More than 300 sculptures and paintings from the former Mirage are now up for bidding in an online auction
The items include the famous bronze mermaid and brass dolphins sculptures
The online online runs from now until Sept. 19
Hard Rock International is auctioning off relics from the Mirage, which it is in the midst of transforming into Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas.
The Mirage’s atrium and volcano were both destroyed by the property’s new owners to make room for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel. (Image: tripadvisor.com)
The 30-day online auction, hosted by LA-based Prime Auctioneers on liveauctioneers.com, spans decades of history from the game-changing hotel opened by Steve Wynn in November 1989. It includes more than 300 pieces of artwork and memorabilia once displayed front-of-house and behind the scenes.
The auction includes two of these bronze mermaid statues, which famously welcomed guests at The Mirage’s check-in area in front of the large aquarium. According to multiple sources, they were designed by Arlin Robins. (Hard Rock)
Going to the highest bidder will be the famous bronze mermaid and brass dolphin statues (two each), 50 pieces from glass artist Dale Chihuly, and numerous items tied to the defunct resort’s volcano attraction and Siegfried & Roy show. (No, not, the Siegfried & Roy statue. That was donated to the Neon Museum!)
“The Mirage stood as an iconic destination that featured an extensive collection of artwork that helped define the resort’s unique atmosphere throughout the years,” Joe Lupo, president of Hard Rock Las Vegas, said in a statement. “This auction gives collectors, Las Vegas enthusiasts, past guests who adored The Mirage and historians the chance to acquire authentic pieces from this storied resort.”
Florida-based Hard Rock International purchased the operations of the Mirage for $1.076 billion from MGM Resorts in 2022. It shuttered the iconic resort on July 17, 2024 and immediately began demolishing some of its features and gutting the contents of the tri-tower main structure.
The second Hard Rock Las Vegas (the first is now Virgin Hotels Las Vegas) is expected to open, complete with a guitar-shaped tower where the volcano once stood, in the second half of 2027.
To register and see the Mirage Collection auction items, click here. Online bidding is open now through Sept. 19. Live bidding begins Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. PT.
While Addison Rae might have only been five going on six years old when Aquamarine came out, clearly it had a lasting subliminal impact on her. For the title of her latest single to follow up the Lana Del Rey-“coded” “Diet Pepsi” doesn’t just seem to be an allusion to the color of the ocean (or at least the parts of it that haven’t been ravaged by human-helmed pollution), but also a mermaid or mermaid-like creature.
That’s the perspective Rae definitely sounds like she’s speaking from as she sensually coos phrases such as, “Aquamarine/Honey, dive into me/I’m not hiding anymore/I won’t hide/The world is my oyster/Baby, come touch the pearl” (it’s only slightly “subtler” than, “Yeah, you fuckin’ with some wet-ass pussy”). Clearly, the word “cookie” has some new competition now that Rae has used “pearl” this way (not that Mia Goth’s Pearl would mind). And to play up the sensual nature of the song, where else would Rae film the video but in Paris?
Reteaming with her “Diet Pepsi” director, Sean Price Williams (who also did the cinematography, as that’s been his long-standing métier), parts of it were shot in deserted streets and alleyways at night, while the rest was filmed in The Peninsula Hotel (which gets a thank you in the listed credits). It is in the latter milieu that Rae takes advantage of the most, sporting an “Eyes Wide Shut-worthy” mask as she prances around at a party, spritzing Chanel No. 5 on herself (again, playing up Paris, not Camila Cabello’s lackluster single) and splashing around in the bathtub while spewing water out of her mouth like a fountain (or like Aquamarine, the mermaid).
As for the sonic landscape, created by producers Luka Kloser and Elvira (Anderfjärd), it mimics the lulling nature of being underwater or simply floating in it. Which is precisely Rae’s enchantress-y intent as she sings in her most siren-meets-Ariel (à la “Part of Your World”) voice, “I’m dancing in my own reflection/I’m the ray of light” (re: that phrase, Madonna has been quite the influence lately on lyrical language, from FKA Twigs’ “Perfect Stranger” to Shygirl and Saweetie’s “Immaculate”). Of her overall prowess/embracing her feminine power, Rae also adds, “I’m transforming and realigning [something MARINA knows all about]/I’ll take you with me high, high, high, high.”
