Norwegian architects Snøhetta have just been chosen to design Saudi Arabia's Cultural Center, beating out big names like Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. Their entry (pictured) looks something like a chrome asterisk (in a good way). Building it probably won't come cheap—the firm's winning plans for Britain's Turner Contemporary were never completed because the project went over budget. Still, something tells us this project's sponsor—the oil company Saudi Aramco—won't have the same problem.

[Bustler.net]

Now through July 20, new projects from a handful of big-name architects (including Foster + Partners and William Alsop) are on display at London's Architectural Jelly Banquet, part of LFA 2008. Those projects: re-creations of famous buildings like Foster's Millennium Bridge (pictured), made from gelatin. They're part of a competition, with winners judged on innovation, aesthetics, and wobble factor (seriously). A bit silly, but (in keeping with today's design-world theme) it's all for charity—molds and equipment will be auctioned off to benefit the charity Article 25. The ten finalists are on display now, but we recommend waiting for the July 4 party, which includes dancers wearing "jelly costumes." Somewhere, a fetish is born.
Architectural Jelly Banquet, now through July 20, UCL's Main Quad, Gower St., London, jellymongers.co.uk

[WWD]

We're not typically drawn to period pieces, but we're willing to make an exception for The Last Mistress, the latest from French provocateur Catherine Breillat. Mistress stars Asia Argento, pictured, as the steamy, wild-eyed courtesan La Vellini, whose libertine lover attempts to leave her to marry a virginal daughter of the aristocracy. Not a good idea: Yes, that's blood she's covered in, above. If other historical flicks had this much humping, swordplay, and treachery, we'd reconsider our stance.

Also out today: Pixar's postapocalyptic Wall-E, a green-leaning tale of love among robots (one suspiciously resembling the iPod). The raves are pouring in—quite an achievement, given that the only stab at human speech in the first hour is a videotaped musical number from Hello, Dolly. (But don't worry: It's brief.)

"This exhibition is a riff on suits, both man and costume," Jeremy Leichman says of his new show, appropriately titled Suits, opening tomorrow at Brooklyn's 3rd Ward gallery. The artist's witty sculptures typically depict man in his unnatural habitat, the office, often under duress (as with Cubicle, pictured) or extreme duress (as with the desk jockey's extended neck in Collar). Other than empathy, the show leaves you with one distinct feeling: Leichman appears to enjoy his job more than his subjects do.
Tomorrow through July 20, 195 Morgan Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 3rdward.com

The Windy City gets a taste of the Big Apple with the opening of Marcus Samuelsson's C-House, located in the Affinia Chicago. The seafood and chop house (hence the name) is the chef's first outside of New York, where he co-owns Aquavit, Riingo, and Merkato 55. The fare features Samuelsson's usual spin on standards, like pairing fluke sashimi with apple and jalapeño, and Kobe beef with pepper and caperberries. Not on the menu? Deep-dish pizza. You'll have to go elsewhere for that.
166 E. Superior St., Chicago, (312) 523-0923, affinia.com

Create/Reject's new book Fifty Designers' Current Favourite Typefaces is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: Experimental Jetset, Stefan Sagmeister (pictured), and more name their top fonts, which are then reproduced inside. It's available now for about six bucks; 100 percent of the book's profits go to Unicef.

[Josh Spear]

Expected to debut at next year's Frankfurt Auto Show: the cabriolet version of Audi's new A1 city car, complete with a fully descending power top. No word on if the vehicle comes with a cell phone.

[Autoblog]

File under psychedelic golfwear: Visionaire's latest "magazine" presents works by a variety of luminaries—as per usual—only this time they're printed on polos. (Not all that weird, considering its last edition was a series of 12-inches.) Called Sport, the project is a collaboration with Lacoste, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The issue, such as it is, is limited to 4,000 copies and comes in four different editions, each with three different shirts. (The set above is, from left to right, by artist Thomas Demand, photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, and David Byrne; other sets include polos from Michael Stipe, Nick Knight, and Pedro Almodóvar, among others.) It launches in Paris with a party next Tuesday featuring a performance by—who else?—Santogold, but for us more provincial types, it'll be available for sale in August.
$250 each; for more information, visit visionaireworld.com

As American hopefuls gear up for international competition this summer, we've got our eye on one in particular: Brooklyn-based designer Mia Ferrera Wiesenthal, whose On the Rocks glass was selected as the U.S. winner of the 2008 Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition. She'll go on this September to compete in the global finals in London (not, as you might think, Beijing). We think she's got a good shot at the title: Wiesenthal's stemless, craggy martini glass is one we'd happily tipple from.

