Fast lane fashion

Stars, cars and rock ‘n’ roll

February 2008

MEN’S STYLE was the only lifestyle mag from the Middle East to score an invite to the GM Style night in the US. Oscar and Grammy winners? LA’s hottest models and Detroit’s coolest cars? There was just a chance we could make it. PHILIP MOORE reports from the night of nights

Motown might not call the tune so much these days but it can still party bigger and better than anywhere when it wants to. Well may you ask, ‘Where Did All the Love Go?” We found the Motown magic jump-started in (GM) Style, an extraordinary fusion of rock, hip-hop, fashion, autos and A-list celebrities.

The event, one of the most sought-after tickets in the US last month, was held in a football field-size, climate-controlled pavilion along the Detroit River and packed with an estimated 1,800 invitation-only guests. It came on the eve of the opening of the North American International Auto Show’s press preview days.

The gala runway show featured 27 top models flown in from LA, 19 vintage, concept and production GM vehicles and a top-gun performing line-up of Mary J. Blige, Maroon 5 and Kid Rock with Rev Run powering in as a surprise guest.

On the catwalk we had Marciano (the first brand extension from Guess), Detroit’s Kevan Hall (who dresses Sharon Stone, Vanessa Williams and Charlize Theron), Mark Zunino (try Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams and Heather Locklear), Royal Underground (created by former St John CEO Kelly Gray and Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx), Made in Detroit (owned by Kid Rock), Russell Simmons Argyle Culture (creation of the hip-hop mogul) and William Rast (put together by Justin Timberlake and childhood best friend Trace Ayala).

Models wore luxurious jewellery by Colette Steckel, one of Mexico’s leading jewellery designers.
“There are few more powerful ways that express people than the cars they drive, the clothes they wear and the music they listen to,” said Ed Welburn, GM’s design guru.

Earlier Kid Rock paused for a long time to answer a question how he would describe Detroit fashion.

“Blue collar chic,” came the reply.

Well, there were blue jeans on the night, but worn with stiletto boots, argyle sweaters, plus there were tuxedo jackets, slinky dresses that couldn’t get any smaller or tighter and more bling than a Hummer full of rappers, as someone once said and I wish it was me.
Blige, who keeps to herself in the minutes leading up to her stage performance (our photographers were among a handful with backstage access), looked a treat in what fashion writers describe as ruffled blouse and pewter trousers and the rest of us call hot.
The chart-busting artist who was celebrating her 37th birthday pounded out a medley of her hits and shared the stage with catwalk models and several vehicles, including the 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum.

I loved the comment from Blige at a news conference (I didn’t mind the knee-high Alexander McQueen boots either) about the cars: “They are off the chain.”

“I’m really blessed. I don’t think Chevy and GM know what a big thing it is for an artist like me (who came from reduced circumstances early on) to be here.”

Hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons jumped on jumped onstage to congratulate the models wearing his Argyle Culture line of upscale men’s gear.

“This is just a great night. Everyone involved has to take a bow,” he told me on the sidelines.
LA band Maroon 5 rocked the joint with hits including “Makes Me Wonder” and “This Love.”

“When they asked us to play this, they said there were going to be hot girls and cars,” Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine joked at an earlier news conference. “We said yes!”

The more I think about it, he wasn’t joking.
These guys are eco-green to the core and predictably hybrids are their vehicles of choice, but there was plenty to find favour with at this year’s auto show, particularly on the GM stands.

The place went clean berserk over Kid Rock, who was accompanied by a batch of drop-dead stunners kitted out in the Made In Detroit line that he now owns.

Under Rock’s ownership, the Made In Detroit clothing company again featured the expressive graphics of Gary Arnett, creator of the original logo (a man dressed in work clothes holding a wrench). One T-shirt, for example, spells the word ‘Detroit’ in a gearshift pattern. The Rockster is Detroit to the core – a muscle car fanatic and his dad sold cars - and the set list of old rock and hop-hop numbers plus his own hits was a superb mix for a middle-of-the-road audience. There were big nods to Motor City with classics like Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” and Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever.”

