Croatia Online - Croatia in 2009?

It may be a little late to wish readers a happy New Year in the traditional sense but the Chinese have only just celebrated their New Year and that's our excuse!

After a longer than normal trip to the UK for the Christmas break, and a couple of weeks back in Croatia to catch up on the news, it's good to find a refreshing buzz to Croatia compared with the doom and gloom of America and Western Europe.

Croatia's banks didn't go mad on the fringes of the financial systems - derivitatives, or excessive risky lending for example - like many of their global counter parts, and thus do not have a banking system crisis of their own. Croatia seems likely, however, to be dragged into recession soon. Forecasts on growth figures vary but the picture is far less dire than the UK for example. That's not to say that Croatia doesn't have it's own problems - government debt is high and, as GDP shrinks, repayments and interest will be harder to meet and debt may grow further still. Later in the year it will also, no doubt, be more affected by financial contagion - the fall out of western Europe's problems to those it trade's with. Plus, most of Croatia's banks have foreign banks as parent companies who will, of course, be looking to tap their more liquid subsidiaries for cash.

Tourism is a big factor in Croatia's economy and opinions vary as to what that holds for 2009. Astutely, the Croatia National Tourist Board has increased its marketing spend significantly, and the optimists believe that those who have had to defer big spending decisions - new houses, cars and yachts - will still want to cheer themselves up with a holiday. Value for money will be the watchwords but that doesn't necessarily mean that there will be a resurgence of low budget holidays at the expense of more upscale treats. Travellers will just need a little bit more convincing that they are placing their trust with a reputable travel company, hotel or agency, and that their allocated budget will be well spent. Experts suggest that, in times of crisis, spenders in the luxury markets stick to well established brands with a strong heritage, and quality marketing. Wise Croatian company's in the tourism industry will therefore pick their marketing outlets carefully and make sure they offer customers good value at all budget ranges. The tourist board is advising hotels to maintain prices at last year's levels unless there have been improvements in facilities, and let's hope this good advice is heeded.

Croatia has never been a country to be sucked wholesale into western european hype - whether it be massive consumerism, reckless borrowing or financial wheeler dealing. Yes, we witnessed an increase in personal borrowing last year - on new cars for example - but traditional principles are still strong and lets hope that one of them - living within your means, and saving when you can - is not punished here like it seems to be in the rest of the world, whilst the converse is rewarded.

On the streets, certainly the Dalmatians, appear to be out in numbers as before, enjoying their coffee, as soon as the sun shines. In a region where resourcefulness is a strong part of the national make up, and the simple pleasures have not been overwhelmed or overtaken by technological ones, life seems to go on happily as before. Let's hope that endures!

And finally, those that have deferred buying their new yacht but still fancy a cruise around one of the best sailing destinations in the world, might want to try a charter in Croatia this year. To whet your appetite, why not get a copy of our Croatia Cruising Companion, covering the Dalmatian Coast and Islands - more information on our sister site - www.croatiacruisingcompanion.blogspot.com!

***

Today's photo is of the new street furniture on Split Riva, provided to mark the World Handball Championship taking place in Croatia. The final is today - Croatia v France. Hopefully the winter cheer in Croatia will be cemented by a home team victory!

Interview with Maria Luisa Poumaillou

fashiontraveler.com
From farfetch.com

Her unique outlook and intuitive buying style has made Maria Luisa Poumaillou one of the most iconic and influential women in Paris. Owner and buyer of the directional Maria Luisa boutique, she has been feeding the Parisian’s discerning appetite for style for over two decades. Here, farfetch.com talks to the woman behind the boutique about her passion for new talent and freedom of expression.

2009 sees the 21st year of the Maria Luisa boutique in the fashionable Saint Honoré district, how did you make your start in the industry?

Maria Luisa: I’d say almost by accident. My husband and I were associated to this friend who had designed a collection and we were supposed to open a store with her, on rue Cambon where our first boutique was located. We clashed so both friendship and shop project sank. We ended up with an empty store which we had already invested money in. I decided to call all the designers I liked and had seen from magazines and asked them to carry their collection. Naively, when they asked me which other designers I carried, I mentioned the names of the other designers I just had called – and it worked! I think I already had a strong taste, but I didn’t know much how things worked at the time!

What were the first labels to be stocked and how have these names evolved since your first buy with them?

Maria Luisa: There are not many comments to make about the designers that I carried right from the opening of the store: Martine Sitbon – which I have always carried until today under the Rue du Mail label; John Galliano - what is there to say?; Helmut Lang - I was the first one to buy him here, before the 90’s – so influential. I could also mention Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela, Issey Miyake, Comme des Garçons. A lot of the brands I used to carry have disappeared since then, but still, we used to have such a huge success with Jean Colonna and Patrick Kelly. Also Rifat Ozbek and some other designers have become huge under their own names or in houses.

You’re renowned for a unique and intuitive buying style and when the first Maria Luisa boutique opened, Saint Honoré was considered a very traditional, couture-focused area. What was the reaction to your radical buying style?

Maria Luisa: We have had a very strong press support right from the beginning. Of course, commercially speaking, it wasn’t an easy task, but there was a freshness at the opening of the store that people really liked. The fashionistas, editors, models etc made it a success pretty early on. I think people were just plain excited to see something new with new designers around. Remember what the ‘houses’ like Dior etc looked like at the time - they were boring. Afterwards, so many of these designers ended up taking the lead in the houses, Galliano, McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Margiela at Hermès etc. It was an exciting time because people wanted a new direction, a new way of conceiving fashion, different from the traditional ‘bourgeois’ luxury from that time - a new silhouette, like Margiela’s or Helmut’s.

The boutique presents a real diversity in its collection. With names as disparate as Ann Demuelemeester and Charles Anastase, how do you begin to curate such a collection?

Maria Luisa: What we like in fashion is the freedom to be whoever you like. There are so many different styles, identities. I don’t like being stuck in a style rut – even though I have my own favourite designers of course. What our designers have in common is their talent, their creativity, but also the ability of surprising us. They also have to be efficient at their work - it is not only about ‘art’ - they also have to deal with the reality of everyday life. I guess what we are doing is the total opposite of big group’s logics - we want to transmit our enthusiasm, the things we are excited about, basically we want to relay these designers to the consumer. We are not pushing in only one direction like today’s marketing, but we want to feel free. Not that we are running after new things just for the sake of it, everything should be justified somehow. It sounds complex and messy but it makes sense in the end, it works in the store – it’s our secret recipe I guess.

In 1998, you introduced Manolo Blahnik to Maria Luisa, with just a handful of stockists outside of the Manolo Blahnik stores, having the collection exclusively in France must be a great asset to the boutique?

Maria Luisa: Yes, I guess it is an asset for the store, but it is also a partnership, a kind of mutual recognition. It is the best product, in terms of quality and style, such an exquisite taste, we are so happy to work with him. You know, it is like a Rolls Royce, you can’t find much better!

After several incarnations through the years, the Maria Luisa boutique now consists of a menswear boutique and the newly opened womenswear boutique on Rouget de L’Isle. What was the concept behind the store design and what kind of atmosphere did you want to achieve?

