ELLE April 2013

THE ELLE MUST DO CHECK LIST Tuesday, April 2 IT'S ALL GOOD (Grand Central Life & Style) Goopies rejoice: Gwyneth Paltrow's second cookbook, coauthored by Julia Turshen, is full of recipes free of gluten, sugar, and dairy—yet delicious; we promise! Sunday, April 7, 8 P.M. ET/PT 48th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS Tonight, pay homage to C & W's best and brightest—such as reigning Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift—as country kings Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan host the show on CBS. Tuesday, April 23 HERE LIES LOVE Experimental music masters David Byrne and Fatboy Slim created the music for this fully immersive club-kid musical about Imelda Marcos, the notorious former first lady of the Philippines, and her infamous 1,000-plus-pair shoe collection, opening tonight at New York City's…

THE ELLE MUST DO CHECK LIST Tuesday, April 2 KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL Photographer Mary McCartney—daughter of Paul and sister of Stella—has released a cookbook-slash-memoir titled simply Food. Mom Linda would have surely approved of the vegetarian recipes like Linda's Lemon Drizzle Cake that McCartney mixed in with family photos and anecdotes. Saturday, April 20 GREENER PASTURES Starting today, Urban Greenwalk partners with Bleecker Street boutiques to offer helpful hints on how to be more green, whether it's by bicycling or composting, so you've absolutely no excuse for buyer's remorse. Monday, April 1 PRINTED MATTER Forget April Fools' and take your look seriously. Sportmax has teamed with Design Miami/Basel cofounder Ambra Medda on Carte Blanche, a limited-edition collection of scarves, bags, and totes featuring botanical prints by London-based textile designer Ying Wu.…

GUEST BLOGGER: KARLA DERAS Jewelry designer, visual artist, vintage clothing collector, and e-tailer Karla Deras has built a brand out of being something of a stylish jack-of-all-trades. After starting Karla's Closet as a personal-style blog in April 2008, the Los Angeles native's keen eye for old-school threads and her signature West Coast look quickly made waves in the fashion blogosphere. Fueling the buzz, Deras expanded her blog into a shoppable site, selling finds from her thrift and vintage hauls, and capturing the attention of brands such as Coach and Elie Saab, both of which she has since collaborated with on limited-edition accessories and promotional videos. But it wasn't until she took on the role of jewelry designer for Roman Luxe in February 2012 that Deras—a former apparel manufacturing student—was able…

Reign Check A year ago at our annual Women in DC dinner, I was seated next to the supersmart and supercool Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman who represents Broward and Miami-Dade counties in Florida and who also helped fund President Obama's 2012 campaign as chair of the Democratic National Committee. We got to chatting and soon figured out that I lived in her district during high school. In fact, she knows my father, who's been a city commissioner there. And, she told me, he helped with her election when she first started out. It turns out that all politics really is local! I had the chance to see Debbie again recently, at a brunch that ELLE, Google, and the Center for American Progress threw for female power players in Washington,…

CLAIRE DANES "I was more than thrilled to finally see Claire Danes on your cover ["Crazy Good"]. She's beautiful, intelligent, always fashionable, and a damn good actress. I grew up watching and loving My So-Called Life. Shopgirl holds a special place in my heart, and Homeland simply rocks. When her characters smile, I smile; when they cry, I cry. Her talent is perfection, and she deserves every nomination and award she's received. Watching her on-screen is always interesting and emotionally real."—Tara Ann Stridh, Woodside, NY, via e-mail "Girlstuff I love: @teganandsara's new album, Claire Danes looking sultry & talking smart in new Elle Magazine, Juliette Barnes & Olivia Pope"—@lenadunham, via Twitter (retweeted nearly 300 times!) "Claire Danes on the cover of Elle…DANG GURL"—@ladyshazrasta, via Twitter "Claire Danes will take over…

For this month's ELLE cover shoot, our team took a less-is-more approach with Nicki Minaj. Here, an insider account of the star's magnificent make-under at L.A.'s Milk Studios. Photographer Thomas Whiteside: "We wanted to create a totally new look: Raw Nicki." Creative Director Joe Zee: "She was excited to reveal a different side of herself." Makeup Artist Joyce Bonelli: "We'll always have fun doing wild looks, but Nicki is just so naturally beautiful, and I've always wanted to show that. I used simple, illuminating makeup: Chanel foundation, L'Oréal mascara, and M.A.C Strobe Cream." Assistant Fashion Editor Sarah Schussheim: "Everything was stripped-down. In Nicki's favorite shot, she rocked Ferragamo leather pants with a Jeremy Scott for Adidas bathing suit." Styling Assistant Brittny Chapman: "Nicki's a fan of Scott's—she was wearing his…