W articles from June 2006

W archives from June 2006

Not wearing a Helmut.(The Month in Fashion,Lang, Helmut role in fashion )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... For many runway watchers, the dark palettes and strict silhouettes shown for fall 2006 were a sad reminder of Helmut Lang's absence. Best known for sharp, black clothes and inky denim, the designer left his eponymous label in January 2005,...

Sean gone.(The Month in Fashion)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Fashion can be a fickle field--just ask Sean "Diddy" Combs. Six years after announcing his interest in doing a women's line, the music mogul-turned-designer finally debuted his Sean by Sean Combs collection for holiday 2005. Then, in March,...

The big sale.(The Month in Fashion,Asprey PLC planing)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... In 2000, when Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou bought Asprey, they announced their hopes of building a luxury house on the level of Tiffany, Vuitton and Cartier. Asprey expanded into ready-to-wear in 2003 and opened a mammoth store on Fifth...

Sky-high style.(The Month in Fashion)
June 1, 2006... The hair... the tan... the 50 carats' worth of white and yellow diamonds that never leave her manicured fingers.... Donatella Versace has very little interest in understatement, Who better, then, to outfit the personal jets of the uber rich?...

Gloria in excelsis.(Flashback,Gloria Steinem)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... In the Sixties, even as she encouraging women to ditch their dustpans and battle the patriarchy, Gloria Steinem hadn't completely given up on domesticity. "I would like to be married and to have children. To feel really responsible for...

Horse play.(Letter From the Editors)(Interview)
June 1, 2006... June I recently heard a particularly lavish W photo layout described as spectacular--and spectacularly self-indulgent. Guilty as charged. The shoot did demonstrate an unrestrained ambition, eating up many dozens of pages and telling a...

Dynamic duo.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Bravo on your latest cover girls, Meryl Streep and Lindsay Lohan ("Two Queens," May). I must admit I was a little shocked when I saw the legendary Streep cheek to cheek with today's most famous tabloid starlet. But your article revealed how...

True colors.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Many thanks to Vanessa Lawrence, whose smart, intriguing article about dyeing her hair blond ("Into the Bleach," April) delved into the psyche of many Asian girls. As a Korean-American adoptee, I have often suffered with my desire to fit in...

Living well.(Readers React,eco-friendly luxury homes)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I loved the article "Easy Being Green" (May), about California architect David Hertz building eco-friendly luxury homes. As an environmental activist, I have come to realize how much heating and cooling a large house contributes to the problem...

Match point.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... The only thing that made me finish reading the article "An Ideal Husband" (April) was the thought that there would be a punch line at the end. How could anyone seriously write that Renee Zellweger married down when she tied the knot with Kenny...

Ms. Independent.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Many thanks for an excellent April issue. It was sheer genius to hire Michael Thompson to photograph Jessica Simpson. His pictures of the pop star are amazing, and Whitney McNally's accompanying article ("The Simpson") was a delight to read. It...

Music to travel to.(UNCENSORED, A compassion site that offers downloadable playlists for any voyage)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... "Every journey needs a soundtrack," says Laurent Vernhes, the brains behind Tablet Hotels, a high-end online hotel booking service whose "global nomad" clients include Christian Louboutin. Vernhes Just launched Tablet Tunes (tablettunes.com), a...

Number cruncher.(UNCENSORED,"designer of the future" award)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The red-hot Art Basel franchise is eyeing the world of design. Last December director Samuel Keller invited decorative-arts dealers to show their wares at Design Miami Basel. It was such a hit that Keller will do it again this June in...

Class act.(UNCENSORED,dinner theater )(Theater review)
June 1, 2006... The British are taking dinner theater to a new level. Beginning in December, the Barbican in East London will stage an improvised production with audience participation for every social stratum. At $70 per plate, tony types can enjoy rare-breed...

Good help these days.(UNCENSORED, Buckingham Palace )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... High-profile employers usually rely on word-of-mouth or discreet agencies to find trustworthy domestic help, but Queen Elizabeth has no reservations about using the classifieds. Buckingham Palace recently placed an advertisement for a butler in...

Table manners.(UNCENSORED)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The gallant Simon de Pury knows better than to ask guest eat off the floor, but since moving into a fabulous new Paris apartment--which once belonged to the German painter Anselm Kiefer and now doubles as the Phillips de Pury auction house...

High art.(UNCENSORED,Restaurant industry)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Tom Colicchio's latest boite, Craftsteak, opens in June next to the High Line in New York's Meat-packing District, not to mention near such mega-restaurants as Morimoto and Buddakan. To capture the moment in time before the abandoned railway...

Raven mad: the fall collections were, ahem, utterly a flutter with avian motifs.(Trend)
June 1, 2006... As one fashion critic made her way into the Roseland Ballroom for Yohji Yamamoto's fall show for his Y-3 line with Adidas, she nearly turned on her well-shod heel and beat a hasty retreat into the chilly February night. The reason? For the...

