She may not be a household name herself, but it is thanks to Lauren Zalaznick that American audiences have come to know and love—and loathe—such outsize personalities as Rachel Zoe, Tabatha Coffey (of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover), Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, the five Queer Eye guys and far too many Real Housewives and project Runway contestants to rattle off here. As President of NBC Universal Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks, Zalaznick has reshaped the way this country zones out.

Sure, she was still a child in the ’80s. But given her string of command performances, we knew that Claire Danes was perfect for our fashion story on the revival of powerhouse dressing inspired by the greed decade. After all, her strength on-screen -- and off -- made Zac Efron quake in his boots at the mere thought of working with her in Richard Linklater’s upcoming film, Me and Orson Welles.

She came of age as the quietly brooding Angela Chase in TV’s cult series My So-Called Life. Now, after years spent turning Juliet on her head, romancing Steve Martin, dodging tabloid scandals and finding true love in the fine form of fiancé Hugh Dancy, Claire Danes has finally come into her own. (Check out a pair of exclusive bonus photos for this photo shoot.) On the eve of her bachelorette blow-out, the stage beauty, acting powerhouse and diehard New Yorker gets down to business—and her skivvies—while inviting Ray Rogers into the private world of America’s most grounded leading lady.

My brother Matt and I are not visual artists,” says Eleanor Friedberger, one-half of the brother-sister duo the Fiery Furnaces, while cutting maps into shapes of the various states and countries mentioned on her band’s eighth album, I’m Going Away. “Not at all.” Regardless, the wildly inventive Brooklyn-based indie-rock band is always up for a challenge. When invited to create an art project on BlackBook’s office walls, they came with sketch books in hand, Eleanor in an oversize shirt that could function as a smock if need be.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash! We certainly had a gas with the ebullient Juliette Lewis, who took on the diverse roles of Bettie Page, Coco Chanel, Bonnie Parker and Mick Jagger for this issue devoted to the act of creative rebellion. Each one of these individuals, in their own way, defied convention in their heyday as much as Lewis herself does. The Oscar-nominated actress made the radical decision at the age of 30 that she could no longer resist the call to rock. She stepped off of “the hamster wheel” in Hollywood a few years back and got down to the business of rock ’n’ roll. Her soulful intensity and raw self-examination come through full-throttle on her new record, Terra Incognita. But thankfully, she’s back on the big screen, too, with four new films due out over the next year (and a brutally candid interview).

There are radicals, and then there is Juliette Lewis, the wildly unpredictable, Oscar-nominated actress-turned-musician, whose rich life story runs the gamut from emancipation and aliens to chemical dependency and Brad Pitt. (See more of Juliette in BlackBook here!) After a three-year absence from the silver screen, the stunning provocateur cracks the whip with four new films and her most assured album yet.

Rape. Murder. Teens. Transgressive literary anti-star Dennis Cooper can be depended on for a few things—convention, however, certainly isn’t one of them. “I never learned how to write fiction, never even took a fiction writing class, so my books are sort of strangely shaped,” says the 56-year-old writer who unleashed a five book cycle of snuff, drugs and rock ’n’ roll on an unsuspecting literary world beginning with 1989’s brilliant shocker Closer, and then went on to win wide acclaim for 2005’s The Sluts, an ingenious novel told by way of Internet postings on a male escort site.

Just the thought of a summer issue put us in full-on beach mode -- daydreams of far-off places, sandy toes and tropical drinks. To that end, a truckload of black volcanic sand was hauled in, along with a passel of plush beach blankets, chaise lounges and striped umbrellas, for our cover shoot with the incomparable Marion Cotillard, who brought a touch of the French Riviera to Canal Street one day in early May. The Oscar-winning La Vie en Rose star is certainly on a whirlwind journey of her own, as she ascends from respected actress to international movie star.

Shawn Mortensen with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

When word came that photographer and BlackBook contributor Shawn Mortensen had passed away, our last issue had just come in from the printer. In it was a portfolio of Shawn’s most recent work, including some of the most fabulous images we’d ever seen of the Gossip’s Beth Ditto and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and a soulful moment with Clive Barker in his studio. It was an art issue, and Shawn’s images were both celebrations of the wild forms of self-expression from these creative types and works of art in their own right. Shawn wasn’t the kind of guy to sit still, and his lust for life came through in his subjects. He had an uncanny way of working with people, who often became more like collaborators in his photos, ignited by his passion.

Marion Cotillard is having a New York moment. The new face of French cinema, who took home a treasure trove of gold statues from far-flung corners of the world for her memory-searing role as Edith Piaf in 2007’s La Vie en Rose, is slathering cream cheese on half a bagel as she readies for our daylong cover shoot. So much for the spread of organic salads, fresh vegetables and hot water with lemon she’d requested.