Maria Luisa: We have never been a ‘concept store’ so there was no other concept behind the store than to give our intuitive buying a frame for a unique shopping experience. We have never had impressive or obnoxious boutiques, we like the idea of our store open to new ideas as a gallery, but in a more lively way!

As part of your commitment to new talent, you’re a partner of the International Talent Support (ITS), a project which offers a platform for young creatives. Can you tell us about the project and the role of the Maria Luisa Award within it?

Maria Luisa: The dedicated team of ITS contacted us very early at the start of their organisation and we liked their project and also the way they see fashion, it’s pretty similar to ours actually. We are part of the jury who decides who wins the awards, but we also have our own ‘Maria Luisa’ award. It is more of an opportunity than an award in itself - it depends on the designer and what they want to do - most of them have only just graduated and we like to support their vision as much as we can. Some of them need contacts for a job in a house or an internship with one of our designers, some of them use our shop as a showroom during Fashion Week when they launch their own collection, like Peter Pilotto or Justin Smith (JSmith Esquire), some of them just want to do displays to include in their portfolios etc. I think basically we are there to help them in their first steps in the professional word of fashion. But we don’t only do that for people who get this award, we asked Heikki Salonen, who got the Diesel Award to produce a small collection for us. We also check a lot of schools around the world and of course support Hyères Festival.

You decided to join the farfetch.com project and were one of the original boutique partners for the launch in 2008, how important do you feel the role of e-commerce is for emerging and established fashion labels and boutiques?

Maria Luisa: E-commerce has to be integrated now for all sorts of businesses today. Not doing it would be like still riding a horse when there are already cars. Even though you can still ride a horse and own a car.

What new labels can we expect to see from the boutique for Spring/Summer 09?

Maria Luisa: The US duo Ohne Titel - one of the best collection of the season - with Helmut Lang infused looks and innovative knitwear; the Finnish Heikki Salonen with a collection discovered at ITS; Olivier Borde with a menswear collection first shown in Hyères Festival - very refined and childhood inspired; the jewellery of Arielle de Pinto - thinly knitted webs of silver and gold chains.

Ohne Titel

Dior Haute Couture Spring 09-10

Making a Case for Retail Innovation

From Coolhunter

Economic doom and gloom does have an upside. It has laid the foundations for a fertile new landscape of creativity and innovation. When the market gets tough brands have to work harder to keep their customers, they have to find more creative ways to engage them. Innovation becomes a must in the design process. It's a case of innovate or risk a likely death. Which is why we predict a rebirth of creativity across product design, marketing and retail design. This new era isn't about big dollars, it's about big ideas and originality. Expect the unexpected.

The Genius behind Chanel

Fifty Years Later: Chanel Couture Spring 09

From Women's Wear Daily January 27, 2009

“The idea was a white page,” Lagerfeld said days before his show. But there are white pages and white pages. For his, Lagerfeld commissioned a floral paradise crafted from 4,000 meters of plain, pristine paper. He “wanted everything graphic itself, no bling-bling,” to realize the idea, which came to him just after his over-the-top Russian-inspired satellite show in December: “Everything was so pushed — housecleaning was needed.”

Hence the move from the Grand Palais — “I’m glad it was empty,” Lagerfeld quipped of the landmark, now housing the show of another fellow, Picasso — to a former bank just up the street on the Rue Cambon. Along with it, he shifted his set approach from the single-prop, megainstallations of swirling tower, giant carousel and re-created city street to a glorious paper heaven (grand stairway and 32 columns covered in pristine bowers; paper flower centerpieces and lace cloths dressing cafe tables) that looked like the best work of the cleverest wedding planner in town, or a walk-in version of David Pelham’s ingenious pop-up book “Trail.” (Rather than the book, Lagerfeld’s own 18th-century porcelains, as well as the modern interiors of Marcel Wanders and others, served as primary inspirations.) The set, done under the direction of Stéphane Lubrina, boasted 6,700 assorted-species blossoms and took 40 people 15 weeks to create. (The paper was glass, rather than wood-based, all ye who might get your scratchy organic panties in a twist.) “Mr. Wertheimer said something very nice,” Lagerfeld relayed in reference to his own spending proclivities. “He said, maybe a shortage somewhere, but not in your department.”

Certainly, here was no shortage of pure delight, a collection inventively conceived and impeccably executed, from the wondrous paper headpieces crafted by Japanese hair genius Katsuya Kamo to several chic takes on spectator sandals. And the real stars of the day: the clothes. Lagerfeld sent out fab day clothes working a supernarrow focus — tiered structure in various shades of white. Anchoring the look: a square shoulder, often in a short, straight capelet, as if sliced from an 8-1/2-by-11 page. These perched atop little jackets and crisp A-shaped skirts, interspersed with softer moments now and then, and with an occasional flash of crisp black trim. Similarly, save for a brief digression to black and prints, high evening continued along the great white way, with stark lines contrasting more ethereal options.

In lesser hands, it might have been a snooze. Lagerfeld, however, worked each look to distinction. A plain suit featured a swish of chiffon at the wrists; a dress’ curious lace motif was fashioned from feathers. As for Lagerfeld’s no-bling assertion — not really. In this lineup, tight rows of bugle beads formed shimmery stripes, paillettes masqueraded as polkadots and the bride wore an austere sequined Sixties Space Age jumpsuit outfit, her endless frothy train decorated with, among other elements, paper embroideries, done by none other than M. Lesage.

Still, the mood chez Chanel is that the paper trail won’t end in his nimble hands. Recession or no, the belief is that more than a few clients remain plenty flush with cash. Or they can break out the kind of plastic that’s good for the fashion environment.

See Chanel Runway Slideshow

A Look back: Vintage Haute Couture, Chanel 1959

Something to Make People Dream...

Those were the words said by Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, backstage, while predicting that the crisis would not begin to recede until the end of 2010. (International Herald Tribune) This hasn't deterred any of the couture atelier's from presenting opulent collections showcasing the talent and creativity for which they have become so well known. As always, some of the foremost creatives in fashion take us on a journey; Galliano drops us in Vermeer's Amsterdam, Armani creates a vision of futuristic Chinoiserie and Stephen Roland presents us a sculpted and elegant utopia. It's not clear exactly what kind of dreams these designers would like us to have, but in such dire economic times, any flight of fancy is definitely a welcome escape.

From Associated Press, Report on the first day of Paris Fall 09/10 Couture shows:

PARIS: Looking at the shows that kicked off Paris' haute couture week on Monday, you'd never know the world was the midst of the most serious financial turmoil since the Great Depression.

Designers here delivered opulent, flamboyant collections that, instead of reflecting the gloomy economic reality, transported the viewer into a world of beauty and fantasy.

"My job is to make women dream," Christian Dior designer John Galliano told The Associated Press. "Of course I'm aware of the credit crunch, but it is not a creative crunch — not at the house of Dior, anyway."

Galliano sent out voluptuous skirt suits and sculptural evening gowns that took their inspiration from 17th century Dutch painters like Johannes Vermeer.

French designer Stephane Rolland — a newcomer to the elite club of made-to-measure labels — also went big, with a collection that played on volume through the use of ingenious bustles and capes.

