Designation

"Arrested Development" costume designer Katie Sparks, whose efforts on the first two seasons of the Fox sitcom earned her a 2006 nomination from the Costume Designers Guild of America, was tapped by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz to work on the new streaming-to-Netflix season that will be released May 26. She recently spoke about her work on the original series and the challenges posed by revisiting - and re-dressing - the quirky Bluth family after...

Palmela Green sits amid hundreds of fabric rolls in her West L.A. swimsuit shop, surrounded by pink and red sequins, animal prints, knits and faux furs. A photo of one of her recent projects, a swimsuit in a Lexus ad, is proudly displayed on a wall. Green, who works by appointment, is one of only a few designers - the pool also includes Lissa Walker and Merrilee Madrigal, who are both based in Orange County - in the area who create custom swimwear. Green's customers pick a fabric and then choose one of her styles or order a one-of-a-kind pattern.

The gig: Felix Holst is vice president of design for the Mattel Wheels Division and the chief designer behind the Hot Wheels and Matchbox toy car brands. He supervises more than 50 designers who work on toy cars and related products. "We get to engage in automotive fantasy in little 3-inch works of art," said Holst, who lives in Venice. Prior gig: Bassist and manager of The Kustombuilt, a British rock band that toured England for five years. "The two passions in my life have been cars and music," Holst said.

So what will Jean Nouvel do? For the Los Angeles Philharmonic production of “Marriage of Figaro,” the second in Gustavo Dudamel's cycle of the Mozart operas with librettos by Lorenzo Da Ponte, the famed French architect will design installations as a set for the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage, as Frank Gehry did with his wondrous billowing crumpled paper sculptures for “Don Giovanni” a year ago. What will the Paris-based Tunisian avant-garde...

Ottavio Missoni, who died last week at age 92, was laid to rest on Monday after a funeral service in Gallarate, Italy. “Fashion passes but style remains. We are here to take lessons in style from a man of style,” said the minister  Don Giulio Della Vite. [WWD] Rihanna's second apparel collection for British retailer River Island is imminent and the singer gives a preview in a video in which she explains why she wanted to design clothes: "I just wanted stuff that I wanted to wear because at the end of the day that's what got me into designing - seeing things on the rack that were great, but that could have been a little more me .... Maybe they could have been a little longer or shorter, or have a little more sex appeal or a little less.

The 21st century soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann's splashy remake of "The Great Gatsby" may be a head-scratcher, but design fans can't quibble with the period sets created by production designer Catherine Martin. "The phone has been ringing off the hook," said Frank Pollaro , a custom furniture maker renowned for reproductions of Jazz Age designs. "People are falling in love with Art Deco again. " Pollaro, who wasn't involved in the film's production, isn't the only one noting how much excitement the film's period design has managed to generate.

Chicago entrepreneurs Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak managed to launch a line of audio products during the recession. Their folding cardboard speakers made Time magazine's 2009 list of best inventions. National television exposure on the "Today" show and "Shark Tank" soon followed. Then they did something really surprising. They moved to California. The knock on the Golden State is that costs are too high, regulations too plentiful and the attitude toward business is generally unfriendly.

The gig: Interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard is in demand among Hollywood celebrities: Christina Aguilera, Kid Rock and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are among his clients. His inviting and eclectic interiors have graced the pages of Architectural Digest, Elle Decor and House Beautiful. His product lines include fabrics, wallpapers and furniture. He's invaded living rooms nationwide on shows such as "Million Dollar Decorator," "The Talk" and "The Young and the Restless. " In the trenches: The path to this abundant success had humble beginnings in London.

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful," declares Liberace in the closing minutes of "Behind the Candelabra. " The line, borrowed from Mae West, is a fitting description of the late pianist's famously over-the-top aesthetic: In his long-running Las Vegas show, Liberace was known to make his grand entrance via bedazzled Rolls-Royce limousines and for wearing glitzy ensembles like star-spangled hot pants or a sequin-lined, white fox coat with a 16-foot...

Learn more about sustainable design and green living as Altbuild, the Alternative Building Materials & Design Conference and Expo, opens Friday at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.  Architects, builders and landscape designers will be among the more than 150 exhibitors on hand to discuss green design, including modular housing, rammed earth building, solar power and water conservation. Among this year's highlights: Larry Santoyo of the permaculture design company EarthFlow will answer questions about sustainable landscaping, composting and raising chickens.