[[File:]]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2010)

Elsa Benítez (born on December 8, 1977 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico)^[1] is a Mexican model perhaps best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, including appearing on the cover in 2001.

Career[link]

Benítez participated in the 1992 Ford Supermodel of the World contest, finishing as a semifinalist. She rose to prominence after being chosen by photographer Steven Meisel and being featured in the American, German and Italian editions of Vogue for Meisel's layouts.^[1]

She has also appeared on the covers of ELLE, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Harper's Bazaar, and Marie Claire.^[1] Benítez has done advertising campaign work for Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Christian Lacroix, Cloe, and has modeled for Victoria's Secret fashion show 2000 and 2001.^[1] Benítez appeared in the 1999 Pirelli Calendar that featured "Women Through the Decades."^[1]

Benítez appeared in Enrique Iglesias' music video "Love to See You Cry" in 2002.^[1] In 2003, she appeared in the ad for the perfume Mahora Guerlain, shot by Bruno Aveillan.^[2]

Benítez was one of the judges for the Miss Universe 2004 competition.^[3] In the 2004 issue, Sports Illustrated reported Benítez's story of nearly boarding the doomed TWA Flight 800–a Boeing 747 that exploded over the Atlantic soon after takeoff.

She was the host of Mexico's Next Top Model seasons 1 and 2.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Elsa Benitez at the Fashion Model Directory
• Elsa Benitez at the Internet Movie Database

Yamila Díaz-Rahi (usually spelled without the diacritic mark in her modeling work; born March 9, 1976)^[2] is an Argentine model.

Background[link]

Díaz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is of Spanish and Lebanese descent.^{[citation needed]} Her father was a doctor and her mother was a health care manager. While studying Economics in Buenos Aires in 1996, she took a holiday in Uruguay where she was discovered by a scout from a Milan modeling agency.^[1][3]

Modeling career[link]

After working in Milan for a few years, she was featured in 1999 in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and made the cover of the magazine first in 2002 and again in 2006. On the 2006 cover, she appears with several other models for an "All-Stars" special.

Diaz-Rahi has also appeared on the cover of magazines such as GQ, Glamour, Maxim, Elle, Shape.^[1] She has appeared in the Victoria's Secret catalog, and in advertisements for bebe, Ungaro's Fleur de Diva perfume, Replay jeans, and other products.^[1][3]

She was the first Latin spokesmodel in CoverGirl history.^[4] Diaz-Rahi also starred in the 1999 Italian film Il pesce innamorato.^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Yamila Diaz Rahi at the Fashion Model Directory
• Yamila Diaz Rahi at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article about a model is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This Argentine biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

The Christian Dior Home and Museum in Granville (Manche), France.

Christian Dior (French pronunciation: [kʁistjɑ̃ djɔːʁ]) (21 January 1905 – 23 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.

Early life[link]

Christian Dior was born in Granville, a seaside town on the coast of Normandy, France, the second of the five children of Maurice Dior, a wealthy fertilizer manufacturer (the family firm was Dior Frères), and his wife, the former Isabelle Cardamone. He had four siblings: Raymond (father of Françoise Dior), Jacqueline, Bernard, and Ginette (aka Catherine).^[1] When Christian was about five years old, the family moved to Paris, France, but still returned to the Normandy coast for summer vacations.

Dior's family had hopes he would become a diplomat, but Dior was artistic and wished to be involved in fashion. To make money, he sold his fashion sketches outside his house for about 10 cents each. In 1928, Dior left school and received money from his father to finance a small art gallery, where he and a friend sold art by the likes of Pablo Picasso. Three years later, after the death of Dior's mother and brother and a financial disaster in the family’s fertilizer business, during the Great Depression, that resulted in his father losing control of Dior Frères, the gallery had to be closed. From then until about 1940 he worked with fashion designer Robert Piguet, when he was called up for military service.