Giorgio Armani Prive, the celebrated Italian designer's couture label, looked east for inspiration, delivering a distinctly Chinese-flavored collection.

Grand spectacles, the haute couture shows garner huge publicity for the handful of labels that still offer made-to-measure garments — which cost upward of $10,000 apiece.

Tuesday's spring-summer presentations include shows by Chanel, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy.

CHRISTIAN DIOR

Associated Press

Duchess lace, delicate blue-and-white porcelain and other Flemish fineries recovered their long-lost status as the ultimate luxury goods in Christian Dior's majestic Vermeer-inspired show.

Designer Galliano said he was struck by the pose of subjects in paintings by the 17th century Dutch master and his contemporaries — and by their palette of luminous blues, yellows and creamy whites.

Ever the magpie, Galliano plucked pieces from the bourgeois Flemish wardrobe — the oversize lace collars, the droopy puff sleeves, the fitted bodices — and adapted them to the labels' hallmark skirt suit, which was created by Christian Dior in the 1940s.

The notes proclaimed the spring-summer collection "More Dior than Dior," and perhaps it just was. Waspwaisted jackets with big sleeves and even bigger hips were paired with ultra-voluminous skirts that used bonework on the hems to retain their four-leaf clover shape.

Ruffles abounded, draped over jacket necklines, bouncing off the seat and dripping down hemlines. The skirt of one slate blue suit was entirely covered in looped ruffles. Indigo flowers on the inside of another skirt — in ecru — made the garment look like a Flemish porcelain bowl turned upside-down.

Burlesque star Dita Von Teese said she there was "something about the suit looks I really love."

"It was beautiful ... all the very cinched waists and big crinolines and all the beading," said Von Teese, a frequent guest at Paris couture shows.

Other A-list guests at Monday's show included TV star Mischa Barton, rapper Kanye West, Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard — the current face of the "Lady Dior" bag line — and former French first lady Bernadette Chirac.

STEPHANE ROLLAND

Patrick Kovarick/AFP

Rolland cited Constantin Brancusi as an inspiration for the collection, and the influence of the Romanian-born sculptor was clear in the show's big, bold volumes and harmonious lines.

A stiff cone-shape panel emerged from the bust of a strapless shift dress and, curling ingeniously around itself, attached to the hemline.

Another shift dress in fire engine red had a bustle-like drapery that emerged from the shoulders and attached to the hemline, creating a sort of chic superhero cape. One show-stopping look improbably melded a one-shoulder evening gown with a pantsuit.

Lozenge-shaped leather discs covered a sleeveless organza evening gown in an intricate scale pattern.

Artful mosaic beadwork also adorned the hemline of many of the other floor-length dresses, making tinkling sounds as the models strutted their stuff. At the end, the catwalk was littered with sparkling beads and rhinestones that had popped off during the show.

It was Rolland's first display since being admitted to the select group of haute couture labels.

GIORGIO ARMANI PRIVE

Patrick Kovarick/AFP

Armani delivered his "dream" of China — a glossy, sleek and sophisticated version of the Asian economic powerhouse.

Lean skirt suits in luminous silks, embellished with tassels and appliqués dominated the collection. Glossy, second-skin evening gowns, heavy with sequins and beadwork, made up many of the remaining looks in the 62-outfit show.

Pointed shoulders and cuffs on jackets evoked pagoda roofs, while a purple and yellow pantsuit recalled a Chinese martial arts ensemble.

The dresses, in lacquer red and inky black, had a costume-like quality about them. A shift dress in red sequins with black piping was almost crying out to be worn by Chinese movie star Gong Li.

The models wore severe black bobbed wigs or had their hair swept up into a long thin tower wrapped in black leather. They tottered

down the catwalk in the pencil skirts and towering, richly worked heels.

U.S. Fashion's One Woman Bailout?

J Crew Homepage
by Guy Trebay
Posted January 8, 2008 International Herald Tribune

To the laundry list of global woes the Obama administration is expected to set right, starting Jan. 20, one can probably add the quagmire of American fashion. True, it will have to wait in line behind the hemorrhaging economy and the situations in Gaza, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. True, too, it will scarcely be a top-of-mind concern for the president himself.

But the scope of responsibility in politics these days extends to family members, and the messes are now so numerous that by the time Barack Obama sets foot in the White House, everyone in his entourage will have to grab a mop.
That includes the first lady, who throughout the campaign demonstrated not just that she understood the power of clothes to transmit a message, but a readiness to adjust that message as the need arose.

Michelle Obama was not alone in that; Cindy McCain notably tweaked her image as the campaign ground along, softening her appearance to seem more populist and less like a member of the rules committee at an exclusive country club.

Yet Obama did something bolder on the campaign trail and, in a sense, less expected. With flashcard clarity, she signaled an interest both in looking stylish and also in advancing the cause of American fashion and those who design and make it. She wore off-the-rack stuff from J. Crew and, at times controversially, designs by fashion darlings like Isabel Toledo, Thakoon Panichgul and Narciso Rodriguez. She brought to the campaign a sophisticated approach to high-low dressing, a determination to adapt designers' work to suit herself — adding jewelry or sweaters or wearing flat shoes with sheaths or even altering dressmaking details — as well as a forthright conviction that it is the woman who should wear the clothes and not the other way around.

Insignificant as this may seem in the larger scheme of things, it is less so when one considers the distressing state in which American fashion has found itself lately, with both chain and department stores shutting their doors, consumers confidence at its lowest level in decades and manufacturers struggling to remain afloat in what, as May Chen, the international vice president of the union group Unite Here, explained, "has always been a very credit-sensitive industry."

Hamish Bowles, the Vogue editor who was curator of "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years," a 2001 show of Kennedy's style at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, said of Obama, "My perception is that she's already had an extremely potent effect" on the business.

"Just looking at the designers she's been drawn to, you can see she's shown astute sartorial judgment," Bowles said. What she has also made clear in her choices, he added, is "that thoughtful and intelligent American designers are perfectly capable of creating clothes that have an impact on the world stage."

The key word in that statement is "American," a fact not lost on the retailers burdened in recent years by the weakened purchasing power of the dollar in Europe, where most designer fashion originates, and by the decision American consumers seem to have made to shop in their closets as they wait out the recession.

"There is something timely about celebrating American fashion and American designers," said Stephanie Solomon, the fashion director of Bloomingdale's, although that "something" may be largely a function of the $5,000 price tag on a typical imported dress from Lanvin.

" Obama is, first of all, very elegant and has wonderful taste," Solomon said. "But she also recognizes the value of beautiful dresses and not big prices. She dresses like taste doesn't necessarily have to do with brand or status, but with what looks well on your body and makes you look glamorous, bottom line." And that, she added, is "very refreshing and appropriate for this period."

American fashion, said Steven Kolb, the executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, like the American automobile and banking industries, is "at a crossroads" in dire need of some kind of boost. Reviving a faltering homegrown industry may seem like a lot to expect of one woman, however highly placed. Yet, whether or not she likes it — or has any particular interest in fashion at all — the first lady has traditionally been expected to use her position to help promote American goods.

"What the first lady wears has a lot of effect on the industry, absolutely," said Arnold Scaasi, who began designing clothes for the wives of American presidents during the term of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first lady, Scaasi said, "is seen every day in some form of media, and what she looks like is copied by other women."

