Jason McDonaldAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowFor decades now, beneath the roar of the runway and the buzz of sartorial savants who look to report contemporary trends and instead end up uttering desperately oblique bons mots about gray being the new black and skirts being the new pants, the canary in the proverbial coal mine has been singing a dirge for American fashion as a directional concept. Stores both high- and low-end are adrift in unwanted retail stock, not only because of shoppers' economic anxieties but apparently because there's nothing tempting enough to buy. Within the industry itself, inspired design has yielded to hype and obvious visual conceits, and the cult of the superstar designer with an E! channel–ready celebrity following reigns: See Mischa Barton toting designer X's or Y's interchangeable bags.
More From ELLEOf course, American fashion as a real contender for the global spotlight is a Johnny-come-lately compared with old-world European couture—and in any case first made its mark not with elegant evening gowns but with sportswear. The "American look" came into its own around 1940 with Claire McCardell's pragmatic yet strikingly unconventional approach to fashion, which conveyed comfort and ease with her signature use of playful materials such as cotton, gingham, and denim; ubiquitous pockets; and clean lines free of superfluous ornamentation. It was an idea of American practical¬ity that Anne Klein expanded in the '70s into a collection of everyday separates, while Donna Karan put her working-woman stamp on the theme with her seven easy pieces in the '80s. Meanwhile, Calvin Klein boosted the sales of jeans with a single provocative advertisement. And then there were the two megatalents, Halston and Geoffrey Beene, whose distinctly different, equally assured, minimalist visions of perfected simplicity in the '70s and '80s brought them worldwide global recognition. But beginning in the '90s, as the fashion cycle spun ever faster, with one look (grunge, for instance) overturning the previous one (monastic), only to fall out of favor quicker than you can say The Olsen twins, American fashion has become an increasingly confounded affair. Who is the customer being sought? What is the link between the runway and the actual merchandise that is ordered by influential department stores and boutiques? When you add to this foggy state of affairs the fact that we are in an increasingly severe recession, one would naturally think of this as a moment for retrenchment and caution rather than adventurousness, for camping out on familiar grounds rather than staking out untrammeled terrain.
Well, think again: Derek Lam is having none of it. Without much drama or self-¬promotional huzzahs, the soft-spoken 42-year-old Chinese-American designer—his mother is from Hong Kong and his father, the son of Chinese immigrants, is from San Francisco, where Lam grew up with two sisters—is striding, albeit in his own unaggressive style, against the tide. A mere five years after he started his eponymous company (his résumé includes two four-year stints at Michael Kors, book ending four years overseeing a mass-market chain in Hong Kong), his first stand-alone boutique is opening this spring. Designed by the Japanese architectural firm Sanaa and financed by Labelux, the Austrian com¬pany that bought a majority stake in Lam's company last July, the store is located at the ineffably chic juncture of Crosby Street and Howard in SoHo, steps away from Jil Sander and Ted Muehling. While recognizing the greatness of couturier talents like Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent (his personal favorites include Vionnet, Miuccia Prada, and Rei Kawakubo), Lam neither mourns the tradition's demise (he refers to Valentino's "pluperfect" draping as sometimes creating a "goddessy effect, like Jean Harlow draped in platinum charmeuse") nor frets about where his next client might be coming from or whether anyone in the press will take note of her. "I don't think traditional upper-class society makes a difference," he observes. "China and Russia are the new society." As for celebrities, he insists that they "have no mystery anymore." Lam is at once expansive about fashion's potential—to which end he and Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, his CEO since 2003 and his companion of the past decade, have conceived a 10-year business plan—and modest about its larger significance in the world.
Jason McDonald"God, it's only clothing!" Lam says half-mockingly, sitting at his glass-topped desk in a small office at the back of his all-white studio on West 26th Street, where sewing machines are humming and patterns are being pinned even though it's the Monday before Thanksgiving. Not that there is any sign of trickle-down anxiety, either: The mood in the studio seems decidedly calm, even peaceful. Then again, Lam is about as undiva-like a designer as the species allows. Although I have seen him act impatient or a bit irritated, he is as far from a drama queen as one can be and still fret about whether a particular blouse needs buttons on the cuff, if so how many buttons, and should they be self-covered or left as they are. Today, Lam is dressed in an approximation of the uniform he's worn each time I've seen him (not counting a formal dinner event): a T-shirt under a gray V-neck or crewneck and a variation on the theme of jeans. He often wears sneakers—a pair of subtly tricolored Converse All-Stars, say—but today he is wearing unzipped, shearling-lined, Siberia-ready boots because, as he explains, he felt cold when he woke up.
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Street Chic: New York

