Town & Country articles from March 2003

Town & Country archives from March 2003

Big night. (Editor's Letter).(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... We live in an awards culture, for better or worse--one in which everyone seems to be judging or is being judged, in a race or on the sidelines, cheering or jeering, competing against something, someone or even oneself. Our aspirations and...

Sweet memories. (This Month's Mailbox).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Thank you for putting more people of color in T&C. When I was a little girl and still too young to read, we had no money, but my mom was always interested in elegance and good taste. Today the little girl is all grown up, and she has fond...

Great hair days. (This Month's Mailbox).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... I read with much interest the article "Fall Out," by Nancy F. Smith ["Beauty Mark," October 2002]. I went through chemotherapy for malignant aggressive lymphoma. I had always loved my hair, and the idea of losing it terrified me. When I had it...

Andy Borowitz's mailbox. (This Month's Mailbox).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... In our December 2002 issue, Andy Borowitz satirized the tell-all holiday letter in "Thank You for Not Sharing" ("Social Graces"), provoking an abundant variety of responses. Here are just a few: Those annual Christmas letters take a little...

The artists' studio. (Parties).(Studio Museum in Harlem fundraiser)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... THE CANVAS The Studio Museum in Harlem Gala. THE COMPOSITION Decked out in autumnal hues, the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan's Chelsea district provided a festive backdrop for 900 guests, who enjoyed dinner, dancing and a...

Diamonds in Dallas. (Parties).(Child & Family Guidance Center fundraiser)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... THE 95-CARAT PARTY A benefit for Dallas's Child & Family Guidance Center, sponsored by A Diamond Is Forever, a diamond-industry public-relations group. THE SPARKLING SCENE Philip Johnson's Beck House, where fashion visionary...

A jazzy city. (Parties).(Jazz at Lincoln Center fundraiser)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... THE THEME "Manhattan Rhapsody," a gala musical celebration of New York City to benefit Jazz at Lincoln Center. THE ARRANGEMENT A concert at Avery Fisher Hall featured, among others, Woody Allen; Patti LuPone; Paul Simon; and the...

Merry-go-round. (Parties).(Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes and the Children's Diabetes Foundation ball)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... THE GALA The 15th Carousel of Hope Ball at Merv Griffin's Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. About 1,500 guests turned out to support the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes and the Children's Diabetes Foundation. HOLLYWOOD HOPEFULS...

Richmond's riches. (Parties).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A FINE NIGHT In a burst of splendor, Richmond's Virginia Museum of Fine Arts welcomed the show "Celebrating Art Nouveau: The Kreuzer Collection." THE DECOR Neoclassical panels lined the walls of the Marble Hall, whose centerpiece...

Trading spaces: six different buildings, each thought to have outlived its usefulness. If you don't believe in reincarnation, prepare to be persuaded. (On The Town).
March 1, 2003... ROME What is a city to do when its very first thermoelectric power plant has been superseded by far more efficient facilities and declared obsolete? Why, turn it into an archaeological museum, of course. Such is the case with Rome's Museo...

More power to them. (On The Town).(power plants transformed into art galleries)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Around the world, former power stations are being transformed into visual-arts centers. In London, contemporary art is generating lots of buzz at both the Bankside Power Station--now famously known as the TATE MODERN...

Is the smoke bothering you? .(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Speak Up and Say So. If you care about someone who smokes, tell her how you feel, about both her and her smoking. The more you care about her, the more her smoking hurts you. Whether she's your friend, sister, mother, daughter, aunt,...

Chickens delight. (In The Country).(Murray McMurray Hatchery)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... If you thought chickens were for the birds, think again. "Pedigreed" chickens have become all the fashion. How about haughty Polish strutters sporting exotic topknots; creamy buff cochins, with their fresh-from-the-hairdresser bouffants;...

Master blacksmith. (In The Country).(Samuel Yellin Metalworkers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Samuel Yellin Metalworkers operates out of a weathered stone-and-clapboard building at a quiet country crossroads eleven miles west of Philadelphia. The forge is overseen by Clare Yellin, the granddaughter of Samuel Yellin (1885-1940), who was...

The producer. (In The Country).
March 1, 2003... Michael Lynne must be the rare New York City resident who's mastered both Hollywood and vine. As cochairman of New Line Cinema, he oversees films like the recent Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. But Lynne also owns three vineyards on Long...