A league of their own: certain cover girls come with their own spotlights.(Fashion Flash)
June 1, 2006... A long-limbed 16-year-old beauty sits at a cafe on the King's Road in London, sharing lunch with her mother. A woman walks over, interrupts them--incidentally, in the midst of an argument about the girl's future--and asks the teenager if she's...

The jacket edge: for motorcyclists or movie stars, pieces from old-school Belstaff fit the bill.(Fashion Flash)
June 1, 2006... What do the unlikely trio of Brad Pitt, Shakira and Lawrence of Arabia have in common? They have all worn Belstaff motorcycle jackets. So, too, have George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Spacey, Beyonce, Tom Cruise, Britney...

Studying anthropologie: meet the man who put one of retail's most intriguing empires on the map.(Fashion Flash)
June 1, 2006... Glen Senk drops the adjective "nice" in conversation the way some designers toss around the word "glamorous." To the gregarious president of Anthropologie, "nice" is currency in the fashion industry, especially at his company, where he's been...

Into the darkness: ultraserious jewels provide an unexpected summer twist.(Accessories Flash)
June 1, 2006... In the world of style, sweet confections have finally taken a backseat to more dangerous designs. Belgian broodiness is in the fashion spotlight once again; Maarten Baas s black, charred furniture is heating up, and major jewelers, like David...

History repeats itself; fashion houses tap into their archives to create fresh takes on classic hits for summer.(Accessories Flash)
June 1, 2006... When Christian Dior designed the glass perfume bottle for his classic Miss Dior scent in 1947, he probably never guessed it would appear as a shoe more than a half century later. But now Dior designer John Galliano has reimagined the amphora...

Chain of command: Bottega Veneta's first fine jewelry collection is as intricately crafted as its bags.(Accessories Flash)
June 1, 2006... When Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta's creative director, set out to launch the brand's fine jewelry line, he immediately thought of chains. "I've always used link motifs in various aspects of Bottega Veneta's designs and products," he says,...

Long, hot summer: when the weather is fine look to these breezy essentials to keep cool.(Shopping)
June 1, 2006... Ralph Lauren Blue Label Silk skirt, $498, at select Ralph Lauren stores; polo.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sisley Sunleya Age Minimizing SPF 15 Sun Protection, $190, at Saks Fifth Avenue [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dior Wicker,...

The runway bride: ready-to-wear designers take the plunge into the world of wedding gowns.(Bridal Flash)
June 1, 2006... Brides are a scary demographic," says Lela Rose. She shudders at the thought of a young woman who has been planning her nuptials since age four, dutifully snipping pictures of Princess Diana and dreaming of her chance to be a princess, if only...

Masters of ceremony: a New York couple brings new meaning to the wedding party.(Bridal Flash)
June 1, 2006... Jung Lee and Josh Brooks tied the knot at Manhattan's posh Metropolitan Club on a lovely summer day in 2001. Nine months later, the newlyweds found themselves in another new role, wedding planners with their own company, Fete--a departure, to...

Jewels of the aisle: from Istanbul to India and beyond, brides are wearing a range of gems on their way to saying "I do.".(Bridal Flash)
June 1, 2006... At most American weddings, the exchange of ring is the only ritual involving jewelry, and brides tend to accessorize with relatively discreet renderings of diamonds, pearls and platinum. But in other cultures, age-old traditions often involve...

Le Freak, c'est chic? These days, beauty experts are often their own worst advertisements.(Beauty Flash)
June 1, 2006... I'll never forget the first time I met Victoria Hunter, star colorist at New York's Bumble and Bumble salon. As she examined my graying ash, I stared at the wild, brassy stripes dominating her mane. Despite her charm, brains and wit, I knew one...

Pretty, please: from peachy hair accessories to heart-shaped soaps, a girl's guide to summer's little pleasures.(Beauty Flash)
June 1, 2006... [1] About Town Bond No. 9 has always had a chic connection to real estate, hence fragrances titled Gramercy Park and Eau de NoHo. But the company's founder, Laurice Rahme, isn't forgetting about less glamorous neighborhoods. With each...

Danish modern: Hans Christian Andersen notwithstanding, there's an edgy side to Copenhagen just waiting to be discovered.(Travel Flash)
June 1, 2006... At first glance Copenhagen seems like two cities, a peculiar combination of edgy and cozy. For Danes, however, that duality makes perfect sense, like the local breakfast standby: a smoked eel and egg sandwich. On the one hand stands its...

Comforts of home: with the release of their new cookbook, the women behind the beloved River Cafe reveal their secrets.(Going Out)
June 1, 2006... Nearly 20 years have passed since the River Cafe opened on the site of a former oil warehouse on the banks of the Thames, and still there's no place like it in London. It's the only restaurant serving up the type of basic food Italian...

Designers within reach.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... L.A.'s style reputation may revolve around hair extensions, ripped jeans and oversize Marc Jacobs sunglasses, but March provided a wide array of West Coast parties celebrating the hottest fashions a girl can buy. In Beverly Hills Kelly...

