Tabla de contenidos para February 2013 en ELLE

THE MUST-DO CHECK LIST Friday, February 1 WARM BODIES In this sweet (no, really) zom-com Nicholas Hoult plays an emo zombie who is slowly brought back to life after meeting the very-much-alive girl of his dreams. Tuesday, February 5 THE HIGHWAY Nashville music royalty and fashion-plate singer-songwriter Holly Williams (granddaughter of Hank Sr.) self-releases her third album of whiskey-soaked, honey-sweet country laments. Download now: "Drinkin'," a fiddle-heavy plea to a cheating man Sunday, February 24 THE 85th ACADEMY AWARDS First-time host Seth MacFarlane earns his master-of-ceremonies stripes tonight at the Oscars. Tuesday, February 26 EIGHTY DAYS Author Matthew Goodman chronicles 25-year-old reporter Nellie Bly and magazine journalist Elizabeth Bisland's 1889 competition to break the record for fastest trip around the world. 12 "When, in 2010, Time magazine selected [Banksy]…

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of appearing in two episodes of the much-loved ABC comedy Ugly Betty. When I arrived on set, a public park where a 40-foot ELLE banner had been stretched from one end of an enormous fence to the other, there was a trailer the size of my first New York apartment waiting for me, with a fully stocked fridge, a wet bar, and a shower, lest I break a sweat walking between the air-conditioned trailer and the field. I was playing a fictionalized version of myself, with lines full of the diva clichés that fashion-magazine editors are thought to spout regularly. The story arc was pretty straightforward: ELLE was playing a softball game against the staff of Mode, the pretend fashion magazine that was…

For this month's A to Zee (page 90), we commissioned a script from the writers of ABC's offbeat sitcom Happy Endings. Get to know the five women behind the funny: 1 NAME: Leila Strachan PROVENANCE: Portland, OR FIRST GIG: Writer for animated show Lil' Bush, on Comedy Central FIRST TV OBSESSION: Corin Nemec, from Parker Lewis Can't Lose. "The Internet didn't really exist, so I actually took a picture of the television so I could have a photo of him." 2 NAME: Jen Regan PROVENANCE: San Francisco FIRST GIG: "This is my first job in TV." WORK WARDROBE: "Whatever's in the latest J.Crew catalog. I love stripes, and I also love getting packages delivered to me at work." 3 NAME: Jackie Clarke PROVENANCE: Franklin, MA FIRST GIG: Writer for The…

CHRIS BENZ Worst thing about 'gram: "I can barely tear myself away from it for our fall fittings." COCO ROCHA "These @LouisVuitton shoes mean serious business!" LEITH CLARK The stylist and Lula editor-in-chief shared a vacation snap from Bali. EMILY WEISS, INTO THE GLOSS "Die Antwoord's Yo-Landi is an electric performer. I love her style." GILES DEACON Worst thing about 'gram: "You can miss a lot if you don't check for a day or two." NICOLA FORMICHETTI When I get a lot of Likes: "I smile." When I don't get a lot of Likes: "I try to smile." HENRY HOLLAND "This is Disco Sally, one inspiration for our fall 2013 collection and a regular at Studio 54." MICHAEL KORS At press time, the designer had more than 326,000 followers. DOUGLAS…

1. Sunglasses, NINA RICCI, price on request, visit ninaricci.com | 2. Silk organza and PVC top, JF & SON, $144, visit jfandson.com | 3. Python, vinyl, and kidskin pump, DIOR, $1,050, call 800-929-DIOR | 4. Laminated python bag, LANVIN, $2,827, call 646-439-0380 | 5. Sparkle skirt, J.CREW, similar styles at jcrew.com | Model at left wears: Silk cady dress, sunglasses, both, DIOR, prices on request, call 800-929-DIOR | Gemstone earrings, $4,700, rock crystal and diamond bracelet, price on request, both, H.STERN, visit hstern.net | Gemstone clutch, RAUWOLF, $1,420, collection at Barneys New York…

This winter, the top floor of Bulgari's Fifth Avenue boutique will be transformed into a gallery of the Italian jeweler's iconic Serpenti designs, cleverly timed to coincide with the start of the Chinese zodiac's year of the snake. Rarely seen archival photographs, sketches, and pieces dating back to the 1960s will offer a closer look at both the social history and technological know-how that went into transforming the serpent, a motif in art since antiquity, into one of the must-have status accessories of the twentieth century. The exhibition is also a fun glimpse into Bulgari's bold-faced roster of clients—from Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra to larger-than-life fashion editor Diana Vreeland—that explores their personal connections to the brand. It's not all about the past, though. Also slithering in: Serpenti watches from Bulgari's…

