FASHION. DESIGN
King Karl takes Gotham
New York Chanel show captures Roaring Twenties
A model wears a grey and black flowered print ruffle blouse with matching scalloped skirt.
Karl Lagerfeld took his show on the road to New York recently in the latest chapter of a remarkable ride in the annals of current fashion. The Chanel designer seems to be nearing the iconic status of Coco herself, with his trademark immaculate white ponytail, shades and rock star attire. For the grand Gotham event, Lagerfeld attracted models, muses, Hollywood stars and well-heeled, well-pearled socialites to the 57th Street flagship store. Amazingly, the boutique remained closed for more than two days during the height of the Christmas shopping frenzy for the showing of an even more expensive than usual collection of bejewelled, embroidered and feathered confections. The evening show was small, and everybody was a front-rower. There was thin-as-a-reed Lindsay Lohan, loving Chanel in a vintage day dress strewn and trimmed with seed pearls. "I've been wearing Chanel all day," the actress said in her throaty voice. Diane Kruger made haute couture her own in a jazzy beaded dress worn with cut-off leggings, while Ashley Olsen carried a darling red quilted bag and supermodel Helena Christensen stood out in the sea of black by wearing head-to-toe crimson, including sparkly red strappy sandals. On the runway, models with crimson lips, smoky eyes and pinned-under wavy bobs looked like Roaring Twenties dolls as a folksy trio led by Devendra Banhart sat on the floor at the end of the runway and serenaded the crowd. Banhart, a young, bearded man, wore a cream Chanel skirt suit over pants.The clothes -- and steamer shiploads full of accessories -- called on all the Chanel signatures. A cream, quilted leather jacket with puff sleeves was decorated with coloured jewels for an Elizabethan look. Also regal were black velvet jackets with glittering crystal beading in the form of tiaras on the sleeves. Tweed skirt suits were worn over satin stovepipe pants, while a wool suit had soft camelia motifs and Pierrot-like flounces. Swirling crystal T-strap shoes and piles of costume jewelry completed the outfits, almost all of which were black and white. The collection, positioned between pret-a-porter and haute couture, draws on the work of five Parisian ateliers Chanel has bought over the past decade. They include the legendary Lesage house for embroidery, Massaro for shoes and Desrues for buttons and jewelry. You can credit Lagerfeld for recreating the Chanel mystique and every one of its signatures -- the camellia, tweed suit, quilting, and double-C logo. And he brought the Chanel sensibility to popular culture through H&M with a low-cost line, while establishing further recognition for himself. In fact, one of the collectibles from the H&M line is a T-shirt with a Warhol-esque image of Lagerfeld. Now, Stella McCartney has gone the H&M route, and there is talk of a Prada line, too. "It's a part of modern life," Lagerfeld said. "Chanel and H&M can very well co-exist. I like the idea that people who have not a lot of money can buy what I do."-By Eva Fred.
New
York's Cocktail dresses are the toast of the town this season
Photo: Lagerfeld Gallery's cocktail dresses take traditional details, such as a sheer overlay, and twist them to make them more modern.
