"Astor" is a name that Americans associate with wealth and privilege—but not for Alexandra Aldrich. Even though Aldrich was a direct descendant of John Jacob Astor—he was her great-great-great-great-great-grandfather—and she grew up in the 43-room Hudson River manse Rokeby, she knew only poverty and chaos. By ... More

In many ways, I'm one of those parents whom the Supernanny would want to smack. Except when it comes to my twin girls' safety, most everything with them is negotiable, which the spare-the-rod- spoil-the-child types say leads to manipulative, chaotic kids—the ... More

Venezuela-born Maria Gabriela Brito (pictured at left) always knew she wanted to be a designer, architect or artist. And, luckily for us, the luxury lifestyle consultant and Harvard graduate has achieved all of these goals. Now Brito is adding author to ... More

Since his retirement in 2007, 80-year-old fashion designer Valentino Garavani has been on a high-profile (and high-brow) roll. Not only was the famed couturier the subject of a 2008 film (Valentino: The Last Emperor), but his creations have been on display around the world — is early work ... More

There are a few stars who are associated with just one name. Madonna, is one. Cher, another. And there's only one Beyoncé, of course. Like these divas, Wladziu Valentino Liberace was mononymous... but only he wore more glitter (and sequins, fur, ... More

Each week, there's an avalanche of new albums, films, books, theater, and art to take in—from monumental new voices in culture to guilty pleasures worth indulging in. We're here to help narrow down what deserves your attention. Our picks for the week are below:  The Album: Singer Charles Bradley's sophomore ... More

While everyone admires the Pyramids of Egypt, the workers who toiled and bled to build them have never been properly celebrated. The same could be said of Marsha Smulevitz Emanuel, mother of brilliant physician/ethicist Ezekiel, Hollywood super-agent More

While pop princess like Madonna are most often referenced as chameleons for their ever-changing looks, there's no one who compares to David Bowie. From David Jones to a glam-rock Ziggy Stardust in the '60s to a modern-day, 66-year-old father and husband in New York City, the press shy ... More

Born in Paris at the foot of the Butte Montmartre in 1910 to a photographer (his father) and a piano teacher (his mother), Willy Ronis was faced with creativity from the beginning. A new book, Willy Ronis (Taschen) by Jean-Claude Gautrand, celebrates his evolution from a 10-year-old apprentice ... More

"The distinctive character of the objects and furnishings in a house, their disposition in the rooms, their associations with each other, strong or less so, the order (or dis-order) in which people live in a house, can express a person's personality ... More