In 1942, when Dior left the Army, Dior joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong, where he and Pierre Balmain were the primary designers. For the duration of World War II, Dior, as an employee of Lelong — who labored to preserve the French fashion industry during wartime for economic and artistic reasons — designed dresses for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators, as did other fashion houses that remained in business during the war, including Jean Patou, Jeanne Lanvin, and Nina Ricci.^[2][3] While Dior dressed Nazi wives, his sister Catherine (1917—2008) served as a member of the French Resistance, was captured by the Gestapo, and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she was incarcerated until she was liberated in May 1945.^[4]

The Dior fashion house[link]

On 16 December 1946 Dior founded his fashion house, backed by Marcel Boussac, a cotton-fabric magnate. The actual name of the line of his first collection, presented in early 1947, was Corolle (literally the botanical term corolla or circlet of flower petals in English), but the phrase New Look was coined for it by Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar. Dior's designs were more voluptuous than the boxy, fabric-conserving shapes of the recent World War II styles, influenced by the rations on fabric.^[5] He was a master at creating shapes and silhouettes; Dior is quoted as saying "I have designed flower women." His look employed fabrics lined predominantly with percale, boned, bustier-style bodices, hip padding, wasp-waisted corsets and petticoats that made his dresses flare out from the waist, giving his models a very curvaceous form.

Initially, women protested because his designs covered up their legs, which they had been unused to because of the previous limitations on fabric. There was also some backlash to Dior's designs due to the amount of fabrics used in a single dress or suit. During one photo shoot in a Paris market, the models were attacked by female vendors over this profligacy, but opposition ceased as the wartime shortages ended. The "New Look" (a name given it by American fashion-magazine editor Carmel Snow) revolutionized women's dress and reestablished Paris as the center of the fashion world after World War II.

Death[link]

Dior died while on holiday in Montecatini, Italy on 23 October 1957. Some reports say that he died of a heart attack after choking on a fish bone.^[6] Time's obituary stated that he died of a heart attack after playing a game of cards.^[7] However, the Paris socialite and Dior acquaintance Alexis von Rosenberg, Baron de Rédé, stated in his memoirs that contemporary rumor had it that the fashion designer succumbed to a heart attack after a strenuous sexual encounter. Some even think that he died because of a seizure. To this day, the exact circumstances remain undisclosed.

Dior was a bachelor.

Tributes[link]

The Paul Gallico novella Mrs 'Arris Goes to Paris (1958, UK title Flowers for Mrs Harris) tells the story of a London charwoman who falls in love with her employer's couture wardrobe and decides to go to Paris to purchase herself a Dior ballgown.

A perfume named Christian Dior is used in Haruki Murakami's novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle as an influential symbol placed at critical plot points throughout.

The English singer-songwriter Morrissey released a song titled "Christian Dior" as a b-side to his 2006 single "In the Future When All's Well".

American Rapper/Producer Kanye West released a song titled "Christian Dior Denim Flow" as a 2010 Fashion Week single.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christian Dior official website
• Christian Dior designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• A biography of Christian Dior
• Sewing patterns by Christian Dior
• "'Bar' Suit and Hat". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/exhibHighBarSuit.php. Retrieved 11 November 2007. 
• "Zémire evening ensemble". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/exhibHighZemire.php. Retrieved 13 November 2007. 
• Photos of Dior and Samples of New Look Fashion
• "Interactive timeline of couture houses and couturier biographies". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/explore.php. 
• [1] Documentary film Christian Dior, The Man Behind The Myth
• Christian Dior at Chicago History Museum Digital Collections

Craig Kilborn (born August 24, 1962) is an American actor and talk show host. He was the original host of The Daily Show, a former anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, and Tom Snyder's successor on CBS' The Late Late Show. On June 28, 2010, he launched The Kilborn File after a six-year absence from television. The Kilborn File aired on some Fox stations during a six-week trial run.

Early life[link]

Kilborn, the son of Shirley, a school teacher, and Hiram Kilborn, an insurance executive, was born in Kansas City, but from the age 4, was raised in Hastings, Minnesota.^[1] From early on Kilborn was taller than his peers and early on it made him a consistent standout from elementary playgrounds through his prep years in Hastings. He would eventually grow to be 6' 5" tall.^[2] In the 9th grade Kilborn caught the eye of a man that coached an All-Star team from Minneapolis called the Northside Magicians. Kilborn accepted an invitation to join the team in national tournaments. Kilborn, again stood out because of his talent. He starred in basketball at Hastings High School, earning three letters, All-Conference and All-State honors. His talent attracted the attention of NCAA Division I scouts and Kilborn accepted a scholarship to Montana State University.

