Hugo Boss, Germany's biggest fashion label, staged a mammoth runway show in Berlin Thursday, July 8, building a runway and a restaurant for 1,300 in two massive circus marquees.

The double big tops were a fitting symbol for Boss, by far the most important luxury brand in Europe's biggest economy. Completely white outside, the two tents were entirely black in their interiors, aptly so since the large crowd had gathered to witness the spring 2011 collection of Boss Black, the house's top line, featuring both men and women on the enormous catwalk. And, in a curious example of symmetry, the show marked the first by Boss Black's new creative consultant Graeme Black, who previously worked for Giorgio Armani prior to launching his own signature label in London.

The models rolled out in a collection where, at least for women, the key was fluid use of volume. Using a print-free choice of fabrics and focusing on soft mono-color hues like coral, beige and cobalt, the collection largely waved aside recent global runway seasons, which have been dominated by floral and abstract prints.

What worked best were the Japanese style pants in subtle checks, volume and dimpled skirts, and long, sinuous caftans.

"To my mind, Boss creates clothes that flatter a lady. This collection certainly does," said Jessica Alba, the American actress on something of a European fashion tour. On Monday, she sat front-row at Christian Dior and on Tuesday attended Chanel, both in Paris, then winged into Berlin for this huge event.

For guys, Boss Black wants to see them next spring in a newly proportioned suit. Cut with a short jacket and large back vents, yet also with large shoulders and forgiving pants, the look played with the modern micro jacket, yet gave it a more plausibly commercial twist. Made in some great powder blue seersucker, and off-the-moment ginghams, the choice was conventional but also cool.

Post-show, Boss wined and dined its guests in the second charmingly lit marquee, in rough-hewn tables placed around old olive trees.

"I have to say I enjoyed the evening immensely," said Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit. "The show and party were both chic. Berlin is on the move in fashion terms, which makes us happy."

It has been 23 years since "Predator," a commando action film, sci-fi mash up starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, hit movie screens.

Now it's back in a sequel, of a sort, called "Predators" that opens in movie theaters on Friday, but Arnold isn't. He's the California Governor, and in his place is Adrien Brody.

Adrien Brody?

The skinny kid who won an Oscar in "The Pianist" is playing a tough-as-nails monster killer on a par with the muscled-up 1980s action hero Schwarzenegger?

It can't be. Brody works in dramas and portrays characters like the classical piano master and Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman in 2002's "Pianist." When he takes roles in war movies, he does so for a film like Terrence Malick's thoughtful "The Thin Red Line."

"Predators" is a big-budget, shoot-'em-up, summer popcorn flick. Yet, there Brody is, transforming himself into a ruthless killer who hunts down aliens.

"It's surprising to me, sometimes, when people are surprised at my choices," he told reporters at a recent gathering. "And it seems they are more surprised as of late.

"But as an actor it's been a conscious decision to do my best to not repeat myself, so that I keep the process for myself interesting and for the people that have seen my work. I've looked long and hard for an opportunity like this."

In fact, the 37-year-old said it was "a big coup, a big deal" for him to land the starring role of Royce, a mercenary loosely modeled after Schwarzenegger's "Dutch" in 1987's original "Predator."

But Brody was also very aware of the challenge involved in playing an action hero. He diligently worked-out and pumped iron before filming began.

"I did feel that I had to make a physical transformation," he said. "On one level it's exciting for an audience to see that. I like to see that, even if the character's villainous.

HUGE FAN OF 'PREDATOR'

Directed by Nimrod Antal ("Armored") and based on a script by Robert Rodriguez ("Spy Kids") who also produced, "Predators" pits a group of elite warriors against shape-shifting and ever-hungrier aliens.

The group of commandos led by Royce include a mass-murderer (Walton Goggins), a drug cartel enforcer (Danny Trejo), a Russian special operations veteran (Oleg Taktarov), an Israeli soldier (Alice Braga) and a disgraced doctor (Topher Grace. They are stranded on an alien planet where they must band together to fight for their lives.

Brody, it turns out, isn't just an action film fan. He is a self-professed "huge fan" of the original "Predator."

