Fashion

Swatch, the fabulous dog known for his hard work on "Project Runway," has died.

The pup's owner, Eric Sauma, tells TMZ ... the Boston Terrier passed away over the weekend, going peacefully in his sleep. Eric's parents went to go wake Swatch up for breakfast, but he already crossed the rainbow bridge.

We're told he made it to the end of his breed's lifespan, dying at 15 & a half years old -- slightly older for his breed.

Eric says the last few months were rough for Swatch ... his hips were starting to go, and he became blind by the end.

Fans of the show remember Swatch as a furry icon, serving as the mascot of Mood Fabrics, where the designers on the series get their intricate needs met. The terrier would often greet the contestants, or just take a snooze during times of intense panic.

The show's currently taping its 20th season, and Eric says his team is working on a memorial ... noting there are discussions about highlighting him on the show, but that's still TBD.

He tells us they're going to cremate Swatch and build a shrine at Mood Fabrics HQ in New York City, where fans can visit him.

JuJu Smith-Schuster just arrived to "Monday Night Football" drippin' in vibranium -- he rocked a "Black Panther"-inspired fit ... that was completed with a sick car and some sweet kicks!!!

The Kansas City wideout rolled up to Arrowhead Stadium in a "1-of-1 Black Panther" Lexus ... and when he got out of the ride -- he revealed he was head-to-toe in Wakanda-themed gear.

He had on a black #3 jersey featuring a bunch of nods to the blockbuster flick -- and he also had on a large "Wakanda Forever" jacket.

And, as he said hello to fans who had lined up outside of the stadium to cheer him on, he revealed he's going to play against the Raiders in some 'Black Panther' spikes.

Smith-Schuster is clearly a big fan of the movie franchise -- which will debut its sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," next month -- but he also has some ties to Chadwick Boseman dating back to his Steelers days.

In 2019, Boseman came to then-Heinz Field to see a practice ... and he and Smith-Schuster chatted it up before the receiver hit the gridiron.

Bronny James is following in his father's footsteps and joining the Nike family -- the high school hoops star just inked an NIL deal with the shoe giant.

Nike made the announcement just minutes ago ... saying the 18-year-old Sierra Canyon baller is one of five high school prospects who recently signed Name, Image and Likeness endorsements with the Swoosh.

It was a no-brainer to get Bronny on board -- especially considering Nike and LeBron James have been attached at the hip since he was drafted in 2003 ... and collaborated on 20 signature shoes together.

The other student-athletes getting NIL deals include Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, Juju Watkins, and DJ Wagner, son of ex-NBAer Dajuan Wagner.

Wagner is considered one of the best hoopers in the class of 2023 -- and is listed #1 on ESPN's Top 100 players.

There's a good chance Bronny takes his talents to Columbus to play at Ohio State next season ... which just so happens to be a Nike school.

Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were among the mourners at a socialite's funeral, and one thing that's hard to ignore ... funeral fashion.

It was actually a Celebration of Life for J.R. Ridinger, a 63-year-old Miami socialite and co-founder of Market America. He died from a pulmonary embolism about a month ago while sailing in Croatia on his yacht.

At the event, held at Faena Forum in Miami Saturday night, Kim was dressed to the 9's in a Balenciaga gown with matching bag and shades.

J Lo and Ben were more traditional, arriving with interlocking hands and her 13-year-old child Emme in tow.

J Lo actually performed ... taking the mic with Alicia Keys playing the piano as they sang.

Kanye West's 'White Lives Matter' tees aren't gaining traction with his hip hop peers ... and count his former Roc-A-Fella label boss as the latest deflector!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently sat down with Kareem "Biggs" Burke and picked his brain about Yeezy's controversial clothing, and there was no half-stepping -- right off the bat he said, "I condemn the shirt. I'm not with that."

Biggs says the fact Ye created the "WLM" shirt as a counter to BLM ... makes it potentially disastrous to the movement. He says he'd love to see Ye focus on repairing the community -- not harming it.

He notes it's important not to misconstrue the BLM movement with the corporation ... which has been under fire due to some execs allegedly misappropriating funds, including the purchase of a $6M mansion.