They're the solution for any party and most can be adapted either for daytime or black-tie occasions." The return of the cocktail dress is really about fashion's love affair with all things feminine and retro-inspired," says Gregg Andrews, fashion director at Nordstrom. The 1940s and '50s seem to be particularly influential, he says. "We're seeing a fitted bodice, fuller skirt -- often knee-length to mid-calf -- with a raised or natural waist, a very defined waist." Other details are ruching, ruffles, beading and even attached brooches. Lace and chiffon are popular fabrics for dresses as are sheer or "illusion" fabrics that allow you to see the skin through "a veil of fabric," Andrews says. "It's not as overtly sexy while still being alluring." Hints of the 1920s can be seen in straighter-shaped dresses with dropped waist and asymmetrical or handkerchief hems and a little bit of beading. It can be magical when a woman wears a "real" cocktail dress, one that was designed to be both chic and easy for when a woman was indeed drinking, designer Karl Lagerfeld says. "It's an image very much from the '50s. Chanel, Jacques Fath and Balenciaga were famous for 'cocktail dresses.' Women always wore hats then," Lagerfeld says. His fall-holiday Lagerfeld Gallery collection features a dramatic one-shoulder sheer overlay with a high waist over a strapless beaded sheath, and a brown sleeveless dress with a pleated hemline, beaded waistband and white high-neck collar. "Women are becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of dresses because more dresses are available to them. They don't offer the flexibility in fit that separates do, but the variety of styles makes up for it," says Andrews. "Women are enjoying dressing in the more feminine way that is so fashionable now." Banana Republic executive vice president of design Deborah Lloyd is one of the converts. "I'm wearing dresses all the time now," she says. "I love the fact that you don't have to think so much. The top and bottom are already together. I find them easy." One of Banana Republic's cocktail looks is a pleated taffeta dress. "It's just one of those dresses that works," Lloyd says. "It's very easy to wear. Who would've thought that of a pleated cocktail dress?" Pleats can indeed be hard to wear, but, first off, these pleats are vertical, not horizontal. Lloyd explains that because the pleats are fine, they create a flattering feminine line "and they'll hide things underneath." There also is a sheen to the fabric and the taffeta isn't too heavy, so the dress has movement. "This dress is nice because if you wear with denim jacket and boots, you can wear it in the day as well," Lloyd adds.
Black is the predominant colour on retail racks. Jewel tones, especially ruby red and teal blue, are another option, as are metallics, including light gold and bronze. "I like dresses that aren't too colourful. I like colours that are non-colours. They allow you to wear the dress. You can be chic and beautiful, but people won't see the dress walk in," Lloyd says. But with all the choices available, Andrews suggests trying something other than the round-neck, sleeveless black sheath that's become the standard "little black dress." "There's nothing wrong with that dress -- it always looks good -- but it's not this season's black dress." Andrews predicts that dresses will be popular for the next few fashion cycles. "We're definitely seeing dresses coming into spring 2006," he says.-By S. Grichell.
Madonna has revealed that the shooting of the latest documentary about her has made her want to follow film director husband Guy Ritchie behind the camera. I would love to direct," she said. "I felt very inspired by making this movie and I learned a lot about film-making. "I would like to do it on my own next time," continued the singer, whose film I'm Going to Tell You a Secret will be shown on Channel 4 on 1 December. Her latest album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, is top of the UK charts. Madonna's comments are part of an interview due to be screened on Channel 4.
'Incredible
ballerina': In the program, conducted by TV presenter Dermot
O'Leary, the mother of two speaks proudly about her nine-year-old
daughter Lourdes and five-year-old son, Rocco. Viewers will see her
describe Lourdes as "very musical". "She sings quite well and she's
an incredible ballerina," she says. Earlier this month Madonna
attended the London premiere of the new Harry Potter film with
Lourdes, also known as Lola. There, she revealed, her daughter was
left speechless after a chance encounter with one of its stars, Emma
Watson. "In the middle of the movie she had to go to the bathroom,"
she told O'Leary. "Hermione was in there washing her hands and Lola's
jaw hit the ground." But Madonna refused to discuss her recent riding
accident, which left her with a broken collarbone and three cracked
ribs. "I don't want to go there - I get flashbacks," she said. "I'm
just starting to feel better."
The Angel Ball 2005
ns.
In New York, this week, Denise Rich threw the best charitable party in town. She amassed the Who's Who in entertainment to celebrate the 4th annual biennial gala of The Angel Ball 2005 at the Marriott Marquis. The Grammy-nominated songwriter raised $3.3 million for the Foundation’s Cancer Research. It was a ritzy event, a perfect social setting to recognize four honorees for their philanthropic and charitable contributions: Glamour Magazine editor-in-chief Cindi Leive, Patti LaBelle, Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons. Rita Cosby, Joan Collins, Montel Williams, Shawn King, Kelly Ripa, Natalie Cole, and Aisha Morris, Ashley Lauren Fischer Stevie Wonder, Bryant Hillary Gumbel, etc.
