Gaultier’s Great Goodbye

PARIS — Jean Paul Gaultier, the French designer who put Madonna in a bullet-bra and men in skirts, scandalized the couture establishment by hosting the TV show “Eurotrash” and never forgot his sense of humor, yet could cut a tuxedo with such panache he was regarded as an heir to Yves Saint Laurent, said goodbye…

It’s Not You, It’s Your Wedding

Everyone’s a critic, even when it comes to your wedding. Especially when it comes to your wedding. Maybe the groom chomped Bubble Yum as he recited his vows. Or the bridesmaids’ flowers were shaped like baby Yoda. Or the minister yelled at photographers just for doing their job. Whatever the blunder, on the Reddit thread…

Of Ball Gowns and the Subconscious

PARIS — It’s been a strange, discombobulating dance at the couture, sneaking glances between shows at the impeachment proceedings going on in the United States, the spread of coronavirus in China, and the plutocrats talking sustainability at Davos. World events have a way of raising the stakes on a collection; what can a designer do…

36 Hours in Honolulu

For many travelers, Honolulu is just a stopover en route to Maui or Kauai, with a goal of avoiding the overtouristed maze that Waikiki has become. In 2018, nearly 6 million travelers arrived by air to the island of Oahu, up 16.2 percent in five years. But there is still plenty to do and see…

My Father’s Passport

In his mid-60s, my father unfolded a United States road atlas, laid a ruler across it, and drew a straight line from Cape Flattery, Wash., to Key West, Fla. “It’s downhill all the way!” he boomed. Then he drove that line, from the northwest corner of the continental United States to its southeastern endpoint —…