Aside from the fact others are already capitalizing and copycatting, Biggs says Kanye's shirt hurts the families of slain victims such as Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Breonna's mother has already fired back at Ye for looping her name into one of his 'WLM' rants.

Kanye and Biggs' relationship dates back to the start of Ye's professional career when he first signed to the Roc in the early 2000s.

Biggs co-founded the label with Jay-Z and Damon Dash, and it went on to sell millions upon millions of records -- many of those being Ye's creations. But, that past glory isn't getting Ye a pass with Biggs.

Biggs is far from alone with his thinking amongst music execs ... Diddy recently doubled down on his stance that Ye's "WLM" shirt was a dangerous concept.

Puff is adamant we shouldn't cancel The College Dropout, but more so turn the page on this most recent chapter as quickly as possible.

Jaire Alexander will be honoring Queen Elizabeth during the Green Bay Packers game in London on Sunday ... with these new custom cleats featuring Her Majesty.

TMZ Sports has learned the Packers organization reached out to celeb artist Joe Castro last month -- in order to have custom spikes made for their 25-year-old cornerback for their big game against the Giants.

"They wanted something to commemorate the Queen while they play in England," Castro tells us.

And, Castro delivered!!!

You can see a portrait of the Queen -- who sadly passed away on Sept. 8 at 96 years old -- in front of the United Kingdom flag on one side of the green-and-yellow-painted Adidas.

There's also a detailed design of London's skyline on the other side of the Pro Bowler's cleats.

Metta Sandiford-Artest just became a big Blake Griffin fan ... and it's all a result of the new Celtics forward's decision to rock #91 in honor of the great Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Metta out in Beverly Hills this week ... and he was pleasantly surprised to learn Griffin was paying respect to Rodman's legacy with his jersey number this season.

"That's incredible," the 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year said about Griffin's number change. "That's great to hear. I'm a big Rodman fan, and now I'll buy the jersey."

Griffin -- who signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent last week -- confirmed to reporters after his first practice with his new teammates that the reason he is going to wear the #91 is to pay homage to Rodman, the 5-time NBA champ.

Artest -- who played 17 seasons in the NBA with the Pacers, Knicks, Kings, Rockets, Lakers, and Bulls -- earned a reputation for his physical style of defense ... and was one of four players to wear the #91 in NBA history.

The other three are Mindaugas Kuzminskas (New York Knicks), Deividas Sirvydis (Detroit Pistons) ... and, of course, Rodman.

There's more -- Metta retired from the NBA in 2017, but it may not be long before we see another Artest in the association -- because MSA tells us both of his sons are still pursuing their hoop dreams.

Judge Mathis thinks Kanye West is degrading African-American with his antics -- and by extension, he believes Ye makes Adidas look bad too ... giving 'em every right to break up.

The TV magistrate went scorched earth on KW Friday in L.A. where he told our photog what he thought of the shoe company looking into its options as it pertains to their relationship with Ye ... and according to him, they likely have the legal ground to kick him to the curb.

Of course, nobody but Adidas and Kanye know the specific terms of whatever contract they have -- so all of this is totally speculative. Still, based on his experience ... Mathis says there's likely a morality clause that gives the 3-stripe honchos an out if they choose.

The reason ... most of these agreements, per JM, have something in them that says the individual (in this case, Kanye) can't make the company look bad and/or exhibit behavior antithetical to their principles/mission statement -- often written vaguely to give them cover.

Considering all of Kanye's anti-Black rhetoric this week -- not to mention over the last few years -- Mathis believes Kanye's crossed that line more than enough times for Adidas to pull the plug and cancel their partnership ... even if that means no more Yeezys.

Sonny Vaccaro -- the man who famously helped Nike sign Michael Jordan back in the day -- says if he were still in the shoe brand industry ... he could see Victor Wembanyama getting an unprecedented sneaker deal that could include "a blank check."

Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 center from France, blew the doors off the American basketball world this week ... putting on a clinic in two nationally televised, showcase games in Nevada -- and Vaccaro was left nearly speechless by it all.

Sonny, who's seen all of the top prospects in basketball for decades, tells TMZ Sports he's never seen anything quite like what Victor showed on Tuesday and Thursday.

