From South Africa's Soweto poorest kids, to Los Angeles wealthiest ones, destroying luxury goods has evolved into a new form of expression. According to the "izikhotane," the young South African teens who burn money and high-end accessories the ritual means showing off...

The Golden Child

11:45 pm, Wednesday, July 3, 2003.

It was an inconspicuous day to launch a conspicuous project: a gleaming, golden, sleek structure christened the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. No press mention of the opening elaborated on the time and perhaps there was...

I'd never met her in person, though I'd written about her several times. The one photo I'd seen was little help -- after all, women could be mercurial groomers. Hair, make-up and even style of wardrobe could drastically change in the span of a week. The only option was to...

Her skin is glowing, eyes shining, face smiling. There should be nothing remarkable about this sunny disposition, except Roberta Annan (below) is on her third business trip, in the third country in just as many weeks. Yet as she looks up from the menu at the Golden Tulip Hotel in...

Perhaps, love's got nothing to do with it.

After all, with sky-high fuel costs, plummeting budgets and increasing bankruptcies, the global aviation industry is driven more by the bottom line and less by emotion. Yet when it comes to Nigeria, the bottom line seems bleaker still. From 2002 to 2006,...

A press release and a party: that's all Salvatore Ferragamo needed to successfully launch their lush new women's scent, Signorina. But digital times call for more inspired strategy and so Ferragamo added another dimension: a brand new website.

The site, which officially launched on Monday, is dubbed "The...

It took almost a week, but the kinks had finally been ironed out. By day four of ARISE Magazine Fashion Week (AMFW) in Lagos, Nigeria, shows started relatively on time, seats filled up rapidly, and there was fierce competition between socialites and press for the front row. Audiences could now...

The collections were interesting -- but it was the designers who intrigued me.

As each of them took a bow on the second day at ARISE Magazine Fashion Week, I noticed a theme.

From the exuberant bow by Romero Bryan of Jamaica, to the fresh-faced beauty of Lia...

They key to enjoying a fashion show is not to look too closely.

Should your eyes wander to the back of house, you will witness the chaos that consumes designers and production crew seconds before the show. Should you look at the front of house you will see dozens of...

This was personal.

After years of reporting on fashion shows everywhere from the Caribbean to Brazil to New York to London -- I was thrilled to finally cover a show in a location that is closest to my heart: my native Africa.

The continent, now enjoying rapid growth in...

To the untrained eye, the three women chatting in the corner of the restaurant could have been a girl group. While their make-up was understated and their clothing sophisticated, their obvious joy and friendship simply screamed 'Girl Power.' One quick chat with them and you discovered why: these distinct personalities...

With just one billboard, Calvin Klein Underwear changed it all. Their 1983 Time Square ad featuring Olympic athlete Tom Hintnaus revolutionized how the male physique would be seen and celebrated in mainstream advertising. The unapologetically virile image of the bronzed pole vaulter leaning against a stark white background in snug...

It all comes down to one moment: when the light's dim, the models exit, and the designer takes a bow. For a journalist, this is when the real show starts. You must rapidly process what was seen then quickly craft copy that provides commentary and context. This Fashion Week ritual...

It is the summer of 2009, and the relative tranquility of West Broadway is shattered by the appearance of Laquan Smith. It's not his boyish good looks or lean 6'1 frame that turns heads -- but the sight of said frame draped in gold leggings, high-heels and a bright neoprene...

Mimi Plange (above) had no choice. When it came to selecting a New York City venue to showcase her Fall 2012 Collection it had to be luxe as her clothes. As editor after editor stepped inside the sprawling space -- a...

A common theme binds Fashion Week parties: celebrating a successful end. But the soiree held by W Hotels last week celebrated the opposite: a successful beginning. For five lucky designers, the event at Lilium at W Union Square commemorated their induction into the brand's Fashion Next Program. They include

A few months ago, Tilda Swinton, Waris Ahluwalia and Paul James walked into a London restaurant. As meals among friends are wont to do, talk turned to favorites. Travel was a common denominator and the trio swapped stories of memorable hotels. With an actress, an entrepreneur and the Global Brand...

The legend goes when Klaus Obermeyer immigrated to Colorado from Germany in 1947, his mother insisted he pack a comforter. In this case, Mom's advice wasn't only right, it made Obermeyer a mogul. When he began working the slopes of Aspen as a ski-instructor,...

Standing well over 6-feet, with shoulder-length hair, and a charming smile, Shubhankar Ray is much like the brand he represents: striking, handsome and consummately cool. As Global Brand Director for G-Star Raw, Ray is one of several key figures behind a label which has catapulted from its Dutch roots to...

Sophie Theallet seemed silent at first. But as friend after friend arrived at a dinner in her honor at the Gramercy Park Hotel, she came to life. Kisses were planted, hugs were given and compliments were exchanged. As these guests, including Vogue's Meredith Melling Burke, Paper Magazine's Mickey Boardman and...