While the world is counting floors of Dubai’s new Burj Khalifa, I’m reading about the hymenocallis flower, which is cultivated in the Persian Gulf but according to wiki is a genus of plants in the family amaryllidaceae, now cultivated in the Middle East.

Hymenocallis means “beautiful membrane” in Greek, which refers to the staminal corona that connects the stalks of the stamens for a portion of their length.

The New World hymenocallis flower is said to be the chief muse for Dubai’s grand tower the Burj Khalifa.The plants have spectacular flowers and some species are known as spider lilies. The Pacific Bulb Society confirms the New World genus of hymenocallis. It’s believed that the hymenocallis flower traveled to the Middle East from Latin America, Mexico and other parts of the New World.

There’s no doubt that the hymenocallis flower is an inspiration in Islamic art and today’s gardens. But her origins appear to be from another side of the world. Appearances are often deceiving, and mere plant websites may be wrong.

I simply adore Tom Ford. Madly, in fact.

As the Fashion Director of Victoria’s Secret in the 1990s, I wandered the streets of the world a total believer in Tom Ford’s sophisticated but blatantly provocative look at sexuality. With a few exceptions, Ford always knew just how far to push the sexual envelope, leaving the viewer on the edge of erotic tension.

via Daily YummoUnless you were a completely uptight, repressed sexual personality, Tom Ford coachs you into sexual awareness. Even if you chose not to open Pandora’s Box, you know what lays smoldering in the darkness. As Shakira said recently, “libido is the engine of the world”.

It’s true that Tom Ford is often accused of being a modern-day, superficially erotic dandy, but I never say him that way. His persona and creative mind always seemed plentiful to me and in balance.

A few years ago, Tom Ford astonished the fashion industry by walking away from it and a working relationship that no longer worked for him. All the details are in today’s NYTimes feature Tom Ford’s Directorial Debut Is Silencing His Critics.

(nudity under the fold)