W articles from September 2006

W archives from September 2006

All the world's a stage.(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... Madonna has long been a fan of designer labels like Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and her perennial favorite, Jean Paul Gaultier, who designed the costumes for her current Confessions tour. But as she proved with her 2003 ads for the Gap,...

Split ends.(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... Breaking up is hard to do, but it was a big fashion industry trend in June. Patricia Lansing parted ways with her mother, Carolina Herrera--at least professionally--stepping down from her post as a designer to spend more time with her children,...

Up with downtown.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... While plans for New York's ground zero have been plagued with disagreements and delays, high-end retailers are moving full speed ahead with their own version of downtown redevelopment. In June Tiffany & Co. announced that it will open a store...

Christian values.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... It's no surprise that Las Vegas--once the kitsch capital of the country--has recently gone chic, with designer boutiques and four-star restaurants crowding out Elvis impersonators and all-you-can-eat buffets. Even so, it was something of a...

Good lord.(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... After months of speculation, Federated Department Stores finally off-loaded its Lord & Taylor division in June. NRDC Equity Partners, a partnership between Apollo Real Estate Advisors and National Realty & Development Corp., snapped up the...

Hedi out?(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... It's hard to disagree with the fact that Hedi Slimane has been good for Dior. The designer has transformed Dior Homme into one of the hottest men's wear brands, creating clothes so chic (and slim-fitting) that even women clamor for them. But...

Dirty diamonds?(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... Always on the lookout for scandals to splash across their front pages, New York tabloids had a field day in June when Jacob Arabov, the founder of Jacob & Co., was arrested on federal money-laundering charges at his 57th Street store. Arabov,...

Laying down the law.(The Month in Fashion)(Lou Lou & Law)(Natasha Law and Ann Louise Roswald)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... British painter and illustrator Natasha Law--also known as Jude's sister--has attracted plenty of attention in London with her paintings of glamorous women in various states of undress. She has dipped her toe into fashion in the past, doing...

My kind of town.(The Month in Fashion)(Beyonce Knowles )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Chicago's fashion landscape will undergo a big change in September when Marshall Field's--the city's iconic department store--officially becomes Macy's. Though many Windy City residents will no doubt be sad to see their homegrown retailer go,...

On the cusp.(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... Neiman Marcus has long been associated with a certain kind of woman--one whose idea of casual is pairing her Chanel suit with flats instead of stilettos. Now the luxury retailer, under the guidance of new owners Texas Pacific Group and Warburg...

Little women.(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... Saks Fifth Avenue learned a valuable lesson this year: Don't forget the little people. In January 2005 the chain decided to shutter its petites department to concentrate on other areas, such as designer clothing. Shorter customers across...

Cause celeb.(The Month in Fashion)
September 1, 2006... From Marc Jacobs's Hillary Clinton T-shirts to John Galliano's DIOR NOT WAR slogan, the fashion crowd has never shied away from making political statements. Vivienne Westwood is no exception. This fall she's stepping up her campaign to free...

Wolfe in chic clothing.(Flashback)
September 1, 2006... While most writers are more concerned with Sartre than sartorial style, Tom Wolfe has long delighted in playing the dandy. Since the Sixties, his signature garb--white suit, fitted vest, jaunty fedora--has ensured that he stands out against the...

It Brit.(Fast Forward)(Dan Stevens )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... English actor Dan Stevens has bright blue eyes, a mop of mousy hair and a fancy Oxbridge degree. Sound familiar? The similarities to Hugh Grant pretty much end there, but Stevens doesn't mind the comparison. "Hugh's not really working much...

Elements of style.(Letter From the Editors)
September 1, 2006... September can be such a drag: Vacation is over; temperatures aren't quite so pool--friendly; school starts up again, making it a little harder to justify those bedtime excursions to the ice cream parlor. Sometimes it seems the only saving grace...

Blond Venus.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Kate Bosworth is a thing of beauty ("Flying High," July). She is also a well-rounded actress who has proved to the theatergoing public that she's ready to take on any role. Kate is young, gorgeous and determined--all attributes that will take...

Pill problem.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... As someone who suffers from ADHD, I was incredibly appalled by your article "Hollywood's Diet Drug" (July), about celebrities taking the ADHD medication Adderall to lose weight. Obviously anyone taking the drug to stay thin needs to seek...

