Friday, May 9
GIVE A SHOUT TO WORD UP! wordup@papermag.com
Posted May. 9, 2008, 5:39 p.m. ET
Just Cuz: Caroline Torem Craig
By PAPERMAG Editors

It's Friday, it's gross out, we're exhausted, and this picture of PAPER's fearless party photog Caroline Torem Craig snapped by Luigi Tadini at last night's Unruly Heir shindig at THOR just made us really, really happy.
Photo from patrickmcmullan.com
Posted May. 9, 2008, 5:36 p.m. ET
That Was the Blog That Was: May 5-9
By PAPERMAG Editors




MONDAY, May 5
A new Fashion Schmashion bunny hopped her way into Kim’s blog.
The MisShapes and Seven New York partied for the sake of partying.
TUESDAY, May 6
Mr. Mickey made his bus stop debut.
It was a fashion fantasy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala.
WEDNESDAY, May 7
Wednesdays just got a little perk with Booty Call Hump Day – the David Weeks’ Sculpt Chair edition.
Blame the Flight of the Conchords musical-comedy duo for you sore cheeks.
THURSDAY, May 8
Levi’s covertly spread their “jeanius” parkour video.
Pixie Market celebrated their in-store greatness.
FRIDAY, May 9
PAPER TV talked beauty, fashion and feathers with former cover girl Dita Von Teese.
Cuty Copy. Next week. Studio B. OMG. Need we say more?
Posted May. 9, 2008, 5:14 p.m. ET
About Last Night... Time Magazine's 100 Influential People Party
By Caroline Torem Craig
None of the celebrity heavy-hitters on the tip sheet for Time’s 100 Most Influential People party, like George Clooney, Mariah Carey, Chris Rock, Lance Armstrong or Robert Downey Jr., chose to grace the red carpet. Unless of course, you would be so inclined to add presidential candidate John McCain! A plucky reporter standing next to me thrust his mic in front of the senator and somehow got him to stop and ask the reporter where he was from. To which he replied, “Japan.” McCain replied rather humorously, “Can you vote? I suppose not!”
Thank god for humor, because the SNL folks, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers and Kenan Thompson and Lorne Michaels all graciously mugged for the cameras. I was looking hopefully for my favorite, the hilarious Tracy Morgan, who has been known to show us his belly button, even though he wasn’t on the list. Alas, he was not in attendance. And after the SNL crew passed through, we faced comedic genius Bill O’Reilly.
Posted May. 9, 2008, 4:30 p.m. ET
About Last Night... The Rogan for Target Private Shopping Party at Barneys
By Alexis Swerdloff

Last night I headed uptown to Barneys for a private Rogan for Target shopping event (the collection is unveiled to the public today.) It was madness as fashion girls (we spotted Jessica Szohr from Gossip Girl and Angela from Project Runway amid a slew of editors and stylists) clawed their way through he racks, grabbing up all the size smalls leaving many a sad L and XL for the disappointed latecomers. I purchased two items, a simple, summery white and gray blouse and this here leopard print dress (which I wasn’t going to get -- not so much my style -- until one girl in the dressing room insisted I buy it). I later saw Julie Gilhart sporting the number while chatting with Simon Doonan and Rogan Gregory and felt better about my purchase. I have to say, I had my initial doubts about the collection, but up close and in person, I think this is one of the best Target designer collabs yet!
Photos by JD Ferguson
Posted May. 9, 2008, 12:14 a.m. PT
Physicist Hottie Nima Arkani-Hamed To Explore 11th Dimension
By Ann Magnuson
One of today's lead stories on CNN.com is on handsome particle physicist Nima Arkani-Hamed and Switzerland's Large Hadron Collider . According to the story, if the multi-billion dollar collider is successful, it "may change ideas of spacetime for the first time since Einstein." Of course, some people also think that the particle collision that is slated to occur this fall (in an experiment that National Geographic calls "the hunt for the God particle") could also create a black hole and swallow the earth and our own galaxy up in the process. Fascinating, as Mr. Spock would say. All the more so since it was just yesterday I was watching a slew of YouTube videos on string theory and M-theory. This Ten Dimensions video posted below was one of my faves.
Posted May. 9, 2008, 2:44 p.m. ET
About Last Night... Pronovias Flagship Store Opening
By Caroline Torem Craig
Two steps into the new breathtaking Pronovias New York flagship store, I was smelling bouquets of pink roses and in awe of the six floors of dazzling wedding gowns. This party, celebrating the store’s opening, was sumptuous. Anytime there is a chef in one corner carving a gigantic lamb, a bar on each of the six floors and Karolina Kurkova, Caridee English and Lydia Hearst in attendance, you know that nothing was spared to ensure the wonder of it all!
Posted May. 9, 2008, 2:33 p.m. ET
Eight Items or Less: Adidas Is on the Offensive, Moss Goes All Out for Design Week and Cut Copy Takes on NY
By Gary Pini


