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Military chic for Elton's 60th bash
By Valentine Low, Evening Standard Last updated at 09:48am on 14.03.07
David Furnish and Elton John with Sam Taylor-Wood at the lavish bash
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As the old saying goes, there is something about a man in uniform - but there is nothing like Sir Elton John in uniform. Particularly this uniform.
Here he is, dressed up in characteristically flamboyant manner as a Russian general as he helped celebrate artist Sam Taylor-Wood's 40th birthday at a fancy dress party in the East End.
Gallery: See more pictures from the party here
While Sir Elton - who is also celebrating his 60th birthday - looked as if he was getting ready to inspect the May Day parade on Red Square, his partner David Furnish came in a US Marine captain's dress uniform, proving that yes, it really is true what they have been saying - the Cold War IS over.
The cavalcade of stars who turned up for the party at Shoreditch Town Hall included Hugh Grant, who opted for boring old black tie - and was forced to pay for his lack of flamboyance by posing with a Pearly King and Queen.
Sir Paul McCartney was in white tie and tails and his daughter Stella wore a long Army greatcoat just about covering her stocking-clad legs.
She and the rest of the women raised the temperature, style-wise. Taylor-Wood was the epitome of Forties glamour in a floor-length white evening gown set off with full length black gloves, her hair in an immaculate Veronica Lake-style blonde wave. She didn't get that lot on ration cards.
Elle Macpherson was in a long, emerald green gown, split to the thigh, and Rosamund Pike chose a red Forties-style satin dress. Kate Moss wore black.
Sting was among the many male guests who decided to cut a dash in a pin-striped gangster suit - but no one was more dashing than James Bond himself, Daniel Craig.
Among the other guests were Thandie Newton, Lulu, Barbara Windsor, the Osbournes, David Walliams, Natalie Imbruglia and Tom Ford.
The one noticeable absence was Liz Hurley - but she is on honeymoon with husband Arun Nayar.
Reader views (5)
Actually David Furnish is wearing an enlisted dress uniform, not an officers dress uniform. He has incorrectly placed captain's bars on an enlisted uniform because he is a moron and two of the ribbons he is wearing are not even ribbons that Marines ever wear.
I personally also find it very disrespectful of these two men to be wearing awards and medals that were not awarded to them, especially when some people may have died for them.
- Heather, South Carolina, USA
Elton looks every inch the Camp Commandant!
- Julian Lloyd, Hampstead, London
Elton looks like a fascist dictator - Pinochet.
- David Lloyd, London UK
Sir Elton was only ever going to make himself into a general with a chest full of medals wasn't he?
- Steve R, London, UK
Elton looks like one of the miltary cast from 'Allo 'Allo.
- Isabel, Woking, England
