Is there something about depressed, heavyset criminal protagonists that makes for great TV? When it was released in 1980, Berlin Alexanderplatz, starring the bearlike Günter Lamprecht as a small-time operator in Berlin's prewar underworld, received the sort of accolades that would later greet The Sopranos. Starting Sunday, you can relive Rainer Werner Fassbinder's (left) cult classic in all its brooding glory at P.S. 1 in Long Island City, New York, where the series is being shown in the original 14-episode format. Don't fancy spending 15 1/2 hours in a museum in Queens? The Criterion DVD drops Nov. 13—which gives you time to pick out one of the suitably big screens from our flat-panel TV hotlist.
Fassbinder: Berlin Alexanderplatz, Oct. 21, 2007-January 7, 2008, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, 22-25 Jackson Ave., NYC, (718) 784-2084, ps1.org

The puffy vest with a suit look has been around for a while, but trust Junya Watanabe to take it to the next level. For the man who enjoys a martini in a blizzard, the always enterprising designer has come up with the down blazer pictured here. It's part of his excellent new collaboration with Moncler, which is hitting Comme des Garçons stores and Dover Street Market London and Tokyo in the next few weeks.
[LINK: HighSnobiety]

As part of the ongoing celebration of Costume National's 21st anniversary, designer Ennio Capasa has gone and tricked out a limited-edition Alfa 147. Well, "tricked out" may not be the right term, given that the car is pretty minimalist throughout, with a restrained leather interior and an elegant, monochrome exterior. Not to mention the fact that it's, well, a two-door hatchback. Why a hatchback? Beats us, though, given Capasa chose to celebrate the label's 21st anniversary as opposed to its 20th, we probably shouldn't be surprised at the choice of model.
1,000 available, shipping worldwide, $33,570, costumenational.com, alfaromeo.com

For two decades, Canada Goose has been the parka of choice for researchers at Antarctica's McMurdo Station. (We suppose that gives them cred....) Naturally, they were due for a collaboration, and Earnest Sewn was happy to oblige. The two are called the Expedition (above) and Chilliwack, and only 300 of each will be available. They combine C-Goose's tech with Earnest Sewn style: think duck-down insulation, nylon lining, and a removable down-filled insulator, all encased in a British Millerain Antique exterior—basically, a type of waxed cotton designed to look better as it ages—with a silver-fox-fur ruff on the hood. Cold-climate research grant optional.
Earnest Sewn x Canada Goose Expedition Parka, $995; Chilliwack Parka, $695; Earnest Sewn, 90 Orchard St., New York, (212) 979-5120, earnestsewn.com

More news trickling in from the lead-up to next week's Tokyo Motor Show: Audi's A1 Metroproject concept comes equipped with its own cell phone, and it actually looks production-ready. (It's also, inevitably, being called an iPhone clone.) In any case, the touch-screen-equipped gizmo sits in a special in-dash holder—no, you're not supposed to fiddle with it while driving—and includes GPS, Wi-Fi, a camera, and an MP3 player. Of course, it also interacts with the car—unlocking the door, remotely turning on the heating system, and storing pictures taken by your onboard camera. (Somewhere, an Audi owner is starting a photoblog.)

The news coincides with reports that Audi's stealthy RS4 (i.e., a 4-series with a 420hp V8 engine shoehorned under the hood) is ending production in November. Nothing's been announced (yet) to replace it.
[LINK: MotorAuthority.com]

Pop surrealist Kenny Scharf has one major advantage over his contemporaries Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat: He's alive. And he's still doing good work, as evidenced by his first major solo show since 2005. NEW!, which opened yesterday at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in Chelsea, features nearly 20 works he painted this year, including this life-sized oil-on-linen study of a chocolate-frosted donut floating in space. Why donuts? "They're bad for you, and they're empty, but I love the way they look visually," says Scharf. "I'm just attracted to things that are terrible but which look really enticing on the surface."

