A couple of days before Christmas, we popped downtown to Santos Party House to catch a performance by Brooklyn band Jessica 6. We didn't really know what to expect, but it was billed as a Deitch Projects event and we were intrigued by the promise of the premiere their "Fun Girl" music video.



Photos by Christos Katsiaouni

St. Barths do: Marc Jacobs's Birkin doubles as a beach bag. Huffington Post

Fashion is message. Do I look rich? Do I look available? Do I look like I get it? Fashion is also context. And in the year since the industry placed its absurdly bright hopes on Mrs. Obama and her wardrobe, much has changed and dimmed. Is this how a modern, educated, working woman wants to be viewed in her first historic year—as a maven, an icon? Who's Barbie now?"—Cathy Horyn, stirring things up in yesterday's NY Times. Fashionista

Lindsay Lohan poses for a swimsuit photoshoot in Santa Monica but her smile is upstaged by nasty cuts, bruises and scratches on her body. Ew. Daily Mail

Yves Rocher, the baron of eco-beauty, died of a stroke in Paris on Christmas Day at age 79. Huffington Post

If you haven't confirmed your New Year's Eve reservation yet, ring in 2010 with Courtney Love. She'll be displaying her talents at The Top of the Standard formerly known as the Boom Boom Room. Fashionista

Need inspiration for a stylish New Year? Tory Burch's pals reveal how they'll be celebrating 2010. Toryburch.com

Charlotte, Carrie, Samantha and Miranda travel to Morocco for the Sex In the City sequel, turbans, caftans and burkas abound. Mail Online

Too pooped to party sue. Naomi Campbell is dropping a court case against her former personal assistant, citing "legislation exhaustion." Campbell was suing Vanessa Frisbee for allegedly selling a story about her to the News of the World in 2000. Huffington Post

Patience will be rewarded. When it comes to shopping post holiday sales hit the stores this week. But if you really want a bargain, shop after New Year's when retailers will practically be giving things away to make room for pre-spring inventory. The Cut

Do you count these 10 fashionable folks as the chicest of the chic? Compare them to your "it list". The Chic Report

As fascinating as all of TigerGate has been, what's really kept me glued to my TV are those glittering implanted studs in the upper cheeks of his gal pals Jamie Jungers and Jaimee Grubbs. They look sort of like moles, but by Swarovski. So I phoned up J. Colby Smith, a piercer at New York's Adorned boutique, for some insights.



According to Smith, these implanted studs fall under the category of "micro-dermal anchoring," which means that the adornment doesn't go all the way through, like an ear, lip or tongue piercing would. At Adorned, the procedure is called the "Anti-Eyebrow" (due to its location south of the eye).

Here's how it's done: An L-shaped titanium plate is inserted into a tiny pocket in the skin. The plate contains holes to allow skin tissue to adhere to it. The shorter part of the L is what sticks out, looking like a tiny post or stump. The post has a hollow opening, which is where the diamond (or your adornment of choice) is screwed in. In other words, the diamond part is the male part and the post in the skin is the female part.

While the adornments can be changed, the plate itself should only be removed by an experienced professional, and will most likely leave a scar. Finally, I asked Colby whether the Tiger mediafest has prompted a rise in requests for the procedure. "Not really," he said. At least, he added, nothing like "what Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell did for the navel piercing, or what Janet Jackson did for the nipple."

English model Lily Cole got her big break when she debuted in a 2003 Steven Meisel shoot for Italian Vogue and it was only a year later that she was named Model of the Year at the 2004 British Fashion Awards. At the height of her career, the wide-eyed, redheaded Cole—a favorite of designers such as John Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix—appeared on a number of international Vogue covers and starred in ad campaigns for Prada and Moschino. And then, like many so models, she caught the acting bug. Marilyn Manson cast her in the role of Alice in Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll (the film has yet to be released). Now Cole, 21, has a starring role in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which hits theaters Christmas Day. Acting alongside the late Heath Ledger and Christopher Plummer, Cole debuts serious chops as Valentina, a rebellious teen desperate to get away from her father's surreal world.

