A to Z

By ANDREA DORFMAN, Betsy Kroll, Elisabeth Salemme, Caroline Tell, Deirdre van Dyk

Animal Prints

It started on the runway several seasons ago when Miuccia Prada sent out some savage leopard-print cloth coats complete with fur trim. Almost every other designer has since tapped into this favorite classic--whether that means leopard-print clutches `a la Roger Vivier or a full-on animal-print platform from Valentino. In a season dominated by all black, spots are a great way to stand out in a crowd.

Architectural Style

Not satisfied with designing the buildings that we live and work in, forward-thinking architects are now making stylish objects to go inside the structures they create. Two masterly minds in particular are Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid.

Gehry's new collection of tabletop pieces for Tiffany & Co. draws on the simple, flowing forms found in nature; designs have names like Orchid and Fish.

Hadid's furniture line, Seamless, follows a less traditional route to the market. Auction house Phillips de Pury & Co. commissioned items to be crafted by Established & Sons, a British furniture maker. Eight to 12 pieces of each design will be made. After a short exhibition, the entire collection will be auctioned off for large sums at Phillips.

Bespoke

There's something thrilling about an object that's been made just for you. Luckily, retailers agree. Vera Wang recently introduced Writing Papers, a collection of stationery meant to be personalized. Miller Harris, a small London-based perfumer, offers shoppers a chance to collaborate on their own bespoke fragrance. But if the $10,000 fee is too much, the next best thing, L'Air de Rien--a scent Miller Harris created for Jane Birkin--is available for a far saner price at the company's first U.S. outpost in New York City's Saks Fifth Avenue. And for a truly unique, over-the-top gift, an Australian company, Cantilena Music, harks back to a bygone era with a commission service for custom-created works of classical music.

Chantecaille Spa

In New York City, every great department store needs an oasis for customers to indulge themselves. Barneys New York finally has one, thanks to the opening of Chantecaille Energy Spa, above. With its glam packaging and all-natural product formulations, Chantecaille has been a favorite since the cosmetics brand launched in 1997. The spa offers treatments like the Flower Facial or a reading by its Energy Analysis Machine.

Chains

Fashion is all about layering these days, and that includes jewelry. Long, looping chains, like the ones made by Bottega Veneta, are perfect for wrapping around the neck or draping on the waist as a belt. The bolder, the better.

Clutches

Enormous bags may be the rage for lugging around during the day, but when the sun goes down, nothing is more glamorous than being able to hold everything in an itty-bitty clutch. Small enough to grasp with a hand or tuck under the arm, the best of the bunch come with a glimmering fac,ade. Uber-trendy Botkier makes one with a chain, while Anya Hindmarch and Salvatore Ferragamo offer more traditional, ladylike silhouettes. These diminutive accessories are an easy way to incorporate metallics into the wardrobe.

Dixon for Lacoste

Lacoste has enlisted furniture designer Tom Dixon to be the first creator in its new Holiday Collector's Series. Better known for his use of sheet metal and plastic than for cotton, Dixon is exactly the type of fashion outsider that the brand had in mind to revamp its traditional polo, packaged below.

Dolls

Usually thought of as playthings for little girls, dolls take on a much more artistic function as interpreted by the artist Alexander Girard, who died in 1993. The Wooden Dolls, above, originally made by Girard in 1963 and inspired by his love of folk art, have been re-created by the design firm Vitra. More of a decorative item than a toy, the colorful and slightly kooky figures delight.

Dyson

For cleaning fanatics, a vacuum can mean only one thing: Dyson. Since the company's inception in 1993, James Dyson has strived to create innovative machines superior to anything else on the market. Now comes his latest invention, the Root 6, above, a handheld vacuum that won't lose suction, never clogs and has a lithiumion battery. And with its space-age good looks, it's nice enough to leave lying around the house.

Elephant Camp

Combine one of the most luxurious and accommodating hotel chains in the world with a little do-gooder, save-the-animals mentality and you get the elephant-rescue program at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, below. Guests at the Thai resort have the opportunity to adopt, interact with and tend elephants that have been saved from city streets and placed in the care of the Four Seasons.

