Gallery may refer to:

An art museum (art gallery)

A retail art shop (also often known as an art gallery)

An exhibition room in a museum

Long gallery, an element in architecture: a long hallway or long, narrow room, frequently decorated with sculptures and frescoes

A narrow balcony, usually including a railing, inside or outside of a building

*A minstrels' gallery, a balcony used by performing musicians

* An observation deck, usually on the upper floors of a building, used to afford visitors a long-distance view

* Gallery, in a theatre or concert hall, one or more raised seating platforms towards the rear of the auditorium — see Theater (structure)#Basic elements of a theater structure

* In UK television production, ''gallery'' is used as a substitute for production control room

An audience or group of spectators

* A peanut gallery, an audience that heckles performers

In mining, a horizontal passage in an underground mine

Gallery Project, an open source project enabling management and publication of digital photographs and other media through a web server.

Proper noun

Gallery (band), a 1970s musical group

Gallery (song), a song by Mario Vasquez

Gallery (magazine), a magazine published by Montcalm Publishing

Gallery (APA/'zine), an Amateur Press Association/fanzine produced by Richard Chandler published between 1989 and 2004

The Gallery Project, a photo-viewing application built in PHP

Gallery Hotel, a hotel in Singapore

''The Gallery'' may refer to

The Gallery (disco), a disco in Manhattan [1972-1977]

The Gallery (album), a 1995 album by Dark Tranquillity

"The Gallery", a song on the album ''Rapture (Bradley Joseph album)''

The Gallery at Market East, a mall in Philadelphia

Surname

Three brothers in the U.S. Navy during World War II:

* Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery (1901–1977)

* Rear Admiral William O. Gallery (1904–1981)

* Rear Admiral Philip D. Gallery (1907–1973)

Robert Gallery, an American football player for the Oakland Raiders

cs:Galerie da:Galleri de:Galerie es:Galería eo:Galerio fr:Galerie ko:갤러리 (동음이의) io:Galerio it:Galleria lb:Galerie nl:Galerij nds-nl:Gallerieje ja:ギャラリー pl:Galeria pt:Galeria ru:Галерея (значения) simple:Gallery sk:Galéria sv:Galleri th:แกลเลอรี tr:Galeri uk:Галерея (значення)

Mario Vázquez Raña (born 7 June 1932, in Mexico City) is a Mexican businessman and sports administrator, who has served on both national and Olympic committees. As of 2009, he is a member of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and President of the both the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

On 5 April 2008, Vázquez Raña received international press attention for his statement that the situation in Tibet "is a Chinese problem" that is "not an issue for the Olympic Games."

Career

President of the Board of Directors of the Hermanos Vázquez Company (1960-1980);

President and Director General of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (1975-) the largest newspaper company in Latin America, "Cartones Ponderosa" (2001-) and

owned United Press International (1985-1988)

Sports

Participation in shooting competitions at national and international level in 1960. grupo star (2010)

Sports Administration

President of the Mexican Shooting Federation (1969-1974);

President of the American Shooting Confederation (1973-1979);

Vice-President of the Mexican Sports Confederation (1973-1976);

member of the Mexican Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico Mexicano) (1972- ) then

*President (1974-2001);

President of the PanAmerican Games Organization Committee (1975);

President, Pan American Sports Organization (1975- );

President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) (1979- )

Positions with the IOC

Member of the Executive Board as representative of NOCs (2000-);

Vice-Chairman of the Olympic Solidarity Commission (1979-1996),

*Deputy Chairman (1997-2001) then

*Chairman (2002-);

member of the following Commissions:

*Olympic Movement (1990-1999),

*Preparation of the XII Olympic Congress (1990-1994),

*Apartheid and Olympism (1990-1992),

*"IOC 2000" (Executive Committee, 1999),

*Marketing (2000),

*IOC 2000 Reform Follow-up (2002).

Awards

In 1986 Raña received the Eagle Award from the United States Sports Academy. The Eagle Award is the Academy's highest international honor and was awarded to Vázquez for his significant contributions in promoting international harmony, peace, and goodwill through the effective use of sport.

See also

Organización Editorial Mexicana

References

Additional references

# IOC bio

Category:1932 births Category:Living people Category:People from Mexico City Category:Mexican businesspeople

es:Mario Vázquez Raña fr:Mario Vázquez Raña pt:Mário Vázquez Raña

Name	Mario Vazquez
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Mario Adrian Vazquez
Birth date	June 15, 1977
Origin	The Bronx, New York, United States
Genre	R&B;, pop
Occupation	Musician
Years active	2005–2007
Label	Arista Records (2006-2007)
Website	Official MySpace page }}

Mario Adrián Vázquez (born June 15, 1977) is a Puerto Rican-American singer from The Bronx, New York. He competed on American Idol's fourth season, which aired on the FOX network in early 2005.

