Search

Presents the author's opinion of the claims of friends and admirers of Gianni Versace after his death. Overstatement of his place in history; Versace's talent eclipsed by his celebrity; Versace changing the operative questions in fashion; His connection to wealth and celebrity.

Considers the decline of the domestic glove industry. Reference to Phillip Roth's novel `American Pastoral'; Comparison of glove demise to cultural decay; Comments from Jay Ruckel of LaCrasia Gloves; Glove memorabilia at Manhattan's Glove Museum.

Offers humorous insights on recurring trends in fashion. Platform shoes; Bell-bottoms.

Opinion. Compares the symbols of financial status of the 1980s to those of the 1990s. How precious metals are ranked according to their cost; The significance of the differences between gold, silver and platinum in fashion and as well as the colors of credit cards; The Metropolitan Transit Authority's issuance of a gold Metrocard to replace the blue card; Predictions about future trends.

Reports on an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York called 'New York Gets Married: Dressing for a Special Day, 1765-1997,' which runs through September 21, 1997. Focus on wedding attire and other related memorabilia;

Looks at the game Six Degrees of Gavin Macon, being played by those in the fashion industry. Inspiration for the game; Comments from model Kate Moss; How the game is played; Data on Macon.

Discusses the International Beauty Show, also known as the hair show. History; Hairdos as demonstrating the creativity of the hair stylist; Impact that the show has on everyday hair styles and products used; The lament that hair stylists are engaging in a minor art form instead of a service to the consumer.

Presents an introduction to a series of articles featuring clothes for spring 1997. Acknowledgement of the genuine possibilities of the spring 1997 fashions; Use of real women modeling the clothes.

Discusses Diana Vreeland, head of Vogue from 1962 until 1971. The play `Full Gallop' performed by Mary Louise Wilson at the Westside Theatre in Manhattan; Vreeland's influence on succeeding generations of fashion designers; Her philosophy of life.

Focuses on the book, `Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics and Creative Lives,' by Dr. Frank J. Sulloway. The book analyzing the biographies of 5,500 people who have played a role in scientific and social revolutions; The author's angst over not being interviewed by Sulloway; Author's relationship with her brother.

Focuses on the collaboration between fashion designer Issey Miyake and artist Yasumasa Morimura for Miyake's Pleats Please collection. Background on Morimura.

Defines five English words by their function in the fashion world. Divine as an adjective, popularized by Diana Vreeland; Modern as up to the minute; Genius; Edgy; Nice.

Discusses an exhibition of designer Arnold Scaasi's work at the New-York Historical Society. The number of outfits on view; Scaasi's absence from the opening night proceedings; Examples of Scaasi's clients, including Brooke Astor, Barbra Streisand and Joan Sutherland.

Discusses perfumes. The announcement that Parfums Fragonard would produce a fragrance called A Year in Provence; The inspiration; Great books in a bottle; Gustave Flaubert's `Madame Bovary'; Charles Dicken's `Oliver Twist'; Leo Tolstoy's `War and Peace'; F. Scott Fitzgerald's `Great Gatsby'; Other perfumes.

Reports on the fact that it is fashionable in 1996 for Hollywood celebrities to seek to resemble other people. The emotional and psychological effect on a person who finds a celebrity who they think resembles them; Examples of Hollywood stars who have played other famous people.

Encourages women to embrace their individual beauties. The debunking of the tyranny of fashion; Discussion of use of real women as models in pictorial layout.

Opinion. Argues that the real cutting edge action in the world of photography is now in New York City as opposed to Paris, where it had been in the 1980s. Comments from French photographers now living and working in the United States; The creation of an agency designed to promote the interests of French photographers in the United States.

Presents an imaginary conversation with the late fashion designer Halston, on difficult issues facing American fashion in the 1990s. Talking with Halston through imaging techniques, with the help of human-potential researcher Dr. Jean Houston; Discussing the revival of 1970s' fashions, such as caftans and polyester; Where all the fashionable people have gone.

Profiles Line Vautrin, whose jewelry and artwork is popular in the 1990s. Fact that her original work was done during the 1950s; Why people in a self-proclaimed age of minimalism admire Vautrin's work; How she feels about the renewed attention; What she says her task was in doing her work.

Offers suggestions from interior designers on how they would decorate around a piece by artist Damien Hirst entitled `This Little Piggy Went to Market, This Little Piggy Stayed Home.' Description of Hirst's piece; Suggestions from Stephen Sills, Michael Formica, Mica Ertegun, Kitty Hawks, and David Kleinberg.

Considers how the biggest trend in fashion is the Initial Public Offering. Designer labels that have gone from family businesses to multinational corporations; Author's view that, based on her own fashion buys, investment in fashion is a bad idea.

Focuses on fashion's newfound fascination with uniforms. How the uniform is clothing reduced to a time-honored formula, unencumbered by extraneous details; Popularity of uniforms which resemble those designed by the likes of Bill Blass and Halston for airlines and hotel employees; Stan Herman's sketches for Federal Express uniforms.

Discusses the announcement in January 1996 that Barneys New York was filing for bankruptcy. Gleeful and vindictive outcry; Exclusive reputation held by the store; Attitudes of Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Bendel's; Customer abuse.

