Innehållsförteckning för July 2013 från ELLE

Thursday, July 4 UNDER ARMOR Opening today at Paris' Les Arts Decoratifs is "Behind the Seams: An Indiscreet Look at the Mechanics of Fashion," an exploration of extreme undergarments from the fourteenth century till present day. Items such as this intricate corset (above left) give new meaning to "Independence Day." lesartsdecoratifs.fr Thursday, July 4 DOUBLE F Fendi-philes have two ways this month to fete the Roman heritage house: The reissue of the iconic Selleria handbag line brings back stitching techniques from saddlery first used by the company in 1925. And following Fendi's $3 million pledge toward the restoration of the Eternal City's historic waterworks, including the Trevi Fountain, Karl Lagerfeld's photo exhibition "Fendi for Fountains: The Glory of Water" opens today in Paris. Thursday, July 25 GLOBAL MARKET Out today…

SING FOR THE MOMENT For ELLE's annual Women in Music Issue (May 2013), we celebrated 11 acts whose music serves as the soundtrack to our lives. The inimitable Adele, whose chart-topping 21 is credited with reviving the music biz, is beloved by even the toughest critics—her peers. Her voice "draws the emotion out of you," Britney Spears told ELLE; "If she's not the best, then there's no reason to like anything anymore," John Mayer gushed. Rounding out our trifecta of cover stars were Rita Ora and Alicia Keys, each of whom serves up larger-than-life vocals in standout style. Here's what you thought of our portfolio of talent—from the emerging to the legendary: "Adele is just gorgeous. It's like she is from a different era when women were really beautiful without…

Ask anyone in James Colarusso's social circle what they "do," and a confused pause will ensue. Mind you, his crew is made up not of dilettantes but of multihyphenates. Colarusso himself is hard to pin down to one job title: In addition to his main focus, jewelry, he's tried his hand at painting, sculpture, woodworking, and furniture design (a capsule collection of raw-edged-wood interiors pieces made in Nicaragua is forthcoming). Even his collection of heirloomesque jewelry came about in a characteristically low-key fashion. Colarusso has no formal training in the field; seven years ago, he made his first piece, a large concave ring, while bored on vacation on Long Island. The style is still in the collection today. "There are lots of things that I don't know how to do…

1 . Cotton broadcloth jacket, MICHAEL KORS, $2,850, call 866-709-KORS | 2 . Buckle-trimmed dress, CHRISTOPHER KANE, $2,075, collection at Barneys New York | 3 . Sunglasses, SUPER, $219, collection at Atrium, NYC, Miami | 4 . Ponyskin pump, GIANVITO ROSSI, $880, visit gianvitorossi.com | 5 . Leather bag, PROENZA SCHOULER, $2,245, visit proenzaschouler.com | Model at right wears : Silk and Golden Island fox fur jacket, price on request, wool and silk skirt, $3,100, shoes, $1,335, all, CHRISTOPHER KANE, collection at Blake, Chicago…

Designers, Shops, Hot Spots, and More… LOS ANGELES Greg Chait is no longer just making blanket statements. The denizen of Venice Beach, California, who made his name with $2,000 cashmere throws, is now focusing on ultraluxurious ready-to-wear. After all, who can put a price on cozy comfort? elder-statesman.com LONDON Known for its men's trunks (and collaborations with the likes of David Hicks and Nick Wooster), Orlebar Brown has branched into women's swimwear with a 19-piece collection including maillots and bikinis in punchy citrus hues that are just begging for some Miami sun. orlebarbrown.com BROOKLYN Williamsburg isn't short on indie boutiques, but new emporium Swords-Smith, the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Briana Swords and Ryan Smith, raises the bar with collections from hard-to-find independent labels such as Soulland, Feral Childe,…