Fall, 2005 EL/Civics Awards Ceremony & Concert "Program"
Since 1996, this magnificent program has, each year, been providing hundreds of (often frail and disabled) elderly refugees with English language and Citizenship instruction (not at central classroom settings they must travel to, but rather) at the senior centers they attend, in the senior citizen housing developments where the reside and at other accessible community-based sites. Hundreds of immigrant seniors of all ethnic backgrounds in several Brooklyn communities have become citizens through the organization's efforts and, more importantly, they have been given the ability to function in our American society and communicate with their medical care providers, landlords, store personnel, police, neighbors, etc. -- which is often vital to their health and welfare. Their Frail Elderly ESL/Civics Instruction Program is funded by New York State Department of State, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (through the City Council Immigration Initiative) and NYC Department for the Aging (through a City Council allocation to provide ESL/Citizenship instruction at senior centers). The "Program" of today's Awards Ceremony and Concert honoring the graduating students of the current cycle of their "English Language/Civics (EL/Civics)" program, is funded by the New York State Education Department and operated in collaboration with Kingsborough Community College. The heart, mind and soul of these enormous charitable and educational programs is Rabbi Moshe Wiener, Executive Director of Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Inc., in Brooklyn, New York.
DO IT YOURSELF JUDAISM: EXTREME JEWISH MAKEOVER
Panel Discussion To Explore the Ever Changing Faces of Judaism in Everyday Life. The American Jewish Historical Society presents a panel discussion, Do It Yourself Judaism, Extreme Jewish Makeover on Tuesday, December 15, 2005 at 7:00 PM at the Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York City. Ever since Sinai, Jews have been creating Jewish life on their own terms. Whether it be the codification of the Talmud or the creation of Reform Jewry, Jewish communities have always imagined versions of Judaism that suited their contemporary needs, wants and worldviews. Since the publication of The Jewish Catalog in 1973, American Judaism has experienced a dramatic expansion in expressions of religious life. What drives people to reinvent and reinvigorate Jewish tradition? What forms do these experiments take? Do these efforts threaten or strengthen tradition?
This exciting discussion will approach these questions by bringing together some of the most influential and engaged practitioners of “Do It Yourself” Judaism in America. Panelists include: Nathaniel Deutch, Professor of Religion at Swarthmore College and co-editor of The Bad Jews’ Bible , Faye Lederman, filmmaker and member of the Park Slope Minyan , Rabbi Rona Shapiro, Founding Editor of www.ritualwell.org , Richard Siegel, Co-editor of the first Jewish Catalogue , Shira Stutman, Former Executive Director of Lights in Action and rabbinical student For further information, contact Eric Katzman at 212-294-8352 or via e-mail ekatzman@cjh.org. Admission: $10.00/$5.00 for students, seniors and American Jewish Historical Society members.
FILM AT THE VILLAGE TEMPLE: “WALK ON WATER”
WALK ON WATER, an enthralling, award-winning film by internationally acclaimed director Eytan Fox, explores the motives, strengths, and, ultimately, the humanity of an Israeli assassin sent to rectify a wrong committed five decades earlier. The protagonist, Eyal, is a top assassin in the Israeli secret service. He has killed terrorists before, but this time he is sent to eliminate an aging former Nazi war criminal. During his mission, Eyal meets his target’s granddaughter and grandson, who inadvertently help him uncover his own troubled history and fact his own demons, while they discover the ugly truth their family has hidden from them for decades. What began as a straightforward mission has suddenly escalated in intensity and complexity, thrusting three very different people into a thrilling triangle of murder, friendship and fate. Tel Aviv Magazine called WALK ON WATER “…a movie that works, and works well: The film is precise, rhythmical and full of suspense with hardly any low moments.” (March 19, 2004). The New York Times called it “A substantial meditation on contemporary politics, sexual and otherwise.” The film will be shown at the Village Temple on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 7:30 pm. This film is part of the Village Temple’s ongoing Rose and Adolph Alexander Lecture, Concert and Film Series of the Adult Education Institute. These free public events are held at The Village Temple, 33 East 12th Street between University and Broadway as part of “The Well,” the Adult Education Institute of The Village Temple. The series is supported by Edward Krugman, in memory of the parents of his late wife Paula. This is the seventh consecutive year of this series.
