To book guests, contact Katherine Barna at 212-445-4859-Katherine.Barna@Newsweek.com-or Grace Huh at 212-445-5831-Grace.Huh@Newsweek.com. Articles are posted on www.Newsweek.com. *This issue will remain on newsstands for two weeks.

INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS: HIGHLIGHTS AND EXCLUSIVES, APRIL6-13 DOUBLE ISSUE

THE CASE FOR LUXURY: (All overseas editions). In this double issue, Newsweek international examines how the global economic crisis has resulted in people trading in excess for excellence, superficiality for substance. As Assistant Managing Editor Jonathan Tepperman reports, in the U.S., retail and food sales fell almost 10 percent in December and 2 percent more in January.  Yet while trendy or midrange clothes chains like Saks Fifth Avenue are hurting, ultraclassics with reputations for quality are still going strong: LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, charted 4 percent growth for 2008, while Hermès hit 8 percent. Gavin Davis, a spokesman for Savile Row Bespoke, a cooperative of 12 London tailors, says the group has reported a steady rise in sales over the past few months, in what he calls a "flight to quality." Experts predict this kind of growth will continue. "The sense from the shop floor is that it's lower frequency, higher value," says James Lawson, a market consultant with Ledbury Research. This report looks at how the trend is affecting all commercial sectors.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191499

            Fashionably Discreet. Special Correspondent Sameer Reddy reports on the growing success of the smaller, less-known haute couture houses in Paris. In haute couture's smaller-scaled parallel universe, designers have only their handicraft to help them make their mark on an industry blinded by brand names. Lacking advertising budgets, they fail to attract much editorial attention, and consequently their client base can only grow via word of mouth. But given the state of the world economy, their leaner operations, smaller overhead and more accessible price points leave them better positioned than ever to survive. Reddy reports that while couture houses across the board generally posted respectable growth in 2008, the gains among the second-string couturiers were especially strong.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191500

Hold the Tablecloth. Special Correspondent Ginanne Brownell reports that in this economy people may be down, but they're still dining out, increasingly drawn to eateries that offer delicious, hearty food in a laid-back environment. It sounds like an oxymoron, but bare-bones fine dining is the order of the day. Forget suiting up and sitting for hours through a four-course meal, whose heart-stopping bill reflects the stilted service as much as the food; today's diners want to strip away the excess and pay only for what they came for: first-rate food.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191504

                Less of a Good Thing. Special Correspondent Joanna Chen reports that not every meal has to be a no-frills affair.  From Tel Aviv to London, some luxury restaurants are simply serving slightly less of their lavish offerings. With business down 20 to 50 percent at some top establishments, restaurateurs are seeking to lure diners back to the table with affordable plates that don't skimp on the extras.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191505

Drinking Up the Wine Cellar. Contributing Editor Susan H. Greenburg writes that the wine cellar that she and her husband built in their home has turned out to be one of their better investments in recent years. "We've been living off the contents of the mysterious foil-wrapped packets in the freezer, and selling ‘Breakfast for dinner!' as an exciting new meal option for our kids. Sushi is for special occasions. But raiding the wine cellar is the one thing we can do that makes us feel like we're still living the good life," she writes.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191506

Signs of Life in The Art Market. Special Correspondent Alexandra A. Seno reports that in these tough economic times, the contemporary art market is finding clever ways to lure customers.  The downturn allows artists and dealers to be more creative, and collectors to focus on the fundamentals instead of on the buzz.  And serious collectors are finding excellent deals on top quality art.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191507

 Living Large by Building Small. Contributing Editor Cathleen McGuigan reports that in the same spirit as a Wall Street trader who wants to keep his bonus under wraps, a certain discretion is infiltrating high-end designer houses. The downward spiral of the economy has already led to the downsizing of mass-market housing, shrinking the average new single-family home in the U.S. from a high of 244 square meters to 218. Now the trend is trickling up to luxury architecture, which these days is not so much about building large as building well.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191508

            The Return of Luxury. Special Correspondent Nick Foulkes writes that in the midst of this economic downturn, luxury might seem to have little point. "However, I would argue that these are the times when we most need cheering up with small helpings of the better things that life has to offer. Nevertheless, our relationship with luxury is changing."   He writes that a hunger for luxury is  a human instinct; it's just that our appetites got out of check. "There will be a period of readjustment, an Augean clearing of the branded bric-a-brac that came to clutter our lives and obscure from view the beauty of true luxury."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191511

Next: Harriet Who? London Reporter William Underhill looks at the potential candidacy of  Harriet Harman, the deputy leader of the British Labour Party, for Labour leader after Gordon Brown's all-but-certain defeat in the next election. Her surprising emergence as the front runner is a reflection of the great difficulties Labour is having in the midst of an economic crisis. Though she has denied interest in the job, she is well positioned for it. Since entering Parliament in 1982 as one of only 10 Labour women M.P.s, she has made a name as an advocate of equality and women's rights.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191491

WORLD VIEW: A Financial 9/11. David Miliband, foreign minister of the United Kingdom, writes that just as the world was affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, the foreign policies of many countries are again being reshaped, but this time by the current economic crisis.  This crisis has created the opportunity for governments to enforce a new and effective multilateralism by doing away with "false necessities" and allowing progressives to fill in the space.  In order for a "global society" to exist, Miliband states that "progressives must address the deep economic, environmental and political imbalances that gave rise to the current mess."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191498

THE LAST WORD: Gen. Barry McCaffrey, former director of the Office of the National Drug Control Policy under President Bill Clinton. Retired U.S. Gen. Barry McCaffrey chats with Senior Writer Adam B. Kushner about the drug wars in Mexico and offers advice in light of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent trip there.  McCaffrey points out that "on both sides of the border, political authorities are tempted to be in denial of the scope of the problem."  The solution is "engagement" and "resources commensurate with the problem."  Secretary of State Clinton's pledge of American support accomplishes step one: confirmation that "the Americans are listening to us."  "The second thing is to provide resources, in deference to Mexican sovereignty, to support their internal efforts."  

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191497

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