“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Sometimes I wish my body type was different so I could wear styles of clothing that would not me look fat or short. Trust me, if given the choice, I would happily look like a lanky, pale, unfriendly, male model, whose greatest achievement is walking down a straight and narrow path. If you think I like being restricted to jeans, sneakers and V-neck sweaters…think again. The only person who gets my sense of style is Simon Cowell. Need I say more? As an aficionado of fashion, I love wondering what it would be like to wear a Rick Owens skirt,… Read More »

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic, remembering when Sportwear International labeled me “The Truth-Teller” and included the Manzie Report in the Who’s Who Fashion Yearbook. … Read More »

In all my thousand years on Earth, I have not felt such a palpable energy about Paris Fashion Week. With Lanvin so breathtaking, Rick Owens beyond cool and Balenciaga so interesting, I am green with envy at the editors sitting front row at the upcoming Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior shows. Relegated to sitting behind my desk like many sad bloggers, I can at least rejoice at the heralded return to the glory days of Paris fashion. There was a time when New York Fashion Week stole a bit of the thunder, when celebrities were not ruining the front… Read More »

We received this Letter to the Editor:

Hey Abe,
Is it OK to wear shorts around Paris? Your insight into what would be the best way to proceed would be much appreciated. Any info much appreciated. Thank you very much. Thank you.
–Paul… Read More »

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to The Manzie*. (*See below meaning of Manzie for those of you new comers.) What was once a vibrant, hysterical fashion statement that captivated the runways of Milan and Paris—heck and New York for that matter—looks that left us speechless, or gagging anyway, have now gone to that great fashion graveyard beyond… Ebay. Who won’t miss those retarded styles by Thom Browne, or some of those collections from Rick Owens and Walter Van Beirendonck’s Big Bird ensembles from Spring ’10? And surely we can never forget that madcap John… Read More »

The Jean Paul Gaultier collection was fantastic and one of the funner elements was his inclusion of couture menswear, for those rich Manzies out there who want to wear a skirt or dress and are not feeling the recent collection by Rick Owens. Not sure if anyone saw some of the comments from my recent Paris menswear shows, but some anonymous person really has it out for me for being a hack. This person does not seem to think that we are all entitled to our own opinions. And (B), hack, is what I was doing (hacking) when I saw… Read More »

The Paris shows have barely gotten underway and already have not disappointed. Seems like Marc Jacobs has been wearing skirts long enough to have fully inspired designers like Rick Owens and Yohji Yamamoto, who featured more skirts in their Spring collections for men than any collection Jil Sander did for women, when she had her own eponymous line. SIDEBAR: Now that Jil and Uniqlo have parted ways, perhaps Ms. Sander can figure her way back to regaining control of her name and getting rid of Raf Simons, who besmirched and nellied up the brand, especially this season. Now that women… Read More »

Hello my fearless flock of fashion following friends. What I love about World Fashion Week is that we get to see so many beautiful collections from all over the world such as New York, Milan, and Paris. Sure we also see lots of nonsense from other ports of call such as Madrid Fashion Week, Australia, Brazil, Lakme Fashion Week (India) and assorted Middle Eastern countries. But today, let’s discuss Paris. With the economy still in turmoil, many of the collections have been fiercely edited, and buyer optimism is reflected on increased orders. And frankly, the blogosphere is having a positive… Read More »

The biggest news after looking at the Fall ’10 Men’s Shows is Grey is the New Black. Period. Sure, black was all over the runway, too, and should always be a staple in everyone’s wardrobe. I don’t care (and nor should anyone) when the editors scream for “Color, Color, Color” like they did last season. Let all those editors walk around in horrendous shades of blue and orange (Gina Lollobrigida orange, to be exact) and leave the humans to wear what makes them look good, namely, black and/or grey. Now we have a whole new meaning to grey. Your job… Read More »

Yes, there is a definite shift in the air since Spring, when nelly, prissy, fembots ruled the men’s runways. There is a butcher tone overall, but Lord knows not exclusively, as that would render me out of business. Surprisingly, Junya Wantanabe, Viktor and Rolf, and even Gaspard Yurkievich all had smart showings. It’s not like I am disappointed that I can’t find what to poke fun at, I would frankly rather not have ever started this Manzie business. I am a bit Pollyanna in that I want every designer to do well. Rather than leave a hole for yet another… Read More »