The Reliable Source
Stevie Wonder, Fashionably Late for a Date With His Designer Wife
Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Page C03
Sunday's fashion show at Saks Jandel started an hour late because one VIP guest missed the red-eye from Los Angeles -- but Stevie Wonder promised his wife he'd be there, so he chartered a $30,000 flight and hightailed it to the luxury boutique in Chevy Chase. Wonder has a new album, "A Time to Love," six Grammy nominations and a new foundation to help Hurricane Katrina victims -- and he chose the fashion show to premiere his "Shelter in the Rain" video.
Pretty heady stuff for up-and-coming designer Kai Milla -- even if she is his wife. "He's been amazing," Milla said. "He's, like, whatever you want to do, do it."
 Stevie Wonder chartered a flight to make wife Kai Milla's fashion show. (Russell Hirshon) |
Milla, 41, is the songwriter's second wife -- they married in 2001 and have two young sons, 4-year-old Kailand and 7-month-old Mandla , who was born on Wonder's 55th birthday. Before moving to California, the D.C. native (Bowie High School, Corcoran fine arts program) dreamed of designing clothes; her first ready-to-wear collection came out in February, and she presented her second at the benefit brunch hosted by BET's Debra Lee. (She also designed the bridesmaids dresses for Christina Aguilera's wedding.)
The 220 shoppers gave her a standing ovation and snapped up the flirty blouses and sexy dresses -- $350 to $4,000. Ten percent of all sales went to the newly created Wonder Foundation, so it was guilt-free spending -- or, as he called it, "Shopping for Stevie."
What husband could object to that?
Hmm. Floods and Tears. Better Make It Drip-Dry, Too.
Former FEMA director/Nordstrom's fan Michael Brown wasn't the only official mulling disaster dress codes while Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans. Aides and advisers to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco were busy second-guessing her rescuewear choices and fretting about how much she should be seen weeping.
"Please put KBB in casual clothes, a baseball cap, etc. . . . She looks tired, but too comfy in her suit," former campaign manager Liz Mangham wrote in an e-mail four days after the storm hit, one of thousands recently released by the state.
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| Now that's what we're talking about: Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco in the field wearing casual clothes and a distressed look several days after Katrina.(Daniel Acker - Bloomberg News) |
"You talking about touring a shelter?" communications director Bob Mann responded. "I think as long as she doesn't cry or get emotional, she's fine."
Kim Fuller , press secretary for former Clinton FEMA director James Lee Witt's consulting firm, warned that Blanco was looking too much like "the classy Elizabeth Dole " and needed to "dress down a bit."
"I have some great Liz Claiborne sports clothes that look kind of Eddie Bauer, but with class, but would bring her down to the level of getting to work. She would look like a woman, but show she is MOVING MOUNTAINS."
Fuller added that Blanco should take on some manual labor, like handing out ice to evacuees. "Make sure she has rough looking shoes."
Pops Concert, and Question
A Cinderella moment at the NSO! As Marvin Hamlisch opened his Q&A session after conducting a pops concert Thursday night, a sixty-something gentleman in the audience raised his hand and stood. He turned to the woman next to him, and said . . . "Will you marry me?"
She said yes, and the whole room went nuts, according to KenCen witnesses, and Hamlisch vowed to play at their wedding. But then "they just slipped away into the crowd," said NSO spokeswoman Patricia O' Kelly , who has been frantically trying to trace the swain's identity. At least she's got a glass slipper to go on: A phone message earlier that day from a man seeking, unsuccessfully, to get "Will you marry me?" printed on his date's ticket.
HEY, ISN'T THAT . . . ?
"American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken , in town for tonight's holiday concert, checking into the Madison hotel under the name "Jimmy Carter." Yeah, we're trying to figure out that one too. Maybe it's about finishing a crushing second in a big national vote?
J enna and Barbara Bush in fancy tops and jeans, dining on sushi, scallops and sea bass at Oya with eight other gals Friday.
Dr. Phil McGraw grabbing a scoop in a cup at Haagen-Dazs in Georgetown Saturday before dropping by Barnes & Noble for an impromptu book signing.