Photograph courtesy of powerHouse Books
Photographer Danielle Levitt, a Details contributor, is publishing her first monograph, We Are Experienced, which documents American youth from the cities to the sticks. Levitt's beautifully composed shots of marching-band geeks, football stars, and other high-school archetypes will leave you feeling nostalgic—and thankful you're no longer 18. Katie Hintz
Panic!: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity, edited by Michael Lewis [W.W. Norton & Company, $28]
In this enlightening (and frightening) anthology, the Moneyball and Liar's Poker author collects the best reporting and analysis of every Wall Street crisis of the past 20 years. As a source of aid in these troubled times, the book's only competition is a bottle of Scotch. Timothy Hodler
American Buffalo by Steven Rinella [Spiegel & Grau, $25]
In 2005, Rinella became one of 24 people allowed to hunt wild bison that year and was one of only four to register a kill. The wry result is part hunting memoir, part trivia-soaked history of the buffalo—as if pulled straight from the brainpans of Steve Irwin and Ken Jennings. Timothy Hodler
Ween at the Cat's Cradle, 1992 [MVD]
Our rating: 4 out of a possible 5
Before Dean and Gene Ween became darlings of the jam-band crowd, they toured as a twosome backed only by a dat machine. This recording of an early show at a tiny Chapel Hill, North Carolina, venue captures the jokester "brothers" in all their ragged glory, as they share nutso lyrics, epic guitar licks, and witty repartee with the crowd. Matt Hendrickson
Photograph by Brad Bridgers
For this holiday season, Bloomingdale's asked several brands, including Marc by Marc Jacobs, Hickey, and John Varvatos, to create exclusive pieces inspired by the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show LOVE. Album covers and archival images make their way onto suits, ties, and T-shirts, all sold in a special space. Katie Hintz
Photograph by Denis Rouvre/Corbis Outline
After a decade making movies to woo film-festival-goers (Gerry, Elephant, Last Days) Gus Van Sant is returning to the mainstream. Sort of. His latest, Milk, starring Sean Penn, is a biopic about San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office, in 1977. Here, Van Sant discusses the challenges of bringing a gay icon's life to the big screen. David Walters
Q: Is it true that Milk's friend Cleve Jones, who's played by Emile Hirsch in the film, brought you this script?
A: I stayed in Cleve's house in 1993 when I was working on the screenplay for The Mayor of Castro Street, a different Milk film. Four years ago, he called and said two guys were making a musical about him. One of them was Dustin Lance Black. Three years later, Cleve called again and said he wanted to fly up to see me in Portland, Oregon, because Black had written another script—a drama about Harvey Milk.
Q: Oliver Stone's W was released before the election, to spur debate. Did you think about doing the same thing?
A: The one issue the film could speak to is Proposition 8 in California, the repeal of gay marriage—which is a tragedy. And we're going to screen it before the election to have a part in that. But because it's a political film, if it had opened before the election, the end of its life could have been November 4. It could have become a film you were supposed to see during the election, and after it was over, it's "Oh, that's the election film, right?"
Q: Because you're a gay man yourself, was there added pressure in making this film?
A: There was a little less pressure as a gay man. But it's always hard to make a film that's set in a social milieu. Like Paranoid Park: We were in the skateboarding world, and that's difficult. It has its fast-and-hard skate-or-die politics, and so does the gay community. I think there's a very wary contingent of the gay population that's like, "Don't fuck this up or we'll fuck you up," but there's also a very forgiving side that's like, "Finally, we get our Harvey movie." We ended up showing pretty much only the political aspects of the story, not the Queer as Folk stuff—the street cruising and bathhouse life.
Q: James Franco talked to Jimmy Kimmel about wearing a prosthetic penis, and Sean Penn said he texted Madonna to tell her about his first same-sex kiss. Does that kind of thing distract from the seriousness of the film?
A: He texted Madonna? [laughs] It doesn't bother me. I view things in the "What would Harvey think?" way, and I think he'd love that.