"He's so young, he's so articulate. He's handsome," Vaccaro said. "All of the things. I am knocked off my feet."

LeBron James was impressed too. The Lakers superstar called Victor -- the surefire No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft -- "an alien."

And, Sonny says all of it would lead him to hand over a king's ransom in order to sign the player to a sneaker deal ... if he were still a part of that world.

"He's worth a blank check," Vaccaro said.

Vaccaro's starting offer for Wembanyama would include money in the $15 million per year range ... and it would also come with a percentage of Wembanyama's shoe sales for the budding superstar -- something he says no prospect EVER gets.

"There's going to be pro teams that lose 82 games next year to draft him," Vaccaro tells us. "That's the same value I'm trying to say. He's this valuable. He's this good."

Sonny added if he were Wembanyama, he'd request a clothing line in addition to a sneaker pact -- and if he were representing the shoe giant on the other end of the negotiations, he'd happily give it.

Daymond John says Adidas has a huge decision to make about Kanye West ... he says the relationship can go boom or bust, and the big issue is Ye's unpredictability.

The "Shark Tank" star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss Adidas announcing it's reviewing the partnership with Kanye following his controversial YZY fashion show in Paris -- y'know, the one where he wore the "White Lives Matter" tee.

Daymond says Adidas is going to have a very tough decision to make. He says Ye can make or break the brand, but the X-factor is Kanye's volatility, which makes for a big risk no matter what direction Adidas takes.

As we reported, Ye's volatility was on display almost immediately after the Adidas announcement -- he accused the company of raping and stealing his ideas. Oh, and he boldly declared he IS Adidas.

Daymond added ... he hopes both parties can work this out, because it's in their best interests to do so. Interestingly, he thinks the final decision won't be made with only the bottom line in mind.

Speaking of finances, Daymond's looking to boost 'em for business owners ... with his third annual Black Entrepreneurs Day at the famed Apollo Theater.

He let us in on the huge (literally in Shaq's case) celebs who'll be joining him on stage on October 27 to share their success stories, and to dish out valuable advice.

Kanye West says he was told his life and career would be in jeopardy for supporting Donald Trump ... and says it's happening all over again with his "White Lives Matter" shirt.

Ye sat down with FNC's Tucker Carlson, claiming he faced death threats over wearing a red MAGA hat to a 2018 meeting with Trump at the White House.

Kanye says his "so-called friends slash handlers" told him his career would be over if he supported Trump ... and warned, "I would be killed for wearing the hat."

Ye says the "White Lives Matter" shirt he debuted this week at his YZY fashion show has triggered similar threats.

Kanye claims someone called him recently and said anyone wearing a 'WLM' shirt will be "greenlit" to get beat up ... but Ye says he has no problem wearing a literal target on his back.

Ye's full interview with Tucker is airing now on Fox News ... and we'll keep you posted on what else he says.

Antonio Brown is being dragged to court yet again ... this time, a man in Florida claims the wideout sold him a bogus Richard Mille watch for $160K, fully knowing it was a phony worth far less.

Ryan Kane filed a lawsuit against Brown over it all in Broward County earlier this week ... alleging the NFL star ripped him off on the sale back on July 27.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Kane says Brown assured him the watch -- allegedly an RM 011 model -- was real ... and said it had a value "in excess of $400,000."

Kane says he bought it based on Brown's claims -- wiring the $160,000 to Brown's company -- but he learned a few weeks later the thing was a fake.

Kane says in the suit that he took it to a watch appraiser to have it authenticated and appraised for insurance purposes -- but claims the guy delivered him some bad news while he was there ... it was worth only a couple hundred bucks.

Kane says after he asked around, he learned that Brown had bought the fake watch -- and three others like it -- from a dealer in Dubai earlier this year for less than $500 apiece.

Kane is suing Brown for fraud and more ... seeking to get his money back plus interest.

Of course, this couldn't be further from the first time that Brown has been hauled into court ... over the last few years, a personal trainer, a chef and others have filed lawsuits against him.

Kanye West's "White Lives Matter" shirt is generating tons of attention -- mostly negative -- but now it's spawning fakes ... meaning the controversial shirts will pop up in public, even if Ye doesn't decide to sell 'em.