Etro Menswear

Maybe it's the unmistakably Italian sensibility of its fashions, or maybe it's those paisley patterns the company is so famous for. Whatever the appeal, Etro is enjoying a fresh wave of popularity this season. For its fall/winter menswear show, models strode down the runway, below, in confidently coordinated looks, mixing and matching colors and textures. With styles so distinctive, it's no wonder the name has achieved classic status.

Felt

Perhaps thought of more as a fabric for hats or billiard tables, felt worked by London-based Finnish designer Anne Kyyroe Quinn becomes sumptuous art for the home. Her sculptural wall panels, throws and pillows have a bold, modern look. Based in the landmark Oxo Tower Wharf in London's South Bank, Quinn uses wool and industrial felt, weaving and twisting them into intricate designs. The raised relief on her flower pillows and three-dimensional dot pillows makes a bold statement on any sofa. Quinn will even customize the pillows to match your decor. De Beers has used the designer's wall hangings in its London store as a backdrop for its diamonds. Fashionable English restaurants use her felt panels to create a warm atmosphere, and they have the added effect of damping down noise in dining rooms.

Fragrance

Joining the ranks of other designers, like Marc Jacobs and Yves Saint Laurent, who crossed over from frocks to fragrance, Tom Ford introduces his first women's scent, Black Orchid. Inspired by his fascination with the elusive flower, it has top notes of black truffle, ylang-ylang, bergamot and black currant. The perfume, sold in an Art Deco bottle with gold nameplate, below, heralds the launch of the Tom Ford Beauty collection.

Gadgets

Sleek redesigns of everyday objects abound this year. With this stylish storage solution from Andrew Lang Product Design, bicycles no longer need to clutter entryways. The colorful plastic Cycloc attaches to your wall with three screws. French design company Lexon has the wood and aluminum Dolmen radio, which lets you tune in to any FM or AM station. You can channel your inner '40s film star when you attach Hulger's P*Phone retro handset to your cell phone. Allowing you to avoid radiation exposure from your cell phone, it's a more glamorous alternative to a hands-free headset. Another take on the vintage telephone is Bang & Olufsen's new Serene cell phone. Developed with Samsung, it has keys arranged in a circular dial. But with e-mail, a camera and Bluetooth technology, it's a thoroughly modern way to communicate.

Graeme Black

Art meets fashion in Graeme Black's new collection. Inspired by a visit to English abstract artist Barbara Hepworth's studio, the duo--interior designer Jonathan Reed and Graeme Black, head of women's ready-to-wear at Salvatore Ferragamo--uses cotton poplin and leather in white and tan to echo Hepworth's sculptures. And silk dresses come in soft aqua and green pastels like the colors in her paintings, giving new meaning to the phrase wearable art.

Hella Jongerius

If you can't visit Holland, perhaps Holland can take up residence with you. Swiss furniture maker Vitra, which has made furniture by Ray and Charles Eames, Frank Gehry and Philippe Starck, introduces Dutch designer Hella Jongerius' Polder, a couch that mimics the Netherlands' flat landscapes, upholstered in six fabrics. Windmills not included.

Invisible

For those living in small spaces or overcrowded houses, what's better than invisible furniture? Multiuse, invisible furniture. The Magino acrylic stool from the U+ Studio Collection, designed by Karim Rashid, also serves as a magazine rack. And from Kartell, Optic storage cubes, designed by Patrick Jouin, can be used both for storage and as tables.

Jeffrey and Gant

Here comes the rebirth of another great brand. Jeffrey Kalinsky, owner of the luxury boutique Jeffrey, foraged through Gant's archives dating to 1949, looking at photos and original garments, and came up with a new twist on its classic slim-fitted button-downs and rugby shirts.

Jura

Yes, there are many malt whiskeys, but few are from a region so remote that the deer outnumber people 25 to 1 and the bank is open only once a week. The Hebridean island of Jura, off the coast of Scotland, is so isolated that George Orwell chose it as his retreat in order to write his novel 1984. For a price, whiskey aficionados can visit the island and distill their own casks of Jura, ready for bottling in 10 years' time. Or they can enjoy the gentle spice and fruitiness of Jura's 10-year-old whiskey right now.

