“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Last year at this time, I MEAN…WHAT?!? launched the Not Best Dressed Awards. It was fitting that the kick-off center around the CFDA Awards, where everyone in the room should just know better. After my initial shock at some the choices, I decided that the ones who were worst dressed had the least friends. OR, they were so feared, that no one dare contradict their choices. This year again, we see shocking taste in a room filled with taste-makers. These people are oxy-morons. Sure, I have been guilty of “Do as I say, not as I do”, but on a… Read More »

Last night was the big kahuna of the New York City social whirl, The Costume Institute Gala, a.k.a. Anna Wintour’s Playground. If you were not there, then you do not exist. If you are not on Anna’s guest list, you might as well just curl up and die. If you are not BFFs with a top fashion designer, then you might as well just call it a day and move out to the suburbs. Sounds harsh? Perhaps…but it is true. The theme this season was American Woman. There’s all sorts of good reasons for this theme since America’s schmatta business… Read More »

Madonna is finally jumping into the fashion business?!? I knew that she was hankering to become a schmatta peddler for years but was waiting for the right time and the right deal. And I guess this is it. There is no time like the present and there’s no place like Macy’s…though I wish she would just stay home. Anyone who is anyone that reads I MEAN…WHAT?!? knows how obsessed I am with this whole celebrity-turned-designer quagmire that we find ourselves in. And not obsessed like “I am obsessed with my Sarah Jessica Parker for Halston number” but more like, “Can… Read More »

Look, I think Sarah Jessica Parker is great. Who does not love Sex and the City and who does not think her willingness to wear ridiculous hats makes her even more sympathetic…to the cause of fashion uber alles. But, today, Women’s Wear Daily is reporting the SJP is going to take an active role at the Halston Heritage Collection…whatever that is. Seriously, Halston must be turning in his grave. From Randolph Duke to the Rachel Zoe nonsense, to the current Marco Zanini, who will surely be overshadowed by SJP. I don’t know, perhaps Harvey Weinstein and Tamara Mellon should just… Read More »

The above statement definitely makes me sound clueless, and perhaps I am. Though many of you have commented on my honesty and astute observations about the media, fashion, celebrity and politics, I still find myself scratching my head whenever I read the headlines. Today is no exception. Whether it’s from The New York Times, The Huffington Post or People.com, the headlines are chock full of information that gives me pause…to say the least. Here’s a few of today’s ditties.… Read More »

At the risk of sounding like Rachel Zoe, “Chanel is EVERYTHING”. I just love whatever Karl Lagerfeld does. Between his grand visions, over-the-top theatrics, master-talent and his taste in men (Baptiste Giabiconi), the Chanel show was the highlight of the Paris season. I loved  much of what I saw this past week. As for the “trends”, well, “the ruffle” happens to be something my friend and Icelandic Designer Steinunn Sigurd, has been doing for several seasons.   A couple of seasons ago, a Saks Fifth Avenue buyer told Steinunn, “Enough with the ruffles already”. Hmmm…bet you twenty bucks that there will… Read More »

I was just reading on the The Daily Beast about how stylists are being cut from budgets and all other sorts of nonsense. The article was an outtake from a bigger story in The New York Observer pointing out that these “celebrity stylists” are being bypassed as the actual celebrities are going directly to designers. There seems to be less and less patience for these spotlight grabbing stylists such as Rachel Zoe, Phillip Bloch and Stacy London. Well, let me pipe in here and say hold on just one minute. Unless you have been a stylist, you can take these… Read More »

George Bernard Shaw wrote, “Youth Is Wasted On The Young”. And after watching the first couple of episodes of NYC Prep, that expression still holds true…and in the case of these pompous noodniks…in spades. There is a column in the The New York Times Style section about the show, which fails to mention just how incredibly horrendous these kids are. The stark reality of these NYC Prepsters, as is the case with the characters on Gossip Girl, is that they all want to rush through their youth and act like grown-ups. I am from the Peter Pan era where the… Read More »

There’s nothing like an awards show to warm the cockles of my heart. It gives me a chance to put forth the I MEAN…WHAT?!? Not Best Dressed List. And last night, the CFDA Awards did not disappoint. There were some mini doozies…but doozies, just the same. It is probably best that I MEAN..WHAT?!? put out the Not Best Dressed List since we are not “true” fashion insiders and objectivity is the key. A “true” fashion insider is not likely to say something like, “What the hell was Aerin Lauder wearing, doesn’t she own a mirror?” because a true fashion insider… Read More »

The best part of COVID-19 is that the Quirky Man-Hat is going to be retired forever. You can’t wear that AND a mask.… Read More »