Biography

Early life

Raised by his single mother, Ada, in the Bronx, Vazquez is an alumnus of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. He was also involved in the CityKids Repertory Company in New York City, which enabled him to travel the country and perform in front of the President and at major charitable functions and shelters. In 2005, he was reunited with his estranged father, Mario Rivera, who discovered that his son was on ''American Idol'' while channel surfing. After making it into the final round of twelve contestants on the hit reality show ''American Idol'', Vazquez suddenly dropped out of the competition citing "personal family thing" a few days before the finals started. When the press contacted his mother regarding his decision, she was unaware why he had left the show. There was much speculation about his decision; Vazquez appeared the next morning on "Good Day New York" on WNYW ''FOX5'', and quashed rumors of a feud with "American Idol" producers or any of his competitors. "''American Idol'' was only positive. They were only wonderful to me, from the beginning through the middle, to the end," he told the show. "It had nothing to do with the contract or anything signed with J Records." J Records is the same company that manages Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino. Vazquez later said that he wanted more artistic control and creating his own sound, and he felt that he would be more restricted staying on the show. He felt that since he was now known worldwide as a semi-finalist, he could end the competition and go solo. He believed that his musical success would not make a difference whether he quit as a semi-finalist or participated in the finals round. Vazquez was replaced on the show by Nikko Smith, who had previously been voted out.

Record deal

In August 2005, Vazquez signed with J Records/Arista Records and worked on an album executive produced by Clive Davis. Vazquez's manager was Arnold Steifel, who also managed Rod Stewart. He worked with Ne-Yo, Akon, Soulshock and Karlin, Lester Mendez, Scott Storch, and Luny Tunes. Some of these artists' songs with Vasquez did not make the final cut on his album. His first single Gallery was release in May 2006, and reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Vazquez's self-titled album was released September 26, 2006 by Arista Records. Later that year, Vazquez performed on the Cartoon Network Friday block on August 25, 2006. A second single "One Shot" was released to radio in February 2007 after 10 months of relying only on the first single to promote the album. It began receiving moderate airplay and by early March was hovering around #58 on Mediabase 24/7's CHR/Pop chart. Vasquez would be ultimately dropped from Arista Records in early 2008, and his website was shut down shortly after being dropped by his label.

Controversy

In 2007, Magdaleno Olmos, an employee of Fremantle Media which produces ''American Idol'', filed a lawsuit against Fremantle Media, Fox Entertainment, and Mario Vazquez claiming wrongful termination. The lawsuit alleged that Vazquez sexually harassed Olmos by performing a lewd act in front of him and offered sexual favors. Olmos claimed that he tried to report the incident to a superior but was threatened with dismissal, and he was "terminated" a few months after the incident. Olmos' lawyer also suggested that ''Idol'' producers had forced Vasquez out over the complaint, and claimed that Nigel Lythgoe, the show producer, had said to Olmos, "we know that this happened and we are going to let Mario Vazquez go, and you’re going to stay."

Vazquez was reported to be "very upset, almost distraught" over the claim and that he didn't even remember Magdaleno Olmos. He had previously denied that he is gay and that he quit the show for "artistic reasons". The judge later ruled that Olmos had signed an agreement to "arbitrate all disputes and not file a lawsuit," and sent the case to arbitration and put a hold on the lawsuit.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions		! rowspan="2"
		! width="45"	! width="45"
2006	align="left"			* Released: September 26, 2006	Arista Records>Arista	80	104		* US sales: 56,000

Singles

2006: "Gallery" #35 Hot 100, #15 Pop 100, #31 Hot Digital Songs, #90 European Hot 100 Singles

2007: "One Shot"

''American Idol'' performances

{|class="wikitable" !Week # !Song Choice !Original Artist !Result |- |Top 24 |"Do I Do" |Stevie Wonder |Safe |- |Top 20 |"I Love Music" |The O'Jays |Safe |- |Top 16 |"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" |The Bee Gees |Quit |} Originally making the Top 12, Vazquez withdrew from the show due to personal reasons. He was replaced by Nikko Smith.

