W articles from May 2005

W archives from May 2005

The Tisci touch.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... Putting an end to one of the lengthiest searches in recent fashion history, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has tapped Riccardo Tisci to design Givenchy. The relatively unknown Italian faces an extraordinary challenge as Givenchy has struggled...

Scents and the city.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... Sarah Jessica Parker adores Oscar de la Renta, Narciso Rodriguez and Alber Elbaz, but she has no intention of following in their fashionable footsteps. Instead, she is following her nose, having signed a deal with Coty Inc.'s Lancaster division...

Mall makeover.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... The retail industry was abuzz in February when Federated Department Stores, parent to Macy's and Bloomingdale's, clinched a deal to buy May Department Stores, owner of May, Marshall Field's and Lord & Taylor. The deal, worth a whopping $17...

Bono's garden of Edun.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... The celebrity designer is hardly a new phenomenon, but the latest entry brings a different dimension to the trend. Bono, U2's frontman, recently launched Edun, a socially conscious clothing line, with his wife, Ali Hewson, and cult denim...

Happy birthday.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... Le Book, the fashion industry's very chic answer to the Yellow Pages, is marking its 25th anniversary with a celebratory issue designed with Hermes. The luxury house provided modern prints for the cover, section tabs and various pages inside."...

Donna on display.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... When Donna Karan's husband, sculptor Stephan Weiss, passed away in 2001, he left his wife with the large space in New York's West Village that had served as his studio. Karan wanted the location to carry on her husband's legacy, so in March she...

Growing pains.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... Some of New York's most celebrated young designers hit a rough patch following February's Fashion Week. Behnaz Sarafpour said au revoir to business partner Phoebe Gubelmann, who has decided to take some time off from fashion, and Tuleh designer...

A front-row first.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... First Lady Laura Bush is obviously well aware of the fact that, ever since Jackie Kennedy introduced fashion with a capital F to the White House, a presidential spouse's sense of style has gone hand in hand with her approval ratings. Lately,...

Motorcycle diaries.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... The Vespa has long been a celebrated example of great 20th-century design--it even earned a place in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. Now, students from New York's Parsons School of Design are using the bike as inspiration,...

Underneath it all.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2005... Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Jeffrey New York have a new neighbor: Underpinnings expert Catriona MacKechnie recently opened the doors of her eponymous boutique on West 14th Street. Eager to bring an avant-garde edge to lingerie, the...

Super woman.(Flashback)
May 1, 2005... In the early Nineties, it was almost impossible to flip through the pages of a fashion magazine without seeing the almond-shaped eyes, razor-sharp cheekbones and aquiline profile of Linda Evangelista. She famously boasted that she didn't get...

Laddies of the Canyon.(Fast Forward)
May 1, 2005... One's a little bit country club, the other's a whole lot rock 'n' roll. Guitarist Colin Duchin and singer Kevin Martin, the two principals behind the Los Angeles band the HiWatts, may be the most unlikely rock duo on record. Duchin is the son...

Buddy system.(Letter From the Editors)
May 1, 2005... May There's nothing like a wedding to let you know where you stand with a friend. Bridesmaid? You're in. Table by the kitchen, a labyrinthine hike from the dance floor? Don't expect a kidney should you need one. The bride tells you the...

The parent trap.(Readers React)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I was sad that Lindsay Lohan decided to publicly discuss her parents' divorce ("Lindsay Lohan," April). I was also sad to see that she seems so unwilling to reach out to her father when he clearly needs her support. I met Mr. Lohan on a plane...

American Idol.(Readers React)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I finally had the chance to read the wonderful article on Deeda Blair ("Deeda Moves On," January). What a woman! She's my new role model. Cities across the country should be fighting to get the Blairs as residents. Letitia Williams ...

Beasts of burden.(Readers React)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... At first glance, the images of elephants in evening-wear ("Trunk Show," January) seem lighthearted and whimsical, but this is an issue that deserves a second look. The best place for wild animals is in a natural environment. We discourage W's...

Lions and tigers and affairs, Oh my.(Readers React)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... In "Out of Africa" (March), Natasha IllumBerg came across as a very prideful woman, proud of having an affair with a married man and, more abhorrently, proud of being a big-game hunter and murdering innocent animals. Rather than "apprenticing...