Kitchens

Thanks to designer Giorgio Armani and the Italian company Sheer, cooking dinner can be the ultimate luxury. Armani/Casa launched its first kitchen system, Bridge, which features two-faced pieces that are crafted to look sleek and glamorous on one side while remaining functional on the other. Only natural materials cover the surfaces. Sheer Kitchen is a spherical cooking island and wall that encompasses all elements of a typical kitchen but allows the cook to move freely around the space without feeling confined by countertops and culinary contraptions. The island, whose hood lifts to become a vent and lamp, contains items like a stove top, sink and wine cooler, while the wall can hold a fridge and an oven.

Koenig House

Pierre Koenig's architectural masterpiece, Case Study House #21, above, is being auctioned off by Wright, the Chicago-based auction house. Built in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Koenig's Hollywood Hills home uses water and natural light to create an elegant living space. The 1,320-sq.-ft. steel-and-glass model of California modernism has an opening bid of $2.5 million. Its contents, including a 1958 Porsche kept in the 30-ft. carport, will be auctioned off separately.

Lalanne

A bronze bench with a crocodile back, a cast-iron stove in the belly of a monkey, wooden chairs in the shape of birds: these are just some of the creations by Claude and Franc,ois-Xavier Lalanne, the French couple known for their animal-motif sculptures and furniture. Their signature work, first recognized in the 1960s, will be on display until Jan. 13 at New York City's Paul Kasmin Gallery, where visitors can see such items as Claude's Apple Mouth, above.

Lindy Bag from Hermes

They're classic, iconic and sought after by women around the world. Everyone loves Hermes handbags, and the French fashion house's newest design will be the most coveted must-have when it's available in early spring. The Lindy Bag, above, joining in the company of the Birkin and the Kelly, has a softer, younger, less structured design than a typical Hermes.

Limited Edition

Standing out in the new year will be made possible with a selection of limited-edition bejeweled accessories. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Raymond Weil has created the commemorative Shine Pink Gold Limited Edition watch, above. Set with 100 diamonds in 18-carat pink gold, the 99 timepieces--which are numbered and signed--have an interchangeable band that can be a gold bracelet or black alligator strap. New Year's Eve partygoers can also sparkle with special Moet & Chandon champagne bottles. The dazzling Star of the Night, below, is the classic Brut Imperial bottle studded with Swarovski crystals and sealed with a pearlized White Star label.

Ambra Medda

At just 25, Ambra Medda, below, is the toast of the design world. She is responsible for helping lift the industry (once thought of as the illegitimate stepsister of art) to the same level of esteem that the art world has long enjoyed. In December 2005 Medda, along with Sam Keller, co-founded Design Miami/, a fair created to run in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach. It was a forum for collectors, dealers and experts at the highest level to come together to converse, shop and exhibit. What started out as an experiment became an immediate, roaring success--it raked in more than $7 million in sales--and trailed Art Basel to Switzerland in June. Next month the event returns to Miami with more galleries than last year signed up to take part. Medda, who was raised in Greece and London and now lives in Florida, has expertise that extends beyond her years; she has spent her whole life learning from her gallery-owner mother. As the director of Design Miami/, she's an authority in her own right and has given a fashionable face to design.

Mirror

In cramped city apartments they open up a room, making it appear bigger than it is, and in larger spaces they add an air of sophistication. In short, mirrors are good for more than checking for spinach in your teeth. Williams-Sonoma Home's Mirrored Bar, below, is a perfect example of a creative way to use the reflective material. Mirrored inside and out, it lends itself to easy versatility, fitting in with a wide variety of decor styles. Practical and good looking? There's a reason decorators in the know are raving about the stuff.

Nouveau Rococo

Had enough of midcentury modern and Mies? Finished with Finnish style? The latest wave in furniture trends might just be a bright, shiny take on rococo style: this Poldo chest of drawers from the Conran Shop is sure to enliven even the dreariest room.

Needlepoint

Now that knitting has caught on with everyone from grandmothers to movie stars, needlepoint is being proclaimed as the next wave in down-home crafts. Home retailer to the young and trendy, West Elm already stocks this needlepoint Bunched Flowers pillow cover westelm.com)

Organic for Kids

Parents of young children are always on a quest to provide the best, healthiest environment for their offspring. The latest must-have craze is all things organic. Most pervasive on the market are baby foods. New companies like Plum Organics and Homemade Baby, both founded by mothers, address the value of fresh, natural foods. Following another path is Little Twig, a brand that produces bath products, above, using organic and natural ingredients.

