Patagonia's still more likely to be frequented by backpackers than the upscale hotel crowd, but if accommodations like the recently opened Arrebol Patagonia Hotel keep cropping up, that will change. (Luxurious digs have a way of making even the most far-flung locales seem accessible.) Located in Puerto Varas on Lake Llanquihue, the hotel was designed to interact with its surroundings (the building's facade is made of wood native to the area). As interest in South American tourism ramps up, we're left with only one question: Where will liberal arts grads go to find themselves now?
Camino Ensenada KM2 Ruta 225, Puerto Varas, Region de los Lagos, Chile, +56-65-564924, arrebolpatagonia.com

[Arch Daily via Designboom]

In case you didn't already know, the London Festival of Architecture opens today—an exhaustive series of design-related talks and exhibitions ongoing in the British capital. Speakers include Daniel Libeskind and the festival's president, noted author Peter Ackroyd; he's curated dozens of temporary installations, like the one pictured here. Fresh Flower by Tonkin Liu is a steel pavilion that features an LED-lit rotating stage and will host some of the festival's workshops and discussions—not, as you might have assumed, performances by Widespread Panic.
Through July 20 at various locations, lfa2008.org

Out now: Hedi Slimane's Rock Diary, a collection of the designer's photographs, published in conjunction with his exhibition at Spain's MUSAC. The three-volume set includes a tome of Slimane's snaps from the Spanish Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, one of his shots of British and American rock shows, and one of critical appraisals of his work from The New Yorker art critic Vince Aletti and punk-rock historian Jon Savage. Slimane's got an eagle eye for aesthetically pleasing concertgoers, but what we most like is his ability to draw a rare warmth and vulnerability from the likes of Pete Doherty (pictured), who looks more human through Hedi's lens than you'd otherwise expect.
$95, available at Colette, 213 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France, colette.fr

As you can see from the Sartorialist's blog, many of the world's most fashionable men descended on Pitti this week. But that doesn't mean some guys weren't dressing well even beyond Italy's borders. Here, our ten favorite looks from the past week in style—including Perry Farrell's rock-'n'-roll twist on granddad chic.

Click here for the slideshow >

Leave it to the French: Parisian firm 5.5 Designers is offering a "cloning program," wherein furniture and other home objects are designed according to physical data like hair samples and eye colors. (Makes DNA 11's canvases almost seem quaint.) Creepy or practical? A bit of both—the blown-glass eyeball lamps (pictured) are a bit unsettling (to say nothing of the body-hair rug—seriously), but a comb that's based around your hair quantity and style? Useful, and dare we say borderline bespoke.

[Moco Loco]

When it was announced that Belgian avant-gardist Walter Van Beirendonck would be showing at the ultratraditional Pitti Uomo, more than a few eyebrows were raised. Van Beirendonck, one of the so-called "Antwerp Six" (Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Ann Demeulemeester also among them), tends toward the iconoclastic, and his clothes aim to shock and amuse. Well, consider his mission accomplished—even if Explicit was his most restrained collection to date. ("Restrained" being a relative term—the designer's previous collection was entitled Sexclown.) Models wore full-body leotards, some emblazoned with skeletons, some with fleshy muscles and, ahem, appendages. Others came down the runway in T-shirts with cartoonish prints and superhero-inspired tops. But all sported beards meant to look like twigs and leaves (garden-gone-to-seed versions of Van Beirendonck's own). That may have been the provocateur's most wearable look: faux facial hair fit for a wood nymph. Unfortunately for green-minded customers, we don't suppose they'll be for sale.

Ex-Phantom Planet drummer (and actor) Jason Schwartzman is among the latest to join in KCRW's Guest DJ series. As you'd guess, his selections are terrific, running the gamut from Paul McCartney deep cuts ("Ram On") to Harry Nilsson's "Me and My Arrow"—the actor even named his dog after the latter's title character. (Too cute by half? Nah.) And while Padma Lakshmi's appeal remains mostly visual—seriously—it's still fun to hear her describe how Marvin Gaye helps her "open up like a flower." (We should all be so fortunate.) Listen to these, and selections from Danny DeVito, Neil LaBute, and Peter Berg, here.

