W articles from March 2009

W archives from March 2009

It's a steal.(The Month in Fashion)(jewelry robbery)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it heist that would have made Thomas Crown proud, armed robbers stormed Harry Winston's Paris boutique on December 4 and took off with jewelry worth more than $100 million. The four brazen...

Rock steady.(The Month in Fashion)(jewelry designer, Garrard)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Having designed many significant royal jewels, including the engagement ring Prince Charles gave Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, Garrard has blue-blooded roots. More recently, though, the 274-year-old company has been trying to shake off its Queen...

Fashion victims.(The Month in Fashion)(closing of clothing stores)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The economic downturn continues to ravage the retail scene--from small stores to huge chains, from high-end to mass. In December pioneering Los Angeles boutique owner Tracey Ross shuttered her doors. Ross, who carried such lines as Derek Lam,...

The Italian job.(The Month in Fashion)(Giorgio Armani's flagship store on Fifth Avenue)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For his new megaflagship on New York's Fifth Avenue, Giorgio Armani took his cue from the high-low mix currently dominating fashion. The 43,000-square-foot store, set to open in mid-February, offers the entire world...

CC you later.(The Month in Fashion)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even luxury houses have had to adjust to the new fiscal reality. In December Chanel put the brakes on its Mobile Art exhibit, which was slated to travel to London, Moscow and Paris. "Considering the current economic...

Mr. Green.(The Month in Fashion)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over the past few years, Pharrell Williams has made quite a name for himself outside the music world. The producer also co-owns the Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream fashion brands, and has designed both sunglasses...

Blond ambition.(The Month in Fashion)(Barbie celebrates 50 years)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... She still has her girlish figure and spends most of her days with five-year-olds, but believe it or not, Barbie is turning 50 this year. To celebrate, parent company Mattel is spoiling her--and her many fans with a series of glare gifts. In...

A dog's life.(The Month in Fashion)(accessories for dogs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dogs are man's best friend, but at casa Roberto Cavalli, the designer's wife, Eva, is the most passionate animal lover. The couple have two monkeys, seven parrots, three cats, one iguana and more horses than they...

Heavens to Betsey.(Flashback)(Betsey Johnson)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many in fashion can be described as marching to the beat of their own drummer, but Betsey Johnson has always danced to the beat of her own band. Since 1965, when she got her start as in-house designer for the New...

Just like that.(Fast Forward)
March 1, 2009... Most 15-year-olds who start bands play the school gym. Not so for The Like, an alternative-pop trio consisting of Elizabeth "Z" Berg, Charlotte Froom and Tennessee Thomas, whose first gig was alongside MTV phenom Phantom Planet. Soon they were...

Agent provocateur.(Letter From the Editors)(Madonna)
March 1, 2009... Leave it to Madonna to have the last laugh. With the tabloid media in a frenzy over the 50-year-old's divorce from Guy Ritchie and alleged dalliance with 33-year-old New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, does she low-key it and go out...

The Pitts.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When I received the February issue of W, I was amazed by the cover photograph of Brad Pitt. How awesome that he and Angelina Jolie have chosen to share their lives and thoughts with us, both here and in the November...

Cheers for Christy.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Bravo, a model on W's cover! I couldn't wait to rip the clear plastic off January's issue to see one of the greats--Christy Turlington Burns--looking fabulous. She has been a favorite of mine for years. Plus, she's 40 and still looks great....

Sex on hold.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I was intrigued by "Hook-Up Hiatus," by Jamie Rosen (January), an article that explored the self-imposed restrictions of today's plastic surgery patient. I believe that women, more often than men, deny themselves...

Patriotic pleasure.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... After reading Louise J. Esterhazy's January column, "America the Beautiful," which celebrated the outcome of our presidential election, I felt compelled to write. I turned 21 on November 4, the day I cast my vote for president for the first...

Sheikh style.(Uncensored)
March 1, 2009... Many are fearing the worst for Paris's legendary Hotel Lambert. In 2007 when Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani bought the 17th-century mansion (designed by Versailles architect Le Vau) from the Rorhschild family and began planning a...

Catfight.(Uncensored)(commercial starring Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The fact that Milan conceptual artist Francesco Vezzoli has produced a perfume commercial--even one starring Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams and directed by Roman Polanski--doesn't seem so outlandish in an age...

Head start.(Uncensored)
March 1, 2009... If its UK sales numbers are any indication, Art for Baby, a book for children ages three and younger that Templar Books will publish Stateside in May, will have American parents swooning. The 12-page beard book is filled with images by artists...