Even Mamie Eisenhower managed to inspire followers with her goofy and pastel matron style. Although Eisenhower probably never set off a shopping frenzy, as happened after Obama wore a $148 dress from the label White House Black Market on "The View," she had an effect.

"Mamie wore bangs because she had a very high forehead," Scaasi explained. "But then hairdressers everywhere told me that women were saying, 'I want my hair just like Mamie's.' " When George H. W. Bush was president, he said, "Barbara Bush made a statement by having gray hair, and suddenly gray-haired grandmothers were chic."

When Obama's husband takes office, she will be roughly two decades younger than Bush was on the day her husband was sworn in. Three days before the inauguration, Obama will turn 45. Yet like her husband she conveys a more youthful impression, and her vital appearance has a lot do with her particular appeal to the fashion industry.

"She's like 25 years younger than the last few first ladies, and her age opens her up to a more youthful approach," the designer Anna Sui said. "I loved her choice of Narciso," she added, referring to the designer Narciso Rodriguez, whose dress Obama wore, in a version she adapted from the runway original and customized with a cardigan sweater, on election night. (That choice set off living room debates across the land over whether it flattered Obama or not.)

"She could potentially do what Jackie Kennedy did, bring about a new awareness and a fresh outlook, just by not being so intentionally 'first lady,' by mixing designer things with off the rack," Sui said. "She can give a big boost to the American fashion industry — and we need all the help we can get."

If one thinks about it, said Thakoon Panichgul, a gifted industry favorite whose name entered the mainstream after Obama wore one of his short-sleeved print dresses on the final night of the Democratic Convention, Obama does not "dress so young, exactly, and yet it's young because it feels fresh."

He continued: "She'll wear a sheath with flats and not pumps. That's not, quote unquote, appropriate, and people perceive that first ladies should be appropriate. She has the chutzpah to put it out there regardless of what anybody says."

If in Panichgul's view it is Obama's casual yet savvy approach to fashion that makes her compelling to watch, for other observers there is something deeper in play.

"Actually, her taste is very conservative, kind of jock-preppy, a version of a safe American WASP way of dressing," said Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "But what is truly compelling about her is her body. She has this athletic, commanding and confident presence that is very American." She may look great in a shift dress, he said, "but her body is so strong that I end up forgetting what she's wearing much of the time."

The potential effect Obama's physical and intellectual confidence can have on fashion, the designer Diane Von Furstenberg, president of the council of fashion designers, said in an e-mail message from London, is to promote "individuality" at a time when fashion is casting about for ways to replace the designer cultism it so recently enshrined. It does not seem insignificant, either, that Obama expresses her pleasure in following fashion without worrying that to do so automatically compromises her seriousness.

"The way Michelle Obama dresses is not her stimulus package to the fashion industry," said Kolb of the designers' council. "It's how she is. I think about my sister who lives in New Jersey and is a teacher, and about the women she works with, and how they can look at Michelle Obama and not have to pretend to be that woman, that working mother with kids who knows the big designer names but also shops at J. Crew and the Gap. She's who they are."

Will Michelle Obama Be Appearing on the Cover of VOGUE?

By: Amy Odell
Photo-illustration: Getty Images

Michelle Obama could be on the March cover of Vogue, which comes out in just a few weeks. The news leaked through her hairstylist, Johnny Wright, who signed a deal this week to develop his own reality series with the same production company that makes the Style Network's Split Ends. Stories on the deal, like this one in the Daily News, say Wright styled Michelle's hair for a Vogue cover shoot. Wright's rep hasn't responded to inquiries about this mysterious shoot, and a spokesman for Vogue would only say, "We're very interested in working with the First Lady." Teases, all of you!

This reminds us of the time Newsweek ran a story about Michelle Obama a month and a half ago, which casually mentioned she would grace the March issue of Vogue. At the beginning of December a Vogue spokesperson told us nothing had been confirmed and called the Newsweek report "incorrect." But earlier this month favorite Vogue photographer Annie Leibovitz was seen entering the Hay-Adams Hotel where the Obamas stayed before they moved into the White House. Also, March is the month of Vogue's spring fashion issue, which should be nice and weighty — ripe for Michelle's cover debut. Now even though Michelle is stylish and Anna Wintour raised a bundle for the Obama campaign, we're still having a hard time imagining Michelle on the cover. She seems more down-to-earth and Mom-ish. More Redbook, but in a good way.

Related: Michelle Obama's Vogue Cover Appears Likely [HuffPo]

J Crew First-Class Style

By now we is aware of Michelle Obama's love of J Crew's classic All-American silhouettes, but the Inaugural Day coats designed especially for Malia and Sasha, by the company's childrenswear label, Crewcuts, have established J Crew as a true favorite of the first family.

Dear Abby Stands Up for Men in Skirts

The "man skirt" has been popping up in trend-setting cities like Paris and Antwerp, and seems to be building up quite a following, including Marc Jacobs himself. Although this is becoming a new and innovative way of dressing for men in the Western world, it does present a dilemma for those living in less fashion-forward areas, challenging well-established rules of dressing. This is the complaint of Joe, a man living in Pennsylvania, who says that he is constantly ridiculed for wearing skirts and he writes to "Dear Abby" seeking advice. Her response is that it takes a real man to wear a skirt:

From the Dear Abby column, December 31, 2008

DEAR ABBY: My problem is unusual, but I'm hoping that if you address it in your column it will help.

I'm a married man, confident in who I am, who wears skirts for comfort.

I feel that skirts are more comfortable than pants, which I find tight, restrictive and uncomfortable. I wear skirts around the house, when I'm out running errands and when I attend church. My clergyman has raised no objection to it.

After much research, my wife and I have concluded that the only thing against men wearing skirts is social pressure, and then only in certain countries - America being one of them.

Pants are a relatively new style of clothing. For thousands of years of recorded history, men and women both wore skirts. Then women fought for and won the right to wear pants, shorts, whatever they wanted - which is great. I believe men should have the same option. My wife supports me in this.

Our problem is that some family members who disagree have talked behind our backs, started rumors and turned people against us with false information.

How can I make them understand that they are entitled to their belief, but that they shouldn't gossip and create problems for us because I am not doing anything wrong?

- Joe in Pennsylvania

DEAR JOE: Gossip is the province of small-minded people, and it is sad that your relatives have used the fact that you have chosen to be different as an opportunity to spread malicious falsehoods.

As long as you have the testicular fortitude and shapely enough legs to wear skirts, then you have my blessing. Some men's clothing designers have been trying for years to revive skirts as part of men's wardrobes. Because fashion trends not only change but often revolve, who's to say you're not on the leading edge of what's to come?

A First Class First Lady

Images from huffingtonpost.com

The speculation as to which fashion designer Michelle Obama would choose to wear on her husband's big day kept the newspapers and fashionistas alike guessing, especially since Michelle and her staff remained tight-lipped on the subject up until the last minute. After appearing at the Inauguration Ceremony in a bright vintage-inspired ensemble by Isabel Toledo, interest in the evening gown she had chosen only heightened.
Later that evening Mrs. Obama made her first official appearance as First Lady in a flowing assymetrical gown by newcomer Jason Wu, again showcasing her support for up-and-coming talent in the fashion industry.
With Beyonce singing "At Last" in the background, the First Lady and President took to the dance floor both elegantly attired and living up to their new official status as First Couple.

