Simon Doonan | The New York Observer

Barbie Brawl Breaks Out at Jonathan Adler's Soho Store

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:15:42 -0400

Bright pink was the color scheme at a “Barbie Loves Jonathan Adler” fete at Mr. Adler’s Soho boutique Wednesday night. The 43-year-old interior designer and former judge of Bravo’s short-lived Top Design was recently chosen to create a new Malibu Dream House in honor of the doll’s 50th anniversary. “The funnest part for me was liberating my inner kitten. My inner design kitten,” Mr. Adler said. “And being able to just be frivolous and...

Dishin' About Finance: Jonathan Adler Celebrates Brilliant Brother David's Book at Madison Avenue Store

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:36:29 -0400

On Thursday, June 25, revelers piled into Jonathan Adler's Madison Avenue store to celebrate the launch of his older brother David E. Adler’s new book, Snap Judgment (FT Press). The book is about our instincts with money, and when we should obey them or avoid them at all costs, no pun intended! "I could probably be a poster boy for the book," said 6-foot-4 Sopranos actor Alex Corrado, who seemed to feel a tad...

Know Your Poppy! Lipstick Queen Poppy King

Mon, 04 May 2009 08:49:28 -0400

Over the past year or so, several young, attractive Brits that go by the lovely name Poppy have surfaced in New York society. Herewith, our weekly guide to keeping all the Poppys straight.

When the Daily Transom rang Poppy King, the downtown lipstick designer whose clients include actresses Eva Mendes, Lindsay Lohan and the model Iman, she was so amused by our Poppy series that she immediately told us an anecdote about the first time...

Everyone Jump on the Peace Train! Simon Doonan and Barneys Pay Tribute to the 1960s

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:28:51 -0500

This morning, Observer columnist Simon Doonan unveiled the holiday windows at Barneys—where he toils as Creative Director by day—to the press.

"This year, I noticed that everyone was talking about the counterculture," he said, explaining his "Have a Hippie Holiday" theme via books by Sheila Weller (Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—And the Journey of a Generation) and Tom Brokaw (Boom!: Talking About the Sixties: What Happened,...

Lineup for September 24th, 2008

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:50:06 -0400

Do financial reporters care what the candidates think, wonders Felix Gillette. "Few in the world of financial reporting found much to say about either Mr. McCain or Senator Barack Obama’s responses to the unfolding crisis that week. After all, should business reporters really care more about Mr. McCain’s 'commission of technicians' than, say, Henry Paulson’s plans for the largest bailout in American history or, say, the sudden, radical end of the pure investment banks...

Reader, I Married Him

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:55:30 -0400

“I want to wrap him in a napkin and stomp on him.”

These words were spoken by Jonathan Adler to the startled officiant at our big fat gay Jewish wedding. Yes, on Thursday, Sept. 18, as reported in The New York Times the following Sunday, Mr. Adler and I tied the knot in San Francisco. It wasn’t really big and wasn’t what you would call fat, but it was...

Fashion Roundup: Victoria Beckham's Comfy Corsets; Arlenis Sosa in at Lancome; Trovata's Magic Bus

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:47:56 -0400

Victoria Beckham is launching a collection of dresses featuring “comfortable and supportive” corsets and belts. [WWD]

Italian designer Mila Schon has died at the age of 91. [Reuters]

Dominican model Arlenis Sosa, who is 19, will be the new face of Lancome. [WWD]

The Observer’s own Simon Doonan thinks that Sarah Palin is more “LensCrafters Lady” than “Ms. Congeniality.” [The Cut]

Designer Angel Sanchez opened his 37th St. studio to press, clients, and buyers in honor of...

