Tag Archives: Benjamin Cottrell

…PLUS MR. PLAYBOY MARRIES RUNAWAY BRIDE, CHICAGOLICIOUS STAR PARTIES IN STYLE, HIP HOP STARS ON NYE, UNTITLED BASH, CHICAGO AUTO SHOW’S FIRST LOOK, NPHM’S KEITH MAGEE HONORED, THE JOFFREY BALLET’S NUTCRACKER, TELEMUNDO IS LOOKING FOR ONE GOOD VOZ, THE WHITE HOUSE SCENE WITH HYDER, BRANDT, KEHOE, SCHWARTZ AND VARNES AND KING, STRIKE A POSE WITH THE CUBS’ DAVID DEJESUS, THE BEARS’ BRANDON MARSHALL SIGNS FOR CHARITY, NEW WATCH312.COM VIDEO AND SO MUCH MORE!
 

A month to the day…it just wasn’t fair that we lost beloved photographer Steve Starr so close to the event he had been anticipating and planning for over a year. His Face of the News exhibition was to be the
biggest event of his life and the 45th anniversary of his Steve Starr Studios. I’d never seen him more excited: Everywhere he went, he had the familiar brown flyers in his pocket (no one escaped without one) and he stayed up even later than usual, planning and calling his friends to
get their approval on this or that aspect of his party. It was a joy to see him so happy – not that he wasn’t always this way – I never saw him without a huge smile on his face or his iconic camera around his neck, which he
told me he felt naked without. He had created a huge black leather binder with SSS in big silver letters on the front that he used to collect all of his thoughts and ideas and when he left us all too soon, it was this leather binder and the fact that he had
been working with Margaret O’Connor for most of the year that helped his friends decide that the show must go on…and that, indeed, it COULD go on just as he had wanted. With only a month to put this big event together, it was a
daunting task but with a very motivated committee, it all came together on 12/12/12 in the most beautiful way at the Murphy Auditorium. A sell-out crowd of more than 300 guests oohed and aahed over the elegant black and gold décor by Judy Ippolito Floral & Event Décor (Steve’s
favorite color combo, of course!) as well as his extensive collection of more than 200 images of media stars from all over the world that he’d met throughout the years. The walls couldn’t accommodate ALL of his beautiful photos but I hope, as Steve had hoped, that his collection will be placed in a museum or somewhere special in Chicago sometime soon, perhaps the Harold Washington
Library. I was thrilled to serve as a host
for the evening with Bill Zwecker, who was the emcee. As guests arrived, they were met by the Clark Kent Greeters who looked suspiciously like Starr himself with the black framed glasses and reporter Amy Jacobson who was
dressed as Brenda Starr. (Steve had jokingly told Amy that he felt that Brenda Starr was his first cousin.) He had a wonderful sense of humor and was always telling tales about himself that would make
you howl with laughter. When asked how old he was, he would always say 120. I wish this could’ve been the case. Fashion designer Mark Roscoe played a big role in the evening, too, creating a
Newspaper Couture Collection modeled by “The Four Women of the World” – Lily’s Talent Agency models Candice Hill, Aya Jackson, Cynovia Potts and Laura Silva. I couldn’t believe his designs were made entirely out of paper! Beloved milliner
Loreta Corsetti created dramatic head pieces to match (also of paper) and LeAnita Ragland-Brooks designed exquisite jewelry using Neiman Marcus boxes to match the Roscoe designs! These looks rivaled the hottest designer gowns and were drop-dead gorgeous!
Crooner Steve Biossat performed along with Spider Saloff (who Steve adored) and The Headliners. A cello/piano duo by iAN&ANi and a sensuous tango number by Liz Sung and Jorge Niedas completed the evening as
Steve had wished. Illustrator Rosemary Fanti was on hand to capture the guests’ special memories on this night and legendary pianist/orchestra leader Stanley Paul presented selections from “The Great American Songbook” that
featured music from the ‘30s and ‘40s, Steve’s favorite era. Stanley had also produced a wonderful video featuring Steve’s beloved museum-quality collection of Art Deco frames holding images of classic film stars. A highlight of the evening was the unveiling of
the last photo taken of Steve by renowned photographer Victor Skrebneski. His black-and-white montage of Steve in various poses captured his essence perfectly and brought gasps of appreciation from the crowd upon the unveiling. As guests departed, loaded goody bags assembled by superstar committee members Paul Iacono and Jennifer
Sutton were handed out. These were some of the best gift bags I’ve seen in a long, long time…with a lot of the expenses coming out of their own pockets: Paul even found the most perfect black and gold bag with a star on the side to hold gifts, which included a DVD of Steve at a recent book signing, his signature star votive candle holder, a bottle stopper in the shape of a globe,
sweets, a tin of mints with a tuxedoed man on the front (that Paul had to fill by hand!), an elegant program book and so much more! Margaret O’Connor and Leonard Mogul served as co-chairs with a committee that also included Chris and Frances Renk, Rich Varnes, Amy
Wimer, JP Anderson, Dan Uslan, Nina and Bob Mariano, Michael Kutza, Lynn McMahan and Rich Gamble among others. Special thanks to Tracey Tarantino (whose ZZAZZ Productions produced the show), Brenda Arelano,
Rose Mandel, Julia Jacobs-Sanford, Leah Chavie, Anna Fong, Leslie Hindman, Shari Duffy, Joey Majumdar, Carter Cortez, Stephen Wright, Carmen C. Rivera, Amie Hana, Jennifer Bridgeforth,
Catherine Carey (The Murphy), Sandy Smith-Doghmi, Benjamin Cottrell, Frost Lighting and so many others. It was truly a labor of love made even more special by Steve’s family
who were in attendance. They included his loving sisters Adrienne Ingebritsen and Bobbi Weiss, who delivered moving speeches about their dear brother, as well as Michael Weiss, Samantha Pitello, Lori Zaitz, Faith
Godfrey and Lenny Weiss. An after-party continued at the Drake Hotel, as there were still so many memories to share. Steve will never be forgotten and will always be missed. RIP Steve…you’re making the angels smile now. (Photos by Jon Recana and Amie Hana…for more pics from this event, please click here and to view a video from this event, please see the media below!)

