W articles from May 2006

W archives from May 2006

Ford Dealership.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2006... Tom Ford's fashion comeback has been predicted practically since the day he left Gucci in 2004. In late February, after dipping his toe in the beauty business with Estee Lauder and designing sunglasses with the Marcolin Group, Ford and his...

Sander sale.(The Month in Fashion)(Jil Sander AG sold to Change Capital Markets)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Jil Sander aesthetic is often described as serene and sedate, but behind the scenes the label has been in a state of tumult for years. In 1999 Sander sold the label to Prada, only to exit five months later after clashes with Prada chief...

Cutie couture.(The Month in Fashion)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The fashion world is abuzz with baby talk this season. In February, J. Crew unveiled Crewcuts, a collection of preppy classics resized for the two-to-eight-year-old set. The line offers J. Crew staples like cashmere turtlenecks, rugby shirts...

Raps to riches.(The Month in Fashion)(new fashion collection from LL Cool J )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... LL Cool J loves the spotlight as much as the next hip-hop star, but for his new fashion collection he's taking more of a behind-the-scenes approach. Rather than use his well-known stage moniker, the rapper-turned-actor has created a...

Coach class.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2006... With its logoed handbags and leather totes selling like hot babkas, Coach president and executive creative director Reed Krakoff always insisted that he wasn't interested in ready-to-wear. But it seems Krakoff couldn't resist the of-the-moment...

Vera deals.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2006... The big talk on the first day of New York Fashion Week in February: Vera Wang was being courted by Irvine, California--based fashion house St. John to be its creative director. St. John has been looking to steer the business in a more...

All-star rags.(The Month in Fashion)(John Varvatos and Converse Inc introduce apparel line)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... For three and a half years designer John Varvatos has been lending his signature style to Converse sneakers, coming up with slip-on Chuck Taylors and sleek Jack Purcells with two-tone rubber soles. The collaboration has been so successful that...

Big in Japan.(The Month in Fashion)(Ralph Lauren store in Omotesando, Tokyo)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... In recent years Tokyo has become known as the world's most rapidly churning trend factory. One week, Japanese fashion fanatics are perming their hair into Afros, fake-baking and gluing in gold teeth to look like American hip hoppers, and the...

Seeing spots.(Flashback)
May 1, 2006... Before Winona Ryder, Sofia Coppola and Rachel Feinstein, there was Tiger the dalmatian. In the early Nineties the spotted pooch was not only Marc Jacobs's best friend, but a trusted adviser and constant source of inspiration. "Believe it or...

Center stage.(Fast Forward)(The American Ballet Theatre soloist David Hallberg)(Biography)
May 1, 2006... In a sunny dance studio three flights above the congested streets of lower Manhattan, David Hallberg is struggling to catch his breath. The American Ballet Theatre soloist has just finished rehearsing the manege sequence in the third act of Le...

Taking cover.(Letter From the Editors)(magazine cover design)(Editorial)
May 1, 2006... May If the number of letters W receives about its cover choices is any indication, the readers of this magazine are more than a little opinionated about who has a right to that prime glossy real estate. There are the pro--Brad and Angelina...

The Simpson case.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... It was wonderful to hear Jessica Simpson speak out about coping with the recent changes in her life ("The Simpson," April). Although she has received a lot of scrutiny over her divorce, I admire her strength in making such a difficult decision....

The frizz factor.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Many thanks for the story "Curls Gone Wild" (March). Finally, recognition is given to those who constantly have trials and tribulations over their wavy manes. As a curly-haired woman, I felt both informed on curl care and incredibly fashionable...

Fashion police.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I was stunned and disappointed by the two March fashion shoots that depicted models smoking ("La Sauvage" and "La Plage"). Cigarettes are disgusting and deadly, not beautiful and glamorous. An accurate portrayal of a smoker wouldn't be a...

Beautfiful faces.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Your recent article about models losing cosmetics contracts to actresses ("A. Revised Model," March) really helped to shed light on the phenomenon taking over not only the beauty industry but also fashion publications--W included. Magazine...

Wild for Witherspoon.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Thank you for featuring the talented Reese Witherspoon ("She Is Reese--Hear Her Roar," February). She is an ethereal beauty, and her emphasis on instilling proper morals and values in children is a true inspiration. Ms. Witherspoon redefines...