Worlds apart.(Readers React)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Vive la Countess for criticizing the European Commission ("Louise Goes Global," March) and its bureaucratic campaign for cultural monotony Whether here in the American South or in the South of Belgium, we all must combat the growing threat of...

A winning combination.(Readers React)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott have done it again; their photos of Kate Moss ("Glamazon," March) are absolutely stunning. The images recall some of the most distinct styles of the 20th century: Helmut Newton's sensuous chiaroscuro, Robert...

The price is a right.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2005... Only a year after Madonna won a court battle to keep ramblers off her English country estate, the British government has launched a Web site that allows the public intimate access of another sort. Anyone can now see selling prices for all...

Best bet.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2005... With the curtain about to rise on the pricey renovations of L.A.'s landmark Argyle and Roosevelt hotels, one entrepreneur has fallen for a more challenging fixer-upper: Best Western's Beverly Pavilion. Jason Pomeranc, who co-owns 60 Thompson in...

Reel to royal.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2005... Versailles is filling up again with bluebloods, but this time around they'll be mingling with Hollywood royalty. The filming of Sofia Coppola's upcoming biopic about Marie Antoinette is said to be drawing Paris's beau monde to the palace:...

Blue mood.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2005... A question that has nagged New York socialites for the past year--just what is Rena Sindi doing living in Singapore?--found at least a partial answer in March, when Sindi threw what was by many accounts that hemisphere's party of the year....

Doris's day.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2005... The closet isn't a typical stop on a tour of one of the grand old mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, hut no matter, now that the fashions of one of the summer resort's most famous ghosts are about to see the light of day. Doris Duke's fabulous...

Dallas, the movie.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2005... Who shot J.R.?" was once a question that gripped America. Now Hollywood is wondering who's going to play him--and all the other denizens of Southfork--in the film version of Dallas, brought to the screen by director Robert Luketic (Legally...

Living in i-style: fashion's latest romance with technology makes going digital a very chic affair.(Trend)
May 1, 2005... The relationship between high fashion and high tech hasn't always been easy: "We've been begging designers since we started four years ago to design a cute laptop case something that Kate Moss would carry:" says Nathalie Massenet, founder of...

Diamond delight.(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... DELIGHT AND SURPRISE YOUR SENSES WITH THE ELEGANCE AND SIMPLICITY OF GEORG JENSEN DIAMOND JEWELRY. 100 COLLECTION Pendant ($4,300) and earrings ($8,000) in 18 karat white gold with pave set diamonds. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Dark angels: black is back, as fashion undergoes a seismic shift.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2005... You know something's up when Rei Kawakubo is on trend. The abundance over the past few seasons of lady-cum-boho-cum-granny retro regalia also resulted in a theme of a different sort: redundancy. Thus, industry insiders were expecting high-drama...

Classical jazz.
May 1, 2005... Black is the ultimate classic. And though some looks used the hue in traditionally chic silhouettes, there was nothing basic about Jil Sander's stark simplicity or Narciso Rodriguez's subtle sexiness. Giorgio Armani [ILLUSTRATION...

Getting punk'd.
May 1, 2005... The raw edges of punk and glam rock in some collections took fall to the smoky fringes of style. CBGB, meet Fifth Avenue. Jean Paul Gautier [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Christian Dior [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yohji Yamaotto ...

Girls' night.
May 1, 2005... Much like the world's most skillful chocolatiers, designers proved that sweet and dark are a consummate coupling. Melancholy never looked pettier. Vera Wang [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Louis Vuitton [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Le noir sportif.
May 1, 2005... From Junya Watanabe's street urchin to Valentino's pants-clad beauties, a boyish spirit wove its way through the collections. But as Ralph Lauren and Hermes proved, the sporting life can still be luxe. Dolce & Gabbana [ILLUSTRATION...

Siren call.
May 1, 2005... Sex appeal is never demode, and it's still important for fall. This season, however, femme fatales will slink in obsidian and onyx-cut into vampy, curve-hugging gowns and sultry little black dresses. Carolina Herrera [ILLUSTRATION...