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New Year’s Eve was a very big night for King of the Bunny Hutch’s Hugh M. Hefner (86) and his (former) “Runaway Bride” Crystal Harris (26). Before Hef’s annual NYE party at the Playboy Mansion, a few guests and family joined together in the grand reception foyer for an intimate wedding ceremony. The bride was resplendent in pink (a signature color in the world of Playboy Playmates) and even their King Charles Spaniel, Charlie, was
decked out in a mini tuxedo. A harpist played “As Time Goes By” from “Casablanca” (Hef’s favorite film) as well as “Because You Loved Me” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Hef’s brother Keith (a recently married man himself) served as his best man. The day of the ceremony, Crystal tweeted to her more than 500K followers, “Today is the day I become Mrs. Hugh Hefner. Feeling very happy, lucky and blessed.” Following the ceremony, Hef tweeted, “Love that girl!” and then the newlyweds joined the revelers in the ginormous tent in the backyard for a dual wedding
reception/NYE party. Guests included Gene Simmons, Jon Lovitz and Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney among others. On December 19th, Crystal’s best friend and business partner Ashley Matthau threw her a bridal shower in their new lingerie boutique in Studio City, Femme Fatale. The party
combined Crystals’s two favorite things: Disney and Christmas. “We really love Disney. We are huge fans. We go to Disneyland together a lot. My favorite movie is ‘The Little Mermaid’ so she [Ashley] got me an Ariel-themed cake,” Crystal told Us Weekly. I wish Crystal and Hef the very best and hope they have a long love-filled life!
 