It's a chilly fall day in Manhattan, and while everyone else has reached for the nearest cardigan, Marissa Webb has opted for a more creative solution: a borrowed-from-the-boys double-breasted navy blazer (the kind with the shiny gold buttons), layered over a perfectly worn-in vintage jean jacket, fastened all the way to the collar. It's the kind of mix-and-match feat that most women wouldn't even think to attempt. And yet, on this afternoon, in her downtown design studio, Webb's execution is flawless—no awkward bulges, no stray hems—and, perhaps most unbelievably, still allows a full range of arm motion. While Webb's ultrapetite frame certainly doesn't hurt matters (the 5'5" designer reports she's a size 000 in pants), she insists out-of-the-box experimentation is the only way she knows how to dress. "I went…

A hit fall drama, a bloody midseason thriller, and a bingeable Netflix series serve up new TV romances Why We Love TV, a master class in dating, and more… WHO: Bill Skarsgård, 22 (left) SEE HIM IN: Hemlock Grove on Netflix (read our preview of its game-changing shows on page 152), as a scion grappling with, in Skarsgård's words, "this growing darkness within him," who teams up with a gypsy teen wolf to solve a string of gruesome murders. FAMILY MATTERS: The son of Stellan and brother to Alexander and Swedish actor Gustaf, Bill initially fought the acting bug. "I didn't want to be the fourth Skarsgård," he says. "But eventually people will recognize me for who I am." WHO: JD Pardo, 32 (center) SEE HIM IN: Revolution, NBC's hit…

Carlene Bauer's beautiful and moving Frances and Bernard (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) achieves a difficult literary feat: It's a wholly original, fully fleshed, sparklingly alive, thrilling, moving, jam-packed epistolary novel of a mere 208 pages. Its two main letter writers spring so vividly to life through their words, and their connection feels so profound, electric, and real, that it's hard to believe Bauer didn't copy verbatim actual missives between Flannery O'Connor and Robert Lowell, the writers on whom her characters are clearly based. O'Connor and Lowell corresponded inter mittently over the course of many years, but Bauer has deftly created these letters out of whole cloth, reinventing in fictional form a deep- running stream of inter twined ideas, struggles with faith, exchanges of passions, and shared literary ambitions. Bauer, a onetime…

THE BUZZ ON BEES, SUPERMODEL HAIR SECRETS, AND MORE… Have a spring awakening with 1960s-inspired mod beauty: wide feline eyes and pale lips. "For the ultimate cat eye, sketch the shape with a black pencil, then top with gel liner for intensity," says makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, who created the Peggy Lee–meets–Lana Del Rey look shown here on Lindsey Wixson backstage at the recent DSquared2 show in Milan. Tilbury adds: "The line should be thinner along the inner corner and thicker at the end." Meow. Tilbury muted models' lips with two '90s favorites: lip pencil in Spice and lipstick in Fleshpot, both by M.A.C.…

LONG-WEAR SMOKY EYE NYC-based makeup artist Suzy Gerstein creates a smudgeproof smoky eye with LAURA MERCIER Crème Eye Color in Burnished Copper and SHISEIDO Cream Eyeliner in Brown. "After mixing, apply the combo with a small, fluffy shadow brush, circling the eye." THE PRETTIEST LUMINIZER For a lit-from-within glow, Gerstein blends CHANEL Ombre Essentielle eye shadow in Complice and GIVENCHY Mister Light concealer on the back of her hand. "Apply with a tiny brush under brows and on cheekbones." VA-VA-VOOM LASHES Stiles plumps lashes by layering mascara with any translucent loose powder. "Start with LANCôME Virtuôse, then sweep powder over the lashes with a shadow brush," she says. Finish with a second mascara coat. THE PERFECT NUDE LIP For a neutral lip color that's never dull, Gerstein mixes a daub…

Call it a problem with authority, but being told I can't eat something—even if it's a self-imposed law—brings out my inner brat. Any decision I make to cut back instantly activates my instinct to gorge. I thought Weight Watchers' built-in "cheat" points might be the answer, but I blew my first week's allowance by Monday. I gave the "juice-fast till dinner" a shot—all the rage in Manhattan—and successfully detoxed all day, then went calorie crazy at night. At one point, I even devised my own plan, the "little bit" diet, which allowed me to indulge in tiny portions of whatever I wanted. But who can stop at one-eighth of a cheesesteak? So fasting, the unlikely sounding fad diet du jour, seemed a no-way, no-how proposition—despite a glut of studies that…

DREAMY DECORATING IDEAS, PORTRAIT GALLERIES, AND MORE… It took six years and countless antiquing trips, but actress Ginnifer Goodwin has finally perfected a fairy-tale-worthy L.A. lair. TEA TIME Goodwin, wearing a Stella McCartney dress, prepares a cup of tea in her kitchen On ABC's Once Upon a Time, Ginnifer Goodwin plays a modern-day Snow White, a casting no-brainer: The 34-year-old—Ginny, to friends—has signature raven hair, flawless porcelain skin, and delicate elfin features that could have originated in an illustrator's imagination. And what's more, she's still in touch with her "inner eight-year-old, who has always wanted to be a Disney princess," Goodwin says. But offscreen, in her adopted hometown of Los Angeles, the word princess calls to mind images of pink terry-cloth tracksuits, tiny dogs, and tiaras—the exact opposite of Goodwin's…