Spiritual journey.(Uncensored)(atheist advertisements on buses)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Since January, 800 buses in the UK have been plastered with the atheist slogan THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE. The ads are a campaign by British comedy writer Ariane Sherine, who is responding to a series of...

Rat pack revelation.(Uncensored)(recipe of cocktails)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... When re-creating the drinks served at FRANK SINATRA'S long-closed Beverly Hills hangout , LUAU, for a new version of the tiki bar that opened last fall, mixologist JEFF BERRY faced a challenge: Decades earlier, bartenders encoded the recipes to...

Gear up this season with some heavy metal.(Trend: Steeling Beauty)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Designers have been courting high shine on the runways for several seasons now. This spring, though, their love for luster takes a decidedly novel turn-toward an industrial, machinelike gleam That steel and chrome vibe often sires way to a...

It takes two ... and then some. With help from friends, a pair of Chicago designers hit the scene.(Fashion Flash)(Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For their fall 2008 debut, Creatures of the Wind designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters were inspired by creepy Sixties communes. "I wouldn't say the Manson family specifically," says Gabier, "but, you know,...

Shabby Chic: armed with an unpolished aesthetic and a serious knack for draping, Yigal Azrouel is carving his own niche.(Fashion Flash)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On Yigal Azrouel's desk in his seventh-floor studio above New York's West 39th Street sit a few knickknacks: a pair of beaten-up wooden bowling pins; a scuffed dumbbell; a shoe last the color of sand with cracks...

Easy rider: Kimberly Ovitz makes her mark with a grungy, equestrian-inspired line.(Fashion Flash)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We're all up to speed on the rich-kid stereotype. Gossip Girl's preening Blair Waldorf, for example, or the Palm Beach teens of Privileged. But Kimberly Ovitz, daughter of the very famous (and at times infamous)...

Power player: Tod's founder Diego Della Valle is building an empire, replete with a soccer team, a film studio and high-speed trains.(Accessories Flash)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Diego Della Valle can't stop touching people. The Italian entrepreneur works the room, greeting friends and local dignitaries. "Benvenuto," he says, offering a smile, a handshake and a squeeze of the arm just above...

Step lively: new French label Vouelle is enchanting girls-about-town, one festooned chaussure at a time.(Accessories Flash)
March 1, 2009... Her wedding was mere days away, but Melissa Regan--soon to become Melissa Regan de Vogele--was missing one crucial piece of her trousseau: the shoes. "I found two different pairs that I returned, and then bought a superexpensive pair, which I...

Heir force one: with it bags and umpteen family negotiations behind her, what's next for Silvia Fendi?(Accessories Flash)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Silvia Venturini Fendi has her game face on. The frantic countdown to Fendi's spring runway show is on and, dressed in all black save for a ruby and emerald butterfly brooch, she is deftly entertaining the press...

The life aquatic.(Shopping)
March 1, 2009... Designers make a splash this season with a luxe waterside vibe, from sea creature appliques and textures to knotty nautical prints Rolex 18k yellow gold Submariner watch, $27,250, at Rolex, 800.36.ROLEX [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Light show: a sweet and saturated pastel palette defines the spring makeup season.(Beauty Flash)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Just as Easter eggs and freshly cut tulips signal the start of spring, so, too, do pastel hues. Each year light pink, yellow, blue and green crop up just about everywhere, including on makeup counters from Des Moines...

Bright future: as warm weather approaches, W reports the latest news in sun protection.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it comes to skincare, we live in an age of quick fixes, from serums that promise to plump wrinkles on contact to injections that can erase a pimple within 24 hours. But there are some things that still take...

Singing sensation: Scott Kessler M.D. tends to the vocal cords of some of music's biggest voices.(Beauty Flash)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As doctor's office walls of fame go, Scott Kessler's are a doozy. While most high-profile physicians have an autographed head shot here and there, visitors to this ear, nose and throat guru's New York digs can barely...

Precious and few: to create a skincare collection, Bulgari brought its prized gems to the laboratory.(Beauty Flash)
March 1, 2009... Bulgari, the storied Italian jewelry firm known for its bold and bright gem-bedecked pieces, is used to making what women want. It has perfected colorful baubles and geometric watches, and now the company is offering its tony clientele a way to...