Photo: Chava
Koster.
The Village Temple, led by Rabbi Chava Koster and Cantor Kathy Barr, has served the Reform Jewish community in Greenwich Village and Lower Manhattan for almost 60 years. It blends the beauty of tradition with the creative expression of modern Judaism, providing community and worship experiences that are both participatory and joyful. The Congregation is inclusive, progressive and diverse, reflecting the community it serves. The Village Temple is committed to social justice, supporting many community outreach activities. It has operated a Soup Kitchen for almost 20 years that continues to serve hot meals to over 150 people each week. The Temple sponsors a vibrant religious school for students in grades Pre-K through high school, exciting adult education programs, and many enjoyable social events. For further information on this event or other Village Temple programs, contact Maria DeKord, 212-674-2340.
Chava
E. Koster, the first woman from the
Netherlands to be ordained a rabbi, has joined The Village Temple, a
liberal Reform congregation of over 300 families, celebrating its 51st
year. Prior to this, she was Associate Rabbi at Temple B'nai Abraham
in Livingston, New Jersey. Rabbi Koster studied at the Academy for
Jewish Religion and was ordained in 1997. She was awarded her "Doctoraal"
degree in English Historical Linguistics by the University of
Amsterdam in 1986 and a Masters Degree in Jewish Studies and Jewish
Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1993. She also
earned a fellowship at the Melton Center for Research in Jewish
Education in New York that same year. Commitment to community outreach
and Jewish education have been the dominant themes in Rabbi Koster's
work. She is a representative to the United Nations International
Clergy Committee and the American Jewish Committee. As past Director
of Columbia University's Uriel Weinreich Program in Yiddush Language,
Literature and Cuture, Rabbi Koster is a leading voice in the
promulgation of Eastern European Culture. She has been a member of the
Dutch Committee for Interfaith Affairs and is a lifetime member of the
Spiro Institute, London, UK. As a spiritual leader, Rabbi Koster
believes that for a congregation to become a truly spiritual
community, the emphasis needs to be on learning, spiritual growth and
social action coupled with warmth and caring because the vibrancy,
excitement and ownership of these elements will enable all members,
regardless of their knowledge and observance, to be inspired to find
even greater depths of meaning within Judaism.
Cantor Kathy J. Barr has been performing since the age of seven. A native New Yorker, Cantor Barr made her operatic debut at the age of nine, as the Witch in "Hansel and Gretel" at the 92nd St. Y, and her broadcast debut at the age of thirteen, playing Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata on the piano over WNYC's Young America Plays. Prior to beginning her cantorial studies, she was active in regional opera and oratorio as well as in liturgical music and performed as soloist both at home and abroad, including concert tours of the Caribbean, Italy and two tours of Greece with Robert DeCormier and the New York Choral Society. Orchestral engagements have included the New York Philharmonic, the American Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Opera< Orchestra, where she worked with such noted conductors as Zubin Mehta, Lukas Foss, Robert DeCormier, Abraham Kaplan, Matthew Lazar, Sergiu Comissiona, Robert Shaw, and Gerard Schwarz. She has recorded for Vox Turnabout, Centaur, Sine Qua Non, Not Nice Music, Book of the Month Records, and for the Western Wind, "The Birthday of the World," a set of 2 CD's of High Holy Day music.She was ordained in 1996 by The Academy for Jewish Religion, a seminary dedicated to Jewish pluralism, located in New York City. Cantor Barr has taught grades K - 7 in religious school, led High Holiday services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue (Reform) for eight years and after ordination, served Congregation Beth Shalom (post-denominational), West End Synagogue (Reconstructionist), and North Shore Synagogue (Reform) in Syosset, Long Island. Cantor Barr is married to Ed Weissman, an attorney, and is the proud mother of Sara and Nora Fantry.
Adapting Nazi era opera calls for light touch. From New York to LA and London...