Another exciting New Year’s Eve event, Chicago Empire, took place at the hot River North venue Untitled! Produced by Justin Jacobson’s Platinum Events, this party attracted more than 500 fashionables to this 17,000-square-foot
space and was the scene of exciting entertainment including The Gold Coast All-Stars! This 11-piece band, founded by Danny Chaimson, had the crowd whipped into a frenzy. As a solo artist, Chaimson performed across the country headlining the hottest clubs and opening for legendary acts like Etta James
and The Neville Brothers, as well as current favorites like O.A.R., Eric Hutchinson and Jem. Dapper VH1 reality star Justin Ross Lee was also on hand to add to the excitement.  Justin, an internet personality/sensation, is based in Manhattan and has been featured in The New York Observer and The New York Post among many other publications due to his many
escapades around the globe. His jet-setting style and party adventures always land him in the press including a recent first-class encounter with Ashley Olsen in Star Magazine as well as a face-to-face with Brad Pitt which was also recounted in the press. He’s a charming character with a darling girlfriend, Regina Brauer, and I hope to
see them again soon! (Check out his Pretentious Pocket site! Very cool stuff!) It was fun co-hosting the evening with this social scenester and NBC’s Marcus Riley and I was thrilled to be there covering the action for my Watch312.com show, too. (Stay tuned!) Untitled boasts six rooms, all with different vibes, and was packed with party people who enjoyed the hot
mixes of DJs Flaco, Wags and Iman Amy Danielle while hip-hop artist Marcas "Mr. Robotic" Harris brought screams of delight from the crowd. The invite suggested Prohibition-era wear and many of the guests were decked out in this attire inspired
by the venue. The night included multiple open bars, appetizers and the prerequisite noisemakers and hats. I was thrilled that my handsome cousin Alexander Groce and his beautiful girlfriend Jenny Davison could attend, too! I saw so many familiar faces and it was a joy to ring in the New Year with friends like Marco Foster, Andrea Dres, Leonard Mogul, Danielle Davis, Misty Callahan, Shelley Howard, Liz Abraham, Nicole Townsend (wearing an exquisite Borris Powell gown) and so many more! (Click here for more fun pics!) 

One of my favorite reality shows is Chicago's very own Chicagolicious! The lovable bunch of characters at AJ's  Salon in the West Loop has had me laughing, crying and raising my
eyebrows ever since its premiere on the Style Network on 6/11/12. And any party hosted by the show's star has GOT to be a blast and, indeed it was when celebrity hairstylist AJ Johnson co-hosted NYE with legendary music man
George Daniels at Eclipse, a multi-million dollar luxurious restaurant and lounge at 2554 W.
Diversey. The party featured the hot sounds of Timbuck2 and the lovely DJ Nikki as well as a lavish buffet, champagne toast, balloon drop, party favors and some of Chicago's sexiest, stylish and most sophisticated movers and shakers! Check out the pics here of AJ and his fun-loving friends! So happy this show has been picked up again! More HAIR-raising adventures to come! (Photos by Donna Binbek Photography…see more pics here!)

And for fans of hip hop, here’s some NYE news from Atlanta: Young Jeezy celebrated 2013 in style at the Hennessy V.S. New Year’s Eve Takeover Party at Compound, a dance club in the city’s Homepark neighborhood. Jeezy, arriving in a white Rolls
Royce and wearing a blue embroidered jacket, partied alongside club promoter Alex Gidewon and some of the sexiest ladies in town. Simultaneously in Miami, hip hop recording artist Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. (better known as T.I.) rang in the
New Year at LIV, a nightclub on Collins Avenue in SoBe. The “King of the South” performed a medley of his hits for the crowd that included his latest from his top selling album, “Trouble
Man: Heavy is the Head.” Other guests included T.I.’s wife Tiny, actor Evan Ross, Houston rapper Slim Thug and Jonathan Cheban. (Photos by Prince Williams and Thaddaeus McAdams.)  And, if you care, Sean “Diddy” Combs celebrated NYE in St. Barth's with his Ciroc Vodka at Sea bash on a yacht. 

The Chicago Auto Show’s First Look for Charity Gala announces its move to Friday, February 8th and a new and improved start time of 7 p.m. at McCormick Place! This
black-tie gala has generated more than $34 million for charities since its inception in 1992. This year, these 18 Chicago area charities will benefit from the more than $2 million expected to be raised: 100 Club of Chicago, Boys and Girls
Clubs of Chicago, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, Clearbrook, The Cradle Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Franciscan
Community Benefit Services, Franciscan St. James Health, Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities, JDRF, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (formerly Children's Memorial Hospital), March of Dimes, Misericordia, Respiratory Health Association, Special Olympics Illinois, Spina Bifida Association of
Illinois and the Jesse White Tumbling Team. More than 9,000 guests are expected to attend this world-class event that provides an elegant, inaugural look at the annual Chicago Auto Show and will boast more than 1,000 new vehicles,
dozens on display for the first time anywhere. Those in attendance will also have a chance to win two new vehicles: a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (courtesy of Hyundai Motor America and Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Hyundai dealers) and a 2013 Buick Encore (courtesy of Buick and Chicagoland Buick-GMC
dealers). Guests will enjoy a coordinated feast themed around some of the world's greatest cities and live entertainment by American English and the cast of the smash Broadway hit “Million Dollar Quartet.” Tickets are $250 and tuxedo attire is mandatory. For more information, including the complete list of charities and how to purchase tickets, visit www.FirstLookForCharity.org. To check out the First Look at last year's Auto Show on Watch312.com, please see below.