Tormented? Driven witless? Whipsawed by confusion? BEAUTY CAN BE A BEAST DEAR E. JEAN: I've become obsessed with a beautiful—really beautiful—artistic, messed-up, soulful, self-centered romantic who is nine years younger than I am. For the past three years we've been having occasional sex, but the essence of our relationship is me advising him about his continuously tortured love life. (Women throw themselves at him.) I'm not conventionally pretty—I guess you'd call me "striking"—so obviously I'm charmed that he chooses me as his one constant. But in my head I know this is crazy. He loves only what he can't have. I've sworn him off numerous times—deleted him from my life—but I'm always drawn back. Our circles of friends are acquainted, and I can't get away from him. Social media makes…

TALK ABOUT MUST-SEE TV: OXYGEN'S REALITY SHOWDOWN THE FACE PROMISES TO INTRODUCE US TO AN ALL-NEW NAOMI CAMPBELL. FASHION'S ULTIMATE SUPERSTAR TELLS MICKEY RAPKIN ABOUT BURYING THE HATCHET AND WHY SHE'S READY FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF CLOSE-UP Lacquered lace coat with ruffled lace peplum slit, lacquered lace corset, both, Alexander McQueen, prices on request, to special order, call 212-645-1797. Patent leather and lace headpiece, Alexander McQueen, $1,995, at select Alexander McQueen boutiques nationwide. Viscose knit dress, Azzedine AlaÏa, price on request, collection at Bergdorf Goodman. For details, see Shopping Guide. Silk and tulle dress, tulle underskirt, both, Dolce & Gabbana, prices on request, at select Dolce & Gabbana boutiques nationwide. Sequined coat, Louis Vuitton, price on request, call 866-VUITTON. Asymmetrical silk dress, Anthony Vaccarello, $4,300. Suede pumps, Manolo Blahnik,…

NOT SINCE DYNASTY HAS WATCHING THE WEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL CANNIBALIZE ONE ANOTHER ON-SCREEN BEEN SO DELICIOUS. THE CAST OF REVENGE TAKES A BREAK FROM TEARING UP THE RICH-EAT-RICH HAMPTONS BADLANDS TO STRIKE A POSE CHRISTA B. ALLEN as… THE DEBUTANT DAUGHTER WHO WANTS OUT ASHLEY MADEKWE as… THE WANNABE SOCIALITE WITH CLAWS MARGARITA LEVIEVA as… THE REFORMED WILD CHILD SEEKING A SECOND CHANCE Far left: Silk chiffon dress with lace embellishment, Alberta Ferretti, $3,995, at Alberta Ferretti Boutique, West Hollywood. Necklace, Swarovski Crystallized, $234. Bronze cuff, TomTom by Elena Howell, $176. Diamond ring, Anita Ko, price on request. Left: Neoprene bralet top, $765, shorts, $855, both, J.W.Anderson, collection at Opening Ceremony, NYC. Yellow gold, platinum, diamond, and emerald necklace, David Webb, price on request. Sandals, Nina Ricci, price on request.…

AQUARIUS (Jan 20–Feb 18) Your birthday month couldn't start on a better note. The 9th's new moon will be in Aquarius joining Venus, which will have just entered a golden trine with Uranus and Jupiter. This confluence of planets will orbit at the perfect angle to your sign, making you the most magnetic zodiac this month. All Aquarians will have magic moments to celebrate as you're out attending many social events, whether you want to meet someone new or rekindle a past or present relationship. You're about to enter a high-income phase, but it won't come without equally high spending as Mercury—clustered with Mars, Neptune, and, in the last week of February, Venus and Jupiter—retrogrades on the 23rd. Still, these planets all will be in Pisces, and the 20th…

The best Fashion Week surprises take place not on the runway but backstage. Whether your favorite scoops are casting coups (remember when shots surfaced of Gisele at Alexander Wang?) or the newest makeup trend (we're still swooning over Pat McGrath's glittering lids at Dior last season), ELLE.com is your destination for unrivaled access to all the glossy behind-the-scenes details—plus interviews with top models and the beauty pros who glam them up. TALKING HEARTS Escape the candy-and-roses rut this Valentine's Day by sending your guy over to ELLE.com, where we've uncovered chic February 14 finds guaranteed to ignite a spark. TRUE ROMANCE When it comes to modern love, conventional wisdom need not apply. Enter author and columnist Catherine Townsend, whose approach to dating avoids touchy-feely rhetoric in favor of tangible results.…

