Cosmedicine Skincare claims that it balances cosmetics and medicine. It’s comprised of multi-tasking, non-prescription skincare formulas that help your skin become more balanced, firm, calm, and radiant. We guess that’s a good thing.

Plantogen Manuka Body Oil (C56106). Elda Argenti, CEO and Founder of Plantogen Skincare, will educate viewers on the benefits of skincare products that stem from indigenous plants from New Zealand. The core ingredient of the line, Manuka Honey – combined with other plant extracts, vitamins and purified New Zealand water – help to improve and maintain healthier, younger-looking skin.

ClickR Skincare Diamonds and Pearls Duo (C45903). ClickR Skincare’s focus is on “pro-aging” and combines unique ingredients, such as gold, silver and diamond dust, to create an effective, gentle skincare line that is suitable for all ages and all skin types.

“We have assembled the top beauty products and experts from the industry to share their insider tips, beauty secrets, and inspirations during this exciting event,” Donna Tarantino-Loyle, Director of Beauty, Health & Fitness at ShopNBC, said in a canned statement. “Our viewers will be able to discover new beauty innovations being offered for the first time on ShopNBC.”

ShopNBC Hires Former QVC Exec As VP Of Merchandising Analytics, Whatever That Means

ShopNBC Monday appointed QVC alum David Balliet as vice president of merchandising analytics.

Balliet joins ShopNBC with more than two decades of multi-media retailing experience in merchandising operations. Previously, he held several leadership roles in inventory planning and merchandise operations at QVC, serving most recently as vice president business analysis and reporting.

“We are excited to have Dave join the ShopNBC team,” ShopNBC president Bob Ayd said in a canned statement. “He comes to us with a proven background and leadership in the electronic retailing industry, along with significant expertise in optimizing merchandising operations. We look forward to leveraging his strong business analysis and inventory management capabilities to further drive our business.”

In accordance with the NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4350, Balliet is being granted inducement stock options as of his first day of employment with ShopNBC, covering the right to purchase 50,000 shares of the company’s common stock. The options will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the company’s common stock on the date of the grant.

Is ShopNBC Expecting A Lawsuit?

Is ShopNBC anticipating a lawsuit?

On Monday the financially ailing No. 3 home shopping network filed an 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission saying that it was entering into indemnification agreements with each of the company’s directors and officers.

“Under each Indemnification Agreement, the Company has agreed to indemnify each director and officer who is involved in any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitration or investigative, in connection with his or her service to the Company, against all losses, claims, damages, expenses (including attorneys’ fees), and liabilities reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the proceeding,” the filing said.

“The Company believes that the Indemnification Agreements are necessary to provide directors and officers increased certainty of such protection in the future and to attract and retain qualified persons to serve in such positions,” ShopNBC said.

Mmmm, who might be suing?

BTW, we’re still waiting for word about what ShopNBC’s new name and branding will be?

CZ King Charles Winston Cancels His HSN Shows

Charles Winston MIA on HSN

Jewelry designer Charles Winston and HSN are having problems.

On Wednesday Winston posted the news that he pulled the plug on his HSN shows this week, but didn’t explain exactly why, on his Facebook page.

“To all my Facebook friends that watch my shows on HSN, it is with deep regrets that I had to cancel my shows scheduled for this week on HSN,” he wrote.

“‘HSN and I have a very stong bond as business partners. I assure you, I shall return with the most amazing CZ jewelry as soon as I get some things in order. This was not an easy dec…ision for HSN or Charles Winston, Inc. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have temporarily suspended my show schedule until further notice. Please be patient….I hope to have resolution in the next week or two. Thank you again for your patience and loyalty to HSN and the Charles Winston brands.”

Mmmmm, sounds rather mysterious.

UPDATE: Winston later posted this on Facebook.

“I promise, I am not disappearing,” he wrote. “It is just a little glitch that I need to clear up for the sake of me and HSN. Believe me, they have been more than patient and willing to work with me through this. More so than anyone could expect a client. They have added new meaning to the word partnership in my mind.”