For the first time, designer (and auto heir) Lapo Elkann produced a full collection under his Italia Independent label. As you'd expect, the clothes are, in a word, vivid: extra-wide-lapel suits that come in a variety of colors (think Froot Loops); blazers made of jersey knit with raw edges and screen-printed pinstripes; and layered hooded sweatshirts with clear exteriors and plaid interiors. He's most successful at items that veer toward his personal style (seen in a relatively understated tux jacket, and his cashmere and Gore-Tex puffer vests), but I'm seriously considering a pair of his green trousers for next year. Nothing says spring quite like lime.

It was the finger sandwiches, fondant fancies, and bone china that clinched it: Against my better judgment—surely only diapered types, from blue-hairs to babies, need bother with between-meal snacks—I succumbed to afternoon tea on the terrace of the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. A century-old pile of buildings in the center of town, the hotel is justly famed for that afternoon tea, set in its enormous, Raj-shaming garden. Big, pink, and unabashedly colonial, the Mount Nelson was recently renovated, and the vibe is Great Gatsby-meets-Out of Africa with a dash of Malawi-era Madonna: surreal, genteel, and not-quite English.

There's the same level of comfort at Duke's Hotel in London, which was also just redone. It has a Bond-endorsed heritage—Ian Fleming's shaken-not-stirred preference was a product of martini-sipping there—and the bar is reassuringly staffed with slick-haired, fortysomething bartenders decked out in Connery-era double-breasted cream tuxes. They'll whip up the hotel's signature rose martini on a tableside tray (although the drink's $32 price tag is gulp-inducing for all the wrong reasons).

Both hotels reminded me how much more white-gloved service, not white-walled minimalism, matters now. Give me a dash of history and some classical music over ripped-from-IKEA ready-mades and generic house beats every time. (A desk clerk in Miami once explained away a chilly shower by saying to me, with an unapologetic shrug, "Well, we are a boutique hotel, sir.") Those hotels are more like art spaces staffed by glassy-eyed gallerinas rather than welcoming homes-away-from-home—refuges for the big-wallet, small-imagination set.

Borsalino, one of the world's finest hatmakers, has been in the business of covering heads since 1857. Three years ago they started covering backs as well, and now this September, the company's clothing will be coming to the U.S. for the first time, carried nationwide by Saks. The collection shown here, called Blue Color, worked with variations on the shade, and included a tux with a double lapel (one black, one midnight blue), a pale blue sharkskin-like suit with wide-peak lapels, and a navy desert jacket with detachable fur lining. The company's fare was striking, as was its hat display (pictured)—bonus points for originality.

Olafur Eliasson's New York Waterfalls, for which he's built four man-made falls in the rivers around Manhattan, debuts next week. Naturally, a handful of companies are offering travel packages for the project. We've listed five of the most interesting below—all of which top the 20 bucks we paid that homeless guy to show us around The Gates.

Who: Classic Harbor Lines
What: A 90-minute tour on its 80-foot wooden schooner
Cost: $40 per person
Bonus: Free Champagne; a 50-passenger limit

Who: Ritz-Carlton Battery Park
What: A room that faces the water and a pair of tickets for the Classic Harbor Lines cruise (above)
Cost: From $480 per couple for one night
Bonus: A telescope in the room; free breakfast

Who: Circle Line Downtown
What: A 30-minute boat tour of all four waterfalls, plus Governors Island
Cost: Free
Amenities: See cost

Who: Circle Line New York (yes, it's different from Circle Line Downtown)
What: A 150-minute harbor cruise, followed by a night in the Presidential Suite at the Westin Times Square
Cost: $10,000
Bonus:Includes dinner at Le Bernardin

Who: Circle Line New York (souped-up version)
What: All the above, plus Champagne by Dom Perignon and Karl Lagerfeld (his 1998 vintage), a box of chocolate truffles, a pair of Tiffany Jazz drop diamond earrings, a six-course meal catered by Daniel Boulud, and a night in the NYC Presidential Suite of your choice
Cost: $40,000
Bonus: Decent views of Waterfalls

Five things worth knowing today

- It's International Surfing Day.
- Boneyards, a collaboration between Stüssy and Neighborhood, kicks off with a party celebrating its new Nike Blazer shoe in L.A.
- POPPED! Fest brings the hipsters to Philadelphia to hear the Pitchfork-iest sorts of indie rock.
- Today in 1963, the "red phone" is established between the U.S. and the Soviet Union following the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- And today in 1951, voice actress Tress MacNeille was born. We love the multitude of characters she plays on The Simpsons, Futurama, Animaniacs, and The (dearly departed) Critic, but perhaps none so much as Homer's beloved Plopper (below):