Talking back: late night's newest host, Jimmy Fallon, hopes to win over America by showing just how likable he really is.(EYE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jimmy Fallon is sitting in a crummy-looking chair in his new corner office on the seventh floor of NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters, a decent space with a decent view, but hardly the setting in which one...

What goes around.(EYE)(special events in the fashion industry)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] They say everything old is new again. That was certainly true when Louis Vuitton hosted a January bash in honor of Stephen Sprouse, the late fashion designer who collaborated on the house's graffitied accessories...

Hail to McQueen: British artist Steve McQueen makes his debut at the cineplex with the harrowing film Hunger.(EYE)
March 1, 2009... The executives at Britain's Channel 4, which cofinanced Hunger, the first feature film by London-born artist Steve McQueen, had any number of reasons to be worried about its box office prospects. In its sores-and-all depiction of the final...

Escape artists.(EYE)(celebrities' getaways)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] As the rest of the world cut back, designers and celebrities cut loose in their beloved winter vacation spots. Brit chanteuses Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen (with her latest fling, art dealer Jay Jopling) jetted off...

Revealed.(EYE)(Brad Gooch releases biography of Flannary O'Connor)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Writer Brad Gooch--who earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University while working as a Wilhelmina model during the Eighties--will release the definitive biography of Southern gothic author Flannary O'Connor in late...

Rare bird: with her new fragrance, Daphne Guinness continues her transformation from muse to designer.(EYE)
March 1, 2009... It doesn't take long to see why Daphne Guinness has earned her reputation as the fashion person's I fashion person. On a December afternoon at the Carlyle hotel in Manhattan, she floats into the tearoom atop towering custom Christian Louboutin...

Violent rection: dark, edgy and sophisticated, Watchmen proves that director Zack Snyder can do more than just blood and gore.(EYE)
March 1, 2009... Filmmaker Zack Snyder doesn't believe in restraint. In his debut feature, 2004 s remake of Dawn of the Dead, a zombie girl whose face has partially fallen off bites a man's neck. In 300, his 2007 adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel, the...

Shape-shifters.
March 1, 2009... Change is in the air, and in this issue. In our feature BLAME IT ON RIO, Madonna morphs yet again, turning into a haughty blond beauty surrounded by handsome toy boys. Her high-contrast clothes are dark, fitted and sleek. In LAW & ORDER, some...

Madonna: amid sultry settings and irresistible distractions, Madonna falls under the spell of Rio De Janeiro.(BLAME IT ON)
March 1, 2009... VICTORIA BECKHAM'S BLACK COTTON AND ELASTANE DRESS (ALSO SHOWN IN THE NEXT FOUR SCENES), AT SELECT NEIMAN MARCUS STORES; BERGDORF GOODMAN, NEW YORK. CORNELIA JAMES GLOVES; MADONNA'S OWN NECKLACE. ON MEN, FROM LEFT: DIOR HOMME'S BLACK WOOL SUIT,...

Law & order.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stylish girls play juvenile delinquents, wearing abbreviated evening looks and lingerie in compromising situations, in catfights and even behind bars [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BOTTEGA VENETA'S YELLOW VISCOSE...

Time warp.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? IT JUST MAY BE SOME AFRODYNAMIC LOOKS WITH SPACE-AGE OR EIGHTIES FLAVOR THAT CAPTURE MOVEMENT IN THEIR SHAPES AND DETAILS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FENDI'S WHITE SILK BLOUSE, WHITE...

Dominica.(Directory)
March 1, 2009... IN THE LEAFY EDEN OF DOMINICA, WHERE NATURE TAKES ON A SURREAL FORM, BRIEF, OFTEN BRIGHT DRESSES AND SKIRTS HAVE THE VIVID QUALITY OF TROPICAL FLOWERS AND PLANTS. DIOR'S SILK CHIFFON BUSTIER DRESS. AT DIOR. 800.929.DIOR. [ILLUSTRATION...

The Month In Fashion.
March 1, 2009... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh To catch a thief...closed for business...what a doll. Tough times call for tough measuresand a little silliness. IT'S A STEAL In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it heist that would have made Thomas Crown proud,...

The Italian Job.(Giorgio Armani's flagship store on Fifth Avenue)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh For his new megaflagship on New York's Fifth Avenue, Giorgio Armani took his cue from the high-low mix currently dominating fashion. The 43,000-square-foot store, set to open in mid-February, offers the entire world...

A Dog's Life.(Roberto Cavalli launches fashion collection for pets)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh Dogs are man's best friend, but at casa Roberto Cavalli, the designer's wife, Eva, is the most passionate animal lover. The couple have two monkeys, seven parrots, three cats, one iguana and more horses than they...