References

External links

Mario Vazquez on the Internet Movie Database

Mario Vasquez interview

Category:1977 births Category:American Idol participants Category:American male singers Category:American pop singers Category:Living people Category:People from the Bronx Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent

da:Mario Vazquez fr:Mario Vázquez pt:Mário Vasquez ru:Васкес, Марио Адриан fi:Mario Vazquez tr:Mario Vazquez

name	Sophia Loren
birth name	Sofia Villani Scicolone
birth date	September 20, 1934
birth place	Rome, Italy
other names	Sofia LazzaroSofia Scicolone
spouse	Carlo Ponti(m. 1957-62, annulled; 1966-2007, his death)
children	Carlo Ponti, Jr., Edoardo Ponti
relatives	Alessandra Mussolini (niece)
years active	1950–present
occupation	Actress
nationality	Italian
residence	Geneva, Switzerland }}

Sophia Loren, OMRI (born Sofia Villani Scicolone; 20 September 1934) is an Italian actress.

In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in ''Two Women'', along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance. Loren has won 50 international awards, including two Oscars, seven Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Laurel Award. Her other films include: ''Houseboat'' (1958), ''El Cid'' (1961), ''Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'' (1963), ''Marriage Italian-Style'' (1964), and ''A Special Day'' (1977). She has received critical and commercial success in movies for home box-office such as ''Courage'' (1986) and in American blockbusters such as ''Grumpier Old Men'' (1995), and ''Nine'' (2009). In 1994 she starred in Robert Altman's ''Ready to Wear'', which earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1995. The same year she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievements.

In 1999, Loren was listed by the American Film Institute on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars as #21 of 25 American female screen legends of all time. In 2002, she was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) at its annual Anniversary Gala and was inducted into its Italian American Hall of Fame. In 2009, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized her as "Italy's Most Awarded Actress".

In 1991, the Republic of France awarded her a Distinction of la Légion d'honneur (the Legion of Honor) with the grade of Chevalier (Knight). In 1994, she was awarded with the Honorary Golden Bear at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1997, Loren was invested Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic). In 2010, she was awarded the Praemium Imperiale by the Imperial Family of Japan on behalf of the Japan Art Association.

Early life

Loren was born in the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome, daughter of Romilda Villani (1914–1991) and Riccardo Scicolone, a construction engineer. Scicolone refused to marry Villani, leaving her, a piano teacher and aspiring actress, without support. Loren's parents had another child together, her sister Anna Maria Villani Scicolone, in 1938. Loren has two younger paternal half-brothers, Giuliano and Giuseppe. Romilda, Loren, and Maria lived with Loren's grandmother in Pozzuoli, near Naples, to survive.

During World War II, the harbour and munitions plant in Pozzuoli was a frequent bombing target of the Allies. During one raid, as Loren ran to the shelter, she was struck by shrapnel and wounded in the chin. After that, the family moved to Naples, where they were taken in by distant relatives.

After the war, Loren and her family returned to Pozzuoli. Grandmother Luisa opened a pub in their living room, selling homemade cherry liquor. Villani played the piano, Maria sang and Loren waited on tables and washed dishes. The place was very popular with the American GIs stationed nearby.

When she was 14 years old, Loren entered a beauty contest in Naples and, while not winning, was selected as one of the finalists. Later she enrolled in acting class and was selected as an extra in Mervyn LeRoy's 1951 film ''Quo Vadis'', launching her career as a motion picture actress. She eventually for 1952's La Favorita, her first larger role, Ponti changed her name to Sophia Loren.

Career

Beginnings

After being credited professionally as Sofia Lazzaro, she began using her current stage name in 1952's ''La Favorita''. Her first starring role was in ''Aida'' (1953), for which she received critical acclaim. After playing the lead role in ''Two Nights with Cleopatra'' (1953), her breakthrough role was in ''The Gold of Naples'' (1954), directed by Vittorio De Sica. ''Too Bad She's Bad'', also released in 1954, became the first of many films in which Loren co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni. Over the next three years she acted in many films such as ''Scandal in Sorrento'' (1955) and ''Lucky to Be a Woman'' (1956). In 1957, Loren's star had begun to rise in Hollywood, with the films ''Boy on a Dolphin'' (her U.S. film debut), ''Legend of the Lost'' with John Wayne, and ''The Pride and the Passion'' in which she starred opposite Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.

International fame

Loren became an international film star with a five-picture contract with Paramount Pictures in 1958. Among her films at this time were ''Desire Under the Elms'' with Anthony Perkins, based upon the Eugene O'Neill play; ''Houseboat'', a romantic comedy co-starring Cary Grant; and George Cukor's ''Heller in Pink Tights'', in which she appeared as a blonde for the first time.

In 1961, she starred in Vittorio De Sica's ''Two Women'', a stark, gritty story of a mother who is raped while trying to protect her daughter in war-torn Italy. Originally cast as the daughter, Loren fought against type and was re-cast as the mother (actress Eleonora Brown would portray the daughter). Loren's performance earned her many awards, including the Cannes Film Festival's best performance prize, and an Academy Award for Best Actress, the first major Academy Award for a non-English-language performance and to an Italian actress. She won 22 international awards for ''Two Women''. The film proved to be extremely well accepted by the critics and it was a huge commercial success.