Kenny Scharf NEW!, through Nov. 24, Paul Kasmin Gallery, 293 10th Ave., NYC, (212) 563-4474, paulkasmingallery.com

When Seattle transplant J Han opened Tati's Bicycles in Chicago's Hyde Park earlier this year, he envisioned the tiny shop as a place to "hold real conversations and fix flats for little old ladies." No such luck. When word spread that Han had studied under a master frame-builder in Japan, he soon found himself swamped with orders for custom bikes (like the one above)—and his waiting list swelled to over a year. Han has since brought that under control, but he hasn't scaled back his ambition: "It's about matching the tan sidewalls to the mustard powder of the frame's final coat," he says. The bike he's describing (above) is his own—which, tragically, was stolen from his storefront last week. Want one like it? Just be prepared to do some persuading (or get a fake ID): To keep up with demand, for now Tati is maintaining a locals-only policy.
Tati Bicycles, from $300, 5503 S. Hyde Park, (773) 684-9011, taticycles.com.
MORE: Check out our city bike Hotlist

Regrettably, the overt combination of fashion and charity usually results in mediocre manifestations of both. Not so with the Fashion for the Environment Charity Auction, which was organized by Club 21 (the Singapore-based luxury retailer, not the restaurant) and features a range of one-of-a-kind fashion pieces you may want to own. Frankly, the ladies get the best options—hey, holiday season's coming up—but this one-of-a-kind shirt-and-tie ensemble from Paul Smith (left) might be worth a (tax-deductible) bid. Sir Paul is saving his best for later: At a live Club 21 auction next month at Christie's, the designer's offering to make the winning bidder a bespoke suit, including a 30-minute personal appointment in London. Carbon offset for the trip not included.

Looks like Nigo mentor Hiroshi Fujiwara's take on the Chuck Taylor was a success. Made for Converse's 100th anniversary, the shoes are almost sold out at Barneys Co-Op—as of Thursday afternoon, all they had were 12s and 13s—and they're already going for around $500 a pair on Craigslist Hong Kong. Not that we're surprised, given the stealthy black toecap and grommets, subtle Fujiwara logo, and list price of $72. [LINK: Eukicks.com]

"From limo to lounge in under 10 minutes"—sort of obnoxious, yes, but not unappealing, especially when you're faced with the prospect of traversing London's ever-aggravating Heathrow Airport. Opening in a couple of weeks, Virgin Atlantic's new Upper Class Wing in Terminal 3 will speed things along with dedicated check-in and security checkpoints. While you're zooming past the plebes, don't forget to take look around—the sleek new space was designed with help from Foster + Partners.
Opens Nov. 2.
[LINK: v-flyer.com]

A Gagosian outpost in oligarch-crazed Moscow? Depending on your perspective, it's either the final nail in the coffin of the art boom, or—well that's pretty much the only reasonable conclusion available. In any case, starting tomorrow, the New York gallerist is setting up camp for ten days at the Barvikha Luxury Village, a massive shopping complex 40 minutes outside the city that's already home to a slew of plutocrat-friendly retailers, from Prada and Gucci to Lamborghini. Apparently a test run for a permanent gallery, the space—it's called Insight?—will feature 40 works from Larry Gagosian's roster of living legends, including Cy Twombly, Richard Serra, Jeff Koons (above), Takashi Murakami, and, of course, Damien Hirst. In terms of dead guys, he's also showing Picasso, Rothko, Gorky, and Warhol.
Open through Oct. 28 at Barvikha Luxury Village, Rublevo-Uspenskoe Highway, Property 114, No. 4, Moscow  44-20-7841-9960, gagosian.com

Fancy mechanical watches don't come with an alarm, so you'll have to find another way to get to Sotheby's in time for tomorrow's Important Watches auction. Or you could just bid in your pajamas—most of the 186 vintage timepieces will be available online. The chronographs available range from the ruggedly handsome (several well-maintained Rolexes from the fifties, including the "Jean Claude Killy," left, which was named after a French Olympic skiing champion) to the kitsch (a ruby-encrusted Patek Philippe with a portrait of Saudi Arabia's first king on the dial). Also available: Patek's first-ever waterproof model, from 1949, which is expected to go for a cool $300,000. Too pricey? View them all for free today at Sotheby's till 5 p.m. Or just buy the catalog. It's shot in such extreme close-up that you can see the dirt under the glass on some of the watches, which might make you feel better about not being able to afford one.
Sotheby's Important Watch Auction, Friday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m., Sotheby's, 1334 York Ave., New York, NY 10021. Catalog $55 from sothebys.com

