Town & Country articles from November 2008

Town & Country archives from November 2008

Getting to know you.(EDITOR'S LETTER)(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... I WAS RECENTLY on jury duty. (This is a fact, not a complaint.) While sitting in the jurors' room, where the endless waiting takes place to be called or dismissed, I noticed that most of my fellow potential jurors were spending their time...

What are you thinking? Take the T&C survey.(READER MAIL)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... What's on your mind today? How are you feeling about the economy, the cost of living, your family's savings and your financial future? How concerned are you about education and the environment? What national matters are you most interested in?...

On the same page.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I thought I was just over-the-hill in my thoughts on overexposure. Then I read "Overexposed!," by Patricia Volk ["Social Graces," August], and was thrilled someone else agreed. Keep up the good work. I really enjoy T&C. When I die, I'm coming...

Channeling Stephanie.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I was very happily surprised to see the beautiful Stephanie Seymour sporting a tattoo ["Simply Stunning!," by Thomas P. Farley, August]. As a patron of the arts, she is very cutting-edge--as is T&C. After reading the issue I went right out and...

Debra's blessings.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... What an amazing and impressive representative of her craft Debra Messing is ["Dressing the Part," by Carol Mithers, September]. She is not only beautiful and extremely talented but also well-educated and solid in her family values. Much credit...

A stylish September.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Thank you for the most fabulous September issue of Town & Country. It makes me proud to be a woman again. The clothes are to die for. It's been awhile since I've read a women's magazine that featured such lovely clothes and accessories. The...

Sensitive subjects.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... It never ceases to amaze me the personal questions acquaintances and total strangers will ask ["Nip, Tuck and Duck!," by Ann Hodgman, "Social Graces," September]. Growing up in a WASP family, I was taught to never, never inquire about the cost...

Museum of the City of New York.(PARTIES: New York)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Occasion: MCNY held its twenty-second annual Winter Ball at its home on upper Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The Party: Six hundred people, some in gowns by Dior, the event's sponsor, sipped cocktails on the newly...

American Academy in Rome.(PARTIES: Rome)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Event: The American Academy in Rome, the privately funded research institution that architect Charles Follen McKim established in 1894, held its fourth annual awards dinner at Villa Aurelia, a 17th-century...

American Friends of the Louvre.(PARTIES: Paris)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Purpose: AFL, the U.S. nonprofit organization that helps raise funds for the Paris museum and foster ties with American arts entities, held a spectacular gala at the venerable institution, spearheaded by...

El Museo del Barrio.(PARTIES: New York)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Place: For its fifteenth gala, the leading NYC-based museum for Caribbean and Latin-American art held a Quinceanero Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street, in Manhattan. The theme of the occasion was inspired by the party...

Scene & be seen: a calendar of events, trunk shows and benefits taking place at a store or location near you.).(Scene & be seen: a calendar of events, trunk shows and benefits taking place at a store or location near you.)(Calendar)
November 1, 2008... Alex Sepkus Jeff Feero, Managing Partner of Alex Sepkus Inc., with famed "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan, in Aspen, Colorado on July 10, 2008. Alex Sepkus has been carried by Aspen's luxury jeweler, Chepita, for over 12 years so this was a...

Parsons the new school for design.(PARTIES: New York)
November 1, 2008... The Purpose: The sixtieth annual benefit and fashion show for Parsons, the renowned Manhattan arts-and-design institution founded in 1896. Designer Diane von Furstenberg and former Barneys New York CEO Howard Socol were honored at this year's...

Liberty for all.(ON THE TOWN)(Liberty of London)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EARLIER THIS YEAR THE BELOVED LONDON department store Liberty, which opened on Regent Street in 1875, decided the time had come to branch out beyond its Tudor-style headquarters. The stunning result is a contemporary...

The souffle also rises.(ON THE TOWN)(Rise No. I)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... For many, the souffle is the pinnacle of French cuisine. For Francophile turned restaurateur Hedda Dowd, this rich dish is home cooking. "My childhood memories from the summers I spent at our family home in France all seem to revolve...

2009 Louis Vuitton City Guides.(ON THE TOWN)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you have an extended stay in a European city that you're longing to know better, why not let Louis be your docent? Celebrating its tenth anniversary with a refined redesign, the nine-book set of the 2009 Louis...

Adour-able.(ON THE TOWN)(Adour)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Hudson may be the river that most people associate with New York, but at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street all thoughts are of the riviere Adour. Named for the waterway that runs near the childhood home of superstar...

Graff's new gem.(ON THE TOWN)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Manhattan's Upper East Side has a brand-new flagship for London-based Graft, the maker of inimitable bracelets, earrings, tiaras, rings, cuff links and wedding bands. Located on a corner of Madison Avenue at East...