Les Enfants Terribles.(UNCENSORED)(Celine Inc. auctions customized bags for charity)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Celine asked 19 celebrity moppets, including the children of Madonna, Audrey Marnay and Emmanuelle Beart, to customize its canvas Poulbot bag. The French fashion house sent along the necessary equipment, from felt-tip pens to feathers....

Hair today.(UNCENSORED)(Rudy's plans full-fledged salon)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Now that Rudy's, the retro-chic West Coast barbershop chain, has inspired scores of knockoffs, it's opening its first full-fledged salon. Clients who've outgrown Rudy's hallmarks--blaring Sonic Youth, vintage porn on the walls--can instead go...

Harried at Harrods.(UNCENSORED)
May 1, 2006... Britain has been described as a nation of shopkeepers, and that clearly applies to the posh folks too. Countess Raine Spencer, the stepmother Princess Diana and her siblings loved to hate, has bean spotted stacking shelves and working the tills...

Christensen's crusade.(UNCENSORED)(Helena Christensen participates in Fund for Christinia)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Helena Christensen's hippie ethos goes way beyond the sartorial. The former model is helping spearhead the Fund for Christiania to save the self-governing Danish commune from the hands of luxury-housing developers. (Denmark is about to pass a...

Toute Suite.(UNCENSORED)(Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel renovation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... In the the late 1930s, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who had a three-year affair before marrying in 1939, used the penthouse at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for their secret rendezvous. Soon, it will be available to their modern-day...

What's cooking.(UNCENSORED)(Villa San Michele School of Cookery offers new classes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... For those who have ever wondered if rich people's food tastes better, there is now an educational course in that particular way of the world. The Villa San Michele School of Cookery near Florence offers a class titled Aristocratic Cuisine,...

New angled: these chic shapes, by way of MoMA, stack up for a season of graphically stylish looks.(Trend)
May 1, 2006... In fashion, the old saying about life imitating art often rings true. It certainly chimed beautifully through Donna Karan's spring-summer collection, which was filled with broad, bold strokes of color that paid obvious homage to Franz Kline,...

A touch of the poet: an air of mystery wafted through the fall collections in Paris, Milan and London, and it wasn't just because of a darker palette. The overall mood was one of poetic gravity.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2006... Moody, broody, beautiful--and in conflict, though not conflicted. The European collections were all of the above, making for a season of two-tiered intrigue. Most obviously, an aura of mystery permeated the shows. Secondly, if women embrace...

Crusader chic.
May 1, 2006... "I'm tired of all that passive, sweet femininity that tries to appeal to everybody," Miuccia Prada said when queried about the unsubtle aggressiveness of her Prada collection. "We women should go back to some strength." With the designer in the...

Wild things.(fashion trends this season)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The forces of nature preyed on the season with powerful results. Ready-to-wear's fascination with fur continued, and it turned up everywhere, often in wildly demonstrative ways. Which is not to say same-old same-old; anything but. The plethora...

Delicate matters.
May 1, 2006... Dark has many guises. For every bold stroke in this time of high drama, one could find an alternate gentility, albeit often of the eerie variety. While ghost references and other ominous show tricks went a long way in setting the mood, an...

Getting dressed.
May 1, 2006... On the subject of the new trends, words like "sober," "protective" and "aggressive" will get most of the attention. But every grand motif has its practical applications. One of fall's realities is that the new clothes require effort. Now,...

Comfort clothes.
May 1, 2006... Bundling up doesn't always mean a girl has a chip on her shoulder; sometimes she just wants to get cozy. Come fall she can do it in the most luxuriously beefy knits we've seen in maW a chilly winter. Demonstrative popcorns, cables, melanges and...

Dour power: with fashion suddenly smitten with all things dark and brooding, will Belgian designers rise again?(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2006... Had Sex and the City been set in Antwerp in the late Nineties rather than Manhattan, the characters might have discussed--over biere blanche, not cosmos--their passion for Ann Demeulemeester riding boots instead of Jimmy Choo stilettos. That...