To show off part of why she’s feeling so confident, Rae engages in all manner of well-choreographed acrobatics—whether on a chair in the middle of the sidewalk or a bridge overlooking the Seine (which comes across as being suspiciously shimmery and romantic in this context). As for the chair dancing, it of course harkens back to Britney Spears in the “Stronger” video (itself riffing on the chair dancing of Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” video). And Rae has very much been in “Britney mode” lately with her Spears circa 2003 attire. So it’s no wonder she starts chanting (like some sort of “Daddy”-conjuring love spell), “Give me more” toward the end of the song—something Spears already illustriously chanted in her own sensual way on 2007’s “Gimme More.” At the same time, it doesn’t seem like Rae needs anyone to give her more (unless it’s more nicotine) in order to validate her self-confidence.
Case in point, in contrast to Rihanna telling a man, “Want you to make me feel/Like I’m the only girl in the world,” Rae is quick to assert that feeling for herself by declaring, “The world is my oyster/And I’m the only girl.” It certainly appears that way as she struts down the street blowing smoke in the direction of a wowed onlooker. In point of fact, it seems as though the real reason she homed in on Paris as her filming location was for the cigarette appreciation there—hence, smoking two cigarettes at the same time in one scene. A “feat” that was highly appreciated by the Cigfluencers account on Instagram.
Elsewhere, a reference to Titanic serves as a romantic nod paired with a more “profane” suggestion in contrasting lyrics that describe, “Heart of the ocean around my neck/Don’t have to say it/You know what’s next.” (Hopefully, being painted in the buff…not drowning.) During the third act of the video, Rae does a costume change into a nude-colored ensemble as she dances in an alley with backup dancers (among them being Belen Leroux, Jal Joshua, Lea Vlamos and Patric Kuo) that also seem to have watched some of Madonna’s more orgiastic choreo (e.g., the end of “Deeper and Deeper” from The Girlie Show or pretty much any performance of “Hung Up”). And yes, there is an instance where it looks like Rae and company are giving their own update to vogueing with those hand gestures of theirs.
The video concludes with her leaning against one of her dancers as though not only surrendering to the night and the proverbial pleasure, but as though to accent her final declaration of the song: “I’m free.” Sort of like the original Aquamarine at the end of the 2006 movie of the same name.
Winnie Harlow is the latest celebrity to embrace the naked dress trend, but the model found a way to put her own spin on the style. In celebration of her 29th birthday, Harlow donned a see-through, beige fishnet dress featuring subtle starfish detailing. The model then took her mermaid theme a step further with nautical accessories including oversize starfish earrings, a snail-shaped clutch, and a golden shell necklace.
In addition to the clear nautical theme, Harlow also made a statement with neutrals. Her beige dress included touches of coral and ivory, thanks to the starfish, while her accessories and sandals were all gold. She did mix in a touch of color with the tiny purple flowers that adorned her braided updo, but overall, her outfit made a splash while sticking to a muted but glam color palette.
Even her makeup was subtle. The model opted for bronze colors paired with a shimmery touch on her eyelids. Meanwhile, her manicure was clear with touches of white-and-pearl embellishments in keeping with her mermaidcore vibes.
Just in case there was any doubt about where Harlow drew her outfit inspiration from, she shared several photos from her birthday celebration on Instagram, alongside a caption that made it clear her ensemble was inspired by “The Little Mermaid.” She wrote, “This little mermaid must chop life. 29 so far is filled with love.”
Harlow is far from the first celeb to step out in a naked dress this summer. Other celebrities who have wowed with the daring trend include Megan Fox, Dua Lipa, Shay Mitchell, and Ciara. While naked dresses are by nature see-through, they come in a wide variety of designs, including sheer material, beaded designs, and the fishnet style that Harlow pulled off so seamlessly at her birthday party.
Take a closer look at Harlow’s mermaid-inspired naked dress ensemble ahead.
While Shakira might have reverted to “retro” 00s sensibilities in imagining “the future” with 2022’s “Te Felicito” featuring Rauw Alejandro, her latest single, “Copa Vacía,” has a more realistic take on what the years ahead will hold. And that is: a lot of fucking trash. Everywhere. Trash that will particularly affect marine life. And, regardless of Shakira portraying herself as the “mythical creature” of a mermaid to get that point across, it works quite effectively. Indeed, it’s probably precisely because she’s a mermaid that the imagery of her placed against the backdrop of what amounts to a sandy landfill is so potent. After all, people only seem to care about helping other life forms when they’re “attractive,” this being referred to in such terms as “lookism,” “the beauty bias” and “speciesism.” Plus, the jarring sight of Mermaid Shakira in this harsh environment is designed to complement a single about yearning and lack of fulfillment—sexually, in case you couldn’t guess. Thus, being resigned to a dried-up, post-apocalyptic landscape makes plenty of sense. But, for the rest of us, there won’t be much symbolism in the imagery…it’s just going to be full-stop dried-up and post-apocalyptic without the “benefit” of “looking mermaid hot” like Shakira. Everyone will certainly be hot though, burning up in a world that’s risen +two degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. And who knows if anyone will have time for lust/worrying about a “copa vacía” with constant thoughts of survival/being a climate refugee on the brain?
