Marc Jacobs may have given a Cartier engagement ring to his on-again, off-again boyfriend, Jason Preston. Tyra Banks dropped her manager, either because he was a prima donna or because her investment-banker boyfriend told her to. Britney Spears backed out of recording a Timbaland-produced duet with Justin Timberlake. It's unclear why. No cameras or cars are allowed at the fund-raiser Oprah is throwing for Barack Obama at her California ranch, which is expected to draw George Clooney, Halle Berry, and Jamie Foxx. Harvey Weinstein is offering $100,000 to anyone who can identify the Upper East Side mom who inspired The Nanny Diaries. (Some speculate it's Preppy Handbook author Lisa Birnbach.) Marc Ecko's CEO threw $500 in cash around during a company-sponsored booze cruise. Norman Reedus, Helena Christensen's baby daddy, is making a movie in which Richard Nixon sleeps with a hooker and then kills her. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon dined at Le Cirque with two tables' worth of security guards.

3/30/2007 at 10:08 a.m.

Al for Hill?

Al Sharpton claims he is not backing Hillary Clinton for president, despite a rumor that he and Bill smoked cigars in Harlem two weeks ago. Rupert Murdoch would back Michael Bloomberg for president, if Bloomberg were to run. A $1.5 million lawsuit against Beyoncé, regarding her House of Dereon clothing line, was thrown out. Michael Jackson was reported to have been hospitalized for pneumonia, but his flack says he's just fine. Bravo is shooting a reality show about photog Patrick McMullan. Jenna Jameson hasn't been attending meetings with mainstream producers regarding the film adaptation of her book How to Make Love Like a Porn Star because she's allegedly unhappy with her vaginoplasty.

3/14/2007 at 4:28 p.m.

Marc Ecko’s Secret: ‘Luck of the Schmuck’

If you've ever wanted business advice from Marc Ecko — the 34-year-old money machine behind his self-named white-suburban-kids-who-dig-hip-hop clothing line — last night was your shot. It was the inaugural installment of CIT's "Behind the Business" conversation, and the conversation was with Ecko. It was a chance to learn how, over fourteen years, the business he started in his parents' garage grew to report billings of $1.5 billion last year — and it was also a chance to hear buttoned-up business journalist Andrew Shapiro say things like “How did you hook up with 50 Cent?” and “Tell me about your street cred.” Ecko explained his success — how he managed to attract investors in 1996, when his company was $6 million in debt: “LOS. They don’t teach you that in business school — luck of the schmuck” — and we caught up with him after the talk for some one-on-one advice.