Iconic Brands Inc (ICNB)

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$ICNB... By Robin Leach. Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | 2 a.m.

A supermodel isn’t a model who has gained notoriety through headlines or tabloid exploitation. She is a model who rules her industry and earns extraordinary endorsement contracts. She becomes the face of the brand, then the brand itself.

Regrettably, many of them make outrageous demands, a la Naomi Campbell, or wind up temporarily in the arms of celebrities, a la Claudia Schiffer, or find their lives over after waning popularity a la Anna Nicole Smith.

A few with longevity quickly come to mind: Cindy Crawford is one who has outlasted many others and is still in the public eye, along with “America’s Got Talent” judge and “Project Runway” host Heidi Klum.

Then there’s the amazing Christie Brinkley, the ultimate supermodel who has reigned at the top of her career since debuting in the late 1970s with three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers. For 25 years, she was the face of Cover Girl, the longest-running cosmetics contract of any model ever.

Having appeared on more than 500 magazine covers during her three-decade career, Christie was voted by three magazines as “one of the most attractive women of all time” and ranked third in a list of the World’s 20 Richest Models.

Remember her as the girl in the red Ferrari opposite Chevy Chase in not one but two “National Lampoon’s” movies and all those music videos by ex-husband Billy Joel. Coincidentally, Billy is at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday for his only Nevada show in 2016, and Christie told me that I mustn’t miss it, as she attends many of his concerts.

Christie is indeed the supermodel and incredibly at age 62, having survived four failed marriages, is in the dating scene currently with rocker John Mellencamp. Christie’s first marriage was to Francois Allaux from 1973-1981. Billy and she were married from 1985 to 1994; they had a daughter, Alexa Ray; and they are still friends.

Her marriage to real-estate developer Richard Taubman ended in 1995 with a son, Jack. She had another child, Sailor Brinkley Cook, with architect husband Peter Cook before that ended in divorce in 2008 after ugly legal proceedings revealed his adultery with an 18-year-old girl and his spending large amounts of money on Internet pornography.

The stunning blonde who looks half her age was in Las Vegas last week for the 73rd annual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America exposition. I was invited to dinner with her at Rao’s in Caesars Palace to give my verdict on her new line of Bellissima sparkling wines, organic sugar-free Prosecco from Italy.

Many men would be intimidated at meeting the model who appeared in “Chicago” in productions in London, New York and Los Angeles. But her bright, bubbly and engaging personality puts everybody at ease instantly. There are no diva qualities here, just down-to-earth sincerity and genuine warmth.

Christie told me that she was invited by Richard DeCicco, president of United Spirits, to bring the organic prosecco and sparkling wines to market because his wife and he knew that Christie has been a vegetarian since age 12.

“I love Italy. I love bubbly, and I am a proponent of organics. It was a natural marriage for us,” she said. Richard last year debuted actor Chazz Palminteri’s BiVi Vodka at WSWA.

“They explained the vineyard had been untouched and had existed for 30 years without any chemicals dumped on it. I was very excited about it, and the moment I tasted it, I knew this was it and I said, ‘I’m in, I’m in.’ We spent about a year’s worth of fun, giggly board meetings planning everything. There were always bottles open during all of the meetings. We all said, ‘Top quality only. Nothing but the best, the best, the best …”

Christie designed the bottles, and Richard acquired the license for the Botticelli Venus, which promptly became the trademark illustration on the bottles. “People crack open bottles of champagne when they have a beautiful moment to celebrate. I loved the Italian period of design and style, so that was the handwriting we used,” she said.

“I envisioned the bottle sitting on a table, and it had to be exciting from every angle. I wanted to split up all that mandatory labeling on the back and made it all look like travel stickers. I love to travel, and I’ve always gathered stickers from different places. So the information that has to be on the back of the bottle now looks fun and interesting.

“In thinking of the name, I wanted to try something along the lines that ‘dreams come true.’ But Golden Dreams, Sogni D’oro, is a little hard for people to remember or pronounce. I settled on Bellissima because it was easier, and it’s a word that makes you feel good just like the Prosecco.

“I wanted to somehow have a note from me inside the foil so people could peel it off and find a surprise. I wanted it so when people peeled it off, they might find they just won a trip to the vineyard in Italy. It makes it fun. That would be your champagne wishes and caviar dreams coming true, Robin!”

Christie has this all-American look with her mane of blonde hair, blue eyes, soft features and slim figure standing 5-foot-9, weighing 120 pounds and measuring 36-24-35. You cannot help but be transfixed by her natural beauty as she openly admits that she’s in her 60s.

Christie, who has won awards for her overseas goodwill missions through USO to troops and peacekeeping forces stationed in Eastern Europe, joked with me: “The secret to looking flawless is getting everybody a little merry on the bubbly!”

“No, I’m joking! I just wrote a book titled ‘Timeless Beauty’ with over 100 tips, secrets and shortcuts for women. It has makeup tips, style tips, and I talk about how important it is to exercise and care about nutrition. A lot of it also boils down to attitude.

“There is a youthful attitude to life, and that is something we have to cultivate more. Enjoy and make each day special. I’ve seen some of the most beautiful women in the world, and, in the end, it’s about having a really good positive attitude.

“There are before and after pictures, and people didn’t believe they were real. But they are. There’s been no plastic surgery, although I have admitted to using Botox. There is something to be said about taking care of yourself, and you’re in charge of that 24 hours a day. I outline it all in the book.

“Age is just a number. I don’t think about age. I know a few people who act like they feel old. Robin, you know when old age starts? Old age starts when you start thinking you are old. We’ve got to change that way of thinking. I watched my parents go through 12 years of the most horrible health crisis. Having seen that, I don’t care about age, numbers or what anybody thinks.

“I count my blessings every day when I wake up and feel good. I want to do what I can do while I can still do it — hike mountains or whatever. My mom always said to me, ‘Live it up now because the golden years suck!’ ”

Christie visited our Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health while in Las Vegas and will return as a guest at our Tony Bennett 90th birthday salute for our Keep Memory Alive charity May 21 at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

When Christie walked out of Rao’s, there wasn’t one male diner who didn’t stop mid-mouthful to gaze. She sure does have that effect on men — with or without the bubbly!

Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” fame has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past 15 years giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Las Vegas Sun Entertainment + Luxury Senior Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.



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