Built to blossom. (In The Country).
March 1, 2003... The best architecture is born of a solid foundation, pleasing proportions, inviting vistas, strong structural delineation and the compelling interplay of spaces. It's no surprise, then, that when architects turn to garden design, these elements...

Funny pages: find escape from the dreary days of March in the pages of these bright, brilliantly clever, recently released books. (In The Country).(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... * In her best-selling novel, I Don't Know How She Does It (Knopf; $23), British newspaper columnist Allison Pearson tackles the quest of so many women--to be a superachiever at home and at work. Finding the right balance may seem impossible,...

All we want for March is ... (Fashion & Style News).(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2003... All We Want For March Is... these brass, but not too brassy, Gaya earrings ($160) by CELINE. They're smaller versions of the colossal danglers that adorned every one of the models in the label's spring show. Available at Celine, NYC, Beverly...

Asia major. (Fashion & Style).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Take an exotic journey to the Far East with Asian-inspired accessories. Clockwise from top: LOTUS ARTS DE VIVRE woven clutch with a removable one-of-a-kind ruby, emerald and jade brooch ($5,160). NATORI beaded oval Obi bag ($1,500). MANOLO...

First-class coach. (Fashion & Style).(Coach leather goods)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... "Sexy," "fun" and "sophisticated" are just a few of the words that Reed Krakoff, the president and executive creative director of Coach, uses to characterize one of America's oldest and most successful leather-goods companies. "Playful,...

Twinkle toes. (Fashion & Style).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dance your way into spring in sandals embellished with feathers, sequins and pearls. Clockwise from top: VALENTINO GARAVANI satin-and-feather sandals ($695). MANOLO BLAHNIK satin-and-pearl Rallona sandals ($530). RENE CAOVILLA beaded-suede...

Brave new tux. (Fashion & Style).(from Ralph Loren's purple label)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Truly stylish men know the rule--and When to break them, as shown by this tuxedo ($2,995) from the Ralph Lauren Purple Label spring collection. Lauren takes the traditional peak-lapel dinner jacket and gives it a twist by presenting it in brown...

Faces of time: the trend is bright, bold, oversize watches--easy to wear, easy to read. (Jewelry).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Clockwise from top: RITMO MUNDO stainless-steel Gran Data watch with a red dial and a crocodile strap ($1,400), at Saks Fifth Avenue, 212-753-4000; or call 310-901-8500. CHARRIOL Columbus chronograph watch with a yellow mother-of-pearl dial and...

London calling. (Jewelry).(David Morris opens boutique on Worth Avenue)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The British have landed... in Palm Beach, Florida. David Morris, the famed London jewelry firm, Has opened its first American boutique on prestigious Worth Avenue. "Sunshine, shopping and an ideal space lured us to the spot where most of our...

Bossa Nova's new beat: the girl from Ipanema is all grown up, and Brazil's sultriest musical export is enjoying a fresh burst of popularity. (Connoisseur's World).(Bebel Gilberto)
March 1, 2003... It's a Friday night in New York City, and Bebel Gilberto, the Brazilian princess of cosmopolitan pop, breezes onto the stage of the packed Beacon Theater, tossing her glamorous dark mane. Dressed in an elegant Narciso Rodriguez pantsuit, she...

Crowd pleasers. (Connoisseur's World).
March 1, 2003... Talk about marquee magic. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has a new show--"Manet/Velazquez: The French Taste for Spanish Painting" (March a to June 8)--and the title itself should ensure big attendance. But the opportunity to see nearly...

Artmarket: Asia Week. (Connoisseur's World).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... For collectors of Asian art, New York City is about to become the center of the universe once again. During Asia Week (March 24 to April 2), Christie's and Sotheby's will hold six important sales of Asian art, and fifty-five dealers will...

Awed by Audrey. (Connoisseur's World).
March 1, 2003... In 1994 Sean Hepburn Ferrer created the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund to honor his late mother's tireless work as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Last year Ferrer's foundation and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF launched the All Children in School...

Let her entertain you. (Connoisseur's World).(Bernadette Peters in Gypsy)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... This month, two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters, the embodiment of sweet vulnerability for much of her now legendary musical career, previews her take on one of the biggest, brashest roles in the Broadway canon: stagestruck force of nature...