Simon Says: This Year, Learn to Embrace the 'It' Bag

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:31:41 -0400

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Simon Says: Spring Season Videos

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:29:17 -0400

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Simon Says - Jane Fonda

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:53:13 -0400

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Simon Says - Grooming

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:49:46 -0400

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Simon Says - Freudian Handbags

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:45:09 -0400

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Simon Says - Collars

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:57:21 -0400

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Simon Says - Scarving

Tue, 06 May 2008 17:24:00 -0400

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Simon Says - Shortboots

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:26:13 -0400

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Simon Says - Eccentric Glamour

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:22:31 -0400

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Simon Says - Eccentric Accessories

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:02:09 -0400

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Simon Says - Curls

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:44:37 -0400

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Simon Says - Bustlines

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:17:27 -0400

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Simon Says - Tights and Hemlines

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:00:29 -0400

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Simon Says - Sunglasses and Handbags

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:51:07 -0400

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Simon Says - Scrunchboots

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:34:43 -0500

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GQ Crowns 'Men of the Year'!

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:42:37 -0500

John Varvatos, the Detroit-born-and-bred men’s wear designer known for both his clothes and creams, has just been named GQ’s “Designer of the Year.” Mr. Varvatos will join 19 other gents, politicos, dandies and jocks in the book’s December issue, marking its 12th annual “Men of the Year” rundown.

Not to keep tooting our own horn, but Observer contributor Simon Doonan not only makes eco-friendly window displays, he also writes the piece...

Style Blog Smells Fish at Barneys

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:09:56 -0500

In this week’s Observer, our very own Simon Doonan writes about how he was strongly encouraged by Barneys brass to lend the store’s holiday windows a “green” theme. But after style bloggers at Fashionista gave the street-facing displays the old once-over, they apparently became concerned about all the blinking lights, which, as they put it, “seem to suck energy the way we devour Skittles.”

“I don't know the specifics on...

Hollywood Babel On!

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:00:00 -0500

Little Miss Sunshine If “the little movie that could … and might”5 takes the prize, it will be due to young Abigail Breslin: “they really ought to give it to the little, or not so little, girl”7 who was “the key in it”7. Many might enjoy the moment “when the teen-aged boy finally can’t take his family anymore (we’ve all been on both sides of that),”6 but it’s worth noting that “the family at...

Letters

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:00:00 -0400

I’m Sorry for the Super Jews To the Editor: When I read last week’s Observer, I at first thought it was the April Fools’ Day edition even though it was October [“Judt at War,” Suzy Hansen, Oct. 16]. I could not believe that a Jew, Abe Foxman, was infringing on the right to freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas from a fellow Jew, Tony Judt. This goes against the very grain of...

Letters

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Letters

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:00:00 -0400

The Double Issue: Everyone, Everything, Everywhere

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 07:35:41 -0400

We're peeling ourselves off the sticky floor over here to head off for a week of vacation. Don't be sad! Today's double issue is crammed full of enough stuff to keep you occupied on the crapper for the next two weeks. First-year banking boys enjoyed their coke-snorting, hot-dog-eating summers just fine; L.A. sucks and Lindsay Lohan will go for a sister's neck; The Martignetti brothers, of the LES's Martignetti Liquors, are opening a restaurant; there...

Letters

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Flab-ulous!

To the Editor: Re “Man Flab, It’s Fab” [Sara Vilkomerson, June 26]: Brilliant article! As a man who struggles to keep his weight down and not get that extra roll, I found Ms. Vilkomerson’s perspective interesting. But mostly I laughed at the last lines: “Meaty, Vince Vaughn–esque bear men sweat profusely and would potentially sweat on me during sex. I’d rather sew my vagina shut.” Heaven forbid this silly woman...

Letters

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Flab-ulous! To the Editor: Re “Man Flab, It’s Fab” [Sara Vilkomerson, June 26]: Brilliant article! As a man who struggles to keep his weight down and not get that extra roll, I found Ms. Vilkomerson’s perspective interesting. But mostly I laughed at the last lines: “Meaty, Vince Vaughn–esque bear men sweat profusely and would potentially sweat on me during sex. I’d rather sew my vagina shut.” Heaven forbid this silly woman from sweating during...