A winner in Warsaw.(ON THE TOWN)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Warsaw has come alive with new energy--and new cool. The capital is experiencing a youth-quake whose hallmark is creativity, epitomized by individuals like American restaurateur and designer Kai Schoenhals and his...

Rhapsody in blue and white.(IN THE COUNTRY)(A Passion for Blue and White)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Interior designer Carolyne Roehm sees the world in two colors. "When you look at nature, you see blue and white everywhere: brilliant blue skies, fluffy white clouds, magical icebergs, blue flowers," she writes in...

Rare, please.(IN THE COUNTRY: New in Napa)(Meadowood Vintners Collection)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Fine and rare wines" is the traditional phrase for the world's most sought-after bottles. Sounds great, but that rare part can pose a problem: some wines are nearly impossible to get, like endangered species spotted...

The Oxbow incidentals.(IN THE COUNTRY: New in Napa)
November 1, 2008... A traveler to California's Napa Valley eager to tour the wineries could spend as much time driving up and down the St. Helena Highway as it takes for a Cabernet to age and still not have tasted all the varieties to be sampled. And then there...

Having a steak in it.(IN THE COUNTRY: New in Napa)
November 1, 2008... There are a few wine-and-food pairings that are unassailable classics: Chablis and oysters, say, or Pinot Noir and wild mushrooms. They've been around so long because they just work. Certainly Cabernet Sauvignon and steak belong in that...

Head shots.(IN THE COUNTRY)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Where once a store-bought image of a snowman or a decorated tree served as a holiday greeting, many people now prefer to send cards incorporating family photographs. Here are a few good sources for creating your own....

Massachusetts appeal.(IN THE COUNTRY)(Trustees of Reservations)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Long before there was even talk of suburban sprawl, there was the Trustees of Reservations, one of the oldest land-conservation groups in the country. Founded in 1891, the Trustees originally relied on the largesse of old Massachusetts families...

The wine cellar: were any serious wine collector to conjure up the ideal cellar space, it might be the one owned by Napa Valley winemaker Ann Barry Colgin.(Ultimate Access)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] "I think it's great that more women are collecting wine," says American winemaker Ann Barry Colgin as she points to the adjoining wine cellars that house her own handcrafted reds as well as the 13,500-bottle...

Samantha Cameron.(FASHION & STYLE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OCCUPATION: Creative director of Smythson, the venerable British stationer and leather-goods company. PERSONAL STATS: Before joining Smythson, in 1996, she studied art and painting and ran her own design company. She...

Tropical Jubilee.(FASHION & STYLE: Trends)
November 1, 2008... Cheers to Lilly Pulitzer for showering us with colors and prints for the last fifty years. Her timeless style-an inspiration to other designers ever since she began, in 1959-is as vital as ever this resort season. Hibiscus-print dresses,...

Be jeweled.(FASHION & STYLE)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Don't throw stones, wear them! From head to toe, accessories sparkle with multicolored stones of every variety. Clockwise from top: ROBERTA FREYMANN silk necklace with sequins, tigereye, coral and resin stones...

Painted python.(FASHION & STYLE)(bags)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designers are taking an artistic approach to this season's most luxurious bags by staining or hand painting color directly on the skins. Clockwise from top right: YVES SAINT LAURENT Downtown tote ($4,800). NANCY...

All the President's men.(FASHION & STYLE: Men)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WALTER B.D. HICKEY JR., chairman of Hickey Freeman, the Rochester, New York-based menswear company that has been in business since 1899 (he is the grandson of cofounder Jeremiah Hickey), is used to working in a...

Louis Vuitton.(LEVELS OF LUXURY)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... In 1858 French trunk maker Louis Vuitton presented his first suitcase covered with coated canvas, a durable and waterproof fabric that became an instant success. Today the global brand, known for its signature monogram, has translated Vuitton's...

Cartier's glow.(JEWELRY)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The French luxury house Cartier debuted another spectacular collection of high jewelry this fall for Paris's Biennale des Antiquaires (at which Cartier jewels have been exhibited as special pieces since the fair's...

Party time!(JEWELRY)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even at this time of year, when sparkle is the norm, nothing lights up a woman's face like a pair of dangling diamond earrings. Let the festivities begin! Clockwise from top right: STEFAN HAFNER platinum spirals...

Into the blue.(WATCHES)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... In a departure from the typical black watch, the latest trend in timepieces takes inspiration from the colors of the night sky. Shades of navy look chic on faces and straps (like satin for evening or rubber for day). From left: PATEK PHILIPPE...

Top tools for your hair.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)(Hairbrushes)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Choose a brush according to your hair type and styling goals. STYLING FINE HAIR DENMAN's Soft Flexible Hyflex Vent ($11.53) adds body by allowing air through the brush as you blow-dry, denmanbrush.com. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] ...