Cole modeling at the Paris launch party of Sonia Rykiel's lingerie collection for H&M

How did you first get interested in acting?
It just happened naturally. I always loved acting as a child and was asked to do the film with Marilyn Manson. It reignited my interest in acting and reminded me how much I used to love it when I was a kid. I think it really was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus though, with [director] Terry [Gilliam], that solidified my interest.

How were you approached for the role of Valentina?
I was asked to do a film with Sally Potter, called Rage, through my modeling agency, and the same casting director was casting Terry’s film a few weeks later. She kindly recommended me to Terry, and I was sent the script and loved it. I auditioned with him on tape and got the part.

Cole with Colin Farrell in "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus"

Tell us about your character.
Valentina’s feisty, and making the transition from child to woman. She’s excited by the possibilities, but also naïve to what that entails.

Cole with Heath Ledger in "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus"

Were you nervous to be work with such accomplished actors as Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer and Johnny Depp?
When I started I was completely intimidated. I remember we did a read-through and I just sitting in the room with Christopher, Heath and Terry and being just like, “Whoa! What am I up against?” But they were all were so lovely and Heath and Christopher were so generous.

What was it like working with Heath?
He was brilliant at what he did, and such a kind and talented spirit.

From left: Cole on the cover of Elle Canada's January 2010 issue; Cole in Rimmel London's fall 2009 campaign

You’re still very young. Think you’ll ever go back to modeling exclusively?
I don’t think I have to be so absolute. Actors do model, whether it’s to promote a movie or advertising; there’s crossover there. I don’t want to completely sever ties with the fashion industry. I love some of the people I’ve met and I respect them and I’m still interested in fashion itself. If I’m lucky, I’ll continue making films, but still kind of keep my finger in that world.

What’s next for you?
I start school up again. I’m in my second year at university, so that takes up most of my time. Who knows for next year? I’m supposed to do a film with [director] Mary Harron and I’m open to other possibilities, but nothing’s confirmed yet.

Cole in "Dominica" by Juergen Teller in W's March 2009 issue.

Read our previous model Q&As here.

Here's one New York City tween who doesn't spend her free time obsessing about headbands and Robert Pattinson: Maria Gorokhov, the 11-year-old girl in the role of Marie in the New York City Ballet's production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Maria has a pretty amazing family story. When she was just six and living in Barcelona, her Soviet Georgia-born mother, Elisa, had an idea in her head that her daughter would one day be accepted into the School of American Ballet in New York and star as Marie in The Nutcracker. Elisa and Maria moved to the States, and after about a year (during which time little Maria learned English, got her bearings and applied to the prestigious dance academy) she was fully on her way. This is actually Maria's third year playing one of the Maries in the NYCB's Nutcracker (there are two alternating casts). We found a moment to chat with the four-foot-three, 59 lb sixth grader during her busy schedule of performances, school, dance classes and piano.

Even during the Nutcracker run, you're going to school every day. What's that like?
After a 6pm performance, I get home at like 9, I do a bit of homework, and usually go to sleep. If I don't finish my homework I just go to sleep and wake up early in the morning and finish it. It's not too hard.
 
What about the days when you're not performing?
I have dance classes six days a week. An hour-and-a-half every day, and two hours on Wednesday. But it's not too much or anything. When I get home, I just, like start playing the piano.
 
What school subjects do you like?
Oh, I love to read! When my teacher gives us a half hour of free reading time, I'm just so happy. And I love math.  We're doing fractions right now.
 
Maria in the party scene of Act 1 of "The Nutcracker"

What sort of projects are some of your classmates at Professional Performing Arts School doing?
A lot of them do commercials and modeling. And a lot of my friends are on Broadway. One of my friends is in Ragtime, and in the 7th grade someone's in The Lion King.
 
Are you a fan of Hannah Montana?
I don't usually have time to watch TV and I don't really look up to singers, actually. I look up to dancers that are in the company, like the Sugarplums and the Dewdrops.

So, no Jonas Brothers?
[Makes a face.] We share lockers at school and I share with a girl who does like the Jonas brothers, so you see half of our locked filled with pictures of stuff like the Jonas brothers, and the other half with like, ballerinas and a picture of Julie Andrews in the corner. I love Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.
 