Heavens To Betsey.(Betsey Johnson's designs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Byline: DANIELLE STEIN Many in fashion can be described as marching to the beat of their own drummer, but Betsey Johnson has always danced to the beat of her own band. Since 1965, when she got her start as in-house designer for the New...

Just Like That.
March 1, 2009... Byline: ELISA LIPSKY-KARASZ Photograph by ERIC RAY DAVIDSON Most 15-year-olds who start bands play the school gym. Not so for The Like, an alternative-pop trio consisting of Elizabeth "Z" Berg, Charlotte Froom and Tennessee Thomas, whose...

Agent Provocateur.(Madonna)
March 1, 2009... Byline: JULIE L. BELCOVE March Leave it to Madonna to have the last laugh. With the tabloid media in a frenzy over the 50-year-old's divorce from Guy Ritchie and alleged dalliance with 33-year-old New York Yankees slugger Alex...

Readers React.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... The Pitts When I received the February issue of W , I was amazed by the cover photograph of Brad Pitt. How awesome that he and Angelina Jolie have chosen to share their lives and thoughts with us, both here and in the November issue of W....

Uncensored.
March 1, 2009... Sheikh Style Many are fearing the worst for Paris's legendary HA[acute accent]tel Lambert. In 2007 when Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani bought the 17th-century mansion (designed by Versailles architect Le Vau) from the Rothschild...

Trend: Steeling Beauty.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Byline: VENESSA LAU PHOTO BY ANTHONY COTSIFAS; STYLED BY MARCUS TEO Gear up this season with some heavy metal. Designers have been courting high shine on the runways for several seasons now. This spring, though, their love for luster...

It Takes Two.(Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Still lifes by JENS MORTENSEN VENESSA LAU ... and then some. With help from friends, a pair of Chicago designers hit the scene. For their fall 2008 debut, Creatures of the Wind designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters were...

Shabby Chic.(Yigal Azrouel's designs)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Photographs by CHRISTINA PAIGE SARAH HAIGHT Armed with an unpolished aesthetic and a serious knack for draping, Yigal AzrouA'l is carving his own niche. On Yigal AzrouA'l's desk in his seventh-floor studio above New York's West...

Easy Rider.(Kimberly Ovitz)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Photograph by AMANDA MARSALIS VENESSA LAU Kimberly Ovitz makes her mark with a grungy, equestrian-inspired line. We're all up to speed on the rich-kid stereotype. Gossip Girl' s preening Blair Waldorf, for example, or the Palm...

Power Player.(Diego Della Valle)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Photograph by THIBAULT MONTAMAT ANDREW ROBERTS Tod's founder Diego Della Valle is building an empire, replete with a soccer team, a film studio and high-speed trains. Della Valle has become a pillar of Italian capitalism,...

Step Lively.(shoe brand, Vouelle by Regan de Vogele)
March 1, 2009... Byline: Photograph by JENS MORTENSEN SARAH HAIGHT New French label Vouelle is enchanting girls-about-town, one festooned chaussure at a time. Her wedding was mere days away, but Melissa Regansoon to become Melissa Regan de Vogelewas...

Heir Force One.(Silvia Venturini Fendi)
March 1, 2009... Byline: VENESSA LAU Portrait by DANILO SCARPATI With It bags and umpteen family negotiations behind her, what's next for Silvia Fendi? "I think the word 'luxury' has been overused to mean expensiveness," says Fendi. "Real luxury is...

The Life Aquatic.
March 1, 2009... Byline: Photographs by JOHN AQUINO Designers make a splash this season with a luxe waterside vibe, from sea creature appliques and textures to knotty nautical prints. Rolex 18k yellow gold Submariner watch, $27,250 , at Rolex,...

Light Show.(spring makeup)
March 1, 2009... Byline: JAMIE ROSEN Photograph by JENS MORTENSEN A sweet and saturated pastel palette defines the spring makeup season. Just as Easter eggs and freshly cut tulips signal the start of spring, so, too, do pastel hues. Each year light...

Bright Future.
March 1, 2009... Byline: JANE LARKWORTHY AND JAMIE ROSEN As warm weather approaches, W reports the latest news in sun protection. When it comes to skincare, we live in an age of quick fixes, from serums that promise to plump wrinkles on contact to...