Royal flush.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I was flipping through the August edition of W, and my eye caught the article titled "Ladies in Waiting." When I realized it was about the young British royals, I tried to move on. But I couldn't. I went back to Samantha Conti's report of the...

Black and white all over.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I enjoyed the preview of fall's knitwear and slouchy silhouettes in the July fashion shoot "Relax." Photographer Michael Thompson's presentation in subdued gray, noir and off-white tones was a wonderful juxtaposition to the vivid summer scenes...

Surfin' Safari.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... After reading Christopher Bagley's "Surfing in Style" (July), I was determined to quit daydreaming about a surf trip to Indonesia and make it real. I was inspired by his account of the cultural diversity--headhunters and all--and descriptions...

The laser's edge.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I applaud your article "Laser Burn" (July), about how consumers need to be wary when choosing a spa or salon for laser hair removal. Just because someone is wearing a white coat does not mean they are qualified to perform medical procedures....

Waking life.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Wow! Your July "Dreamgirl" shoot featuring Naomi Campbell is absolutely captivating. I was brought to tears when I was flipping through the issue at the newsstand. It's by far the best shoot in many years. Finally, fashion has a soul, a spirit...

Models, models, models.(Letters: Readers React)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I was happy to see a picture of a model, Soviet darling Natalia Vodianova, instead of an actress on your cover for a change (August). Film stars are beginning to lose their front-page luster. On reading further within, however, I noted that...

Family matters.(Uncensored)
September 1, 2006... Marin Hopper is putting her family legacy in the bag--literally. Hopper, the daughter of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward who consults with Italian accessories company Hogan, plans to launch her own collection of handbags early next year....

Play's the thing.(Uncensored)(Play)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Prince Harry, a Machiavellian usurper? A Right Royal Farce, a play by Toby Young and Lloyd Evans at the King's Head Theatre in London, imagines Harry vying for the English throne after the Queen's death. "He comes on as a Richard III type--we...

Top chef.(Uncensored)
September 1, 2006... Joel Robuchon is coming to America, and the mastermind of Beanie Babies is bringing him here. Ty Warner, the notoriously press-shy multibillionaire behind the cuddly plush toy, is also the founder of Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts, which owns and...

Trash talk.(Uncensored)
September 1, 2006... When Jeff Klein opened Tower Bar last year in his Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles, he said Lindsay Lohan and her fellow underage partyers wouldn't be welcome. Sure enough, the restaurant became a clubhouse for Polo Lounge power players, and...

Paris nights.(Uncensored)(HOTEL AMOUR)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Last fall's riots might have kept tourists from Paris, but that didn't stop the opening of a flurry of new nightspots. Leading the pack is HOTEL AMOUR, opened by graffiti artist Andre, alongside Thierry Costes and Emmanuel Delavenne. Trendy...

Urban outfitters: Park Avenue Warrior Princess? This season's muse is a city dweller stylishly prepared for the urban jungle.
September 1, 2006... It's been said that the divide between style in New York and style in Los Angeles can be explained by transportation. While Manhattanites pound the pavement, hop in and out of taxis and descend into the depths of the subway, their Angeleno...

The daily show: resort isn't just about getaway clothes anymore. These looks are meant to be worn wherever and whenever the mood strikes.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... 1 Donna Karan's cotton and polyamide dress, $3,600, at Neiman Marcus: Donna Karan, 866.240.4700 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Vera Wang's silk and polyester coat, $2,340, at Esti's, Brooklyn. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3. Michael...

Tory days: in just two short years, Tory Burch has vaulted from society fixture to the face of and force behind a burgeoning fashion empire.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... As life stories go, it might seem that Tory Burch's has been just about perfect: Ivy League--educated beauty lands in the big city and, with a magical combination of Main Line pedigree, whippet-thin figure and upper-crust charm, unlocks the...

Leap of Feith: designer Tracy Feith is winning fans with his pretty dresses and hang-10 vibe.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... With his laid-back attitude, deep tan and blond locks damp from an early-morning surf, Tracy Feith seems to be living out his very own endless summer. On a breezy July morning, the designer lopes into his Motauk, Long Island, shop fresh from...

