Accessories designer Rafe Totengco dishes to WWD about his recent visit to Hong Kong:

Let me tell you about Hong Kong. It's fast and furious. It makes New York look like Boca. I've been coming here for so many years it's like my second home. As soon as I land, I hit the ground running. There are places to go, people to see. I always run over to Causeway Bay to check out all the small boutiques that carry local designers. They're on trend and cost a fraction of the price compared with the major labels.

Sienna Miller is busy. In addition to clocking eight performances a week in "After Miss Julie" on Broadway, the actress is also co-designing her ready-to-wear collection Twenty8Twelve with her sister Savannah who lives in London. But the girls are not letting the Atlantic Ocean get between them.

"That's the wonders of modern technology. We Skype a lot," Sienna says. "There are such great vintage stores and fabric places here that I can source and send my ideas back to Savs and vice-versa."

On Monday--Sienna's only night off--the Miller sisters spoke with WWD about what's next for the British label.

WWD: Sienna, you just moved to New York temporarily and Savannah, you're visiting here for the week. How are you finding the city so far?
Sienna Miller: I love New York. I was born here so I feel like I have an affinity with the place. But I'm here just for four months doing the play.
Savannah Miller: I love the pace here. London's great but it's a sleepy town compared to New York. This is on a completely different level. The energy is so exciting and it's impossible not to get caught up in that.

The cover of the "American Fashion Cookbook: 100 Designer's Best Recipes," published by Assouline in conjunction with the CFDA, shows illustrations of two chicly dressed and very slender women. One is holding a glass of wine; the other, a platter of fish. Neither is eating or drinking. Nor do their reedy figures and model-esque poses suggest an air of hunger or appetite.

That message doesn't bode well for a book that is ostensibly about the ingestion of food. So I was ready to be disappointed when I cooked a meal using its recipes.

Stylists at WWD are no strangers to creative photo shoot locations. Abandoned subway cars, bowling alleys, surf lodges -- you name it, they've probably shot there. But what to do when an editor's inspiration is a painting of a lush garden, but autumn is in full blaze? Do it yourself!

Enter the WWD art department.

With the recent spate of documentaries, designers young and old have been getting plenty of face time these days. But as much as these behind-the-scenes, no-holds-barred portraits can prove revealing — and entertaining — they can often be more about the director's perspective than their subjects' voices. So I was especially excited to hear from them at the Friends of the Costume Institute's season opening event "Young Americans: Designers in Conversation."

As a reporter covering events, I often spend a lot of time simply waiting for celebrities to arrive.

Last night's Versace-sponsored Whitney Studio Party was no exception. After the likes of Alexa Chung, Chanel Iman and Nicole Trunfio had done their step and repeat due diligence, a packed cluster of photographers and press waited and waited and waited some more for Lindsay Lohan. As the time ticked by, I watched the press pit on the red carpet slowly empty out as reporters either gave up hope or moved around to stretch their legs. When Lohan finally showed up, around 10:40 p.m. for a 9 p.m. start time, the currently blonde-tressed actress cum fashion creative director was unusually loquacious.

WWD: Who are some of your favorite artists?

Working on a cultural beat, I receive a rather broad assortment of baffling and, at times, worrying items: endless books on eating and sexual disorders; an embroidered tissue box cover, and even a duct tape DIY tiara kit. The most recent object to land on my desk was a rust-colored Velcro strap-on fur tie. Finally, an answer to my daily sartorial dilemma.

Placing a celebrity up front at a fashion show is a surefire way to cause a commotion. Now try putting one backstage.

Having a bird's-eye view last Sunday as Lindsay Lohan prepared for her debut as Emanuel Ungaro's artistic adviser made for surreal viewing.

Exactly how much input did Lohan have with the collection?

When I settled into my seat at the Broadhurst Theatre for a recent preview of the Donmar Warehouse's "Hamlet," I expected to be enthralled by Jude Law's performance. And his sinewy, intelligent and often humorous turn as the Prince of Denmark did not disappoint.


Less expected, though, was my fascination with the production's set. When my eyes weren't focused on Law's mournful soliloquies (and to be honest, his undeniable comeliness), I was mesmerized by the gray tones and wintry air that permeates the walls surrounding him. A dismal, death-ridden castle has never looked so appealing.

The 25th London Fashion Week -- so anticipated for so long -- is already winding down. There's giddiness in the air, with all the late-night parties, cocktails, dinners and flowing Champagne.