School ties: London's ultracool designer-artist commune is way off the East End's beaten path.(Fashion Flash)(Rochelle School)
May 1, 2006... Taking advantage of a rare sunny February morning in London, 12-year-old Hector Henderson is playing football, the British kind, in the grassy courtyard outside an old schoolhouse. The wannabe Beckham kicks away, blissfully unaware that some of...

Forces of nature: edgy flora and fauna light up the night.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2006... Nature has a dark side--one that talented jewelry designers know how to spin into provocative adornments. No flower has a more intriguing history than the orchid, with stories of mysterious love triangles and tales of thievery surrounding the...

The empire strikes back: bronzed and braided accessories pay homage to ancient Rome.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2006... It's been 1,500 years since the fall of Rome, but the empire's hold on the fashion set is stronger than ever. Donatella Versace--who has long had a love affair with toga-type draping--revisited the imperial elan last fall in her costumes for...

A fantasy come true: Dior's princess of precious jewels unveils a treasure trove of sweet delights.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2006... High in the gray-toned castle that is Dior's Avenue Montaigne headquarters, in an office brimming with glittering rings, goofy Japanese toys and Disney figurines, the famously girlish and pink-cheeked jewelry designer Victoire de Castellane...

Arch rivals: flat sandals bring spring's voluminous silhouette back down to earth.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2006... Mile-high platforms and wedges may elevate fashion to spectacular levels of retro chic, but a girl can't survive on drama alone. A little grounding is in order. To wit, the recent explosion of ballet flats has led designers to focus similar...

Wild things: glamorous animal prints are made for the urban jungle.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2006... In fashion, the animal pattern is an unruly breed. It can range from safari sportif to feral seduction, depending upon one's mood. This season designers tame the savage beast just a bit, offering stripes and spots as accents in wildly versatile...

Destined for royalty: Princess Margaret's iconic collection of jewels goes on sale at Christie's.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2006... The intimate note, stuffed inside a velvet box, is dated April 15, 1946: "For Darling Margaret on her confirmation day, from her loving grannie, Mary R. God Bless You." Accompanied by a 1920s Art Deco diamond and sapphire bar brooch, it would...

Splendor in the grass: spring is in the air, and what better why to enjoy the season than kicking back with a colorful picnic?(Shopping)
May 1, 2006... Kate Spade Straw and leather tote, $195, at Neiman Marcus; katespade.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nina Ricci Cotton eyelet and satin dress, $2,790, at Neiman Marcus [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Agnona Cashmere and silk blanket,...

Class struggle: when a gym virgin gives group fitness a try, she encounters Jazzercise addicts and front-row rage.(Beauty Flash)
May 1, 2006... One hour into my first jazz-dance class at the West Village outpost of New York's popular Equinox fitness club, I spin in the wrong direction and smack into a petite, middle-aged woman in wire-rim glasses who grunts and throws her arms up like...

Backstage stars: during the fall 2006 collections frenzy, eight products scored major face-time.(Beauty Flash)
May 1, 2006... SPOTTED AT: Diane von Furstenberg, Tracy Reese, Alexander McQueen THE STRATEGY: At DVF, artist Matthew Nigara said he used pixie stick-pink powder to "re-create that Max Factor face." At Tracy Reese, the bright rose powders gave a...

Tangerine dream.(Springtime Bounty: The sudden rush of fresh colors, scents, balms and buffers means it's high time for a shopping spree.)
May 1, 2006... Spray Away MOP C-system Firm Finish Strong Hold Hair Spray has a fresh citrus scent and keeps every strand perfectly in place, $18. mopproducts.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Match Points The blend of vetiver, bergamot, peony and...

First flush.(Springtime Bounty: The sudden rush of fresh colors, scents, balms and buffers means it's high time for a shopping spree.)
May 1, 2006... Pop Eyes Estee Lauder Pure Color eyeliner in Opal Ribbon creates lines as clean and chic as a Courreges mini, $22.50. At Norstrom. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mean Sheen Lancome Juicy Tubes Ultra Shiny Lip Gloss in Cherry Burst...

Grass roots.(Springtime Bounty: The sudden rush of fresh colors, scents, balms and buffers means it's high time for a shopping spree.)
May 1, 2006... Wanted! The newest addition to the Gucci fragrance family, the sexy Gucci Envy Me 2 combines green magnolia and violet leaves with orange oil, purple heliotrope and sandalwood, $62. At Bloomingdale's. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Making...

