From the performers – impersonators of David Bowie, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, and Michael Jackson – to the random appearance of Isabelle Huppert to the break-dancing twins, it’s clear this was a party that won’t be outdone for quite sometime.”

WWD: You go way back with Kate.

J.G.: I’ve known her since she was 14. She threw a fantastic surprise birthday for me. You shouldn’t write that. But it was so genius I have to tell you. I was going to have a birthday party in Paris.

WWD: When?

J.G.: It was last week. I’m like all the old actresses who have an official birthday and an unofficial birthday. This was my unofficial one. I started to organize it with a friend in Paris but it got all out of hand. It was going to turn very corporate, so I said, “Uh-uh-uh.” It’s just not the birthday you want to start bragging about. The big 4-0. [He exaggerates the number, to indicate that he has shaved off a few years.] So I said, “OK, we’ll move it to London.” I said, “I just want to do something quiet. Could we just go under the radar? Maybe to someone’s house?” Anyway, Kate and my friend Francesca [Cutler] arranged it, a surprise. We went to the new bar that just opened at the Savoy. It’s very Deco, very beautiful. I arrive and there were fantastic creatures there that I hadn’t seen for like twenty years, the London posse. And then they introduce the acts. David Bowie had come over to perform for me followed by Diana Ross followed by Tina Turner and then Barbra Streisand.

WWD: Oh stop!

J.G.: No, you stop! And then the last person who came on was Michael Jackson! They were all impersonators! It was so English and so tawdry! It was fantastic!

WWD: We can’t put this in the story?

J.G.: Of course you can. — it’s a true story! So I go outside for a cigarette with Kate, OK? She has this little jumpsuit on with little sequins. She looked gorgeous. Some dirty old man walks by and goes, “Oh, you do that really well. You could be a model.” She goes, “F— off! I’m too short!” Then this limousine turns up, this shiny limousine and this fantastic, chic woman gets out with the shades on and the bodyguards. Me and Kate look each other and we’re like, “Oh!” You don’t do that in London. Unless you’re Elvis Presley, you don’t do that. So this wonderful creature comes up to me, takes the glasses off and goes, “John!” And I go, “Hi…” I still didn’t quite know what was going on. She goes, “It’s Isabelle.” It was Isabelle Huppert, one of France’s greatest actresses, who had been giving a press conference and just turned up. So she goes, “What are you doing here?” and I said, “Oh we’re just having a little party celebrating my 40th. Would you like to join us?” And I’m like, “Shit, how do I get out of this one?” “Lexie, Lexie, it’s Isabelle! You’ve got to look after her.” She had the best time because I kept asking her if she was OK and she would say, “Laissez-moi! Laissez-moi! C’est une scene que ne j’ai jamais vue!” [“Let me be! Let me be! It’s a scene I’ve never seen before!”] Because the English posse were really going for it that night. She loved it. There were these kids who were break dancing to Michael who were twins. [Galliano extends an arm to approximate their height — perhaps that of an average eight-year-old.] One’s blonde, one’s brunette. They were break dancing, diving. But there was like a time lapse of something like six seconds. Twins do that apparently. It was the most weird thing to see. It was incredible.

… In a perfect world we would all have best friends like supermodel Kate Moss.

(Credit: WWD)

Now, I’m an old-school gay. I wear ascots. I drink openly and during the day. I have a thriving relationship with marijuana and I’m not afraid of non-prescription pills of any size, color or make. But most of all, I love me some Judy Garland. Give me Meet Me in St. Louis Judy. A Star Is Born Judy. Judy Live at Carnegie Hall. Judy face down in her own sick. I can understand why her death would have prompted any drag queen to hurl the first heel.

So it was with a beaming smile and a drunken heart that I observed America’s sweetheart…and Lea Michele pay a loving homage to this (seriously, look at it) legendary performance between Ms. Garland and another titan of homo-rific proportions, Babs Streisand. With all these Ke$has crawling out of garbage dumps  and Biebers crawling out of wombs still in their diapers, it’s refreshing to see music and artists from a bygone era brought to a new generation.

Enticed by the lure of a free dinner at Breadsticks — where you can get as many breadsticks as you like, that’s right, all you can eat! — the kids in new Directions paired up for a friendly competition. Everyone starts doing duets and love blossoms in the least likely places. Finn and Rachel  “rehearse” Elton John/Dee’s classic, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (1976) only to realize that they’re  just too damn good and have to throw the competition…for the sake of the team.

Meanwhile, Brittany and Santana are making out –yes, that’s right, making out — on Brit’s bed. Santana claims she’s only fooling around with Brittany because Puck is in juvi (not sure that came from). After breaking Brittany’s simple, possibly sapphic heart, Santana seeks a duet partner in a reluctant Mercedes. Together they pulled off the first major highlight of the show, a Tina Turner-strutting version of “River Deep – Mountain High” (1966).

Brittany in turn moves in on to Artie and takes his virginity. Kurt, hoping to get some of his own, pursues the hot new kid, Sam, who looks like a Sean Cody (or maybe Bel Ami) “model,”to be his partner. Finn, however, swoops in, crushing their duet with some homophobic bullying, if I do say so myself. Finn claims that Sam would do best to avoid being partners with Kurt to avoid people from expecting he, too, might practice the love that dare not speak its name.

Kurt takes this in stride and rebounds showstoppingly with a rendition of “Le Hot Jazz” from Victor/Victoria (1982). Sam, noticeably intrigued has, however, already taken up with ex-teen mom, Quinn F-ing Fibray. Sparks inevitably fly — though I’m still not convinced that Sam kid isn’t a flaming homo (Kurt, don’t gfive up so soon!) — and they sing some awful piece of excrement from, I’m told, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. And of course they win, thanks, yet again, to Finn and Rachel.

Aside from that one song, most if not all of the songs were first recorded before most of the cast was born. After last week’s emotionally heavy episode,  “Duets” was a nice counterpoint. However, there was no Sue Sylvester and that is something that I simply cannot abide by. After the first ten minutes I felt something missing. Would a Sue/Will duet have killed anyone?

So…For their latest issue, Glamour decided to pay homage to the ever-fabulous Ms. Billie Holiday in a spread dedicated to American icons.Paula Patton, a young and beautiful new face on the big screen, was chosen to capture Ms. Holiday’s spirit on camera.

Being a fan of the film, Lady Sings the Blues, I have to wonder…Can Ms. Paula hold her own with Ms. Dianna Ross?…An American Icon in her own right?…I know it’s just a photo shoot, but to me Dianna’s eyes say it all. She definitely wins against Paula.

Your Thoughts?

LINKAGE: All of Me…

His collaboration with Brooklyn designer Paris Kain of Abraxas Rex will debut at Wang’s February 14 runway show.

Kain speaks to the futuristic yet timeless quality of the collection’s four pieces: “The shapes we’re working with could just as easily be from a thousand years from now or a thousand years ago.” He cites Tina turner’s character in mad Mad Max as an inspiration as well.

The silver cuffs and earrings will retail for $350-$975 and will feature Kain’s trademark of miniscule diamonds, like at the tip of the silver cuff above.

From WWD.