Loren is known for her sharp wit and insight. One of her most frequently-quoted sayings is her quip about her famously-voluptuous figure: "Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." However, on the 20 December 2009, episode of CBS News Sunday Morning, Loren denied ever saying the line.

During the 1960s, Loren was one of the most popular actresses in the world, and she continued to make films in both the U.S. and Europe, acting with leading male stars. In 1964, her career reached its zenith when she received $1 million to act in ''The Fall of the Roman Empire''. In 1965, she received a second Academy Award nomination for her performance in ''Marriage Italian-Style.

Among Loren's best-known films of this period are Samuel Bronston's epic production of ''El Cid'' (1961) with Charlton Heston, ''The Millionairess'' (1960) with Peter Sellers, ''It Started in Naples'' (1960) with Clark Gable, Vittorio De Sica's triptych ''Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow'' (1963) with Marcello Mastroianni, Peter Ustinov's ''Lady L'' (1965) with Paul Newman, the 1966 classic ''Arabesque'' with Gregory Peck, and Charlie Chaplin's final film, ''A Countess from Hong Kong'' (1967) with Marlon Brando.

Loren received four Golden Globe Awards between 1964 and 1977 as "World Film Favorite - Female."

Mid-career and musical recordings

Once she became a mother, Loren worked less. Most of her acting during the next two decades was in Italian features. During the 1970s, she was paired with Richard Burton in the last De Sica-directed movie, ''The Voyage'' (1974), and a remake of the film ''Brief Encounter'' (1974). In 1976 she starred in ''The Cassandra Crossing'', a disaster film featuring such veteran stars as Richard Harris, Martin Sheen, and Ava Gardner. She also co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni in Ettore Scola's ''A Special Day'' (1977), an Italian film for which she was nominated for several awards. Loren then starred in the Hollywood thrillers ''Brass Target'' (1978), set during World War II, and ''Firepower'' (1979), that had a moderate success. In 1980, Loren portrayed herself, as well as her mother, in a made-for-television biopic adaptation of her autobiography titled ''Sophia Loren: Her Own Story''. Actresses Ritza Brown and Chiara Ferrari played Loren at younger ages. In 1981, she became the first female celebrity to launch her own perfume, ''Sophia'', and a brand of eyewear followed soon thereafter. She made headlines in 1982 when she served an 18-day prison sentence in Italy on tax evasion charges, a fact that didn't damage her career or popularity. In fact, Bill Moore, then employed at Pickle Packers International advertising department, sent her a pink pickle-shaped trophy for being "the prettiest lady in the prettiest pickle". She acted infrequently during the 1980s and turned down the role of Alexis Carrington in 1981 on the TV series ''Dynasty'' and although she was set to star in thirteen episodes of CBS' ''Falcon Crest'' in 1984 as Angela Channing's half-sister Francesca Gioberti, negotiations fell through at the last moment and the role instead went to Gina Lollobrigida. Sophia, preferring to devote more time to raising her sons. In 1988 she starred in the miniseries ''The Fortunate Pilgrim''.

Loren has also recorded well over two dozen songs throughout her career, including a best-selling album of comedic songs with Peter Sellers; reportedly, she had to fend off his romantic advances. It was partly owing to Sellers' infatuation with Loren that he split with his first wife, Anne Howe. Loren has made it clear to numerous biographers that Sellers' affections were reciprocated only platonically. This collaboration was covered in ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' where actress Sonia Aquino portrayed Loren. It is said that the song "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt was inspired by Loren.

Later career

In 1991, Loren received the Academy Honorary Award for her contributions to world cinema and was declared "one of the world cinema's treasures." In 1995, she received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. She presented Federico Fellini with his Honorary Oscar. In 2009 Loren stated on Larry King Live that Fellini had planned to direct her in a film shortly before his death in 1993.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Loren was selective about choosing her films and ventured into various areas of business, including cook books, eyewear, jewellery and perfume.

She received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Robert Altman's film ''Ready to Wear'' (1994), co-starring Julia Roberts.

In the comedy ''Grumpier Old Men'' (1995), Loren played a femme fatale opposite Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, and Ann-Margret. The film was a box-office success and became Loren's biggest U.S hit in years.

In 2001, Loren received a Special Grand Prix of the Americas Award at the Montreal World Film Festival for her body of work. She filmed two projects in Canada during this time: the independent film ''Between Strangers'' (2002), directed by her son Edoardo and co-starring Mira Sorvino, and the television miniseries ''Lives of the Saints'' (2004).

