Sergio Rossi

You can count on one set of toes the number of shoe artisans around the world--Manolo Blahnik, Salvatore Ferragamo, and now a name that is setting out to become more familiar in the United States--Sergio Rossi. The 40-year-old Sergio Rossi firm, known for its sexy stilettos, has been one of those successful but small European companies that lacked only a major cash infusion to become a worldwide brand.

You can count on one set of toes the number of shoe artisans around the world--Manolo Blahnik, Salvatore Ferragamo, and now a name that is setting out to become more familiar in the United States--Sergio Rossi. The 40-year-old Sergio Rossi firm, known for its sexy stilettos, has been one of those successful but small European companies that lacked only a major cash infusion to become a worldwide brand.

Don't be surprised to see people break out of the pack this spring by wearing satin shoes in step class or reflective-foil marathon jackets at the mall. Several designers are infusing fashion into clothing and accessories that are meant for the street, but inspired by sport. The result? Multipurpose pieces that make a chic transition from running on the treadmill to running errands and maybe even fill the bill for a casual business meeting.

[Caption text by Kristin Young] * Resource Guide * Metals, Page 34: Miu Miu gold-sheen hand-painted jacquard dress, $4,705, available at Miu Miu, New York City, (212) 334-5156. Gold silk dress by 3.1 phillip lim, $426, at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills, and Barneys New York, Beverly Hills. Suede platform shoe with plexiglass heel, $995, at Sergio Rossi, Beverly Hills. * Fur, Page 35: Louis Vuitton crushed fur wedge boots, $1,780, at Louis Vuitton, Beverly Hills.

Heads up, Blahnik, Choo and Louboutin; there's a new luxury shoe designer, and he's not lacking in attitude. "A daughter doesn't want to wear what her mother is wearing," says George Mang of his collection of intricately designed footwear, which debuts this fall. "I think I have something different to say than what's out there." A high school dropout who "wanted to grow up to be Keith Richards," Mang started his career at 16 as a department store shoe salesman in Phoenix.

Architectural designer Denise Ip only recently began her love affair with cars, and her heart belongs to her 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 442. It was one of those love-at-first-sight things. "It wasn't rational. I just knew I had to have it," the 24-year-old says. It was a Sunday. "I was driving through the hills in Silver Lake, and I saw it parked by the side of the road. I don't even remember whether I knocked on the door or the guy who owned it was standing outside.

THE stock answer to the "Why do shoes and handbags cost so much?" question usually comes down to the quality of the materials. Fine leather -- aged, cured, buffed or distressed -- doesn't come cheap. But that reasoning becomes a little murky when the hefty price tag hangs from boots or bags made of patent leather, which are flooding the stores this spring, and promise to continue into the fall. Real patent is leather, given a high gloss finish and a coating of plastic.

For persons with disabilities, finding stylish, comfortable and durable clothing can be a frustrating challenge. Many settle for whatever clothes they can rig to fit. Childhood friends Kurt Rieback and Tom Pirruccello met up as adults and started a business, Professional Fit, to help improve clothing options for the disabled.

ACTRESS Christina Moore has the looks that allowed her to break into TV playing bit parts such as "Gorgeous Woman" and "Sexy Anchor." Her sketch-comedy skills won her a stint on "MADtv." And she's performed in musical productions such as "Big River" and "Annie." But Friday night she goes prime time, costarring in the new ABC sitcom "Hot Properties."

You can tell a man by his shoes, but you can tell a fashion house by its purse. First came the Prada backpack that made the triangular logo as famous as it was lucrative. Next came Gucci's metallic totes and Jackie bags that showed how accessories could breathe life into near-dead fashion companies. Lately, it's been the whimsical Fendi baguette swinging from status-conscious elbows. Now, Dior has signed "It" girl Gwyneth Paltrow to appear in an ad campaign for the City Dior handbag line.

Jen Meyer met husband Tobey Maguire here, Kate Hudson bought her first Stella McCartney for Chloe dress here, and Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss worked here for a summer. The memories are still fresh for retailer Tracey Ross, who last week closed the doors of her boutique, another casualty of the recession. "I can't believe it's been 18 years," she said Monday night, stacking the last few pairs of Indian toe-ring sandals on the floor in her near-empty shop.