Career[link]

Kilborn began his television career as the sports anchor for Monterey County's Fox affiliate KCBA in Salinas, California. Some of his on air work included covering the Gilroy Garlic Festival and playing bocce ball with the locals near Cannery Row. Kilborn lived in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea. Prior to KCBA, Kilborn was the CBA Savannah Spirits's play-by-play radio commentator in 1986 and 1987.^[3]

[edit] SportsCenter

After several small jobs, Kilborn became an ESPN SportsCenter anchor from 1993 to 1996. Kilborn was primarily the anchor of the late broadcast of SportsCenter which he coined "The Feel Good Edition". His numerous catch phrases included "Release, Rotation, Splash", "Jumanji", and "Oh, Precious". He made a return appearance to SportsCenter on August 8, 2004, when he co-hosted SportsCenter with Dan Patrick during ESPN's 25th Anniversary Celebration.

[edit] The Daily Show

In 1996, Kilborn became host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. During his three-year tenure The Daily Show was named "Best Late Night Comedy" by TV Guide. Kilborn was also nominated for a Cable Ace Award for "Outstanding Host." Popular features Kilborn created at The Daily Show include: "5 Questions," "Moment For Us," "Dance, Dance, Dance," and "And now... your moment of zen."

In a 1997 interview with Esquire, Kilborn made jokes regarding Daily Show co-creator and head writer Lizz Winstead, saying, "To be honest, Lizz does find me very attractive. If I wanted her to blow me, she would."^[4] Kilborn apologized publicly and pointed out that the remarks were "said in jest," but he was suspended for a week.

In 1998, CBS and David Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants selected Kilborn to replace Tom Snyder as host of The Late, Late Show to run after Late Show with David Letterman. His final Daily Show episode aired on December 17, 1998. On January 11, 1999 Jon Stewart replaced Kilborn as host of The Daily Show.

[edit] The Late Late Show

Kilborn hosted The Late Late Show for five years, changing the format to appeal to a younger audience. On the show, he popularized segments such as Yambo and 5 Questions. He created several characters, including Sebastian, the Asexual Icon. He also narrated his own introduction and would enter to the sound of the song "Play That Funky Music" at the beginning of his show. In August 2004, he elected not to extend his contract, referring to it as "early retirement." Kilborn's last episode of The Late Late Show aired on August 27, 2004. The Scottish-born American comedian Craig Ferguson took over the show on January 3, 2005.

On a June 2010 interview, promoting his new show The Kilborn File, Kilborn stated that he left late night television due to him thinking that the late night timeslot was "crowded" and that he wanted to be part of "the first comedy show at dinner time".^[5][6]

Filmography[link]

In 2003 Kilborn had a role in the hit movie Old School. Kilborn played "Mark", the philandering boyfriend of Ellen Pompeo's character. His lines included the phrases "Good Talk" and "Guy Code". In the 2006 film The Benchwarmers, Kilborn played Jerry the bully to Jon Heder, David Spade, and Rob Schneider's nerdy roles.

[edit] The Kilborn File

Craig Kilborn returned to television on June 28, 2010 after six years off the air, when his new half-hour show The Kilborn File debuted on select Fox stations.^[7] The show aired for a six-week test run on a 7:00 pm timeslot in most markets.^[8] Christine Lakin was his sidekick. The show brought back many of the hallmark segments from his time on The Daily Show and The Late Late Show, such as "5 Questions" and "Yambo" (renaming the Yambo segment to "Kilbo" and later to "Kilbyashi").^[9][10] The show was not renewed.

New sitcom[link]

This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (May 2012)

In May 2011, it was announced that Kilborn will be writing, producing and starring in an ABC sitcom.^[11][12] In the untitled single-camera comedy, Kilborn would play an eccentric mystery writer "who has mastered the art of living," the network says. Kilborn's character finds his life turned upside down, however, when he meets his dream mate.^[13]

Broadcast career highlights[link]

• 1986–1988: Play-by-play commentator for the Savannah Spirits of the Continental Basketball Association
• 1990–1993: Sports Director at KCBA television in the Salinas/Monterey/Santa Cruz market of California
• 1993–1996: Anchor of SportsCenter
• 1996–1998: Host of The Daily Show
• 1999–2004: Host of The Late Late Show
• 2010: Host of The Kilborn File

References[link]

External links[link]

• Craig Kilborn at the Internet Movie Database
• Craig Kilborn at NNDB
• Craig Kilborn on Facebook