Rock chics: independent women of rock call the fashion shots onstage and off.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... Slick, manufactured style? No thanks. Teams of primpers and prodders. Pass. Today s alternative-rock chicks, such as veterans Beth Orton and Jenny Lewis and recent breakouts KT Tunstall and Corinne Bailey Rae, prefer to dress themselves. And...

Getting ruffled: trouble is brewing in the world of haute couture.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... Don't be fooled by the vivid flash of red, or the way Christian Lacroix's fanciful gown swishes so festively across the page. Such visual vibrancy aside, the haute couture, once thought the grand dame of fashion, is anything but. Rather. after...

The Lowe down: the apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree. With rock-star and designer genes, this teenager is poised to join the UK's It-girl fray.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... In many ways, Daisy Lowe is just another 17-year-old--talkative and bubbly, with a hint of raunchy rebellion. "Sleep. Eat. Get drunk Sex me," she teases in a post on her boyfriend's MySpace.com page. "You make me smile," she purrs sweetly in...

King Paul: one of fashion's forgotten heroes, couturier and innovator Paul Poiret, is in the limelight again.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... High waists, flowing fabrics and unconstructed shapes sound like elements right out of the fall 2006 collections. But they're hardly new to fashion. In the early 20th century, in fact, all were championed by Paul Poiret. The couturier opened...

Sister, sister: Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy create their own fantasy world.(Fashion Flash)
September 1, 2006... Minus the crumbling mansion and the disturbing obsession with felines, there is something decidedly I Grey Gardens about sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the designers behind Rodarte and two of fashion's brightest new talents. Like Big Edith...

Rent control.(Style Bytes: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)
September 1, 2006... Necessity really can be the mother of invention. For Neva Lindner, the need for a glamorous frock led her to open a fashion-rental company, Wardrobe NYC. "I was invited to the VH1/Vogue Fashion and had nothing to wear," she says. "Doing this...

Q+a: Maria Cornejo.(Style Bytes: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... This has been quite a year for Maria Cornejo. Not only did she open her second Zero Maria Cornejo boutique in New York, but she also designed the uniforms for city hot spots Buddakan and Morimoto and received the Cooper-Hewitt National Design...

Turkish delights.(Style Bytes: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)(Nina Krasikoff)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Nina Krasikoff, a longtime purveyor of wearable art through her company Ninoff, has found a new lease on design: oya, the ancient Anatolian craft of crocheted needlework. "I struck my luck meeting with this oya collector in Turkey," Krasikoff...

Brit fit.(Style Bytes: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... RADCLIFFE DENIM, THE LONDON COMPANY THAT GIVES JEANS A SAVILE ROW TOUCH, NOW OFFERS OTHER CLEAN, TAILORED CLASSICS: RIDDING JACKETS, WAISTCOATS AND TRENCHES ($275 TO $500). WITH SAVILE ROW TAILOR DAVID CHAMBERS ALREADY ON STAFF, THE MOVE WAS A...

Highland fling: fall is mad for plaid on booties, bags and beyond.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Plaid, that seminal staple of parochial-school uniforms, is once again required attire. Not since the early-Nineties alterna-fest has it seen so much play But save for a whiff of neogrunge on the runway at Marc Jacobs, these goods are hardly...

Mystery garden: a showstopping necklace goes wild with flora and fauna.(Accessories Flash)
September 1, 2006... During the haute couture season in Paris this summer, Boucheron unveiled new pieces from Trouble Desir (Trouble Desire), its successful collection of high jewelry inspired by the dark side of nature. But it was one design in particular that...

Reinventing the heel: for Jimmy Choo's 10-year anniversary, founder Tamara Mellon reissues the shoes of the decade.(Accessories Flash)
September 1, 2006... Never mind that Jimmy Choo shoes have carried countless Hollywood beauties down the red carpet, been featured in films and inspired tappers and novelists alike. The company, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has earned an...

Tick talk: it's time for brown watches to have their day.(Accessories Flash)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... At this year's annual watch fair in Basel, Switzerland, diamond watches in shades of brown made a stunning debut at a number of major Swiss houses. Often these timepieces featured substantially sized cases crafted in warm shades of rose and...