Polka Dots

No longer relegated to crazy bow ties or oddball shirts, polka dots are the snappy, happy look of the resort season (now one of the biggest-selling seasons in fashion). Christian Lacroix splashed them on slingbacks, and Oscar de la Renta covered a swingy white silk faille dress with them. Crisp and graphic, they have a youthful air but look appropriate on women of every age.

Duncan Quinn

British born, based in New York City, with no classical training, Duncan Quinn is a new breed of tailor. His Savile Row--inspired style inarguably leans toward the Brit-rocker persuasion--these definitely aren't the proper suits a barrister would wear to the office. But there's something incredibly chic about Quinn's look, especially out of an English context, when worn in the good old U.S.A. With stores in New York City and Los Angeles already under his belt, Quinn is digging deeper into the heart of the country, with a new location opening next month in Dallas. In addition to his hipster suits, Quinn offers up all the accoutrements one needs to be respectably attired. Think wildly patterned neckties and pocket squares, colorful cashmere turtlenecks, chisel-toe shoes and even umbrellas. As a head-to-toe look, it's sure to draw attention.

(RED)

The "it" brand of the moment, (RED), is also the most socially conscious. Created by Bono and Bobby Shriver to benefit the Global Fund in the fight against AIDS, the campaign includes companies like Gap, Apple, American Express, Giorgio Armani, Motorola and Converse, which were enlisted to raise money by selling their own (Product) RED lines and donating portions of their profits to (RED).

Rings

The latest Hollywood knuckle-duster trend requires something of a certain scale, which explains the obsession with big cocktail rings decked out with colored stones. Pomellato has tons from which to choose, including the Narciso, available at the Italian jeweler's first U.S. boutique, opening this month in New York City.

Silver

If last fall was all about gold, next spring will be a completely silver season, with accessories turning up in this sleek metallic hue at fashion houses as diverse as Versace, Fendi and, of course, Louis Vuitton, where the classic Speedy bag has been reinvented in stamped monogram Miroir. Unabashedly flashy.

Skiwear

A ski vacation used to mean unflattering, bulky outerwear, frequently in embarrassing neon colors. Thankfully, in the past few years a handful of designers, including Prada and Chanel, have aimed to make the slopes more fashionable. The zipper-covered jacket, above, from Escada Sport is sturdy enough for the snow but sleek enough for the city.

Swan

Anyone lucky enough to sail the open seas aboard one knows that Swans are the cream of the crop. Nautor's Swan, the renowned Finnish boatbuilder that was infused with a bit of fashion-world glitz when Leonardo Ferragamo (Salvatore's son) acquired the company in 1998, recently introduced the newest model in the SwanLine, the Club Swan 42, above. Created in partnership with the venerable New York Yacht Club, the yacht is the first in a new one-design class and is intended to level the playing field in racing with strict equipment regulations.

Tassels

Most people's familiarity with tassels is limited to the dangly ornaments favored by those in traditional interior-decorating circles who like to accessorize fancy window treatments with them. But in more refined materials like gold or silver, tassels take on a whole new look. Just in time for the holiday season, jeweler David Yurman, best known for his signature twisted-cable designs, introduces several styles of tassels, including semiprecious pendants to be worn on long chains. As a singular accessory they make a bold statement, but incorporated into a pile of necklaces they take on the season's biggest fine-jewelry trend: layers upon layers of chains and beads.

Tokyo Rising

The latest in a series of high-design boutiques to open in Tokyo's expensive Ginza district is Gucci. On the tail of Chanel and Christian Dior--which built modernistic marvels of their own in 2004--Gucci opened the doors to its long-awaited flagship, below, earlier this month. The dual-layer glass exterior of the eight-story building lights up at night with an installation by Shozo Toyohisa. Inside, the mood is a vast departure from the hard-edged sex appeal of Gucci's Tom Ford era. The new, less intimidating look incorporates warm color schemes and the use of natural light. Key design elements from Gucci's history accentuate the brand's legacy, while new trademark services are being initiated. Highlights of the store's offerings include a cafe, the reintroduction of custom handbags and the first-ever Gucci Gallery.