Tony
Kushner doesn't mind when critics call him a ``political" playwright, a
polemicist who mines humour, hypocrisy and human truths from the rougher
chapters in world history. But when he decided to translate a 1938 Czech
opera about a greedy town bully who meets his match in a pair of poor
children, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angels in America knew the
project called for restraint. As an allegory on Hitler's rise to power and
a story once performed by Jewish children who would eventually be killed
by the Nazis, the last thing Brundibar needed was a heavy rhetorical hand.
"What great political art does is marry the personal and the political in
a way that one isn't clobbering the other," Kushner says between
rehearsals at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where Brundibar and another
Nazi-era theatre piece he adapted, Comedy on the Bridge, opened Nov. 16.
"You don't want people saying, 'Oh, this is a play about Hitler.' "
Brundibar is based on the 2003 picture book of the same name on which
Kushner collaborated with his friend and literary hero, children's
author-illustrator Maurice Sendak. It tells the story of a brother and
sister who need to raise money to buy milk for their ailing mother and are
hindered by a hostile organ grinder named Brundibar. Czech composer Hans
Krasa created the opera for children in a Jewish orphanage in the years
leading up to the Second World War. It was eventually performed 55 times
at the Terezin concentration camp and was featured in a 1944 Nazi
propaganda film, The Fuehrer Presents the Jews With a City. Krasa, and
most of the children who performed in Brundibar, died at Auschwitz or
other concentration camps. Sendak designed the sets for the Berkeley Rep
production, which moves on to the Yale Repertory Theatre in February and
New York's New Victory Theater in April. Euan Morton, who starred as Boy
George in the Broadway production of Taboo, plays the title role.
School-age children from the San Francisco Bay area make up the 29-member
chorus. Kushner had done theatrical adaptations before (he is currently at
work on a production of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage for Meryl Streep),
but never one from an opera libretto. It posed special challenges,
including the fact that he didn't speak Czech. And since Krasa's estate
still owned the copyright, he could not take many artistic liberties. "My
problem was to make it sound like it was written from an English text for
modern American stage actors," Kushner says. Even if there hadn't been
that limitation, however, the playwright saw little room to improve on the
original by Krasa and librettist Alan Hoffmeister. For a simple, 30-minute
fable on the triumph of good over evil, it packs a surprisingly profound
punch that becomes almost unbearable with the knowledge of the genocide
that would darken the world after it was written, Kushner says. One of
those moments comes during a lullaby the two siblings, Aninku and Pepicek,
sing with their friends: "Now you are very old, your hair is soft and
grey. Mommy, the cradle's cold. Blackbird has flown away."
In
the Berkeley Rep production, the group performs against a backdrop drawn
by Sendak that shows children happily flying through a forest on the backs
of oversize blackbirds. The timeless song of loss and love offers an
unsentimental view of how bereft parents can feel after their children
grow up and leave home, but its historical context colours it for modern
audiences. "We can't imagine what listening to that song would be like
without thinking about the kids in Terezin singing it," Kushner says. "You
listen to that and you can't get it out of your head, and you shouldn't
get it out of your head." Director Tony Taccone, who co-directed the world
premiere of Angels in America and oversaw three Berkeley Rep productions
of other Kushner plays, set the production in an unnamed ghetto instead of
Terezin, the setting for the Chicago Opera Theater's 2003 version of the
Kushner-Sendak collaboration. Taccone made a similarly unsentimental
decision when Devynn Pedell, the third-grader who plays Aninku, asked if
she could wear the yellow Jewish star her grandfather had worn in a
concentration camp. "I was the one who had to say 'no,'" Taccone says. "I
don't want this to be a story only one community has access to." Morton,
who earned a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of gender-bending
1980s pop star Boy George, was drawn to the Brundibar role partly because
of the chance to play a character of over-the-top evil. At Taccone's
urging, however, he tempered his temptation to play Brundibar as a
caricature of Adolf Hitler by imagining him as a pathetic, selfish boy.
