Las Vegas Weekly

June 1, 2009 · 3:36 PM

Photo Gallery: Christina Aguilera helps launch bling and confirms Burlesque

By Robin Leach

Stephen Webster and Christina Aguilera.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Three sets of difficult PR girls -- a total of five of them -- tried to stop pop princess Christina Aguilera and her jewelry designer pal Stephen Webster from talking to us -- after they’d invited us in the first place to do exactly that. But the twosome politely kept on chatting, which was the original purpose of the red carpet invitation at Tao in The Venetian!

Even with the PR people unprofessionally walking among the stars as if they were fans and blocking the photographers’ shots, Christina ensured that we got what we’d been asked to come there for in the first place! One day these control freak PR girls will understand how to do their job properly because we know how to do ours.

Christina took a seven-hour break from recording sessions for her new fall album to host the launch of Stephen’s collection as part of the large JCK convention that ends tomorrow. Said Christina: “We’ll be working on the album for the next two months. I’m very excited about what we’re doing, and it will be incredible and different.”

Stephen told me: “She is a true friend. She was in the studio all day, yet flew in here at 7 p.m., and she’ll get back home in Los Angeles at 3 a.m. I heard her singing in the studio earlier this week, and it’s simply fantastic.”

The superstar singer confirmed for Vegas DeLuxe that her debut movie will be Burlesque, to be shot this year, in which she plays a small-town girl with a dream of becoming a burlesque star. I asked Christina about the rumors that our Caesars Palace headliner Cher will be playing the club owner who becomes her mentor. “I can’t talk about that,” said Christina coyly. She smiled without denying or confirming anything, which means it’s a done deal!

She’s excited about the film and looking forward to starting it once her album, inspired by her baby son, is completed. I asked Christina if our local Dancing With the Stars heroine country singer Julianne Hough had signed on for the movie as her best dancer girlfriend. “I don’t know about that one,” she answered. Burlesque will be directed by Steve Antin, who is the brother of Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin, who is a regular visitor to her Pussycat Dolls lounge at Pure inside Caesars Palace.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Jordan Bratman, Christina Aguilera and Stephen Webster at Tao.

Christina chatted about her perfume she will launch this fall. “It will be called By Night, and she winked saying it was the perfect sexy sensation to wear. “So me,” she added. “Fun, flirty, and all about enjoying a good time when daytime becomes nighttime. And very sexy!” Photographer Ellen von Unwerth is set to shoot Christina’s promotional and ad campaign photos and the TV commercials.

Jordan Bratman, Christina’s husband, accompanied her to the Tao launch party for Stephen, and our contributing photographer Denise Truscello captured the memorable party photos of the relaxed and happy singer. She wore a simple, sexy black two-piece outfit with silver heels and showed off the Stephen Webster jewelry she was wearing: a black and white diamond necklace and cuff from his Vortex collection and a white diamond and onyx ring from his Fly By Night collection. Christina is the face of his line in all the ads and commercials.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman.

“As a fellow artist, I’m always inspired by the jewelry Stephen creates each season. I’m in awe of the intricacies of his designs, and while each collection evolves from the last, he always stays true to his signature glam-rock style. They are simultaneously rebellious yet refined. His designs are little art sculptures, and he gets the perfect balance between modern sexiness and traditional elegance.”

She added that her two favorite pieces in her own collection were both sentimental: her engagement and wedding ring set and another ring that was her first Mother’s Day gift after the birth of their son. The British designer is a three-time winner of British Luxury Jeweler of the Year and Jewelry Designer of the Year. His clients also include Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Pink, Cameron Diaz, Sir Elton John, Kate Moss, Russell Brand, Jay Z and Beyonce, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Stone. He also made the matching wedding rings for Wasted Space owner Carey Hart and singer Pink when they married.

Photo: Stephen Webster

Stephen Webster's diamond thorn cuff of 18-karat white gold pave diamonds sells for $20,000.

After hosting dinner for jewelry industry VIPs in a private Tao dining room, Christina, Jordan and Stephen took over the entire row of skyboxes in Tao nightclub. She danced to the sounds of DJ Reach and waves to hundreds of fans who screamed from below snapping photos of the superstar. Also in Tao were Nicky Hilton with longtime boyfriend David Katzenberg and DJ AM.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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