A match made in rich-guy heaven: Veuve Clicquot and Riva Yachts. The Champagne maker has teamed up with the luxury yacht firm to create what amounts to a five-digit cooler (pictured): a cooler, that is, packed with four bottles and two magnums of rare La Grande Dame Champagne, stemware, table settings, and the comfort of knowing you've got $80,000 to spend on such lavishments. Those on a slightly tighter budget can opt for the Cruiser Bag, which comes with a single bottle of the Dame and two flutes for a recession-friendly (well, friendlier) $425. Can opt, we say, because if you're already familiar with Riva—whose yachts range into seven-figure territory—we're guessing you've got a few bucks to spend on your tipple (and a thick-enough skin to deflect any qualms of conscience an $80k cooler is apt to raise).

In his first collection as creative director for Dunhill, Kim Jones focused on accessories, adding Art Deco-style details to the carryall (pictured) and infusing everyday staples with a technological bent. (To wit: a laptop case made from stingray that comes with a shock-absorbing gel insert.) The brand's clothing doesn't fully reflect Jones' creative vision yet—he'll unveil his first full collection next season in Paris—but judging from what he's done so far, that's going to be a presentation worth waiting for. See more after the jump.

This week, the British Advertising Standards Authority ruled that "bespoke" is not a legally protected term. So now, according to the law, your candy is just as "bespoke" as your Savile Row suit. Don't believe us? See our list of the term's egregious uses, below:

-Bespoke Capital: Tailor-made investments
-Bespoke CCTV: Made-to-measure surveillance
-Bespoke chocolate (both here and here): Melts in your mouth, not on your suit?
-Bespoke dog kennels: Only the best for your pup
-Bespoke Bathrooms: Customized crappers included

File under inevitable: Menswear notable (and soccer fan) Brunello Cucinelli has started making striking lightweight cotton suits (pictured). Details are sketchy—pricing is TBA—but we can report they'll be available in six colors when they make their way stateside, just in time for next summer. One thing's for certain: They fit beautifully.

I've never really considered myself part of the Toyota Prius target demo. For one thing, I love cars, and I love driving them. For another, I totally hate the environment. Just kidding on that one, kids, but no one's ever going to mistake the Prius for a driver's car. If you ask me, with its proudly homely shape, the Toyota has always been as much about ego consciousness as eco consciousness. (Plenty of other models are ego-inflators of a different sort, but at least some of those actually go really, really fast.) But after spending a weekend tooling around San Diego in a Lexus GS 450h, I've a newfound appreciation for this whole hybrid thing. Sure, the Lexus' mileage was admirable, and that nifty little lowercase "h" on the trunk lid did wonders for my self-esteem, but what really hooked me was the raw, on-demand torque.

The Prius earns its eco cred by pairing an anemic 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor that adds the equivalent of an additional 67 hp. The result: EPA mileage ratings of 48 city and 45 highway. The GS 450h, on the other hand, adds an electric boost to an already robust 292-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. The result: 340 total horsepower and zero-to-60 times of just 5.2 seconds. What's more, because the boost is supplied by an electric motor, the extra surge of torque arrives instantaneously, with no waiting for the engine to spool up into the peak rev band. This is a car designed to bring a smile to your face not at the pump but in the long, windy stretches of road in between fill-ups. And 25 miles per gallon ain't bad, either.
$55,800, lexus.com

A mere four months after it was announced, Carl Icahn's blog is going live today. (What'll happen to the New York Post's countdown timer?) Or so the notorious corporate raider says—at the moment, the site (icahnreport.com) is giving users a 401 error. To which we say: :(

UPDATE: It's working now. Evidently, corporate democracy is a myth. (Who knew?)

[Reuters]

A year ago, streetwear experts Staple Design teamed up with Lomography on a project that finally sees completion tonight. They asked Lomo enthusiasts around the world to send in their favorite pictures taken with the German 35-mm film, each filtered according to the chakras. Kind of New Agey in theory, but undeniably cool in practice, as evidenced by the resulting gallery show, opening tonight in NYC. Can't make it? You can also pick up a book, Colorsplash Chakras, which comes with a special-edition camera—after all, you don't want to miss out on the next go-around.
Reed Space, 151 Orchard St., New York, NY, (212) 253-0588, thereedspace.com

The upcoming Olympiad will bring tourists by the millions into the Chinese capital, and they're gonna come hungry. In deference to foreigners' delicate sensibilities, Beijing bureaucrats have offered restaurants official (and sanitized) translations of local dishes—because the literal versions are sometimes less than appetizing. Visiting sports fans, count your blessings: You can now request "beef and ox tripe in chili sauce" rather than "husband and wife's lung slice," and "steamed pullet" as opposed to "chicken without sexual life." Those pullets may not be the only Chinese citizens without sexual life: Mapo tofu (pictured) translates into "tofu made by a pock-marked woman."