Summer pop, Kate Christensen's appetite, and more… A my Seimetz has a recurring nightmare: Her lover has killed someone, and she's desperate to help him bury the body. It's ominous, but the 32-year-old writer-director spun the dream into her feature debut, this year's Sun Don't Shine, about an erratic young mother and her boyfriend navigating Florida back channels with a body in the trunk. Filmed in Seimetz's native Tampa, Shine is all atmosphere—sticky, uncomfortable, heavy with menace. Before it garnered critical raves, a rough cut of the movie led experimental filmmaker Shane Carruth to give Seimetz the lead in his mind-bending Sundance hit Upstream Color as Kris, a woman whose life is upended when she unknowingly becomes the subject of mysterious experiments. Indeed, Seimetz's girl-next-door looks conceal a fascination with…

Novels are filled with people gorging themselves; eating gives characters something to do while they fight or flirt and move the plot along. But the food in Kate Christensen's novels has never been a mere prop. There's banter over a chicken stew "laced with hints of saffron, cinnamon, cayenne, lemon zest" in The Great Man. In The Astral, a character dreams about "a spicy black bean soup with sour cream and toasted cumin seeds." In Blue Plate Special (Doubleday), food provides the vital thread for an episodic retelling of Christensen's life to date. In one of her earliest memories, her father beats her mother during a breakfast of soft-boiled eggs and toast. Through her itinerant coming-of-age, each new locale brings fresh romantic interests—and menus. Cooking for people in upstate New…

Not long ago, a friend I'd been secretly crushing on crashed on my couch during a rough patch with his girlfriend. After he left I found a T-shirt hiding, forgotten behind my sofa, and instinctively did the animal thing—I held it to my face, inhaling deeply. Mmm, it was him. I slipped the shirt over my pillow and drifted dreamily off to sleep, night after night, with my head on his shoulder, enveloped in the scent of the object of my desire. I went to bed happy, woke up happy. A week later my pal Bob flew in from L.A. Seeing my pillow man, he looked both stricken and puzzled. "Holly, what are you doing with my T-shirt?" Your T-shirt? He'd left it behind on a previous visit. Bob is…

WHITE HEAT With warm, woody floral notes, Amouage Honour Body Cream melts into skin for serious moisture that's never sticky. FIRE STARTER Swap classic red for Guerlain Gloss d'Enfer Maxi Shine in Tangerine Vlam, a surprisingly wearable vibrant orange. ZEST IN SHOW A fresh blend of bergamot, mandarin, and white musk, Caudalie Figue de Vigne Eau Fraiche works both beachside and after hours. GREEN MILE Packed with tiny, sheer pearlescent particles, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Freak makes summer's bold liner easy to execute. BETTER HALF A blush-bronzer compact, Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo delivers a postvacation glow sans sun damage. COLOR WAR Ditch basic black and amp up lashes with a slick of electric Chanel Inimitable Waterproof mascara (shown in #27 and #37).…

Hi, are you…?" inquires a baritone voice from above. When I look up from my seat to see Armie Hammer leaning over me, well, let's just say I now understand what it means to swoon. Not just because he is, impossibly, 40 minutes early for our lunch date, or because he recognized me, having taken the unprecedented step of googling his interviewer, but because there might not be another man whose physical description is so worthy of romance-novel clichés. Six-foot-five, with shoulders that can only be described as strapping, Hammer has smooth, golden skin and eyes the color of the Pacific Ocean. On this cool spring day, his flaxen hair is windswept, and his ridiculously chiseled jawline is dotted with stubble—the first sign that behind his polite, aristocratic veneer lurks…

In the lush semitropical courtyard of a Moorish-looking grand hotel in Pasadena, California, Shakira emerges from under a blossoming and very fragrant pink trumpet tree to greet me. As much of the world knows, she belly danced her way to global megastardom in her 2006 duet with Wyclef Jean, "Hips Don't Lie"; though the toned tummy and gyrating hips are, for the moment, under wraps, it seems fitting that the gypsy queen should be in residence in a palace—even if it's a rent-a-palace, NBC having taken over the Langham Huntington hotel to promote its TV wares, including the brightest bauble in its lineup, The Voice. Since the addition of Shakira and Usher as judge-coaches in its fourth season, the show has become just about the most watched in America, and…

