Blond from the neck down

By Sarah Feldberg

Thursday, May 13, 2010 | 12:04 a.m.

When Hugh Hefner introduces the 2010 Playmate of the Year on May 15 at the Palms, she'll be brunette Hope Dworaczyk. But she'll be Blond from the neck down.

The Playmate of the Year will be dressed for the event by David and Phillipe Blond, the eccentric design duo known collectively as The Blonds. Known for dressing young celebutantes like Rhianna and Fergie in embellished diamond-and-crystal corsets, The Blonds like to say, You don't have to be a blond to be Blond. "It's a state of mind," says David Blond, who cites Christina Aguilera and Charlize Theron among his favorite blondes of the moment.

Then he adds Katherine Heigl to the list. "She's a brunette," chirps Phillipe. "Forget her then," David laughs.

The couple, who've been working under their flaxen name for about six years, have seen their work pop up in pop culture with increasing regularity. First, it was a corset for Beyonce's "Upgrade You" music video, a lavish crystal affair that she wore while rolling around in black sand alongside a tiny alligator wearing a diamond necklace. Now, The Blonds have displayed their work on the busts of singers like Katy Perry, Britney Spears and, for her upcoming album, Kylie Minogue. "I was trying to figure out how many of these girls we've dressed, and I can't figure it out," Phillipe giggles. "I just know it's a lot."

Phillipe himself may be the ultimate Blond girl. The petite New York native calls shoes "crack on feet", and, according to David, has more pairs of high-priced Louboutin heels than the stock room of the East Village Louboutin shop. During The Blonds' New York Fashion Week runway show, Phillipe strutted the runway in a gorilla suit before stripping it off to reveal a gold corset and perfectly coiffed blond wig. Drama is just par for the course.

For the Playboy event, which includes a performance by Robin Thicke and a special honor for Playboy veteran Pamela Anderson, the pair have created one of their custom pieces, each of which take four to eight weeks to complete. "Our key words for the season have been, 'It's all about gratuitous glamour,'" says David Blond, adding that The Blonds take inspiration from designers like Thierry Mugler, their East Village neighborhood and even the homeless kids who hang out nearby. "They've made up a new shade of brown," David explains. "It could be in Italian Vogue if they were all positioned the right way."

The Blonds' work also will be there for the spotting in the new Sex and the City 2 movie, scheduled for release May 27. "We actually had Sarah Jessica Parker call us one day," recounts Phillipe. "She was like, 'I need these jeans,' and I was like, 'Sorry, who is this?'" Of course, SJP got her jeans, a specially embellished pair that The Blonds say are featured throughout the movie. Which makes sense. She is, after all, one hot blond.