Charming Arms
Legwarmers happened, died, were revived, died again, and have now . . . migrated northward. Armwarmers by luxury-cashmere ladies Lutz & Patmos are made from four-ply Scottish cashmere and are about twelve inches long: handless gloves, really, to provide a bulkless solution for the layered look and help fans of the three-quarters sleeve cut down on drafts ($150 at Kirna Zabête, 96 Greene Street; 212-941-9656). "They're for in between your glove and coat," Marcia Patmos explains. "It's a good way to keep yourself a little bit warm." Originally conceived as a one-size-fits-all Christmas gift, the armwarmers have proved so popular (Christina Aguilera gobbled up a couple of pairs in pink recently, and they protruded from many a coat at Bryant Park last week), a second batch had to be knit at the company’s Italian factory. "We've spotted people wearing them around their ankles too," Patmos admits. "Some people just can't give up sandals in the winter."

The Humble Potter at Home

It's nearly impossible to pick up a shelter magazine and not see a piece of pottery, a pillow, or a rug by Jonathan Adler. Now the self-described "humble potter" is stepping even further into the home, offering interior-design services via the tongue-in-cheekly named Jonathan Adler Foundation for Interior Decoration. The decidedly for-profit foundation’s offerings will range from high-style rearranging of sad spaces to full-scale interior design. Adler devotees can check out his decorating aesthetic by visiting his Broome Street store, where he's converted the basement into a showcase of possibilities. "People have pigeonholed my work in a Wallpaper magazine context. I love that aesthetic, but it's not the way I see my oeuvre," explained Adler in his signature semi-sarcastic, Franglais drawl. "We have Louis chairs and Chinese Chippendale chairs, mixed in with my new lacquer furniture line, pottery, lighting, and some art." No word yet on whether Adler's Über-stylist husband, Simon Doonan, will show up to work his magic on clients' closets.
-- RIMA SUQI

Related:

• Archive: “Gotham Style”
• Articles by Amy Larocca
• Table of Contents: Feb 25, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!