1. A penny costs 1.26 cents to manufacture and a nickel costs 7.7 cents. Yesterday the House voted to change the materials used to make both coins and that should save over $100 million a year. BTW: Pennies are still made with copper, though not 100 percent.
2. Watch out Kswiss! Adidas has scored another victory against "stripe" thieves. Now they've won a $305 million award in the US against Payless shoes for trademark infringement because Payless sold shoes with two and four stripes.
3. We'd love to see the marketing ideas that hotels reject. The Wyndham in Cosa Mesa is trying to attract dogs (and their owners) with a "Paws and Claws" package that features a "pet care manager" and "brunch buffet." (via hotelchatter.com)
4. One of our favorite stores, Moss (150 Greene Street), is showcasing three incredible artists during May Design Week. You can see new pieces by Studio Job, Hella Jongerius and honeycomb vases made by bees created by Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny.
5. How fast can you type? On your mark. Get set. Go here.
6. Don't forget: Aussie band Cut Copy is in NYC next week opening for newly-signed Columbia recording artists the Black Kids at Studio B on Tuesday and headlining at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday. "Prepare to swoon." - New York Times
Posted May. 9, 2008, 2:03 p.m. ET
Bar of the Week: Franklin Park
By Elizabeth Thompson


Drinking in the sun rarely leads to good things, but exceptions are to be made with these first few enjoyable weeks of warm weather finally upon us, and Crown Heights beer garden Franklin Park is an excellent new outdoor option. Co-owned by Matt Roff of Southpaw, the space is housed in a former garage on St. John's Place. Marked by a Franklin Park plaque and lanterns mounted on the street-facing brick wall, patrons enter through a wrought-iron gate onto the 1,200-square-foot patio with several picnic benches and tables. Sadly, the cold and misty Saturday night we visited was not conducive to beer gardening. The indoor area, however, promptly filled when the nearby Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday crowd made their way over and a glass-paneled wall on tracks (garage-door-style) was rolled up to make space. Décor features collages of vintage sports posters and ads hanging over a leather banquette, dark wainscoting lines the walls and a "Franklin Park" sign made of green and white subway tile decorates the front of the wood bar. The dozen beers on tap, all $6, feature a mix of local names like Coney Island Lager and Six Points Righteous Brew with connoisseur German brews like the bright wheat ale Schneider-Weisse and Radeberger pilsner. Bottles include a $5 Czech lager and a $4 Pale Ale called Porkslap that was, unsurprisingly, the cheapest thing on the menu. Food is still in the works (an outdoor barbeque will be installed soon!), and an empty storefront next door to the bar is rumored to be the future home of a full kitchen and lounge area. Franklin Park, 618 St. John's Pl., Crown Heights, Brooklyn, no phone yet
Posted May. 9, 2008, 12:54 p.m. ET
About Last Night... Unruly Heir Dinner at THOR
By Caroline Torem Craig
Posted May. 9, 2008, 12:13 p.m. ET
PAPER TV: Catching up with Dita Von Teese
By PAPERMAG Editors
PAPER's Whitney Spaner talks beauty, fashion and feathers with former cover girl Dita Von Teese.
Posted May. 9, 2008, 10:00 a.m. ET
Elizabeth II Knows How to Host Carla Sarkozy
By Mickey Boardman
MM was on the marvelous blog Royal Anecdotes and read a funny story panty model turned French First Lady Carla Bruni told about meeting Queen Elizabeth II on a State Visit to England. Carla was shocked that Her Maj showed Carla to the apartment where she'd be staying in Windsor Castle and announced, "Here is your bathroom." QE II knows how to hostess!
Posted May. 8, 2008, 6:00 p.m. ET
About Last Night... The Pixie Market Party
By Kat Clements
Last night's Pixie Market party, celebrating their in-store greatness and their new, much needed online endeavor, was a test of wills: Bottles and bottles of summery, sumptuous rosé just begging to be bevved upon. Smoking hot graphic bodysuits by Neurotica demanding to be bought. Awesome and ethereal spinnings by Ilirjana Alushaj of Apache Beat imploring that they be danced to. And the sparkling beauty of Miss Laura Dawson, wearing her own airy designs, insisting she be ogled.
I will have to admit, I managed to resist only one of the above.
Bodysuits can wait.
And considering that Pixie Market is now on the interwebs, I doubt that the wait will be long.
Pixie Market 100 Stanton Street, between Ludlow & Orchard and
www.pixiemarket.com
photos by Andrew De Francesco
Posted May. 8, 2008, 5:14 p.m. ET
East Meets West at Henry Holland's Fash Bash in London
By Zandile Blay
Last night, East Londoners, who usually party in gritty bars, met West Londoners, who are all about posh venues, at Movida, the ultra chic club in the heart of the city. The force behind this union was none other than 24-year-old Henry Holland, designer-of-the-moment who has taken the fashion industry by storm with his fun, irreverent label, House of Holland. The event, which he's titled Fash Bash, naturally attracted his group of famous East London friends including accessories designer Katie Hillier, stylist Sam Ranger and shoe designer Atalanta Weller. His main girl and muse Agyness Deyn was not in attendance. Luckily, she'll have another chance, since this was only the second in a series of parties Holland is hosting at Movida. I dragged him into the back office of the club to chat about sponsors, education and the inspiration behind his party.
Zandile Blay: So what made you throw this party?
Henry Holland: Well Movida supported my show. They sponsored my venue and a lot of things, so this is an extension of the relationship. It's my pay back and my thank you.
Posted May. 8, 2008, 4:23 p.m. ET
JEANius!
By Kim Hastreiter
I hear through the grapevine that it was Levis who created that crazy video (anonymously) that's this weeks #1 smash on YouTube (just went over a million views) of the kids parkour-ing into their jeans. Really hysterical and amazing. There are 9,000 comments already on the video many of which suggest to the cute Jackass-y type boys jumping insanely from rooftops into their pants that they should go to a jeans company to sell their talents for big bucks. Well it turns out they got it backwards... Levis seems to have dreamt this up and went to them! So smart. Maybe the next sport at the Olympics? Check out the video.
Posted May. 8, 2008, 2:59 p.m. ET
Eight Items or Less: No Age the Dopeness, Shepard Fairey Not Blind and Hudson Terrace Ready to Go
By Gary Pini

