Hasta La Ideas

(All Photos by UnBeige except below portrait by Sara Jaye Weiss)

When we asked Keith Johnson to describe in a word the new TV series that follows him around the world as he seeks new items for specialty retailer Anthropologie, he didn’t have to think for very long. “Experiential,” he replied, surrounded by the eclectic mix of furniture, decorative objects, clothing, books, and accessories that makes Anthropologie’s Rockefeller Center outpost resemble the cavernous—and skillfully merchandised—attic of your impossibly well traveled Great-Aunt Talitha.

“My passion is finding things,” said Johnson, “shopping and unearthing those hidden items.” As buyer-at-large for Anthropologie (owned by Urban Outfitters), Johnson travels six months of the year to help keep the brand’s 123 retail shops stocked with an evolving assortment of stuff geared to delight the fashionable, educated, and creative woman, aged 30 to 45. His experiences—from scouring Parisian flea markets and London antique fairs to visiting roadside workshops in South Africa and the studio of Tunisia’s leading designer of prayer mats—are the subject of Man Shops Globe, which premieres tonight on the Sundance Channel. The eight-part series, produced by World of Wonder, tracks Johnson’s acquisitive adventures on multiple continents: think The Amazing Race meets Antiques Roadshow.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

As longtime fans of Monsterpiece Theater, we were eager to see how Sesame Street would follow through on its promise to create a Muppet parody of Mad Men, the AMC series that recently added three more Emmys to its growing awards cache. Our first question: casting. Prairie Dawn seems born to play mild-mannered striver Peggy Olson, and Grover (in drag) might just be able to pull off buxom Joan Holloway, but what muppet could convincingly embody Don Draper? Our first thought was the soulful and enigmatic Mr. Snuffleupagus, but the required fedora and gray flannel suit would only make him mopy, and Don has no patience for whining. Sesame Street decided to go out on a limb and cast Guy Smiley—once the show’s go-to game show host type—in the lead role, although he’s far from smiley here. In fact, he’s downright mad.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Fans of Mad Men will recall from the show’s season two premiere that Don and Betty Draper celebrated Valentine’s Day 1962 with a trip to the Savoy Hotel, where they endured some…technical difficulties before ordering room service and watching Jackie Kennedy‘s televised White House tour. Don and Betty’s plans for the third season, which kicks off August 16, are still anyone’s guess, but Starwood is hoping that die-hard fans will swap the Savoy for the St. Regis and take advantage of the hotel’s new Mad Men package. Even at a starting price of $895 (what recession?), we think it’s one suite deal.

Beginning next Sunday, guests checking into the St. Regis New York can opt for a Mad Men experience that includes in-room dining (shrimp cocktail, New York strip, apple cobbler), cocktails (Bloody Marys), and personal shopping at Bergdorf Goodman with a shopper who specializes in 1960s fashion (might we suggest a zippy frock by Lisa Perry?). But wait, there’s more! Upon arrival, guests will receive a copy of George Lois: On Creating the Big Idea, which should spark a spirited debate about the largely forgotten legacy of Julian Koenig, Lois’s former partner. And because nothing completes an illusion like toiletries, guests will find “Don Draper’s cologne and Betty Draper’s signature red lipstick” waiting for them. Ready to book? Call Denise Harnett (212-339-6738) and tell her UnBeige sent you. To quote the immor(t)al Roger Sterling, “See you at the St. Regis!”

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Despite our loyalty to all things Isaac Mizrahi, we had resolved to abandon The Fashion Show, Bravo’s Project Runway manqué, when it was revealed in a design history-themed challenge that many of the contestants had never heard of Halston or Madame Grès, which is analogous to a bunch of art students staring blankly at the mention of Picasso or Rubens. Good luck with the fashion careers, kids! Still, we’ll try to forget Reco‘s “Halston-inspired” corset dress and give the show another try tonight, when designer Isabel Toledo, currently the subject of an outstanding exhibition at the Museum at FIT, and Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey serve as guest judges for challenges that involve draping [Madame Grès cackles from beyond the grave] and a spangled red carpet gown. We think this is contestant James-Paul‘s competition to lose, but will his Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic and self-described “post-colonialist approach” be derailed by compulsory Swarovski crystals? Meanwhile, one designer gets reprimanded for ripping off Lanvin, although judge Fern Mallis notes that if you have to steal from someone, you couldn’t do much better than Alber Elbaz. Here’s a sneak peek…

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From the tireless Kristen Richards comes word of a casting call for “dynamic personalities who love to design, build, and experiment with materials of ALL kinds”—although that emphatic all gives us pause, conjuring images of Double Dare-style challenges involving whipped cream, toothpicks, and a hulking cardboard cut-out of I.M. Pei. The production company behind such shows as Junk Brothers (on HGTV) and Licence to Grill (on the Canadian Food Network, hence the jaunty spelling) is looking for two design-savvy hosts for a new series that will feature building-related challenges and “fantastic pieces and personalities from around the world.” You’ve got until Monday to get your application together. Click “continued…” for the details.

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