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Who: Anne Barker
What: Pull off the geek-chic look to perfection with wide-rimmed glasses and a slouchy cardigan
Wear: Vintage Persol glasses, vintage top and shorts, Citrine by the Stones necklace, and Coclico shoes
Photo: Lilia De Gregory

Ask E. Jean: Piano Man

Gregg DelmanAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowDear E. Jean: I'm a fairly handsome guy with some apparently serious problems. I've always been under the impression that musicians with long hair in loud bands have little trouble meeting women. This is not my case. I'm admittedly shy; but once the ice is broken, I'm an open book. Can it be this hard to find a woman? Someone to enjoy life with? I'm doing something wrong, but I just can't figure out what. Or is this lonely piano player losing his mind?
—Missing the Key
More From ELLEMissing , my man: Who are you? Frédéric Chopin? And what century are you living in? Only about 66 million women on MySpace would trample their own grandmothers to have you tickle their ivories. The rule for meeting women: If you want to receive attention from the fair sex, give it. Example: "Your dress is so beautiful, it deserves its own backup singers."
It's like the difference between being a great artist and being mediocre: It comes down to practice, right? Same with women. Talk to them, for God's sake! And be interested in what they have to say.
E-mail your questions to e.jean@askejean.com

Coco Nuts: The Women of Chanel No. 5

Steven Krause Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowCoco Chanel, 1937
More From ELLELauren Hutton, 1968
Cheryl Tiegs, 1969
Ali MacGraw, 1971
Catherine Deneuve, 1976
Carole Bouquet, 1987
Estella Warren, 2001
Nicole Kidman, 2004

