Jessica Lee Jernigan: Work

Plum Sykes: Bergdorf Brunette

"You wouldn't believe the dedication it takes to be a gorgeous, flaxen-haired, dermatologically perfect New York girl with a life that's fabulous beyond belief. Honestly, it all requires a level of commitment comparable to, say, learning Hebrew or quitting cigarettes." Meet Moi. She's the delightfully superficial heroine of Bergdorf Blondes. Like her creator, she's actually a brunette, but don't let that tiny detail confuse you: Moi knows her way around, from where to get the best Brazilian bikini wax to where to find the most reliable gossip. She can score free pedicures and invitations to designer sample shows. She has the perfect outfit for every occasion, whether it's a trip to Europe on a private jet or her own (botched, rather hilariously) suicide. Read more…

The Summer of Axl Rose

"November Rain"—in both aural and video form—is musically and emotionally ostentatious, with its pretensions to opera and its Sturm-und-Drang guitars. To the coldly critical eye, it surely falls short of true grandeur, but at least it tries. In the summer of 1992, my life felt circumscribed—not horrendous or unendurable, but small and likely to stay that way. Having been born at the tail end of Generation X, I grew up with a highly developed sense of irony and a nearly paralyzing inability to endure the earnest. "November Rain" not only lifted me above my slightly pathetic circumstances, but its primal, unabashed emotion actually penetrated my sarcastic shell, and my absurd crush on Axl Rose provided me with a much-needed escape. Read more…