The trailer for Milk
Photograph courtesy of Retna Ltd.
The Velvet Underground. Blondie. The Ramones. The music of New York gets its due tomorrow when the Cleveland-based Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opens its first annex, in SoHo. In addition to memorabilia like Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevy and John Lennon's Record Plant piano, the annex features an interactive map that guides you to Manhattan music landmarks like Studio 54, the Chelsea Hotel, and the former CBGB. Katie Hintz
Photograph courtesy of Autocom
Over the years, we've let go of most of our boyhood dreams: jet packs, hover boards, threesomes. But thanks to U.K.-based Gibbs Technologies Ltd., the amphibious car is one we can hold on to. On land, the company's Aquada looks like an Italian roadster and reaches speeds in excess of 100 mph. Pull up to the water's edge, though, and depth sensors trigger retraction of the vehicle's wheels. Within 12 seconds you're skimming over the surface at up to 35 mph, courtesy of a massive water jet. The Aquada will sell for around $85,000 when it hits the market in 2009 or 2010, and it's durable enough to handle salt water and powerful enough to tow a water-skier. Just cut him loose before hitting the highway. Ian Daly
Photograph by Nikolas Koenig
In November the Mondrian Hotel opens its latest outpost, in Miami. Designed by Marcel Wanders, the luxurious retreat is smack in the middle of South Beach and offers direct access to Biscayne Bay. Katie Hintz
Photograph courtesy of David Yurman
Jewelry designer David Yurman is bringing his signature aesthetic—with its rope details and bold lines—to eyewear. His first collection of sunglasses and prescription frames makes use of luxe materials like black onyx, titanium, buffalo horn, and olive quartz. Katie Hintz
Courtesy of Hip Hop Association
Got a minute? Music and fashion icon Russell Simmons discusses his New York fashion challenge, Obama mania, and being a hip-hop pioneer.
Q: You're hosting a fashion entrepreneur contest as a part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, and the winner will be announced this Friday. What motivated you to get involved?
A: I am really interested in encouraging entrepreneurs. The cultivation of creativity is something that is overlooked in America. We cannot survive in the world today without a new shot at this.
Q: This seems to be in sync with your other work, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, being a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador, blogging for the Huffington Post. How did you get bitten by the social-justice bug?
A: People needed it. And its easy because you know you have the resources. As you get it you give it. If you hold onto it you get sick.
Q: What do you hope to give?
A: I want young people not to feel like "Wait until I get there." They ain't never going to reach their creative goals that way. Kind of a depressing thought but kind of a happy thought if you see it.
Q: How does it feel to be called the "CEO of hip-hop"?
A: It doesn't feel like much. I am not a good celebrator, and I am not into celebratory titles. When Obama won I said, "That's nice."
Q: Really? That was it?
A: I left. It was fun to watch the results. I kind of expected it so maybe that's the reason. I don't celebrate.
Q: Where were you?
A: I don't know. I was at a big event but I left. Everybody was going crazy.
Q: And that's a problem?
A: I mean, now we have all these issues. Work is fun. The results are not always so much fun.
Q: How so?
A: I've been reading my scripture too much and I really believe a lot of it. Now we've got a lot of work to do ... and I sleep better when I do the work. Not when I get some result or a pat on the back, but when I do the work. Vanessa Rothschild
No matter how long the flight, you can always avoid looking like you stowed away in the cargo hold. Here, the clothes that will let you stretch your legs without shortchanging your style when you're 30,000 feet in the air. Courtney Colavita
1. Washed-Cotton Shirt
The last thing you need while sleeping in-flight is a stiff collar scratching your neck. A rumpled cotton button-down helps you maintain some decorum even when you're slumping in your seat.
2. Cardigan
A cashmere cardigan keeps you just as insulated from the airplane's AC as a complimentary Scotch or two, but without the dehydration. And unlike a pullover, it's easy to put on or take off.
