Remember your first cocktail at The Plaza’s Oak Bar? A jacket and tie was expected, we sat a little straighter and, of course, we ordered something respectable. No “Screaming Orgasm on the Beach” here, thank you.

So a few years back when the New York landmark closed and started its conversion into a “luxury lifestyle destination,” I worried. Like a lot of...

Mostly, I tend to ignore People Magazine. I know I shouldn't. All that hype about “Brangelina” and “Gossip Girl” might not interest me personally, but I know that wherever stars lead, consumers follow. It might be my imagination, but it seems like celebrities are having even more impact lately: almost every fashion show has its share of front row luminaries...

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." —Mark Twain

In times like these, the rumor mill is probably the only factory that's working beyond capacity. Whether this store or that company is going out of business; whether this or that executive is unfurling a golden parachute or just jumping out a window is overloading phone lines and e-mail...

In the largest economic downturn since the Depression, what’s a denim manufacturer going to do to stand out? Jack up prices, of course. And not just by adding a few dollars to cost, but by creating a pair that will retail for $250,000! Jason Dussault of Dussault Apparel has created a one-of-a-kind pair of distressed jeans (and this man is an indigo sadist),...

A few years ago I had an appointment on the south side of West 38th Street and 5th Avenue. The showroom was on a high floor, so I wandered over to admire the view. Someone pointed out the roof of Lord & Taylor, just across the way, which featured an expansive open-air courtyard. “What a wonderful space...is it a restaurant or something?” No, I was told,...