From Vanity Fair, pioneering animal prints on everything from leather to lamé, then putting Lycra in jeans, Roberto Cavalli made fashion ferociously sexy and fun, both for his celebrity clients (Beyonce, Bono, the Beckhams, et al.) and for himself; and with the house of Lacroix filing for bankruptcy, and Yves Saint Laurent gone, some fear that haute couture is finished — but Paris’s fashion phoenix has survived world war, cultural revolution, and economic meltdown, reshaped to fit the times. Valerie Steiker reviews Shocking Life: The Autobiography of Elsa Schiaparelli. A review of Glamour: A History by Stephen Gundle. Behind the gloss of Vogue: "The September Issue" is a revealing look at work, creativity and two strong women (and more and more). Lacoste of Living: After three-quarters of a century, a quintessential shirt picks up a lot of baggage — some good, some ironically so, all obsession-worthy. 50 years of pantyhose: Love them or hate them, the once-ubiquitous women’s accessory was a revolutionary invention that helped transform women’s fashion. The way world leaders dress — even when they are on vacation — does matter, and a politician's greatest holiday sartorial challenge is swimwear. Men’s trainers can be good, bad or decidedly ugly — sidestep the silly ones and hunt down some modern classics.