Letters

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Honor Thy Writer of Talese

To the Editor: I cannot find the words to tell you how much I enjoyed Jason Horowitz’s piece on Gay Talese [“Honor Thy Talese,” April 24]. Oh, … yes, I can. It was a masterpiece—crafted beautifully and spun together like fine silk. I discovered it because I couldn’t sleep. I’m so glad I had insomnia. I so admire Mr. Horowitz for taking him on as a subject....

Letters

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Letters That No Longer Spell Trouble To the Editor: When I first saw images of Simon Doonan’s Barneys words, I certainly would have thought he’d at least glanced at Jack Pierson’s work at some point. But one needs to take Mr. Doonan at his word [“How Did I Become the Typhoid Mary of the Art World?”, Simon Says, April 17]. So, assuming he’s being honest about not knowing Mr. Pierson’s work, I find myself...

Letters

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 19:00:00 -0500

Let’s Not Be Hasty To the Editor: Chris Lehmann wrote a great article on the coming Congressional races [“Bush Flickers Out, Republicans Face Mass Hibernation,” Feb. 13]. It was very interesting, but I have been the communications director for four Congressional campaigns in New York City and Westchester County, and I found his conclusions to be very premature. First, nationalized Congressional races are a rare thing. Second, Congressional race trends coalesce later than...

Letters

Sun, 13 Nov 2005 19:00:00 -0500

To the Editor: I wonder what bitter pills Choire Sicha has had to swallow in his own personal life that would give rise to such acidic, below-the-belt, mean-spirited, hypercritical comments and have them flow from his pen [“Wales Beached Here,” Nov. 7]. If the royals visiting the United States are irrelevant, then his article about Camilla’s clothes is even more so. Perhaps if he would put a dollop of honey in his tea in...

Kidd Keeps Knopf Cool, Wrapping Books Gorgeously

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:00:00 -0500

Like a verdant interval at Yaddo or a sepulchral black-and-white author photo by Marion Ettlinger, a snazzy book cover by Chip Kidd has distinct cachet in Manhattan literary circles (what’s left of them, anyway). The difference is that Mr. Kidd has managed to maintain an unsnobbish aura, though he works for Knopf, still the poshest publishing house around—celebrity autobiographies and Chic Simple notwithstanding. Thanks in large part to Mr. Kidd’s designs, which smear pop-culture...

Community Boards

Sun, 04 Aug 2002 20:00:00 -0400

Former Barneys Home to Enter Next Life As Himalayan Art Museum

Andy Warhol, who used to dress the windows at Lord & Taylor before becoming the poster child of the Pop Art revolution, once made the observation that "when you think about it, department stores are kind of like museums." With this casual remark, Warhol foreshadowed the emergence of today's culture of mass consumption, in which boy bands are created, packaged and marketed with the...

The Barneys Experiment: Live Subjects Under Glass

Sun, 26 Nov 2000 19:00:00 -0500

Simon Doonan is taking this week off so that he can prepare the Barneys (his daytime employer) holiday windows. Between Nov. 17 and New Year's Eve, he's got human beings posing inside them, making a kind of human tableaux on Madison Avenue.

"Earlier this year," he said, "I thought, the whole world's gone memorabilia mad, buying crap on eBay-and invariably, people have a favorite decade. So we put one couple from the 40's, 50's, 60's,...

What to Ask For for Christmas? One Word: Yamamoto

Sun, 07 Dec 1997 19:00:00 -0500

What are the most wanted holiday presents for 1998? "All the Balthazar things," answered no less an authority than Katherine Betts, Vogue 's fashion news director, when we met on Madison Avenue between Brooks Brothers and Paul Stuart the other day. "The mood is Wall Street. Everyone is rich. It's O.K. to be greedy again," Ms. Betts reported in an impartial rat-a-tat, like a city desk writer phoning in details of a limousine wreck.

"As...