Some like it hot: as the temperature drops, designers adapt shearling for their own kind of climate control.(Accessories Flash)
September 1, 2006... Cozy and chic--an oxymoron no more. Now when the weather turns cold, you can warm up with inviting alternatives to those clunky Uggs of yesteryear. Michael Kors and Brian Atwood lead the way with distinctive takes on the shearling bootie....

Fall in love: precious gems and jewelry collections to covet.(Accessories Flash)
September 1, 2006... Face Off When fine jewelry designer Stephen Webster started crafting his first watch last year, every detail had to reflect his sharply gothic aesthetic, right down to the Roman numerals. "We've designed them so they're a bit thorny," says...

Coat check: go ahead and cover up in these fabulous finds for cooler days.(Shopping)
September 1, 2006... Giorgio Armani Cashmere coat, $6,175, at Barneys New York [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dior Wool, silk and polyester coat, by John Galliano, $4,785, at select Dior stores [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Moschino Wool and velvet coat, $2,470,...

All the trimmings: bridal accessories to have and to hold.(Bridal Flash)(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2006... An engagement ring is the most hallowed of jewelry pieces. But as with your grandmother's china, its treasured status can lead to too much respect. Somewhere along the line the engagement ring has started to feel mundane, as if an overt show of...

Trunk show: modern brides are jetting off on their honeymoons with something old-fashioned in tow: a trousseau.(Bridal Flash)
September 1, 2006... In her own words, Lara Meiland is all about a trousseau. Meiland, who with her sister, Lisa, owns the Lara Helene bridal atelier in New York, has been busy piecing hers together since she got engaged last December. "It's all I think about,"...

Helping hands: in the war against spots and wrinkles, hands are the new battlefield.(Beauty Flash)
September 1, 2006... Linda Roberts's fixation with the backs of her hands was triggered by a backhanded compliment. Twenty-five years ago, the founder of Therapy Systems skincare line was approached by a man who remarked on how young she looked. "I told him I was...

Peacemakers: a host of new spas--both destination and day--offer pampering in all its incarnations.(Beauty Flash)(Directory)
September 1, 2006... Destination Spas SPA MIRI MIRI BORA-BORA Talk about getting away from it all. The new Spa Miri Miri at the St. Regis Resort in Bora-Bora sits on its own private island, accessible only by a footbridge that spans a bucolic lagoon. The...

Creme la Cream: ReVive gives its well-heeled clients yet another luxe wrinkle weapon.(Beauty Flash)
September 1, 2006... On a breezy spring day in New York City, about 80 women have gathered in an upstairs private dining room at Christie's auction house for a sneak preview of Princess Margaret's jewels. Gregory Bays Brown, a fair-haired 53-year-old with a baby...

Late bloomers: summer may be fading, but fall's crop of flirty makeup and quirky skincare products is in full bounty.(Beauty Flash)
September 1, 2006... 1 Strange Brews Perfumer Mandy Aftel has taken her expertise with fragrance into the kitchen pantry. Just a few drops of her Aftelier Hydrosols--edible potions created during the extraction of a plant's essential oils--add complexity...

Past imperfect: glory days and jail time behind him, Roberto Polo returns to the antiques game.(Home Flash)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... If he had his way, Roberto Polo would bury the past. He'd damn it all and erase the years he spent in a Geneva prison, the Mexican investors he alleges schemed with his former business associate to put him there, and his ex-wife, who he says...

Eleventh heaven: London's ever-discreet hotel Number Eleven Cadogan Gardens is asking regulars to move in--and stay a while.(Travel Flash)
September 1, 2006... Behind Sloane Square, in a posh patch of London where the only prevailing noises are the chimes of church bells, stands a hotel suspended in the Edwardian era. Number Eleven Cadogan Gardens looks just like all of the other ochre and white brick...

Temple of Dunes: Libya's Ubari Sand Sea offers a study in contrast: still-as-glass lakes amid a bone-dry desert.(Travel Flash)(Country overview)
September 1, 2006... The dusty dirt road that leads to Libya's Idehan Ubari desert begins behind a dilapidated school, where young girls in bright head scarves sit outside, waving to sunburned Westerners speeding by in SUVs. While these children are long used to...