1. In case you missed both of their New York shows this week, you can catch the brilliant L.A. art/punk duo No Age at the South Street Seaport on July 11. And it's free! "They thrill by purposeful happenstance." - New York Times
2. Shepard Fairey is not going blind. The artist, who is diabetic, has had multiple surgeries to repair damaged blood vessels in both eyes and says he's now "all good." (via animalnewyork.com)
3. The Red Hook IKEA opens June 18.
4. Hudson Terrace, the $3 million nightclub that was set to open last fall, is apparently ready to go. Sean McGarr and Michael Sinensky's 4,000 sq. ft. space at 621 W. 46th St. is previewing tonight. We heard last night that another long awaited club, Santa's Party House, is opening for a very private party this week.
5. Seven Nevada high school students shot a documentary about New York rockers Sonic Youth and it's screening at the 10th CineVegas Film Festival in June. (via dailyswarm.com)
6. We love the new Rogan store at 330 Bowery. It's in the old Bouwerie Lane Theater where they have uncovered all the windows on the south side, painted everything black and hung a lighting grid with 20 pin-spots from the center of the ceiling. They wanted to mirror all the windows, but couldn't because the building is landmarked.
Posted May. 8, 2008, 1:53 p.m. ET
Inside Caitlin Shearer's World
By Julia Frakes
Artist Caitlin Shearer, the 18-year-old Sydney, Australia native behind the Etsy sensation Pepperminte (and the subsequent "Bleeding Knees Club"), discusses her love of fashion, aversion towards pants, the nightmare that was high school, and the creative process behind her girls... and effeminate boys!
Julia Frakes: How would you describe your artwork?
Caitlin Shearer: Imaginary girls caught in houses of paper who have the biggest eyebrows in the world and whose knees are always bleeding.
JF: Who or what are your main influences?
CS: Everything I see goes in behind my eyes, then mingles and sleeps there in my brain for a while. The whole world is influencing me all the time. I catch a lot of public transport, and it's good for people-watching. I'll accidentally stare at people for too long, or listen to their private conversations: It's good material. I guess the culmination of me thinking about things too hard are my girls (and effeminate boys)!
Posted May. 8, 2008, 12:39 p.m. ET
This Week in Art Openings: Zhang Huan, Daido Moriyama and DEVO
By Mary Logan Barmeyer
Zhang Huan, “Blessings”
Chinese artist Zhang Huan, best known for his controversial -- oft labeled masochistic -- performance pieces, presents “Blessings,” a multimedia exhibit at PaceWildenstein marked by two sizeable centerpiece installations. At the 22nd Street gallery, find a structure of compacted ash from Chinese Buddhist temples topped by an image on its back of people -- thought to be migrant workers -- in a field. Perch on scaffolding to view the piece from above, and during the first three weeks of the exhibition, watch as a studio assistant suspended from a dangling chair carefully fills the paintings with ash. Find more Buddhist ash paintings, with Chinese military themes and human skulls, lining the gallery walls. At Pace’s 25th Street location, the main gallery features a sizeable sculpture of a pregnant woman constructed with animal hides, and in the side gallery, check out new works from his “Memory Door” series featuring photographs imposed on antique doors collected in China.
PaceWildenstein, 534 W. 25th St. and 545 W. 22nd St., (212) 421-3292. Opening reception May 8, 6–8 p.m. Through July 25.
Daido Moriyama, “The 80s, Vintage Prints”
Moriyama, one of Japan’s most celebrated photographers, is known for snapping everyday subjects with a lightning-fast speed that he has compared to a machine gun going off. This exhibit -- his first of vintage prints in New York -- displays more than 80 black-and-whites taken in the ‘80s. These prints have immediacy to them (he rarely even uses the viewfinder) and the spirit of the Japanese wabi-sabi -- beauty in imperfection.
Steven Kasher Gallery, 521 W. 23rd St., (212) 966-3978. Opening reception May 8, 6-8 p.m. Through June 7.
Posted May. 8, 2008, 11:15 a.m. ET
Speed Racer Makes Your Eyes Bleed!
By Dennis Dermody
“Go Speed Racer Go!” Opening this Friday is Speed Racer. The Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame) make a psychedelic live-action cartoon of the well-loved animated Speed Racer series with look-alike human counterparts. There's pompadoured Emile Hirsch as the fearless youthful racing car driver Speed, haunted by his brother Rex’s death, supported by his loyal family, Mom (Susan Sarandon), Dad (John Goodman), and devoted girlfriend Trixi (Christina Ricci), determined to win the Grand Prix just to stick it to the evil tycoon owner of Royalton Industries (Roger Allam) who is hellbent on thwarting Speed at every curve of the road. This family-friendly flick is pumped up with outrageous visuals -- a bubble gum universe of bright pinks, blues and yellows, and punctuated periodically with syrupy heartfelt melodramatic exchanges that are ironic and loony and funny. I remember being so assaulted by the visuals that I feared I would weary of it after a while, but by the time it got to the Grand Prix and a host of International stars started popping up I’d given over to it. Any lover of Anime and innovative modern Japanese cult cinema will groove on where the Wachowki’s are coming from. It’s a kids flick but with visuals that will make yours eyes bleed.
Posted May. 7, 2008, 6:44 p.m. ET
Flight of the Conchords at Town Hall Will Make Your Cheeks Hurt
By Whitney Spaner