[Reuters via The Morning News]

Lamborghini is about to follow archrival Ferrari by launching a certified preowned program. Starting July 31, you'll be able to swing by your favorite Lambo dealership and pick up a used Murciélago (or other vehicle), complete with warranty and roadside assistance program. Think of it as a recession-friendlier way to become a supercar owner.

[Left Lane News]

Ruminating on the home of your dreams while confined to a six-by-nine-foot cell in the Louisiana State Penitentiary sounds futile (if completely understandable). But Herman Wallace, an inmate who's spent the past 36 years in solitary confinement with no possibility of parole on what many call a questionable murder charge, is way past the imagination phase. For the last six years, Wallace, a former Black Panther, has corresponded with New York-based activist Jackie Surnell, sharing sketches and ideas regarding his ideal abode. The House That Herman Built, up now at the Royal College of Art in London, features Wallace's letters, drawings, and models of both his prison cell and dream home—fantasy and reality in tragic proximity.
Through July 5 at 29 Thurloe Pl., London, lfa2008.org; to learn more about the project, visit hermanshouse.org

Now through July 1, Hong Kong boutique I.T is putting on an exhibit in Beijing of installation pieces by Martin Margiela. It's every bit as unconventional as you'd expect: Mannequins don't wear his clothes—images of the items are projected onto them. Life-size 2-D models are made from Polaroid pictures, and a movie theater shows videos from the designer's runway shows (popcorn not included.) And of course, it's all offset by white, lots of white. The showcase is the first of four; up next is Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo.
I.T Da Shan Zi 798 Art District, 9th Building, No. 2 Jiu Xian Qiao Road, Zhao Yang District, Beijing, ithk.com

[This Heart's on Fire]

We'd never have thought so, either—come on, those uniforms?—but the U.S. Postal Service does have some tastes worth indulging: It's just released a set of postage stamps honoring Charles and Ray Eames. The series features masterpieces like the pair's famous Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Wire Chair, and the Eames House. Postal workers, consider the bar raised. Now, about those pants...

[Core77]

Space tourism is a thing of the future—Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic doesn't blast off until next year—but that hasn't stopped a Japanese company from offering space weddings for the bargain price of $2.2 million. (Good luck getting your new father-in-law to spring for that, though the price does include a dress.) You have plenty of time to find a mate, though—the first ceremonies are scheduled for 2011.

[Gizmodo]

Batman will be tooling around in several supervehicles in the forthcoming film—a Lamborghini and custom motorcycle among them—but don't feel bad for his millionaire alter ego Bruce Wayne: He'll be riding a new MV Augusta F4. (The F4's an obvious choice for the fabulously wealthy—the thing even stands up to gold plating.) The company's giving away a bat-themed bike (pictured) to celebrate, but it's not the one Wayne will ride in the movie. After all, he's got his secret identity to protect.

[Autoblog]

Now in France: Karl Lagerfeld stumping for road safety. The copy reads: "It's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything, but it could save your life." We say it's his best work since DJ'ing in GTA IV.

[WWD]

IWC just introduced the Ingenier Zinedine Zidane, a new automatic honoring the French footballer. Available in a limited edition of 1,000, it includes a blue crocodile strap and an etched image of Zizou himself (below). Think of it as the wristwear of choice for discerning head-butt aficionados everywhere.

Globe-Trotter's handmade luggage has been the choice of discerning gentlemen for over a century, from Victorian aristocrats to contemporary GQ editors. To celebrate its 110th anniversary, the brand has updated its wares (and seems to have spent a significant amount on R&D). Designed by Ross Lovegrove, the onehundred&ten hard case is crafted of a proprietary carbon-fiber-and-Kevlar weave that's both incredibly light and ultra-durable. Luggage junkies, meet the new object of your affection.

