Will Smith, Cameron Diaz Named Top Hollywood Moneymakers

WIt's been a very good year for Will Smith. Not only is his Hanco

It's been a very good year for Will Smith. Not only is his Hancock a runaway box-office hit, but he also banked an impressive $80 million – making him Hollywood's top money earner last year, according to a new ranking from Forbes.

Cameron Diaz is no victim of the current economic pinch, either. Making $50 million last year, the Shrek and What Happens in Vegas star was Tinsel Town's top-earning female, reports the business publication.

Among others in the financial stratosphere: No. 2-ranked Johnny Depp, with a $72 million paycheck, and, tied for third place, Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers, with $55 million each – even though Myers's recent The Love Guru tanked.

Leonardo DiCaprio, with $55 million, rounded out the top five.

And while Atonement leading lady Keira Knightley earned $32 million, and Jennifer Aniston pulled in $27 million, Forbes notes that, once the gold dust settles, men make twice as much as women in Hollywood.

In terms of media personalities, Oprah Winfrey still owns the bank. Her earnings last year were a staggering $275 million.

As for other TV stars, Charlie Sheen was the top-earning male ($20 million), while Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl – who's also been stepping into big-screen roles – deposited $13 million, making her the top-ranking female.

GPRGEOUS GEORGE-YOUNG BURKINABE ON THE RISE IN MODEL LAND
It is only fitting to do an updated profile on our(African) models following the ‘hoopla’ of the ‘chocolate Italian Vogue’. She was chosen as one of the 12 New Faces To Watch on WWD following the New York Fashion Week earlier this year.

This Burkinabe high fashion model is making her native land very proud. Born in Burkina Faso, now lives in New York, Georgie Badiel won Little Miss Africa in 2005, and two years later signed with Storm Management modeling agency in London, and immediately started getting down to business.

In 2007 she made her debut at the spring fashion shows for America-born, London based fashion designer Ben de Lisi, African designer Duro Olowu, and Jasper Conran in London. In 2008 she signed on with Muse Management in New York and continues to make her mark.

So far this year, she has been completely booked, working literally every month. She was featured in an editorial for French magazine, Biba, in January; the Fashion Weeks in New York and Paris in February, where she walked for Diane von Furstenburg, Marc Jacobs, Issey Miyake, and LV, to name a few; and in May, when she appeared in an editorial for Interview Magazine.

“Gorgeous Georgie” is young and definitely on the rise in the fashion world. Let’s see what will happen with the young black models, especially the Africans, as they grow and mature in their careers because one day opening a magazine and seeing black models will no longer be a big deal, but part of the norm.

DURO OLOWU-LAWYER-TURNED FASHION DESIGNER
British designer Duro Olowu is a lawyer turned designer, born in Lagos Nigeria, to a Nigerian father and a Jamaican Mother, and was raised between Nigeria and England. What better environment to develop his love for designing than England, a place that embraces international culture, art, and music?

Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a lawyer but later gave it up to follow his dream of becoming a fashion designer.

In October 2004, he launched his first self-titled women’s wear label with a collection for Spring/Summer 2005. The collection was inspired by a theme of ‘love and joy’, and included his signature ‘Duro dress’, which was such a hit that when I googled it, I almost crashed my computer with the many hits of “Duro-Inspired” versions. I am not a hater of creativity, so if you can’t afford $$$ for the real thing, but you possess the creative gene of make your own, then by all means you should, as long as you use the proper terminology to describe your own “inspired by” creation.

In 2005, the ‘Duro dress’ was named dress of the year by both American

and British Vogue.

Olowu was named New Designer of the Year during the 2005 British Fashion Week in London, only one year after the launching of his label! The unique thing about this African designer which has helped in pushing his designs into the main stream so quickly, in my opinion, is that his designs are not ethnic, though we can see the bold prints and color and pattern as evidence of his African heritage, his designs have an exotic look, while having an eclectic appeal. Duro says that the main inspirations behind his creations are women. He loves women and knows that ‘we’ have a need to feel good in what we wear.

Olowu looks to legendary singer Billie Holiday for the “genuine romance of that era” to speak to the needs of women. He is well known for his eye-catching fluid dresses that literally move with you. He creates these from vintage fabrics that he finds all over the world, and is also designing new prints of his own. He describes his designs as simply “effortless, international chic”. To see his more from his collections, visit his website

SO DO YOU THINK SHE CAN DANCE???
20 year old Nigerian native Comfort Fedoko is one of the first Africans to make it to the reality show “So You Think You Can Dance“, after being eliminated then called back to replace fellow dancer King after a serious injury. Fedoke who admitted to not having as much dancing experience as the other contestants vowed to give it her all. Critics predict that her appearance on the show won’t last for long due to her lack of dancing history.

All I know is the girl might not have much skill but to actually make it to the show for the second time, beating out thousands of hopefuls with good dancing histories, she surely has something to give. Much love for the African sister for representing. Comfort Fedoke will also be part of the show’s American tour that will take place after the finale. Go ahead, Comfort–shake that thing!