October '03
Hint pays attention to retail
An Ann Demeulemeester of Brazil, Karlla Girotto is the latest to prove that fashion from the Carnival-whipped country is not all feather headdresses and coconut bras. The 25-year-old designer, who still toils from her small Sao Paulo apartment, has drawn inspiration from such gothic sources as German vampire films and taxidermy for the last six seasons, and recently appeared on the cover of the Brazilian art mag S/N with a needle and thread stitched through a large portion of her skin. As if that weren't punishment enough, in November Girotto will inaugurate a school for dedicated fashion students who can't afford tuition elsewhere, a sort of fashion nunnery. Goth or not, the girl is a saint. Prices begin around $300; available in New York at Patricia Field, 382 West Broadway, 212-966-4066. -Lee Carter


Finally, shoplifters get a little respect. Andrew Andrew, the inscrutable conceptual art duo known for dabbling in umpteen pursuits from baking to hosting iPod parties, are now setting off style detectors with their "Respect Me" fall collection, consisting of a single 24 karat gold-plated security tag. Smart, irreverent and a steal at $95, it's just the thing for any self-respecting young anarchist. Available (for purchase) at Seven New York, 180 Orchard St., 646-654-0156, and Joan Shepp, 1616 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-735-2666. -Sameer Reddy
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Study fashion at Parsons The New School for Design in NYC
 

So-called lifestyle stores have been sprouting up in cities from Paris to Tokyo, selling not just fashion, but also furniture, art, rugs, gadgets, personal prods, bric-a-brac, tchochkes, the kitchen sink—you get the idea. Catching up with the trend, New York offers Bagutta Life, an expanded reincarnation of Bagutta, the celebrated SoHo boutique launched in 1986 by retail guru Marc Bagutta. Within the exposed brick walls, stained glass windows and silver-leafed ceiling of the impressively revamped boutique sit racks and racks of clothes carrying mostly European labels like Stella McCartney, Christian Dior, Junya Watanabe, Dolce & Gabbana, and John Galliano, along with counters filled with exotic fragrances and the like. And a range of beds, sofas and tables by interior designers Ria & Yiouri Augousti will soon be available in the as-yet unfinished basement. Bagutta Life, 76 Greene Street, 212-925-5216. -Suleman Anaya
As if looking again to his perennial inspiration, the corset, Jean Paul Gaultier has finally cinched various business interests in recent months. Not only has he secured the post of creative director at the women's division of Hermès, he's also finished creating the costumes for Pedro Almodovar's next flick and the tour outfits for French music legend Johnny Halliday, all while micro-designing his own couture and prêt-a-porter lines. But before pulling in the reigns for good, the oft-described enfant terrible lives up to the moniker with his playful fall collection of loose pajama-like dresses with puffy velvet sleeves, ribboned hoodies and frilly hems. Jean Paul Gaultier, 759 Madison Ave., 212-249-0235, and nationwide at Neiman Marcus. -LC
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