Much has been made of Kate Mara's girl-next-door qualities. In brief: She's a doe-eyed, freckled beauty, raised surrounded by farms in small-town Bedford, New York; a scion of Steelers/Giants royalty who actually loves the NFL. But it was one of the 30-year-old's lesser-known attributes that grabbed the attention of director David Fincher—her drive. "I admired how she managed to make ambition attractive. She just has a very winning way and great charm in the way that she couches her ambitions," says Fincher, who cast her in House of Cards, Netflix's first scripted series—and his own television directorial debut—as Zoe Barnes, a byline-hungry journalist entangled in a racy bedroom/boardroom partnership with Kevin Spacey's Machiavellian politician. "There is a real effort to give the women in this show something substantial," says Spacey.…

CANCER (June 22–July 22) Prepare yourself for a month brimming with opportunity and good fortune, as Jupiter, the planet of happiness, expansion, health, and prosperity, is in your sign. This energy will be potent and abundant, yes, but don't squander it by going in too many directions. Pursue goals that will give you the greatest satisfaction and long-term joy. Pluto will oppose the Sun and the 8th's new moon, so someone close to you may be intent on persuading you to change your plans. Stick to your guns, forget past disappointments, and watch for a dazzling breakthrough near the 21st, when Jupiter aligns with Mars, the ruler of your career, bringing professional news worth celebrating. As to romance, Venus in Virgo plus Mars in Cancer will heighten all Cancers'…

GUEST BLOGGER: For tips and ideas that will take your personal style into the ever-elusive no-filter-required realm, meet Aimee Song, the Instagram-famous (800,000 followers and counting) interior designer behind the blog Song of Style. The 26-year-old's effortless approach to dressing and decorating has made her site a major destination for readers searching for carefree and colorful SoCal inspiration—her loyal audience consistently manifests itself in over four million monthly page views. Check out Song's posts on ELLE.com this month for exclusive Instagram diaries, behind-the-scenes tours of her interior design projects, top shopping picks, and weekly DIY home ideas—like this picture frame turned table tray (right), crafted just for us—all infused with her trademark West Coast cool.—Catherine Straut MAKE THIS TRAY SERVE YOURSELF (1) Find a deep picture frame that goes with…

• NAME: Sofia Coppola PROVENANCE: Napa Valley, CA NOW: New York City and Paris PROFESSION: Filmmaker THIS MONTH: Photographed Paris Hilton for "Forget Versailles" (page 158), in honor of Coppola's new movie The Bling Ring. "The idea was to show her at home, not done up the way you see her when she goes out." BONA FIDES: Academy Award–winning director of The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, and Marie Antoinette FAVORITE FLICK: The Last Picture Show BEST ON-SET MOMENT: "Karaoke with Bill Murray for Lost in Translation." READING: The Custom of the Country, by Edith Wharton PERSONAL MANTRA: "It's better to regret what you've done than what you haven't." GREAT ESCAPE: "Spending New Year's at Turtle Inn, my family's beach resort in Belize." IT TAKES TWO: "I shot a Phoenix…

On the list of things that I—the daughter of two scientists, who somehow became a fashion writer—don't expect to encounter on a visit to a showroom: NGC 6397. Located 8,200 light-years away from the New York fashion world, it is the spherical collection of 400,000 stars that my parents, both professors of astronomy at Indiana University, study to see how the structure of a globular cluster and the X-ray-emitting binaries within it evolves over eons as a result of gravitational interactions. Yet it's just this celestial body that I see on the inspiration board for 6397, the new in-house collection from The News, the legendary SoHo showroom whose current clients include Tess Giberson, Tim Coppens, and Common Projects (right), and which has served as a launchpad for the bright young…