Last night I went to see the musical-comedy duo Flight of the Conchords at Town Hall and my cheeks still hurt from laughing. Their folky-jokey songs are never my favorite part of the New Zealand duo's HBO series (also called Flight of the Conchords and about their band) so I wasn't sure how much I would like them live in concert, but somehow on stage the songs were funnier and they still had the silly banter they have during their show that I became addicted to during its first season last summer. There was a sign on the box-office that said the show was beyond sold-out and the crowd was an interesting one filled with hipsters and business-types alike. I also heard more than a few New Zealand accents. If you can somehow charm you're way in they are playing again tonight and believe me their show made for a great mid-week lift. Of course it didn't help that I have a huge crush on both of them! You just can't beat funny and cute, and these boys are capitalizing on it!
Here they are in a scene from their show which I hear starts filming again in September! (l-r) Bret Mackenzie and Jermaine Clement
Posted May. 7, 2008, 6:29 p.m. ET
Eight Items or Less: City Winery in Tribeca, La Esquina in Miami and Duffy in the States
By Gary Pini


1. Knitting Factory founder Michael Dorf plans to open a new music venue called City Winery this fall. Set to take over the old El Diario building across the street from S.O.B.'s on Varick, the large space will include a winery and event space.
2. There is a great installation show currently up at Ad Hoc Art (49 Bogart Street, Brooklyn) that runs to the end of May. It's called "The Threat of Chance" and is the work of Josh MacPhee, Billy Mode, Chris Stain and the Polaroid Kidd.
3. Sad to hear that fab Brooklyn store Bark (495 Atlantic Ave.) is going out of business after 12 years. The last day is May 18 but there's a big sale running on the last four days.
4. According to eater.com, Serge Becker is opening a branch of his La Esquina in Miami at the upcoming Mondrian South Beach Hotel.
5. Cablevision's Rainbow Media bought the Sundance Channel for $496 million. They already own AMC and the Independent Film Channel.
6. Brit singer Duffy is appearing on Monday (May 12) at the Apollo Theater here in New York. Her album Rockferry has been #1 on the European charts for three weeks and is out soon in the USA.
Posted May. 7, 2008, 5:50 p.m. ET
An Interview with the Profoundly Eloquent Simona McIntyre
By Julia Frakes

Simona McIntyre -- the articulate 18-year-old Canadian model captivating designers and photographers alike with her fairy tale good looks and delightful charm -- chats with us about her environmental beliefs and incredibly mature, levelheaded outlook on life. A very sincere thank you to the alluring Ms. McIntyre for graciously taking valuable time out of her teeming (and fascinating) schedule!
Julia Frakes: Are there any historic figures that you profoundly identify with?
Simona McIntyre: Actually, I think so. Since I was about seven years old I began to idolize Pocahontas. I have plenty of memories (and family home videos) of me in her Disney apparel, day in and out, barefoot and singing "Colors of the Wind." I recall channeling her, reminding those I saw to respect nature and of universal love. Whether or not the romanticized version of Pocahontas that I envisioned based on the Disney idol is the real Powhatan doesn't matter. To me she always represented my love and respect for every life form in the physical macrocosm.
Posted May. 7, 2008, 5:19 p.m. ET
Booty Call Hump Day: David Weeks' Sculpt Chair
By PAPERMAG Editors

Booty Call, PAPER's back of the book section filled with items we're currently gagging over, is crossing the pond as it were, and heading into the blogosphere! Along with items culled from the 'zine, us web editors will be introducing our own favorite objéts into the mix. So check in every Wednesday, aka Hump Day, for your weekly Booty Call!
Our first item is an armchair from David Weeks' new furniture collection Sculpt. It goes for $6,720 and is available at Ralph Pucci, (212) 633-0452.
Posted May. 7, 2008, 4:30 p.m. ET
Restaurant of the Week: Pomme de Terre
By Erica Cerulo