FLAMING HEARTS Whether due to her strong, stunning looks or her honesty with Deputy Editor Maggie Bullock for our cover story, "Game Changer," [December 2012]—"In Hollywood, I'm obese. I'm considered a fat actress. I'm Val Kilmer in that one picture on the beach," the actress said—hard-core fans and Jennifer Lawrence neophytes alike took to our cover girl and The Hunger Games star like moths to the girl-on-fire's flame: "Not gonna lie, kinda [more] obsessed with #jenniferlawrence after reading @ELLEmagazine's December interview" —@victoriazabel, via Twitter "Hallelujah, a model with brains and curves, that's just what the world's been needing more of!!!!"—Gigi Gioelle, on ELLE's Facebook page "Good for her, I hope she sticks with her own vision of beauty and doesn't let Hollywood brainwash her into becoming a walking stick figure."—Tamara…

CITY OF HOPE The Carrie Diaries relights Emma Rosenblum's Sex and the City torch A few Sundays ago, I woke to one of those gray and damp, hungover New York City mornings that inevitably lead to useless existential angst. My apartment felt cramped. My face looked weathered. My mood was low. And so I did what I always do when such mental squalls approach: I went to HBO On Demand and ordered a Sex and the City episode. And then another. Then one more. And, like popping two Advil before a wax, the mini marathon really did blunt the pain before it could take hold. SATC debuted in 1998, a shocking 14 years ago. (Can that be right?) The economy was great, 9/11 was nothing more than a date in…

I love the puzzled look on people's faces when I mention I grew up telling time according to television. This wasn't the Sesame Street education-as-entertainment type of TV training. It was far more basic than that. In our house, we didn't really believe in clocks, so I figured out the time based on what was playing. Laverne & Shirley? Oh, it must be 8:30 P.M. on a Tuesday. The Love Boat? It's Saturday night at 9! (Am I dating myself yet?) Playing the role of a human TV Guide remains one of my most potent childhood memories. Starting in third grade, I'd race home from primary school precisely at 3 P.M., drag a heavy TV set into my bedroom, lock the door, and escape into the soft-focus world of General…

1. Enamel and antique-silver ring, BOTTEGA VENETA, $660, call 212-371-5511 | 2. Leather and calfskin bag, PROENZA SCHOULER, $1,725, call 212-585-3200 | 3. Suede pump, NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD, $695, call 646-559-5239 | 4. Silk top, KATIE ERMILIO, $1,160, visit alostoura.com | 5. Cropped stretch T-shirt, $325, skirt, $350, both, RHIÉ, at Creatures of Comfort, NYC | Model at right wears: Double-faced wool dress, $1,100, calfskin and Plexiglas bag, $1,795, both, MARC JACOBS, at Marc Jacobs stores nationwide. Resin bracelet, KATE SPADE NEW YORK, $128, visit katespade.com. Patent leather pumps, LOUIS VUITTON, $900, visit louisvuitton.com…

THE WOMAN: Felicia Gordon, 37, New York City THE JOB: Splitting her time as counsel for Pohl LLP and as founder of Sugar Hill Culture Club, her Harlem art collective. At the midtown law firm, Gordon consults with the Pohl team on clients ranging from entrepreneurs to an independent rapper. At Sugar Hill, she's currently working on a photo essay featuring Wendell Headley, a self-proclaimed avant-garde fashion designer who gallivants around NYC public parks in recycled-trash tutus and Lady Gaga–rivaling hats. THE UNIFORM: "My mother [former Planned Parenthood president Faye Wattleton] inspires me to elevate my style," says Gordon, who cops to a tomboyish mix of button-downs, ladylike A-line skirts from Ralph Lauren and Lacoste, and printed Marni knits. Often she models her own line of slim-tailored vintage R&B/hip-hop T-shirts,…

One year ago, on February 21, five young women staged a piece of guerrilla theater on the solea of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In contrast with the church's soberly dressed congregants, the demonstrators wore brightly colored dresses over clashing tights and a rainbow of knit balaclavas that obscured their faces. The members of the punk-rock collective Pussy Riot were protesting the reelection of Vladimir Putin. Subsequently, three members of the group were brought to trial on charges of hooliganism and each later sentenced to two years in jail. Those balaclavas and colors were not incidental to their mission: The uniform is a throwback, a defiant red flag to authority; it is costume and armor, too. Their "communally conceived fashion attack," as it was deemed in the press, has…

With its brutish title, Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad (based on Paul Lieberman's well- researched novel of the same name) could be mistaken for the kind of macho gorefest that the guy audience finds so enchanting—the rest of us, not so much. But what a difference a brain makes. Fleischer drops his terrific cast of juicy stars—Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and, as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen, a wiry, snarling Sean Penn—into a vivid, seductively smoky 1949 Los Angeles. Given Cohen's monstrous ways, on one level Gangster Squad plays as a straight-ahead cops 'n' crooks shoot-'em-up. But though Fleischer tips his snap-brim hat to classic noir, this isn't a dark, cynical film, delicious as that genre can be. Gangster Squad's real pedigree is the western, and that makes it a…