Gorey glamour.
May 1, 2005... The shadowy beauty of a dried rose and the wonderfully sinister charm of Edward Gorey drawings--these were the essence of some looks that trained a stylish eye on the somber and slightly macabre. Rochas [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The Tao of design: Tao Kurihara delights the fashion world with a new avant-garde collection for Comme des Garcons.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2005... In Japan, it's called enryo, a supreme void of ego that demonstrates complete dedication to the group. Westerners might call it a state of hyperactive humility Either way, designer Tao Kurihara is a prime example. She says that she never...

How sweet it is: with her flirtatious, sugar-and-spice designs, mother of five Luisa Beccaria has created a flourishing business.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2005... Not every teenager worries about being overweight. Designer Luisa Beccaria's problem as an adolescent was exactly the opposite: Because of her rail-thin frame, she had trouble finding clothes that fit, which meant lots of visits to her mother's...

Swinging singles: a crop of glamorous new rings features stones that refuse to be tied down.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2005... Earrings dangle and necklaces sway, but rings tend to be a stiffer, more humorless affair: They won't waver even after an ardent handshake, a grand gesture or a twirl on the dance floor. But thanks to dangling slivers of ruby and shivering...

Slim packings: excess baggage dragging you down? This season tiny bags are ready for takeoff.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2005... With fewer extraneous surfaces and nary a fanciful embellishment, the new bags for spring are cleaner, more user-friendly and, in many cases, simply smaller. Miu Miu's petite proletarian suede satchel with a long, thin shoulder strap keeps the...

Shore things: subtle simplicity washes over beach fashion this spring as designers shed the jewels and prints.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2005... In sharp contrast to the more-is-more, bauble-bedecked Talitha Getty look that has dominated beachwear in recent seasons, a wave of minimalism is hitting our shores. The new look is understated glamour with a futuristic bent: a simple,...

Good sports: from the polo field to the Pilates mat, these unfussy pieces always come in first.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2005... Women in running shorts and yoga gear need something special to complete their athletic looks, and designers have risen to the occasion this spring with sporty watches and bracelets that mix supreme functionality with a touch of luxe....

Past perfect.(Distinctive Tastes)
May 1, 2005... Given the faded Levi's hanging in his stores and the dozens of antique cars parked in his garage, it's no secret that Ralph Lauren is a lover of all things vintage. The designer looked to the past for his spring ready-to-wear collection,...

Orange crush.(Distinctive Tastes)
May 1, 2005... With the invasion of multipocketed handbags with dangling mini purses, it stands to reason that a lady might feel a little wistful for the good old days of the basic tote. Smythson, a brand known for its elegant stationery and leather-bound...

China girl.(Distinctive Tastes)
May 1, 2005... China's fashionable city dwellers long ago exchanged the gray and dark-blue palette of Communist-era uniforms for a look that is more now than Mao. Giorgio Armani knows this, of course, and has centrally located boutiques in the chicest...

Right in the Kissa.(Distinctive Tastes)
May 1, 2005... Former model Fatim Blondeau's handbag collection, Kissa, was no bored-backstage vanity project. Blondeau, 30, studied with a local tailor in her native Mali before moving to Paris in the early Nineties for a more formal education in fashion....

Flight patterns: Madrid or Moscow? Wherever the destination, these bold and graphic looks will get you there in style.(Shopping)
May 1, 2005... 1 Bulgari Gold and diamond necklace, $10,500, at select Bulgari stores [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 Rena Lange Nylon trolley, $645, at Saks Jandel, Chevy Chase, Maryland; renalange.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 Ports 1961...

Vision quest: the beauty on the fall runways was red, hot and inspired.(Beauty Flash)
May 1, 2005... Is it the clothes themselves that sell? Or is it the dream? It's easy to forget that sometimes the most memorable fashion fantasies are created not through hemlines and puffed sleeves, but by cool-girl eyeliner and showstopping hair. At the...

Bond No. 9--Eau De New York.(spring beauty chic)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Inspired by the high-speed, sense-awakening energy of New York, Eau de New York is captivatingly sexy, enticing and racy. The invigorating unisex scent is a blend of citrusy fruits, exotic flowers and fresh greens, with lingering base notes of...

Acqua Di Parma.(spring beauty chic)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Acqua Di Parma, with its trademark understated distinction, presents the world of Blu Mediterraneo; a collection of fragrances and body care products made exclusively from pure and natural ingredients. Shown is Arancia Di Capri, a smooth blend...