1 . Leather and houndstooth clutch, TOMMY HILFIGER, price on request, call 212-223-1824 | 2 . Wool vest, MARC JACOBS, $550, visit marcjacobs.com | 3 . Yellow gold and enamel cuff links, DAVID WEBB, prices on request, visit davidwebb.com | 4 . Wool skirt, ANTONIO MARRAS, $1,175, collection at select Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide | 5 . Pink gold watch, BULGARI, price on request, call 800-BULGARI | 6 . Satin organza dress, EMILIA WICKSTEAD, $1,340, visit emiliawickstead.com | 7 . Leather shoe, BALLY, $750, call 212-751-9082 | Model above wears : Wool blazer, $1,600, skirt, $685, sequined leather gloves, price on request, leather T-strap pumps, $1,695, all,…

NAME: Simon Porte AGE: 23 PROVENANCE: Salon-de-Provence, France CURRICULUM VITAE: After a mere two months attending ESMOD (Paris' École Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode) in 2008, Porte dropped out to start his own line, a spur-of-the-moment decision. "I didn't plan anything," he says. "Everything was very spontaneous and naive." His mother had just passed away, so he dubbed the label Jacquemus—her maiden name—as a tribute to her. WATER BABY: Paris Fashion Week calls to mind larger-than-life venues such as the Grand Palais, so Porte's fall show was quite a departure. Editors gamely sheathed their Nicholas Kirkwoods in plastic bags to step onto the deck of a public pool in the Bastille. "There are all these classic shows, these chic shows, and to see those people wearing plastic…

Maybe it's the supersize snacks and arctic air-conditioning, but summer is the perfect time to hit the 'plex for comedy. Watching a particularly good one a couple of years ago, I laughed so hard I dumped my $10 tub of popcorn all over the floor. So you might want to get a lid for yours, because you're sure to be rocked by two of this season's best: The Heat, starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, and The Way, Way Back, with Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, and, in his first lead role in a film, teenager Liam James. One is a slapstick cops-and-drug-dealers shoot-'em-up; the other deploys hilarity to spring a miserable kid from the family vacation from hell. Both are the kind of smart, imaginative, first-rate…

I've been thinking a lot about time lately. I reached a significant birthday last year and then, a few months later, gave birth to my third (and final) child. You'd think that a baby would focus you on beginnings—and it does. My daughter Sylvie is an addictive presence, a golden girl. She wriggles with joy, like a puppy, when you turn your attention to her. It's like our family has acquired its own personal sun, radiating warmth and light. But when that sun goes down, I find myself lying awake in bed, wondering how the day could be over when I was just getting started. There's so much to do—so much I want to do—and time evaporates the moment I touch it. I'm constantly running the numbers, shifting my schedule…

When your first book is titled All Natural: A Skeptic's Quest to Discover If the Natural Approach to Diet, Childbirth, Healing, and the Environment Really Keeps Us Healthier and Happier, you're clearly not afraid to cast a wide net. San Francisco–based journalist Nathanael Johnson, 34, had a hippie childhood in California's Sierra foothills, but his skeptical streak kept him from unconditionally embracing his family's organic, crunchy-granola, back-to-the-land ideology. After a stint at an Idaho newspaper, Johnson went to journalism school at UC Berkeley, where he found a mentor in Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food??), who inspired him to reexamine his heritage of natural enthusiasms with newly sharpened critical faculties. All Natural, recently published by Rodale, is a bracingly smart and witty inquiry into how, in the…

It makes absolutely no sense that I live in L.A.," says Angela Lindvall. "I've probably missed jobs because of it." That kind of admission might be a cause of concern for some veteran models who have a whole new class of stars to contend with, but for Lindvall—at 34, an industry icon who's graced almost 100 magazine covers (including ELLE's), fronted campaigns for CoverGirl, and last year beamed into living rooms nationwide as host of Lifetime's Project Runway All Stars—the long commute to the world's fashion capitals is a small price to pay for the five-bedroom stucco house on a lush, seven-acre stretch in L.A.-adjacent hippie enclave Topanga Canyon that she shares with sons Dakota, 11, and Sebastian, 8. "You just feel calmer being here," she says. Long before the…

