"I didn't know there were any great, old, cool places like this in New York," marveled my step-daughter soon after we checked into the 139-year-old Mohonk Mountain House on a recent weekend. A teenage world traveler, she's seen Asia and Europe, but her first trip to the Shawagunk Mountains of upstate New York did not fail to impress.
With its winding hallways, creaky staircases and oak-panelled everything, the lodge reminded me of The Shining—that is, if The Shining had been a family comedy. Kids were everywhere in evidence, scampering through the halls, spending their parents' quarters in the game room and dressing up for dinner in the massive dining hall, where jackets are still required for men of all ages. We slept late, overate and played endless rounds of Scrabble and hearts in front of our room's crackling fireplace.
Mohonk has managed to make its spa, which opened just three years ago feel equally old-world. There's an outdoor hot tub, a sauna, steam rooms and sixteen treatment rooms where you can get treatments like warm stone massages and rosemary sage body exfoliations. While you wait for your appointment, you can relax in the spa's glass-enclosed veranda, surrounded by ancient trees. I now hear that Mohonk may soon offer outdoor treatments. Excellent. Now I have a work-related excuse to plan our next visit.
Have an armoire full of girly cashmere and still find yourself tempted by roomier grandpa cardies and boyfriend sweaters? Me too. Be it the forgiving fit (which isn't that much bigger these days), or just the alluring question of "who's the real owner," there's something so pleasurable about wearing a man's pullover. But which to choose? Behold Tim Hamilton's mesh offerings for fall. No newcomer to knitwear, two-time CFDA men's wear nominee Hamilton admits that women are flocking to his sweaters just as much, if not more than, guys. (The next items on the must-have list: Hamilton's leggings, sweatpants and upcoming collaboration with Uniqlo.) His take on the standard crewneck has a slimmer, longer body, and the net-like cotton and wool is a refreshing twist to the classic cable. In solids and stripes and a range of colors, Hamilton's crews come in so many ways to break in the upcoming seasons. And for his growing female following, Hamilton says to skip the covert closet raid. In other words, nowadays it's No Boyfriend Necessary.
The idea of getting a Thai massage has always seemed unappealing to me. In a Thai massage, I was always led to believe, one's body is stretched mercilessly into all sorts of uncomfortable positions, and instead of the masseuse's long, swooping movements, there are individual applications of pressure up and down the body. Sounded like way too much work. But a recent trip to Thailand, where I sampled the treatment at Chiang Mai's Four Seasons and the spa at Phuket's Trisara resort, proved me wrong. Not only was the massage, a combination of exacting moves, yoga and physical therapy, oddly energizing, it actually made me feel like I had done a bit of exercise—a serious plus. Still, the real bonus for me was the discovery of Thai fisherman pants, the oversize one-size-fits-all cotton trousers that one wears during the massage. The sarong-pant hybrid makes more of a style statement than sweats, and is the ultimate after-hours uniform. I scooped up 10 pairs at a local handicraft store for 100 baht (about three dollars) each; you can score a pair online for $22 at fisherpants.com.
When Lamborghini invited me to check out their latest car at New York International Auto Show, I couldn't resist. Not being much of a car aficionado, I was more curious about the show itself. What goes on at these things?
First of all, the show—at the Javits Center—was massive. (I trekked around for nearly half an hour before finding the area with the top-tier wheels.) As you might also expect, most of the attendees are men. And yes, most of the manufacturers had hired models to show off their new cars. At the Toyota booth, the girls were all-American curvaceous blondes in pencil skirts. At Kia, it was sexy mom-types.
At Lamborghini I had espresso with the company's dashing CEO, Stephan Winkelmann. We kicked back in a sleek black structure they had built to resemble a mini-nightclub; to one side uniformed chefs sliced ham and proffered smoked salmon sandwiches. It wasn't easy to talk, however, as the Pontiac booth next door was hosting a very loud performance from the rock band Young Lords. The din had Stephan rolling his eyes—his public relations rep explained to me that they always seem to get assigned the loudest spots at trade shows. But Lamborghini got its turn in the limelight when, at 2:40 p.m., they unveiled the 2009 Gallardo LP560-4. Models clad in skin-tight, champagne colored dresses posed around the car (priced at $198,000) and greeted press. As the PR representative whispered to me, "We try to pick ones that look Italian."
These days, if you're anybody in the media or fashion mafia, you're probably dining at Bar Blanc, the uber chic, all-white West Village eaterie that opened in December. Aside from our own W core group of devotees—Dennis Freedman, Eddie Leida and Jim Reginato—recent diners have included Jeffrey Steingarten, Mary Alice Haney, Andrew Essex, Jamie Pallot, Alan Richman, Carlos Mota, the KCD gang, Brian Reyes, Bronson Van Wyck, the crew from Stella McCartney and Style.com editor-in-chief Dirk Standen (who also happens to be the brother-in-law of Kiwon Standen, one of the three partners in the restaurant). We also hear that Elle magazine is hosting a 60-person dinner there in a few weeks.