[Core77]

Good thing they get along: Identical Brazilian twins Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo—better known as Os Gemeos, which means "the twins" in Portuguese—collaborate on paintings that bridge the distance between an abstract dream world and the realities of everyday life. (That said, we'd call the subway scene here closer to fact than fiction.) For their new show, Too Far Too Close, opening tomorrow, the two have transformed NYC's Deitch Projects into an imaginary cityscape showcase. Mixing an installation of houses—the type you're likely to see in their work—with canvases, the exhibit offers an unprecedented view into their process: two minds working as one.
Tomorrow through Aug. 9, 18 Wooster St., New York, (212) 343-7300, deitch.com

Inside last night's Rogan vs. Stipe party, the temperature reached (approximately) one billion degrees Fahrenheit. Mr. Stipe, clad in a shirt of his own design, seemed unfazed. (His Georgia upbringing probably helped, too.) That said, the crowd outside the Bowery NYC shop was treated to a great view of the singer's installation of boxes cascading through the window. (Insert "Fall on Me" joke here.)

This season's menswear presentation from YSL came in the form of a film (yes, again)—a ten-minute-long meditation on androgyny from London-based filmmakers Colonel Blimp. The flick stars Jack Huston (nephew of Anjelica, grandson of John), and it looks to us like the kid's got a future in modeling. (Note: It's NSFW, if your W frowns on topless models.) Check our fashion coverage for Tim Blanks' review.

Click here to watch >

On Saturday, L.A.'s Taylor De Cordoba gallery debuts Cover Version, a group show devoted to 20 artists' interpretations of the cover of their favorite books. Among the highlights: updated takes on classics like Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, and more unexpected choices such as The Book of Mormon and Francis Parkman's history of the Appalachian Indian wars, The Conspiracy of Pontiac (pictured). The artists (including Michael Bilsborough, Jennifer Sullivan, and Frohawk Two Feathers) are all relative unknowns, but based on the work, they won't stay that way for long.
Tomorrow through Aug. 9, 2600 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 559-9156, taylordecordoba.com

For an installation opening tomorrow in Paris, newcomer Graham Tabor has partnered with artists Kristin Barron and Miguel Villalobos to display garments from his postapocalyptic collection of distorted, slashed-up knitwear. (Tabor previously did knitwear for both Helmut Lang and Karl Lagerfeld.) The enigmatic collection was first shown at this year's Hyères festival, but this time around it will be showcased inside a dark landscape of hollow, black duct-tape mannequins sheathed in muslin and sprouting branches gathered from a nearby park. (That old gambit, eh?) It's meant to evoke "an unknown culture's simultaneous future and past," Tabor says. When it comes to his own future, however, his aim is a little more prosaic: With a few quick fabric changes, take the line commercial.
Tomorrow through July 5, Graham Tabor at the Ter et Bantine Gallery, Rue D'Argenteuil 27, 75001, Paris, grahamtabor.com

Five things worth knowing today

- It's Bill Gates' last day as chairman of Microsoft, and we're really going to miss the guy. Check out our slideshow for some of our favorite of Bill's looks (if you can call them that).
- The Glastonbury Festival begins in the U.K. This year's headliner: Jay-Z, whose announcement caused some consternation among Britpop-loving NME readers earlier this year.
- Louise Bourgeois opens at the Guggenheim in New York.
- Today in 1954, the world's first nuclear power station opened in Russia.
- And today in 1930, crackpot billionaire Ross Perot was born.

