Posts with tag NewYorkTimes

Last season saw the return of funny lady Debra Messing to the small screen in USA's mini-series, The Starter Wife. It was such a hit that USA is bringing it back as a full series, with the two hour premiere on Monday, October 10th.

The mini-series, based on Gigi Levangie Grazer's New York Times bestselling novel, focused on Molly, Debra Messing's character, dealing with the shock of a surprise divorce. The series will follow her as she recovers and starts to build her life. As the tagline says, "Wife Goes On"!

Today we have a special exclusive: a behind the scenes visit with Agata Maaszkiewicz, the costume designer for The Starter Wife. She talks about working with Debra Messing and the style they created her for character Molly. Watch and enjoy!

Many people watching the debate last night were surprised to see John McCain jerk at thumb at Obama and refer to his democratic rival as "That One". Post-debate the analysts are still trying to figure out if McCain meant it as a pejorative, if he forgot Obama's name and awkwardly tried to cover a senior moment, or if it was simply another of the (many) wince-worthy jokes that McCain scattered through his performance.

Stylist turned designer L'Wren Scott has led a very eventful life, to say the least, thus far.

She began her foray into fashion as a successful model walking the runways of Chanel and other coveted designers before she started styling and designing full-time. Oh yeah, her boyfriend is Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

A couple of weeks ago, the 6'4 beauty (yup, she's mighty tall) was profiled by New York Times Magazine. While Scott's life story would sound just as interesting if it were typed out, the little video featuring pictures of why she's amazing is much more aesthetically pleasing. Enjoy, darlings.

Well this should upset her, even if the A-Rod thing doesn't. The New York Times has tolled the death bell on Madonna's fashion influence. She's...boring!

It's bad when the Gray Lady calls you a gray lady. Bestey Johnson likened her look to Christie Brinkley going to court. Whoa there Bestey! As lovely as Ms. Brinkley is, she's never going to inspire gay men to dress like her for Halloween. Well, not the fun ones anyway.

Madonna turns 50 in a few weeks, on August 16th. (Yeah, she's a Leo - shocker, right?) Her age comes up in the article, along with the reminder that she's a mom, and the idea that maybe just can't get away with doing wild stuff any more. Cause you know, she's given birth and she's old.

We happen to think it's crazy for people to write off Madonna. How many times does she have to reinvent herself to prove that she is superhuman? Kinda boring in terms of partying (i.e. no drinking or drugs), but I bet she can stay out dancing all night, do the best moves and then have dirty group sex -- as a top and a bottom -- with all the hottest DJs, if she felt like it.

What do people expect? That she turn up in a Hanes Underwear commercial with Michael Jordan? Please, only Charlie Sheen could sink so low. That said, yeah, this dress is hideous. Enough with the Candace Bergen/Murphy Brown neckwear collection!

After the death of designer Gianco Ferré last September, the fashion house has been on a dire quest to find a designer who could step in and take over the reigns.

Lars Nilsson -- the former designer of Nina Ricci -- was tapped to be the creative director for Ferré in 2007, but was released from his position before his first collection even went down the fall 2008 runway. Ouch, indeed!

So, we have our fingers crossed for this new design duo:

I know it's hard to believe, but starting in 2010, NY Fashion Week will have to find a new home away from Bryant Park, where it's been since 1993. IMG World, the organizers of Fashion Week, are in a kind of standoff with Bryant Park officials who say the event has come to monopolize the park. Where the tents will end up, nobody knows for sure. There was talk of the festivities moving over to the soon-to-be developed 10th Avenue Rail yards, but it looks like that idea is getting scratched in favor of the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

No -- I'm not making this up. The foremost event in US fashion might one day end up on the roof of a smelly old bus terminal, but there are some upsides -- like having access to the terminal's sweet vending machines. The New York Times office is right across the street too, so I'm sure they'll like that. Right now, the heads of the Port Authority are trying to sell the idea to IMG, the only major problem is that there aren't adequate elevators to get people up to the roof.

Kate Hudson does it. Paris Hilton does it. Nicole Richie pretends to do it. All of these fashionable celebrities eat red meat and aren't afraid to do it in public.

According to the New York Times, red meat is man magnet. Red meat sends a message that a woman is "unpretentious and down to earth and un-neurotic" And if your meat of choice is a burger, even better (maybe), you are considered a down to earth cheap date.

Restaurants are taking notice that vegetarians seem to be "out" and meat eaters are "in". Today's women aren't afraid to chomp down on a piece of bleeding cow. In the earlier days of dating, women were encouraged to eat something at home, then order something light and dainty in front of her date. Some women still practice that move so they won't be pegged as a pig or get all bloated and fat in their date outfit, after downing a steak.

But good news for the meat eaters, many women have scored themselves a mate just by ordering up red meat. One woman in the article, who was timid about ordering a burger and then said to hell with it, ended up finding out that "... he liked the fact that I ordered the burger." Score!

So what does a girl wear when she is chowing down on hefty steak dinner? As a girl who enjoys a good filet mignon, I think I can be of some assistance. Wear a black jersey wrap dress. Seriously, it's a double whammy on the slimming qualities and you will need it. Also hold off on the strappy sandals, if you end up retaining water or something disgusting that you don't want your chubby little toes begging for mercy from your shoes. Play up the good "fat" on you, your breasts. Wear a nice push up bra and he won't even have a chance to scroll down to your full belly.

A customer walked into my store last week holding the tiniest, fluffiest, cutest little dog I have ever seen in my entire life. The white Maltese puppy was named "Coach," had a tiny Coach collar and leash, and, to top it all off, was wearing a little sweater with the message "My owner is hotter than yours" embroidered in pastel pink script.