With “Copa Vacía” translating to “Empty Cup,” Shakira as a mermaid with no water to soak in lends added poetry to the aesthetic choice. Building on her endless list of male collaborators of late is Manuel Turizo (a seeming Maluma lookalike [at least in this video]—maybe there’s something in the water in Colombia). Joining the ranks of Shakira collaborators past, including the aforementioned Alejandro on “Te Felicito” and Ozuna on “Monotonía,” Turizo is the one who jumps into the body of water Shakira eventually washes up from in other scenes that we see of her. While underwater, Turizo looks around to take in the fact that Shakira is swimming away from him, perhaps having realized that she’s only able to quench her thirst elsewhere (hence, suddenly being in an ocean as opposed to on dry, trash-filled land—where co-directors Shakira and Jaume de Laiguana initially set the video’s stage). But wait, it’s not over yet, for she foolishly decides to circle him (almost tauntingly), therefore giving Turizo the chance to capture her in his net.
As he drags her through the “mud” (literally!), we soon see that her fate is not much better than Madison’s (Daryl Hannah) in Splash after she’s captured by government agents to be studied and dissected. But, at least, in that case, they were giving her some attention. Whereas Shakira exists in a barely-half-full tank of water, gazing out and pressing her hand to the glass as Turizo ignores her. And plays his video games (as Lana would point out). So while he might think he’s been “kind enough” to “rescue” her from her former existence, he’s actually created a worse one for her at present. Because, yes, humans tend to create worse environments for every creature that’s meant to be “wild.” Intercut scenes of Shakira lying down on the trash-filled beach again are accompanied with being in her “natural” environment on a rock (à la Ariel) or positively drenched (she wishes this wetness extended “down below,” of course) beneath a waterfall as Turizo stands next to her—not doing much to help a bitch out on feeling wanted. Desired. With the topic of sexual frigidity often being one that’s directed at women as yet another means to berate them, it seems worth reminding the latter gender that the surest sign a man is cheating is his sudden coldness toward your body. His general “meh” reaction. So it is that Shakira laments, “Why don’t you want/When I want/You are colder than the month of January/I ask for heat and you give nothing but ice, oh” (in Spanish, that’s: “Por qué no quieres/Cuando yo quiero/Estás más frío/Que el mes de enero/Pido calor y no das más que hielo, oh”). Lana Del Rey would have sung that as, “Oooh, you’re cold as ice baby/But when you’re nice baby/It’s so amazing in every way.”
As for the frío man Shakira accuses in “Copa Vacía,” it obviously feels like another pointed jab at her ex, Gerard Piqué, who has lately been a muse for such indelible “fuck you” bops as “Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53” and “TQG.” To be sure, Piqué must have been quite thawed on his erstwhile “partner” to have prompted these feelings. And yeah, they clara…mente thawed because he had younger snatch to turn to for his own “thirst quenching” needs. To that point, Shakira sings, “I’ve been thirsty for a while/I don’t know why I’m left wanting more/Wanting to drink from an empty cup.” Perhaps because many of us are slow on the uptake with regard to learning our lesson. That someone isn’t going to change no matter how hard you want them to, or how hard you romanticize the initial phases of your relationship with them. Which is surely what Shakira was doing before she found out about Clara Chia Marti. While her father was in the hospital.
In contrast to Piqué, however, Turizo comes across as more empathetic, not to mention actually interested making the relationship work. So it is that he offers his counterpoint perspective, “As if I didn’t feel anything/Now you look at me so different/Me swimming against the current/You have me on the street looking for/With what to fill this emptiness that you feel/I am not a mechanic/But I try to fix it and it doesn’t work/Reviving a heart that does not react/I don’t want to try it with someone else.” Shakira then explains, “Your kisses are salt water/I drink, and nothing calms me down/I wait for you and you disappoint me/It does not work like this.”
All the while, her essential sense of mermaid freedom is stripped away from her the more hopeless and crestfallen she becomes. So it is that, by the end, we see her being strung up by a chain with her hands bound, a bland beige-ish tarp behind her to intensify the overall colorlessness of a world without love and sex (the world we’re quickly coming to know amid the exacerbating conditions of climate change). The final scene again shows her in the trash-laden, mud-like sand. For this is the mermaid vision of the future. Not just experiencing a love drought, but an actual one as well. The “empty cup”—an emblem of no water from which to drink—of the song also mirroring the according landscapes we see throughout the video. And what we’ll see as the next decade wears on.
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