Between its booming economy, burgeoning boutique hotels, and a certain international sporting event coming up in Beijing, China hasn't gone low-profile lately—but design-wise, the country's still something of a mystery. That was the case even for me, despite my being the appointed creative director, with the New York designer Tobias Wong, of the inaugural 100% Design Shanghai contemporary furniture fair. (Needless to say, I've learned a lot.) The sister edition to the 100% Design fairs in London and Tokyo, it features some familiar European brands—Vitra, Artemide, Droog—alongside up-and-coming Chinese-based firms like Neri & Hu, EXH Design, MU and deMVW. Dutch design star Richard Hutten shows his Green House pavilion, while London- and Shanghai-based WOKmedia lights things up with its Night Watch installation (pictured). We'll be keeping tabs as the Chinese design scene develops—but, in the meantime, here are some highlights expected this year.
Today through June 28 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, 1333 W. Nanjing Rd., Shanghai, China, (011) 010- 67311923, 100percentdesign.com.cn

Click here for our slideshow >

Perks of the trade: Five of the most promising picks at tonight's NBA Draft will be given custom gear designed by Philadelphia-based streetwear label UndrCrwn for Adidas. Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, and Eric Gordon will each get tees and track jackets featuring their cartoon counterparts. The illustrations look good, but as of now, they're for the players only and won't be available for sale. Until they are (which could very well be never), you'll have to content yourself with remaindered Space Jam merch for all your cartoon-baller needs.

[Format Mag via Complex]

Fashion editors in need of a quick refresh this week should stop by Paris' new Comptoir de l'Homme, which claims to be the area's biggest men's-only grooming store. It carries more than 40 labels, including classics like Clinique, Switzerland's hard-to-find Skintech, and Lifelab. The boutique started life as a Web site two-and-a-half years ago, when partners Charles-Edouard Borniche and Sébastien Lebeau launched comptoirdelhomme.com. "In the beginning it was really hard to find products exclusively for men," Borniche says. "Now we see a new range every week, and we're starting to turn down brands unless they offer something unique." (Tough crowd.) The brick-and-mortar version opened last month; men's skin and facial treatments are due next fall.
5-7 Rue de Tournon, 75006, 33-1-78-94-0452, comptoirdelhomme.com

Every year, Carroll Shelby manufactures about 150 new custom versions of his legendary Cobra coupe, which was a racing success (but commercial failure) during its sixties heyday. Now, the U.K.'s Jamie Frank Martin hopes to make a mass version in the form of this Venom concept, a modified version of the classic car. No word on if it will ever go into production—or if so, whether anyone will actually buy it—but it's hard not to admire the pairing of contemporary technology (including a 524-hp V-8) with vintage elegance.

Although it's still under construction, The Jane Hotel, the latest New York lodgings from Sean McPherson and Eric Goode (the Bowery and Maritime hotels), is set to open next week. The hotel pays respects to its nautical history—built in 1908, it was originally meant for sailors, and housed the survivors of the Titanic after the disaster—with rooms that resemble ship's cabins. Rates are attractive ($100 per night is hard to beat), but don't expect to stretch out: The suites are only 50 square feet.
113 Jane St., New York, (212) 924-6700, thejanenyc.com

[The New York Times]

I admit it: I find Madrid both boring and exhausting.

For one thing, it's little more than Diet Paris: The boulevards, palaces, and buildings are a Disney-fied riff on the Champs-Elysées et al, thrown up by Joe Bonaparte (brother of Napoleon) and a raft of Bourbon kings as pricey cure-alls for their Gallic homesickness. But it isn't Madrid's ersatz architecture that really galls me—it's that the place tries too damn hard. Consensus is clear among locals: Nothing exciting or interesting can happen before 11 p.m. (Dare to brave a 9 p.m. dinner reservation, and expect ample chance to practice your German.) Once the Teutons are tucked in bed, the hedonism seems joyless and relentless—a see-the-dawn marathon with sangria subbed in for bottled water.

There is a good reason for this: Madrid has to prove itself against Barcelona, and it's got a chip on its shoulder about it. Put another way: If all the world's greatest cities were invited for a black-tie-clad evening of cocktail clinking, Barcelona would be hanging out with London, Tokyo, and Istanbul. Madrid would be there, but cater-waitering.

Today marked the first runway show for Kilgour, the ultramodern Savile Row brand that started its ready-to-wear collection last year. The clothes were impressive, as was this baby: the Aston Martin V8 Vantage (the two were unveiled in the same space). We've seen the car before, but not in this edition—matte-white on the exterior, midnight blue on the interior. It made it difficult to concentrate on the runway. (Check our fashion coverage later today for Tim Blanks' review of the show.)