Bar Blanc 142 W. 10th St bet Waverly Pl. and Greenwich Ave. (212) 255-2330
Innerwear as outerwear—it's a recurring theme. Over the years, everyone from Dolce & Gabbana and Versace to Prada and Donna Karan have done dresses that look like slips. But as is often the case in fashion, what's old is new again. So it feels really fresh to us right now to see a few slips that serve their original purpose—and in an utterly chic way. Our picks? An exquisite one from Stella McCartney with just the right dose of sparkle, a simple lace number from Vera Wang lingerie and a nude, prairie-ish offering from Kiki de Montparnasse. And of course, now that spring is here, it's probably time for a tiny shot of color. One of the best: Eres' acid green silk version. Just the thing to have peeking out from under a frock.
We're sooooo not competitive with each other (really, it's hugs and air-kisses 24/7 around here), but on water-logged Wednesday we seemed to be dividing squarely into two camps: the Hunters versus the Aigles. Weighing in for Hunters were Jenny Comita, Jane Larkworthy and Whitney Beckett, our WWD comrade across the hall, who was sporting a jaunty purple-y pair. Team Aigle included Treena Lombardo and Yours Truly. Of course there were a few renegades in the bunch, like Sarah Haight in L.L. Bean and Venessa Lau, whose teal Marc by Marc Jacobs rain boots feature not only a kicky tie front, but a chic bit of heel as well (not that she needs the height...). And while Sarah Taylor spied a killer pair at the Loeffler Randall fall press preview that she can't wait to get her mitts on, another editor, who shall remain nameless, was so shamed by her Hello Kitty-esque puddle-jumpers that she refused to take them out of their hiding place under her desk. OK, so maybe I lied about the not-competitive bit—Carolyn Tate Angel and Bobbi Queen were both trotting around in the super-spendy, ultra-covetable Le Chameau numbers. With handy side zips and leather linings, they're definitely the Ferraris of Wellies.
In case you missed it, our Web site now has 10 exclusive videos from behind the scenes at Bruce Weber's New Orleans photo shoot. Model Karen Elson, who stars in the portfolio, can be seen doing a little dance with her new pal, transwoman and former mill worker Princess LaRouge. We were most impressed with Karen's ability to dance gracefully in those Miu Miu heels.
P.S. For those obsessing over Karen's wardrobe, her whole outfit is Lanvin and her jangly necklace is by Fenton. Princess LaRouge is dressed in Alexander McQueen.
To support the Urban Zen Initiative—Donna Karan's boho non-profit that promotes integrative medicine and cultural preservation—the designer sold off some of her own belongings in a two-day warehouse sale this past weekend in the West Village. On Friday, about 500 people showed up at Stephen Weiss Studio, many of them waiting in line outside on Greenwich Street. One lucky shopper snapped up an Art Deco dining set for $3,750 (it had been appraised at $9,000), while others made short work of a room full of evening clothes. Though some of the garments were old production samples, there were also pieces by Halston, Yohji Yamamoto and others that had been purchased for inspiration. Die-hard Donna fans dug through the racks for gems labeled "DK Personal," the indication that they came from the designer's personal closet.
By Saturday afternoon, the crowd was less rabid and the remainders had a somewhat dated feel: think thong leotard bodysuits, chunky open toed Steve Madden wedges (a favorite of Donna's in the late '90s, apparently—but who didn't love them back then?), even a pair of used cross-country skis.
Sadly, shoppers hoping for a Donna sighting during the sale were to be disappointed, as she was in Italy for work.
Julianne Moore can't seem to get enough cashmere. After serving as Lutz + Patmos' guest designer for fall '07, the actress is now showing her love for another line of knits. On Tuesday evening, she played hostess at the opening party of Tse's new boutique on Wooster Street, where she looked super-chic in a layered turtleneck-and-dress combo from the label, paired with Yves Saint Laurent's black patent ankle booties—fresh off the fall '08 Paris runway. Moore said Tse made a "generous donation" to the Friends Seminary scholarship fund, an organization she and her husband Bart Freundlich support. What else does the gorg redhead have up her (luxe) sleeve? She's just started traveling back and forth between New York and Pittsburgh, where she's filming Shelter, a thriller co-starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. All that cozy cashmere should come in handy on the Delta shuttle. "What can I say?" she said. "I love sweaters."
With arguably the most popular political site on the Web, an endless roster of high-powered bloggers and a smart new book, Arianna Huffington is more influential than ever.