• A SHORT COURSE FOR THE WELL-ENDOWED DEAR E. JEAN: I'm from the wrong side of the tracks (emphasis on wrong), and I'm engaged to a wonderful man. His family is from the right side of the tracks—quite well-off. This has never been an issue for us. We truly appreciate and support each other. But now he's scored an amazing, very high-paying job in New York City. We'll be moving right after the wedding and embarking on the adventure together. I'm so excited! But I'm in a bit over my head. We're Midwesterners, and while I'm certainly not an idiot, we'll be entering a world of wealthy people—a world I'm not accustomed to. In addition, he'll be working constantly, so I'll be navigating primarily on my own. Any advice for…

Right: Plaid silk lamé shirt, $895, wool shorts, $595, leather belt, price on request, fox-fur boa, $3,500, all, Marc Jacobs, at Marc Jacobs, NYC. White diamond earrings, Ana Khouri, price on request. Leather shoes, Church's, $530. Far right: Wool flannel blouse, wool flannel pants with fur belt, all, Carolina Herrera, prices on request, at Carolina Herrera, Bal Harbour, FL. Leather shoes, Christian Louboutin, $895. Ribbed sweater, $925, tube skirt, $795, metal belt, $595, shoes, $795, all, Michael Kors, at select Michael Kors stores nationwide. Stone-trimmed necklace, Maison Martin Margiela, $995. For details, see Shopping Guide. Wool poncho, $1,095, silk turtleneck bodysuit, $795, silk pants, $895, all, Donna Karan New York, at Donna Karan New York stores nationwide. Pink gold twin ring, Repossi, price on request. Yellow gold ring, Michelle Fantaci…

Leather bag with PVC flowers, Fendi, $2,450, collection at select Neiman Marcus stores nationwide. Mink-trimmed leather and suede sandal, Giuseppe Zanotti Design, $1,095, visit giuseppezanottidesign.com. Satin-and-lace pump with velvet bow and jeweled heel, Louis Vuitton, price on request, call 866-VUITTON. Suede-and-lace sandal with patent leather trim, Jimmy Choo, $795, visit jimmychoo.com. Python clutch, Salvatore Ferragamo, price on request, call 866-337-7242. Jeweled-toe slingbacks, Bruno Magli, $1,195 per pair, visit net-a-porter.com. Napa leather bag, Bottega Veneta, $2,250, visit bottegaveneta.com. For details, see Shopping Guide.…

That Channing Tatum has become one of Hollywood's most compelling leading men could be considered something of a surprise. Sure, he was highly watchable in 2006's Step Up, but many had written him off as a walking six-pack gifted with the power of speech. Yet 2012 was a game changer. With 21 Jump Street, the onetime model proved he could tell a joke—and be the butt of one, too. He romanced Rachel McAdams in The Vow, then became one of Steven Soderbergh's secret weapons in Magic Mike, which was loosely based on Tatum's own experiences as a young stripper in Tampa. This summer, the Alabama native gets busy saving the president in the thriller White House Down. With all that box office heat, one might expect Tatum, 33, to be…

PHILOSOPHY OF DESIRE When I was about six, after returning home from visiting my father across the country by myself for the first time, I started to tell my mother about his musings on existentialism and the wisdom that he'd tried to impart over the summer, particularly his advice that we were put on this earth to figure it out for ourselves and try to have a good time while we're here. The perfect philosophy for a six-year-old, for sure—me, me, me at the center of an unfathomable universe, the superego and the id duking it out for control of an under-construction conscience. It's a struggle that, I've come to realize, continues within most of the fully formed adults I know: a tug-of-war between desire and self-control, with layers of…

