KIMORA LEE SIMMONS' DEMAND MATTEL TO USE FAUX-FUR ON HER BARBIE DOLLS.

Although model-turned-fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons' admits she was thrilled when toymakers Mattel decided to model a Barbie in her likeness, she had one recommendation: the new Barbie doll had to don a faux-fur coat, in a bid to show young girls they can look "fabulous" without skinning animals. The designer and reality TV star says, "She has a faux-fur chinchilla coat, because I want to show kids that synthetic fur can be fabulous, too. She's everything a Barbie is supposed to be."

According to the company's website, the Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie® doll epitomizes the Baby Phat founder and designer’s hip, street-glam flair! Created under the direction of Simmons, a former model turned fashion/lifestyle entrepreneur, this dark-haired diva is dressed in a fabulous hot pink outfit, topped with a full-length faux chinchilla coat. Upping the cool quotient are bold, over-the-top accessories like pink thigh-high boots, chunky earrings and a designer bag. But the cutest accessory of all? Kimora’s adorable little dog, Zoe!

Simmons isn't the only celebrity to inspire a modern Barbie - a Hilary Duff doll has also been created recently.

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NEW PICS: STACEY DASH'S KING MAG (JUNE '08) PHOTSPREAD: DISHES ON NEW LINGERIE LINEM BRINGING SEXY BACK, MAKING MEN WORK OR 'IT.' & MORE.

41-year old actress/entrepreneur Stacey Dash, arguably the sexiest over 40 actress next to LisaRaye, is the featured cover story in King magazine's June 2008 issue. And she isn't gracing the cover because of her drop dead looks. The actress, who says she was sick and tired of seeing girls wearing jeans around their buns to show their thong (hold up: are women still doing that? Let me find out that that is so 2001), has launched her own lingerie line called Letters of Marque (currently in 30 stores around the country and 10 stores overseas), in order to really bring sexy back. 'You can be sexy without being too provocative. Mainly, underwear should hang well on a woman's body. It's all mental. She can put on a pair of panties and a wifebeater and feel like the sexiest thing around. I've done that before and it feels great, says the married mother of two. Dash also revealed the meaning and the reasons she had for naming her new line Letters of Marque, taking men's taste in lingerie into consideration while designing the line and whether or not she still considers herself sexy...sexy enough to bring sexy back.

Peep the excerpts below:

STACEY DASH ON THE MEANING BEHIND 'LETTERS OF MARQUE': I was looking through my heritage, and it turns out the name 'Dash' comes from our great-great grandfather, a Dutch pirate who landed in the Barbados. So I started researching piracy, and in the middle of the paragraph, I saw this phrase 'letter of marque,' and it just looked beautiful. It turns out that it's a historical document. So, say I'm the Queen of England and you're a pirate. If I give you a letter of marque, that'd make you a privateer, meaning you have the right to go into whatever country I tell you to and rape, pillage and steal whatever you want, as long as I get a percentage. So a letter of marque is a document that gives you permission to invade. I thought, Oh, my God, that's perfect for underwear!'

FIND OUT IF STACEY STILL CONSIDERS HERSELF SEXY & CHECK OUT STACEY'S KING MAGAZINE PHOTOSPREAD BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

STACEY DASH ON IF SHE TAKES MEN'S TASTES INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DESIGNING LINGERIE: Of course. I'd be foolish not to. Women may not always admit it, but a big part of buying lingerie is, 'Will this turn him on or not?' But really, if a woman feels sexy in something, a man will ultimately find her sexy regardless. When I wear my nightgown, my husband can't keep his hands off of me! A man has to work for it though. In fact, one of Letters of Marque signatures is buttons; in order for a man to get to what you're concealing, he has to unbutton you. The best things in life don't come easy.

STACEY ON IF SHE CONSIDERS HERSELF SEXY: I think there's an innocence to my sexiness. It's not like I'm wearing just a G-string and stockings, or tassels on my nipples. My ass isn't hanging out of my thong. I've learned so much in the last 20 years. I feel better, sexier and happier than I've ever felt in my entire life. People say, 'But you're getting old,' and that is such bullsh!t. I'm just getting better.

Check out Stacey when she co-stars in the upcoming Sonny Liston biopic, Phantom Punch.

CLICK ON PICS TO SEE FULL IMAGE.

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NEW PICS: TIONNE 'T-BOZ' WATKINS MEET-AND-GREET AT 'CHASE'S CLOSET' CHILDREN'S STORE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.