Boston public. (Connoisseur's World).(Boston Athenaeum)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Set at the crook of Beacon Street, the Boston Athenaeum library has long suggested flinty Brahmins slumbering in club chairs. But with a $31 million makeover and a new emphasis on its public programs, the 196-year-old institution is playing a...

Twelve lads a-singing. (Connoisseur's World).(Chanticleer)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Chanticleer is an astoundingly versatile twelve-man vocal ensemble. Its treatment of medieval and Renaissance music, as well as gospel, jazz and contemporary fare, has earned the group a 1999 Grammy and a cult following that's grown with every...

To the manor reborn: at a new Cotswolds hotel, lovers of the English countryside find a modern decor and an old-fashioned welcome. (Traveler's Notebook).(Cowley Manor)
March 1, 2003... The English country-house hotel was so much a part of the eighties boom that it was hard to know what would become of it in the age of Tony Blair. Refurbished mansions with book-lined rooms and rows of wellies in the hall offered a taste of the...

New Bahama hideaways. (Traveler's Notebook).(Harbour Island)
March 1, 2003... HARBOUR ISLAND Most visitors to Harbour Island rent the same houses or return to the same hotel year after year, but thanks to developer Wallace Tutt, they have three more options. As a trial lawyer in Washington, D.C., Tutt indulged his...

Paradise in a bag. (Traveler's Notebook).(Harl Taylor handbags)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... In 1997 Harl Taylor, a Bahamian designer based in Paris, held a fashion show in Nassau that was so successful he decided to move home and launch a clothing line. To thank the women who attended that show as well as others whose style inspired...

Cortina's grand hotel. (Traveler's Notebook).(Cristallo Reconditioning and Beauty Hotel)(Hotel Review)
March 1, 2003... CORTINA, ITALY The most stylish place for Italians to ski has long been Cortina d'Ampezzo, a pretty resort nestled in the Dolomites, or Italian Alps. Many Italian industrialists, designers and aristocrats own houses there, but for much of the...

Africa, the magic and the misery. (Traveler's Notebook).(Dark Star Safari)(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... Almost forty years after he first visited Africa as a university teacher based in Malawi and Uganda, Paul Theroux returns to the place that was, he says, "the making of me" in his latest book, Dark Star Safari (Houghton Mifflin; $28). Following...

Spring forward: then fall back on our celebrity makeup artists' picks of the season's best colors for your skin tone. (Beauty Mark).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Fair "Spring's sheer lilacs work beautifully with the pink undertones in fair skin," says makeup artist Mally Roncal, who works with such celebrities as Celine Dion. Roncal's five essentials (from top row): CLE DE PEAU Bold Rose lipstick ("a...

Farmer's favorites. (Beauty Mark).(Davies Gate products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Grains and seeds like barley and sesame have expanded beyond the kitchen cupboard and are now cropping up on toiletry shelves. SEEDS ($20-$40) is a bath, body and home line created by Countess Sondes, who runs her late husband's farm in Kent,...

Books ... (Beauty Mark).(Baby Om: Yoga for Mothers and Babies)(Curl Talk)(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... When mothers Laura Staton and Sarah Perron couldn't find a baby-friendly yoga class in Manhattan, they developed their own: Baby Om, in which mothers practice yoga poses cleverly adapted to include newbies through one-year-olds. The duo now...

Super skin. (Beauty Mark).(Prescriptives antiaging creams)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... From Prescriptives comes the Super Line Corrector skin-care regimen, the company's first antiaging line. The Lifting Day Cream, SPF 15 ($65), Firming Night Cream ($65) and Smoothing Cleanser ($25) work in concert and help to increase collagen...

Little black compact. (Beauty Mark).(Essentiels de Chanel)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Because Coco CHANEL invented the little black dress--that indispensable piece in every woman's wardrobe--it was only natural for her design house to create the ultimate makeup compact: Essentiels de Chanel ($65). The limited-edition palette...

Boutique shopping: great beauty finds for the cosmetically inclined. (Beauty Mark).
March 1, 2003... Wouldn't it be wonderful to have your own personal beauty shopper, someone impartial, with an extensive knowlege of the best products out there? T&C talks to the people who've dedicated themselves to just that calling. GRETCHEN MONAHAN,...

Go ahead, get fat. (Beauty Mark).(fats essential for health)
March 1, 2003... It's time you embraced fat. The right kind is vital for the health of your body, mind and spirit. Fat is also one of the secrets to beautiful skin. Unfortunately, many Americans fear fat because of our nation's obesity problem and the abiding...