Milla Jovovich

Birthname: Milla Natasha Jovovich
Date of birth: 1975-12-17
Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine
Height: 5' 8.5"
Nationality: Russian
Profession: actress, singer, and model

Milla (Militza) Jovovich (Serbian Милица Јововић/Milica Jovović, Ukrainian Cyrillic: Мілла Йовович/; born December 17, 1975) is a Ukrainian-born American supermodel, actress, musician, singer, and fashion designer.
Jovovich has been described by Paul W.S. Anderson, director of her film Resident Evil, as a "rare combination of a good actress who could kick ass and look beautiful doing it."

Biography

Family and Early life

Jovovich (pronounced "Yo-vo-vitch" ( in IPA)) was born in Kiev, Ukraine to Bogdan Jovović, a Serbian medical doctor, and Galina Loginova, a Russian actress. Her paternal family is from Montenegro, their estate being at Metohija in Zlopek near Peć. Her paternal great-grandfather, Bogić Camić Jovović, was flag-bearer of the Montenegrin Serb Vasojevići clan and officer of the guard of the King Nicholas I of Montenegro; his wife's name was Milica. Her paternal grandfather, Bogdan Jovović, was a commander in the Pristina military area, and later investigated finances in military areas of Skopje and Sarajevo, where he uncovered massive gold embezzlement. He was punished for refusing to convict his friend for the crime. Later, the communist government imprisoned him on Goli Otok. When he feared that he could be arrested again, he escaped to Albania and later moved to Kiev. Another version of the story claims that he was the one to have taken the gold. Milla's father, Bogić Jovović, later joined her grandfather in Kiev, where he and his sister graduated in medicine. She will appear in the third film in the Resident Evil series titled .
piece, from the upcoming film .]]

Singing

In 1994, Jovovich, billed under her first name, released her critically acclaimed first musical album, The Divine Comedy. Featuring unique-sounding songs that fused pop with traditional Russian folk music influences, the album led to comparisons with musicians Tori Amos and Kate Bush. Jovovich also lead a band called Plastic Has Memory, that played about a dozen shows in Los Angeles and New York City, in 1999. Though Plastic Has Memory was featured on Hollywood Goes Wild, a benefit celebrity compilation CD, the group never formally released a record and are no longer together.
1998 saw the release of The Peopletree Sessions, a cd of "electronic folk music", against Milla's consent. Only available from the Peopletree website, the cd featured electronic beats merged with scattered lyrics, a big change from her whistful first release.
Jovovich's vocals appeared on the 2004 album Legion of Boom by The Crystal Method. She also recorded the single Rocket Collecting, which appeared on the soundtrack for the film Underworld. Milla continues to write songs, which she calls "demos". These demos are provided for free in MP3 format on her website. Jovovich provides license to freely download and remix the tracks, but reserves the right to sell and issue the tracks.

Fashion design

Jovovich and fellow model Carmen Hawk have launched a line of clothing called Jovovich-Hawk in 2003. The two also opened a showroom in New York City's Greenwich Village on September 13, 2005. The line is currently in its third season and pieces can be found at Fred Segal in Los Angeles, Harvey Nichols, and over 50 stores around the world. The pieces were sold exclusively at Fred Segal stores, where the line sold out almost instantly. The line's second season was equally, if not more successful, with Fred Segal reordering its stock midway through the season.Jovovich-Hawk, with Jovovich modeling select pieces, was featured on the cover of the May 2006 issue of C (California Style) Magazine.

Personal life

Jovovich married actor Shawn Andrews (actor) in October of 1992, while filming Dazed and Confused together; the marriage was annulled (by her mother) a month later. She married The Fifth Element director Luc Besson in 1997, but the two divorced in 1999. Jovovich also dated Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante for several months in 2000 and was linked to actor Stephen Dorff. She also had a relationship with Jamiroquai ex-bassist Stuart Zender, during which time they both lived in London. Most recently she has appeared in public with Japanese soccer star Hidetoshi Nakata, but is purported to be engaged to writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson.
Jovovich is also planning to publish her private diaries as an autobiography. Jovovich says, "I've been keeping a diary ever since I was a little girl. I've written about all the places I've been to and all the mad things that I've done, so it would be good to get it all into a book - like an autobiography, but with more of a diary feel to it. I'm not sure how interested anyone would be in publishing it, or reading it, for that matter."
Jovovich is a polyglot - she fluently speaks Russian, French, English and Serbian (possibly to a lesser extent). 

50 Things Every a Girl Should Own (11-20)

More from the Times Online list of Fashion Must-haves:


11 A VINTAGE DRESS
One that’s seen much better days — for being very trashy in.

Vintage mini-dress on Etsy.com

12 A PAIR OF MAD SUNGLASSES They should be too mad to go on a date in, but just mad enough to feel liberated.

Vintage-inspired sunglasses from Giant Vintage

13 A SHORT, BLACK BOB WIG Check out of you-ness and be Louise Brooks for the day.

14 A STRING OF REAL PEARLS OR REAL PEARL EARRINGS Great for the complexion, as they diffuse light across your face.

15 A T-SHIRT DRESS One you’ve had since you were 22. Just throw it on and go.

T-shirt dress from American Apparel

16 A PAIR OF MEN’S BROGUES For looking playfully serious.

Vintage Perry Ellis Ladies Brogue Shoes at Etsy.com

17 SOMETHING DELICATE AND ANCIENT It must be kept in acid-free tissue paper — anything made of Victorian lace, for example.

18 DEREK ROSE FLANNEL PYJAMAS For spending Sundays and sickies in.

19 WHITE CORDS Less flash than white denim, more elegant than jeans. Wear with a navy pea coat, and you are Jackie O.

White Matchstick cords from Jcrew.com

20 A KHAKI PARKA Just like the one Kate Moss wore with those Westwood boots in 2000. Never goes out of style, always looks cool — whatever anyone says.

Go to the original article here

Michelle Obama: What Should She Wear?

Article from WWD December 1, 2008
by Bridget Foley and Bobbi Queen

Who says these are bleak times? On one matter at least, designers are positively euphoric. That is the Obama presidency, a two-part point of light. While much of the glee centers around the President-elect and his policies, Michelle Obama radiates a powerful style all her own. So step aside, Angelina. You too, Madonna, not to mention the bevy of pop tarts, gossip girls, “High School Musical” grads and even potential Oscar divas, now all suddenly second-tier. The American fashion industry hasn’t had a catch this big since, well, since another icon of Democratic chic took up residency on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1961.

For the big guns at least, dressing Michelle may prove even more of a challenge, since her chic is more lowercase democratic than was Jackie’s. Throughout the campaign, the first lady-to-be has avoided all major names save Narciso Rodriguez, while showing a proclivity for locals (Chicago’s Maria Pinto), young types (Thakoon; Jason Wu) and cost-conscious labels (Donna Ricco; J. Crew).