The naturally beautiful Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins of TLC held a meet-and-greet at her children's clothing store, Chase's Closet in Houston, Texas on Tuesday (Monday, April 21). The singer used the M&G to launch her new clothing line which will benefit the Texas Children's Foster Care System. Her boyfriend of over three years, Takeo Spikes was by her side. Missing in action is the adorable cutie the store is named after, T-Boz's seven-year-old daughter, Chase. Check out the pics below and remember to click on them to see their full image.

PICTURES COURTESY OF LIPSERVICEINK.COM

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ANDRE 3000 TO LAUNCH HIS NEW CLOTHING LINE; RAPPER SAYS IT WILL BE 'TRULY TIMELESS.'

Guess what? Another celebrity has hopped upon the 'I'm creating a clothing line' wagon. Multiple Grammy Award-winning rapper, Andre Benjamin a.k.a. This Fall, Andre 3000 will launch his self-funded Benjamin Bixby line which consists of 70 pieces, ranging from wide-brimmed fedora hats to pink sweatshirts, all sketched by Benjamin. And he artist is absolutely sure that his line will be a great success, and will blow away other musicians' clothing efforts, because he is the only one not doing it for the money. "I know there's a trend of entertainers doing clothing lines but I think they do it more as a business move. But for me, I actually love clothes and feel like I have something to bring to the table." The rapper/actor, who has been voted the World's Best Dressed Man by men's magazine Esquire, is also confident his new clothing line is so well-designed that it would have impressed late style icons Beau Brummell and British monarch Edward VIII. "There has to be something inventive about it. But not so inventive that it's a turn-off. So that some of the greats, like Beau Brummell or the Duke of Windsor, would nod and say 'Well done. Those guys killed us.’ That's hip-hop.”

On the music front, Bejamin is reportedly working on a solo album due for release this Fall.
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OPRAH OPENS HER NEW STORE IN CHICAGO.

Now, everybody can get a hold of some of Oprah Winfrey's favorite things at her new Chicago shop. The media maven's store opened last week on 37 North Carpenter, near Harpo Studios on the city's near West Side. Winfrey fans can snap up the star's favorite books, music, shirts and items -- all with the Oprah label. You can also buy accessories, handmade house wares and items from Oprah's own closet which include $8 handmade keychains, $300 Gianfranco Ferre brown crocodile ankle boots, velour and jogging suits. Polo shirt/leash outfits are available for those die-hard dog lovers. You can also get items such as Passion Journals, which isn't a journal you use to keep track of soap operas, it has more to do with dreams and self-expression and all of the other Oprah-ish things you hear on her show every afternoon. You also get to watch Oprah on TV screens located around the 5500 square foot store.

A statement from Winfrey's publicist claims the shop is a "specialty store full of merchandise that represents the style and taste Oprah celebrates and shares on The Oprah Winfrey Show."

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NEW PICS: NELLY CELEBRATES 5th ANNIVERSARY OF APPLE BOTTOMS DESIGNS.

Rapper-turned-entrepreneur Nelly celebrated the 5th anniversary of his successful Apple Bottoms Designs at the annual MAGIC Fashion Trade Show at TAO in Las Vegas Wednesday night (February 13, 2008).

Launched in 2003, Apple Bottoms is a clothing line that caters to females of all shapes and sizes who are trendy and fashion forward. It's their mission to celebrate and liberate the natural curves of a woman's body. This unique brand is the mastermind of multi-platinum recording artist/superstar Nelly. He describes the intent behind the design by saying, "The clothes should fit a woman, not the woman fit the clothes." Nelly is personally involved in the design process to make sure that the fashions deliver the magic to reveal the beauty of the woman who wears them. The Apple Bottoms line include a variety of clothing styles that include mini skirts, jackets, sweat suits and an array of tops that are flexible and offer the customer a variety of choices.

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RIHANNA'S 'GOOD GIRL GONE BAD' IMAGE PAYS OFF IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE + CANDID PICS OF HER WITH HER RUMORED BOO, CHRIS BROWN.

Someone tell Beyonce to slide to the side. There's a new 'IT' girl on the horizon. R&B singer Rihanna has been named as one of the Ten Most Powerful Girls in Hollywood for a number of reasons including her chart-topping hits, the infamous 'Rihanna Cut', the 'Rihanna Bag,' her successful music career, her venture into film and entrepreneurship, according to US magazine. Although her number one hit song, Umbrella spent seven weeks at the top of the U.S. charts, it's the super-sleek, super-popular jet-black bob the Barbados-born singer dons that's making a huge impact on young girls...and even grown women everywhere. “My hairdresser keeps telling me people come into the salon and ask like, ‘I want the Rihanna cut’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Really?’”