Awake.(spring beauty chic)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Awake Vital Express is a unique Vitamin-C treatment featuring the most advanced Japanese technology, helping to minimize fine lines, brighten skin and maximize collagen production. Starting out as a powder, it transforms into a cooling liquid...

AMOREPACIFIC.(spring beauty chic)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Introducing AMOREPACIFIC's Time Response Skin Renewal Creme. This unprecedented creme reactivates the youthful memory of aging skin. A patented 24-hour time-release, nano-delivery formula works continuously for optimum skin wellness. Available...

Feeling it: an in-demand Parisian guru buffs up minds and bodies--with her self-proclaimed psychic powers.(Beauty Flash)
May 1, 2005... Parisians, as a rule, aren't too keen on exercise. But Marine Mechin, a petite, muscled 35-year-old, is no ordinary exercise instructor. Twice a week, 15 to 20 women cram into a tiny studio at her Eden Institute, located in a stately...

Molton Brown.(spring beauty chic)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Luxury, handcrafted-sophisticatedly aromatic and understated, the Molton Brown signature collection of fine hand washes and lotions are the perfect accent to stylish sinks everywhere. To experience the full range of product, visit the...

Spring fever: good day, sunshine: this season, feel-good beauty is popping up like dandelions.(Beauty Chic)
May 1, 2005... [Gold Standard] [H.sub.2] Half perfume, half toner, Korres Body Water comes in seven different scents, including Coriander, Vanilla Cinnamon and Basil Lemon. By comparison, that classic spring-water mister seems rather boring, $18. At...

The best in day spas and skin care salons.(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... East Coast: Elizabeth Grady Skin Care Salons (800) FACIALS 40 salons in 5 states: CT, MA, NH, NY & NC website: www.elizabethgrady.com "Business is beautiful[R]" John P. Walsh, President Word of mouth--that's how we got to be known for...

Mad scramble.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... Back-to-back galas create a potential nightmare for any member of New York's social crowd for at least one reason: It means finding not one perfect dress, but two. Still, most of those attending the Winter Ball for the Museum of the City of New...

Charles and Camilla's inner circle: the royal newlyweds love to throw a party. Here is who's on their list.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... The Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles may be out from the shadows, but don't expect to see the newlyweds socializing at San Lorenzo, mingling with the fashion crowd or collecting new celebrity pals. Charles and Camilla's social...

Anything goes.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... The Parisian contemporary art world cut loose--maybe a little too loose--at Maxim's after the opening of the provocative "Dionysiac" exhibit at the Pompidou Center in February. Featuring such outrageous works as Kendell Geers's phallic...

Musique man.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... "The fashion world is so conformist," says Parisian hipster Bertrand Burgalat. "If you're not a Hedi Slimane look-alike then they think you're an idiot." Burgalat, a musician who has worked with Air and Nick Cave and sings like a latter-day...

The producers: will the touch-and-go revival of Sweet Charity keep the Weisslers on a winning streak?(EYE)
May 1, 2005... Sometime in February, when the revival of Sweet Charity, which is now set to open on Broadway in May, was having its tryout in Minneapolis, producer Barry Weissler decided that the show's original ending wasn't working. In the musical's first...

Short, not sweet: nice guy Martin Short brings his not-so-nice alter ego, Jiminy Glick, to the big screen.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... When Martin Short's talk-show spoof Primetime Glick debuted on Comedy Central four years ago, even the program's fans wondered how it could possibly last more than a season. After all, almost every episode required two celebrity guests, and few...

Empire falls.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... Seventeenth-century chic may conjure visions of plumed hats, ringleted updos and corseted bosoms, but few revelers at the Frick Collection's Golden Age dance in February took the invitation's commandment to heart. While there were the...

Gershwin reprise.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... It's hard to forget the near perfection of Gene Kelly dancing through Vincente Minnelli's 1951 film An American in Paris. But in May, resident choreoqrapher Christopher Wheeldon takes the Gershwin music for a swing with a new one-act at the New...

What's New, Buenos Aires? Tory Burch recruits a few chic pals to celebrate the opening of Argentina's Hotel Faena.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... Nothing in Argentina starts on time, so it comes as a surprise to no one when Tory Burch arrives late to the weekend she's organized for several of her friends in Buenos Aires. Burch shows up at the Hotel Faena, a new Philippe Starck--designed...

