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If Leo DiCaprio thinks his new Tesla Roadster, the world’s first high-performance 100% electric car, is cooler than a polar bear’s balls, then so do I. He recently swapped his Toyota Prius hybrid with which he was already flying his eco-friendly colors in for his new sports car, saying of it in an interview with the UK’s Daily Mail:

‘It’s my first sports car and it’s an unbelievable drive. It’s scarily fast and it all happens with the flip of a switch, unlike a piston-driven engine that needs to build up momentum.’

Apart from getting from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, the Tesla Roadster also promises to burn no oil and cost mere pennies per mile. An economy that you are sure to appreciate after lashing out $120,000 to get your hands on one.

I have never made any secret about my feelings about using fur and have recently added my signature to the Animal Saviours petition to put a stop to live animal skinning in China. Yes, you heard that right: live animal skinning. Please don’t put yourself through the pain of watching the horrific video on that site as the images inside will burn themselves onto the back of your eyelids and stay with your forever but do take a moment to speak out against this barbaric custom by adding your name to the petition.

In other news from the anti-fur movement a new international eco-friendly fashion design competition was launched on 10th December by Born Free USA, Animal Protection Institute (Born Free USA) and environmental publication, E Magazine. Called fffashion, the competition’s goal is to promote the ethical and environmental benefits of foregoing fur fashions while creating an opportunity for independent designers to showcase their talent for a worthy cause.

consumers for a fur free society

Being fur-free is both socially and environmentally responsible. Not only is the use of fur unconscionable in this progressive day and age, it is damaging to our wildlife, our ecosystems and people who work in fur processing factories

In short, it’s impossible to design with fur, sell fur, or wear fur, and claim one is anything close to being ‘green’.

This is a great opportunity for independent designers to showcase their talents and help raise awareness of a very noteworthy cause

In recent years more and more markets have begun embracing ideologies that support ethical consumerism

Because shopping with concern for the environment, people, and animals is a core value for many consumers, taking a stand against fur fashion is a no-brainer.

Winners will be will be chosen by a celebrity panel of judges including eco-model and Discovery Channel “Planet Green” host, Summer Rayne Oakes; lifestyle icon Sophie Uliano, author of New York Times bestselling book Gorgeously Green, and E Magazine editor Brita Belli.

“Being fur-free is both socially and environmentally responsible. Not only is the use of fur unconscionable in this progressive day and age, it is damaging to our wildlife, our ecosystems and people who work in fur processing factories,” says fffashion judge Sophie Uliano. “In short, it’s impossible to design with fur, sell fur, or wear fur, and claim one is anything close to being ‘green’.”

Independent designers are invited to enter their fur-free fashion designs for cash prizes and the chance to be featured in a full-page ad in the September/October issue of E Magazine. Additional support for fffashion comes from UsTrendy, an innovative fashion company which aims to modernize the fashion process, which will help spread the word about the contest to independent designers. “This is a great opportunity for independent designers to showcase their talents and help raise awareness of a very noteworthy cause,” says USTrendy founder, Sam Sisakhti.

Complete contest details can be viewed at www.bornfreeusa.org/fffashion

“In recent years more and more markets have begun embracing ideologies that support ethical consumerism,” says Monica Engebretson, senior program associate for Born Free USA. “Because shopping with concern for the environment, people, and animals is a core value for many consumers, taking a stand against fur fashion is a no-brainer.”

The fffashion competition is a program of Born Free USA’s Consumers for a Fur Free Society (CFFS) program. CFFS represents an international effort to provide consumers with accurate information about retailers and fur, allowing consumers to make an informed choice when shopping. CFFS has widespread international success, with partners including H&M, American Apparel and Pier 1 in the U.S. and Marks and Spencer, Topshop, and the Co-operative Group in Europe.

CFFS is part of the international Fur Free Retailer program, supported and endorsed by the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of 35 leading animal and environmental protection organizations representing millions of supporters worldwide.

Born Free USA is a national leader in wildlife conservation and advocacy, working to end animal cruelty and exploitation through legislation, litigation and public education. For more information on Born Free USA and its programs, visit www.bornfreeusa.org

With a reasonable starting price of $48 Levi’s new Ultimate Lift jean for women which promise to make women look ‘amazing’, sound nothing short of a minor miracle. They are designed to lift the wearer’s behind into the cup shape in the seat panel which hopefully will result in the perfect peach for those of us who are becoming more of the imperfect pear.

The new Levi’s(R) Ultimate Lift 544(TM) jeans will be available in straight leg, boot cut and flares. Just pop a pair on my Christmas wish list, would you darling.

You too could look like this...

Well there is no denying that little Harry Potter is all grown up. Daniel Radcliffe looks absolutely fab in those Lucky Brand jeans and so could you. He’s auctioning off the three pairs he wears whilst performing in the stage play EQUUS.

