(May 2009)
Wheels
Bentley Continental GT Supersports
Photograph courtesy of Bentley Bentley, home of staggering speed and supple leather, is probably the last carmaker you'd expect to go green. But in September the company will begin making good on its promise to create a lineup of FlexFuel-compatible autos by 2012. The Continental GT Supersports can run on any combination of E85 biofuel and petrol. Better still, you don't have to sacrifice for 70 percent less emissions: The two-seater will be the fastest (204 mph) and most powerful (zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds) chariot in Bentley's 90-year history. Expect it to sell for more than the
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Q&A
60 Seconds with Mishna Wolff
Photograph courtesy of Jeremy Donner Got a minute? Comic author Mishna Wolff discusses her new memoir, I'm Down (out this week), the intimidation factor of double-Dutch jump rope, and the problem with getting a paycheck for modeling. Q: Your memoir focuses on your experiences growing up white in a predominately black neighborhood. What are the benefits of growing up with such duality ? A: I don't even think duality is the right word, because I grew up post-civil rights, when there was no more clear lines between acting white, acting black, and being black. Those things all started to
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Books
WORK BOOKS FOR THE CYNIC
Photograph by Doron Gild The global economic collapse has raised enough unsettling questions to make even the most confident guy run to the self-help shelves. Lucky for you and your anxieties, this new batch of texts offers something more than oversimplistic, Who Moved My Cheese?–style tonics. In Life Inc. (Random House, $25), trend guru Douglas Rushkoff argues that corporations have tricked us through what is essentially a massive Ponzi scheme into betraying our best selves. Sure, the book's a polemic drawn in broad strokes—but it's a surprisingly invigorating read. Matthew B. Crawford, a philosopher/mechanic, explains why he believes plumbers
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Music
PHOENIX, WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [Loyaute/Glassnote] Our rating: 4.5 out of a possible 5 Mixing dance-floor verve with meaningful songwriting is a risky proposition, but this Paris electronic-pop quartet strike the perfect balance on their fourth studio album. On songs like "1901," sharp observations about love mingle with piercing guitar, while "Lasso"—with its Cure-on-Ecstasy energy—provides a buzz that'll last long after the final track's done. Matt Hendrickson The music video for "Lisztomania" READ MORE: Asher Roth on pot, groupies, and why it's all about moderation Lady Sovereign brings melodic charm to the mix
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Style News
Yes, You Can Pull Off a White Suit
Dolce & Gabanna The Colonel Sanders is a high-risk option that's guaranteed to attract attention—and not necessarily the good kind. Still, approached with care, the white suit is striking and thoroughly of the season. Just make sure you can handle the spotlight. Courtney Colavita The Cut: Too baggy and you're Pablo Escobar; too tight and you're Tony from Saturday Night Fever. Try to err on the side of Tom Wolfe: Settle on a tailored silhouette that doesn't sag or constrict. Ralph Lauren Black Label The Add-Ons: Avoid looking like a washed-out orderly by incorporating shots of color from the
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ENOUGH WITH THE SECOND WEDDINGS
The only thing better than one perfect day to exchange vows is . . . two? Now that showbiz couples are making sequel ceremonies fast and furious, we think it's time to stop saying "I deux" and return to a single nuptials. August 2006: Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock have a second (and later a third and a fourth) wedding—and divorce four months later. March 2007: Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar March 2007: Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Rafaeli discuss plans to have two ceremonies. May 2007: Amy Winehouse agrees to have a second wedding with Blake Fielder-Civil. July 2007:
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Books
CHINA MIÉVILLE,
THE CITY & THE CITY
The City & The City by China Miéville [Del Rey, $25] China Miéville, the acclaimed urban fantasist behind Perdido Street Station, has made a specialty of blending pulp and literary tropes into ambitiously highbrow stories, but this latest premise may be his most audacious yet: He sets a Chandleresque murder mystery in two overlapping fictional Eastern European cities that must coexist by law without ever acknowledging each other's presence. Timothy Hodler READ MORE: Clancy Martin's coke-and-meth-fueled tale of lies Colson Whitehead goes traditional in Sag Harbor
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60 SECONDS WITH SAM METTLER
Photograph courtesy of A&E Got a minute? Reality-rehab godfather and Intervention creator Sam Mettler talks about the show's inmate fan-base, the upcoming seventh season (premiering Monday at 9 P.M. on A&E), and what he learned from an unwanted contact high. Q: Intervention was initially criticized as exploiting rather than helping its participants. With six seasons behind you, has that changed? A: We are required viewing in many treatment centers and for many folks in the prison system. Over the past couple of years, I've started to hear it from folks that were in treatment, from people who were in
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Travel
Havaianas as GAP
Photograph courtesy of Havaianas You know it's almost time to head to the beach when Gap sets up a separate shop for flip-flops. Of course, these aren't just any flip-flops—they're Havaianas and can be monogrammed. Get yours at Gap's temporary "white space," next to its Fifth Avenue flagship store in Manhattan, before it goes dark in mid-June. Katie Hintz READ MORE: Kanye West's sneaker collaboration with Louis Vuitton The season's best suede shoes
Art
The Big Book of Legs
Courtesy of A.R.S. Archive and Taschen The Big Book of Legs, from Taschen author Dian Hanson, is thick with photos of famous and not-so-famous female gams. The accompanying text chronicles the history of the long-eroticized limbs, from the Victorian era—when simply uttering the word legs was considered indecent—to the 1950s, with its leg-liberating stilettos. Katie Hintz READ MORE: A guide to skater punk turned artist Ryan McGinness Jeff Koons at Versailles
The Daily Details Continues
