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There is an old and powerful saying that goes: “Judy, Liza, Barbara, Bette… These are names I shan’t forget.”

These names belong to the crème de la crème de la gay icons of musicality. There are others… Cher, of course. Madonna goes without saying. Tina Turner, Rosemary Clooney, Bernadette Peters. Some, including my collegiate self, thought New York superstar, Linda Eder, was poised to be “Barbara” for the new generation. We realize, now, that was a bit extreme a comparison to make, but Ms. Eder certainly deserves an honorable, “Sssing, Bitch! We love you!”

Cuz we do.

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Click here for a slide show of the event. Photo by Jim J. Narcy

The ominous rain clouds and wind couldn’t deter the crowd at last night’s Riverfront Fashion show. The theme of the event, Yellow Sun, was evident in the clothes worn by the guests. There was so much, in fact, it could have been pouring and no one would have noticed with all the yellow swirling and stomping by.

With almost two hours of free-flowing booze before the models hit the catwalk, it’s a wonder anyone could even watch, let alone concentrate, on the show. But as soon as the first thin leg hit the runway, it was a flurry of movement as women grouped together to comment on everything being presented.

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My daughter is into animals. Especially the cute ones infesting the kingdom of YouTube (and in particular the ones found on the YouTube serial, Ultra Kawaii, which she robs off the Internet and e-mails to everyone she knows in the whole entire world.

And why should I mention this, bringing shame and embarrassment upon my family name? I guess because almost everyone likes animals, those beings with whom we’ve co-existed since the beginning of human time (although we like some more than others), and their likenesses have also been part of our lives since the those gnarly cavemen drew them with embers on cave walls.

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Why would Silver Jeans choose Park Meadows Mall to open its first-ever concept store in the United States?

A better question might be, why not?

Michael Silver (pictured here in the mall's brand-spankin'-new Silver store) gave several good reasons: Denver has customer recognition of the Silver brand -- people know it and wear it here already, whereas in New York or L.A., they might give you a blank stare if you mentioned Silver. (They're obviously so behind the times.)

Park Meadows is also near a major city, which makes it easier for Silver (based in Winnipeg, Canada) to commute here. The Silver sales here are good; we as a state have a great body type to dress (why, thank you!) and, "people-wise, we have similar values," Michael Silver notes.

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Not ever having been pregnant and, likely, never having to worry about getting pregnant, I have to admit, the whole thing sort of weirds me out. My sister gave birth to the two cutest kids in the whole world. For real, though. Cutest kids in the whole, entire world. Hands down. You’d crap your pants if you saw how cute they are. They’re that cute. Before they joined us on the outside, however, I couldn’t help but to think about Sigourney Weaver’s unlucky space crew in Alien every time I looked at my poor, doomed, little sister.

Yes, of course, every child is a miracle. Yes, the science of fetal development is fascinating. And, yes, it totally blows my mind that two bodily fluids can combine inside a person and then, BAM! nine months later there is a real, live human being who never before existed, with a brain and a heart and a nervous system and a personality spitting up all over the place.

Blows. My. Mind.

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Dianne Denholm, director of the TACtile Textile Arts Center in Tamarac Square, is seriously proud – and a little bit scared – of the leap she’s taken there, but she’s also excited, now that the center has earned nonprofit status and is beginning to get off the ground (here’s what we said about it in this year’s Best of Denver). The former owner of D’Lea’s, a longtime fixture in Cherry Creek North known for its quality fabrics and unusual buttons, Denholm hopes to have a daily class schedule in place by the fall, offering everything from workshops in weaving and dyeing to a cozy, good old-fashioned stitch and bitch. If all goes well, the center, which provides work and exhibit space for a variety of fiber artists and guilds, will serve not only the veteran fiber folks, but maybe a contingent of the new DIY crowd, as well: The young, self-taught novices who would like to improve their skills. “If they really learn it, they’ll be more empowered,” Denholm says, implying the challenge of it.

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Sometimes wearing a hat makes me feel like I'm channeling a Southern Belle or an old-school diva or -- worst of all -- Blossom, but with the mercury rising and our ozone thinning, the benefits of wearing a wide brimmed hat starts to outweight those concerns. Therefore, my favorite fashion accessory this summer has become a nice oversized, and yes, fashionable, hat from the San Diego Hat company.

These hats are great because not only do they come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, but many of the hats are rated UPF 50 +, which means that they will block 97.5% of the sun's UVA and UVB rays.

I spent a lot of time in the sun sitting next to pools and soaking in hot springs on my recent trip down to New Mexico, and my trusty hat kept me safe from the hot desert rays. Visit www.sandiegohat.com for more information.

-- Aubrey Shoe

Teen fashion correspondent Sarah Bolliger brings us the teen view of the latest summer fashion trends.

Fashion in the '90s consisted of oversized shirts that didn’t show off your natural curves paired with holly jeans or leftover leggings from the '80s. This style is starting to reaapear with a twist. Oversized shirts/hoodies are being paired together with straight leg jeans, and shoes -- including Converse, ballet flats, gladiator sandals, and chunky heels. Many of the shoes have a punk rock theme and come in patterns such as plaids, checkers, stripes, and studs. But, what if your style isn’t ‘punk rock’? For the next four weeks, I will take popular teen styles and mix and match them with fall’s hottest fashions from stores such as Forever 21, Hot Topic and American Eagle Outfitters.

If your style is Punk:

Add some color with striped straight leg jeans.

