W articles from February 2008

W archives from February 2008

Holy Toledo.(The Month in Fashion)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The fashion community applauded in 2006 when Jones Apparel Group tapped Isabel Toledo, a highly regarded designer, as creative director of a new, upscale Anne Klein collection that would set a fresh tone for the entire brand, including its...

Big in Japan.(The Month in Fashion)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... When Giorgio Armani landed in Tokyo in November, he was greeted like a rock star. The reason? He opened the world's biggest Armani store. Located inside a striking new 12-story tower in the upscale Ginza district, the shop offers several Armani...

Done deal.(The Month in Fashion)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Though married to multimillionaire hip-hop impresario Damon Dash, designer and social fixture Rachel Roy isn't one to turn up her nose at an influx of cash. In mid-November Roy sold an undisclosed stake in her label to TSM Capital, which also...

Ossie Fest.(The Month in Fashion)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... In the mid-Seventies Ossie Clark was the toast of fashionable London. His fluid dresses were best-sellers, his marriage to print designer Celia Birtwell was immortalized in David Hockney's painting Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, and he was often...

Made in Manhattan.(Flashback)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I was born in Flatbush. That's a nice neighborhood. They have only a limited number of killings," Woody Allen told Win 1972. "But Manhattan has a high-type concentration of every phenomenon, including an acute sense...

Fine China.(Fast Forward)(Diane Wei Liang)
February 1, 2008... Until recently Diane Wei Liang was a management professor at the University of London. But last year her manuscript for The Eye of Jade, a story about a female detective in Beijing, was sold to publishers in 25 countries--almost unheard of for...

Hollywood got game.(Letter From the Editors)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last year was a rough one for America's favorite pastimes. Baseball was sullied by former Senator George Mitchell's report alleging that Roger Clemens (who might not be such a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame anymore)...

Dynamic duo.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What a cover (December 2007)! One glance and I imagined I was Renee Zellweger and that George Clooney thought I was too--I was swooning! Talk about a romantic, gorgeous couple. Renee has just the right pensive look,...

Designer inspiration.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Your liberal approach to fashion always amazes me! The December issue surpassed my expectations, and it compelled me to write you. As a graphic designer, I collect your magazine for fresh inspiration. I loved the "Topsy-Turvy" story and the...

Choosing favorites.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... In your December issue, a reader wrote in to say he missed seeing Gemma Ward in the pages of W. Not only has she been missing, but I also feel that it's been ages since we've seen Natalia Vodianova or Karolina Kurkova either. It was great of W...

Race matters.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Does W stand for white? It seems Naomi must not be working much lately. Your November Art Issue (which included four images of black women in stories) did not even mention one of the most controversial living artists of our time, Kara Walker, a...

Grape escapes.(Uncensored)(Patricia Kluge)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... PATRICIA KLUGE, ex-wife of billionaire John Kluge raised eyebrows when she set out to make wine on the same Virginia soil that had thwarted Thomas Jefferson's efforts two centuries earlier. An armload of wine awards later, Kluge is spreading...

Game on.(Uncensored)(Famegame.com)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Those still mourning Socialite Rank, the defunct Web site that judged party girls on their event attendance and their borrowed clothes, have a new fix. Famegame.com, whose beta version has been quietly lurking in cyberspace for more than a...

Green is the new black.(Uncensored)(ion B., owner of Manhattan nightclubs Home and Guest House, plans to open Greenhouse)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The eco movement has gotten so huge, it's even penetrating the nightlife scene, not exactly known to be a bastion of clean living, ion B., owner of Manhattan nightclubs Home and Guest House, plans to open Greenhouse--the first eco club in the...

Man about town.(Uncensored)(Kevin Spacey )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Kevin Spacey had a busy holiday season. Just as he was wrapping the HBO film Recount, about the ballot controversy in the 2000 presidential election, he received an unexpected call on behalf of Al Gore, asking him to step in as a host of the...

Wag the dog.(Uncensored)(Dogs 4 Democrats)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Those disgruntled with the current administration have a new alternative to bumper stickers. Dogs 4 Democrats (www.dogs 4democrats.com) has unleashed a line of unlikely political props, such as waste bags emblazoned with mug shots of President...

Fashion strikes a new cord.(Trend: Rope and Glory)
February 1, 2008... One of the odder motifs of the season is of the rope, cord and stringy variety. But the trend is also happening outside of fashion--just take a look at Front Design's loopy thermoplastic chair. On the runways the theme went from ultraluxe...

Can I borrow that? When designer "inspiration" jumps the fence to full-on derivation, the critics' claws pop out.(Fashion Flash)
February 1, 2008... We've all heard the fashion knockoff tales. On one hand, there's the down-market riffing on designer motifs that ranges from the H&Ms and Forever 21s of the world to counterfeit duds channeled through Chinatown dens. But pilfering exists at all...

