We did a little reconnaissance while attending the shows in February, bottling the pulse of the continent to bring you this, our European Issue. In Milan, Pink Is Punk, from Marcelo Burlon and his band of party people, is adding texture to the social fabric of the fashion capital. We also take a look at some of the tongue-twisting designer names popping up across the continent and beyond, asking, "What's in a Brand Name?" In Paris, we track down a handful of essential beauty buys, and profile five stylish shops that are must-visits for your next sojourn. And in our interview, we size up the 3-D Effect that we spotted all over the European runways.

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Many parties tap into the cultural zeitgeist, but very few create their own. London's now-shuttered BoomBox nights managed that feat, and now Pink Is Punk, a long-running but recently remixed party in Milan, is establishing itself as a music-meets-fashion epicenter.

"We're the BoomBox generation," declares Pink Is Punk host Marcelo Burlon, who founded the party with partner Andrea. "They were responsible for our generation of people starting to dress up again," he explains, "and our aim is to capitalize on this mood of going out as an event." Boombox may have sparked this latest movement, but the splinter culture in Milan has built up a momentum all its own... keep reading »

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Join the Pink Is Punk club with your very own "Bizarre Love Triangle" T-shirt, designed by Marios, Milan's answer to Bernhard Willhelm. To win, be the 100th respondent to name a New York nightclub that had a lasting impact.

Paris is one of the world's best shopping destinations. Though you can always rely on the city's numerous glitzy storefronts and luxury shops, we highlight five of the hottest retail spots that you won't find in your run-of-the mill travel guide.

Version Vendome and Kreon, 1 bis, place de Valois
This modern lifestyle-design outpost sits in the middle of the French Ministry of Culture's compound on place de Valois. Opened just a month ago, the spatial collaboration between Version Vendome and Kreon is already busy catering to Paris' plugged-in architects and designers... keep reading »

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Prada, Marni, Dior, Chanel—the names roll off your tongue. It seems that a successful fashion brand requires a name that's rhythmically quick and easily remembered. However, a slew of young up-market labels have arrived with nearly unpronounceable names that challenge branding conventions yet still aim to become fashion bywords.

Derercuny, an Italian label led by designer Mina Lee, is part of Cheil Industries, the textile division of electronics giant Samsung; small wonder that its name conjures up a hi-tech gadget rather than the intricate detailing it's known for. Mina Lee, who came up with the name Derercuny, says, "I don't believe it [the name] will impact it negatively at all. If anything I think it will make people who are unfamiliar with our label... keep reading »

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The stylish jet set always stocks up on beauty products in Paris—but that doesn't necessarily mean spending beaucoup bucks at the shiny counters of Bon Marché. The quality cosmetics we profile below are affordable and can be found at any Parisian pharmacy.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
Beauty insiders all adore Nuxe's luxurious dry oil, which has been the company's signature product for over 15 years. Just add a few drops of this golden elixir—which features a rich base of precious botanical oils and vitamin E—to your bath, foundation or hair to attain a gorgeous, silky sheen.... keep reading »

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Three-dimensional accents are popping up all over a/w '08 catwalks. We highlighted the leaders of the movement in our London Fashion review, and in Paris, the trend continued to take shape in the distended, flutelike forms at Rick Owens, the tented dresses at Tsumori Chisato and the mutton sleeves at Givenchy. We met up with uber-stylist Darryl Rodrigues, who's lent his signature architectural sensibilities to magazines such as Amica, L'Officiel and Mixt(e), for more insight on this veritable explosion of new forms.

JC Report: 3-D features in clothes are typically targeting editorials, but now I see it as a design accent that's being translated to the streets—do you agree?... keep reading »

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What's hot right now: "All the Quaker-inspired looks seen in the a/w '08-'09 collections from Milan and London: Cavalli, Nicoll and Gianfranco Ferré. Also, René Magritte-inspired hats, Sportmax and Yohji Yamamoto. And Vivienne Westwood, she had her models walk in stilts."

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Agyness Deyn: The Face of a Generation
Agyness Deyn's tomboy look has made her one of the most recognizable supermodels in the world, reports The Independent.

TV Show Searches for Disabled Model
The BBC is set to launch the first reality TV competition for disabled models, reports The Guardian.

Kanye West's Fashion Snub
The notoriously iron-fisted handlers of Balenciaga's Paris fashion show rejected Kanye West's request to attend, reports MTV News.

Fashion's New Patrons Struggle for Right Fit
A look at how a new breed of entrepreneurs are handling fashion house management, from the Wall Street Journal.

Katoucha Niane Found Drowned in Seine
A month after she'd gone missing, former catwalk queen Katoucha's body is found, reports The Times UK.

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