Tess Ghilaga

As interest in vintage fashion magazines from the 40s and 90s and onward continues to soar, New York's cool crowd has descended on VFILES, the SoSo-based store where famed fashion magazine archivist Mike Gallagher has placed his pop-up store overflowing with vintage publications. But while the magazines are flying off...

As the Mad Men craze continues to inspire retro chic fashions, it's high time to look at some of the show's more stationary stars -- such as the spot-on 1960s period sets featuring Knoll furniture. This iconic brand has inspired architects and designers for over 70 years, so I recently...

I spent a miraculous week in Rome, weaving my way through the crowds, ancient ruins, the people cheering Berlusconi's resignation and the Ara Pacis Museum, which honored one of my style icons, Audrey Hepburn, a woman who adored the city and its designers, including Valentino. While there I had the...

The stormy economy and weather has me practicing more yoga than ever. And while these ancient techniques balance body and mind, perspiration is all part of the process. So what's an active yogi to do when she loves fashion?

Sweating is a healthy way to get...

Fall shopping season is here, and as always, I gravitate toward retail boutiques offering a unique experience for the senses. For fashion trendsetters and style scholars, Zac Posen's new Z Spoke deserves a visit. Located in the Meatpacking District, Z Spoke features Posen's beautiful, lower-priced line, as well...

It's always a thrill to be part of the great New York story. Every year brings a new skyline, the old buildings of the 30s and 40s making room for the modern. However, I can't help but be nostalgic for the New York of yesteryear, and viewing The...

New York has long been home to a robust population of bibliophiles. But trying to find a real brick-and-mortar bookstore in this town is no easy feat. When I visited the Borders superstore in the Financial District just recently I discovered a "Closed" sign on the front door, which struck...

I kicked off my week with a preview of Alexander McQueen's dramatic Savage Beauty show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, feeding my Anglo mania from the breathtaking royal wedding. While I swoon for anything in tartan, I'm more of a Francophile; I may adore Philip Treacy's whimsical toppers, but...

As tributes to Elizabeth Taylor keep pouring in, I'm increasingly awed by her talent, philanthropy and grit. But for all the respect I have for her extraordinary career, I just can't take my eyes off her gorgeous jewels, which she wore so proudly. I love the shots of

I was ten years old when I began reading Women's Wear Daily. In the late 1970s, I was 'working' at my parents' clothing boutiques on Long Island, where I drank Fresca while flipping through stacks of WWDs. Surely, my family was proud of my blooming yen for fashion, but I...

Derek Lam. Diane Von Furstenberg. Carolina Herrera. They stand as some of our leading fashion designers. They make the drab look dazzling and, with every new collection, seed our psyches with their metier. But what do their bedrooms look like?

In her new book, American Fashion Designers...

I swore to myself all the pixie dust in the galaxy couldn't bring me to Disney World. Friends razz me about being a high maintenance New Yorker, who enjoys the Four Seasons, Blackberry Farm and The One & Only Palmilla. I like peace, quiet, spas, yoga retreats and juice bars....

On a recent steamy, summer day I headed down to Irving Place to meet Eliza Starbuck, designer of Bright Young Things. I've always admired her approach to fashion -- favoring individuality over brand identity -- so I was curious to see how this 30-year old was going to interpret her...

This summer heat and humidity has my long, thick, straight tresses adding all sorts of Belle de Jour-esque volume -- at this point I'm just shy of an unwelcome Snookie poof. And while I know sexy bedroom hair is back in a big way, I've always had a love affair...

On Wednesday night, New York's art and fashion worlds descend upon Diane Von Furstenberg's flagship store and gallery in the Meatpacking District for the opening night of Natasha Law and Lucy Soni's collaborative show, Licking Out of the Same Bowl.

Curated by art consultant Blair Voltz Clarke, who...

With the holidays past us, the health-conscious are faithfully pursuing their Spring detoxification rituals, priming for a long season of swimsuits, shorts and mini-dresses.

As a devotee of mind-body renewal, I was curious about Norma Kamali's new Wellness Cafe, located in her flagship store on 56th Street....

As the double-digit unemployment rate climbs, more Americans than ever before find themselves unemployed, underemployed or "hostage employed," trapped in an unfulfilling job for economic reasons. I fall squarely into the underemployed category; unable to find meaningful full-time work, I split my time between four separate careers -- writer, yoga...

We all have our shopping quirks, and with only days till Christmas I'll share some of mine. I'll never brave another frantic, last-minute Best Buy crowd, but who can forget the money shot at Lord & Taylor of my boy on Santa's lap? Amidst this Yuletide bedlam, one of my...

My Monday morning started off like any other: checking my weekly forecast on Numerologist/Astrologer Cheryl Lee Terry's website. Senators, CEOs, editors, congressmen and publishers wait with bated breath for her Numerological/Astrological analysis on personal and professional matters. "Watching my former private clients debating bills on TV makes me queasy,"...

It's a name I know well: Eric Ruhalter. My husband attended Dickinson College over 20 years ago, and since then, Eric's remained a regular, witty and quirky fixture in our lives. He's that 'college friend' every spouse knows all too well -- the guy whose wild college antics are fondly...