3. Soft Structured Jacket
A deconstructed gray jacket makes an ideal outer layer for traveling. Stow it once you're in the air, then slip it on as soon as you exit the plane for a minimum-hassle, put-together look.
4. Dark Denim
When there won't be time for a postflight change of clothes, choose a pair of dark jeans that will weather wrinkles, allowing you to move seamlessly from seat 2C to your breakfast meeting.
Photographs by Brad Bridgers
Start your trip off right by packing only the essentials. Courtney Colavita
THE LIST
What you need to wear during a business trip should be your least worry. For a two-night jaunt, load your suitcase with the following: one gray suit, one pair of jeans, two button-down shirts (black and striped), two V-neck sweaters, a pair of oxfords, two ties, one belt, three pairs of underwear, and three pairs of socks. Workout clothes, while not a must, do make it more likely that you'll hit the hotel gym instead of the minibar.
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
Maximize space by stuffing your socks in your shoes and your belt in your shoe bag. When packing shirts and jackets, tissue paper can be used to reduce wrinkling. Lay a shirt on a flat surface and place one sheet on top of it. Fold the shirt's arms and hem around the paper so that it becomes an interior layer. And if you travel with more than one tie, invest in a tie case.
Photograph by Brad Bridgers
Waiting until the last minute to do your packing is a surefire way to forget something important. Here, a fail-safe guide to organizing your suitcase so that nothing gets left behind.
THE TRICK
Advance preparation is the best way to avoid mistakes when you're traveling. Tom Kalenderian, men's fashion director at Barneys New York, keeps a stocked Dopp kit—with Guerlain's Vetiver fragrance and an electric razor—in his suitcase at all times. Follow his lead and you'll never find yourself without a toothbrush at 2 A.M. in Shanghai. Note: If you plan to carry on your grooming products, invest in a set of TSA-approved clear containers.
THE EXECUTION
With nearly every airline imposing a baggage fee, packing well isn't just a space-efficient way to travel—it's an economical one. There are differing rules when it comes to organizing your clothes: Roll and stack (best for backpacking) or fold and layer (business-appropriate). Approach packing like a game of Tetris: The point is to fit everything into the right space. First, place the heavy stuff (shoes and your Dopp kit) on the bottom, in your suitcase's ridges. Level off any valleys with rolled underwear. Reduce bulk by alternating the direction in which you place your clothes so that, for instance, the waist of one pair of pants sits on the hem of another. And if possible, store your suit in your luggage's built-in garment bag.
Photograph by Ishika Mohan/Courtesy of fox
British director Danny Boyle, best known for the gritty heroin opus Trainspotting, has accomplished the impossible: He's brought genuine drama to the kitschy roving lights and final answers of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. His latest film, Slumdog Millionaire, tells the story of Jamal, an Indian teenager whose hopes for escaping poverty and getting the girl hinge on winning the Hindi version of your grandma's favorite game show. Amid accusations of cheating, Jamal is forced to explain how he became so knowledgeable during his early life, part of which was spent with a Fagin-like caretaker who blinded orphans to make them more profitable beggars. The film's complexity belies the sparkle of its Regis-y backdrop—right up until the Bollywood song-and-dance number during the closing credits. David Walters
The trailer for Slumdog Millionaire
The BMW 335d. Photograph courtesy of BMW
SUVs like the Audi Q7 aren't the only beneficiaries in this era of diesel love. Here are three sedans that harness the technology to maximize your highway gas mileage. Not surprisingly, all three come from Germany—where the alterna-engine was born 115 years ago. Ian Daly
1. THE PRIUS KILLER
Volkswagen Jetta TDI
$21,990
44 highway mpg
2. THE GENTLEMAN'S DIESEL
Mercedes E320 BlueTEC
$53,775
32 highway mpg
3. THE TWIN TURBO WITH A CONSCIENCE
BMW 335d
$45,000 (estimated)
33 highway mpg