Holistic hands.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)(skin care tips)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Palm Beach facialist Tammy Fender's magic touch has won over the city's discerning clientele, who visit her Holistic Skin Care day spa (711 North Flagler Drive; 561-659-2292) for radiant skin and sumptuous...

The little black perfume bottle.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
November 1, 2008... Coco Chanel's chic little dress made black an enduring fashion statement. Always modern and elegant, the color adorns the bottles of these floral fragrances and sets the stage for the scents inside. Bulgari Jasmin Noir (3.4 oz, $140) layers the...

Dental therapy.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
November 1, 2008... If you're as reluctant to settle into a dentist's chair as you are to step into the shower after viewing Hitchcock's Psycho alone at night, fear not: the dental profession is responding to this common anxiety by taking some extraordinarily...

Garden party.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)(Barneys New York)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... (GREEN ALERT!) The beauty floor at Barneys New York is becoming noticeably greener of late, as more luxury brands brew formulas with organic ingredients. At the root of hair-care brand Tela Beauty Organics ($40$50) is a blend of...

Actives for your eyes.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your body, and it's subject to the most wear and tear (especially with a workout of ten to fifteen blinks per minute). To help smooth wrinkles, try Euoko's Y-41 Eye Contour Nanolift ($290), the...

Ovarian cancer: what you need to know now.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
November 1, 2008... For years ovarian cancer has been called "the silent killer." Its subtle signs are easy to confuse with other conditions like PMS and menopause. By the time it's clear there's a problem, the disease has typically progressed to a...

Must-dos for November.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
November 1, 2008... 1. DRINK TO GOOD HEALTH Green-tea aficionados, sip up: the choice free-radical fighter joins forces with blueberry leaves to create an antioxidant powerhouse, NOVAMATRIX BLENDS Anti-Aging tea ($6.99 for five sachets), novamatrixgroup.com....

Inner circle: a jewelry gallery within the new home of the Museum of Arts and Design makes a sparkling addition to New York's Columbus Circle.(ARTS & CULTURE)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IF YOU WANT to see bling, it's out there on Fifth Avenue," says David Revere McFadden, chief curator at New York's newly relocated Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), describing what some might think of as contemporary...

Where the jewels are.(ARTS & CULTURE)(art museums)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... After checking out the collection at MAD, head downtown to the Forbes Galleries to see "Masterpieces of Ancient Jewelry: Exquisite Objects From the Cradle of Civilization," through December 31. One hundred thirty-five pieces spanning 7,000...

One man's riches.(ARTS & CULTURE)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the great inescapable tragedies of a single-owner auction--say, Bill Blass at Sotheby's or Victor and Sally Ganz at Christie's--is that material that once formed a rich portrait of a collector gets dispersed,...

Fifteen minutes with Sherri Geldin.(ARTS & CULTURE)(Interview)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The Wexner Center for the Arts, on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus is a venue with adventurous programming in the visual arts, film, dance and music that has thrived under Sherri Geldin, its director since 1993. This autumn,...

Bewitched (again).(ARTS & CULTURE)(The Widows of Eastwick)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There's no one quite like John Updike for a trip to New England. History, theology, period-detailed houses and frequent sex whiz by in a blur of inimitable writing. For fans of The Witches of Eastwick, published in...

Vanity fairest.(ARTS & CULTURE)(Vanity Fair: The Portraits)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Gloria Swanson was ready for her close-up long before she uttered the memorable phrase in Sunset Boulevard. In 1924, when she posed for Vanity Fair, photographer Edward Steichen draped black lace in front of Swanson's face (below right),...

1,000 nights at the movies.(ARTS & CULTURE)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] From Alphaville to Zabriskie Point, from Intolerance to No Country for Old Men, the new book Have You Seen...? (Knopf; $39.95), by film critic David Thomson, is so exhaustive that you'd think he'd spent his entire...

November must-sees.(ARTS & CULTURE)(Calendar)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 11/12 Fresh from its run at London's National Theatre, Waves, an ingenious multimedia adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel by director Katie Mitchell, comes to New York's Duke on 42nd Street theater from the...

A gentler desk.(DESIGN TRENDS)(buyers guide of office supplies and furnishings)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Appoint your weekend workspace with a whole new set of stylish accessories. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCHUMACHER Nest wall coverings made of naturally shed feathers (38" x 118" panel, $9,000), to the trade, fschu macher.com. AGRARIA...

Cult fabrics.(DESIGN TRENDS)
November 1, 2008... The designers behind these swoonworthy prints and touchable, textured weaves deserve to be better known--though you might not want to let the word out! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BERNARD THORP The London maestro of material, who's...

