The beginning sort of reminds me of the Gucci Flora commercial, but Rihanna's new video for Only Girl (In The World) is unfortunately not as cool as the commercial directed by Chris Cunningham. Still you have to give her major credit for trying something different, and not making another dance music video shot at a nightclub. The final scenes with the fireworks are pretty insane.

Video via Papel Pop.

• On Saturday morning, ten heavily armed gang members on the run from police in Rio swept into the beachside InterContinental hotel in São Conrado and took 35 people hostage. The violence and shootings had began prior to that, when up to 60 members of a gang involved in drug trafficking were intercepted by police while attempting to return to their base in Rocinha after an all-night party in a nearby favela, Vidigal. Watch an amateur video footage of the shootings here. If the city is going to be made safe in time for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, there is still a long way to go.
• In other "the country is so not prepared for the 2014 World Cup" news, a blackout at the airport in Porto Alegre which lasted two hours last Friday resulted in several flight delays and cancellations.
• Is Rihanna coming to Brazil or not? Brazilian company Unique claimed on Friday that it has a signed contract confirming three Rihanna concerts in Brazil in the last week of November after the singer's agent had denied any rumors that Rihanna would be performing in the country. 
• Fashion's Night Out in Brazil has been canceled this year because Vogue Brazil is moving to a new publisher, but if you happen to be in New York, here is a guide of where to be on the night of September 10.
• Lady Gaga, the new queen of twitter, begins reign with a video.
• Cathy Horyn weighs in on the September issues.
• Katie Grand's animal instincts at Nowness.
• Watch the x-rated Sergio K campaign video edited by Terry Richardson.

• Express celebrated its 30th anniversary with a party in New York. Models.com has pictures of the event.
• Topshop is in talks with Iguatemi to open its first store in the country in São Paulo. According to Chic, the first Topshop store in Brazil could open as early as November of this year, but the exact location and opening date have not yet been confirmed. Now let's hope that the prices in reais will be equivalent to the prices in dollars.
• New York magazine puts spring's football shoulders to the test.
• São Paulo's Sonique gets a nod from Wallpaper.
• Brad Goreski and Terry Richardson.
• Rihanna is the new Slash.
• Francisco Lachowski for DKNY fall 2010.
• More of Francisco Lachowski and Max Motta in Made In Brazil Magazine #1.
• There is a little interview with me in the current issue of Attitude. Make sure to check it out.
• DJ Felipe Lira came up with a new continuous mix called Houselicious. It is a good warm up for Gay Pride in São Paulo next week. Download it here.

• Debora Müller is one of the top ten models to watch this season, according to New York magazine. She is in the latest issue of Vogue Italia.
• São Paulo Fashion Week's Paulo Borges met with Anna Wintour and the CFDA in New York to discuss the health (meaning thinness of course) of the models. He suggested a minimum age requirement for the shows. Here is what Doutzen Kroes, Zac Posen, and James Scully think about the subject.
• Miu Miu girl Lindsey Wixson made a pit stop in São Paulo last weekend to shoot the ad campaign for Alcaçuz.
• More pictures of Gisele Bündchen's baby.
• Another reason to love Love magazine.
• Lady Gaga and Cindy Lauper at the AmFAR Gala.
• Rihanna's new video for Rude Boy.
• "Brazilian bombshell" Lorenzo Martone will be the host at Butt magazine's Valentine's bash this Sunday.
• According to gossip site ig Gente, Jesus Luz shopped for a wedding ring at H.Stern in Rio yesterday. I highly doubt that he will be proposing to Madonna during Carnival.
• If you are on your way to Rio, pack light. This is the city's hottest summer in the past 50 years, with average temperatures about 6 degrees Celsius higher than previous summers.
• Brazilian gay cruise Freedom On Board stopped at Ilhabela last weekend for a beach party.
• Beyoncé performed for over 164,000 people in her first Brazilian tour this past week.  "Honestly, I am not saying that just because I am here, but the Brazilian audience has really been the best audience I've ever had in my career. I feel like a member of the family now, like someone that needs to come back once a year," she said in an exclusive interview to newspaper O Dia.
• On some very sad news, designer Alexander McQueen committed suicide today. It is going to be a very tragic first day of shows in New York.

• Brazilian street artists Os Gêmeos and Nunca were amongst the twelve artists invited by Deitch Projects to participate in the Wynwood Walls Project.
• French-Brazilian design firm Triptyque created a 50-foot tall sculpture for the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Biennale.
• I am obsessed with Lanvin's spring 2010 bags.
• This just may be the best news of the week: André Leon Talley is judging the next season of America’s Next Top Model.
• Joe McElderry is the winner of Britain's X Factor.
• Fabio Nascimento is the latest Garoto Vipado.
• Brazilian dating site (and by dating I mean occasional hook up) Disponivel.com is now available in English. Membership costs approximately $10 a month.
• Speedo break: model Caco Ricci showering in the reality series A Fazenda 2.
• Olive green is back: a 30-second sneak peek of Rihanna's new video for Hard.
• Margherita Missoni was in São Paulo for the opening of the first Missoni store at Iguatemi Mall. Read an interview with her (in Portuguese) at Blog LP.
• Luana Teifke was the most featured model in Vogue Brazil in 2009. Jacques Dequeker was the photographer with the most editorials.
• Rumor has it that Lara Stone will be walking for Tufi Duek at São Paulo Fashion Week next month.

• Actress Alinne Moraes posed naked for the latest cover of Rolling Stone Brazil, but her nipples were mysteriously removed from the picture. It is sort of creepy when you look at it on newsstands.
• Victoria's Secret newest angel Emanuela de Paula will have to skip tonight's VS Fashion Show because of a previous commitment with a Danish retailer. Brazilian redhead Cintia Dicker has been added to the casting. The show happens tonight in New York, and the Black Eyed Peas will be performing.
• Here is a preview of what Alessandra Ambrosio will be wearing tonight.
• Cauã Reymond taped the Christmas commercial for mass retailer C&A with Hilary Rhoda and Doutzen Kroes.
• Isabeli Fontana by Terry Richardson for Vogue.
• Did France cheat its way into the World Cup?
• A big gay flash mob on Bondi Beach.
• Hot new pictures of model Felipe Anibal.
• Meet the stylist who works with Rihanna.
• Leona Lewis recorded the theme song for Avatar.
• It is time for him to come out already: swimmer Fernando Scherer does a dance routine in pink slippers in the second season of the reality show A Fazenda.