We've discovered several eBay listings where the long-sleeve shirts are found under listings like "Lives Matter-Kanye West-Candace Owens" and "Kanye Style All Lives Matter."

Interestingly, the listing descriptions don't include the word "White" ... but the actual shirts certainly have it in bold letters.

Our Kanye sources say the final decision will be up to him as to whether or not he'll decide to sell the actual design he wore at the Paris Yeezy show ... but at this time, it doesn't appear they'll be sold in any official capacity.

Regardless, some will say the damage is done ... while others clearly see potential profits. The fake eBay listings are going from anywhere between about $20-$25 ... a bargain considering Ye's usual merch sells for well over $100.

One more big difference between what Kanye wore at the Yeezy show Monday and the eBay gear -- Kanye's shirt had a photo of Pope John Paul II on the front -- the eBay gear only includes the "White Lives Matter" slogan.

As we reported, Kanye attacked Kim Kardashian and the Kardashian family Wednesday on Instagram -- accusing them of "kidnapping" his daughter, Chicago on her birthday and not letting him know where her birthday party was being held.

Meghan Markle not only mirrors a woman in the royal family with MANY similarities ... she even dresses like her!

Photos surfaced this week of Meghan looking shockingly like Wallis Simpson. For those who don't know, Wallis Simpson was a divorcee and American actress who married King Edward VIII back in 1937. Edward had to make an incredibly hard choice, because the royal family did not allow members to marry divorcees, so he had to choose, and he chose love, abdicating the throne and leaving the country.

Sound familiar? Meghan was a divorcee and an American actress who married Prince Harry, and after it became unbearable for her to the point she was considering suicide, Harry left the royal family and left the country.

Oh yeah, King Edward VIII was Harry's great-granduncle!

Of course, Meghan's fashion choice could be coincidental, but we don't think so. The style of Meghan's dress is a dead ringer for Wallis', her hair is pulled back just like Wallis', and the bunched-up fabric around their necks -- identical.

Edward and Wallis was a true love story ... they were married until Edward died in 1972.

This isn't the first time Meghan has drawn up fashion comparisons to Wallis. In the infamous interview with Oprah, Meghan wore an Armani dress similar to a dress Wallis wore in a portrait.

Kanye West is doubling down on his "White Lives Matter" stance ... and explaining his thought process behind the controversial clothing.

Ye took to IG Wednesday to respond to the latest round of backlash surrounding the 'WLM' shirt he debuted earlier this week at his fashion show ... and it's clear he's digging in his heels on this issue.

For Kanye, the meaning behind the shirt is pretty cut and dry ... white lives do matter.

Of course, Kanye's catching heat from all angles ... including a scathing response from Black Lives Matter, who feel Ye is pulling a stunt and hurting folks fighting for justice.

Still, Ye's latest statement is way more subdued than his initial defense ... when he labeled BLM a "scam."

Kanye West's "White Lives Matter" T-shirt is the can of worms he just can't close ... and one of his former collaborators is gutting him over one of the rants that followed his fashion statement.

The fiery response comes from Tremaine Emory ... the creative director over at Supreme, who took great exception to Ye using the late Virgil Abloh as a metaphor for his latest plight.

Ye accused LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault of "killing" Virgil ... doubling down on his belief Virgil was overworked while he battled terminal cancer in his final days, but Tremaine just isn't having it.

Tremaine accused Ye of knowing about Virgil's cancer before he died, yet still opting to rip his career choices -- specifically, he claims Ye called Virgil’s designs "a disgrace to the Black community."

That would stand in stark contradiction to the special Sunday Service Ye held the day after Virgil's death.

Virgil was mourned at a star-studded funeral in December 2021 ... with the likes of Drake, Rihanna, Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky and more in attendance, but Ye left an unhappy camper.

Ye had complained he wasn't able to speak at Virgil's funeral but Tremaine says Ye's behavior was to blame ... that it prevented him from being invited to the private gathering beforehand.

Tremaine also defended Vogue fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson from Ye's recent attacks, who was doxxed after she stepped up to criticize the "White Lives Matter" shirt.

He finished his post by painting Ye as a narcissist still seeking props from the fashion world ... which sounds like something Sway said like 10 years ago!!!