In a later post, Winston says he hopes the issue will be resolved in a couple of weeks.

We have e-mails in to HSN and Winston.

HSN is Winston’s second home shopping venue. He was previously at ShopNBC.

Ex-ShopNBC Host Charla Rines Does Stint On Australia’s TVSN For Isomers

Former ShopNBC host Charla Rines, who did duty at EmVee TV a few months ago, has another new gig.

On her Facebook page Tuesday Rines wrote, “Getting ready for my first show on TVSN in Australia as the Isomers spokesperson! Tune in at 8:30 eastern — www.tvsn.com.au.”

Isomers is an anti-aging line that Rines often did presentations on when she was on financially ailing ShopNBC, which unceremoniously canned her early this year.

By the way, Rines had told us that she auditioned for this season’s “The Apprentice,” which features professionals who got laid off as part of the recession (we should have auditioned for that show, too). We think she would have been great.

Will HSN’s Vitamin Maven Andrew Lessman Skewer ShopNBC’s New Nutrition Expert, The Wizard Of Oz, In His Blog?

ShopNBC is getting its own vitamin guru, its answer to HSN’s Andrew Lessman.

Nationally recognized nutritionist Dr. Oz Garcia will introduce his new proprietary line, Vivantage Supplements, to ShopNBC in a sneak peek this Monday, the network said Friday.

Now the question is will Lessman take pot shots at Garcia in his blog the way he did at QVC’s supplements, criticism that prompted QVC to sue Lessman.

Nutritionist to the stars Oz Garcia

And where does this leave HSN refugee Suzanne Somers and her nuitritional supplement line, which ShopNBC also sells?

Garcia is a best-selling author and who was twice voted “Best Nutritionist” by New York Magazine, ShopNBC said in its press release. The network will be have a preview offer ready before the line’s full launch in later in September.

The line will premiere on ShopNBC Monday and Tuesday.

Garcia is going to give us the dope about how Vivantage can help deliver the nutrients that many of us do not get from diet alone. With more than 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Garcia will explain how the products in Vivantage help provide a complete and balanced vitamin and supplement program.

“The elements in Vivantage include the highest quality supplements available in today’s marketplace and are designed with targeted, research-based formulas that work together for a healthier lifestyle,” the ShopNBC PR machine said.

Those are the kinds of claims that might get Lessman riled up. QVC tried, and failed, to get an injunction to stop Lessman from blasting its supplements in his blog.

ShopNBC is offering four different options of the 30-Day Trial Size of the Multi-Vitamin sneak peek will be offered to customers: a multivitamin pack for men and women aged under 50 and over 50.

Former HSN Apparel Vendor Terry Lewis Has Surfaced On Facebook

We finally found former HSN vendor Terry Lewis — on Facebook.

Lewis’s name popped up Wednesday on our Facebook page because we have some friends in common, and we e-mailed her asking what she was up to and if her devoted HSN fans could buy her clothing line anyplace anymore.

Lewis, a former HSN host whose own line, Classic Luxuries, was discontinued on the No. 2 home shopping network, e-mailed us back but didn’t spill the beans about what she is up to.

“You may ask your friends to identify themselves as customers and I will friend them,” Lewis wrote us. “I am only now joining facebook…Far too busy before. Thanks for your support.”

That was it.

Like us, Lewis was reluctant to join Facebook.

“All of my friends and family who see this are gonna say Oh my God she did it,” Lewis says on her page. “I said I’d never join a social networking site. Here I go… My line was ‘why hide behind a computer’?

She only has about 20 friends so far, but they include HSN hosts Colleen Lopez, Chris Scanlon, Shivan Sarna and ShopNBC vendor and former HSN host Judy Crowell.

Prior to the Facebook connection, we were going to call a phone number we had found for Lewis’s company, which was based in Tampa.

But Lewis’s Facebook profile says she is now in Greenwood, S.C.