business
Today, ‘calling cards’ are enjoying something of a revival. And with modern versions of the card, the only rule is that there aren’t any—except that they should be emblems of your persona; therefore, size matters, and font choice can be as revealing as a Rorschach blot.
The death of British designer Alexander McQueen makes me wonder if there simply isn’t a place in contemporary culture for his brand of theatrical creativity anymore—especially in an era in which fashion houses rely on corporate ownership to survive and thrive. A front page feature.
Being a “smart-value shopper” is the new chic, according to luxury goods brands. When the Louis Vuittons of the world co-opt the lingo of Walmart, you know you’re in the middle of a business-culture shake-up. A front page feature.
The Gilt Groupe, an online designer discount site with daily sales at noon, has a million members and caused an epic shopping craze - even in a recession. Why are women so obsessed? A three-day front page feature.
The media business has always been a deeply competitive bastion of ambition. Yet today’s journalists—including both those sidelined by layoffs and those still clinging desperately their workplace desks—have been left to wonder whether ambition makes sense anymore. How do you get ahead in an industry that can’t see its own future? A front page feature.
What happens when magazines are no longer profitable, and publications companies haven’t built a bridge to a new medium? You get to where the music industry is: billion-dollar companies trying to figure out a model in a free fall. A front page feature. (Reprised and updated on January 26, 2009, under the title “Is CondeNet Dead?”)
Penury is the new glamour. Squirrel-hide stoles and wonderbread-bag-bustiers are the new emblems of chic. A satirical slideshow of Depression-friendly fashion. Illustrations by Maddy Simpson.
On why American men hate fashion. Barney’s Creative Director Simon Doonan, designer John Varvatos, and Men’s Vogue editor Jay Fielden weigh in on the thorny psychology behind male adornment.
Everyone claims to be going green these days. But for the few fashion houses and designers who are truly dedicated to environmentally and socially responsible principles, it’s a huge commitment that requires tremendous dedication and patience.
The dollar’s down, the Euro is king. An article about the pain of watching foreigners buy up Manhattan—should we feel bitter or grateful?
If the television series was label-heavy, Sex and the City the movie is positively heaving. But the zeitgeist has moved on, taking consumers with it.
The frivolity of fashion may die hard in a recession. Today’s top editors and buyers discuss how jewelry, separates, and aggressive sales may carry the industry through choppy waters.
Marc Jacobs shocks and appalls at Fashion Week. Is his collection an example of Emperor’s New Clothes, or the start of a new style revolution? An article detailing unlikely watershed moments in fashion history.
Hiding in plain view: an article on America’s lax war on counterfeit luxury goods.
Smelters, rabbit-skinners, and taxi drivers: On the ignoble roots of America’s elite families (Vanderbilts, Guggenheims, et al), and the country’s love-hate relationship with ‘society.’
Surrogacy cases and advancing biotechnology are wreaking havoc on America’s legal system. This is an article detailing landmark fertility cases grappling with the legality and morality of enforcing contracts for the sale of human babies.
