W articles from October 2007

W archives from October 2007

Designer resale.(The Month in Fashion)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED In the late Nineties, Prada dug deep into its wallet or perhaps it was a nylon mini backpack back then--to acquire such trophy labels as Jil Sander, Helmut Lang and Azzedine Alaia. Avid followers of fashion will...

Bagging it.(The Month in Fashion)
October 1, 2007... Eight months after Liz Claiborne Inc. bought Kate Spade from Neiman Marcus Group, Spade and her husband, Andy, resigned from their accessories company. The pair told Women's Wear Daily, W's sister publication, that they made the decision in...

Kate nose all.(The Month in Fashion)(launches a new perfume)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Following closely on the heels of her successful Topshop clothing line, which launched to much fanfare this past May, Kate Moss is getting into the fragrance game with her own eponymous scent, a floral spritz she's...

Century Club.(The Month in Fashion)
October 1, 2007... Any Texan will tell you that everything is bigger in the Lone Star State. Neiman Marcus's 100th-anniversary celebration is no exception. The Dallas-based retailer will ring in its centennial in October with special exhibitions in its flagship,...

Final sale.(The Month in Fashion)(Jones Apparel Group)(Barney's Inc.)(Istithmar)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fashion folks who had hoped for a little R&R in August were held in suspense over the ongoing battle for Barneys New York To recap: Jones Apparel Group had agreed to sell Barneys to Dubai private equity fund...

Made in Italy.(The Month in Fashion)
October 1, 2007... Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's investment in Halston in March created the kind of buzz that the brand hadn't seen since the last days of disco. Many thought Weinstein had bought the label as a gift for his girlfriend, Marchesa designer Georgina...

Ladies' man.(The Month in Fashion)(Kim Porter)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Though he recently separated from longtime girlfriend Kim Porter, hip-hop impresario-turned-fashion maven Sean "Diddy" Combs hasn't given up on women. In October he's debuting his Unforgivable Woman fragrance, and in the spring he will unveil...

Out on a Lim.(The Month in Fashion)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Judging by the events of the past year, Phillip Lim is the very definition of a runaway runway success. Still riding high from receiving the Council of Fashion Designers of America Swarovski Award for emerging talent...

Collecting With Karl.(Flashback)(Karl Lagerfeld)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "When I was four, I asked my mother for a valet for my birthday," Karl Lagerfeld told Win 1978. "I wanted my clothes prepared so I could wear anything I wanted at any time of the day. I was a clothes freak." As...

Spot on.(Fast Forward)(Craig Gillespie)
October 1, 2007... He has a string of comedic hits under his belt, and his directorial work has won armfuls of awards. In fact, anyone in America who owns a television has probably had a good laugh watching one of his creations. But Craig Gillespie's name doesn't...

Under the influence.(fashion talk of Nancy Reagan)(Editorial)
October 1, 2007... In the early 21st century, the word "power" has some negative connotations. It can conjure a well-armed nation acting at will or a behemoth corporation blighting the environment, among other unsavory images. The word "influence," however,...

Disabled divas.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thank you for the beautiful pictures of Gwyneth on crutches and with a cane in the September issue! I was seriously injured two years ago at the age of 35 and was on crutches for a year. I still use a cane, as the...

Beckham buzz.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... Each month I look forward to retrieving my W from the mailbox, but I awaited the arrival of my August issue with unprecedented anticipation. As a football-loving fashionista, I was ecstatic to see the Beckhams on the cover ("American Idols")....

The high road.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... Clearly, you still know how to publish timeless fashion and elegant photography, as seen in Karl Templer and Michael Thompson's "Forty Something" in the August issue. So what in heaven's name were you thinking sandwiching that between trapped...

Hello, Helioplex.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... Bravo on July's "Ray of Hope," which informed readers about the importance of sunblock containing Helioplex. Recently my son suffered a hot-water burn to his face. While his new skin develops, the skin specialist at the children's hospital...

Pity party.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... The road from Rambling Rose must be long and arduous with nary a skincare product available along the way. Laura Dern has something in Juergen Teller's "Fashion Party" (September), but I wouldn't term it ladylike elegance. I Googled Ms. Dern;...