Singing Sensation.(Scott Kessler, doctor to singers)
March 1, 2009... Byline: DANA WOOD Photographs by LEE CLOWER Scott Kessler M.D. tends to the vocal cords of some of music's biggest voices. As doctor's office walls of fame go, Scott Kessler's are a doozy. While most high-profile physicians have an...

Precious And Few.
March 1, 2009... Byline: JANE LARKWORTHY Photograph by JOHN LAWTON To create a skincare collection, Bulgari brought its prized gems to the laboratory. Bulgari, the storied Italian jewelry firm known for its bold and bright gem-bedecked pieces, is used...

Talking Back.
March 1, 2009... Byline: DANIELLE STEIN Photograph by TIERNEY GEARON Late night's newest host, Jimmy Fallon , hopes to win over America by showing just how likable he really is. Jimmy Fallon is sitting in a crummy-looking chair in his new corner office...

What Goes Around.
March 1, 2009... "[Stephen] would have been hiding in a corner," said Sprouse's mother. They say everything old is new again. That was certainly true when Louis Vuitton hosted a January bash in honor of Stephen Sprouse, the late fashion designer who...

Hail To McQueen.(Steve McQueen)
March 1, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER BAGLEY Portrait by BERT TEUNISSEN British artist Steve McQueen makes his debut at the cineplex with the harrowing film Hunger. The executives at Britain's Channel 4, which cofinanced Hunger , the first feature film...

Escape Artists.(celebrities' vacations)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Celebrities stormed St. Barths and Aspen over the holidays. As the rest of the world cut back , designers and celebrities cut loose in their beloved winter vacation spots. Brit chanteuses Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen (with her latest fling,...

Rare Bird.(Daphne Guinness)
March 1, 2009... Byline: JAMES REGINATO Photograph by MARIO TESTINO With her new fragrance, Daphne Guinness continues her transformation from muse to designer. It doesn't take long to see why Daphne Guinness has earned her reputation as the fashion...

Violent Reaction.
March 1, 2009... Byline: MARSHALL HEYMAN Photographs by SIAN KENNEDY Dark, edgy and sophisticated, Watchmen proves that director Zack Snyder can do more than just blood and gore. Filmmaker Zack Snyder doesn't believe in restraint. In his debut feature,...

Shape-Shifters.
March 1, 2009... Change is in the air, and in this issue. In our feature BLAME IT ON RIO , Madonna morphs yet again, turning into a haughty blond beauty surrounded by handsome toy boys. Her high-contrast clothes are dark, fitted and sleek. In LAW & ORDER , some...

Blame It On Rio Madonna.
March 1, 2009... Byline: PHOTOGRAPHED BY STEVEN KLEIN STYLED BY ARIANNE PHILLIPS AMID SULTRY SETTINGS AND IRRESISTIBLE DISTRACTIONS, MADONNA FALLS UNDER THE SPELL OF RIO DE JANEIRO. Online extras! Log on to wmag.com to revisit Madonna's previous...

Law & Order.
March 1, 2009... Byline: PHOTOGRAPHED BY STEVEN MEISEL STYLED BY ALEX WHITE STYLISH GIRLS PLAY JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, WEARING ABBREVIATED EVENING LOOKS AND LINGERIE IN COMPROMISING SITUATIONS, IN CATFIGHTS AND EVEN BEHIND BARS. CAPTION(S): BOTTEGA...

Time Warp.
March 1, 2009... Byline: STYLED BY ALEX WHITE PHOTOGRAPHED BY CRAIG McDEAN WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? IT JUST MAY BE SOME AERODYNAMIC LOOKS WITH SPACE-AGE OR EIGHTIES FLAVOR THAT CAPTURE MOVEMENT IN THEIR SHAPES AND DETAILS. CAPTION(S): FENDI'S...

Dominica.
March 1, 2009... Byline: photographed by JUERGEN TELLER styled by CAMILLA NICKERSON IN THE LEAFY EDEN OF DOMINICA, WHERE NATURE TAKES ON A SURREAL FORM, BRIEF, OFTEN BRIGHT DRESSES AND SKIRTS HAVE THE VIVID QUALITY OF TROPICAL FLOWERS AND PLANTS. ...

Louise's D.C. Dictum.(Louise J. Esterhazy take on Barack Obama's fashion style)
March 1, 2009... Byline: LOUISE J. ESTERHAZY The Countess believes our new president has what it takes to be commander in chic. The U.S. has a new, good-looking, different president. At last! And when I spotted him on the beach in Hawaii through the...