“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Fresh from Paris and Milan, we have the Manzie Report featuring the latest trends, mistakes and mishaps for Fall 2011. The over-arching story for men is luxe, sophisticated, elegance. There were boxier shapes and shorter skorts. No, I am not kidding. Since Marc Jacobs wears nothing but kilts, Parisian menswear designers took that look to the next level and hiked up the length of skorts for men. Let’s face it, the kilt length is not all that flattering, and men’s legs are just as lovely to look at as women’s…especially when they are long, lean and muscular. Collections from Hermes,… Read More »

Look, far be it from me to tell the master, Karl Lagerfeld, anything. After all, he is considered the master for many reasons. Karl is also someone that must be surrounded by people who dare not say anything to him that might get him mad, ’cause Daddy Karl looks like someone you do not want to cross. Having perused the new, fabulous Chanel Resort 2011 Collection that was just shown in St. Tropez, frankly, he could stand to have someone…preferably me…stand alongside him to say what should be cut from the show. First of all 87 looks? Really? Yes, he… Read More »

By this phase of Word Fashion Week having seen two million looks from (what seems like) six thousand runways on two million models having sipped eighteen thousand glasses of champagne…phew. I am sure glad I am not a fashion editor or Anna Piaggi…which begs the question…does she still work at Italian Vogue? Anyhoo, doesn’t matter. She needs a nap. My point is: that is a lot of dresses to sift through and surely the eyes must be glazed over and I’d imagine the judgment is questionable by this point. For instance, I see plenty of blunders in such wonderful collections… Read More »

Has your end-of-summer stomach ache started yet? Surely, you know that feeling. It started when we were kids, that huge knot in your tummy that makes you double over in physical and mental pain. The first time you experienced it was the night before starting school after a joyous, carefree summer. It hurt so bad, you pleaded with your mother to not go to school the next day. It never worked. That end-of-summer stomach ache hits like a ton of bricks, no matter how old we get. There is an I Mean..What?!? Remedy. It’s called Laughter WHILE Shopping. But you… Read More »

Many of you must know by now that I have coined the phrase “fotz”. There ‘s many applications to this term. But, what, do you ask, is FOTZ? Etymology: What started out as a sarcastic reference to something that is or someone that “thinks” they are fascinating. So, it went from fascinating to fotzinating to fotzy balloons to fotzy to the currently, most used…fotz. Here are a few good examples. Bing is fotz. What Madonna wore to the Costume Institute Gala was fotz. George Bush was fotz…still probably is. Most Republicans are fotz. Susan Boyle’s first makeover was fotz. People… Read More »

Anyone who knows me from childhood will tell you that I developed my own language, mostly words and expressions to describe things, people or activities that I found somewhat nonsensical. Now, I just say I Mean…Whaaaaat?!?! a lot, which captures the essence. One word is “okeedeer”. This is really just “OK, there”, but with a sardonic twist. Here’s a for instance. Say, The New York Times Style features a fashion spread of men’s clothing, shown on a heavily tattooed model, who looks like a wanna-be beatnik. We know he is a wanna-be, because he is in fact a model, rather… Read More »

It is most fitting that the Paris men’s fashion shows are staged while in New York City, Gay Pride is in full regalia. Sunday, while the androgynous models sauntered down the runway, the few nelly customers that will likely buy the Manzie looks were sashaying down Fifth Avenue in all their Sasha Fierceness. I did notice however, that Manzies were everywhere in New York both on and off the gay runway. So now, I have officially changed the name of Gay Pride to “Manzies and Tranzies and Bears…Oh My!!!” Though I liked much in most collections that were shown on… Read More »