The hormone replacement dilemma: so what's a woman to do? (Health).
March 1, 2003... Last summer the bubble burst for millions of middle-aged women as their fountain of youth dried up. News was out that part of a major clinical study on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had been abruptly halted last July, when early results...

All-American crystal. (Design).(Steuben)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ALL-AMERICAN CRYSTAL STEUBEN, the venerable glass manufacturer based in Corning, New York, turns one hundred this year. In honor of its centennial, next month the company will introduce a brand-new selection of beautiful barware and stemware....

Design trends.
March 1, 2003... 1. French furniture designer Jean Prouve (1901-1984) treated industrial materials with an aesthetic sensibility. His work is currently all the rage--and fetching high prices at auction. Can't find an original? VITRA has just reissued seven...

Passing the bucks: when transferring your assets, smart strategies can mean big tax savings. (Wealth).
March 1, 2003... With tax season upon us, thoughts inevitably turn to the sharing of wealth--not with the IRS, one hopes, but with family members and friends. While anyone can transfer assets to another, not everyone knows the methods that will work best for...

Way too familiar? Before your kids get too chummy around their elders, make sure they understand the importance of titles like Mr., Aunt, Grandpa and, yes, Mom and Dad. (Social Graces).
March 1, 2003... As I picked up my five-year-old son after a play date at his friend's house one afternoon, I reminded him to thank Mrs. Davis. "Oh, no," Mrs. Davis scoffed, "we don't like all that formality, all that Mr. and Mrs. stuff. Just call me Susie."...

Oscar night: Connie Nielsen is T&C's leading lady in the season's most stunning gowns and glittering jewels.
March 1, 2003... It's the greatest fashion show on earth, an evening like no other, when the world's biggest celebrities pull out all the stops--and the rest of us get to watch. We mean, of course, the Academy Awards. Who's dressed to the nines? Who looks like...

Designer to the stars: Edith Head dressed more Hollywood legends than anyone else--and became one herself.(Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer)(Excerpt)(Biography)
March 1, 2003... In the years before fashion became an industry based on designers' names, fame and signature styles, it was Hollywood's costume designers who shaped the looks and dreams of millions of women around the world. As Oscar turns seventy-five, T&C...

Free and easy: at the Dominican Republic's luxurious Casa de Campo resort, comfort and glamour add up to relaxed chic.
March 1, 2003... Stretch out and unwind: She wears Prada's satin crewneck top ($1,345) and satin miniskirt ($780); Christian Dior's America sunglasses by the Safilo Group ($230); Oscar & Nancy's wooden bracelets ($48 each); and Jimmy Choo's leather Pagoda...

30 must haves for spring: from the fanciful to the exotic, T&C'S freshly culled list of this season's top trends.(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2003... 1 WHIMSICAL WEDGES Perfume wedge sandals by Jimmy Choo ($475), at Jimmy Choo, NYC, 212-593-0800. 2 MOROCCAN LEATHER Valentino's leather jacket with sparkly mother-of-pearl details ($8,955), at Valentino boutiques, 800-785-2347;...

Day by day: Annette Roque Lauer models ten great looks for an afternoon around town.(Interview)
March 1, 2003... "I get to play fashion goddess only on the pages of magazines," says Annette Roque Lauer, the wife of Today show cohost Matt Lauer. Nonetheless, "fashion goddess" seems a role she was born to play. She became a model at nineteen, immediately...

Primarily colors: accessories for spring come in a wonderful range of hues.(Column)
March 1, 2003... TURN YOUR BRIGHTS ON This page, clockwise from top left: Hogan orange suede-and-leather Bisaccia Piccola bag ($780). Christian Louboutin yellow satin Matador sling-backs ($375). Cesare Paciotti turquoise sandals with rhinestone flowers ($930)....

Light classics: Town and Country's take on the very best spring clothes for men.(Column)
March 1, 2003... THIS SPRING, a well-dressed man should turn his thoughts to the classics--classic clothes, that is. In this season's collections, numerous menswear favorites have been reenergized with 21st-century verve and confidence and with materials and...

Weddings.(Wedding photographs.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Edward Ramey (Lindsey Rae Larsen) Sioux Falls, South Dakota [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Gainer McClain (Mary Kathryn McShea) San Diego, California [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Bryant...