Entertainment

$150K Dress Worn by Lupita Nyong’o at Oscars Reported Stolen

Published

10 years ago

February 27, 2015

In this Feb. 22, 2015 file photo, actress Lupita Nyong’o arrives at the Oscars wearing a dress made of pearls at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Los Angeles sheriff’s detectives are investigating the theft of the $150,000 custom Calvin Klein dress worn by Nyong’o at the 2015 Academy Awards. The dress was reported stolen from Nyong’o’s West Hollywood hotel room late on Wednesday Feb. 25, 2015. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The theft of a $150,000 pearl-covered gown worn by Lupita Nyong’o at the Oscars doesn’t surprise Hollywood stylists who have personally experienced the seedy side of red carpet fashion.

Style expert and fashion commentator Mary Alice Stephenson has for years heard stories about similar stolen celebrity items.

“It’s not shocking to me that this would be taken out of her hotel room,” said Stephenson, who once had a nabbed Fendi bag held for ransom.

A dress like the custom ivory one designed by Francisco Costa for the Calvin Klein Collection could fetch a lot of money on the black market, Stephenson said.

“There are a lot of collectors out there who are very private and have private collections of stolen merchandise,” she said. “Some of these dresses have global fame as big as any Van Gogh.”

However, Los Angeles Auction House director Bryan Abbott noted that the black market would be problematic for fetching top dollar in this case.

“Celebrity-related material has additional value because it’s related to the celebrity,” he said. “If this was stolen, you wouldn’t be able to realize that additional value.”

“I can’t think of a harder thing to sell than a high-profile Oscar dress by a famous manufacturer that’s associated with a famous personality. You’d have to bury it for a hundred years,” he added.

The 6,000 disconnected pearls wouldn’t even be worth much on their own, Abbott said.

“Most pearls don’t have much of a resale value to start with, unless they’re from a famous manufacturer such as Mikimoto,” he said. “If the dress were made of Mikimoto pearls, it would be millions of dollars.”

Sheriff’s deputies responded to call late Wednesday from a West Hollywood hotel after the custom dress was reported missing from the hotel room of the actress, sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Bowman said.

Nyong’o was present when deputies took the report, but she wasn’t in her room when the elaborate gown was taken, Bowman said. Her publicists said they would not comment on the theft.

Representatives for the actress reported the theft. Detectives suspect the garment was taken sometime between 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s Lt. William Nash said.

Detectives were at the hotel Thursday looking for clues, including surveillance video that might reveal what happened.

Nyong’o won an Oscar in 2014 for her role in “Twelve Years a Slave” and was a presenter at Sunday’s ceremony.

The 31-year-old actress has become a darling of Hollywood’s red carpets in the past two years, with commenters and fans praising her fashion choices. She accessorized the dress with Chopard diamond drop earrings and three Chopard diamond rings.

Before the awards ceremony, Nyong’o told The Associated Press on the red carpet, “I’m just wearing my diamonds and pearls. My homage to Prince,” referring to a popular song by the musician.

Nyong’o told a reporter for Yahoo Style that she was involved in the design of the dress.

“We talked about it being fluid and liquid,” she told the site. “I wanted it to be an homage to the sea.”

A representative for Calvin Klein declined to comment. But late Thursday night, the fashion house did tweet a close-up photo of the dress, writing “have you seen this dress?” with the hashtag “freethepearls.”

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP. Associated Press writers Leanne Italie and Alicia Rancilio in New York, and Lindsey Bahr and Derrik J. Lang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Arts and Culture

Promise Marks Performs Songs of Etta James in One-Woman Show, “A Sunday Kind of Love” at the Black Repertory Theater in Berkeley

“The (show) is a fictional story about a character named Etta, aka Lady Peaches,” said Marks. “She falls in love with Johnny Rhythm, leader of the Rhythm Players Band and headliners of Madam G’s Glitta Lounge.” Marks channeled the essence of Etta James, singing favorites such as “Sugar on the Floor” and “At Last.”

Published

24 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy Of Promise Marks.

Special to the Post

It was “A Sunday Kind of Love” at the Black Repertory Group Theater in Berkeley on Saturday night, Dec. 7. The one-woman musical based on the music of Etta James featured the multi-talented singer Promise Marks

Marks, who wrote and directed the musical, also owns PM Productions.

Marks channeled the essence of Etta James, singing favorites such as “Sugar on the Floor” and “At Last.”

In between her soulful songs, Marks narrated impactful moments of the love story and journey of blues and forgiveness.

Marks sultry voice carried the audience back to an era that echoed with the power of Black music and a time of great change.

Marks said James shared love for the Black community by singing at gatherings during the Civil Rights Movement uplifting the people.

“She spoke to the movement, spoke to the people, and let her music speak for itself,” Marks said.

