Due to a historical quirk, all the Row's leases were recently up for renewal simultaneously; its owner, the Pollen Estate, allowed two of its biggest properties to be developed for "high-end retail". "But then, he's always been pretty cool, and he's always believed in himself; he's his own best advert for his own stuff. And he's always had this romantic notion of Savile Row." A theatrical pause. "Sometimes he can get quite Messianic about it."Boateng certainly seems to be on a mission to preserve his beloved street; what he's saving it from is a matter for debate Certainly, Savile Row is in flux. There aren't many black designers around, and he's an icon.""What Ozwald has achieved is incredible," says Mark Powell, who's kept his own base in nearby Soho, as befits his edgier style. "He's fused traditional skills in tailoring and expert cutting with a very modern use of colour His whole life is a success story.
The latter is in an extravagantly draped salon redolent of musk ("that's my scent," he says, and you suspect he's talking bottled-brand rather than pheromones), and is dominated by a redoubtable oil of Boateng by society portraitist Jonathan Yeo."Ozwald has revolutionised Savile Row," believes Suzanne Lussier, who curated Boateng's show at the V&A. This is about safeguarding what we have in this street."Of all the young British tailors who spearheaded the "New Savile Row" revolution a decade and a half ago, introducing the Cool Britannia generation to the joys of the hand-sewn - Timothy Everest, Mark Powell, Richard James - it is (omega) Boateng who's kept faith with, and remained firmly rooted in, the Ground Zero of British tailoring. When push comes to shove, it's amazing what you can achieve." He pauses "But this isn't about me. "I've been 12 years on the Row," he says, as if speaking to a huge, invisible audience "I've made my mark I've got my OBE I've got nothing to prove. Boateng takes it all in his rangy stride; he could give the starrier end of his client? - Jude Law, Pierce Brosnan, Laurence Fishburne and Samuel L Jackson - lessons in presence. Louis P Cannon, the president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, who was not on the scene, said the officers were instructed by an official "above the rank of patrolman" to take Mr Kennedy home.Last night, there were reports that Capitol Police have taken disciplinary action over the incident. The acting Capitol police chief, Christopher McGaffin, was reported as saying that a sobriety test should have been administered.But no matter what explanations the police or the Congressman provide for their behaviour, some will simply see it as the latest instalment of the Kennedy family curse.
A drug or drink-related fender bender by a troubled man still in his thirties may not be in the same league as the assassinations, the plane crashes, and his father's troubles at Chappaquiddick (where a car with himself and a young female staffer went off the road and he swam to safety but she did not), but the conspiracists will not mind. Give them the name Kennedy, and they will build a legend out of anything.THE CURSE OF THE KENNEDYS1944 Joseph P Kennedy Jnr, John F's elder brother, dies during Second World War.1963 President John F Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas.1968 Robert F Kennedy (right) is assassinated in Los Angeles following his victory in a presidential primary.1969 In so-called Chappaquiddick Incident, Mary Jo Kopechne, Ted Kennedy's aide, drowns. He lives.1999 John F Kennedy Jnr's plane crashes into Atlantic, killing him, his wife and sister-in-law.. President George Bush is expected to reveal who will be the new head of the Central Intelligence Agency tomorrow, following the dramatic resignation of Porter Goss late on Friday.
It appears that the President will turn to a close ally of his National Intelligence Director, John Negroponte, to fill the position. White House sources were quoted yesterday as saying that Air Force General Michael Hayden, Mr Negroponte's senior deputy, is likely to get the nod. Such a move would bring further power to Mr Negroponte, a rising star of the administration. But it could also prompt a potentially explosive stand-off between him and another major White House figure - the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.Both men were key players in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, Mr Negroponte having served as ambassador there until being promoted last year. But now both are poised to wrestle for ultimate control of the US intelligence community.Yet the role of the organisation that was once at the heart of that community has been severely curtailed. The autonomy of the CIA and the position of its director as the most senior intelligence official in the US was long taken for granted That is no longer the case. Last night, the CIA appeared to be in turmoil after the sudden departure of Mr Goss - whose relationship with his one-time friend Mr Negroponte had become increasingly strained.There was also speculation yesterday that he may have gone partly as a result of a lobbying scandal involving some of his senior staff. An FBI investigation is under way into the activities of the agency's third ranking official, Kyle "Dusty" Foggo.