If you're going to spend 87 grand on a motorcycle this year (cue: your groaning checkbook), the Ecosse Iconoclast should be a strong contender. Designed by American Moto Works for 20ltd, the bike goes from zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds, has a 2-liter 135 hp engine, and comes with a matte-black finish. Christopher Nolan, take note.
About $87,000, available at 20ltd.com

[Baller Ride]

Out again: Jean Prouvé's 1942 Tabouret Haut bar stool. It's being reissued by Vitra, and doesn't come cheap: It'll set you back about 800 bucks. Still, enjoying a tipple while resting your rear on a masterpiece of mid-century design? Priceless.

By day, Strasbourg's new Zenith Music Hall is just your regular bright-orange Slinky-esque auditorium. (We always wondered what happened to The Gates.) By night, however, it's lit from within, creating a stunning translucent effect thanks to its special orange textile skin. The building is the work of architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas; see more pics over at Dezeen.

Spotted at DesignBoom: an ingenious ad campaign for ADESF, Brazil's antismoking organization. The shots depict the effects of smoking on the body using sculptures of organs made out of cigarettes—some lit. (Ouch.) It's a successful and stylish strategy. No offense to fingerless Marie, but that's not a claim you can level against its American counterpart.

Dell's new (and heavily leaked) Studio laptop line just got official. The line falls somewhere between the brand's higher-end XPS series and budget-minded Inspirons, with solid specs (4 gigs of ram, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an optional Blu-ray drive) wed to an impressive design. Most interesting is the so-called Dell Dock software, which generates a toolbar of your most-used programs in the style of Mac's OS X dock. (Hmm, a PC aping Apple?) The notebooks should be available at your favorite big-box retailer this week in up to 15 colors—yes, including pink.
Dell Studio, 15-inch version is $799, 17-inch is $999, dell.com

[Crave]

Why settle for a mere Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe—price tag: $412,000—when you can get a customized version, right? That's the logic, at least, of an anonymous (and wealthy) collector who commissioned this one-of-a-kind version dubbed the Hyperion and redesigned by Pininfarina. The car packs the same 6.75-liter V-12 engine as the original, but sports a slightly curvier design, inspired by prewar Rolls-Royces. Look for the Hyperion to be fully unveiled at California's Pebble Beach Concours this August.

[Left Lane News]

Designboom's feature on contemporary airports includes stunning renderings for terminals in Islamabad, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, but our favorites are the ones for Jeddah International Airport in Saudi Arabia, pictured, by Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Although the commission has been discontinued, its Flintstones-esque design retains a certain stone-age allure.

Five things worth knowing today

- The NBA draft is tonight.
- Olafur Eliasson's waterfalls debut in New York. On dry land, meanwhile, Buckminster Fuller and Paul McCarthy open shows at the Whitney.
- Jonathan H. Kanarek of L.A.'s Jake Vintage kicks off the store's seminar series with "The Rules of Proper Dress."
- Today in 1927, Coney Island's Cyclone roller coaster opened.
- And today in 1980, actor/rocker/occasional face of Band of Outsiders Jason Schwartzman was born. Below, Jason as Louis XVI on a tour of His Majesty's crib.

As the fashion world—us included—gears up for the Paris shows, here are a few highlights from this week's top parties in Milan. Among those spotted: Tom Ford and business partner Domenico De Sole, who, despite the heat, still managed to dress the part. (You'd expect anything less?)

Click here for the slideshow >

London-based designer Olivia Lee has gone meta with a limited-edition line of dolls based on, well, designers—including Jaime Hayon (pictured), Karim Rashid, and, of course, Zaha Hadid. (Her Issey Miyake-clad figure actually kind of resembles her Formica chair.) No word yet on price or availability, though they're probably more affordable than anything produced by the honorees.

[Dezeen]

Read Tim Blanks' review for a full explanation.

MORE: Complete coverage of Spring 2009

Remember that Ferrari GT we told you about a month ago, the one being revealed one engine purr at a time? Well, pictures have slowly trickled out, and the latest batch offers the best glimpse yet of the California (as it's called), due next year. Most notable: This is the brand's first sports car to pack a V-8 under the hood, rather than in the back. The design isn't to everybody's taste—"underwhelming" seems to be the consensus among the Autoblog comments—but you'll be able to judge for yourself when it comes out later this year.