Not out of the woods yet.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... I consider W a leader in fashion news, but I found August's "Into the Woods" disturbing. The photographs resemble crime scenes; it's creepy to think that anyone would find them pleasing or attractive. Images like those shouldn't be readily...

Do unto others.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... You stepped way over the line showing furs in the August issue. By the time I finished the issue, I had tears in my eyes. Such beautiful animals were killed to be displayed as fashion. I would have rather seen the beautiful live animals shown...

Soviet taboo.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... About half the photos in "Kiev" (July) are reminiscent of child pornography: young, skinny models in cotton underwear standing awkwardly and looking vulnerable in impoverished or at least meager settings. Russia and the former Soviet republics...

Agree to disagree.(Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... I was chafed by the letter in August's Readers React that claimed that the models in the May fashion shoot "Revelation" looked "starved and depraved." W never fails to please: Like the best creative minds, it looks beyond the obvious and sees...

Plebes, rejoice.(Uncensored)(Buckingham Palace)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Kate Middleton isn't the only commoner who could wind up in a royal residence. In a bid raise funds for the upkeep or palace domains including HYDE PARK and KENSINGTON GARDENS, the Royal Parks Agency, which manages the land is renting out a...

Fit for an Emperor.(Uncensored)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swapping treadmills and free weights for swords and tridents, the gladiator training program at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton may be the most bizarre exercise class in history. Guided by a trainer who calls himself Nero,...

Deep freeze.(Uncensored)(Brief article)(Travel narrative)
October 1, 2007... Turns out Orlando Bloom wasn't faking his adventurous streak in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. Last winter he spent three weeks sailing around Antarctica with cousin Sebastian Copeland, a renowned photographer. Copeland chronicled that...

Birdies of paradise.(Uncensored)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The new publicity gimmick? Fly the socials to an exotic locale. Cartier did it in April, shipping Tinsley Mortimer, Fabiola Beracasa and Amanda Hearst down to Turks & Caicos for its inaugural Princess Race. In August dress brand Tibi sent...

Bad decision?(Uncensored)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eyebrows were raised when Universal Pictures reportedly agreed to pay Malcolm Gladwell $1 million for the rights to his book Blink and Stephen Gaghan approxinmtaly $4 million to write and direct. Blink, which argues...

Trend: tales of the unexpected: this season, if you think you've got it, think again.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Things aren't always what they seem. That's a well-known motto in the design world, where tea strainers can double as menacing arachnids and what appears to be broken may not be. This fall, fashion, too, delights in tricking the eye in ways...

Dion will go on: say what you want about Celine Dion, she's a force to be reckoned with. She also has moments of quiet chic.(Fashion Flash)(Celine Dion)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When you're interviewing Celine Dion, especially for a fashion magazine, there's one question that simply must be asked. It's the backward white Dior elephant in the room: What was up with the suit she wore to the...

Mount street rising: a Marc Jacobs store helps revitalize a low-key London spot.(Fashion Flash)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In in a quiet corner of Mayfair, there's a street that looks as if it's been preserved under a Victorian bell jar, featuring Italianate and Franco-Flemish red-brick buildings, wide pavements and window boxes spilling...

Budding talent: romance blooms in Koi Suwannagate's resort collection.(Fashion Flash)
October 1, 2007... ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Somewhere in Japan, there's a room filled with more than 150 of Nunthirat Suwannagate s designs. The collector, who purchases the items through the department store Ginza Komatsu, seems determined to archive every...

Som time: Peter Som is ready for his close-up at Bill Blass, the legendary house where he started his career.(Fashion Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Late last November, Peter Som swooped into London's Cipriani to dine with a group of locals that included Tamara Mellon, Camilla Al Fayed and Vanity Fair editor Elizabeth Saltzman Walker, who gave the dinner in his...

Artistic license: in fashion, it pays to march to the beat of your own drum.(Fashion Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designer Sharon Wauchob, in New York for a brief two-day stay, is thinking about home right now. No, not Paris, where she has been living for more than a decade, working out of an old, 2,700-square-foot...

Going GaGa: Lady Gaga shakes things up with catchy songs and loads of underwear.(Fashion Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like many young artists today, Lady GaGa defies categorization. But a general description would go something like this: go-go-dancing diva who writes her own disco-electronica pop songs. Oh, and Lady GaGa performs...