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A huge congrats to National Public Housing Museum’s  executive director Keith Magee on being named by Chicago Reader as one of 25 extraordinary Chicagoans! He has been tireless in his efforts to
create a National Public Housing Museum in the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes. In the article (by Sam Worley), Magee explains, “This museum has been around in concept for 15 years. Deverra Beverly still lives
in the Robert Brooks Homes, and serves on the board of commissioners on the Chicago Housing Authority. She and public housing resident Beatrice Jones were talking about Chicago's Plan for Transformation, and that they were tearing down traditional
public housing. She said, ‘What are we gonna do? How are our grandchildren and great-grandchildren going to know that we existed as a community?’ I went and I saw the building and I closed my eyes. I could hear the children in the playgrounds and I thought about all of the stories and all of the lives. That building – the Jane Addams Homes opened in '38 – was predominantly occupied by
people of European descent, and by 2002 it was predominantly occupied by people of African descent. I thought about what it looked like from Jewish to
Polish to Italian to African-American, every race and ethnic group having some kind of footprint in this space. And I got it.” He sure did GET IT and we’re so glad he did! This will be great, not only for Chicago but for the world. If you would like to learn more and how you can help, please visit www.nphm.org. Congrats Keith on all of your good work!

I never tire of The Joffrey Ballet’s "The Nutcracker" performance! Nothing puts you in a holiday mood like watching these graceful dancers glide across the stage in exquisite costumes with magical, breathtaking
stage sets. This year's 25th Annual Nutcracker Family Dinner, hosted by The Women’s Board, was held on December 15th at the Palmer House Hilton in the State and Grand ballrooms. More than 650 guests attended
the biggest family dinner thus far for an enchanting evening that featured entertainment for children and adults alike, a traditional family-style meal, and of course, a thrilling performance
of Robert Joffrey’s “The Nutcracker.” (Guests had the option of attending the matinee or evening performance.) Children enjoyed decorating toe shoes, cookies and nutcrackers as well as LEGO
designs. Artists were on hand to personalize Nutcracker t-shirts and The Great Frankini, Frank Glab, delighted the children with his juggling and magic tricks.  Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway and Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, along with co-chairs Laura Kofoid and
Carol Stone, welcomed the crowd. Tiny bells had been placed at each table setting and guests were asked to join in singing "Jingle Bells" to start the festivities. The next Joffrey event will be Pointe of Departure on February 7th. DON’T MISS IT! (For details, please visit www.joffrey.org.)
 

Are you between the ages of 7 and 14 and ready for your close-up? NBC Universal’s Telemundo Media kicks off a nationwide casting call for its much-anticipated global hit singing competition “La Voz Kids” (The Voice Kids) and the Chicago auditions will be on January 26th and 27th! To register, visit www.lavozkids.com or call 1-855-VOZ-KIDS OR send an email to castings@lavozkids.com! The show is
slated to air in the spring on the Telemundo network!  The winner will receive a recording contract with Universal Music AND a scholarship!! (If only I were 10 with a good voice! Sigh…) Good luck to all participants!

On December 31st, more than 650 Chicago social notables came together to celebrate New Year’s Eve for the second annual Entrepreneur’s Eve at the Alder Planetarium. A stylish and philanthropic group showed up to raise a glass, have a dance and try their
luck to benefit the H Foundation, a charitable foundation committed to raising funds to cure cancer in partnership with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. Cor Strategies welcomed guests to the Adler for an evening under the stars. VIP guests experienced a swanky seated lounge with
Hennessy Black cocktails carefully created by Chicago’s very own Benjamin Newby. After a bit of liquid courage, guests grabbed friends to dance in one of the Alder’s full-size theaters, staged as a private club for VIP attendees. General admission also delivered an exceptional NYE experience
with full open bar, champagne and a dance floor under the glass ceiling of the Adler – which offered out-of-this-world skyline views of Chicago and the perfect spot to watch the NYE fireworks over Lake Michigan. All in attendance had access to the museum’s exhibits, the cigar lounge and casino, to name a few.
Throughout the night, a group of top DJs kept the crowd moving, including DJ DOLO, DJ Will Galvan, DJ Matt Roan (Crossfader King), DJ Yours Truly and #EE12’s headliner, DJ Zeke Thomas. When all was said and done, Entrepreneur’s Eve raised almost $70K for H Foundation…what a great way to start of 2013! For more info, please click here. (Photos by Mateo)
 