Chef, interrupted: Paul Liebrandt is young, talented and gutsy. So where's his buzz?(Going Out)
September 1, 2006... Standing at the gleaming counter of his restaurant's kitchen, Paul Liebrandt reaches for a plastic cylinder of methylcellulose, an industrial chemical used to stabilize ice cretan and thicken jarred sauces. The powder kicks up a cloud of dust...

Match point.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... "My tennis knowledge isn't great--I sort of stopped paying attention after Steffi Graf and Boris Becker," admitted Diane Kruger on the terrace of Spencer House in London. The sport was on everyone's mind at the manse, where David Lauren hosted...

High times: Mary Louise Parker is Weeds' princess of pot.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... When she was growing up, actress Mary-Louise Parker, who won a Golden Globe this year for her role as a pet-dealing widow in the Showtime series Weeds, loved to play a game with her fanny called "essence." The way it works, she explains over...

Calm, cool and collected: art collector and man-about-town Adam Lindemann shares his knowledge of contemporary market in a new book.(EYE)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Adam Lindemann, the polo-playing media entrepreneur and New York social fixture, has coined a new term to describe himself. "I'm a 'consumptaholic,'" he says, leaning forward in one of the safety-orange Marc Newson chairs scattered about his...

Garden state.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... Hundreds of revelers swarmed London's Serpentine Gallery to celebrate the opening of its Rein Koolhaas--designed summer pavilion. Kristin Scott Thomas, Linda Evangelista and Mischa Barton made the annual can't-miss affair, which was hosted by...

Fly boy: actor-financier-daredevil pilot David Ellison (son of Larry) is ready to soar higher in Hollywood.(EYE)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... It's not often that you hear the term "down-to-earth" applied to a handsome 23-year-old actor who drives a Ferrari, lives in a gigantic house on Carbon Beach in Malibu, California, owns three planes and runs a production company that helped...

Cake walk.: Sofia Coppola cast Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette--and her friends as the dukes and princesses of Versailles.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... Last year director Sofia Coppola asked decorator Paul Fortune and photographer Paul Jasmin to don powdered wigs for cameo appearances in her new movie, Marie, Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst as the doomed queen and Jason Schwartzman as her...

Cristo ball.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... A starry crowd of fashion fans, including actresses Jennifer Connelly, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Amira Casar and Maggie Cheung, along with Jemima Khan and Miek Jagger, descended on the City of Light in July for a sneak peek of the "Balenciaga...

White nights: cocaine is fast regaining its status as the party drug of choice for the young and fabulous.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... It's four o'clock in the morning, and the party is still going strong at a fashion designer's downtown loft. A leggy It girl in a minidress is bopping to the music like a pogo stick, a fashion heiress is smoking cigarettes on the balcony with...

Tale of two cities: artist Sarah Morris is about to shake up midtown Manhattan with a new work about Los Angeles.(EYE)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Two years ago, painter and video artist Sarah Morris was in Warren Beatty's library, trying to convince him to appear in her 26-minute film "Los Angeles." She wanted to show him some of her previous work, but Beatty couldn't figure out how to...

Lei-d back.(EYE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Halloween was months away, but casual costumes replaced couture at a slew of events in New York this summer. Grass skirts, pareos and flip-flops were de rigueur at New York City Ballet's Hawaiian-theme Dance With the Dancers. While the...

The last drag: a cigarette addict discovers the many ways society's elite have quit smoking.(EYE)
September 1, 2006... I guess I knew I had a problem when I began waking up in the middle of the night to smoke a cigarette. It was bad enough that I would excuse myself during a film to bolt outside and light up. Or that I once missed a friend's wedding ceremony...

Into the West.(EYE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... "I love Hollywood," Karl Lagerfeld said as he arrived in town for a party celebrating the new ad campaign he'd photographed for Dom Perignon starring Eva Herzigova. "I love the air, the sun, driving around in a convertible, especially because...

See it.(Film)
September 1, 2006... [THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP] It may be a cliche to say that genius lies near madness in the human imagination, but French director Michel Gondry brilliantly renews the notion with his delightful The Science of Sleep. Gael Garcia Bernal plays...

Skip it.(Film)(Hollywoodland)(Movie review)
September 1, 2006... [HOLLYWOODLAND] Before Brandon Routh, before Christopher Reeve, even before color television, there was George Reeves, who played the proto-Superman on the popular 1950s TV series. His life and mysterious death in 1959 are dramatized--although...