I know this isn't breaking news; fashionistas have been toting tiny canines around Hollywood for a while now, but I live in Texas. Most of the time, once a trend has made it all the way down to the Lone Star State, I can feel pretty confident that it's....well.....over.

I'm worried, though, that carrying pint-size pups doesn't fall into the "passing trend" category. According to a recent article in the New York Times fashion section, little canines, or "sleeve dogs," have been a status symbol for ages, keeping women such as Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth II company, among others. And registration of many of the most popular breeds of small dogs has grown exponentially - the Norwich Terrier has gone up 91% in the last 10 years.

"I think of them as a handbag with a heartbeat," said Robin Bowden, a Manhattan real-estate mogul. And Rebecca Rand, a spokeswoman for the W hotel chain, said guests traveling with small dogs have become such a significant trend that the hotels are now offering services such as pet pillows with special treats placed on them at turndown time.

I know, it's disturbing, right? Something needs to be done, but first I need to pick which dog I want more - the Yorkshire Terrier or the doll-sized Chihuahua. They both fit in my purse, but I can't decide which will match better with my shoes.

Last week, many people shared their opinions on the latest "it bag" from Chanel -- a $1000 tote that resembled a 13-gallon trash bag. In today's On the Street section of the Times Style Section, Bill Cunningham introduced us to another big money bag on the streets on New York: the Fendi double buckle constructed bag which starts at $2000. While it isn't quite as ridiculous as the $1000 trash bag, I have to say, the bulky leather buckles on this bag look a lot like garish country estate door knockers.

Makes me wonder: is anybody home?

In Sunday's "On the Street" section of The New York Times' Style Section, Bill Cunningham introduced the world to the latest bag fad to hit Manhattan. The object of desire? A $1,000 black polymer bag by Chanel.

As you can see from the photographs, this "it" bag bears an uncanny resemblance to a very expensive 13-gallon trash bag that just happens to have a chain handle and a double-C Chanel charm. (No doubt the latter explains the truly exorbitant price tag.) If you're interested in this particular Chanel handbag, you had best get in line because there's already a month-long wait list for this season's most preposterous "it" bag.

"You're wearing highwaters!" we'd giggle, back when I was a teenager, to boys whose pants showed some ankle. Now, though, showing some ankle is apparently very, very cool.

As David Colman reports in the Style Section of today's New York Times, designer Thom Browne has raised the mark -- quite literally -- with his $3,500 suits. Despite impeccable tailoring, they ride a bit high ... by design. And with clients like David Bowie and George Stephanopolous, Browne has become the it-boy of men's fashion. He's even signed a two-year deal with Brooks Brothers to give the brand a bit more edge.

Browne's line, of course, has going for it than just short man-pants. Check it out here.

Just when you finally got done with summer camp, along comes autumn camp.

In her article"Shock of the Frock" in yesterday's New York Times, Cathy Horyn lambasts the Giorgio Armani fashion week show, arguing that it is "the campiest in town" (the "town" being Milan). The collection features hats and hems, small jackets, soft trousers, crinkly skirts, beaded dresses. And while it's not Liberace-style camp, it's definitely a step away from the austere Armani of yesteryear.

So can campy be cool? Or does it even matter, just so long as the tag says "Armani"?

I usually think of jumpers as those things I was forced to wear until I was old enough to tell my mom to go away because I was picking out my own clothes (in other words, age 3).

But apparently the jumper is not just for kids. As Bill Cunningham notes in Sunday's New York Times style section, the cooler weather suddenly means that ladies of all ages are eschewing the undersized top for a jumper ... on the streets of Manhattan, anyway.

While I'm willing to allow the return of the jumper, I shudder to think what this might lead to. I mean, what's next? The security blanket as this fall's hottest accessory?

Sure, I like Bram Stoker's Dracula (the 19th century novel, not the terrible 1990s movie), and every summer I re-read it at the beach. But am I ready for Dracula at the job?

As David Colman reports in an article titled "What I Like About Dracula" in yesterday's New York Times style section, the gothic look is suddenly big among non-Goths, like guys who have 9-5 jobs. Rather than going office casual, these guys are gussying themselves up with vampire-inspired fashion.

As Colman notes, corporate types are wearing silver-talon rings, silk ties with Maltese cross patterns and dark suits with blood red linings. Alexander McQueen is apparently the king of vampire vogue, with a Dark Prince-themed runway show and a lot of Omen-inspired designs.

Okay, maybe this is a cool fad. But maybe, just maybe, it will disappear before sunrise.

Anyone who followed fashion back in the 1960s probably remembers the notorious rivalry between Yves St. Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. If you weren't around to enjoy the fireworks (I wasn't), then you should check out Alicia Drake's new book, The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris.

The title sounds awfully academic, but from the review in the New York Times, it sounds like Drake captures enough cattiness and back-biting to make the 437 pages actually entertaining. The narrative begins in Paris in 1954, when both men won prizes in an international design competition. As young schoolmates, the two tried to be friends, but the relationship started to fall apart when St. Laurent was tapped by couture master Christian Dior. Lagerfeld, on the other hand, remained in design obscurity, working as a freelance ready-to-wear design in Paris.

Throughout their 40-year careers as design-wunderkinds, the two men have squabbled, fought, and stolen each other's lovers, but beyond all that, the fight between Lagerfeld and St. Laurent has been the battleground for the 20th-century's struggle between haute couture and ready-to-wear.