A new French bistro is rarely cause for celebration, especially one that looks like a poor man's Pastis with its wine bottles-as-decor accents. But what makes Pomme de Terre stand out is not only its food pedigree -- the latest project from the duo behind nearby The Farm on Adderley (Gary Jonas and Allison McDowell) and Jimmy Mamary, the owner of Patois -- but also the location. The Ditmas Park space was previously home to a grungy bodega and in February, a crime scene (two men shot at each other but neither died). Now it's a place where butter is churned in house, and the meat (for that classic steak frites, $19) is dry-aged on site. The quintessential French dishes are the most impressive, like a charcuterie plate piled high with four types of cured meat and country paté ($8), and a perfectly crisped, whole-roasted branzino ($17). The more creative stuff is less worth a 45-minute trip from Manhattan. The pastry-crusted ratatouille ($13) more closely resembles a burrito than anything to inspire a Pixar movie. Roasted tomatoes mask the duck in the smoked duck sandwich ($9). This is a place that's meant to breathe some new life into its 'hood, but don't expect the crowd to be as cool as the waitstaff just yet. 1301 Newkirk Ave., Ditmas Park, (718) 284-0005.
Posted May. 7, 2008, 1:29 p.m. ET
About Last Night... Let Them Eat Kate at Milk Studios
By Caroline Torem Craig
I am curious how much tongue-in-cheek thought was put into having Agent Provocateur's Let Them Eat Kate affair at Milk (and cookies?) Studio? In any case, let me wrap things up for you, stream-of-consciousness style:
The super-fine Kate Moss casually seated in one corner of the penthouse; intriguing Lake Bell; Vogue’s movie star and fierce redhead Jessica Joffe; Damon Dash (he told me his baby is due next week); rappers Jim Jones and Chink and the Misshapes all at once stepping off the drive-in elevator; later, Zoe Kravitz in a golden-yellow bra/halter top slightly reminiscent of Gaultier’s famous cone-shaped bra made for Madonna, dancing to DJ Jauretsi Saizarbitoria’s fabulous tunes; and Vivienne Westwood’s son, Agent Provacatuer’s principal Joe Corre at this hot, cool, sweet, fly, fashionable, swell, sexually-charged, fresh and dope party!
Posted May. 7, 2008, 11:59 a.m. ET
Don't Miss The Nightmarish Frontiere(s)!
By Dennis Dermody
Opening this week for a limited run before its DVD release on Lionsgate is the brilliant brutal French shocker Frontiere(s). Trust me, you've never seen anything like it. In the film a bunch of kids escaping the riots in Paris head deep into the country and come to stay at a remote inn which they soon find out is filled with a charming Nazi cannibal family. While the movie is ruthlessly violent it's pretty terrific too... beautifully directed by Xavier Gens, who went on to direct Hitman. You really should try to catch this in theaters because when I saw it the audience went ape-shit.....
Posted May. 7, 2008, 11:04 a.m. ET
Tribeca Film Festival Directors Series: Nina Paley
By Rebecca Carroll
Sita Sings the Blues is a rich, quirky, balls-to-the-wall love story based on the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Director Nina Paley uses cool, innovative animation techniques and interweaves the narrative of a modern American woman dealing with a troubled marriage and that of Sita, the main character from Ramayana. The whole film is set against the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw. It’s the kind of thing where, you read about it, you pause, you think, “How’s this gonna work?” And then as you’re watching, it makes perfect, seamless sense.
