W articles from May 2008

W archives from May 2008

Chloe's carousel ... Chalayan in training ... the Russians are coming.(The Month in Fashion)(Chloe's newest Hannah MacGibbon replaces Paulo Melim Andersson )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Deals, deals and more deals give designers a much needed spring in their step. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * LE DIVORCE Another month, another quick exit of design talent from a European fashion house. With gossips still whispering...

Good sport.(The Month in Fashion)(Puma gains Hussein Chalayan's expertise)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Puma has often flirted with high fashion, collaborating with Jil Sander, Neil Barrett and Alexander McQueen. But in February the sports giant committed to a more serious design relationship, naming Hussein Chalayan its first creative director....

Writings on the Wal.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In recent years, Eighties fashion icon Norma Kamali has been keeping a low profile, running her New York boutique and collaborating with Everlast and the Spiegel catalog. But in February the designer inked a deal...

Out of the box.(News)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Any Christian Louboutin loyalist knows that the look of the designer's boutiques is as recognizable as the crimson soles of his shoes. Whether in Los Angeles, Paris or Moscow, the luxurious stores all feature red...

Penney Wise.(The Month in Fashion)(JCPenney)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In February JCPenney launched its new American Living label with much fanfare, running seven Bruce Weber-directed television spots during the Academy Awards. Shoppers who think that the $40 polo shirts, $70 madras...

Russian Revolution.(The Month in Fashion)(Kira Plastinina's expertise)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... In recent years newly moneyed Russians have become major consumers of fashion, happily forking over hundreds of thousands of rubles for the latest Italian It bags and American designer frocks. But in terms of homegrown talent, the country has...

Chanel Surfing.(The Month in Fashion)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Historically, European brands haven't expected their Los Angeles clientele to veer too far from tony Rodeo Drive, but this May, Chanel is breaking with that tradition. No longer content with just a Beverly Hills...

Dior Galore.(News)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last summer Federico Marchetti, founder and CEO of Italian e-commerce site yoox.com, came across a sale of Forties screen idol Maria Felix's personal memorabilia at Christie's in New York. He was so intrigued by the...

Ch-ch-changes.(Flashback)(David Bowie on changing wardrobes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... If Madonna can be called the queen of reinvention, it's only fair to acknowledge its king, whose own chameleonic maneuvers preceded Her Madgesty's by at least a decade. In 1969 David Bowie rocketed to stardom in space-age garb, only to...

Young and Hungry.(Fast Forward)
May 1, 2008... Twin Falls, Idaho, is no one's idea of a gourmet mecca, but it's where Jason and Joe Denton first caught the culinary bug while helping out at their parents' grocery distribution business. "From childhood, we would ride the truck, delivering to...

Going for broke: May.(Letter From the Editors)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You don't need to be Ben Bernanke to know that the U.S. economy is shrinking faster than the polar ice cap. As this issue was going to press, the employees of bailed-out Bear Steams were bracing for massive layoffs,...

Vapid Vamps.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] W tries to bring color and glamour to the current Hollywood scene by giving us the worldviews of Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman ("Sister Act," March), but to no avail. They have no street smarts or original...

Harlem daze.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... As a woman of color originally from the New York area, I was appalled by March's "Harlem Days," styled by Alex White and photographed by Craig McDean. I was hoping you would have one model of color (African American, Latino or even Asian) in...

Compromising positions.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... We have enjoyed reading W for many years; however your current exploitation of seemingly teenage, bare-chested young women is shameful and in extremely bad taste. Please--do not exploit young women as you did in "Garden of Eden" (February)....

Total package.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... I am new to W--where have I been? I love the mag, and it is a beautiful lapful for me. Creative passion is evident from the advertisements to the editorial content. It is wonderful to turn to W to indulge myself and learn a few serious things...

Ravishing Ryan.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... It was recently my birthday, and the best thing I got was that luscious photo of Ryan Phillippe. I just wish it were on the cover with more photographs inside! I really enjoyed the article ('Soldiering On," March)--it is so refreshing to see a...

Kate complaint.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... I think of W as a cutting-edge look into today's fashion and culture. Why, then, do you continue to put Kate Moss on your cover (April)? Get over her, W--let's bring out some new faces! There are hundreds of amazing models to choose from, and...

Gemma love.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... In the Readers React column in your December 2007 issue, I read a letter begging for more of model Gemma Ward. Gemma is a devastating beauty and a rare talent. Following her career is what led me back to Wafter I let my subscription expire. I'm...

Holistic hope.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... With reference to the article "Pregnant Pause" in your March issue, I totally agree with Dr. David's approach to infertility. I've been in business for 19 years as a muscular therapist, personal trainer and nutritional consultant. Eleven of my...

Quelle comeback.(Beatrice Dalle)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... French sexpot Beatrice Dalle--the Gallic hybrid of Britney Spears and pre-UN Angelina Jolie--is back in the limelight. Since her acclaimed debut in 1986's BETTY BLUE, she has been best known for offscreen dramas: shoplifting, drugs and a...