URLs

Today's retail websites encourage a communal shopping experience in which site visitors can share product information and opinions in increasingly innovative ways.

designspongeshop.com sells affordable hand-crafted products for the home by small, independent designers. The site is run by Brooklyn, N.Y.--based writer Grace Bonney, who selects sale items and runs two blogs on the site that profile designers and discuss store and product finds.

thisnext.com is like a community-created Consumer Reports. Visitors can find anything from food to fashion recommended by anyone from chefs who list their favorite knives and spices to fashionistas who discuss their love of South Korean label Raveur. And in turn, users can make their own recommendations.

Vividus Bed

You've heard of couture clothing; now think about a couture bed. Vividus, created by Swedish manufacturer Haestens, is the world's most exclusive bed. Made from the finest natural materials, a Vividus bed, above, takes up to 160 hours to complete and is built entirely by hand (hence the $49,500 price tag). The pine frame is held together through a dovetail-jointing method, requiring no screws. The main and overlay mattresses are layered blends of cotton, wool and horsehair. Each Vividus bed is custom-made and bears the signature of the Haestens craftsman who built it.

Wallcoverings

Wallpaper is enjoying a resurgence, helped along by husband-and-wife design team Kyra and Robertson Hartnett. Frustrated by their inability to find contemporary designs in wallpaper and textiles, the pair set to work creating their own wall coverings and textiles. Their company, twenty2, with headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., produces collections that illustrate their sophisticated yet playful take on color palettes and patterns. The papers and textiles are all hand-printed, and customers can even select colors to match their own design schemes.

Wire

Born in Pakistan and based in London, artist Julia Condon has caused quite a stir with her one-of-a-kind mobiles. Made of cable, stainless steel, crystals, jade, Venetian glass, African beads and Peruvian opals, these rustproof pieces conjure up images of faraway galaxies. On earth, Condon scours flea markets from New York City to Paris, finding her materials from unlikely sources, once even taking apart a chandelier. She hopes her mobiles, with prices that start at $4,000, create a mesmerizing feeling for viewers. "I wanted to create something that's moving, that takes you away," she says. "When they're in motion, it's like looking at the universe."

Xtreme Watch

Thierry Nataf, CEO and creative director of Zenith, the Swiss-based watchmaker, likes to model his most daring pieces after his own Bond-like lifestyle. This season he debuts the Defy collection, which looks vaguely like an accessory you absolutely cannot wear unless you fly your own jet and race cars. The collection, which includes the titanium-and-steel Xtreme Open, below, and the smaller Elite series, is an outsized group of graphic, chunky precision timepieces that appeal to the sportif type with an athletic build. From the decorative screw heads to the rotating bezel to the stainless-steel bracelet, the Defy collection promises to be to watchmaking what Formula 1 is to the automobile industry.

Youth

The antiaging market has never been more firmly entrenched. Dr. Patricia Wexler launches her latest product, Intensive Night Reversal and Repair Cream with Bath & Body Works, and Lancome kicks off its new Pro-Xylane technology in the Absolue Premium line. Even hair is getting a lift these days with Fekkai's innovative Ageless regimen, a three-step process for hair rejuvenation.

Zimmerman

In October Steuben Glass introduced its first collection of designs by artist Jeff Zimmerman, titled Soft Explosion. Coveted by curators and collectors alike, Zimmerman's sculptures demonstrate techniques of the highest level of glassmaking, and his most recent collection is no exception. Soft Explosion comprises six designs and an ongoing series of one-of-a-kind objects, including vases reminiscent of growing trees, bowls resembling splashing water and a limited-edition centerpiece of fallen forms that symbolize a forest path. The glassmakers at Steuben gave each Soft Explosion piece, inspired by nature, an individual personality, so that they are similar but never identical. Just as Mother Nature would have it.

Zegna

Style meets technology with Zegna Sport's new iJacket, below, a double-layered, waterproof shell with an inside pocket that accommodates an iPod. For easy use, the iPod is connected to a clear panel near the outside left cuff of the jacket that the wearer uses to control the iPod's functions without having to open the jacket or the inside pocket. The iJacket can be washed like a normal jacket, without any extra care.