Still, the 28-year-old actor debated Taccone for hours about how much
darkness to bring to the role. Although he wears the same moustache as
Hitler, Morton ditched a German accent for his native Scottish brogue. But
he won the argument to include a subtle Nazi salute in his movements. "I
do think it's important not to patronize children," Morton says. "It's
something I've been fighting for throughout this production." Kushner
hired a Columbia University graduate student to translate Hoffmeister's
libretto from the Czech and spent hours listening to a recording of
Krasa's score while he crafted English rhymes to fit the music. "It's like
being in deep conversation with an interesting writer. You get to discover
more and more how they made choices and why they make sense," he says. -By
Lisa Deff.
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NCFJE Chanukah Telethon
Rabbi Perl with Bruce Adler
Blending joyful song and dance with heartfelt emotional appeals, the 13TH NCFJE annual Chanukah Telethon generated important support for the group's educational and social service programs. This broadcast one of most successful fundraising events to date for NCFJE of Long Island. “We are so deeply grateful for the remarkable generosity shown by our viewers,” said Rabbi Anchelle Perl, Director of National Committee Furtherance of Jewish Education on Long Island and Director of Chabad of Mineola. “Our supporters once again demonstrated their strong spirit of kindness and caring, and their support will allow us to continue to help the needy in the coming year.”
The
“Celebration 13” Telethon, which broadcast live from Long Island for
four hours on December 11, aired in major markets across the
Tri-State area and was also simulcast on the Internet. The show
featured a lineup of political leaders, sports and entertainment
figures. Live music by the Neshoma Orchestra included acts by
Chassidic Sensation Avraham Fried, Broadway star Bruce Adler, Blue
Fringe, Lenny Cocco & The Chimes, The Manhattan Day School Choir and
The Kinderlach- Israel’s New Kid’s Band. The show aired taped segments
from individuals and families whose lives were touched by the
Committees programs of caring and compassion. In addition to thanking
the donors, Rabbi Perl also thanked everyone involved in the
production of the show. “Many talented people worked very hard on this
year’s Telethon, and a broadcast of such quality wouldn’t be possible
without their efforts,” the Rabbi said. “On behalf of all of us, we
wish to offer our terrific production staff the appreciation they
deserve.”
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Fans pay tribute to John Lennon
Hundreds of white balloons have been released in John Lennon's home city of Liverpool as music fans around the world mark 25 years since his death. The former Beatle was shot outside a Manhattan apartment on 8 December 1980 by Mark Chapman, who is serving 20 years to life in a New York prison. In a newly released interview, Chapman describes his "compulsion" to kill Lennon as "like a runaway train". Other tributes included a concert in London with music stars such as Lulu. Lennon had just turned 40 years old when he was shot and killed in New York. Paul Weller and Jamie Cullum were among musicians paying tribute at the concert at London's Abbey Road studios on Thursday.
Photo: Fans in New York - where John Lennon was shot on 8 December 1980 - laid flowers in remembrance.
Badly Drawn Boy, Sugababes and Katie Melua were among other artists taking part in the concert, featuring re-interpretations of Lennon songs. The transmission was broadcast simultaneously on Radio 2 and across the US on Sirius Satellite Radio, in Manhattan, New York. More than 1,000 messages to Lennon were tied to the balloons released from Liverpool's Albert Dock at 1200 GMT. James Andrews, nine, from Bournemouth, was one of the youngest fans to take part in the balloon release. He said: "I just wrote Merry Christmas John on my balloon. I love The Beatles and especially John Lennon." Another message read: "Looking around at all that's happening in the world today we need his voice now more than ever! He was the only hero I ever had, from Jim Cushman, USA." Several other events marked Lennon's death in Liverpool, the city of his birth. Images of the singer were projected on to the George's Dock building. A civic service to celebrate his life is took place at Our Lady and St Nicholas Parish Church, opposite Pier Head.
One-minute silence: Fans also held a commemorative event at Strawberry Fields, in Central Park, near the Dakota building where Lennon lived. A one-minute silence was held at Virgin Megastores in central London at 1100GMT. It was the first time in the store's history that trading ceased to salute a music artist. A major exhibition on the musician and his work is currently being held in Paris.