In 2009, after five years off the set and fourteen years since she starred in a prominent US theatrical film, Loren starred in Rob Marshall's film version of ''Nine'', based on the Broadway musical that tells the story of a director whose midlife crisis causes him to struggle to complete his latest film; he is forced to balance the influences of numerous formative women in his life, including his deceased mother. Loren was Marshall's first and only choice for the role. The film also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, and Nicole Kidman. As a part of the cast she received her first nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

In 2010, Loren played her own mother in a two-part Italian television miniseries about her early life, directed by Vittorio Sindoni, entitled ''La Mia Casa È Piena di Specchi'' (translated ''My House Is Full of Mirrors''), based on the memoir written by her sister Maria.

Personal life

Loren's primary residence has been in Geneva, Switzerland since late 2006. She also owns homes in Los Angeles and New York.

In September 1999, Loren filed a lawsuit against 76 adult websites for posting altered nude photos of her on the internet.

Loren is a huge fan of the football club S.S.C. Napoli. In May 2007, when the team was third in Serie B, she told the ''Gazzetta dello Sport'' that she would do a striptease if the team won.

Loren posed scantily-clad at 72 for the 2007 Pirelli Calendar along with such actresses as Penelope Cruz and Hilary Swank.

Marriage and family

Loren first met Carlo Ponti in 1950 when she was 15 and he was 37. They married on 17 September 1957. However, Ponti was still officially married to his first wife Giuliana under Italian law because Italy did not recognize divorce at that time. The couple had their marriage annulled in 1962 to escape bigamy charges. In 1965, Ponti obtained a divorce from Giuliana in France, allowing him to marry Loren on 9 April 1966. They later became French citizens after their application was approved by then French President Georges Pompidou.

The couple had two sons: Carlo Ponti Jr. (born 29 December 1968) and Edoardo Ponti (born 6 January 1973).

Loren remained married to Carlo Ponti until his death on 10 January 2007 of pulmonary complications.

When asked in a November 2009 interview if she is ever likely to marry again, Loren replied "No, never again. It would be impossible to love anyone else."

Her daughters-in-law are Sasha Alexander and Andrea Meszaros. Loren has three grandchildren: Lucia Ponti (born 12 May 2006), Vittorio Ponti (born 3 April 2007). and Leonardo Fortunato (born 20 December 2010).

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1950	''I Am the Capataz''	Secretary of the Dictator
1950	''Barbablu's Six Wives''	Girl kidnapped
1950	''Tototarzan''	A tarzanide
1950	''I Devote, Thee''	A popular to the party of piedigrotta
1950		Extra	Uncredited
1951	''White Leprosy''	A girl in the boardinghouse
1951	''Owner of the Vapor''	Ballerinetta
1951	''Milan Billionaire''	Extra	Uncredited
1951	''Magician for Force''	The bride
1951		Lygia's slave	Uncredited
1951	''It's Him!... Yes! Yes!''	Odalisca
1951		Night club assistant	Uncredited
1952	''And Arrived the Accordatore''	Amica di Giulietta
1952	''I Dream of Zorro''	Conchita	As Sofia Scicolone
1952	''''	Leonora
1953	''''	Bonbon
1953	''Pilgrim of Love''
1953	''We Find Ourselves in Arcade''	Marisa
1953	''Two Nights with Cleopatra''	Cleopatra/Nisca
1953	''Girls Marked Danger''	Elvira
1953	''Good Folk's Sunday''	Ines
1953		Aida
1953	''Africa Under the Seas''	Barbara Lama
1954	''Neapolitan Carousel''	Sisina
1954	''''	Anna
1954	''''
1954	''Poverty and Nobility''	Gemma
1954	''''	Sofia	Segment "Pizze a Credito"
1954		Honoria
1954	''Too Bad She's Bad''	Lina Stroppiani
1955	''''	Agnese Tirabassi
1955	''''	Carmela
1955	''''	Nives Mongolini
1955	''Scandal in Sorrento''	Donna Sofia
1956	''Lucky to Be a Woman''	Antonietta Fallari
1957	''Boy on a Dolphin''	Phaedra
1957	''''	Juana
1957	''Legend of the Lost''	Dita
1958		Anna Cabot
1958	''''	Stella
1958	''''	Rose Bianco	Volpi Cup
1958		Cinzia Zaccardi
1959	''That Kind of Woman''	Kay
1960	''Heller in Pink Tights''	Angela Rossini
1960	''It Started in Naples''	Lucia Curio	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1960	''''	Epifania Parerga
1960	''''	Princess Olympia
1960	''Two Women''	Cesira
1961	''''	Jimena
1962		Catherine Hubscher, said "Madame Sans-Gêne"
1962	''Boccaccio '70''	Zoe	Segment "La Riffa"
1963		Adelina Sbaratti/Anna Molteni/Mara	David di Donatello for Best Actress
1964	''''	Lucilla
1964	''Marriage Italian-Style''	Filumena Marturano
1965		Nora
1965	''Lady L''	Lady Louise Lendale/Lady L
1966		Judith
1966		Yasmin Azir
1967	''''	Natascha
1967	''More Than a Miracle''	Isabella Candeloro
1968	''Ghosts - Italian Style''	Maria Lojacono
1970		Giovanna
1971	''Lady Liberty''	Maddalena Ciarrapico
1971	''''	Valeria Billi
1972		Aldonza/Dulcinea
1973	''''	Hermana Germana
1974	''''	Adriana de Mauro
1974		Teresa Leoni
1974		Anna Jesson
1975	''Sex Pot''	Pupa
1976	''''	Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain
1977	''''	Antoinette
1978		Titina Paterno
1978	''Brass Target''	Mara/cameo role
1978	''Angela''	Angela Kincaid
1979		Adele Tasca/cameo role
1980	''Sophia Loren: Her Own Story''	herself/Romilda Villani (her mother)
1984		Aurora	Television film
1986		Marianna Miraldo	Television film
1988	''''	Lucia	Television miniseries
1989	''Running Away''	Cesira
1990	''Saturday, Sunday and Monday''	Rosa Priore
1994		Isabella de la Fontaine
1995	''Grumpier Old Men''	Maria Sophia Coletta Ragetti
1997	''Soleil''	Maman Levy
2001	''Francesca e Nunziata''	Francesca Montorsi
2002	''Between Strangers''	Olivia
2004	''Too Much Romance... It's Time for Stuffed Peppers''	Maria
2005	''Lives of the Saints''	Teresa Innocente
2009		Mamma
2010	''My House Is Full of Mirrors''	Romilda Villani
2010	''Femina''		Pre-production
2011		Herself	Argentinian television sitcom