Rebecca Carroll: I'm not actually a person who is so much drawn to animation -- it reminds me of cartoons, which immediately makes me think it's not to be taken all that seriously; how did you choose the medium?
Nina Paley: Animation is still the bastard child of cinema, unfortunately. Most people go to movies to watch movie stars. There's a voyeuristic thrill in watching a beautiful actress or Alpha male up close and personal, in ways we'd never get to see them in real life. Animation can deliver meaning, story, and ideas, but it doesn't satisfy the primate voyeur that drives most cinephiles.
Posted May. 7, 2008, 9:37 a.m. ET
Surfwise!
By Dennis Dermody
Opening this week is Surfwise, the provocative documentary about the unorthodox family life of Dr. Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, who packed up his wife Juliette and their nine children in a 24-foot. camper in the 1960s, traveled and all surfed daily on the beaches of California, Hawaii, Mexico -- home schooling their kids and flaunting convention. This surfing dynasty (eight brothers and one sister) became legendary, but this wild child existence made it hard for the siblings to make their way in the real world. Documentary filmmaker Doug Pray illustrates the positive points of Doc’s strict health-conscious philosophy but shows the downside also. Still, the final family reunion in Hawaii is almost cosmic.
Posted May. 6, 2008, 6:14 p.m. ET
Paul Johnson-Calderon Interviews Lydia Hearst's New Beau Joe Barney
By Paul Johnson-Calderon
Lately, I've been trying to get out in a much less redundant manner. Let me explain myself: You can go to some fierce people-party any old evening and see the same five social types that are at all of those sort of gigs. You can go to Beatrice and get pushed around by a room jam-packed with hipstery fashion interns all night, any night; or Gramercy and guzzle champagne and bop your head to the beat of some track you've never heard. As I assume you can all deduce from my tone, this sort of "nightlife" gets, well, repetitive to say the least. So, in an effort to mix it up, I decided to try something (sort of) new. A concert. I know what you're thinking, 'ooooooooh way to break the vicious cycle,' but it turned out to be everything I expected it to be and more.
So last Wednesday night, my good friend, model -- and now actress. Um, Hello? Gossip Girl -- Lydia Hearst, invited me and room full of fun New York social types and friends from home to see her boyfriend, Joe Freimuth, perform live under the monicker Joe Barney at The Bitter End in SoHo. In attendance were Jessica Joffe, Leven Rambin, Francesco "Izzy Gold" Civetta and sister Christina, Jamie Korey, Nicole Hanley, Traver Rains and Richie Rich of Heatherette, along with a slew of college and high school friends of Lydia's and Joe's.
I was able to sit down with the couple of the night, right afterward for a quick interview:
Posted May. 6, 2008, 5:31 p.m. ET
Mr. Mickey's Bus Stop Debut
By Alexis Swerdloff
If you, like us, wish that Mr. Mickey was a more integrated part of your daily routine, now, thanks to nycvisit.com's big ol' "Just Ask the Locals" campaign, you're in for quite a treat. Mr. Mickey's smiling face and his favorite bars are featured prominently on bus stops all around the city, with quite a bunch in the East Village. Waiting for the bus has never been this fabulous!
Photos by Eric McNatt
Posted May. 6, 2008, 4:56 p.m. ET
Eight Items or Less: Kylie Minogue's a Knight, MBV's Coming to Roseland and The Chap's Rocking Our World
By Gary Pini


