The It List

Joey Lauren Adams
The Betty

Age: 29 Why her?: She kicked life into one of the most complex and funny twentysomething female roles in years, the bisexual lead in Chasing Amy. (And she looks great garbed by Tyler, one of her favorite designers.) How she does it: Curiosity makes her tick. ''First I come from a place of gratitude. I'm always like, 'Wow, I'm really fortunate,''' says Adams. ''Then it just becomes a matter of asking a lot of whys: 'Why does [my character] do that? Why does she feel that way?''' Creative crutch: ''Cigarettes. I've been trying to quit, but it's been really hard.'' What's next: Fox's A Cool Dry Place, opposite Vince Vaughn.

Richard Tyler
The Style King

Age: 50 Why him?: His flawlessly tailored suits (1) never go out of style and (2) manage to give the actresses who wear them — including Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, and Laura Dern — a sexy and commanding presence. What's more, Tyler's evening line (modeled here by Joey Lauren Adams), a marriage of rich fabrics and tendrillike straps, is as acclaimed as his daywear. A mocha-colored beaded lace gown worn by Sandra Bullock made her one of Oscar 1997's fashion dos. How he does it: ''I have papers and fabrics all over the place. I do a rough sketch. And my team knows me so well they interpret it just right.'' The designer still finds inspiration in the glory days of '30s Hollywood. ''I draw from all that Garbo,'' says Tyler, who also plans to visit the Marlene Dietrich museum in Berlin when it opens. ''It will be fabulous.'' Creative crutch: A crucifix from El Salvador that he's owned for 12 years. ''It's really kept me going spiritually.'' What's next: A sew-a-thon. Hitting stores this fall are the lower-priced Richard Tyler Collection and men's and women's collections for the Italian line Byblos.