Change of tune: fresh from London, Anthony Minghella's stunning new production of Madama Butterfly debuts in September at the Metropolitan opera, replacing the popular, if tired, old standby. Here, a comparison of the two versions.(Opera)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... STANDOUT SET GIMMICK Old: A shower of fake cherry blossoms falls from the sky at the end of Act II. New: A gigantic, tilting mirror running the entire length of the stage provides different aerial perspectives on the action. ...

Q + A: Jack Valenti.(EYE View: This month in the arts: industry bigwigs and modern butterflies.)
September 1, 2006... The new documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated, directed by Kirby Dick, skewers the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which is responsible for movie ratings. W caught up with Jack Valenti, who recently retired after 38 years...

Jesper just.(Art)(It Will All End in Tears)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... THE ART OF THE MINIATURIST IS TO PACK A BIG EMOTIONAL WALLOP INTO A SMALL FORMAT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT 32-YEAR-OLD DANISH ARTIST JESPER JUST MANAGES WITH HIS ACCLAIMED SHORT VIDEOS. JUST'S LATEST TRILOGY, "IT WILL ALL END IN TEARS," STARS...

Fall lit.(Books)
September 1, 2006... (1) If your faith in Hollywood has been eroded by another summer of terrible movies, three new books might offer hope--or at least explanations. In Nicole Kidman, film historian and critic David Thomson devotes 300 pages to the actress, her...

Dream on.
September 1, 2006... There's a long, ongoing debate in fashion about fantasy and reality. But those qualities can coexist, and this issue offers some of both. The first feature, "BUBBLICIOUS," shows off the daffy charm of short, puffy dresses and skirts, often with...

Christina's world: the dark, sardonic 10-year-old who debuted in Mermaids is now a dark, sardonic 26-year-old--and still a Hollywood oddity. But with her searing turn in Black Snake Moan, Christina Ricci puts lightweight starlets to shame.(Profile)(Biography)
September 1, 2006... At the Sundance Film Festival last year, a young director named Craig Brewer was suddenly the biggest new thing in a business built on overnight sensations. His feature Hustle & Flow--a little movie about a small-time pimp and a scrawny geek...

Welcome to the motor city: Detroit is coming back to life, reborn as one of the most vibrant cities in the world. So Bruce Weber and Kate Moss went off to sample a little motown magic. They got a lot.
September 1, 2006... DEVIN THOMPSON Thompson, 15, a freshman at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia, spends his summers in Detroit. working the grill outside his grandfather's club and restaurant, Bert's Jazz Marketplace. "To make more money we...

Midway.(Naomi Long Madgett)(DeShaun Holton)
September 1, 2006... MIDWAY by Naomi Long Madgett I've come this far to freedom and I won't turn back. I'm climbing to the highway from my old dirt track. I'm coming and I'm going And I'm stretching and I'm growing And I'll reap what...

Cover girls: the supermodel lives, as fashion's iconic beauties go through their paces.
September 1, 2006... SHALOM HARLOW Giogio Armani's silk velvet suit, at Neiman Marcus; Giorgio Armani, giorgioarmani.com Ellen Christine veil; Shaneen Huxham gloves. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PAT CLEVELAND Gucci's viscose jersey dress with Swarovski...

Surreal state: boldly sculpted shapes, rich embroidery and high-contrast, geometric patterns, often a La Paul Poiret, have an enigmatic charm.
September 1, 2006... Agent Provocateur'S mesh and silk satin suspender briefs, at Agent Provocaleur, agentprovocateur.com.Fogal hosiery; Miu Miu shoes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Giorgio Armani's silk velvet stole, at Giorgio Armani, giorgioarmani.com. Giorgio...

Rock redux.(EDITOR'S LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... It's hard to say exactly when music and fashion climbed into bed together, but a good guess might be when rock 'n' roll became a television show, on August 5, 1957, the day American Bandstand went on the air nationwide. A month later, the...

Modern lovers: even better than bling, the hottest accessory around is a rock star!(DUETS)
September 1, 2006... No celebrity romances are more fun to watch than those of musicians, who, as artists, like to express their feelings in a rather public manner. There are the heartfelt ballads (think Gwen A Stefani singing "Underneath It All" or, better yet,...