What about like, the Twilight movies?
My friends at school are so into it, they make Twilight signs, and I'm like, "What are you doing?"

Where does this dancing talent come from? Are there other dancers in your family?
No. My aunt is a doctor and my uncle is a dentist, and the other half of my family is dentists.  

Photos by Paul Kolnik (Production), W Magazine (Portrait)

"My sexiest moments are when I'm just getting out of the tub or the shower and I'm clean, so I wanted to incorporate that in the ads. The dress was this liquid-y satin." Beyonce discussing the launch of  Heat, her first perfume by Coty in January. The Cut

She's not in the movie, but Blake Lively's appearance in a barely-there black lace dress upstaged the cast of the Sherlock Holmes premiere last night. Huffington Post

New Yorkers with guests in town should check out What To See Before Christmas, a round up of three noteworthy, soon-to-be-gone shows in the big apple. artfagcity

The best dresses of 2009? This round up focuses on all that glitters, but feel free to disagree with the top 15 picks. Jezebel

Now for a really delicious year-end round up: Eat Me Daily has assembled the best bits of Snoop Dogg's visit to the Martha Stewart Show. Eater

Tweet of the week: "I'm 47. How am I supposed to look?" asks Demi Moore after Twitter follower blasts her for looking old. Mail Online

With the holidays in full swing, we're asking W editors what's on their wish list. Here, Beauty and Health Editor Jamie Rosen shares her top picks.

Louis Vuitton City Guides, $130
Time and time again, the Louis Vuitton City Guides deliver trustworthy suggestions for restaurants, hotels and info in far-flung locales like Mumbai, Tokyo and Rome. I have spent the last several years buying the European Cities box sets as gifts and borrowing my sister's well-worn set. I think this just might be my year.

Dream Yoga Mats, $66.95
I spotted these yoga mats at Oop! in Providence, and have been thinking about them ever since. I find most decorated mats far too distracting, but the cute, embroidered symbols on these—peace signs, lotus flowers, even a skull and cross bones (not very yogic, I know)—are not too big, not too small, but juuust right.

Between the Lines, Volume 2, $20
The work Diane Brown and for her non-profit organization RxArt do is truly inspiring. While the main goal is to place existing art into hospitals and healthcare facilities, the organization has also worked on special projects like a Jeff Koons-decorated CAT scan machine for Advocate Hope Children's Hospital in Chicago. At their online shop you can purchase puzzles by Yayoi Kusuma, Terry Richardson and Dan Colen, as well as its latest coloring book, Between the Lines, Volume 2. Over 51 artists, including Takashi Murakami, Kehinde Wiley and Nate Lowman, contributed their work.

When Michelle Obama appeared on Oprah's "White House Christmas Special," earlier this week, she and the Prez engaged in some playful banter about who buys the best gifts. Barack pointed at the diamond brooch Michelle was wearing (attached to her double-stand pearl necklace) and reminded his wife that it was from him.


Well, we've since learned that the pin was a custom-made creation by the Italian-based jewelry company Garavelli. According to our friends at the jewelry house (they do a lot of beautiful diamond pave hoops, FYI), the brooch was purchased from her long-time Chicago jeweler by President Obama as a gift for their anniversary this past October.

And there you have it.

Below, some more Garavelli creations, from our market appointment with them in Basel.



Related: Five minutes with Mrs. Obama's hairstylist

Andreas Gursky and Jeff Koons were among those at the Gramercy Park Hotel recently to celebrate the launch of something called the Future Generation Art Prize.  A new international competition for artists 35 and under, it's the $100,000 baby of power collector Victor Pinchuk, 48, the second-richest man in the Ukraine and founder of the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kiev. The winner gets $100,000 and mentorship by Gursky, Koons, Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami. As prizes go, not too shabby. See futuregenerationartprize.org for more information.

Jeff Koons

Victor Pinchuk, seated, addressing the crowd.

Andreas Gursky, Eckhard Schneider and Jeff Koons

Photos by Christos Katsiaouni