Judging Amy: for comic chameleon Amy Sedaris, happiness is a custom-made fat suit.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... In the pantheon of high school misfits, there will always be a very special place for Jerri Blank, the wide-hipped anti-heroine of Comedy Central's cult hit Strangers With Candy. A former thief, junkie and cut-rate hooker, Jerri returns to the...

Out of the frying pan: literary heavyweight Bill Buford chronicles his Italian culinary adventures.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... Most Americans who have achieved some degree of success have a clear mental picture of what it means to vacation in Tuscany--strolling down cypress-lined roads, guzzling Chianti, shopping for overpriced terracotta. But Bill Buford, the editor...

Cover girls.(EYE)(happenings in the fashion industry)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... "Kate is totally timeless," said Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa at a dinner held in Kate Moss's honor at the new East Village eatery European Union. "She was gorgeous when Calvin first used her, and she's even more gorgeous now." Indeed,...

The gay divorcees: seemingly out of nowhere, New York socialites have caught the seven-year itch, and boy, it's awfully contagious.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... Plum Sykes's recent novel, The Debutante Divorcee, centers on a coterie of rich, young New York women who, once separated from their absent, inattentive husbands, find themselves more than a little excited to be single. They take trips to...

Happy camper: documentarian Alexandra Shiva turns her lens on theater kids.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... As far as summer camps go, there are none as stardust-speckled as Stagedoor Manor. Since 1975, the leafy compound in upstate New York has been home to hundreds of Kristin Chenoweth and Mandy Patinkin wannabes. Other camps have color wars and...

Having a ball.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... Theme parties always bring out the best and worst in fashion. Consider the Frick Collection's Young Fellows Ball, Tango and Tapas, where many New York ladies turned up in elegant Vera Wang, the evening's cosponsor, only to share the spotlight...

Fudging it: a producer and a former actress have transformed an old chocolate factory into the most exciting new theater in London.(EYE)
June 1, 2006... In 2003, when London producer David Babani heard about an empty 200-seat basement theater a few blocks from London Bridge, he didn't even bother to visit. "A friend was rehearsing a play at this very weird place called the Menier, and he said I...

International male: an unlikely new job takes cosmopolitan intellectual Alain Elkann home to Turin.(EYE)(Museo Egizio)
June 1, 2006... Sometimes life takes you full circle, and this is one of those moments for Alain Elkann. After decades of globe-trotting, he's living in Turin, a city he called home for much of his childhood, and finds himself working on Piazza Carignano, the...

The houses that taste forgot.(Books)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... THE MYRIAD CRIMES OF TITO, MUSSOLINI AND OTHER MODERN DICTATORS ARE ALREADY WELL KNOWN, BUT BRITISH WRITER PETER YORK HAS FOUND THEM GUILTY OF YET ANOTHER OFFENSE; BAD TASTE IN DECORATING. IN HIS NEW BOOK, DICTATOR STIFLE (CHRONICLE BOOKS),...

Unchained melody.(Music, songs )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... French chanteuse Camille (above) is often compared to Bjork and Edith Piaf, but the 28-year-old, whose last album went platinum in France, is truly a singular eccentric. At a sold-out Paris show in March, she layered gasps and sighs into her...

Beast in show.(Opera,Los Angeles Opera)(Opera review)
June 1, 2006... Highbrow music fans will see scary monsters this month when the duo of composer Elliot Goldenthal and director Julie Taymor unveil Grendel at the Los Angeles Opera. The story derives from Beowulf--the epic about a hero slaying a monster--but is...

See it.(EYE View,Documentary of An Inconvenient Truth)(Movie review)
June 1, 2006... [AN INCONVENIENT T RUTH] Believe it or not, the breakout movie star of 2006 is Al Gore, thanks to his lead role in an elegant, unsettling eco-documentary called An Inconvenient Truth. The film may seem like an impossible marketing...

Skip it.(Film review)(Movie review)
June 1, 2006... [THE PROPOSITION] Sam Peckinpah must be rolling in his grave. The Proposition is yet another revisionist Western about bad men who rape good women and then blast each other to bits. The film's one novelty is its setting in Australia's outback,...

Sister act.(Q+A)(Interview)
June 1, 2006... In 1951 society columnists had just discovered the Bouvier sisters. Jacqueline, 22, was a Vassar grad who had done a year at the Sorbonne. Lee, 18, had "survived" Miss Porter's and wowed Cholly Knickerbocker. After much pleading, they persuaded...

No dummy.(Art, Meryl Streep role in Laurie Simmons's film)(Meryl Streep)(The Music of Regret)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... As a kid, Meryl SWeep wanted to be an opera singer, but after a few years of music lessons, she discovered acting. Now Streep has dusted off the pipes to perform in artist Laurie Simmons's first film, The Music of Regret, a 40-minute musical....

Madonna.(June)(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... As any equestrian worth her jodhpurs can tell you, the relationship between a woman and her horse transcends the boundaries of sport. There's often lovesick devotion involved (witness the bedroom walls of many 12-year old girls, where photos of...