Zhang Jingchu: striking photos in Cosmopolitan Chinese edition

Zhang Jingchu took a break from a hectic schedule of filming and promotion (she was in five movies that opened last year and three so far this year) so that "Cosmopolitan" could grab some extraordinary images. Each of her outfits was black or white (or black and white) highlighted with some gold accessories and red trim:

Xinhua

Fan Bingbing was on the cover and in an editorial in the Chinese edition of French fashion mag "Officiel". Xinhua isn't very helpful--in a short article accompanying the pictures they call her a "Dowager Empress" of the East Asian movie world, mentioning her recent trips to Korea and Japan for their film festival. It looks like a typical goofball fashion editorial to me but (in one photo) the photographer and art director of the magazine used something other than the usual Fan Bingbing look of vacant shock that has become typical in these venues:

Never fear, though. She was in full deer in the headlights mode on the cover:

Two more fondling a plaster statue:

Xinhua

Karen Mok cuts a ribbon

Meanwhile Karen Mok was in chilly Tianjin to help De Beers open a new store:

Xinhua

Red carpet from the 48th Golden Horse Awards

For those interested in the state of relations across the Taiwan Strait, the English language web service of Xinhuanet said that the award ceremony took place in "Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan". A few highlights-- Kara Hui looked fit and relaxed, as glamorous as ever on the red carpet:

And at a nominees party beforehand:

Shu Qi was quite ShuQi-ish:

Hao Lei went with a (very) casual look at the party:

but cleaned up very nicely when it was time to hit the red carpet:

In case anyone missed that Vivian Hsu was wearing an extreme split skirt:

she gave everyone another good look:

Angelica Lee was lovely in red while Rene Liu tries to recall if she brought her travel iron:

Tang Wei wondered if it was going to rain:

Xinhua English; Yahoo China; Xinhau

Cecilia Cheung in "Speed Angel"

Cecilia Cheung looking both pensive and determined (or maybe just bored) in stills from the Jingle Ma film "Speed Angel", opening December 28.

Yahoo China

Tis the season for Swarovksi; Gigi Leung pitches crystals in Taiwan

Gigi Leung came to Taiwan wearing an abbreviated mini-dress covered with her sponsor's product--lots of crystals. She was there to publicize Swarovski, the press wanted to know where her husband was, if she was pregnant yet (and if not, when) and other impertinently personal details. Since her dress had a V-neckline cut all the way down to there and a skirt that stopped somewhere north of mid-thigh, nothing that anyone said was going to be very notable. With her great smile and endless legs she makes it look easy which, in this case, it probably is.

A big stack of pictures at Yahoo China

Something completely different...pepper spray cop photoshops

"Occupy Wall Street" has sparked support gatherings/camps/demonstrations throughout the United States; the reaction by municipal officials and police commanders has been extremely varied. One end of the range was at the University of California at Davis where a university police lieutenant sprayed pepper spray at a group of seated demonstrators. Since the spray is bright orange it made quite a picture, one that was published all over the world. This is from Getty Images through the San Francisco Examiner

It didn't take long before the internet was swamped with images of Lieutenant Pike inserted into cartoons, pop culture pictures and high culture paintings. Here are a few of them that I thought were quite good, aggregated at this tumblr site.

No one was safe--not even Snoopy:

nor was Picasso

or Da Vinci

 

Oddly enough, spraying dye on baby harp seals is one way that seal protection activists keep hunters from killing them since there is no market dyed seal fur.

The Wizard of Oz even got into the act.

San Francisco Examiner; Pepper Spray tumblr

Swarovski hires Michelle Reis to look beautiful

The "French Lieutenant's Woman" look works, particularly when the subject possesses drop-dead beauty.

But it takes a bit of work to get there.

Xinhua; Yahoo China

Huang Yi can arrest bad guys, fight fires or invade Poland

Or she can just look a bit goofy as a prisoner held in a cubist jail.

What I can tell from the short caption on Sina, this photoshoot might be in support of "Eagle Shooting Heroes 2011". Not sure if that is the case but it certainly took a lot of work and the result is spectacular.

More of the same at Sina

Red Fedora Day

In case you missed it, Fan Bingbing and Lin Chi-ling looked lovely in their not quite edgy but still fetching chapeaux: Fan Bingbing at a Coach Leather event:

Gwyneth Paltrow was there as well

Lin Chi-ling was at the airport, attended by an assistant carrying the bags and a bodyguard to make sure no one grabbed her hat:

Braces clipped to jeans through her sweatshirt.

Yahoo China; Ifeng