Nevertheless, just about everyone yearns to dress Michelle, who could raise the profile of American fashion around the world. Yet with the exception of Maria Cornejo, her current favorites, as well as a few majors, declined WWD’s request for sketches. Some are loath to presume to offer unsolicited advice, while others, it seems, are definitely in the Inaugural sweepstakes and prefer, or have been asked, to keep their participation low-pro.

But plenty more happily offered their visions for Michelle and her charming first daughters, for the big day and evening events of Jan. 20.

Inaugural ballgown by Monique L'huillier

A clean, modern look from Peter Som

Evening look from Christian Lacrois for Michelle Obama

Since we're talking about Karl Lagerfeld...

Kanye West paid tribute to the greatness of Mr. Lagerfeld on his blog this week. Here are some of the images, including a rare shot of Karl in his youth and B.S. (Before Sunglasses):






For more images of Karl in his youth check the Fashion Television site: fashiontelevision.com
(Love the one of him in his lederhosen- so cute!)

You can see the full posting here:

kanYe West : Blog : FASHION DESIGNER: KARL LAGERFELD

The Enigma of Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld has earned his reputation as one of fashion's most mysterious characters by being eternally elusive with the media, so I was quite surprised to find that in 2006 cameras were allowed behind-the-scenes access to the offices and atelier at the House of Chanel. Not surprisingly, the first few frames of the first episode shows Karl waving a skinny ring-clad finger at the camera shouting, "No! No!"- there was clearly a period of adjustment.
I'm hoping that the resulting TV mini-series "Signe Chanel," available on Youtube, will answer some of my burning questions, such as "How does Karl design 20 collections a year?" and most importantly, "Does he ever take off those sunglasses?" The first episode ends with one of the assistants at Chanel dialing an endless list of phone numbers, hoping to get in touch with Karl. It's somewhat comforting to know that it's not just the media that Karl is avoiding: seems that he is a master of both style and stealth.

Get Your Roll On

Parisian twist on the rolled pant from Styleclicker

Riding the line between feminine and masculine Stil in Berlin

Katie Holmes in a rolled pair of hubby Tom's jeans

From the streets of Oslo on Oslostil

50 Things Every Girl Should Own

There's no better way to start off a new year than by putting your best foot forward. If your New Year's resolution is to spend 2009 looking a little more fabulous, than be sure to check out the Times Online article "50 Things Every Girl Should Own." It serves as an excellent beginner's guide to style, but even the most savvy stylista will also benefit from this compilation of fashion must-haves. As opposed to focusing on seasonal trends, the list focues on timeless items that you can incorporate into your wardrobe for years to come. Excerpts from the list, as well as where to find items will be posted over the coming weeks.

Here's to a happy, healthy and stylish 2009!

1 GOLD HOOP EARRINGS For days when you wanna look J.Lo glam. These shouldn’t be so big as to look like you haven’t got over the gypsy trend, nor so small as to make you look like a three-year-old on a council estate.

2 A BERET For bad-hair days. It will take you straight to Kim Basinger in Batman. Just don’t obsess about the angle: they should be worn with nonchalance.

Cable Stitch Beret at urbanoutfitters.com

3 A VINTAGE OSSIE CLARK DRESS Separates the women from the girls. Fabulously flattering at any age, from 18 to 80.

4 EXPENSIVE BLACK LACE LINGERIE At least one set. For obvious reasons.

La Perla lingerie at net-a-porter.com (left)

5 A PAIR OF THERMAL SHORTS For when you want to wear a skirt without tights, but it’s a bit parky outside.

6 SILK STOCKINGS A rite of passage for every woman — and, subsequently, for her man. In slightly unusual shades — such as petrol or burgundy — they make an outfit. And in this country they can be worn for three-quarters of the year.

7 A DECENT TRENCH COAT Some people are scared of trenches because they look fussy — they’re not. Everyone from Burberry to M&S does them, so there’s no excuse.

A.P.C Trench Coat at largarconne.com (left)

8 A LEATHER JACKET It should be cropped and fitted nicely around your waist. Takes you from a gig to the supermarket via your mum’s and a first date. Enough said.

Y's by Yohji Yamamoto Cropped Jacket at eluxury.com

9 A GOOD WALLET Because if a bag matters, so does your purse — and people see it all the time. Jimmy Choo’s, we feel, are particularly well thought-out.

10 A PAIR OF FALSIES (eyelashes, that is). Instant divadom.

Shu Uemura False Eyelashes at sephora.com

View the Times Online article here

Demi Moore

Birthname: Demetria Gene Guynes
Date of birth: 1962-11-11
Birthplace: Roswell, New Mexico, USA
Height: 5' 5"
Nationality: American
Profession: actress, model, producer

Demi Moore (born Demetria Gene Guynes on November 11, 1962) is an American actress. She became well-known after a string of 1980s teen-oriented movies, and became one of the best-known actresses in 1990s Hollywood.

Biography

Early life

Moore was born in Roswell, New Mexico, but spent much of her childhood and teenage years in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. As a child, she had a difficult and unstable home life. Her biological father, Charles Harmon, left her mother, Virginia, after a two-month marriage, before Moore was born. As a result, Moore had the surname of her stepfather, Danny Guynes, on her birth certificate. Danny Guynes, who committed suicide in 1980, frequently changed jobs and made the family move a total of forty times. Moore's parents were also alcoholics and often fought and beat each other. To make matters worse, operations on Moore's left eye during childhood required her to wear an eyepatch.
Moore's family settled in Los Angeles in 1976. When Moore was sixteen, her then-friend, actress Nastassja Kinski, persuaded her to drop out of Hollywood's Fairfax High School to become an actress.
Demi Moore was a founding "celebrity investor" in the Planet Hollywood chain of international theme restaurants (modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe and launched in New York on October 22, 1991) along with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Career

in Ghost (1990)]]
After quitting school, Moore went to work as a pin-up girl, modelled in Europe, and worked at a collection agency.
In the early 1980s, Moore posed for a series of softcore photographs featuring full frontal nudity. These photos went unnoticed until after she became a star, and were eventually published in a German magazine and later in North America. Moore's film debut was in the 1982 3-D science fiction/horror film, Parasite, which was a hit on the drive-in circuit, ultimately grossing $6 million.
However, Moore was not widely known until she played the part of Jackie Templeton on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, from 1982 to 1983.
In the mid 1980s, she was mentioned as being a member of the Brat Pack and appeared in several youth-oriented films such as St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night
For a time during the 1990s, Moore was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. She had a string of box-office successes, including Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure and was the first actress to reach the $10 million salary mark. Among other films for which Moore was considered were Basic Instinct, Batman & Robin, Flashdance, Runaway Bride, and While You Were Sleeping. Moore's reputation suffered when the starring vehicles The Scarlet Letter, The Juror, Striptease, and G.I. Jane (a movie in which Moore shaved off all her long hair on camera, leaving her head totally bald) failed at the box office and garnered mixed reviews.

