The New Supermodels from the Bloc

Move over Brazilian bombshells…Slavic supermodels are the new It Girls

Say next time to the Caipirinha cuties and drink up the new vodka vixens posing for the hottest luxury labels, like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and, Gucci.

Brazilian supermodels are being overrun by the new wave of Russian and Eastern European top models. "We have beautiful skin, beautiful faces, and the Brazilians are finished," explains model Euguenia Volodina.

Maybe, you can go tell Giselle that!

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Think Pink: The Sexy Nail Trend

Whether your look is sweet, bohemian, sexy or all three this spring and summer, your nails should be pale. Not only is pink a major theme in makeup trends, but it's the ultrafeminine accessory to this season's sheer, flowing camisoles, flirty floral dresses and beaded sandals and wedges

To get the latest on the new pinks and beautiful hands, we spoke to Essie Weingarten, founder of Essie Cosmetics, Ltd. If there is one person who knows pink, it's Essie. She is famous for creating perhaps the best-known pink polish in the country 20 years ago. The reason it's been so successful, she says, is that it looks great with all skin tones. "It's very sheer, yet there is some pink in it," she explains. "It's just yummy." Today, Ballet Slippers is just one of a dozen subtle, sheer pinkish polishes the company offers. Other shades include the shimmery pink Dune Road, the light pink Limo-Scene and the super-sheer It's Delicate.

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The Things They Carried

Apparently, and reassuringly for those of us who have been known to splurge on them, there is a collective unconscious of handbags, a kind of archetypal shape memory that has existed throughout time and across continents. It seems that the impulse to carry just the right bag -- an Hermès Birkin or a limited edition Murakami Vuitton or whatever currently seems to signify your personality and taste to the world -- is not just a recent, Western preoccupation. In the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, mountain dwellers would announce their wealth and individuality by hanging ornamental seashells from their woven bags, while now we dangle expensive doodads from a Prada crocodile satchel. The effect is the same: in the choice of handbag, image and utility merge.

That, for me, has always been the appeal of handbags. Ideally, they are both beautiful and useful, and more than any other item of clothing, they command attention and have no expiration date. I own over a hundred vintage handbags, ranging from 50's satin clutches to delicately beaded evening purses from the 30's to (my favorite bag) a dark brown crocodile satchel called the Pullman, which Hermès stopped producing in the early 70's. Having curated my own collection (a nice way of classifying what can only be viewed as an obsession), I was particularly intrigued by a recent exhibition at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile at the Louvre in Paris. The show, which closed last month, was, amazingly, the first anywhere to be devoted to the theme of handbags in a historical context and to examine handbags throughout the world and the ages. (An accompanying book, ''Carried Away,'' is being published this month by Vendome.)

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Martha Stewart Poncho Craze Inspires Half a Million Downloads? Go figure.

The Lion Brand Yarn Company today announced that 505,585 "Coming Home", poncho patterns, inspired by Martha Stewart, have now been downloaded from their Web site.

It took just 12 days to hit the half million mark, making the crocheted and knitted version of this now famous poncho, the most popular free patterns ever offered in the 127 year history of the company. Knitted and crocheted ponchos were in great demand last year, but had been declining as a popular fashion accessory up until Martha Stewart flew from West Virginia to New York, wearing a hand crocheted poncho. The poncho she wore as she boarded the jet was viewed by millions of people and rekindled the public's interest in ponchos.

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Dollar Drops. Jaws Drop. Prices? Well, You Know.

The big news in fashion this year is volume, massively so in skirts the shape of parachutes, billowing Empire waistlines and oversized shawl collars. Yet another way that fashion is expanding is in the prices of high-end designs.

After years of relatively modest increases in luxury ready-to-wear, the prices of well-known items like a Chanel tweed jacket or a Giorgio Armani stretch wool pantsuit have spiked recently, largely because of the weakening dollar, which has declined about 30 percent against the euro since 2002.
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Dangerous chemicals in personal care products compromise health

Researchers are now finding that the active ingredient in antimicrobial soaps and personal care products causes nerve damage. This really isn't surprising: I've been warning readers about this for years. The ingredient is called MIT (methylisothiazolinone), and it is found in antimicrobial soaps, hand soaps, dish soaps and a surprising number of personal care products. People buy these personal care products thinking they're protecting themselves from infectious microbes. They think it makes them immune to viruses and bacteria that might be found in their bathrooms or kitchens, and thus they believe in the mythology of using antimicrobial soaps to create a sterile environment in their own homes.
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