The musts of Mexico city: in a metropolis of 21 million (and counting), here are a few things not to miss.(Travel Flash)
May 1, 2006... Even on weekdays, lunch at Contramar typically begins at 2:30 and can easy go past 7. On the list of the world's most desirable vacation spots, Mexico City used to rank somewhere between Detroit and San Salvador. Sure, it had ancient ruins...

First-class finds: sybaritic new spas, chic suites in Scotland and the secret side of Sicily.(Travel Flash)
May 1, 2006... FIRST A FACIAL, THEN A FEAST Alain Ducasse knows his way around the weightier side of food, from bechamels to triple cream brie. But lately he's been exploring health-conscious cuisine for his new spa at L'Andana, the stunning 33-room...

Chow fun: with Chinatown Brasserie, the duo behind Lever House learn to wok.(Going Out)
May 1, 2006... New York restaurateur John McDonald saunters into the raw space of his latest eatery in stretch purple Prada pants, English boots and a crisp midnight blue shirt. Amid the swirling clouds of sawdust, dangling electrical wires and the hum of...

Night owls.(EYE)
May 1, 2006... The soirees surrounding the Paris collections started off casually, with denim brand Notify drawing Linda Evangelista, Jessica Alba and Marc Newson to the VIP Room. "They look terrific on Linda, but I look terrible in jeans," purred curvy siren...

On with the show: as curator of one of the year's most anticipated exhibitions, Alison Gingeras is on the rise.(EYE)
May 1, 2006... The daughter of scientists, Gingeras jokes that her interest in art was a form of rebellion. The female nude is hardly a novel artistic subject. But when the bare-bottomed female is a wellknown curator, the artist is her boyfriend and the...

Friends with benefits.(EYE)
May 1, 2006... Neither snow nor ice could prevent Nina Griscom, Muffie Potter Aston, Jamee Gregory, Renee Rockefeller and Samantha Boardman from attending the Museum of the City of New York's annual winter ball, which took place just a day after the city's...

Open houses: these days, the uber rich have a new attitude: why let the vacation house sit idle when it could be earning rent?(EYE)
May 1, 2006... When Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston announced their divorce last year, no one was more shocked than Remi Goldstone. Just days before their public split, the couple had spent the week vacationing in Goldstone's oceanfront Anguilla home. "We had...

Man with a mission: J.J. Abrams takes a giant leap to the big screen with mission: impossible 3.(EYE)(Biography)
May 1, 2006... The most distinctive feature on J.J. Abrams's face is his glasses. They're dark brown and sharply rectangular, and they seem to be glued onto his nose, beneath a gigantic mop of black hair. Abrams can't remember exactly where he bought...

Sweet charity.(EYE)
May 1, 2006... Beauty bonanzas and fundraising fetes: How else would a self-respecting Angeleno spend her precious time? Hollywood types, including Diane Lane and Elizabeth Banks, came out for the 10th and final Saks Fifth Avenue Unforgettable Evening gala...

Easy being green: in California, David Hertz is refining a new architectural hybrid: the luxe eco-home.(EYE)(Biography)
May 1, 2006... Ata Santa Monica cocktail party last year, while architect David Hertz was listening to Hollywood eco-activist Laurie David expound upon the threat of global warming, he politely suggested that she do the planet a favor and commit suicide. ...

Acting out.
May 1, 2006... "It's like, Hello, London? Couldn't you come up with something different? You always do rain," said Felicity Huffman as she braved the soggy red carpet at Spencer House to attend a cocktail party the night before the BAFTAs, along with Rachel...

Playing ball.(Euqenia Silva's experience at the Oscar ceremony)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... One Hollywood rule of thumb is that if you aren't nominated for an Oscar, don't go to the ceremony. But there's another rule of thumb, this one espoused by model and recent law-school grad Euqenia Silva: Try anything once. So Silva and her...

Film.(EYEView: From dueling divas to gold-digging butlers, a look at what's new in the arts this month)(Wah-Wah, Haven)(Movie review)
May 1, 2006... See It [WAH-WAH] Karen Blixen never could have imagined this. Wah-Wah, the directorial debut from actor Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park, Henry & June), records the exact moment the Swinging Sixties arrived in British-ruled Swaziland: when...