When you didn’t think the applause for rock could get any louder he called a buddy on stage - Rev Run and they tore into tribute to RunDMC.

Don’t worry, the cars weren’t pushed to one side and one of the biggest four-wheeled stars was the Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee from “Transformers.”

There was more hot fashion than you could poke a gear stick at and there were plenty of cheers for – thanks to a helpful female fashion writer–sophisticated gowns by Detroit native Kevan Hall to hard-rock casual separates by Royal Underground.

We know our way around a buffet in the Gulf but this was seriously good grub – lots of open bars and food stations stocked by Forte Belanger. Among the offerings were duck leg confit and roasted duck breast, sea scallop lollipops, lobster soft-shell tacos, mouth-watering salmon, and cucumber and wakame seaweed salad.
All that, and I still didn’t notice anyone drop a glass.

There was plenty of praise for GM for staging a winning event like this which was rated as glamorous and cool as any part on the west or east coast – when there isn’t a writers’ strike on. Remember that Detroit is reeling from recession.

The star car of the show had to be the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The 620hp+ sports car was the finale of the runway fashion show that featured Rock in full cry surrounded (that’s putting it mildly) by a bevy of gorgeous models as he pumped out his ode to Michigan summers, “All Summer Long.”

Rock, born Robert Ritchie in nearby Romeo, of all places, was chuffed over GM’s vehicle line-up. He owns a 1962 Impala among stacks of cool cars but said his everyday vehicle is a Cadillac Escalade.

“I had a Japanese car for a while but thought I’d get shot when I picked up my kids at school,” he joked – sorta.
Rock was wearing a sweatshirt with “Detroit” emblazoned on the front “so I can remember where I’m at.”

His Made In Detroit fashion line was shown at GM style, as were looks by Marciano, Kevan Hall and the William Rast Denim Collection.
The William Rast Denim Collection by Justin Timberlake is the brainchild of the Memphis-born recording artist and designer Ayala, childhood best friends. William Rast denim blends southern heritage with the energy of contemporary Hollywood. After its debut in Los Angeles last year, the brand quickly became popular with young Hollywood stars and was soon flying off the racks. The name William Rast marries the first and last name of Timberlake’s and Ayala’s grandfathers.

The show’s pace didn’t flag. There was also a vintage 1953 Chevrolet Corvette and half a dozen leggy models in the latest from Marciano. In Maroon 5’s set six models suitably decked in shades showed the latest from Mark Zunino. Models wore luxurious jewellery by Colette Steckel, one of Mexico’s leading jewellery designers.

Besides the performing acts, the guest list was sprinkled with names like Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody who was there with model girlfriend Elsa Pataky, NASCAR great Jeff Gordon, ‘Throwin’’ Joe Theismann and Jerome Bettis of US football fame, former Detroit Piston John Salley, ‘Project Runway’ winner Jeffrey Sebelia and local luminaries including the giant Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Naturally the GM heavyweights like CEO Rick Wagoner and product king Bob Lutz were in attendance as were those heading the Middle East contingent including regional chief Terry Johnsson and our region’s marketing guru David Venticich.

The American celebrities shared car stories galore, like Brody’s tale about his first car, a 1974 Volvo that cost $50, and Theismann’s obsession with Corvettes. To get Theismann in context, in American football this guy combined the talent and charisma of George Best and David Beckham (where was he on Style night?!).

I had a couple of lengthy chats to the legendary ‘Throwin’ Joe about everything from NFL to rugby to Corvettes to golf. He’s dead keen to come to Dubai.

“I just keep seeing the golf courses on TV. I’d really love to get there to check the place out?”
Next Dubai motor show?

GM Style’s catwalk formalities were completed when Welburn took the final bow.
“High energy and passion are in every element of GM Style, from the vehicles to the performances to the fashions,” said Welburn.