A welcome set of five short-story collections from around the globe represents a resurgence of fiction's most versatile—if often undervalued—form. While this crop boasts both new and estab lished writers, previous eras argu ably have been dominated by one or two defin itive masters of the story: Jorge Luis Borges and Flannery O'Connor in the 1950s, Raymond Carver in the '70s and '80s, Alice Munro in the '90s. The form's more recent legacy—at least in America—has been scattershot, spread out among such writers as Denis Johnson, Lorrie Moore, Charles Baxter, and Joy Williams, who have had distinguished careers enhanced but not necessarily made by their story output. Contemporary standouts Junot Díaz and Lydia Davis hit their marks with their first collections, then hit them harder with subsequent volumes, proving that…

Perhaps Gwyneth, Gisele, and the Olsen twins aren't familiar with that old adage, never trust a man with two first names—all four put their hair in the hands of bicoastal colorist and stylist Harry Josh. Not only is he the mastermind behind universally coveted cuts, Josh, international creative consultant for John Frieda, is also a go-to for dramatic color makeovers. (Mary-Kate and Ashley turn to him for their occasional flirtations with the dark side.) But Josh appreciates a minor color tweak just as much as a major shade overhaul. So when Zac Posen sought to liven up his models' hair for his spring 2013 runway show, the designer gave Josh a ring. "Their hair color was flat, and Zac wanted it to look rich and vibrant on the runway," Josh…

Burt Shavitz, the septuagenarian cofounder of determinedly eco-friendly beauty brand Burt's Bees, has just eaten a bee. Wings and antennae akimbo, it was the size and blackish shade of a large prune, and it had been bottled with several others in a jar of honey at a bee farm Shavitz just visited—along with a film crew and lucky, terrified me—in the jungly, southernmost region of Taiwan. There, swarms of thousands of bees—dizzyingly dense, deafeningly loud—left most of us screaming and blindly swatting despite head-to-toe protective beekeeper garb, while Shavitz, in nothing but his trademark short-sleeve khaki shirt and matching pants (with Teva sandals and socks), held the buzzing bugs in his bare hands and let them crawl across his face and through his wild white beard. He proved equally unflappable…

Bright eyes, smooth skin, killer nails, and a dangerously seductive scent. LIQUID ASSET Proving that serious skin care doesn't have to be heavy, SK-II LXP Ultimate Revival Essence offers protection, moisture, and noticeable fine-line reduction in an ultralight treatment water. PYRAMID SCHEME Smudged together or worn alone, the dense shimmer pigments of Topshop's Dark Side of Nude eye-shadow trios (shown in Atmosphere) make sexy evening eyes super easy. WORD OF MOUTH Buildable bareMinerals Loud & Clear Lip Sheers (shown in Amped Pink and Tangerine Trance) let you adjust the volume on your lip color. MISS BEHAVIOR Blending notes of sweetness and seduction, By Kilian's Good Girl Gone Bad oozes Arabian jasmine, Indian tuberose, and amber—perfect for sinful evenings. ANIMAL ATTRACTION Essie's Repstyle nail polish (shown in Crocadilly) brings new meaning…

Kelly Ripa was barely out of her twenties when she became Regis Philbin's work wife on his eponymous morning show 12 years ago. When he retired, she took the lead spot—and has more than proved that she can wear the pants in the family. One early October morning in Manhattan, Kelly Ripa, the namesake star of TV's top-rated syndicated morning show, is sitting in a makeup chair in a small, brightly lit room on the Upper West Side, as she's done every weekday for the past 12 years. Around her, the show's makeup artist and hairstylist are working in tandem—moisturizing, curling, concealing, and lining. Ripa's preshow routine, relative to other morning TV hosts, is expeditious. She arrives at the studio at 8 A.M., and an hour later she's beamed into…

In 1961, when FCC chairman Newton Minow called television "a vast wasteland," the appellation stuck. And sure, the must-see TV of the era—The Flintstones and Car 54, Where Are You?—wasn't likely to incite serious discussion. But as any evangelist of The Wire can tell you, times have changed, and antitelevision diatribes have gone the way of Network's "mad as hell" speech. These days, our dates with our DVRs are intelligent ones, whether we're drinking in TV's most attractive cast on Revenge—led by Emily VanCamp and Joshua Bowman, seen in our pages—or biting our nails along with Homeland's Carrie Mathison, played by our cover girl, Claire Danes. The small screen has lately proved fertile career ground for grown women: Glenn Close, Dame Maggie Smith, Jessica Lange, and Shirley MacLaine have all…