1. Sir Kylie! Kylie Minogue was knighted yesterday in Paris by the French Minister of Culture. While handing the Aussie singer the medal, the minister accidentally dropped it.
2. Chrysler is guaranteeing gas at $2.99 per gallon for three years on new purchases of selected car models starting tomorrow until June 2.
3. My Bloody Valentine will appear at New York's Roseland Ballroom on September 22 and 23.
4. Find out how many five-year-olds you could take in a fight here. Our score: 17 (via Marc C.)
5. A British family has been ordered to take down a pirate (skull and crossbones) flag displayed in front of their own home. They face court proceedings after a neighbor complained when the flag was used for a child's pirate-themed birthday party. (via The Guardian)
6. Cool new music: The Chap (pictured above)
Posted May. 6, 2008, 4:36 p.m. ET
Stage Notes: Steve & Idi
By Tom Murrin
In this new comedy by the excellent playwright David Grimm (Measure for Pleasure, Kit Marlowe), directed by Eleanor Holdridge, the main character Steve’s life is going down the tubes. His lover leaves him, his work is going nowhere and even his friends are deserting him. And then, the ghost of General Idi Amin bursts through his window and makes a strange demand. The cast of five male actors has Grimm playing Steve.
Tom Murrin: What's it like acting in your own play?
David Grimm: It's kind of like swallowing your own vomit. It's been a long time since I acted. Rattlestick [the producers] came along and asked me to play Steve. I thought, "No, you're crazy," but I'm actually having the time of my life.
Posted May. 6, 2008, 3:59 p.m. ET
Studio B Rises
By Alexis Swerdloff
Here are some cute pics from the madness and insanity that went down last Friday at the Studio B roof deck opening party. The Brazilian Girls played, as did Chester French and The Rub, Roxy Cottontail and 88-Keys tore things up in the DJ booth. We didn't go because we had an early flight the next morning to Myrtle Beach (a whole other story that you'll be hearing about soon), but looking at these photos, we seriously wish we had re-thought our decision. Anyway, enjoy.
Photos by Collin LaFleche
Posted May. 6, 2008, 2:59 p.m. ET
Opening Ceremony Puts Spring in Your Step with Liberty Dunks
By Carol Lee