Drink up.(Uncensored)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Guy Ritchie, recently reported to be unhappy in his marriage to Madonna, is now becoming a pub landlord. Together with London club supremos Nick House, Piers Adam and Prince William's good friend Guy Pelly, the...

Summer nights.(Uncensored)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... On the heels of its Turks and Caicos resort opening, hotel and beach-club group Nikki Beach is attempting to amp up its already hedonistic, Euro-heiress-attracting image with its first Jet Set Tour. Owner Mike Penrod cans it "a moving party,"...

Junior Dept.(Uncensored)(Fashionology LA)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... In June Hollywood It ladies Elizabeth Wiatt and Jamie Tisch will open a store for the next generation of fashion designers called Fashionology LA, where tweens can create their own clothes. Shoppers design their garments on a 42-inch touch...

Fighting stereotypes, L.A. style.(Uncensored)
May 1, 2008... Heather Thomas, the actress and wife of big-shot Hollywood attorney Skip Brittenham, says she wrote Trophies, a novel William Morrow will publish in May, to "debunk the myth of the trophy wife." As her protagonist, Marion, second wife of a...

Trend: stark victory: fashion makes a clean break for fall.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Restrain yourself. Designers are heeding the less-is-more motto Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa, Yves Saint Laurent's Stefano Pilati and Marc Jacobs are only a few who are stripping down clothes to the plain and...

Full-court Presse: a small Los Angeles boutique thinks big on the Web.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As editors-turned-retail consultants-turned-boutique owners, Renee R. Klein and Zoe Schaeffer have seen the fashion business from just about every imaginable perspective. And they're intent on using that...

Star search: Alana Varel and James Grant of Starworks are the secret connection between many fashion houses and Hollywood. Just don't ask for the details.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2008... High above a quiet block in New York's SoHo, an industrial door in a nondescript building opens to a massive, black-floored loft humming with activity. An army of tall blonds answer constantly ringing telephones at desks grouped in dusters. A...

Good old-fashioned fun: the new miniseries Cranford is a period piece of work.(Fashion Flash)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] As with all historical dramas, fashion is a major player in Cranford, a new Masterpiece miniseries that premieres May 4 on PBS. Set in an English village circa 1840, it features no shortage of frilly bonnets,...

Fire and ice: with its latest collection, De Beers taps into the myth of a diamond-studded valley ringed by flames.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Anyone within a 10-mile radius of a television is familiar with the De Beers ads. We know the catchphrases. We know to expect a tug at the heartstrings when we witness one of those diamonds-are-forever moments....

Tropic tone: spring hues strike a bold note.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... There's nothing like a splash of color to usher in the warmer months, and as luck would have it, many of the season's baubles are awash in just that--specifically tropical hues, from beachy brown and pale purple to vibrant claret and mossy...

Out of this world: moonstones shimmer in all manner of settings.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Possessing a quiet mystery, moonstones are decidedly spiritual gems. In India, the luminous rocks are thought to provoke vivid dreams, while Arabic women are known to sew them into their clothes for good luck. There...

Costume drama: fashion's next big thing is massive statement jewelry.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2008... First, it was all about the It bag, and everyone wanted It. Ultimately, however, It fell prey to two inevitable woes: Women got sick of seeing It coming and going, and after several megahits over the course of a decade or so--the Fendi...

Bohemian rhapsody: relive the summer of love with these long, colorful necklaces.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Love beads, the lean and layered staple of free-spirited soul searchers, are being reinterpreted for a new generation. Consider Dean Harris's fire opal creation and Mish New York's strand of carnelians and citrines....

Taking flight: a flock of winged jewels soars to new heights.(Accessories Flash)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was the bathroom wallpaper at the Hotel Raphael in Paris that inspired Waris Ahluwalia to fly among the clouds, creatively speaking. The peripatetic House of Waris founder (he splits most of his time between New...

Inside job: skeleton watches show what they're made of.(Accessories Flash)(Vacheron Constantin's Timepieces)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Overexposure might have reached its saturation point in the celebrity sphere, but baring all can still be a good thing. Take, for example, the skeleton watch, whose revealing nature--its inner parts are on full display--is the key to its...

Pretty, please: bohemia takes a girlish turn this spring with charming wares for free spirits.(Shopping)
May 1, 2008... Emporio Armani Silk satin skirt, $645, emporioarmani.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ports 1961 Silk and polyester dress, by Tia Cibani, $2,695, at Ports 1961, 866.433.PORT [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Ashley Paige Cotton...

Irresistible.(Luxury)
May 1, 2008... 1 Look on the bright side Diamonds croc and a coat of indulgently gold-tipped fur may not be antidotes to impending recession, but if you can afford caw afford them, times aren't so tough. Such diversions come great and small, whether in a...

Big fun: fashion's giants are broadcasting their messages loud and clear--with extreme events designed to dazzle.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pity the tree that falls unheard in the forest-and the designer with a plain-Jane runway show or convivial showroom cocktail party. Making an impact with a new look or product is no small feat in a luxury fashion...