"I was about 14, opening weekend, smoking cigarettes in the front row," he said. "I remember the theater, I remember my little crew who were there opening weekend and doing our Schwarzenegger impressions the rest of the week."

Yet, even if he could do a mean Schwarzenegger impersonation as a kid and muscle up his body for the role of Royce as an adult, Brody said he did not want to rely on just the physical transformation. Body and mind "go hand-in-hand," he said.

"It's an interesting thing, " he said, "and it's always surprising to me how much of an emotional and psychological transformation infuses with the physical transformation. I experienced that also with 'The Pianist.'"

He believes Hollywood has often have had an over-reliance on physical brawn as the deciding factor for portraying a strong man. "Strength has to come from within," he said.

President Barack Obama's former publisher has a new job as a literary agent.

Abrams Artists Agency said Thursday that Steve Ross is joining the agency, effective Monday. Ross in 2006 released Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" while a publisher in the Crown division of Random House, Inc. Abrams represents a wide range of directors, writers and performers, including Judith Ivey and Hal Holbrook, and hopes to take on more authors as clients.

"We had been contemplating a serious move into book and author representation, and Steve's track record and understanding of the swiftly changing dynamics of the book industry make him an ideal fit," Abrams founder and CEO Harry Abrams said in a statement.

Besides Obama, Ross has worked with a variety of celebrities, athletes and commentators, including Derek Jeter, Russell Brand and Arianna Huffington.

His most recent publishing position was as head of the Collins division of HarperCollins. Collins was disbanded in 2009 during a wave of company layoffs.

Given all the Emmy submission gamesmanship this season, it's worth checking in on which strategies were successful and which failed to deliver that golden nomination.

The most high-profile Emmy strategists this year were the "Modern Family" cast. The ensemble submitted solely in the supporting actor and actress comedy categories. That worked great: They earned five nominations.

Well, it worked great for everyone except Ed O'Neill, arguably the catalyst behind the mass movement. As the biggest star of the bunch, he could have submitted in the lead category without too much political fallout -- but he didn't and now he's out of the running altogether. Some may call it a "Married ... with Children" curse; neither O'Neill nor his former leading lady Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anarchy") got a nod this year, despite heavy tipping in their direction.

"Mad Men" employed a more successful strategy. January Jones was submitted as lead actress, leaving the road clear for Elisabeth Moss to vie for supporting. Both got what they wanted, and Christina Hendricks' addition in the supporting category is a red-headed cherry on top.

Similarly, John Lithgow petitioned for a guest slot from his "Dexter" role (rather than supporting, even though he appeared in most of the episodes) and picked up a nomination. Many believed Terry O'Quinn should have submitted in lead category for "Lost," but he went supporting and both he and Michael Emerson were nominated, leaving a lead spot open for Matthew Fox to sneak in.

On the down side, Chris Noth in "The Good Wife" may have lost out on a nomination by submitting as supporting actor rather than guest actor.

A giant golden lion, his burly head standing 45-feet above the audience in Paris' Grand Palais stood sentry over the latest thoroughly chic floral fantasy couture collection from Chanel, staged with customary aplomb in Paris Tuesday, July 6. And while the lion was mammoth, the collection's silhouette was lean and, especially for couture, short, with skirts trimmed four-inches above the knee.

The lion's huge paw perched on a seven-foot cream pearl, out of which strutted three score of ravishing looking models in this show - inspired by tapestries and the colors of strident Fauvist artists - for the house, whose founder, Coco Chanel, had the astrological sign of Leo.

"I had this image in my head of a proud lion, it was one of Coco's symbols, and I think it worked rather well. Huh?" said Chanel's couturier Karl Lagerfeld, beneath the mighty golden beast.

Out first on the round catwalk was Natasha Poly, who had already posed in the program photos by Lagerfeld left on each guest's seat. The Russian model slinked by in a blood orange bouclГ© wool suit, the jacket flared, the skirt short, the ensemble paired with sensational crinkled half-calf boots in a leather featuring the same color gold as the lion's.

Opening looks featured lots of bouclГ© ideas, like double-breasted jackets cut with angle tails, while on the wrists multiple bracelets, bangles, wristbands and chains - again in a faded gold. Giant encrustations on limbs were a powerful reminder of how haute couture can, and will, set trends.