“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

When the global economy took a nosedive back in September 2008, the whole world changed. The perception of what is cool and the reality of what is sellable had to be revisited. At that time, the mens runway shows in Paris, Milan and New York featured a look that catered to what I called Manzies, and it was the end of an era. For those of you who don’t know, or want a refresher course… Q. What is a Manzie? A. A Manzie is not a Pansy or a Dandy. A Pansy doesn’t necessarily dress effeminately to be teased by… Read More »

UPDATE March 8, 2011: It’s official: black IS back! Don’t believe me? Check out the dark mood at Chanel. We all know that Karl Lagerfeld rules the fashion roost worldwide. So, if Karl says “Black uber alles” then so it is. And, from the looks of his somewhat over stuffed collection, black is here and hopefully to stay. When I say overstuffed, I mean the quilted, unflattering jumpsuits that will never live on the streets, but just in the magazines. For now, I am reveling in Black Power! March 7, 2011: For the past few seasons, fashion editors have been… Read More »

No one is more excited about this week than moi. The Men’s Fall Collections are launching in Milan and New York City. For the next few days, I will feature my seasonal Manzie Report, only this year, in an effort to tone back the rhetoric and vitriol I will report on the Best of as well as the Worst of, just to show you how politically correct I can be…ish. Over the past few seasons, men have gone from being enormously effeminate to overly butch and this season, I am predicting that the the two worlds will collide. At ENKNYC,… Read More »

NEWS FLASH: KANYE WEST’S PENIS SNUBBED BY PLAYGIRL Pictures of Kanye West‘s penis were allegedly pitched to Playgirl and in a twist of fate, the magazine passed on the offer. So what are you now Kanye, the next Kelly Bensimon from The Real Housewives of New York City? Can someone please stuff a sock in Kanye West‘s mouth? Kanye fell from grace having opened his pie hole at the VMA Awards and stealing the thunder from Taylor Swift for winning Best Song. He actually took it upon himself, with his over blown ego, to determine who should have won that… Read More »

The incredibly colorful Milan Fashion Week came to a close with a stunning collection from Giorgio Armani, a symphony in navy blue. There is much optimism in the air, buyers are heralding the return of the 70’s, hippies that are beyond chic, new shapes that are fresh and flowing and color, color everywhere. Except at Dolce & Gabbana, where white was the main attraction, similar to the many collections shown in New York. As anticipation runs high for Paris Fashion Week, I found a couple of presentations that surely will NOT foreshadow The New Look from Paris. On the contrary,… Read More »

Eddie Fisher passed away Wednesday night. Having experienced the passing-on of both my parents, I wanted to take this moment from commenting on Milan Fashion Week (what’s with all those colors anyway?) and acknowledge my friend Carrie’s sad loss. We are never prepared for parents dying. It is not really in our DNA. We need to either go through a funk, denial, addiction, depression, guilt, anger, sadness, and/or…all of the above. One never knows what to say. I’m sorry never works, because why apologize for something you simply did not do. Unless of course you hacked that person to death.… Read More »

New York kicks off World Wide Fashion Week. We’ve seen the best of Nepal (a.k.a. TGIF) Fashion Week and now the fashionistas are prancing around London, wearing their Alexander McQueens (may he rest in peace) and pining for the food in Milan…next up. I love London but wonder if their edgier fashion industry does in fact gives them…an edge. Not sure. Perusing the collections, there are designers whose names are completely new to me. It is as though many British designers are not global brands…which is no judgment…frankly it’s cute. To think that British designers design for themselves and not… Read More »

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE4YVk1n6t8 Somebody please hold me up, I am dizzy from having just watched the Sears promotional video on fall footwear trend news. Sears and trend in the same sentence is a stretch. And this is proof of the downside to online video content that is contributing to the bastardization of fashion. There I was, innocently perusing Perez Hilton, he who has sold out to anyone that will pay him a dime, and lo and behold, was the commercial for Sears, staring Elle magazine stylist Francesca Mills. Here’s another downside to online original video content, literally everyone and their cousin thinks… Read More »

Australia Fashion Week, or Rosemount-Sydney Fashion Festival or some such nonsensical title is under way. And I mean way down under way. So under that if you skip it…you’ll be better off. Of course we love Colette Dinnigan and Sass & Bide…but the rest of those people…yikes. There really isn’t much to say because action and these visuals speak louder than words. What I do know is that if it ain’t New York, Paris, London, Milan and MAYBE Tokyo…but not even…then all these other Fashion Weeks can fade into the sunset. I know…it generates industry…yada yada…so leave the PR to… Read More »

The Spring 11 shows came to a close in Paris, as is the case in Milan, there were great, sexy, safe collections sprinkled in with those few designers that love…and are committed to…Manzies. Naturally, the free spirits of Paris saw more mandals, more drama and sadly, more quirky man-hats. The Paris Manzie Report ends by showing a few looks that could have been edited out…had they hired me.… Read More »