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE WOMEN OF CHANEL NO. 5

Friends With Benefits

Istock photoAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowIt's spring in New York City and benefit season is in full force. And to many, like one 23-year-old publicist (who declined to give her name), that's a very, very good thing. "These events are goldmines!" she says. "Many of my close friends from college are in New York, single, and often meeting guys who are into the college thing—which means not taking the girl to dinner. But at these parties, you meet the upper-twenties to mid-thirties guys who can afford the ticket and will take you out to be wined and dined."
More From ELLEA few weeks ago, the publicist and her friends found themselves at a benefit where they discovered a virtual man "feast!" of handsome financiers. "We were in heaven," she recalls. "Every guy was talking to us. My friend exchanged numbers with someone and they started dating." It's not so bad for the men either. "They know that young PR and fashion girls will be there," says the rep. "These benefits really are the new Match.com."
New Match.com? Using charity events for hookups? Have we lost the altruistic purpose of holding these events in the first place? Maybe not.
Just ask Judy Kuriansky, PhD, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating and a noted clinical psychologist. "Galas are the new way of dating, have very few downsides, and are worth every penny," she says. "Meeting through these events is the brilliance of the new century."
There's a certain safety net to connecting at a fundraisers. You can meet and greet in an opportune environment. The attendees most likely have the financial security to pay for a ticket that can range upward of $350. And they presumably have a good heart to support an event that helps others. Plus, it's a wonderful way to circulate money into the economy. "In these difficult times, it's a great way to spend," says Dr. Kuriansky. "You've contributed to boosting the economy through helping society. And not only that, it could be a big payoff in your life."
Case in point: Kuriansky says that Heather Mills met Paul McCartney at the Pride of Britain charity event. (However, the psychologist admits the marriage was far from the ideal union.) "You can hit the jackpot and snag yourself a Paul McCartney," says Kuriansky. "One who is devoted to others and has a philanthropic spirit."
It seems that people feel safer about meeting someone at a benefit than at a bar or club. "To an extent, guests are usually well chaperoned," says Randall Stempler, a lawyer who runs charitybenefits.com, a calendar of charity events in New York. And the elegant atmosphere fosters good behavior.
Galas also offer the opportunity to put your best foot forward and dress to impress, which you couldn't do at other typical dating venues. "Most men look handsome in a tux and do not really get dressed up anymore," says Elise Bennett, a freelance production designer who is actively involved in the Fresh Air Fund, the Children's Aid Society, the Alex Fund, and the Global Action Project. "Also, a benefit is a perfect place for a woman to shed her conservative work clothes, put on a spectacular outfit, and feel stunning."
Of course, there are a few downsides. One charity event regular, who has been attending galas for more than a decade, met a woman he later found out spent nine months "upstate" for committing a white-collar crime. There's also the odd party crasher. But most of them are harmless and mainly focused on the free dinner and gift bag.
Many successful professionals work exhausting hours. So these events are an instant social life. Some attend two to four charity events a week. "Even if you don't meet the person of your dreams," says Bennett, "you can spend time with friends, eat, drink, and dance and still support a good cause." The key thing is not to be disappointed if you don't meet anyone. "There are no guarantees," says Dr. Kuriansky. It's important to psyche yourself up and tell yourself, I've done this from the goodness of my heart and made a great decision to be here. Besides, you could always make friends with a couple who might have a single friend."
For those who struggle for that first opening line, the gala itself gives you the instant conversation starter. "What's a better thing to talk about than the event that you paid to attend?" says Kuriansky. It's the ideal and logical opportunity to approach someone and say, "Isn't this for a wonderful cause? What is your connection to this organization" or share why you care about orphaned children. "The benefit fosters an atmosphere of warmth," says Kuriansky. "And there's an acceptance for closeness because you're there for the same cause."
Often galas have tiered tickets with different prices for attending just the cocktail party or after-dinner gathering. So if you cannot afford the $350 or $500-a-plate dinner, ask if there is an option to join only the before- or after-festivities. In fact, Kuriansky advises that if you want to meet someone, the cocktail hour is key. "That is where everyone mingles," she says. "If you miss it, you could be stuck at a couples table."
Also, look for a charity that you believe in—where you're more likely to meet people with similar interests. "If you lost your mother to breast cancer and you attend a gala supporting research for a cure, chances are you will meet people with similar stories and can bond over that," says Kuriansky. "If you don't meet someone, at least you've done something nice for your mother's memory."
When asked if they ever witnessed untoward or "get a room" activities at events, most nonprofit insiders say that guests tend to be on their best behavior. "Put alcohol, men, and women together at a party and things may happen sometimes, especially if it's in a dark room," says one gala regular. "But it's usually nothing too crazy and not very common. People are paying a lot of money to be there."
And even if some people are going to these events just to meet people, the organization still benefits. "Whatever way people are inspired to do good things—like giving money and making the world a better place—their hearts are in the right place," says one thirtysomething business owner who regularly attends charity galas. "Even if people are inspired to go to these events only because they have a yearning to find a girlfriend or boyfriend, it's still a win-win situation."
Talk about win-win. Some couples have discovered their soul mates. "People have met at our fundraisers and ultimately married," says Danielle Zalaznick, manager of the entertainment division at UJA-Federation of New York. "We're not a networking organization but a fundraising organization to help those in need. But anything else is a bonus. We are very excited if two people meet because of us and can continue to be involved with us because we are a special place for them."
Actually, well-heeled organizations like the New York Public Library have filled a niche by offering special memberships for people under 40, which fosters more of a social component. The library's Young Lions group sponsors benefits and cocktail parties and film screenings for like-minded book lovers who can engage in creative discourse. "Some are new to New York, and there are quite a few single people," says Carolyn Gan, manager of the Young Lions. "With Match.com, you have to sort through people to find those who want to lie in bed and read fiction. There's no sorting if you're a Young Lion. Everyone loves literature."

‘Yellow Submarine' finally sign Edmilson

Brazilian midfielder Edmilson has finally joined Villarreal after a week of speculation linking the then Barcelona midfielder.
Villarreal announced the signing on thier club website as they look to bolster their options for next years La Liga and UEFA Champions League season.
Edmilson, 31, joined Barcelona from French club Lyon, and won two La Liga titles with the Catalan club. However, the Brazilian suffered a series of injuries which have limited the midfielders chances over the past two seasons.
Barcelona revealed toward the end of this season that the Brazilian was likely to leave the club, and Sam Allardyce had looked to bring Edmilson to St. James Park during the Christmas period.
Villarreal have just finished thier must successful season as a La Liga club, beating Barcelona to the runners up post to secure Champions League Football for next season.