After the matinee performances on Saturday November 22, Saturday November 29 and Saturday December 6 at the at the Broadhurst Theatre - 235 W. 44 Street - expect lively bidding as the audience competes to get their hands on Daniel’s still warm jeans. ooooh.

Proceeds go towards the for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS annual fundraising drive.

Only three people will have the satisfaction of supporting this worthy cause by becoming th new owners of Daniel’s pre-loved Lucky Brands but anyone can buy their own new pair. Here is a selection of Lucky Brand jeans that are on offer on eBay.

Commenting on the opening bash of a posh new resort in Dubai multi-gazillionaire Richard Branson noted, “This party was obviously planned before the recession took hold three months ago. This will be the party of the decade and it’ll be the last party of the decade probably.”

Well, a bit strong there, Richard. What? Normal people don’t have parties? Or does your common-or-garden block bash not count then?

Our favorite Aussie minx, Kylie has been up and at ‘em, wowing a 2,000 strong crowd of A-listers’ A-listers including Robert de Niro, the delectable Charlize Theron and Shirley Bassey at the opening of the Atlantis Palm Jumeira in Dubai. (Whoever added Lindsey Lohan to the list has probably already been fired.)

Kylie was apparently paid a piffling £1.5 million for her 45 minutes hard graft. There is no report on how she feels about the following set of fireworks receiving four times that, but then they were apparently visible from space. That’ll come in handy if the owners of the resort are planning on attracting intergalactic clientele,

Welcome to the world Bronx Mowgli, son of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz. I am not too sure whether to send you extra congratulations on the obvious sense of humor of your parents but at the very least once you start your education there are sure to be no confusing mix-ups in the classroom with other little boys called Bronx. Or Mowgli.

I got a call from my friend Jo who would love to get her hands on a Chloe handbag. Would it be possible, she said, if I could sort of casually point her bf to some bargains on Chloe handbags on eBay because, she said, he was such a big lummox that he’d never find them himself and he’d so far managed to ignore her hints about what she really wanted for Christmas.

So, okay, just for Jo and her thick-skinned and eBay challenged fella, here is a list of Chloe handbags hot on eBay right now. ANd yes, I wouldn’t mind one for Christmas either, hint, hint.

So is it cold enough for you yet? With several inches of snow predicted and rain and snow showers keeping things frosty in the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies, well I would hope you have your winter wardrobe sorted out weeks ago.

Nevertheless, this is the place to be if you are feeling shoppish and here is an excellent deal on a toasty toasty jacket from my friends at Classic Closeouts.

Quilted Jacket with Faux Fur Trim This zip front quilted jacket has a trendy fake fur trim. While it might be worth every penny of its $45.99 retail price tag, you can snap it up from Classic Closeouts for only $12.99. How cool is that? Eh, hot, I mean hot. (This jacket is meant for the European market so bear that in mind when you are selecting sizes and notice that beside every Euro size the US size is clearly marked in brackets.)

PS

It doesn’t really matter what you are shopping for online, Classic Closeouts probably has it dirt cheap and with free shipping so its a great place to start when you are feeling shoppish online. From classic cuffed pants for the man in your life (for only $6.99), to kid’s clothing. (Get $10 off orders of $40 or more. Use Coupon code: CJSPLASH.) or a little wardrobe therapy for yourself, Classic Closeouts is a great place to start. For one thing it is possible to save up to 90% off retail prices and there are over 3,000 items at under $10, plus now FREE SHIPPING on order over $50!

Classic Closeouts - one of the best kept shoppers’ secrets.

And sticking to Madge for the moment, congratulations to both her and Guy Ritchie who officially becomes her ex husband as they receive their Decree Nisi today. While newspapers were gearing themselves up for a slagging match a la Macartney and Heather (Mad as a bag of monkeys) Mills, it seems Guy and the ex Mrs Ritchie are mutually agreed on the split of assets and the main sticking point all along was Guy’s access to the kids.

Who would have thunk it? Who’d have thought that velour track suits could be so trendy? Way back at the dawn of Juicy Couture , Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy were rich in ideas but short in cash. They needed to get the world to see that their their cosy, casual and comfortable tracksuits were also very cool.

The grrls decided to send a set of Juicy Couture trackies to the original bad girl and when Madonna was later seen out and about in her ‘Madge’-emblazoned JCs, suddenly tracksuits were in. Of course Juicy Couture tracksuits are as likely to be made of cashmere as they are of more mundane fabric and the line encompasses a full range of products including apparel, perfume, handbags, and jewelery.

Today the brand is owned by Liz Claiborne Inc., and their investment in Juicy has proved to be a winner with sales of Juicy Couture products reputedly topping $250 million in the first half of 2008 alone.