Musical unmentionables.(Fashion Flash)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... As if getting onstage in front of millions isn't hard enough, imagine doing so in your skivvies. Madonna paved the way, but many have followed, a pop tarts and divas have been purposely working the underwear-as-costume motif for years. Or maybe...

The lab of luxury: entrepreneur Carmen Busquets has launched the luxe Web retailer CoutureLab, which specializes in the offbeat and one-of-a-kind.(Fashion Flash)
October 1, 2007... It didn't take long for Venezuelan entrepreneur Carmen Busquets to discover her calling. She knew from her college years that she could unload just about anything on the shop floor. "I'd sell head-to-toe leather outfits--with a fox stole on...

The new bohemians: bracelets with a hippie feeling are alluring by nature.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... Every girl has a bit of boho in her. But finding the right balance between hippie chick and hippie chic isn't always easy, and when it comes to fine jewelry, the distinction had better be clear. No one wants her most precious finery mistaken...

Wrist management: chunky bracelets, some of them watches, make for brilliant focal points.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] If there was ever a way to make geometry glamorous, this is it: sturdy, shapely bracelets covered in gems. Take, for instance, Vhernier s studded bangles, which can be appreciated as much for their glitzy...

Cool hand: Magali Metrailler is taking the 174-year-old house of Jaeger-LeCoultre on a sleek, chic journey.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] There's nothing particularly sexy behind the scenes of the Swiss watchmaking world, an arena characterized by technicians in white smocks hunched over worktables as they meticulously assemble tiny gears with...

Back track: jewelers give Eighties accoutrements a brand-new slant.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... Eighties retro-futurism is back in style. The old-school funk of chunky gold and bold geometrics that, for a time, was as dated as DOS now looks superfresh--and high-end, thanks to jewelers who have mined the motif. The results are a mix of...

Fresh direct: cool it with calming blue and green gems.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Watercolors entice with their mesmerizing charms, the gentle shades of green and blue evoking maritime serenity even miles from the sea. And what better way to indulge in such captivating calm than with pretty...

Face value: intriguing masks take center stage at Vacheron Constantin.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... It's not often that primitive art shows its face in the watch world. But Vacheron Constantin stood out from the packs of floral and sports-theme timepieces at the Swiss watch shows this year to debut Metiers d'Art Les Masques, the first in a...

Orient expressions: Tony trappings have the compelling aura of the Far East.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Asia's aesthetic influence is anything but minor. Chief among the Far East's delicate and exotic motifs are flowers, which have served as fruitful inspirations of late, popping up on a bounty of pretty, precious...

Subtle differences: the true pieces de resistance at Primavera Gallery are discovered in the understated and unconventional.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] At fine jewelry boutiques, the in-store displays tell only part of the story, as the serious stuff is often kept out of sight. Typically the stowed-away stunners are set with big, flashy gems. But not at New York's...

Stack magic: towering gems are the new three-ring circus.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the saying goes, there's strength in numbers. Jewelry designers are now applying this principle to the cocktail ring, breaking it down and building it back up via stackable rings that flash multiple gems for high...

School of rock: iconoclastic designers and dealers are taking gems in unexpected directions.(Accessories Flash)
October 1, 2007... German Engineered [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ten years ago, unable to find "cool" gold jewelry, German-born Svenja Timme-Bastian created her first piece, a spaceship ring, designed to look like an otherworldly aircraft with a spiderweb...

Bedtime stories: Boudoir babes, both naughty and nice, can indulge in all kinds of stylish come-hither fare.(Shopping)
October 1, 2007... Passion Bait Cotton poplin bra, $125, and briefs, $85, passionbait.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eres Silk camisole, $315, eresparis.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Deborah Marquit French-lace bra, $135, and briefs, $95, at Deborah...

Buzz: Jane Larkworthy finds new ways to remove hair, paint nails and honor Warhol.(BEAUTY BUZZ)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 | SLOW BURN No painful tweezing or stripping is involved in No!No!, the latest at-home hair-removal gadget that promises to decrease hair growth as significantly--and permanently--as professional laser...