FOR SPRING, NEW YORK DESIGNERS LOOKED ON THE (VERY) BRIGHT SIDE. SHAKE OFF THE FEBRUARY DOLDRUMS AND WARM UP TO THE SEASON'S GRAPHIC CHEVRONS AND STRIPES, LIGHT-AS-AIR CHIFFONS, AND CHEERY TIKI FLORALS. SUNNY DELIGHT, INDEED Damask faille sleeveless jacket, $695, top, $595, skirt, $995, all, Vera Wang Collection, at Vera Wang, NYC. Chiffon headband, Eugenia Kim, $115. Sterling silver earrings, LØmo, $425. Resin bangles, Kenneth Jay Lane, $45–$60. Linen sandals, Charlotte Olympia, $895. For details, see Shopping Guide. Stretch chiffon sleeveless top, $1,595, skirt, $1,950, both, Proenza Schouler, at Proenza Schouler, NYC. Straw hat, Yestadt Millinery, $385. Resin bangles, Kenneth Jay Lane, $45–$60. Retro zipper-trim maillot, $296, striped cashmere crewneck, $895, Lucite goggles, Lucite neck cuff, Lucite bracelets, prices on request, all, Michael Kors, call 866-709-KORS. Yellow gold earrings, Roberto…

Clare Waight Keller has a vision for modern clothing that's as smart as it is liberating. Case in point: The designer's spring collection for the storied house of ChloÉ, her strongest yet, features streamlined ruffles, playful detailing, and flattering, cropped silhouettes that telegraph carefree elegance. By ZoË Wolff A few days after ChloÉ's spring 2013 runway show, creative director Clare Waight Keller was in her Paris office on Avenue Percier, reflecting on the brand she joined just over a year ago. On her desk, a bouquet of white roses kept company with magazines and books—most visibly, a copy of Guy Bourdin: Polaroids. Bourdin was responsible for such seminal ChloÉ images as the 1979 French Vogue editorial in which models in flouncy dresses lounge on a bed, playing cards. His photographs…

It's hard to think of another recent television character that's scored with audiences quite the way Schmidt has. On Fox's New Girl, Max Greenfield's Schmidt is the lovable wannabe ladies' man, a kimono-wearing man-child who, at his core, really just wants to nurture and be nurtured. He's so endearingly absurd, so instantly quotable—there's already a quickie book of Schmidtisms, The Douche Journals—that it's sometimes hard to know where the character ends and Greenfield begins. Greenfield recently taught two SoulCycle spin classes for charity, complete with a power-pop playlist and confessions like "I tried to get the bangs like Bieber once, but it doesn't work with this Jewish hair"—which seems like a very Schmidt thing to do. But there are some notable differences. For one, Greenfield, 33, is happily married, to…

In this golden age of TV, industry muscle can take many forms—corner-office clout, a gift for drama with gravitas, the knack for spotting reality gold. Herewith, 10 of the most influential outside-the-box movers, shakers, and Honey Boo Boo makers. Find out who else made our list at ELLE.com/tvpowerlist. THE PULSE TAKER Susanne Daniels The reign of Snooki couldn't last forever, and the responsibility of crowning a new cast of MTV cult characters falls to Daniels. The former Lifetime and WB honcho was hired this past November to be MTV's president of programming, just as Jersey Shore was winding down (and newer shows like Awkward were still waiting for their big break). Daniels' new gig comes with one big item on the to-do list: Be cool. THE FUNNY GIRL Suzanna Makkos…

It's not every day that the small screen finds a star who radiates as much intelligence and strength as she does sex appeal, which is why Claire Danes' return to television, as Homeland heroine Carrie Mathison, has both critics and viewers hooked. Among those devotees are ELLE Creative Director Joe Zee and photographer Carter Smith, who envisioned a modernized film-noir milieu for this month's cover story—a milieu well suited to the Emmy winner's dramatic prowess and Old Hollywood features. Zee dressed Danes in sleek shades of black, white, and gray from Proenza Schouler, Chloé, and Chanel's spring collections. Though known for her serious acting chops, Danes revealed her lighthearted side on set, taking breaks from Smith's flashing bulbs to banter with our styling team and groove to a soundtrack of…

Most people's nightmares center upon physical harm; mine are haunted by grosgrain and whale appliqués. This aversion to the preppy look began at 14, when I was a scholarship student at a Hudson Valley private school that rated three mentions in the original The Official Preppy Handbook and once served as the site of a Ralph Lauren shoot. At the public school I'd previously attended, kids wore baggy jeans and Timberlands. But here, every girl had an oversize Pink Pony prancing across her training-bra'd chest. When I graduated and went to Harvard—where everyone, male and female, seemed to have been issued a barn jacket upon matriculation—I resisted the tide, preferring thrifted treasures such as a green DVF-on-quaaludes wrapdress that I called "the key-party dress" or patched, paint-stained jeans. Besides attending…

GRAPHIC BLACK AND WHITE, GIRLY PASTELS, AND MORE… Scuba jumpsuit, $1,750, patent leather pumps, $900, both, LOUIS VUITTON, call 866-VUITTON | Calfskin bag, MARC JACOBS, $1,795, at Marc Jacobs stores nationwide | Scuba top, skirt, both, LOUIS VUITTON, prices on request, visit louisvuitton.com | Leather flats, MARC JACOBS, $795, call 212-343-1490 Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs more? elle.com/fashionfile…