Five things worth knowing today

- The Telluride Bluegrass Festival starts today. Bring your banjo.
- Further west, the Los Angeles Film Festival kicks off in a town that knows a thing or two about film.
- A gaggle of political journalists, including former Time staff writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Nation's Betsy Reed, discuss "Barack Obama and the Left" tonight at NYC's Brecht Forum.
- More Than It Hurts You, Darin Strauss's affecting new novel, is out today.
- And today in 1948, original shoe-gazer Nick Drake (pictured) was born.

Italian men know how pants should fit (something that, at times, escapes their American counterparts). When the trousers are made by Zanella, a good fit is easy to find: The company's entire business revolves around sharply cut slacks, like those pictured here, made from 100-percent wool selvage denim. (Yes, that sounds like a lot going on in one pair of pants, but it works, and is extremely soft.) Added bonus? They come in Nantucket Red—about as American as it gets.

After 10 or 15 years of relaxed-fit blandness, players on the PGA tour seem to be reembracing the concept of style this season. For someone who cares about style as much as I do, it's encouraging to see guys finally ditching the droop-shouldered polos and billowy, pleated pants for clothes that actually fit. So what's with all the novelty belt buckles? I was lucky enough to be at last weekend's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, and while Tiger's last-minute heroics are forever burned into my brain, so is the rhinestone-encrusted skull protruding from Rory Sabbatini's midsection. Here, a few examples of an unexpected and—sorry, guys—not necessarily appealing trend in golfwear.

Click here for slideshow >

Haversack is one of those Japanese brands loved by those in the know but almost impossible to find in the West—even though its outerwear and shirts have the sort of aesthetic (and durability) you'd associate with outdoorsy Americans. That's set to change: Come next spring, Haversack will make its U.S. debut, although it's unclear precisely where; the company's in talks with several retailers. Still, it's encouraging news, and I hope other Japan-only brands (like Kapital) will follow suit.

For a place with a storied history of excess, Versailles has long outfitted its staff in some pretty drab attire. But that's set to change, thanks to Agnès B. The French designer unveiled new designs for the palace staff's official uniforms yesterday, and they're a marked improvement: Her sketches and photos (pictured) reveal an 18th-century-style look that wouldn't seem too out of place on today's Montparnasse (give or take the tricorn hat).

[The Moment]

Yuketen has long been one of my favorite brands, but this season it's upped the ante by releasing this striking crepe-soled take on L.L. Bean's Handsewn Blucher. Handmade in the U.S., the shoe comes in three versions. Obsessives, be advised: They're only available at Bergdorf's—the two have cut an exclusive deal through 2010.

GM just posted a video of factory workers making the 2009 Corvette ZR1 (soon to be the fastest—and most expensive—car the automaker has ever released). Turns out making one is almost as cool as driving one. See below:

[Autoblog]

A TV that looks as good off as on: LG's new PG70 series. The LCD HDTVs are designed by renowned British firm Seymour Powell, who also created the interiors of Virgin Galactic's spaceship. (It's a living.) They've given the flat-screens a pleasingly minimalist bezel, as well as a reddish, tear-shaped profile when seen from the side. More importantly, function follows form—the TVs will be Wi-Fi-enabled and include the brand's new Clear Voice audio, which helps distinguish dialogue from music. Price remains TBD, but the sets hit shelves this month.

[Dezeen]

After a long hiatus, renowned streetwear designer (and toy monster enthusiast) Mihara Yasuhiro is designing an entire collection for Puma again. And while the subtly tweaked, athletic-minded clothing—think a track bike shirt that's been outfitted with a collar—is clever (and wearable), the true innovation is in the company's retail concept. To showcase the line, the company has built a PlayStation interface (pictured) so that shoppers can outfit avatars in various items and zoom in on details. Puma will roll it out for in-store use soon, but don't expect it to turn the company's retail locations into arcades: Buying clothes just isn't as absorbing as the wealth of options in, say, Grand Theft Auto IV.

Hope you didn't buy Dad a bunch of James Bond DVDs for Father's Day. This November, vintage 007 will make his Blu-ray premiere. (Casino Royale is already out in the format.) The first batch includes five Bond classics (Dr. No, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia With Love, and Thunderball) as well as Die Another Day. (And, uh, sorry, pops.)