Blood, sweat and fears: when a workout-averse woman trains for a triathlon, she finds a whole new world of exhaustion, pain, humiliation--and elation.(Beauty Flash)
October 1, 2007... It wasn't yet 7 a.m. on a Sunday, and I was swimming as fast as I could down the Hudson River. Although it was the end of July, the brown, murky water felt ice-cold, even through my wetsuit, and I could smell the exhaust from a nearby boat. I...

Heaven scent: a bevy of the season's fragrances includes pleasing updates on classics and a music mogul's prescription for seduction.(Beauty Flash)
October 1, 2007... 1 | L, L.A.M.B. BY GWEN STEFANI The singer's first scent mixes sweet pea (which her mother grew in their backyard), rose, hyacinth, pear and musk. At Nordstrom. 2 | KELLY CALECHE BY HERMES House perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena used iris,...

Weird science: stem cell technology makes its way to the beauty aisle.(Beauty Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over the past decade--thanks in part to the work of big names like Michael J. Fox, Nancy Reagan and the late Christopher Reeve--stem cells have come to be associated with hope. Many medical researchers believe that...

Eau de Rimbaud: a young cognac scion finds poetry in perfume.(Beauty Flash)
October 1, 2007... In all of France, there are few private libraries more impressive than the one in St. Brice chateau in Cognac, the seat of the Hennessy clan. The walls are hung with ancient Flemish tapestry and the shelves hold rare treasures such as a...

Rest assured: nine spas around the globe offer truly unique versions of pampering and relaxation.(Beauty Flash)
October 1, 2007... The Alvear Palace Spa & Fitness Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina One big downside to being a landmark buildingis abiding by renovation restrictions, so the Alvear, Buenos Aires's most venerable hotel, simply purchased the building next door...

Body image: a fresh set of indulgent offerings promises to beautify from top to toe.(Beauty Flash)
October 1, 2007... 1 Striking Oil [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Bomblicious Bath and Body Oil is infused with the same warm bouquet of cattleya orchid, centifolia rose and freesia that made the label's first fragrance a floral...

The glass menagerie: with her new fine for Steuben, Kiki Smith gives engraved crystal a nontraditional edge.(Home Flash)(partnership with Steuben Glass)
October 1, 2007... The third floor of artist Kiki Smith's town house in New York's East Village is littered with scissors, pencils and pots of glue. Two young assistants are sprawled on the rug, busily pasting paper cutouts of stars onto collages that Smith...

Rio revisited: the opening of Ipanema's Philippe Starck-designed Hotel Fasano has revived Brazil's glamorous heyday.(Travel Flash)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The allure of Ipanema, once immortalized by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto in their famous bossa nova song, has long been the stuff of tourist fantasy. The white beach stretches out for a rnile under the twin peaks of...

Ilist.(WINFLUENCE)(fashion trends)
October 1, 2007... That's "I" as in INFLUENTIAL. Can Scarlett Johansson trigger a comeback of curves? Is the iPod the most successful accessory ever? This month W takes a look at who and what influence today's fashion and style--the myriad elements that come...

Curtain calls.(EYE)
October 1, 2007... In July seemingly all of Milan paid its respects to the late Gianni Versace on the 10th anniversary of his death. Traffic outside La Scala came to a halt as santo Versace, Carla Fendi, the Missonis and Mariacarla Boscono made their way inside...

Bungalow goes British: Amy Sacco attempts to beat Londoners at their own game, with a members-only branch of Bungalow 8.(EYE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Amy Sacco, the woman who's often called the queen of New York nightlife, would prefer to stay mum about her new fiance, the tall Italian doctor who proposed to her a few days ago, in Rome, on a bridge overlooking the...

The great outdoors.(EYE)(fashion industry)
October 1, 2007... From London to Lake Tahoe, the social set spent July and August outdoors, where winter gowns and towering Manolo Blahniks were replaced by straw hats, Christian Louboutin wedges and dresses cropped to the knee. Cartier held its annual polo...

Proud as a peacock: Ben Silverman, the young, brash prince of NBC Entertainment, is shaking things up--and ruffling a few feathers.(EYE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When a network head sits for his corporate portrait, it's normally a tedious exercise: a balding guy in a drab suit and serious tie posing awkwardly for 10 minutes before he's got to be somewhere--anywhere--else. But...