Gerls Black/Red Darkness Pants: $49.95 Hot Topic

Paramore Kiss Tank: $19.00 Hot Topic

Dollhouse Ollie Spectator Oxford: $49.95 DSW Shoes

-- Sarah Bolliger

As summer is hitting its peak here in Denver, the pavement is getting stickier, the drinks stronger and the hemlines shorter. There is no better way to celebrate the best this heat wave has to offer than by congregating with the city’s finest to sip those strong cocktails, munch delectable food, and watch beautiful people march down that hot pavement in those short hemlines. This Thursday, July 17, is the second chapter of the annual Riverfront Park Fashion Series, which promises to be one of the hottest events of the year. The shows are held on Little Raven, sandwiched between the straight lines of the Millennium Bridge and the lush greenery of Riverfront Park.

July’s event will follow the theme Yellow Sun, with Neiman Marcus providing the fashion and Zengo the refreshments. The proceeds will benefit the Railroad Dogs to build an off-leash dog park just steps away from where the shows are held.

Visit www.riverfrontfashion.com for more information and to purchase tickets. The event is from 5:30-9 p.m. and will happen rain or shine. Stay tuned for a synopsis and pictures, or stop by so we can all celebrate summer together.

-- Rossy Kay

One week ago, tonight, the “who’s who” of Denver’s many, many stages gathered at Littleton Town Hall to celebrate and recognize outstanding work in the theatrical community.

Last Monday’s award ceremony sparked a little buzz amongst the Colorado Theater Guild members when 18 of the 20 Henry Awards went to only four of the eligible forty-nine companies. Denver Post theatre critic, John Moore, dishes about some of the challenges surrounding the logistics of the nominating processes and offers a few solutions to these challenges here.

All in all, though, last Monday proved that it is a great time to be an artist in Denver. Mitch Dickman, media mastermind behind Listen Productions, was on deck that night to present an award, as well as to film a little of the pre-show goings on for our website. Check out the video of his red carpet coverage right here, then visit http://www.listenproductions.com to learn more about Dickman’s up and coming company.

Thanks for watching after the jump, and congratulations to all the Henry nominees!

-- Steven J. Burge

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Another season of Heidi Klum "auffing" contestants and Tim Gunn "making it work" is slated to start airing Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on Bravo. Sure, you can sit an home and make snarky comments to an empty room or your non-responsive husband (or am I the only one who does that?) or you could watch the drama unfold at The Shoppe, 3103 East Colfax Avenue, while noshing on one of their amazing cupcakes or delightful cereal combos while sipping from a gigantic mug of coffee. The Shoppe hosts Project Runway viewings every Wednesday night, so grab your fashion savvy pals and head out for a night full of everything good in the world -- fashion, snark, cupcakes and coffee. For more information on The Shoppe, visit their website. Visit Bravotv.com for a look back at the previous four seasons of Project Runway.

-- Aubrey Shoe

Local designer Cheryl Herberg makes bags from recycled tire rubber, and while that’s not so unusual these days, her latest model is: The EcoPurseT Sunbird does way more than anyone could ask of a simple handbag – it not only holds all your stuff within its chic green confines, but it also uses solar power to recharge your take-along gadgets and includes interchangeable adapters to fit each one. Talk about being connected!

The Sunbird makes its debut tonight at Beta’s first annual Monster Green Party, where MTV celebrity judges (including Megan from Rock of Love, Chad from Tila Tequila’s Shot of Love and Brianna from Real World Hollywood) will choose this year’s new Monster Energy Drink Girl, and fashion-forward recycled styles from EcoPurse, Belleview Clothing and Cool wave will take a turn on the runway; environmental organizations will also man booths to put out the last word on green. And finally, if you arrive in your greenest gear, you’ll get a free Monster/vodka cocktail to sip while you take it all in.

The fun heats up beginning at 9 p.m.; Beta is at 1909 Blake Street. Visit www.betanightclub.com or call 303-383-1909. for more about EcoPurse go to www.ecopurse.net.

-- Susan Froyd

What a sweet deal! You think you’re going for a cupcake, and you end up at a sample sale! The icing on the cake? A one-day affair at the super-rich and frosty Lovely Confections cupcake bakery, 1489 Steele Street, featuring baby- and kid-centric styles from a long roster of Colorado-based kid-wear designers, including itty-bitty hand-painted children's shoes from Monkey Toes, non-edible diaper cakes from Sweet Pea Cakes Etc. (probably the most unusual shower gift ever, they’re constructed from Pampers and contain a goodie trove of baby supplies), JP Lizzy diaper bags, candy-inspired onesies from Baby Candy and more.

Bring the kids and a thirst for fresh lemonade; the Sweet Summer Sample Sale is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. For details, click here or call 720-297-3360. -- Susan Froyd

Slide Show

Fame/ Celebrity/ Renown: The state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed.

In the days of reality TV programming and YouTube mania, I’m not really sure what makes a celebrity, a “celebrity” anymore. It seems that any schmoe with a decent head of hair can be catapulted to stardom for no apparent reason, whatsoever. They, the pop sensations and superstars of America, have become like royalty. And, like royalty, they are worshipped by hordes of adoring subjects.

Lucky for us, we have our own stash of celebrities to gawk at right here in Denver. They’re gorgeous. They’re talented. And they’re all ours.

They are Denver’s theatrical elite.

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How are Colfax ladies staying cool during this heat wave? In basic black, hot pink, and the ever-popular gladiator sandals. Alcohol doesn't hurt either.

-- Rossy Kay