Giving thanks in Turkey: celebrating Thanksgiving needn't take place in the comfort of home. Lynn Sherr sets out in search of her favorite fowl and finds herself just as grateful for family and friends in a foreign land.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Travel narrative)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THANKSGIVING is my favorite holiday, a guilt-free celebration of family and food, and, of course, a time for thanks. Being at home with those I love, the daylong aroma of roasting turkey in the air, is a comforting...

Birthday at the beach.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PUERTO RICO In honor of its fortieth anniversary this month, El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa has been given a $120 million renovation, during which all 500 acres of bluff and beach have been groomed into a...

The Palladio pampers you.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ITALY In Venice it's easy to be enchanted, especially when you're unwinding at a spa located on the lagoon island of Giudecca. Such is the case with the Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa, whose 4,800-square-foot spa offers...

Keeping her finger on the pulse.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Elaine Lassman)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... ELAINE LASSMAN, editor of NB Pulse--the destination-based style guides (bottom) from the publisher of the Nota Bene travel books--personally vets every shop, wellness service and hotel her guidebooks list. Here, she shares her favorites from...

Shanghai side trip.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Kayumanis resorts)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHINA Live like Ming Dynasty royalty at Kayumanis Nanjing, the lone Chinese outpost of the cult-favorite Bali-based Kayumanis resorts. Once an imperial retreat, the lakeside property is less than four hours by car...

Sip-away camp.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(La Verriere)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PROVENCE Frustrated by what she felt was a lack of intensive and effective wine courses in Europe, former international investment banker Nicole Sierra-Rolet decided to create her own. She calls her Chine Bleu...

Mickey's magic pass.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Walt Disney World)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most people in America--with or without kids, whether they like it or not--wind up at a Disney theme park at some point in their lives. If you fall into the begrudging camp, Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista,...

First and foremost: this month we elect a new president. Herewith, some words of wisdom for his wife.(SOCIAL GRACES)
November 1, 2008... THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT the term First Lady that feels anachronistic. It conjures up images of women giving tours of the refurbished West Wing, reading books to kindergartners, wearing Oleg Cassini A-line dresses, baking Christmas cookies and...

Forever famous: from the time she was a toddler, Brooke Shields has always been at ease in the limelight.(Cover story)
November 1, 2008... IN AN AGE OF WHICH it has been said that everyone is famous but nobody is memorable, Brooke Shields is both. "I'm glad I was famous early on," she says, alluding to her public debut, at the age of eleven months as the Ivory Snow baby....

Imperial splendor: Prince Dimitri creates one-of-a-kind jewelry as dazzling as his family tree.
November 1, 2008... Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia is a man with jewelry in his blood. In his youth, this son of Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and a daughter of the last king of Italy, great-grandson of the king and queen of Belgium, and cousin or descendant of the...

Avedon's eye: Richard Avedon loved performers, especially when he had them all to himself.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EVEN THE MOST familiar face can tell a new story, something Richard Avedon intimately understood. For more than fifty years, the late, legendary photographer made portraiture the focus of his personal work, and he...

Garten of delights: for Ina Garten, the food world's Barefoot Contessa, Paris is her part-time residence--and her longtime passion.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ON A RARE spring day just summery enough to lift spirits as well as chase away the familiar Paris gray, an unmistakable laugh beckoned as I hurried along the Rue du Bac. Ina Garten's throaty giggle--as familiar to...

Miami heat: a city sizzles as its cultural dreams become realities.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] In recent years, perhaps no other American city has experienced anything like Miami's dramatic demographic shift. During the magical remaking of a once-shabby Art Deco district into hedonistic South Beach, the...

Southern hospitality: art patrons exploring Miami's scene, especially during Art Basel Miami Beach, now have more sophisticated choices of where to stay and play.
November 1, 2008... Hotels Mandarin Oriental, Miami A popular spa, an intimate pool area and breathtaking views of the Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay make the 326-room Mandarin Oriental, Miami, an ideal resting spot, particularly for health-minded sorts who...

A season preview: culture seekers will find plenty to do in the city on Biscayne Bay this winter.
November 1, 2008... Museums Miami Art Museum The work of renowned artist and filmmaker Chantal Akerman gets its first U.S. survey at MAM, now through January 25.101 West Flagler Street; 305-375-3000; miami artmuseum.org. Museum of Contemporary Art...

Weddings.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Willem Friso Siewertsz van Reesema (Meaghan Elizabeth Nolan, in Vera Wang Luxe) Lake Como, Italy [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Templeton Haynes (Courtney Sue Wilson, in Vera...

Horoscopes.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scorpio October 24-November 22 Professional tangles will smooth out once Mars leaves your sign on the 16th, and tensions, especially of the financial kind, will also ease off. You must, however, continue to...