Join some of our town’s most beloved peeps as the Palmer House’s David Brandt, the Peninsula’s Greg Hyder and Kehoe Designs’ Tom Kehoe present the Master’s Program & Brunch at VenueSIX10, located at 610
S. Michigan) on January 17th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s program and discussion will take you behind the scenes of the most demanding and intricate event of 2013: the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Join these darling event chairs – some of Chicago’s top event planning ring leaders – as they welcome former White House director of events, Laura
Schwartz of White House Strategies, as they shed light on what really goes on during a presidential family dinner? Just how friendly is the Secret Service? What are presidents typically like with event staffers? How can you bring the inauguration’s seamlessness and level of service to your events? For tickets ($225) and more info, please click here!

Sports stars helping others is the theme for these next two events starting with Chicago Cubs newcomer David DeJesus! He and wife Kim are keeping busy in the off-season by preparing for their upcoming fundraiser
on January 17th at the River East Arts Center to kick off Cubs Convention weekend. Strike a Pose will feature Cubs players past and present and their wives walking the runway in a variety of fashions from the 900 N. Michigan Shops. Besides DeJesus, participants will include Kerry and Sarah Wood, Darwin and Lindsey Barney, Shawn Camp, Tony Campana, Starlin Castro, Steve Clevenger, Anthony Rizzo and so many more! The David DeJesus Foundation will be donating all proceeds from the event to ALS research in honor of a close friend. For tickets ($250) and more info, please call 773.404.CUBS.

And on January 14th, Chicago Bear Brandon Marshall will be signing autographs and memorabilia at Ziegler Auto Group, located at 1230 E. Golf Road in Schaumburg. A portion of the proceeds will support Project Borderline, Brandon’s foundation that fights the stigma, spreads the word, educates and advocates for borderline personality disorder. (For more info, please visit www.projectborderline.com.) 

So proud of Tribeca Flashpoint Academy student, Evan Brightfield! He created this “Rahmfather” gift for Mayor Emanuel who actually LIKED IT! As you can imagine, it’s not easy to please the “Rahmfather” but Evan and his dad figured out a way to do it! Very cute and very clever, Evan…and congrats!

A Silver Lining Foundation (founded by Dr. Sandy Goldberg in 2006) celebrated the holiday season with the Auxiliary Board’s 5th Annual Naughty or Nice Holiday Party on December 13th. Guests gathered at Frontier
Chicago Restaurant and partied for a purpose. CS Magazine and TCW Magazine co-sponsored the event. Special guests included former Chicago Bear and Super Bowl champion Otis Wilson and former Houston
Texan Robert Mackey. The Naughty or Nice event is the first of a series of Auxiliary Board events to support ASLF's Buy a Mom a Mammogram program, which successfully raised awareness among attendees of the need for uninsured women to have access to cost-free mammographies. The enthusiasm and
commitment in the room was electric! The goal of future events is to raise funding to provide potentially lifesaving testing for at least 20 women at one of the foundation's 10 partner hospitals. (To learn more and find out how you can help, please click here!) 

A special thanks to photographer Mila Samokhina for including me in a recent
article in Reklama, one of Chicago’s most
popular newspapers! I’m also thrilled to be a contributor to A
Perfect Event e-Mag, the most
gorgeous digital magazine I’ve ever seen, presented by the uber talented Debi Lilly! Click here to read the
latest issue
and make sure to check out pages 230 through 233! 🙂

I hope your New Year is off to a great start and here’s hoping we can spend more time together in 2013!! Love and thanks for your support this year and every year! 

Love always,
Candace 🙂
Candace@CandidCandace.com

P.S. And under the “Thrill of a Lifetime” category, huge congrats and thanks to Rich Varnes, Cynthia King and their darling daughter Eleanor King for letting me see the White House at Christmas through their eyes! What an amazing story with such beautiful photos! To read about their fabulous holiday adventure, please
click here!

P.P.S. Please help me congratulate dear Alexis Mattera on her upcoming marriage to
her longtime love, Scott Silberberg! Alexis has been a part of this blog from its very inception and I couldn’t
do this without her! Thanks and congrats for all you do and for your happy impending
plans! Love you so, Lex…release the doves!