References

External links

Category:1934 births Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:César Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Italian female singers Category:Italian emigrants to France Category:Italian film actors Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of France Category:People from Rome (city) Category:RCA Victor artists Category:United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassadors Category:Italian expatriates in the United States Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:Miscarriage victims

ar:صوفيا لورين an:Sophia Loren az:Sofi Loren bn:সোফিয়া লরেন zh-min-nan:Sophia Loren be:Сафі Ларэн be-x-old:Сафі Ларэн bs:Sophia Loren bg:София Лорен ca:Sophia Loren cs:Sofia Lorenová cy:Sophia Loren da:Sophia Loren de:Sophia Loren et:Sophia Loren el:Σοφία Λόρεν es:Sophia Loren eo:Sophia Loren eu:Sophia Loren fa:سوفیا لورن fr:Sophia Loren fy:Sophia Loren gl:Sophia Loren hy:Սոֆի Լոռեն hr:Sophia Loren id:Sophia Loren it:Sophia Loren he:סופיה לורן kn:ಸೋಫಿಯ ಲೊರೆನ್ ka:სოფი ლორენი la:Sophia Loren lv:Sofija Lorēna hu:Sophia Loren mk:Софија Лорен mr:सोफिया लॉरेन arz:صوفيا لورين nl:Sophia Loren ja:ソフィア・ローレン nap:Sofia Loren no:Sophia Loren pl:Sophia Loren pt:Sophia Loren ro:Sophia Loren qu:Sophia Loren ru:Софи Лорен sq:Sophia Loren scn:Sophia Loren simple:Sophia Loren sk:Sophia Lorenová sl:Sophia Loren sr:Софија Лорен sh:Sophia Loren fi:Sophia Loren sv:Sophia Loren tl:Sophia Loren th:โซเฟีย ลอเรน tg:Софиа Лорен tr:Sophia Loren uk:Софі Лорен vi:Sophia Loren yo:Sophia Loren zh:索非娅·罗兰

Nationality	British
Birth date	March 17, 1969
Birth name	Lee Alexander McQueen
Birth place	Lewisham, London, United Kingdom
Death date	February 11, 2010
Residence	Mayfair, London
Years active	1989 - 2010
Death place	Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Education	Central Saint Martins
Label name	Alexander McQueen, McQ
Awards	British Fashion Designer of the YearCommander of the Order of the British Empire Council of Fashion Designers of America International Designer of the Year 2003
Parents	Ronald McQueenJoyce McQueen (deceased 1934-2010) }}

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (17 March 1969 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows. He is also known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 and for founding his own label under the name Alexander McQueen. His achievements in fashion earned him four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as the CFDA's International Designer of the Year award in 2003.