As for her personal life, rumors have begun to run rampant suggesting she and teen heartthrob, Chris Brown are dating after they were recently spotted together at public spots, including Barneys following his Brown's performance last Wednesday night. Brown admitted having a crush on the Caribbean singer in the past, telling Us Weekly that they flirted at the 2007 VMAs but "we haven’t taken it to that next level yet."

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY & PEEP MORE CANDID PICS BY CLICKING ON 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP! ON THE BOTTOM LEFT.

The 19 year-old crossover star has released three albums in as many years and tells Us it won’t stop there. “I’m looking at getting into film, and I’m working on my own businesses.” She’s already partnered with Tates for - what else? - a line of umbrellas. She also hooked up with Marc Jacobs and soon became the inspiration behind the designer's line of his latest new pair of purses affectionately called The Marc Jacobs Rihanna bag. A CoverGirl model, she tells Us, “I’m proud that I can be a black female and a spokesmodel for a major company.”

Looks like Rihanna’s “good girl gone bad” image is starting to pay-off.

Rihanna arriving at the Carlton Hotel in France last weekend.

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OPRAH WINFREY TO LAUNCH HER 'OWN' TELEVISION NETWORK.

Come on now. Are we really surprised that Oprah has her own network? She has everything else, right?

Discovery Communications and talk show queen Oprah Winfrey said on Tuesday they would build a new cable television network, describing the venture as dedicated to inspiring viewers to "live their best lives." OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will be owned jointly by Discovery and Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The network will debut in 2009 in more than 70 million U.S. homes, appearing on what is now the Discovery Health Channel. "For me, the launch of 'The Oprah Winfrey Network' is the evolution of the work I've been doing on television all these years and a natural extension of my show," Winfrey said in a statement.

Winfrey will serve as chairwoman of OWN and have full editorial control over its programming and branding. The companies said it was a cashless deal, but did not disclose other financial details.

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JILL SCOTT ON FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN, POSING NUDE, HER FAILED MARRIAGE & WHY SHE'S HAPPY IN HER SKIN.

I know the Internet has been buzzing all day with folks wondering if Jill Scott is dating her Why Did I Get Married? love-interest, actor Lamman Rucker. I know this for a fact because I have never seen my email's inbox stuffed with so many inquiries from people wanting to know if it's true or not. I will say this though: Jill and Lamman--or as I like to call them, Jilly from Philly and Lamman from P-Burg, P.A.--are two very private people. Therefore and thus and such, when Jill and Lamman want you to know if they indeed have a real thing going on, they'll tell you. Until then, just enjoy speculating and remember, you can't believe everything you read...or can you? According to Page Six, the singer turned actress was also recently seen at Nobu restaurant wining and dining the Hispanic male model she posed with during her Allure magazine photoshoot. Anywhoo, Scott recently did an interview with the Jamaican Observer and dished details on several issues going on in her life right now including her failed marriage, why she's happy and content with her size, posing nude for Allure magazine (March '08), finding love, her new music and acting projects, embarking on a new tour and launching her own bra line, The Butterfly Collection by Jill Scott in a joint venture with plus-size apparel retailer, Ashley Stewart Stores.

JILL ON DIVORCING HER COMPANION OF 13 YEARS AND HUSBAND OF FIVE, LYZEL WILLIAMS: “I think it had a lot to do with us not being meant to work together, it was a poor choice. The line between our relationship and work got blurred, so we had very little personal time and were too concerned with business. And somehow my husband stopped being my husband.” On coping with the issue: "I go through everything that everybody else does, I get angry, upset, tired and annoyed but I try my best to remain positive at all times, because there is so much to be positive about. Some days are good; some days are not. It is a different brand of lonely that I am learning to deal with, but overall, I am happier than I have ever been, and that makes all the difference in the world. I have too much to offer as a person to live my life alone and not to be in love again.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE NEWS ON LAMMAN RUCKER ON BLACKCELEBRITYMEN.BLOGSPOT.COM!

