Fashion designers look forward to ‘Bruno’

July 2, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

BERLIN — Austrian fashion designer Lena Hoschek says she is not put off by the prospect of “Bruno” — Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film where he plays an over-the-top flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion enthusiast.

Hoschek, who is popular for her 1950s pinup-girl-style clothes with U.S. pop star Katy Perry, says she’s actually looking forward to seeing the movie.

“I think it’s gonna be a fun film,” she told The AP on the sidelines of the Mercedes Benz Fashion week in the German capital.

“Bruno” is the follow-up to the surprise 2006 box-office hit, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” in which Baron Cohen played a clueless journalist on a U.S. tour.

Munich-based designer Marcel Ostertag was a little more reserved about his expectations.

He says while he’s looking forward to the film — which opens July 10 — he was worried that it may give people the wrong idea of the fashion industry.

“The world of fashion isn’t really like what he shows,” Ostertag said. “I can laugh about it because I liked 'Borat,’ but I am also worried if people will take him seriously.”

Today’s birthdays

Actor Robert Ito (“Quincy”) is 78. Actress Polly Holliday (“Alice”) is 72. Writer-director Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Seinfeld”) is 62. Keyboardist Roy Bittan of the E Street Band is 60. Model-actress Jerry Hall is 53. Actor Jimmy McNichol is 48. Bassist Dave Parsons of Bush is 44. Actress Yancy Butler (“Witchblade”) is 39. Singer Michelle Branch is 26. Actress Vanessa Lee Chester (“The Lost World: Jurassic Park”) is 25. Actress Ashley Tisdale (“High School Musical”) is 24. Actress Lindsay Lohan is 23.