Panasonic just announced specs for the CF-U1, the first UMPC (that's ultramobile PC, as you probably know) in the brand's famously rugged Toughbook series. The device is intended for construction sites, mining operations, oil and gas refineries, and (no kidding) city streets. (Urban jungle, indeed.) It also boasts on-the-go-friendly specs like Wi-Fi, an anti-reflective touchscreen, and—for erstwhile bruisers and clumsy nerds—a tough skin to keep it safe after drops up to four feet.
Toughbook CF-U1, $2,500; for more information, visit panasonic.com

Plus: For more tough-and-tumble gear, check out our feature.

Still not on the Verizon roster: the iPhone. But next month the company will begin selling LG's new Dare, an undeniably iPhone-like touch-screen that's an improvement over Verizon's last LG option, the Voyager. Though the browser leaves something to be desired, the Dare is admirably feature-heavy, with handwriting recognition, a camera with a photo/video editor, and fully customizable menu screens. iPhone-lite? Stalwart Verizon-loyals would beg to differ.
$199 with two-year contract and rebate, available July 3

[Gizmodo]

We finally know: While ground has already been broken on NYC's upcoming High Line park, final designs for the first and second phase of construction were only revealed today. (Preliminary plans were unveiled in 2005; the Times is hosting a slideshow of the new ones here.) The images look great—completion can't get here fast enough. There's just one bit of bad news: Judging from the fake people in the renderings, untucked dress shirts will remain pervasive in late 2009, the planned date for completion.

Dolce and Gabbana just presented their Spring 2009 collection, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten about Fall 2008. (Good thing, as we're only a few days into Summer 2008.) This week, the brand's stores began carrying The Good Shepherd, a monograph featuring photographer Michael Roberts' shots of a model wearing the label's fall-winter menswear collection at a Sicilian sheep farm. The locale seems appropriate—the collection's centerpiece, after all, was a gigantic sheepskin coat. Which, of course, will set you back a few bucks, but you'll be glad to know the book is free—no purchase necessary.

File under inevitable: a blog devoted to the art of the motion picture title sequences (called, er, artofthetitle.com). Among the films featured are Delicatessen (pictured), Twelve Monkeys, and, of course, David Fincher's entire oeuvre. The movies featured aren't always watchable—The Mothman Prophecies is, simply put, execrable—but their credits, even in isolation, are stunning.

[Thrillist]

Formica isn't usually associated with high-design, but then, the company's project with Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center isn't an exhibition of countertops. For FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play the two commissioned ten renowned architects to create objects that people could "sit upon, lie upon, lean upon, play upon." The rub? They had to design them using, uh, Formica. The results are actually impressive—as you'd expect when the talent involved includes Michael Graves, Massimo Vignelli, and Zaha Hadid (whose entry is pictured here). The exhibit's on view at the CAC through August, but if Cincy isn't in your travel plans this summer, you can view their entries at Formica's online gallery.
Through Aug. 31 at 44 E. Sixth St., Cincinnati, Ohio, (513) 345-8400, contemporaryartscenter.org

[Luxury Insider via Dezona]

Vizio just dropped a new series of HDTVs, and as per usual, they pair solid specs with affordable prices. The XVT line includes two LCD screens and a plasma; the former are probably most notable for their 120-Hz refresh rate, which makes on-screen motion appear more fluid. Meanwhile, the latter (pictured) comes with an astonishing 30,000:1 contrast ratio and a ruby-red bezel. Of course, newer isn't always better, so you'll be glad to know existing Vizio TVs are getting a price drop, too.
Vizio XVT LCDs, 42-inch model, $1,500, and 47-inch model, $1,900; Vizio XVT Plasma, 50-inch model, $1,700; shipping now, vizio.com

Last night marked the official reopening of Trussardi's Sant'Andrea store here, dedicated entirely to the brand's limited-edition 1911 collection. The smartly designed location offers elegant digs for the brand's understated line: Think two beautiful courtyards, a separate annex for accessories, and displays like a wall of defunct recording equipment (pictured). Sadly, however, it doesn't feature Kenyan marble, and it wasn't attended by mobs of spray-tanned aficionados—as was the case at another opening you might've heard about the night before.
Via Sant'Andrea 5, Milan, Italy, trussardi1911.com