1. Rose gold twin ring, REPOSSI, price on request, collection at Elle Rose, Ketchum, ID | 2. Linen sandal, DOLCE & GABBANA, price on request, visit dolcegabbana.com | 3. Tweed and straw hat, CHANEL, $1,750, call 800-550-0005 | 4. Tweed jacket, ALICE + OLIVIA BY STACEY BENDET, $495, visit aliceandolivia.com | 5. Perspex scent-bottle clutch, CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA, $1,295, collection at select Neiman Marcus stores nationwide | 6. Rope and enamel bracelet, ORLY GENGER BY JACLYN MAYER, $125, visit jaclynmayer.com | Model above wears: Embroidered silk and mohair top, $1,495, skirt, $4,950, brass necklace, $415, ring set, $765, all, BALENCIAGA BY NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE, call 310-854-0057.…

DESIGNERS, SHOPS, HOT SPOTS, AND MORE… NEW YORK After securing new backing last year, Vena Cava design duo Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai continue their brand's revival with the launch of Viva Vena!, a lower-priced line. The range features the label's cool-girl-with-quirk basics at a fraction of the price (a '70s-style jumpsuit goes for $78). Viva Vena, indeed. venacava.com PARIS After working her way through what seems like the entire Dewey decimal classification with clutches shaped like vintage copies of The Catcher in the Rye and Madame Bovary, Paris-based handbag designer Olympia Le-Tan has shifted her artistic gaze toward a different canon. For spring, the designer crafted clutches in the shapes of vintage records, including blues classics by the likes of Slim Harpo. Talk about a hit maker.…

SHRUNKEN SHIRTS, DARING DRAPING, AND MORE… Fashion, without question, likes to keep us on our toes. The minute we get the hang of one how-on-earth-am-I-going-to-pull-this-off silhouette (ahem, peplum), it seems like designers have already thrown us a whole new set of curveballs. Luckily, this season you'll be prepared for such pendulum swings: In the next few pages, we've highlighted the most important—and most daunting—trends from the spring runways and carefully outlined foolproof, soup-to-nuts formulas for how to wear each. You'll know, for example, the exact skirt that will save you from going belly-up in a crop top and which shoes will ensure that you break a leg, so to speak, in slit-up-to-there dresses. To start things off, we have this wide-brimmed felt hat—part swashbuckler, part hippie—that adorned nearly every model's…

STUDY GROUP "Master pickup artist" Nick Savoy is responsible for some of the most obnoxious dating advice for men out there. (Proof: his online series on how to ensnare porn stars.) In It's Your Move: How to Play the Game and Win the Man You Want (Grand Central), he clues women in to what occupies the minds of men—or, at least, the ones like him. • According to Savoy, you don't need to be Doutzen Kroes to get a guy's attention. "There's a level of attractiveness where a man asks himself: 'Based on looks alone, would I be proud to be seen with her?' " More than that can be overkill. • Forget reverse cowgirl: "A man doesn't leave a woman to be with a woman who's better in bed,"…

WELCOME TO THE SECOND—OR IS IT THIRD?—GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AROUND: COMEDY IS PRACTICALLY A WOMAN'S GAME, DRAMA'S DAMSELS ARE HARDLY IN DISTRESS, AND THERE ARE MORE FEMALE SERIES CREATORS THAN EVER. WHY DO WE LOVE TV? LET'S COUNT THE REASONS BECAUSE THE SINGLE GIRL STILL REIGNS SUPREME (JUST ASK MARY TYLER MOORE) You're gonna make it after all When Mary Tyler Moore first tossed up her hat, little did she know that she would inspire a new frontier of television. Premiering in 1970, The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a sophisticated comedy that took its antics almost predominantly to the office, thus dropping its female lead in a new class just as the country's women were making similar leaps. The show aired on the heels…

Stopgap fixes aren't really my thing. I prefer to have my flaws zapped, injected, and Rx'd into semipermanent submission—FDA-approved beauty! Which is why I go for Latisse over false lashes and favor acne medication over cover-up. At least these lasting solutions look believable—no one needs to know they're not exactly the real thing. The longest my hair—real or fake—has ever been came courtesy of a waist-length clip-in extension worn to a loft party, at which I overdrank, fell asleep in a spare room, and woke up the next morning to find my fake hair missing. Hours passed, and instead of going anywhere, the man of the house invited more friends over to join him. One of whom is a famous actor. When I finally revealed myself, the hair was noticeably…

