NEWS OF THE STARS.                                                                                                                      From the Desk of Peggy North

Songstress, actress ... seamstress?

Photo: Beyonce's lavish wardrobe is about to get even bigger: The singer-actress now has her own fashion label. (AP /Bill Kostroun)

NEW YORK (AP) - Beyonce's lavish wardrobe is about to get even bigger: The singer-actress now has her own fashion label. Beyonce and her mother, Tina Knowles, who already styles many of her daughter's outfits, announced a joint venture to create a contemporary women's brand with Arthur and Jason Rabin, founders of manufacturer Wear Me Apparel/Kids Headquarters. "My mother and I share a love of fashion and style, and with this brand we're going to be able to share our vision of what is truly beautiful," the Destiny's Child singer said in a statement this week. "Our line will consist of fashions that I enjoy wearing and I want them to be appealing to my fans as well." The name of the new brand has not yet been released. Beyonce and Knowles will play an active role in the creative direction and inspiration for the collections, while the Rabins will provide the infrastructure for licensing and brand management. The label's first sportswear collection should be in stores in 2005, with an eye toward eventually expanding into accessories, jewelry, lingerie and swimwear. Childrenswear also is a future possibility, considering Kids Headquarters' background creating merchandise for Nickelodeon and the Walt Disney Co., along with Kenneth Cole, Timberland, Rocawear and Ecko Unlimited.

Vanity Fair editor too cozy with stars

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The editor of Vanity Fair magazine has come under scrutiny for his activities within the entertainment industry and his involvement with people the magazine covers. Among the circumstances that have led to questions about Graydon Carter is a $100,000 "consultant fee" he accepted for his role in the production of the film A Beautiful Mind. That payment and other relationships Carter has within the entertainment industry were detailed Friday in two newspaper reports. Carter has served as a producer on two documentaries and was listed as a producer on a movie script that was based on an article written for Vanity Fair, said stories published by the Los Angeles Times and New York Times newspapers. The $100,000 payment from Universal Pictures was for recommending his friend, producer Brian Grazer, make a film from the book A Beautiful Mind. Vanity Fair had published excerpts from the book. The movie won the Academy Award for best picture in 2002, and Grazer thanked Carter in his acceptance speech. Vanity Fair spokeswoman Beth Kseniak said the payment came 1½ years after the movie was made and "was not a negotiated deal." She said Carter did not request the payment in exchange for his recommendation, although he accepted it.

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