Versace and Lamborghini have collaborated before, but the Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster Versace marks the first time the results are available to the (moneyed) public. The car bears the hallmarks of Versace's traditional dolce vita excess, as well as a Miami-ish vida loca. (Despite Donatella's dedication of the brand's S/S '09 show to Barack Obama, this one doesn't run on ethanol.) At the moment pricing is TBD, but production will start in November on the made-to-order vehicles. They'll be emblazoned with Versace's Greek logo motif, feature a transparent engine cover (the better to show off its powerful V12), and have full-grain napa leather interiors (see below). The two companies are also producing a line of licensed accessories: For prospective buyers, the branded key chain is what will seal the deal, we assume.

For those who rank the view high on their list of apartment amenities: David Fisher's plans for the Dynamic Tower, located (where else?) in Dubai. Set for completion in 2010, the 80-story building's floors rotate around a central core, while wind turbines between them will generate enough power to light the structure (and allow penthouse residents to park their cars in their apartments). At $3,000 per square foot, the building doesn't exactly prize thrift, but it looks like plenty of people can afford it: Fisher also announced plans to build similar structures in Moscow and New York.

[CNN]

After selling some photos to Elton John a couple years ago, California-based photographer Bill Owens did what any self-respecting artist would do: took the proceeds and went on a four-month, 32-state, 21,000-mile trip across America. Along the way, he snapped 53 DVDs' worth of his often ironic pics, many of which are collected in his new monograph, simply titled Bill Owens. The book also encompasses 40 years of work—from his iconic black-and-white images of Vietnam protests and seventies suburbia to more recent digital shots of colorful esoterica, including a row of Port-O-Potties in front of Monument Valley (uh, above). "I didn't even get out of my car to take that picture," says the 70-year-old. "It was perfect, like shooting fish in a barrel."

For those in New York, a show of the works starts Thursday. At the opening, Owens will talk about his oeuvre, or even the American Distilling Institute (which he founded), and novelist A.M. Homes will read from her introduction. "I'm a storyteller," Owens says. We assume his yarns pair well with good whisky.
Bill Owens, $39, amazon.com; Bill Owens: Selected Works, June 26-August 1 at James Cohan Gallery, 533 W. 26th St., New York, NY, (212) 714-9500, jamescohan.com

Five things worth knowing today

- Sam Shepard's latest, Kicking a Dead Horse, premieres at New York's Public Theater.
- In L.A., the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival kicks off with a restored print of Zorba the Greek.
- Meanwhile, those with a taste for lower culture can enjoy (or tolerate) NBC's Baby Borrowers.
- Today in 1947, The Diary of Anne Frank was published for the first time.
- And today in 1949, Bugs Bunny hit theaters in Long-Haired Hare (below). Be sure to check out his antagonist's Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired domicile.

B.D. Baggies might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of classic American clothes, but for some, the label does hold a certain nostalgia. It was recently bought by Italian conglomerate W.P. Lavori—the same folks responsible for the Daiki Suzuki-helmed reintroduction of Woolrich Woolen Mills—which is bringing it back to the U.S. next spring. What to expect: washed poplin and oxford button-front shirts, and impossibly soft tees and hoodies, all designed by David Mullen, the man behind Save Khaki. (Italians do it better, we guess.)

Available now: Tim Hamilton's debut prefall collection, exclusively at Bergdorf's. The highlight? The designer's first hand-tailored pieces, including the one-button, rope-shouldered, notch-lapel jacket (pictured) and a crinkled-velvet blazer (not pictured). On the heels of Rag & Bone's debut holiday collection, the set seems to be part of an emerging (and welcome) trend: good designers making off-season clothing.
Tim Hamilton prefall, from $600 (tuxedo pants) to $3,000 (a cashmere jacket), Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., NYC, (212) 753-7300, bergdorfgoodman.com

Details are beginning to emerge about XM's forthcoming portable satellite radio, nicknamed (at least for now) the Phoenix. It looks to have a larger screen than XM's current Inno model, a rotating trackwheel, and a slot for external music input. (Rumors are circulating that it may include Wi-Fi, too.) Specifics are subject to change and pricing is TBD, but even at this early date we've got to hand it to XM: In an age when almost every new gadget mimics the iPhone, it's a bold move to design a device with the silhouette of a Treo.

[Engadget]