Books.(EYEView: From dueling divas to gold-digging butlers, a look at what's new in the arts this month)
May 1, 2006... After 16 years as general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, Joseph Volpe is retiring in August. But he's not going out sotto voce. In his new book, The Toughest Show on Earth (Knopf), Volpe gets the last word on seemingly every professional...

Domestic affairs.(FIRTS LOOK)(upcoming movie Doris and Bernard)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... WAS DORIS DUKE'S INFAMOUS BUTLER, BERNARD LAFFERTY, A SHAMELESS OPPORTUNIST OR THE LOVE OF HER LIFE? IN THE UPCOMING FILM DORIS AND BERNARD, DIRECTOR BOB BALABAN EXAMINES WHAT HE CALLS THE "STRANCE, CHASTE LOVE STORY" BETWEEN THE HEIRESS (SUSAN...

Seattle slew.(Art)
May 1, 2006... The world's richest art collector--and perhaps its most secretive--is about to show us what he's got. Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, whose $22 billion fortune makes him worth as much as a Kravis, a Bass and a Wynn combined, has been the...

Audio books.(Audio Books)(Elements of Style)(Audiobook review)
May 1, 2006... SOCIAL DISEASE Having finished her six-season stint on Sex and the City, Cynthia Nixon is becoming the go-to girl for interpreting the Upper West Side, at least in the world of audio books. Last year brought Nixon's battle reading of Candace...

Office politics.(TV)
May 1, 2006... The award-winning British TV series The Office is about to open another branch, this one on the outskirts of Paris. Created in 2001 by Ricky Cervais, the original was successfully adapted for an American audience on NBC last year, This month...

Mysterious ways.(May)
May 1, 2006... Talk about the mists of time. The Cornish peninsula of Tintagel has an ancient tradition of paganism dating back before recorded history, and is also linked with the legend of King Arthur. In our fashion feature "Cornwall," its...

Cornwall.
May 1, 2006... In Tintagel, where King Arthur was conceived, a fierce, pagan beauty still rules the high seas and ancient stone circles Storm-wracked hair enveloping sweaters and flowing coats have a medievalar. Chloe's white cotton T-shirt with...

Barney's voyage: for his first major film since the cycle, artist Matthew Barney journeyed to Japan. Was it worth the trip?(Profile)(Biography)
May 1, 2006... BACK WHEN MATTHEW BARNEY WAS A JUNIOR AT YALE, NOT LONG AFTER GIVING UP HIS YOUTHFUL PURSUIT OF FOOTBALL STARDOM AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAKING UP ART. HE TETHERED AN ELASTIC ROPE FROM THE STUDIO FLOOR TO HIS THIGHS AND HEADED UP A RAMP. STRUGGLING TO...

Two queens: one reigns among serious actresses, the other rules the tabloids. could Meryl Streep and LindsayLohan possibly have to talk about (besides their new movie, "A Prairie Home Companion")? Plenty, actually.(Cover story)(Biography)
May 1, 2006... it's late afternoon at a photo studio in New York's Chelsea, and Lindsay Lohan is carefully reviewing a little stack of Polaroids at the end of a day in front of the camera. She is pleased with the results, although she does fret about the...

Morph.
May 1, 2006... TOUCHES OF RUSSIAN CONTRUCTIVIST INFLUENCE AND EVEN A DOLL DANCE A LA PETROUCHKA, TURN UP IN DISTINCTIVE, TRANSGRESSIVE COMBINATIONS OF LAYERS: DRESSES OVER PANTS, A COCKTAIL NUMBER WITH DISHEVELED LEGGINGS. THE MESSAGE OF BOLD, ASYMMETRICAL...

Go West, Louise: the countess ventures to the West Village for a night out, but the traffic and the women--both loud--are less than appetizing.(Last Laugh)
May 1, 2006... Deep down, I have always struggled to be trendy. I've gone out of my way in my efforts to be hip, hop or cool--anything to be ahead of the game. But I've had to settle for simply being a countess. So when a friend suggested we meet for...