Enchanted: put spring in your step with all manner of glistening accoutrements, be they bags, baubles or fanciful footwear.(Accessories Flash)
February 1, 2008... Prada's leather and suede shoe, $750, at select Prada boutiques, 888.977.1900. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chopard's titanium, spinel, conch pearl and diamond brooch, $352,000, 800.CHOPARD. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Viktor & Rolf's...

Print condition: designers go groovy this season with kaleidoscopic pattern plays.(Shopping)
February 1, 2008... Carolina Herrera Embroidered cotton canvas skirt, price available upon request, at Carolina Herrera, New York [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Prada Silk organza dress, $2,900, at select Prada stores, 888.977.1900 [ILLUSTRATION...

Jane Larkworthy discovers gentler ways to shampoo, straighten hair and ski.(BEAUTY BUZZ)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 | STRAIGHT AND CLEAN When amounts of formaldehyde exceeding the Cosmetic Ingredient Review's recommended limit were recently found in salon formulas of the popular Brazilian hair-straightening method, hairstylist...

Going to great lengths: these days, being older doesn't have to mean losing your long hair.(Beauty Flash)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Estee Lauder scion Aerin Lauder and her mother, Jo Carole Lander, agree about many things beauty-related, from their devotion to brown eyeliner to the importance of applying a good moisturizer twice a day. But on...

Bargain hunters.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Claws often come out when there are hot deals to be had, but the fashion flock stayed civil in the face of deeply discounted goods at the biennial 7th on Sale gala in New York benefiting HIV/AIDS research and...

Bring it on: a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader tackles the New York art world.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... It's a crisp fall evening at Manhattan's Pier 40, and the cavernous space, by day an industrial parking garage, has been transformed into a palace of eco chic for the third annual Guggenheim International Gala. Under a ceiling festooned with...

The exhibitionists.(EYE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Museum fetes are typically rather staid affairs--though there are always exceptions. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a scrum of young supporters turned the Temple of Dendur into something resembling a raging...

Bon street: Isabel Marant has mastered French dressed-down chic.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During a routine pitch meeting at this magazine several months ago, the conversation among a predominantly female klatch of editors digressed from the topic of potential fashion features to fashion crushes--same sex,...

Napoleon complex: writer Andrea di Robilant pens another true tale of love and war in Venice.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The statue--a 10-foot likeness of a toga-clad Napoleon, blackened with a patina of grime--stands on a plinth near a side entrance to the Palazzo Mocenigo, on Venice's Grand Canal. It's an imposing presence amid the...

Hugs and kisses.(EYE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Valentino, a hermit? "For 45 years, everyone thinks I love parties and to go out. It's all wrong. I love to stay home," admitted the designer at a party at Cipriani in New York to celebrate the publication of...

Dumpster diva: one man's trash is artist Phoebe Washburn's treasure.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A few years ago, Phoebe Washburn arrived every day at the loading dock of the Barnes & Noble bookstore near her Brooklyn studio to trawl through its discarded boxes. After a few months, she recalls, the workers asked...

Young at haute: at 24, Chanel fan Jade Lau is a new convert to the cult of couture.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like many college students studying abroad, Jade Lau wears jeans, takes public transit, volunteers, does her own laundry and visits her family on breaks from school. But the soft-spoken young woman has an additional...

Ladies first.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... The tradition of making one's debut in society may seem like the ultimate throwback, but the 23 well-born young ladies presented at the annual Crillon Ball in Paris seemed eager to prove they were a thoroughly modern bunch. "I'm working on a...

On her Marque: Stacey Dash gets intimate with a new line of vintage-inspired lingerie.(EYE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] I thought Hollywood was tough. The fashion world is..." Actress Stacey Dash is searching for just the right word, trying to be polite. She eventually settles for the relatively safe "tougher," refraining from...

Washington, D.C.: shades of Jackie Kennedy and Pamela Harriman. In our nation's capital, little is transparent, save fashion--everything from racy tops and fitted dresses to traditional evening gowns.(City and Country)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] MARC JACOBS'S SILK CRESS, AT MARC JACOBS, LAS VEGAS. LOUIS VUITTON PUMPS. TSE'S CASHMERE AND NYLON CARDIGAN AND CASHMERE, NYLON AND STEEL WOOL CRESS, TO ORDER, AT TSE, 800.487.3892; MIU MIU'S SATIN BRIEFS, AT...

