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By Cathy Lu
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By Ginanne Brownell
Judging by the new film "The Devil Wears Prada," life inside the fashion trenches is all about Chanel suits and Gucci skirts. But increasingly it's the devils you don't know that count. If you've heard of Rundholtz, Mr. and Mrs. MacLeod or Shirin Guild, you've got one up on Miranda Priestly; they are among the designers rarely seen in fashion mags. Their clothes--works of art, really--are sold only in unique boutiques. "I find clientele like the more-personal service," says Pirjo Jaffe, owner of the eponymous Pirjo in suburban Washington, D.C. "Boutiques know when to suggest items and when to back off, while in department stores you can get pushy salesclerks who can also be very snotty."
Pirjo's shop is popular among politicians and diplomats--including a Kennedy or two--who can't find their favorite European designers anywhere. Jaffe, originally from Finland, specializes in introducing up-and-comers--including Germans Rundholtz and Gesine Moritz, and the Paris-based Japanese designer Ken Okada. Hot this season are Wendy Stevens handbags, creatively mixing metal and leather, retailing between $200 and $750.
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Down a little side street in London's Knightsbridge neighborhood, Egg blends art and fashion. Dresses and trousers by Italian Daniela Gregis (under the label OK*AM) hang on the walls like paintings. Her cotton Coulisse skirt sells for £480, and her knitted jumpers in red, white and blue are £450.
Rome's sophisticated Irene Versace boutique--no relation to that other label--may be off the beaten path but is worth the schlep: it stocks billowy cashmere knits by Iranian-born, London-based Eskandar (starting at €680), dresses by the British design team of Shirin Guild (starting at about €400) and American-based minimalist designer Zoran's sleek pieces.
In Prague, the Art and Fashion Gallery is a charming little surprise along the Ungelt Courtyard. The windows of this airy boutique will draw you in with their exquisite display of hand-dyed silk scarves, sumptuous jackets and distinctive Dalibor Nesnidal crystal and bronze sculptures (€280). But the fantastic selection of dresses, jumpers and objets d'art will keep you rummaging for more.
Once you're bitten by the boutique bug, you won't be able to stop. Three more fab shops to check out on your travels: Chicago's elegant Art Effect ( arteffectchicago.com ), Melbourne's Vis-à-Vis ( visavis boutique.com.au ) and Prey in Bath ( preyuk.com ).
With many Britons off on holiday, the English countryside is splendidly quiet this time of year. This charming hotel near Bath is a wonderful base for exploring the West Country.
n Ambience: Owners Roger and Monty Saul, the founders of the luxury label Mulberry, use their famous plaid subtly. Entering the landscaped front yard feels like arriving at the country home of a good, if wealthy, friend. The library's overstuffed couches provide the perfect place for a latte and the Sunday papers.
n Rooms: Each room has a unique name and décor, filled with antiques; some even open onto private gardens. But the bathrooms are truly spectacular: one houses a copper bath and open-tiled shower upstairs.
n Spa: Monty's, the hotel spa, uses hand-blended natural products they make themselves, in such fragrances as lavender, grapefruit and cedar.
n Food: The restaurant has a cosmopolitan flair without feeling stuffy. Try the foie gras with black cherries and ginger-beer jelly for a starter, followed by the pan-fried sea bass with scallop and coriander ravioli. For dessert, don't miss the chilled strawberry consommé with elderflower and mint sorbet. They'll even bring it to your room.
This seaside resort has long been the jet set's summer playground. There's plenty to enjoy even if you don't have much time.
Climb the path of Rocher de la Vierge and view the sea, the surfers and the Franco-Spanish coastline.
Indulge in the best Biarotte ice cream at Jerome . Don't miss the Neige du Sahara--lime, ginger and orange (8, avenue de Verdun).
Visit the Musée de la Mer and marvel at the fish, sharks and seals (Esplanade du Rocher de la Vierge).
Design your own Basque espadrilles at Les Sandales d'Eugenie , a family-run business since 1935 (18, rue Mazagran).
Sip cocktails at the Bar Imperial of the Hotel du Palais , built by Napoleon III for his wife, Eugenie, in 1855. A favorite hangout of Charlie Chaplin and Hemingway (1, avenue de l'impératrice).
To wash your cares away, soak in bath using products made with these novel ingredients:
Clay: For centuries, people ate clay to remove toxins from the body. Nougat found an easier recipe with its clay bath syrup ($48; nougatbodytohome.co.uk ).
Oil: The Moroccan cedarwood in Jo Wood Organics Usiku Bath Oil is liquid gold for insomniacs ($125; jowoodorganics.com ).
Wine: Your skin will relish the fruit of the vine with Aqua Dessa's cabernet Wine Bath ($36; aquadessa.com ).
Tired of staying in hotels where you pay through the nose for services you don't use, like room service or the health club? Then check out England's latest trend: "aspirational luxury" hotels, as industry insiders call them, give travelers fabulously designed and furnished rooms at low prices. The catch? Cut down on room size and eliminate all the frills--restaurants, bars, gyms--in exchange for high-quality leather and wood finishes, sophisticated sofas, big-screen plasma TVs and Wi-Fi. Yotel is leading the pack with tiny, chic rooms, which CEO Gerard Greene calls "the iPod of the hotel industry" for their style, simplicity and affordability (£40 to £70 per night; yotel.com ). Birmingham-based Nitenite bases its décor on luxury yacht cabins. Instead of a window you get real-time footage of the city on your plasma TV (£49.95 per night; nitenite.com). Even celebrities are getting in on the trend; actor John Malkovich is a partner in Cardiff's stylish Big Sleep hotel (from £45 per night; thebigsleep hotel.com ).
Never miss a photo op again. The latest high-end camera phones pack 3-megapixel-plus resolution, getting closer to digital-camera quality than ever before.
Samsung's SCH-a990 ($350 with two-year service; verizonwireless.com ) looks like a regular flip phone--but the screen swivels 180 degrees to become a viewfinder. There are picture modes (such as portrait), a self-timer and TV connection.
Nokia's N93 ($500 to $700, this fall; nokiausa.com ) has 3x optical zoom high-end optics and video recording that look almost as good as DVDs.
Sony Ericsson's K790 ($499, this fall; sonyericsson.com ) boasts the same interface as Sony's digicam line, with a sliding lens cover and a xenon flash stronger than the lights on most phones.
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