If I'm able to raise a subject, get people uncomfortable about it, get them to ask the crucial questions," says Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, "then I've done my job." In 2012, Obaid Chinoy became the first Pakistani to win an Oscar, with Saving Face, her documentary about brutal acid attacks on Pakistani women (often by a relative). The film was a testament to the power of the medium itself: It raised awareness on a global level, but also inspired grassroots aid—among other things, people donated homes for two of the women she featured. Now, with Humaira: The Dream Catcher, Obaid Chinoy is training her lens on a 24-year-old who, after her own father tried to stop her from finishing school in ninth grade, founded the only school in her neighborhood in…

There are two types of travelers: Smart packers and overpackers. You're either a careful curator with a knack for the old roll-and-stuff technique (like bend and snap—only this time involving tough choices and spacial reasoning) or you shove the entire contents of your closet into your bag because what if you find yourself in a situation where only those orange pants (the ones you never wear) would be acceptable?? As an editor, it is painful for me to admit that I am of the latter cohort. Yes, I can edit pages and whittle thousands of runway looks down to just the highlights of the season. But my own suitcase? Forget about it. After some belabored introspection, I've figured out why: My approach to getting dressed is all of-the-moment instinct, and…

ELLE: When did you decide you wanted to get into politics? ANNA VALENCIA: In third grade, when I wrote an essay saying I wanted to be the first woman president. Since then, I've always been fascinated by politics and leadership roles. I would knock on doors with my father for our mayor in my hometown, and in high school I was student body president. My grandfather even nicknamed me "the politician." I never could tell if it was a compliment or an insult. After college, I worked on various campaigns in Virginia and Michigan. It was through an old campaign buddy that I got my foot in the door of the mayor's office. ELLE: As an assistant to the mayor, your job is to serve as a liaison between him…

There's nothing quite like the thrill of discovering new talent, and every season the biannual frenzy colloquially known as Fashion Month introduces us to a handful of emerging designers on the verge of becoming household names. It would be stingy of us to anoint just one, so instead we've chosen four rising stars—from New York, London, Milan, and Paris, and all with entirely unique sensibilities—as well as an up-and-coming jewelry designer, Lisa "Lele" Sadoughi, whose designs are pictured here. Sadoughi honed her skills at J.Crew before launching her eponymous line of cheerfully hued enamel and semiprecious-stone jewelry. No matter which way your taste leans, rest assured that any of these fresh standouts will get you through the season in style. 1. NEW YORK CITY OSTWALD HELGASON MERRY PRANKSTERS Susanne Ostwald…

Kristiana Kahakauwila's sparkling debut story collection, This Is Paradise (Hogarth), vivifies the scattered, underdog, dynamic communities of native Hawaiians whose familial and cultural ties to Oahu, Maui, Kaua'i, and the Big Island go back generations. A "hapa-haole" (mixed Hawaiian and white) who grew up in California and Maui, Kahakauwila captures in six related stories the striving lives, colorful pidgin dialect, and varied relationships that anchor and challenge her strikingly drawn characters. In "Wanle," which means "it is gone" in Chinese, a young woman by that name whose infamous cockfighting father was murdered works the early shift at a diner to carve out time to train her own birds. Her older Indian lover takes construction jobs, reads the poet Basho, and disapproves of cockfighting. But Wanle is determined to avenge her…

THE TOP GREEN SPAS, THE SECRET TO SEX APPEAL & MORE… FACE TIME YOUR FOUR-MINUTE MORNING REGIMEN Packed with organic ingredients, Ilia Complete Mascara separates and defines every lash for BIGGER, BRIGHTER EYES. When there's no time for extra skin prep, Dr. Hauschka Translucent Make-up, infused with hydrating macadamia seed and avocado oils, creates a SMOOTH, EVEN COMPLEXION. A matte finish can look masklike, but talc-free Nvey Eco Mattifying Compact Powder (shown in Medium) prevents oil slicks without hiding skin's NATURAL RADIANCE. For a ROSY GLOW in a pinch, our makeup artists multitask with Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stain (shown in Fox Trot). CLOCK-STOPPERS TURN BACK TIME WITH THESE NATURAL WONDERS Sulfate-free Neutrogena Naturals Face & Body Bar gently lifts away dirt and buildup without stripping, making…