3 Garden of Eden: if a serpent slithered through this fashion paradise, he'd find an eighties-influenced eve looking tempting in frilly shirts, baby-doll dresses and shredded jeans, along with overscaled necklaces and snake-inspired jewelry.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VERA WANG'S LUREX, COTTON AND SILK DRESS. AT VERA WANG. NEW YORK. EARLY HALLOWEEN BRACELET: YVES SAINT LAURENT BELT. JUNYA WATANABE COMME DES GARCONS' POLYESTER AND WOOL JACKET, AT SUSAN, SAN FRANCISCO AND...

Edge of night: in and around Las Vegas, the night birds gather, wearing looks that recall streamlined seventies fashion: masculine-feminine pantsuits and dresses a la the young Patti Hansen and Lauren Hutton.
February 1, 2008... PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL Lavin's silk gown, at Wynn, Las Vegas Gucci clutch; Calvin Klein Collection bracelet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Versace's viscose rayon blouse and silk pants, at select Versace stores, versace.com. S. King...

Literary Purgatory: it's a long and treacherous journey from best-seller to multiplex, and it's not without casualties.(THE BOOKS)(List)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On Dante's first stop in the Inferno, Virgil explains that Limbo is for unsaved souls who have not sinned: "Though they have merits, that's not enough" One could say the same of great novels that studios have...

Be my guest: even in the midst of award-show madness, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum's inaugural gala might just be the hottest ticket in Hollywood.(THE INVITATION)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In certain circles, the prestige of a party can be gauged by the heft of its invitation: The honor of one's presence at a royal wedding, for instance, might be requested on a card thick enough to double as a tea...

Thanks to their powerful performances in Atonement, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy might just be the most talked about young stars in Hollywood--and they've hardly spent any time there. While America's twentysomething celebs are busy breaking up, making up and cracking up, these two hot brits are showing us how A-list is done.(THE STARS)(Cover story)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's a snowy December afternoon in New York, and Keira Knightley ad James McAvoy are huddled over a plate of Chinese dumplings, still recovering from the previous night's carousing at the West Village's trendy...

Chasing the dream: last year was the most successful in DreamWorks' history. It was also the most tumultuous, marred by tension with its parent company, Paramount. No doubt the little studio is on a big roll--but is it about to come to a crashing halt?(THE STUDIO)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ask the executives at DreamWorks what they like most about going to work every day and you'll likely get a lot of answers related to food. "It's like when you go to college and put on the freshman 15," says...

The God squad: sermons ... script consultations ... screenings on the studio backlot.... It's all in a day's work for Hollywood's most influential rabbis.(THE RABBIS)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rabbi David Baron has many of the same goals for his congregation that any clergyman in America might. He would like to raise funds to replace seats in his sanctuary. He would like to establish a religious school on...

CAA 2.0: its former home--masterminded by Michael Ovitz--embodied CAA's rise to prominence. But its new headquarters asserts its superpower status. Here, a first look inside "the Death Star.".(THE HEADQUARTERS)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the mid-Eighties, when Michael Ovitz hired I.M. Pei to design a new building for Creative Artists Agency, the hard-driving Ovitz, CAA's chairman, was in the throes of revolutionizing the talent agency system and...

Shooting star: Roger Deakins has received five Oscar nods, and now there's talk of a sixth for No Country for Old Men, his ninth collaboration with the Coen brothers.(THE CINEMATOGRAPHER)
February 1, 2008... It's a perfect Friday morning in Santa Monica, and the grapefruit trees hang heavy in a side-yard garden off Main Street: the very cliche of California beach-town quaint. Inside a shingled bungalow, morning papers from both coasts are laid on...

Daddy's little helpers: thanks in part to surrogacy coordinators Growing Generations, gay Hollywood is in the midst of a baby boom.(THE BABYMAKERS)
February 1, 2008... When Simon Halls went to his two-year-old son's first music assembly at preschool this past fall, he was hardly the only single dad in the audience beaming with joy. He may well, however, have been the only single gay dad who was expecting...

Leader of the pack: Chris Silbermann has defined a slick new breed of Hollywood agent. Now, as president of ICM, he's planning to put his agency back on top.(THE NEW POWER BROKER)
February 1, 2008... The most remarkable thing about Chris Silbermann is just how unremarkable he is In his corporate uniform of a suit, light-colored shirt and inoffensive tie, sitting at a blond-wood table in a bland conference room, he talks about the...

Hollywood's power geeks: with Judd Apatow comedies raking in hundreds of millions of dollars and traditional leading-man vehicles floundering, a pretty face no longer automatically equals a big opening weekend. Suddenly the nerdy boys next door are wielding a whole lot of clout.(THE NEWCOMERS)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Michael Cera "You have some amazing cameras," Michael Cera says, wide-eyed, to the photographer who's meant to be snapping him. Soon, the sweetly awkward 19-year-old is handling the cameras himself, taking...