JILL ON WHY SHE'S HAPPY IN HER SKIN & WHY SHE LOVED POSING NUDE FOR ALLURE MAGAZINE: "I don’t think that I am a particularly big girl, clearly I am not a small girl, but I think I am an average-sized American woman. I have been blessed with family and friends who appreciate all sides of me. I did a nude photo shoot two days ago for Allure, which I loved. It was so empowering and after it was all done, I was congratulated by staff members of Allure for breaking the mold.”

AFTER THE JUMP, CONTINUE READING MORE MAGAZINE EXCERPTS & FIND OUT WHAT JILL SCOTT HAS IN STORE FOR 2008 BOTH MUSICALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.

JILL ON HER PLANS FOR 2008 WHICH INCLUDES THE LAUNCH OF A NEW BRA LINE, THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTION BY JILL SCOTT: “I got big boobs and I need to be fly, I got tired of my shoulders hurting and marks being left in my skin from bras that weren’t designed for all of this, so I created my own.” The entire clothing line will be personally inspired and designed by Jill Scott, in conjunction with Ashley Stewart whose name and image will be utilized in all marketing and merchandising concepts.

Scott, who has been nominated for 3 Grammys (Best R&B album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Hate On Me and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Daydreamin' feat. Lupe Fiasco) for her newest album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Volume 3, has also announced the itinerary for her Real Thing tour, which kicks off Feb. 5 in Seattle and rolls through 23 cities before wrapping March 30 in Birmingham. Multiple stands are scheduled in Oakland (Feb. 7-8); Atlanta (Feb. 22-23) and Baltimore (Feb. 26-27). She'll perform for four consecutive nights at Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall beginning March 11. See the entire schedule HERE.

She will continue to be the face of plus size clothing store Ashley Stewart until next year and has wrapped another movie called Number One Ladies Detective Agency.

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MICHAEL JORDAN & NIKE TO LAUNCH 23rd EDITION OF THE AIR JORDAN SNEAKER.

High-ass shoes!! It's gotta be the shoes, right? No other basketball shoe has changed the face of business, athletics and marketing like the Air Jordan. This month, Nike releases the 23rd edition, and it is expected to be just as venerated as its predecessors. The Air Jordan XX3 will be released in three hyped-up rounds from January to February, starting with a limited edition to be sent to only 23 retailers to be sold for $230 and concluding with the national launch at $185. There had been talk at Nike about retiring the shoe at No. 23, because of his iconic jersey number. But company officials won't say whether this will be the last of the line. Neither will Jordan. "You'll just have to wait and see," Jordan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press, responding to questions about the upcoming release.

Jordan said he never expected that the shoe would become an icon. "Like every kid growing up, I dreamed of making winning shots at the buzzer and I was fortunate to live out that dream, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever entertain the idea of the success of the Air Jordan franchise," he said. And the Air Jordan remains the pinnacle piece for shoe collectors. The original Air Jordan 1 can sell for thousands of dollars, depending on various factors. "It blows my mind that even after five years removed from the game the shoe would be stronger than ever and I would still be greeted by fans as if I had just won a championship all over again," Jordan stated.

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Before launching the first shoe in 1985, Nike had just signed Jordan for $2.5 million over five years. Nike won't say what Jordan's current contract with the company is worth. Jordan's deal with Nike opened the door for sneaker manufacturers to chase after athletes, signing them up --sometimes just out of high school-- for multimillion-dollar contracts in hopes of being able to cash in on the next superstar. It sent sneaker prices to new heights, which has since generated a backlash against selling pricey shoes to basketball-loving kids. "Nobody expected the mass hysteria created by its release," Jordan said in his e-mail to The AP. A new edition was launched each year, and release dates had to be moved to the weekends to keep kids from skipping school to get a pair. The frenzy got dangerous. People were mugged and even killed for the shoes.

Like any bet, athletic companies take their risks -- some pay off, like Tiger Woods or LeBron James. But some don't, a la Michael Vick. Nike terminated its contract with Vick last August after his plea agreement on dogfighting charges. Jordan was spun off into its own division in 1997, a move that some high up in Nike questioned when Jordan retired. But the business is a key component, with new players signing on under the brand. Nike has spun that Jordan swagger into performance and luxury apparel for men and woman.

