Brenda Butler

Wisdom in design or decorating is an elusive thing. We can't always discern that a beloved sofa throws off a room's aesthetic or why eclecticism can't be achieved in a...

Let's flashback a bit. Goldie Hawn wears a sari to a few key Hollywood bashes. Madonna, her hands painted with henna (mehndi), espouses Eastern sensibilities in her music video. On...

Tiny, decorative purses measuring 8 inches high or less make charming accent pieces, but they're mere one-nighters--convenient receptacles for lipstick, compact, mirror, credit card and dollars. The must-have bags are...

Hold on to your coverups, if you must, but you'll be left at the resale bins. The momentum to reveal skin and body shape is strong, focusing squarely on the...

Appetizers and hors d'oeuvres may be the first morsels eaten at a dinner or cocktail party, but the utensils used for them are among the last links forged in the...

It's black, Jack This is counterintuitive. Reactionary. Definitely going against the tide. But black will be back. Acid colors for spring? Fine. Blue in fashion and home? Nice. Black, though,...

The idea of following a trend may be appalling to some, but frankly speaking, our lifestyle choices are driven by what's popular and ultimately dictated by a trend's progenitorrarity. All...

In Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig's new book,"Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good Life" (Warner), entertaining is not an event for the wringing of hands--unless it's to wash them....

Two years ago when the butterfly motif lit on fashion, everyone wondered, Why butterflies, why now? The vague answers to those well-worn questions are never satisfying, for inspiration has many...

Thousands of accomplished women made their marks over the last 100 years. We chose a few who inspired us (we invite your suggestions) and who inspired fashion designers for the...