Early life and education

Born on 17 March 1969 in Lewisham, London, to Scottish taxi driver Ronald and social science teacher Joyce, McQueen was the youngest of six children. He grew up in a council flat in a tower block in Stratford. He attended Carpenters Road Primary School. He started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age and announced his intention to become a fashion designer.

McQueen attended Rokeby School and left aged 16 in 1984 with one O-level in art, going on to serve an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, before joining Gieves & Hawkes and, later, the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans. The skills he learned as an apprentice on Savile Row helped earn him a reputation in the fashion world as an expert in creating an impeccably tailored look.

Career

While on Savile Row, McQueen's clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles. At the age of 20 he spent a period of time working for Koji Tatsuno before travelling to Milan, Italy and working for Romeo Gigli.

McQueen returned to London in 1994 and applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to work as a pattern cutter tutor. Because of the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by the Head of the Masters course to enroll in the course as a student. He received his masters degree in fashion design and his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to become known as Alexander (his middle name) when he subsequently launched his fashion career.

Icelandic singer Björk sought McQueen's work for the cover of her album ''Homogenic'' in 1997. McQueen also directed the music video for her song "Alarm Call" from the same album.

right|thumb|Camilla Belle in a 2009 dress by Alexander McQueen, listed among "100 Best Dresses of the Decade" by ''InStyle'' Magazine. McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"), with trousers aptly named "bumsters" and a collection entitled "Highland Rape". In 2004, journalist Caroline Evans also wrote of McQueen's "theatrical staging of cruelty," in 032c magazine, referring to his dark and tortured renderings of Scottish History. McQueen was known for his lavish, unconventional runway shows: a recreation of a shipwreck for his spring 2003 collection; spring 2005's human chess game; and his fall 2006 show "Widows of Culloden," which featured a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate Moss dressed in yards of rippling fabric.

McQueen's "bumsters" spawned a trend in low rise jeans; on their debut they attracted many comments and debate. Michael Oliveira-Salac, the director of Blow PR and a friend of McQueen's said that "The bumster for me is what defined McQueen." McQueen also became known for using skulls in his designs. A scarf bearing the motif became a celebrity must-have and was copied around the world.

McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk. He used new technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows and often shocked and surprised audiences. The silhouettes that he created have been credited for adding a sense of fantasy and rebellion to fashion. McQueen became one of the first designers to use Indian models in London.

McQueen also designed a range of dresses under the name of "manta", priced at around £2800. The line, named after the manta ray, was inspired by a holiday McQueen took in the Maldives in 2009. The designs have been worn by various models and celebrities, including Lily Cole. McQueen stayed with Givenchy until March 2001, when the contract he said was "constraining his creativity" ended.

Accomplishments

Some of McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003; he was also awarded the CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in 2003.

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen, with the Gucci Group acquiring 51% of his company and McQueen serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion included the opening of stores in London, Milan and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom and, most recently, My Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand. In 2006 he launched McQ, a younger, more renegade lower priced line for men and women.

McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflected the looks used on the Autumn/Winter McQueen catwalk. The inspiration for the collection was the Elizabeth Taylor movie ''Cleopatra'', and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the makeup.

Company

By the end of 2007, Alexander McQueen had boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan and Las Vegas. Celebrity patrons, including Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker and Rihanna, J-Pop Queens such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, and Koda Kumi have frequently been spotted wearing Alexander McQueen clothing to events. Björk, Ayumi Hamasaki and Lady Gaga have often incorporated Alexander McQueen pieces in their music videos. By wearing his designs, celebrities such as the above mentioned have further increased the notability of the McQueen brand.

Personal life

McQueen was openly gay and said he realized his sexual orientation when very young. He told his family when he was 18 and, after a rocky period, they accepted his sexuality. He described coming out at a young age by saying, "I was sure of myself and my sexuality and I've got nothing to hide. I went straight from my mother's womb onto the gay parade".

In the summer of 2000, McQueen had a marriage ceremony with his partner George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker, on a yacht in Ibiza. The marriage was not official, as same-sex marriage in Spain was not legal then. The relationship ended a year later and McQueen and Forsyth maintained a close friendship.

McQueen received press attention after the May 2007 suicide of international style icon Isabella Blow. Rumours were published that there was a rift between McQueen and Blow at the time of her death, focusing on McQueen's under-appreciation of Blow. In response to these rumours, McQueen told an interviewer:

McQueen was an accomplished scuba diver and used his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs, including spring 2010's "Plato's Atlantis." Much of his diving was done around the Maldives.