Mi Casa, Su Casa.
May 1, 2005... When he first moved to Buenos Aires from New York, in 2000, to take a job at a private equity firm, Juan Santa Cruz didn't have much of a social life. "I didn't know a single soul," he says. "My phone wouldn't ring for days. It was so...

The power to freeze time.(Modern necessities)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... DermaFreeze365[TM], with its patent pending Gaba Biox[TM] formula, delivers results other face creams only promise. Clinical trials on women ages 3560 showed a 50%90% reduction in the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles in just ten minutes....

Bye, bye ingrown hairs and razor bumps!(Modern necessities)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Tend Skin[R] Liquid reduces the appearance of unsightly ingrown hairs and razor bumps from women's legs, bikini lines and underarms; as well as men's faces and necks from shaving, waxing, electrolysis or laser hair removal. Visible results--24...

Jaded luxury.(Modern necessities)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Jaded, located on fashionable Madison Avenue, is patronized by members of New York society and Hollywood celebrities. This couture boutique presents a new spring collection of semi-precious stone jewelry that is both affordable and finely...

Simple solutions for sexy summer skin.(Modern necessities)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... World-renowned, Harvard trained plastic surgeon, biochemist and best selling author, Dr. Michelle Copeland has shared her skin care secrets with thousands of men and women worldwide, including many celebrities. Now her skin care secrets are...

Cause celeb.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... At the opening of Roberto Cavalli's Rodeo Drive store this winter, a newly engaged Christina Aguilera waved her diamond and platinum ring, designed by Stephen Webster, in front of Salma Hayek's face, exclaiming, "Look!" Hayek indulged the pop...

Tough love: Francine du Plessix Gray pens an unsparing memoir of her legendary parents.(EYE)
May 1, 2005... You will write about me sometime, dear, won't you?" Francine du Plessix Gray remembers her mother, Tatiana Liberman, entreating her a couple of decades ago, near the end of her long and eventful life, which began with the Russian Revolution and...

Neutral territory.(May)
May 1, 2005... The new black is, well, black. After many seasons of vivid colors and acres of ornamentation, a simpler, more streamlined look, often rendered in dark colors, is gathering force. This month, "La Belle Natalie" celebrates the beauty of actress...

La Belle: with a golden globe and a Harvard degree, the Star Wars queen blasts off into the stratosphere.(Profile)
May 1, 2005... It's s well-known fact that movie stars are smaller in the flesh than they appear on the big screen. (In actuality, J. Lo's booty, for example, isn't much bigger than most women's.) So you can just imagine how little space Natalie Portman--an...

Action figure: who's afraid of the dark? Not designers, whose latest looks for evening have an avant-garde edge. And with their fluid fabrics and high-slit panels, they're also built to move.
May 1, 2005... Dolce & Gabbana Beachwear's polyamide and elastin bikini, at select Saks Fifth Avenue stores; www.dolcegabbana.it. 877.70.DGUSA. Costume National necklaces: Mizuno gloves; Levante socks; Helmut Lang shoes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Lights, camera, Ashton! Ashton Kutcher is speechless.(Profile)
May 1, 2005... He stares into his cappuccino as if hoping to find his composure there, but the cup holds only caffeinated dregs. It's the morning after the Oscars, a cool and overcast day in Los Angeles, and scuttling clouds cast a chill over the garden...

Heat stroke: for a holiday in Puerto Rico, some surprisingly citified spring looks: patterned raincoats, little black dresses and siren numbers.
May 1, 2005... From left: Celine's silk jersey dress, at Celine, New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, 866.600.4121. Nirvana Designs hat; Kate Sears scarf; Fogal Hosiery; Miu Miu shoes. Ralph Lauren's belted silk dress, at Bergdorf Goodman, New York; select...

The high life: in famously elite St. Moritz, one private club looms over the rest: the Corviglia Ski Club, the city's nearly impregnable social summit.
May 1, 2005... Whoever invented the term "social climbing" must have had the Corviglia Ski Club in mind. Perched on a powdery plateau 8,000 feet above the glittering village of St. Moritz, it is virtually impenetrable to outsiders, be they billionaire...