It would seem so, based on the fact that a friend of a friend was recently hired as the venue's events coordinator. And the fact that such positions generally aren't filled unless there are events to coordinate. Evidently, a hard open date isn't yet set, but a manager at the hotel confirms they're "working on it." Whether or not that means all you aspiring doormen should be polishing your résumés we can't say, but we promise to keep you posted.

In other Giuliani-era hotel hot spot news, John McDonald talks to the New York Observer about reopening 44 in the Royalton.

Nissan's long-awaited GT-R won't be officially unveiled until next week's Tokyo Motor Show, but details (and this December's Motor Trend cover shot) are already starting to leak out. (Per AutoBlog, credit for the leak goes to an overeager Mazda press rep, who released the image to promote CX-9, which is also touted on the cover as SUV of the year.) (And which, by the way, is a very solid ride.) Highlights of the GT-R: a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6 cranking out 473 hp, zero to 60 times of 3.5 seconds, and a top price of less than $80,000. Unfortunately, no word yet on when it'll be available stateside, but we have a few other options to tide you over.

More info at motorauthority.com

Ian Fieggen has run Ian's Shoelace Site since 2003. Now, the Australian has a book: Laces: 100s of Ways to Pimp Your Kicks. Shoelace purists—and you know who you are—will be pleased to know that all the flyest methods, from the Double Helix to the Checkerboard to the Spider Web, left, (plus 100s more), are included, with illustrations. So how'd all this get started? "One morning back in 1982, I broke a shoelace," says Fieggen, who was 19 at the time. "The scientific part of me just had to delve further." The quest has led to a current favorite, the Over Under. Because they "don't rub together or rub past the shoe's edges, the laces last longer," Fieggen explains. Sounds like practical advice.

$14.95, available next week from Amazon.com.

In what may be the subtlest anti-Iraq War fashion statement ever, Clarks has gone and produced a desert boot made from (apparently) IED-resistant ballistic nylon. On sale now at C. Point. [link: HypeBeast]

The Nike + iPod system's drawbacks have always been obvious: It's a little clumsy to operate, and it involves exercise. Not much can be done about the latter, but the former's starting to inspire some creative problem-solving. On the heels of the recently released Timex iControl comes Nike's own version, dubbed the Amp+. Some might say it looks like something Tracy Morgan might be sentenced to wear on his wrist in the year 2025, but the thing does have a few equally forward-thinking features. To wit: a cool-looking red diode readout and a very cool nublike button on the left edge—tap it once to send your latest workout data through your headphones (you can even pick a male or female voice), or, when the going gets really tough, hold it down to cue up the one track you've preselected to help get you over the hump. Nike calls this your "PowerSong," though you can just call it "Panama."
Nike Amp+ Sport Remote Control, available in four color schemes, $79, nike.com

Our long national nightmare is finally over: The LG Prada phone is coming to the U.S. Sorry, just kidding, but the company's new Voyager model is the next best thing, with a similarly sleek form factor and an equally elegant touchscreen, a first for an American LG. (So is it the exact same screen as found on the Prada phone? LG's U.S. reps wouldn't say; we'll take that as a "probably.") While the Voyager is heavier than its Italian cousin—4.7 ounces versus three—you get something useful for that extra heft: a foldout keyboard for texting and e-mailing the old-fashioned (and, yes, superior) way. (The Voyager's actually a sequel to LG's popular enV phone, which offered a similar approach, sans touchscreen.) What's under the hood isn't bad either, including Verizon's full suite of speedy V Cast options, a respectable 2.0 megapixel camera, and the VZ Navigator GPS service, which, as with certain other things, gives you a little vibration when you've reached the right spot.

LG VX10000, available in November; price has not yet been set, but expect to pay significantly less than the $500 it costs to import the LG Prada; verizonwireless.com, us.lge.com.