Death and memorial

McQueen's death was announced on the afternoon of 11 February 2010. He was found hanged that morning in his wardrobe by his housekeeper at his home on Green Street, London W1. Paramedics were called and they pronounced him dead at the scene.

McQueen died days before London Fashion Week, though he was not scheduled to show, and nine days after the death of his mother, Joyce, 75, from cancer. David LaChapelle, a friend of the designer said that McQueen "was doing a lot of drugs and was very unhappy" at the time of his death.

McQueen left a note saying "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee." The Metropolitan Police stated that the death was not suspicious, but did not confirm that the death was a suicide. On 17 February 2010, Westminster Coroner's Court was told that a post-mortem examination found that McQueen's death was due to asphyxiation and hanging. The inquest was adjourned until 28 April 2010, where McQueen's death was officially recorded as suicide. McQueen, who had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder took an overdose prior to hanging himself. He had taken drug overdoses in May and July 2009. Prior to hanging himself with his "favourite brown belt", the inquest recorded that he had slashed his wrists with a ceremonial dagger and a meat cleaver. Coroner Dr Paul Knapman reported finding "a significant level of cocaine, sleeping pills, and tranquilisers in the blood samples taken after the designer's death."

On 3 February 2010, McQueen wrote on his Twitter page that his mother had died the day before, adding: "RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." Four days later he wrote that he had an "awful week" but said "friends have been great", adding: "now i have to some how pull myself together". His mother's funeral took place on 12 February 2010. McQueen is survived by his father, three sisters, and two brothers.

McQueen's funeral took place on 25 February 2010 at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, West London. His ashes were later scattered on the Isle of Skye.

A memorial was held for McQueen at Saint Paul's Cathedral on 20 September 2010. It was attended by Björk, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney and Anna Wintour amongst 2,500 other invited guests. On 18 February 2010, Robert Polet, the president and chief executive of the Gucci Group, announced that the Alexander McQueen business would carry on without its founder and creative director.

The BBC reported that McQueen had reserved £50,000 ($82,000) of his wealth for his pet dogs so that they can live in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives. He also bequeathed £100,000 ($164,315) each to four different charities; these include the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London, and the Blue Cross animal welfare charity in Burford, Oxfordshire.

Tributes

On 16 February 2010, pop musician Lady Gaga performed an acoustic version of her pop hit Telephone and segued into Dance In The Dark at the 2010 Brit Awards. During the performance, Gaga honored McQueen, saying, "this is for Alexander McQueen." She also commemorated McQueen after accepting her award for Best International Artist, Best International Female and Best International Album.

Gaga dedicated a song on the special edition of her third album, Born This Way, to him entitled "Fashion of His Love".

Bjork sang her rendition of Gloomy Sunday at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. She wore an outfit created by McQueen where many mourners came to gather.

Various other musicians, who were friends and collaborators with McQueen, commentated on his death, including Kanye West, Courtney Love, and Katy Perry.

In March 2010, a visual tribute to McQueen and his "manta" design was organised featuring Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Annabelle Neilson, among others.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted a posthumous exhibition of McQueen's work in 2011 titled ''Savage Beauty''. Despite being open for only three months, it was one of the most popular exhibitions in the museum's history. The exhibition was so successful that Alexander McQueen fans and industry professionals worldwide began rallying at Change.org to "Please Make Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty a Traveling Exhibition" to bring honor to McQueen and see his vision become a reality: to share his work with the entire world.

The final show

Right before Alexander McQueen's death he had an eighty percent unfinished autumn/winter collection, 16 pieces, presented during Paris Fashion Week on March 8th 2010, to a select handful of fashion editors in a mirrored, gilded salon at the 18th-century Hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre.

Fashion editors picked his final designs. Editors said the show was hard to watch because it showed how McQueen was obsessed with the afterlife. The clothes had a medieval and religious look. Basic colours that were repetitively used were red, gold and silvers with detailed embroidery. His models were accessorized to show his love for theatrical imagery. "Each piece is unique, as was he," McQueen's fashion house said in a statement that was released with the collection.

After company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, McQueen's long-term assistant Sarah Burton was named as the new creative director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010. In September 2010, Burton presented her first womenswear collection in Paris.

References

External links

Alexander McQueen's home page

Alexander McQueen – Daily Telegraph obituary

In pictures:Alexander McQueen exibition - The BBC- Entertainment and Arts - Around 100 examples of Alexander McQueen's work are to be displayed at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in May 2011 in a major celebration of the late British fashion designer.

Metropolitan Museum of Art retrospective

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