Thirty-three years ago, Paul Ekman's newborn daughter, Eve—pink, naked, not one hour old—did something wonderful: She flashed her dad an undeniably authentic smile, the kind the baby books say infants can't make until they're weeks old. Now 79, he wishes he had time to pore over the movies he shot of his girl every day for the first month of her life. "What a joy that would be in my dotage," he says, wistfully. And—because Ekman is a renowned scholar of human emotion, who proved through the analysis of facial expressions that our core emotions are universal—his motivation is as much work as fatherly affection: He'd love to try to upend the conventional wisdom about the slow rate at which humans are thought to develop. But he has a full…

I vividly remember the patch of sidewalk that I was looking at when my dad said, "I'm afraid it's bad news, honey." I clutched my cell phone to my ear as he explained that a CT scan of my mom's lungs had revealed a tumor wrapped around her esophagus and metastasis in her bones. I can still see the small dots in the cement—shades of gray in this decidedly black-and-white situation—as he explained that her prognosis was bleak: She had six months to a year. I also recall the green chain-link fence that I thought I might have to grab onto as a sense of vertigo took over, as though I might pass out from this too-sudden shift in reality. Everything else in the moments and even months after that…

Pop music, that playground of meat dresses and whipped-cream-spraying brassieres, is hardly the province of the natural. But Shakira, our cover subject, has long been the rare superstar with a taste for keeping things low-key. "I think I've been a little bit more of a control freak," in the past, she tells Joseph Hooper. "I've learned how to let go a little bit. I've been able to relax." (Hard to believe that downtime is on the docket, given that the diva is recording new tracks; coaching on The Voice; promoting her third fragrance, Elixir; and mothering her five-month-old son.) Natural isn't an adjective that pairs with the name Paris Hilton, either. But leave it to Sofia Coppola to find an un-blingy side to the heiress—who has a cameo in Coppola's…

It's a surprising pairing, to say the least: Oscar winner Sofia Coppola and socialite Paris Hilton, collaborating on a photo shoot for ELLE. One woman lives part-time in Paris with her husband and two children. The other lives full-time in Parisland—a Beverly Hills shrine of her own making, where photographs of her famous face adorn pillows, oil portraits of her visage cover the walls, and a picture of Hilton hangs across from Hilton's bed. Coppola recalls the first time she visited that pink-and-gold dream home. "I saw the pillows," the director says with real affection, "and I took my picture with them. She's such a pop icon and has a sense of humor about herself. I think she was the first to really make herself into a brand. She's so…

COVERS Silk blend top by Versace, $1,325, at select Versace boutiques nationwide, call 888-721-7219. Viscose blend shorts by Diane von Furstenberg, $245, visit dvf.com. Link bracelets by David Yurman, $850–$5,400, visit davidyurman.com. Necklace by Aldo Cipullo from FD Gallery, NYC, $31,500, call 212-772-2440 or visit fd-inspired.com. THE LOOK Page 61: Coat by Balenciaga, $9,200, similar styles at Balenciaga (NYC). Trousers by Balenciaga, at Balenciaga (NYC). Pumps by Balenciaga, collection at Neiman Marcus stores nationwide. TRENDS AND ACCESSORIES Page 62: Jacket by Christopher Kane, collection at Bergdorf Goodman (NYC). Shoes by Christopher Kane, for similar styles, visit saks.com. Jacket by Michael Kors, at select Michael Kors stores nationwide, visit michaelkors.com. Sunglasses by Super, at Ilori stores nationwide, visit store.retrosuperfuture.com. Page 66: Blazer, skirt, gloves, pumps, vest by Marc Jacobs, at Marc…