Young guns.(EYE)(party for Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough )(Phillip Lim's new store )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... After Proenza Schouler's Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough sold a stake in their business to Valentino in July, the boys decided to whoop it up in Los Angeles. Director Mark Romanek and his wife, Brigette, hosted a young Hollywood-heavy bash...

Putting it bluntly: with four new films this fall, Emily Blunt shows she's more than just a lackey to Miranda Priestly.(EYE)
October 1, 2007... There's an unwritten rule that all beautiful actresses must claim to have been total geeks in high school, whether or not they genuinely were, but Emily Blunt makes a far more convincing case than most. While growing up in a posh suburb of...

Cooking with gas: known for his hot restaurants and fiery temper, chef Tom Aikens is burning up the London food scene.(EYE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unlike fellow Brit chefs Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson, 37-year-old Tom Aikens has steered clear of TV cameras, chatty cooking columns and eponymous cheese graters. He's certainly got the chiseled...

East enders.(EYE)(fashion industry parties)
October 1, 2007... This summer the line between town and "country" life was blurrier than ever. Eager as they are to leave the stifling streets behind, summer Hamptonites still expect Manhattan's entertaining standards to be upheld. This kind of beach living...

Out and about: there's a new type of power player in Hollywood she's a no-nonsense hitmaker, a working mom--and she's gay.(EYE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Universal Studios lot, 390 acres of prime real estate just across the Cahuenga Pass from Hollywood, impresses a visitor with its sheer size--a physical reminder of the financial clout and starmaking capacity of...

The Transformers.
October 1, 2007... As a creature of infinite variety, even Cleopatra had little on Kate Moss. This month, VOODOO presents Ms. Moss in yet another new guise: one part Marlene Dietrich, one part Nancy Cunard. Then, in HEAT, an urban sunbather dresses up. Next, MR....

Voodo: take a touch of Marlene Dietrich in blonde venus, add the style of Nancy Cunard, then some mysterious, luxurious clothes, and the result is Kate Moss in a surprising new guise.
October 1, 2007... Celine's black silk satin skirt, at Nordstrom; Celine, 866.600.4121. M&J Savitt earrings; bracelets, right arm, from top: Roberto Cavalli, Isaac Manevitz for Ben-Amun, Louis Vuitton, Isaac Manevitz for Ben-Amun and Stefano Poletti; bracelets,...

Heat: higly dramatic cutout swimsuits and cover-ups in vivid colors and patterns can take the edge off a blazing city day.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Calvin Klein Collection's polyamide and elastane maillot. Celine scarf, (worn in hair); Isaac Manevitz for Ben-Amun earrings; Mark Walsh Leslie Chin necklace; Cloe shoes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dolce &...

Mr. America: from rugby shirts to southwestern-motif sweaters and prairie skirts, Ralph Lauren has taken the canon of traditional all-American clothing and made it his own.
October 1, 2007... Ralph Lauren Collection's black wool and faux-leopard coat, maroon silk velvet vest and black wool pants, all 1994; white cotton shirt, at select Ralph Lauren stores, ralphlauren.com. Unless otherwise noted, all clothes from Ralph Lauren...

Nancy's closet: as first lady, Nancy Reagan was both lauded and lambasted for her lavish, designer-donated wardrobe. Now 86--but, as she proves, still steely beneath her diplomat's demeanor--she is putting those glamorous Galanos gowns and neat Adolfo suits on display.(profile)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Queen Nancy is a dowager now. Nancy Reagan, the former first lady who was praised for bringing Kennedy-esque glamour back to the White House but criticized for her lavish spending, is 86, and the world that made her...

Queen Cate: playing Bob Dylan ... running Australia's largest theater company ... resuming, almost a decade after the fact, the role that made her a star.... If it doesn't sound a little impossible, Cate Blanchett is not interested.(profile)(Cover story)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the prettiest beach in Malibu, sprawled atop a sand dune built especially for her W photo shoot, Cate Blanchett is doing that thing she's known for: shape-shifting in front of the camera. One minute she's Deborah...

Stella performance with her career thriving, Stella McCartney muses on fashion and family.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The longtime residence of Jackson Pollock and his wife, Lee Krasner, situated just off the main road in the hamlet of the Springs, a stone's throw from East Hampton, is a modest affair, more indicative of the...