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ICE CUBE LAUNCHES INTERNET ONLINE TV NETWORK, UVNTV.COM

First he became a top rap artist. Then he turned his talents to the movies as an actor. Now Ice Cube has a new line to add to his résumé: Internet entrepreneur. Cube and his partner DJ Pooh, a record producer and screenwriter who also is a self-described techie, are the latest entertainers to launch a new website showcasing all sorts of videos, original to music to user-generated. But Cube and Pooh aren't just looking to promote their own work. They have loftier ambitions: to create a TV-style network with multiple channels and high-quality video that can support everything from short videos to full-length movies.

UVNTV (short for U View Network Television, at uvntv.com), still in rollout mode, now features about a dozen channels, run both by large companies and individual artists. Each channel will be screened for quality but will run its own programming. For example, Snoop Dogg's Snoopadelic channel features his rap videos; Nextreme TV shows clips of extreme sports such as snowboarding jumps. The official stations of urban magazines The Source and Vibe are included as well. Cube says, "We figured we needed to think about how could we still be part of entertainment in this future that's coming out at full speed."

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All videos are shown in a new Microsoft-developed format called Silverlight that promises definition high enough to be played on big screens. Shows can be viewed by time or on demand. And, like most websites launching these days, UVNTV includes community-building features along the lines of MySpace.

Eventually, the founders hope thousands of individuals, studios and corporations will bring their material to UVNTV, drawn by artistic freedom and the opportunity to bring their material to a new audience — and make money in the process. They're inviting everyone from fledgling filmmakers and performers to established stars, networks and companies. Channel partners will share advertising revenue with UVNTV or sell their own ads on their own channels. "We figured we needed to think about how could we still be part of entertainment in this future that's coming out at full speed," says Cube. "We didn't just want to be providers of a product. We wanted to be a full-blown network. I think we're going to have programming that's way more interesting than what you can see on your daily television or even YouTube."

Cube says they're not competing with YouTube or other existing networks, but adding a needed new player to the mix. "Yeah, (artists) can throw (content) up and hope that it gets seen on a YouTube or whatever. But here you can present it the way you want it. And if you get enough people to come and watch, you become a major player in entertainment."

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NEW PICS: LISARAYE IN MONARCH MAG; REVEALS HOW SHE WENT FROM HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS TO FIRST LADY.

Former All of Us actress LisaRaye McCoy-Misick is featured in the Fall 2007 issue of Monarch magazine. In her interview, the First Lady of Turks & Caicos Islands, who likens herself to Grace Kelly, revealed how she met her second husband, Premier Michael Misick and why she made a couple of sacrifices for the sake of her marriage. The former model met her current hubby when she attended the 2005 Trumpet Awards in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael was being honored with the Global Humanitarian of the Year award and made the first move by asking to be introduced to the beauty. And although LisaRaye (who says she always thought she'd marry an 'in-shape god'...something that Michael indeed was not) says her attraction to Michael wasn't love at first sight, he eventually won her over and the couple exchanged 'I do's' in April of 2006.

Soon after her wedding, the actress found herself facing off with the producers of All of Us (which was canceled in the Spring of 2007) due to the fact that the duties of her new real role as the First Lady of Turks & Caicos Islands entailed her to be by her husband's side during special engagements. At the time, these personal demands meant missing a practice read here and there forcing the producers to have to work around her schedule or stop production altogether. LisaRaye also took it upon herself to shelve her brand new lingerie line, Lux & Romance lingerie which catered to women with curves. Engaged to the Premiere (whose status is equaled to our President) in the same year, she quickly felt that her new line was not exactly the right way a First Lady should represent herself. In February 2005, she decided to drop the line and focue more on learning about her husband's position and culture. LisaRaye says, 'It can be difficult at times with so much to learn. Imagine just a few weeks ago, me and my husband were having dinner with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. It's a lot to adjust to.'

READ MORE ABOUT LISARAYE'S NEW ROLE AS FIRST LADY OF TURKS & CAICOS AFTER THE JUMP!

These days, LisaRaye spends her time organizing events for the Turks and Caicos International Film Festival, which she created with fellow actress Jasmine Guy in October of 2006. When she's in the States, she's hard at work on one of her latest business ventures: RayeDiant Jewel, a talent pageant she created for young girls. A mix of American Idol meets The Gong Show, LisaRaye teaches the girls that they are all 'diamonds' in the rough. The actress can also be seen on tour in the stageplay, Gossip, Lies and Secrets with Blu Cantrell, Kenya Moore, Malik Yoba and Christopher Williams. But that's not all. Since dropping the lingerie line, she has started a swimsuit line that she says will fit perfectly in both worlds of her life. 'Just think of me as the new millennium First Lady.'

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