Phew! Do the people at Opening Ceremony ever just sit still or stop to smell the roses? Well, we don't know about the sitting still part, but at the moment OC's definitely head over heels when it comes to roses, pansies and all things in bloom. Their latest cool offering is a collaboration with Nike: Liberty Dunks, high-tops covered in Liberty prints. All you OC fanatics and sneaker addicts will surely go ga-ga over these! These babies scream spring, sporty and flower-power in one pretty package and they'll be available starting tomorrow. And If you think you've walked too far and ended up at a flower shop next door, that would be understandable. "We wanted the store the look like those flower bodegas," says the co-owner Humberto Leon.
Posted May. 6, 2008, 2:29 p.m. ET
Killer Kids In Devil Times Five!
By Dennis Dermody

Picked up the DVD of an offbeat horror movie from 1974, Devil Times Five. A van overturns on the highway and the survivors are five psychotic children who trudge through the snow and make it to a remote lodge where they are taken in and proceed to bump off everyone in clever gory ways. Sorrell Booke -- who was Boss Hogg in TV's Dukes Of Hazzard -- is one of the unlucky adults, and little Leif Garrett (who went on to be a teen idol and adult mess) plays one of the murderous moppets. These deranged delinquents make for a fun creepy film....
Posted May. 6, 2008, 1:11 p.m. ET
About Last Night... The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala
By Caroline Torem Craig
Clowns to the left of me, superheroes to the right, here I am wedged in the middle of a fashion fantasy! Andrew Bolton, Harold Koda, Anna Wintour, Giorgio Armani and other playful minds created a truly sensational gala at the Met last night. Swarming like bees, celebrity guests arrived on top of each other, forcing the press to make choices. “Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are coming!! Get these B-list celebs to move on!” Rarely does New York host a celebrity mob scene like this. There was a take no prisoners attitude both in the costumes, accessories and attitudes of the guests and the press. Wham, bam, thank you, maam!
Posted May. 6, 2008, 12:16 p.m. ET
The Case of the Octagonal Glasses
By Julia Frakes


From the moment I laid my eyes on Skye Parrott's recent Jalouse editorial featuring the magical Paris-based writer, director and artist Lisa Rovner (pictured above), I've been dying to find a pair of vintage octagonal glasses. Malheureusement every pair that I've come across has been either dreadfully rusty, cracked beyond repair, or in one memorable case, affected with a peculiar and unequivocal fishy stench. Have no fear... Nader Zadi is here! Zadi creates made-to-order eyewear from antique components and frames. Glasses case closed!
Posted May. 6, 2008, 10:29 a.m. ET
A Girl Named Fred
By Kim Hastreiter
My friend Angela, who is one-third of the super talented Threeasfour team, stopped by the office yesterday afternoon with a girl named Fred in tow. Turns out Fred Butler is from London, was one of Threeasfour's very first interns and is now making her very first line of amazing, super-colorful, imaginative accessories. Pictured above is Angela (right) and Fred (left) looking quite cute (no?) especially for 2 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. Fred's necklaces and sequinned jewels (see photos) are not yet available in NYC but after more people get a look at it you can bet it won't be long!


Posted May. 6, 2008, 9:26 a.m. ET
Headbanders Ball
By Alexis Swerdloff
We got a package in the mail today from Caroline Weaver, a 17-year-old Minetta, Ohio native and aspiring headband designer, and thought her 'bands, which she designs under the name FROLIC, were quite cute and were very Gossip Girl meets Minnie Mouse. According to Weaver's website, the story of FROLIC goes something like this: "Once upon a time, a small town girl had a strange revelation. She arrived at the thought that it is nearly impossible to find a fabulous, kitschy and whimsical headband. After months of planning and many scraps of fabric FROLIC was born!"
"Since each are handmade," Weaver writes, if you like what you see, and want to get your hot little hands on one, "I would be more than thrilled to create a custom piece for you. Simply e-mail anytime and we will come up with an idea." Check out the photo above of PAPER's own Lysee Webb modeling one of Weaver's creations. Fun fun!

Posted May. 5, 2008, 5:44 p.m. ET
About This Morning... "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" Press Breakfast
By Caroline Torem Craig
At the very posh press breakfast for the Met’s Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibit, curator Andrew Bolton noted: ''Superhero imagery has suffused almost every aspect of popular culture." And slyly, Giorgio Armani pointed out he is most associated with wearable clothing but was thrilled to have made this exhibition possible and that he was inspired by it! He said, ''Fashion, like the superhero, allows you to dream and escape into a world of unfettered imagination.” Always comfortable in my own comic book setting, everything looked perfectly wearable to me!!!
