Time bandits: yachts and jewels are all well and good, but nowadays the ultimate luxury is extra time. Here's how to get some.(Luxury)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the joys of being super rich is thinking up new ways to flaunt your wealth. For the Medicis and the robber barons, palaces and art were the trophies of choice; for Larry Ellison and Roman Abramovich, massive...

Strong finish: crafty coifs, bold eyes and intense lips ruled the fall runways.(Beauty Flash)
May 1, 2008... ROLL CALL Interesting twists on the classic bun ranged from feminine to tough. Spotted at: Rodarte, Bill Blass, Narciso Rodriguez, Prada. o create a look for Rodarte that she called "modern, visual and graphic," hairstylist Odile Gilbert folded...

Spring training: escapist scents and glow-giving products pave the way for summer.(Beauty Flash)
May 1, 2008... Easy Breezy If you can't swing a 10-day Mediterranean yachting trip, just close your eyes and pretend. I Profumi di Firenze's latest concoction, Brezza di Mare, has bracing notes of sea salt, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian lemon and lime....

The farthest shore: luxe accommodations have finally arrived on Easter Island, but the lure of its blissful isolation and ancient mysteries remains undiminished.(Travel Flash)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] It takes a fair amount of determination to get to Easter Island. Arguably the most remote habitation in the world, it sits 1,300 miles east of Pitcairn Island, its nearest neighbor. From New York, you take an...

Gauls gone wild.(EYE)(Amy WInehouse's performances)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Given the cost of producing a big fashion bash, Karl Lagerfeld's decision to hire Amy Winehouse as guest singer was clearly risky. "I hope she won't not show up at the last minute," Lagerfeld confessed before her...

Public offering: sculptor Chris Burden, a cult figure on the L.A. art scene, unveils monumental projects on both coasts.(EYE)
May 1, 2008... Chris Burden has, in the name of his art, been shot, nailed to the top of a Volkswagen Beetle and set on fire. He has crawled naked across broken glass, starved for 11 days on a desert island and stuffed himself into a student locker for an...

Guiding light: self-help entrepreneur Kathy Freston brings transcendence to the media-mogul set.(EYE)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Feel your spirit aligning with a greater energy," says the woman on the CD. "Picture a magnificent golden light surrounding your body.... Perhaps," she continues, "you would like thinner thighs and a flat stomach.......

City slickers.(EYE)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A dinner party at Marjorie Gubelmann's home is rarely a casual affair. But the gathering she hosted for Roberta Armani and photographer Roger Moenks' new book, Inheriting Beauty, was even more glittering than usual....

Condo king: meet Manhattan's 21-year-old real-estate star.(EYE)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First Ashley Olsen, teetering in Balenciaga boots, prances through the heavy glass doors at the TriBeCa outpost of Mr. Chow. Then come socialite Victoria Traina, Alison Mosshart of the Kills and top model Jessica...

Hair today: a Broadway rocker swaps knickers and knee socks for love beads and flares.(EYE)(Theater review)
May 1, 2008... For the better part of the past two years Jonathan Groff has spent nearly every evening squeezing his athletic physique into high-waisted, skin-tight knickers, knee socks, a fitted blazer and suspenders. His naturally wavy, reddish-brown...

Fun and games.(EYE)(Love Ball for children's aid charity)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Moscow in winter is hardly a party hot spot. But Valentino, Diane von Furstenberg, Lucy Liu and Eva Herzigova were among the fashion and Hollywood flock who journeyed there for the Love Ball, a benefit for Natalia...

Poster girl: with arguably the most popular political site on the Web, an endless roster of high-powered bloggers and a smart new book, Arianna Huffington is more influential than ever.(EYE)
May 1, 2008... Polished yet relaxed, her copper hair casually blown dry, not coiffed in the helmet of days gone by, Arianna Huffington dips into her blueberries and yogurt as if she has all the time in the world. We're talking in her Italianate mansion in the...

Cairo: with its timeless minarets and old quarter not far from the desert sands. The Egyptian capital has a captivating beauty. It's also an ideal setting for understated little black dresses and evening numbers.(Tales of the Cities)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pyramids, desert sands, camels, date palms, the old quarter--our CAIRO fashion feature this month explores the Egyptian capital and its environs. With its mysterious mix of the ancient and the more up-to-date, the...

Lights, Cameron, action: after a year of soul searching Hollywood's most gorgeous goof gets her groove hack.(Cameron Diaz)
May 1, 2008... EVEN AT THE PINNACLE, OF THE HOLLYWOOD HIERARCHY. THERE ARE MANY degrees of fame. Some A-listers can go about their lives relatively unhassled by autograph seekers and tabloid photographers, provided they steer clear of sex scandals and DUIs....

Louise's Fashion Faux Pas: in an age of accessories overload, the Countess longs for a return to simple, flattering clothes.(Last Laugh)
May 1, 2008... Answer me this if you can: When you stock your wardrobe these days, do you buy fashion or do you buy clothes? I only ask because if you buy fashion, some people might think you look like something out of a carnival. You might ask: So what?...