Presents a humorous, fictitious conversation which talks place between Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn at a Milan fashion show.

Offer random thoughts on a round of fashion shows in Paris. France. Perennial debate over the high cost of haute couture; Decision of Karl Lagerfeld to stage the Chanel collection in private suites at the Ritz, rather than on a runway; Male models ill at ease with being scrutinized the way female models are.

Introduces a section featuring designer clothing modeled by women who are not professional models. Unifying theme of fashion for spring 1996 cited as color; Dedication of issue to the beauty of `average' women.

Offers humorous suggestions for a revised corporate dress code. Funky club attire for Mondays; Tuxedos on Tuesday; Drag attire for Wednesdays; Jobbing/sports clothes for Thursdays; Casual Fridays.

Focuses on the late Ginger Rogers and her rapport with Fred Astaire as her dance partner in the films they made. Rogers' death in 1995.

Reports on the exhibition of Barbara Karinska's costume designs for the New York City Ballet's `Nutcracker' at the Lincoln Center. Background information on Karinska; Description of her work.

Looks at the results of an `style genes' experiment conducted by a team of physicians and scientists at the National Institute for Corrective Elegance. Team headed by Dr. Ernest Arbiter; Number of patients experiment was conducted on.

Reports on the exhibition of jewelry designer, Jean Schlumberger at Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Description of jewelry; Background information on Schlumberger.

Reflects on the world order as a fashion meritocracy. Popularity of Alicia Silverstone in the film `Clueless'; Replacement of monarchy by democracy; Looking fabulous as real power.

Comments on the misrepresentation of women's images in the fashion photography. Inattention given to the realistic qualities of average women; Importance of projecting realistic women's images.

Discusses the transparency of skin-deep desire to belong to particular groups of people. Clothings' failure to disguise reality underneath; Need to be true to one's self.

Focuses on the friendship among six women bound by similar interests and fondness for one another. Get-togethers convened on irregular basis for potluck suppers; Food as topics of interest; Atmosphere of meetings; Expression of a woman's appetite.

Comments on Hollywood actresses. Slack in appearance and finesse; Complaints about dress and disheveledness; Appearance during opening nights; Suggestion to polish up.

Recalls the effects of fashion magazines to the author. Changes in fashion magazine preferences; Fashion magazines read during her high school years; Usefulness of information derived from the magazines; Contradictions of information presented in the magazines.

Focuses on the latest round of fashion shows which began in Milan, Italy and ended in New York City. Incidents involving a walkout by the French press and a dispute during a Claude Montana show; Seating arrangement of designers during a private preview held by `The New York Times Magazine'; Insight on the relationship between journalists and designers.

Reports on Rei Kawakubo's Comme des Garcons men's collection for fall, titled `Sleep.' Assortment of striped pajamas worn with sweaters, jackets and bathrobe coats; Attempt to revive lounge wear.

Discusses French people's propensity for describing themselves to potential partners over on-line dating services in terms of their clothes. Glimpses of conversation from people who call themselves Hermes Scarf and Couture; Contrast between Americans and French people in the way they relate self-presentation to electronic communication.

Focuses on the book `Architecture: In Fashion,' a collection of essays on the relevance of architecture among fashion designers, published by the Princeton Architectural Press. Presence of a modernist theory based on righteous abstention from adornment; Pre-emptive denial of modernism as a fad.

Pays tribute to writer/editor Leo Lerman. Background; Writing style; Job as editor of the magazine `Conde Nast'; Author's memoirs of Lerman.

Comments wryly on the arrogance and off-putting manner of fashion and entertainment celebrities at the MTV Video Music Awards and a fashion industry bash. Comparison of the manner of dressing between fashionplates and actors.

Deals with the book entitled `Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder From Childhood Through Adulthood,' by Edward M. Hallowell. Effect of attention deficit disorder (ADD) on one's fashion sense.

Reflects on the choice of love partners by supermodels. Linda Evangelista and Kyle MacLachlan; Claudia Schiffer and David Copperfield; Helena Christensen and Michael Hutchence; Point system at work in making the choices.

Discusses the authors reflections on the relationship between ones inner sense and tastes in clothes. Sees ones life as misadventures of a stranger; The development of one person to another due to the use of clothes.

Narrates the author's internal struggles in purchasing a four-door sedan. `Hemmings Motor News' magazine as the author's favorite bath-time reading; Author's belief on four-door sedans; Aunt's purchase of a 1992 Mercury Capri; Author's search for a car as replacement for her wrecked sedan; Choice of another sedan; Regrets.

Focuses on the topic of conversation at the house of a famous Italian designer. How to smuggle through customs a fresh load of plunder from a favorite boutique; Different techniques suggested by various guests; The most ingenius idea.

Discusses the evolution of the necktie as fashion accessory for men. Origins of the necktie in France; Psychological aspects; Restrictive nature of neckties.

Discusses the effect of the prevalence of physically endowed naked men in print advertising media and billboards on American men. Anxiety of normal males to reach standards established by male models; Alleged sexual response of women.