Italy's Supreme Court has ruled that Carabinieri policemen (whose motto, btw, is "always faithful") can face jail time for cheating on their wives because it lowers respect for the force. (One Casanova officer from Naples has already been handed a four-month sentence for doing so.) Any cops planning a romantic dalliance had better go plain-clothes: The Carabinieri wear an eye-catching (and stylish) Valentino uniform.

[Daily Telegraph]

Starting Friday, London's Medcalf Gallery will host an exhibit called Flooded London, a series of five digitally manipulated photographs depicting the city in 2090. The work is by film studio Squint/Opera, whose vision of the future looks bleak: Buildings are hollowed out and (as the title suggests) much of the world is underwater. Frightening? No doubt, but it's certainly aesthetically pleasing. That said, we still prefer London the way it is.
Flooded London, Friday through July 20, Medcalf Gallery, 38-40 Exmouth Market, London, lfa2008.com

[Dezeen]

The efficiency experts at Kyouei Design have combined two party staples—lighting and balloons—into one. Inspired by traditional Japanese paper lanterns, the Balloon Lamp runs off an LED bulb, which doesn't emit heat (and thus won't melt the plastic) and is good for about 100 hours. One caveat: It's only available in red and white. Jack and Meg White (and Canada), please take note.
$30 each, designboom.com

[Techpin]

Innisfail, the 92-foot wooden yacht that served presidents 32 through 34—HST, DDE, and JFK, FYI—is now available for charter. The 69-year-old clipper was given a thorough restoration—think Art Deco furniture and bronze sculptures—by new owner Frank Lynch, who rents it out of Charleston, South Carolina. Your cost: $800 an hour. BYO Secret Service detail.

[Charleston Post and Courier via Luxist]

Between their works for Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, and the Doors, the Family Dog invented the rock poster (at least the way the art form is conceived today). Comprised of artists Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, Wes Wilson, and Victor Moscoso, the group helped define the aesthetic of the times: one part Toulouse-Lautrec to every three parts Timothy Leary. A retrospective of the Family Dog's work opens today in L.A.: The Art That Defined a Generation includes pieces like Woman With the Green Hair aka Janis by Mouse and Kelley, pictured, and others of similar stripe(s). Some of the artists will be on hand for the opening, but it goes without saying that you shouldn't expect them to remember the sixties.
Through July 14, Jack Gallery, 6333 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA, (323) 933-4833, jackgallery.com

Can't make it to L.A.? Check out our favorites in this slideshow >

Undulating walls covered in spiky foam? Check. A hidden storefront with strategic holes for fashion fans to peek through? Yup. Following in the footsteps of other high-concept L.A. boutiques (see Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela, and Prada) is Phillip Lim's new amoeba-shaped West Hollywood emporium, opening on Friday. Inside you'll find the designer's men's, women's and children's collections, all housed in a 5,000-square-foot former auto shop. (No grease or pinup calendars remain.) The store follows his Tokyo store, opened earlier this year, and marks a sort of homecoming—Lim is from Orange County.
631 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-1988, 31philliplim.com

Opening today: New York Academy of Art's annual Summer Exhibition. The show spotlights the work of the Academy-affiliated artists and recent graduates, and awards a Summer Exhibition Prize for the best piece. They couldn't have chosen better than Michael Peery's sunny but chilly Virginia Slims (pictured), a retro-ish portrait done in a style reminiscent of Eric Fischl. There's an immediacy to the painting, despite an out-of-date detail that sticks in our craw: Lady, please, lose the socks.
Through September 7 at The New York Academy of Art, 111 Franklin St., New York, NY, (212) 966-0300, nyaa.edu

Five things worth knowing today

- Pitti Uomo begins today in Florence.
- The Edinburgh Film Festival bows in Scotland.
- A much-anticipated Ikea opens in Red Hook, Brooklyn. People began camping out on Monday, because apparently there's nothing quite like the draw of a free POANG armchair.
- Today in 1940, Winston Churchill delivered his famous "Finest Hour" speech to Parliament.
- And today in 1952, actress and model Isabella Rossellini was born. Below, her career-making rendition of "Blue Velvet":

Inspired by BMW's Art Car project—in which big-name artists (Warhol, Lichtenstein, etc.) have gussied up Bimmers through the years—Brooklynite Matt Farah asked Tristan Eaton (of Kidrobot fame) to do something similar to his Mini Cooper. The result? As you can see here, it involves lots of sevens, and lots of neon stickers. As you can also see, it looks better than it sounds. For more images and a video of the production, check out Thunderblog.