In August 1991, Moore appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine while seven months pregnant with her daughter Scout LaRue, with enormous attendant publicity. The image was endlessly parodied (including by Spy magazine, which placed her then-husband Bruce Willis's head on her body), but also spawned honest imitators as other pregnant celebrities posed nude. Moore again appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in August 1992, wearing only a body painted "suit".
After a break from her acting career, Moore returned to the screen as a former member of Charlie's Angels in the 2003 film .
In 2006 she appeared in Bobby which featured an all-star cast including her husband Ashton Kutcher although they did not appear in any scenes together.

Personal life

In August 1979, Moore began dating rock musician/songwriter Freddy Moore, whose last name she adopted; the two married in February 1980. The relationship lasted only 6 years (August 1979-August 1985). Moore began dating actor Emilio Estevez and began divorce proceedings in 1985, and the two were engaged until 1987. She also dated actor John Stamos during the time when the two worked together on General Hospital.
On November 21, 1987, Moore married actor Bruce Willis, after a highly publicized whirlwind romance (the two met in August of that year). The couple has three daughters, Rumer Glenn (born August 16, 1988), Scout LaRue (born July 20, 1991), and Tallulah Belle (born February 3, 1994). Willis and Moore announced their separation in June of 1998, and divorced in 2000.
Moore also became a staple of tabloids due to her romantic relationship with actor Ashton Kutcher, who is sixteen years her junior. Both would eventually spoof the public's fascination with their age difference during a sketch on the March 19, 2005 episode of Saturday Night Live. Kutcher, who served as guest host, brought Moore on stage while Moore was made up to appear like an old woman who constantly babied Kutcher. Moore and Kutcher were married on September 24, 2005 in a lavish, private ceremony conducted by a Kabbalah Centre rabbi and attended by about 100 close friends and family (Bruce Willis included).
Moore's primary residence is in Hailey, Idaho, near the famous Sun Valley resort, although she spends much time in the Los Angeles area with Kutcher. She is a practicing follower of the Rabbi Philip Berg's Kabbalah Centre religion, and initiated Kutcher into the faith. 

Kate Beckinsale

Birthname: Kate Beckinsale
Date of birth: 1973-07-26
Birthplace: London, England, UK
Height: 5' 8''
Nationality: British
Profession: Actress

Kate Beckinsale (born July 26, 1973 in London, England) is an English actress.

Biography

Early life

Beckinsale was born Kathryn Bailey Beckinsale in London to Judy Loe, a stage and television actress, and Richard Beckinsale, a well-known television actor who died in 1979 at the age of 31. She has a paternal half-sister, Samantha, who is also an actress. Beckinsale's paternal great-grandfather was Burmese, and Beckinsale claims that she was "very oriental-looking" as a child.
Beckinsale attended the private Godolphin and Latymer School, and in her teens twice won the W. H. Smith Young Writers' competition — once for three short stories and once for three poems. After a rebellious adolescence, including a period of anorexia and starting a smoking habit, she followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her acting career. Her first role was in One Against the Wind, a television film about World War II that was first aired in 1991. Having gained three language A levels, Beckinsale studied French and Russian literature at New College, Oxford University, though she did not finish her degree. She thought that having an academic background studying foreign language and literature would broaden her range of acting roles.

Career

During her first year at Oxford, Beckinsale was offered a part in Kenneth Branagh's big-screen film, Much Ado About Nothing, adapted from the Shakespeare play. She spent her last year of studies in Paris, after which she decided to quit the university and concentrate on her acting career. She subsequently appeared in a few low-profile films, including Shooting Fish and The Last Days of Disco (both in 1998). During this time, Beckinsale also appeared in television films and in stage roles, including the well-received Cold Comfort Farm, opposite British silver and small screen notables Rufus Sewell, Eileen Atkins, and Joanna Lumley.
Her first major American film, Brokedown Palace (1999), was not a commercial success. Soon after, Beckinsale was cast in the 2001 film, Pearl Harbor, which was one of the highest grossing films of its year. In the years following, she appeared in a series of American films that were high-profile, but were given a somewhat poor critical reception, including Serendipity (2001), Underworld (2003) and Van Helsing (2004). Notably, she appeared as Ava Gardner in The Aviator, a role for which she gained 20 pounds.
In 2006, Beckinsale was placed at #78 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World", after being #71 in 2005. She has also been placed at #16 in Maxim's "HOT 100" (2003), #63 in Stuff's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002), and was chosen by the English magazine Hello! as "England’s #1 Beauty", also in 2002.
In January 2006, Beckinsale reprised her role as a vampire in the movie , a sequel to her 2003 film, Underworld, again directed by her husband, Len Wiseman. The film opened at the #1 spot at the box office, grossing over $26 million in its first weekend of release. On January 24, 2006, Beckinsale was featured on the MTV series, Punk'd. The set-up for the segment took place at the Avalon Hotel in Los Angeles.
Beckinsale's most recent role was in the Adam Sandler starring comedy, Click, which opened on June 23, 2006. Her next film will be Snow Angels, which is currently in post-production and will be released in 2006. A September 2006 article in the Hollywood Reporter announced that Beckinsale has signed on to replace Sarah Jessica Parker in the film Vacancy.

Personal life

Beckinsale dated Welsh actor Michael Sheen for a long period of time, and the two have a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen (born 31 January 1999). Sheen co-starred with Beckinsale in Underworld, and had a flashback appearance in its sequel.
In June 2003, a few months after she had separated from Sheen, Beckinsale became engaged to the director of Underworld, Len Wiseman, and the two were married on 9 May 2004 in Bel-Air, California. 

Nicole Kidman

Birthname: Nicole Mary Kidman
Date of birth: 1967-06-20
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Height: 5' 15
Nationality: Australian
Profession: actress, producer 

Nicole Mary Kidman AC (born June 20, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning actress, and one of Hollywood's leading actresses. She has also ventured into singing. Kidman holds dual citizenship as both an Australian and an American.

Biography

Early life and education

Nicole Kidman was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Dr. Anthony David Kidman, who was involved with the labor movement and progressive causes, and Janelle Ann MacNeille, who edited her husband's books. Her mother is of Scottish descent and her father a descendant of an immigrant farmer. At the time she was born, her father was a cancer research specialist in Washington, D.C. The family returned to Australia when Kidman was four years old, when her father took on a lectureship at the University of Technology, Sydney.
Kidman has a younger sister, Antonia, born in 1970. Kidman's parents and sister both reside in Greenwich, a suburb on Sydney's North Shore. Kidman, a Catholic, attended Mary Mackillop Chapel in North Sydney with her sister.
Kidman started taking ballet lessons when she was four. This led to studies at Sydney's Australian Theatre for Young People, where she is now Patron, then at the Philip Street Theatre, where she majored in voice production and theatre history. Living in Longueville, New South Wales, she studied at North Sydney Girls High School, but dropped out when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; Kidman concentrated on her family responsibilities until her mother's recovery.

Early career

Her first appearance on film came in 1983 when, as a fifteen year-old, she appeared in the Pat Wilson music video for the song Bop Girl. By the end of the year she had secured a supporting role in the television series Five Mile Creek and four film roles, including BMX Bandits and Bush Christmas. During the 1980s she appeared in several Australian movies and TV series, notably including the soap opera A Country Practice, the mini-series Vietnam (1986), Emerald City (1988), and Bangkok Hilton (1989).
In 1989, she appeared in the thriller Dead Calm as Rae, the wife of naval officer John Ingram (Sam Neill), held captive on a Pacific Ocean yacht trip by the psychotic Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane). In 1990 she appeared opposite Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder, a stock car racing movie. After this, Kidman starred with Cruise in Ron Howard's Far and Away (1992). In 1995, Kidman featured in the ensemble cast of Batman Forever.