Backing the musical’s monologues, images and videos of Etta James are projected for the audience to view. While the production is fictional, Marks infused script with the unfairness and heartbreak James experienced while performing.

Marks performed gospel artist Donnie McClurkin’s “We Fall Down” as she narrated acts of reconciliation and forgiveness among the characters at Johnny Rhythm’s deathbed.

Marks, who regularly sings for the Miss America Pageant, was asked to perform as Etta James last year. “(At the event) a lady yelled out to me: ‘You’re Etta James!’ And then the audience went crazy. I said to myself, ‘I may have something here,’” she said.

Within 12 months, Marks created the musical production, which featured a dozen songs honoring “the great legacy of Etta James,” she said.

Marks says she was saddened to see how Etta James was often judged by the struggles in her life and wanted to offer attendees a more layered view.

“Etta’s life was so big. I want people to know that she was more than her drug addiction,” said Marks. “We can’t make that her legacy. Her catalog is too amazing. You can’t just be that and have the catalog that she (created). I don’t want the addiction to be the focus: I want her music, her element, her sassiness, and what she brought to be the focus – her woman-ness, that she was strong, and I wanted to honor that.”

Set Designer Nora Burnette says she created the set segments to mirror James’ life story. A set designer for BRG since 2016, she explained that her process of researching the scenario and the character serve as her inspiration for her design.

“I try to design a set as close to real life as possible so that the actress can deliver the performance sincerely,” said Burnette. “By creating the right setting, it helps the actors release the true essence of a character.”

The set brought the story to life and absolutely floored Marks. “Once Promise (Marks) saw the actual set, she understood my vision: ‘Wow, you get me. You get it,'” Marks told the designer.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins, Etta James, began her career in 1954 and gained fame with hits such “At Last” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” She faced a number of personal problems, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album “Seven Year Itch.”

Co-producer and BRG Development Director, Sean Vaughn Scott, works with Overseer Production. According to producer Pamela Spikes, “Marks talent truly does Etta’s life story justice.”

Pam Jacobs of Hercules, a friend of Marks’ mom, Jackie Smith, said, Marks “was fabulous and sang all of those songs flawlessly.”

“I’m so proud of my daughter,” said Smith.

Marks, who has served as an instructor for BRG, will return on Feb. 21- 23 for an encore run of the musical.

“It’s an honor to be a part of the BRG (Black Repertory Group) family and continue our executive director Dr. Mona Vaughn Scott’s vision for the Black Repertory Group theater,” said Marks.

The Black Repertory Group Theatre is located at 3201 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703. For information, visit: BlackRepertoryGroup.com

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Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024

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5 days ago

December 13, 2024

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Black Talk Radio Network’s Recent Podcast Offers Perspective on Nov. 5 Election

“Time for an Awakening” is a Black Talk Radio Network program that runs on Sundays from 7-9 p.m. According to the program’s website, past guests have included Dr. Molefi Asanta, BaBa Ashra Kwesi, BaBa Runoko Rashidai, Dr. Leonard Jeffies, Michelle Alexander. Boyce Watkins, State of Black Farmers series and many others.

Published

1 week ago

December 8, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Gerald Horne, left, Obi Egbuna Jr., right. Courtesy image.

Special to The Post

University of Houston Professor of African American Studies Professor Dr. Gerald Horne and renowned speaker and advocate for Pan-African unity, Obi Egbuna Jr, were in conversation on the podcast “Time for an Awakening” hosted by Bro. Elliott and Bro. Richard on Dec. 1.

“Time for an Awakening” is a Black Talk Radio Network program that runs on Sundays from 7-9 p.m.

According to the program’s website, past guests have included Dr. Molefi Asanta, BaBa Ashra Kwesi, BaBa Runoko Rashidai, Dr. Leonard Jeffies, Michelle Alexander. Boyce Watkins, State of Black Farmers series and many others.

With the election in the rearview mirror, Horne, a historian, and author of “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism” and “Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music,” raised the idea of a Black International Front Conference.

He described proposed locations and the need for independent political organizing in Black communities across the country, with a focus on local elections and alternatives to the direction of Black political leadership.

Joining the conversation in the second hour with valuable information was the External Relations officer to the Zimbabwe-Cuba Friendship Association, and former correspondent to the Herald, Zimbabwe’s national newspaper, Obi Egbuna Jr. A poet and playwright, Egbuna is most known for his passion in creating ties within and among the people and nations of the African diaspora.

He has organized chapters of the Pan African Student Youth Movement in St. Louis, Missouri, Seattle Washington, Charlottesville Virginia and Chicago, Illinois, Egbuna has also written several Resolutions to the United Nations covering a wide range of issues, including HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and Police Brutality issues in the United States.

To listen to the podcast, please go to https://timeforanawakening.com/?powerpress_pinw=111154-podcast.

Sources for this story include Wikipedia and Time for an Awakening media.