QUICK FIXES Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and blemishes. No matter how diligently one follows her skin-care routine, emergencies are impossible to avoid. "Stress, hormones, diet—many factors affect how we look, and they can manifest at unexpected times," says NYC-based dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD. Try these derm-approved tips for common skin mishaps. BREAKOUT: Although a blemish will take several days to heal, reducing its size and color will make it easier to hide. + FAST FIX: Take a close look at the spot. See white? Apply a warm compress to open the pore and draw out the trapped bacteria, says Fusco, and follow with a disinfecting astringent, such as witch hazel. If the bump is hard and red, ice it for a few minutes, then follow with…

How's this for a professional epitaph: "I probably wouldn't have said the F-word." It's the recent lament of former Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, following her abrupt firing by phone from the company eight months prior. Bartz didn't just let the most visceral of curses slip out like a champagne hiccup at a conference, though. She pepper-sprayed audiences with profanity throughout her two-and-a-half-year tenure at the tech giant. Her indiscretion wasn't entirely her undoing, of course. But the flotilla of criticism that followed—coupled with her belated regret—got this foulmouthed woman wondering: Is it time to give up the F-word? It won't be easy. I love to swear. You might vividly recall your first kiss. I don't. But I can easily summon every sense in play the first time I cursed. It…

Everyone's heard of the male midlife crisis, but what happens when a married mother of three finds herself drawn irresistibly away from her happy (enough) family—when she decides that she needs one last chance at all-consuming love? A story like this could start almost anywhere. It could start with the bad, beautiful boyfriend in high school whose betrayal stings decades later. It could start with simmering annoyance at the husband. It could start with the incipient jowl, the first hot flash. I choose, though, to start my story in Shakespearean style, around the cauldron with the witches brewin' up some trouble. I was a married woman in the second half of her forties, coming off a decade of spartan attention to job, children, husband, hearth. The witches were about my…

CLAIRE DANES' EMMY-WINNING PORTRAYAL OF A BIPOLAR CIA ANALYST HAS MADE HOMELAND THE ULTIMATE MUST-WATCH TV. BUT THAT'S JUST THE FIRST IN A TRIFECTA OF WINS FOR THE ACTRESS IN 2012: SHE'S GOT A MARRIAGE WORTHY OF ENVY AND HER FIRST CHILD ON THE WAY. BY CLAIRE GUTIERREZ Cowl-front silk cady dress, Tom Ford, $4,950, at Tom Ford, NYC. Yellow gold and diamond necklace, Cartier, price on request. Her own ring. For details, see Shopping Guide. Black-and-white zip-back dress, Narciso Rodriguez, $1,695, visit narcisorodriguez.com. Suede and Plexiglas pumps, Gianvito Rossi, $625. Silk-blend top, ChloÉ, $1,175, at ChloÉ boutiques nationwide. Yellow gold and diamond necklace, yellow gold bracelet, both, Cartier, prices on request. Her own ring. For details, see Shopping Guide. Lambskin and tweed jacket, Chanel, price on request, at select…

MEET THE 14 MOST EXCITING NEW ACTRESSES ON TV. WHETHER THEY'RE SLAYING ZOMBIES, NAVIGATING LOVE TRIANGLES, OR DELIVERING MUCH-NEEDED COMIC RELIEF, THESE WOMEN ARE TAKING ON COMPLEX, NUANCED, AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY MODERN FEMALE CHARACTERS NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON THE SMALL SCREEN Katie Cassidy, 26, enraptures as Laurel Lance, an altruistic, heartbroken, and very angry foil to Stephen Amell's crime-fighting playboy on the CW's superhero drama Arrow; Meagan Good, 31, headlines NBC's new nighttime soap, Deception, as Joanna Padget Locasto, an undercover cop tasked with infiltrating the family of her slain best friend; Melissa Benoist, 24, expertly fills Lea Michele's tap shoes at McKinley High as the plucky but charming good girl on Fox's prime-time staple Glee; Allison Miller, 27, upstages Matthew Perry's acerbic sportscaster as his quick-witted assistant, Carrie, on NBC's…

COVERS Embellished top by Just Cavalli, $1,115, collection at select Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide. Yellow gold earrings, price on request, yellow gold and diamond necklace, $39,000, by Cartier, at select Cartier boutiques nationwide, call 800-CARTIER or visit cartier.com. Large link bracelet by C. Wonder, $68, visit cwonder.com. Stainless steel watch by Bulgari, $5,400, at Bulgari stores nationwide, call 800-BULGARI or visit bulgari.com. Gold link bracelet by Kenneth Jay Lane, $88, call 877-953-5264. Silver link bracelet by R.J. Graziano, $65, visit rjgraziano.com. Back-zip dress by Narciso Rodriguez, $1,695, visit narcisorodriguez.com. Pumps by Gianvito Rossi, $625, collection at net-a-porter.com. HOT CONTENTS Page 38: Sunglasses by Louis Vuitton, call 866-VUITTON or visit louisvuitton.com. BEHIND THE COVER Page 72: Dress by Bebe, call 877-232-3777 or visit bebe.com. Sofa by Jonathan Adler, visit jonathanadler.com.…