Critical success

in The Hours (2002).]]
Her second film in 1995, To Die For was a satirical comedy that earned her praise from critics. She won a Golden Globe Award, and five other best actress awards for her portrayal of the murderous newscaster Suzanne Stone Maretto. Kidman and Cruise portrayed a married couple in Eyes Wide Shut in 1999, Stanley Kubrick's final film.
In 2002, Kidman received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, in which she played the courtesan Satine opposite Ewan McGregor. The same year she had a well-received starring role in the horror film The Others. While in Australia filming Moulin Rouge!, Kidman injured her knee, so that Jodie Foster had to replace her in the film Panic Room.
The following year, Kidman won critical praise for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours, in which the prosthetics applied to her made her almost unrecognizable. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role, along with a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and numerous critics awards. In the same year she took a hand at film production for the film In the Cut. In 2003, Kidman starred in three very different films. Dogville, by Danish director Lars von Trier, an experimental film set on a bare soundstage. Secondly, she co-starred alongside Anthony Hopkins in the film adaptation of Philip Roth's novel The Human Stain. Many critics felt that both Kidman and Hopkins were miscast. Cold Mountain, a love story of two Southerners separated by the Civil War, was her final release that year, and garnered her a Golden Globe Award nomination.
In 2004, Kidman appeared in the critically panned remake of The Stepford Wives alongside Glenn Close, Faith Hill and Bette Midler. In September of the same year, Birth, in which the 37-year-old actress' character has an encounter with a 10-year-old boy (played by Cameron Bright) who attempts to convince her that he is a reincarnation of her dead husband, was met with a mixed reception primarily due to a scene where the boy strips and joins Kidman in the bathtub. Despite this, the film was nominated for the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and Kidman was nominated for another Golden Globe Award. Kidman's two movies in 2005 were The Interpreter, directed by Sydney Pollack, and Bewitched, co-starring Will Ferrell, based on the 1960s TV sitcom of the same name; the latter fared abysmally with critics and at the box office.
In conjunction with her success in the film industry, Kidman became the face of the Chanel No. 5 perfume brand. She starred in a campaign of television and print ads with Rodrigo Santoro, directed by Moulin Rouge! director Baz Luhrmann to promote the fragrance during the holiday season in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The three-minute commercial produced for Chanel No. 5 perfume made Kidman the record holder for the most money paid per minute to an actor after she reportedly earned $US3.71 million. During this time, Kidman was also listed as the 45th Most Powerful Celebrity on the 2005 Forbes Celebrity 100 List. She made a reported US$14.5 million in 2004-2005. On People magazine's list of 2005's highest paid actresses, Kidman was second behind Julia Roberts with a US$16 million to US$17 million per-film price tag.
Kidman has at least five movies in production over the next two years. She has completed filming the Diane Arbus bio-pic Fur, director Oliver Hirschbiegel's science fiction movie The Visiting and Noah Baumbach's as-yet-untitled comedy-drama. She has also provided her voice for the animated movie Happy Feet. She is currently working on the film adaptation of the first part of the His Dark Materials trilogy in which she plays the villainous Mrs. Coulter. She is also set to star in director Wong Kar-wai's next film, The Lady from Shanghai and Baz Luhrmann's yet-to-be titled Australian period film, which has been delayed due to schedule conflicts.

Singing

in the "Somethin' Stupid" music video]] Not known as a singer prior to Moulin Rouge!, Kidman had several well received vocal performances in the film. Her collaboration with Ewan McGregor on the song "Come What May" from the film's soundtrack debuted and peaked at 27 in the UK Singles Chart. Later she collaborated with Robbie Williams on the song "Somethin' Stupid", a cover of the old swing song on Williams' swing covers album Swing When You're Winning. It debuted and peaked at 8 in the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart, and at number 1 for three weeks in the UK. It was the UK Christmas number 1 Single for 2001.
In 2006, she provided her voice for the animated movie Happy Feet, along with her vocals for her character Norma Jean's 'heartsong', which was a slightly altered version of "Kiss" by Prince.

Personal life

Relationships

Kidman met Tom Cruise on the set of their 1990 movie, Days of Thunder. Cruise was married to actress Mimi Rogers at the time, and later divorced her. Kidman and Cruise were married on Christmas Eve 1990 in Telluride, Colorado. The couple adopted two children, daughter Isabella Jane (b. December 22, 1993) and son Connor Anthony (b. January 17, 1995), and lived in Los Angeles, Australia, Colorado, and New York City. Cruise left Kidman while she was three months pregnant, just before their 10th wedding anniversary. She subsequently had a miscarriage.. The marriage was dissolved in 2001. The reasons for the dissolution have never been made public.
The 2003 film Cold Mountain was plagued by rumors that an on-set affair between Kidman and co-star Jude Law was responsible for the breakup of his marriage. Both vehemently denied the allegations, and Kidman eventually won an undisclosed sum from the British tabloids that pushed the story. She donated the money to a Romanian orphanage in the town where the movie was filmed. Shortly after her Oscar win, there were rumours of a relationship between her and fellow Oscar winner Adrien Brody. There was no confirmation or denial. She met musician Lenny Kravitz in 2003 and dated him into 2004.
Kidman met country singer Keith Urban at a Hollywood event honouring Australians in January 2005. Kidman and Urban were married on Sunday June 25, 2006, at the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel in the grounds of St Patrick's Estate, Manly in Sydney.

Politics

Kidman took out an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times (August 17 2006) that condemned organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, and supported Israel's efforts in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The full-page advertisement was signed by 84 other Hollywood professionals and reads "We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die. We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs." Others who signed include actors Michael Douglas, Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Danny DeVito, Don Johnson, James Woods, Kelly Preston, Patricia Heaton and William Hurt; directors Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Richard Donner and Sam Raimi; as well as tennis player Serena Williams.
Kidman has made numerous donations to U.S. Democratic party candidates.

Charitable work

Kidman publicly supports a variety of charities and causes. She has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Australia since 1994. She has worked to help raise money for and draw attention to the plight of the most disadvantaged children in Australia and around the world. In 2004, she was honoured as a "Citizen of the World" by the United Nations.
On January 26, 2006 Kidman received Australia's highest civilian honour when she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, both for her service to performing arts and for her charitable work. She was also nominated goodwill ambassador for UNIFEM.
Kidman joined the 'Little Tee Campaign' for Breast Cancer Care to design T-shirts or vests to raise money for breast cancer. Kidman's mother, Janelle, is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 1984.

Trivia

• In January 2005, Kidman won interim restraining orders against two Sydney-based paparazzi photographers.
• Kidman is an avid supporter of the Sydney Swans Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and attends many live matches. Her favourite player is Barry Hall.
• Kidman's natural hair colour is light red.
• The song "BMX Bandits" by pop/rock group Wheatus is about her movie of the same name. The video features a cartoon drawing that resembles her.