“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

It’s astonishing how unimportant Los Angeles Fashion Week is when you think about Hollywood once ruled, and how Adrian, Edith Head and Orry-Kelly and many others were major influences. Somehow, the Los Angeles fashion scene fell short and all the other major fashion cities excluding Madrid reference Old Hollywood all the time, as in the case of John Galliano’s amazing Spring 10 collection. By the time the last dress sashays down the runway in Paris, nobody wants to see another dress…like ever again…at least not until next season. But alas, there’s Los Angeles Fashion Week-let. And a sad little market… Read More »

Who doesn’t look forward to the Paris shows? Oh…I see. Well then, let’s focus on the people like me who are very interested in what the great French houses are doing for the season. As the Paris shows wind down World Fashion Week (my new favorite term), I look forward to that large mug of coffee while perusing Women’s Wear Daily, style.com and Cathy Horyn’s review in The New York Times. I love that WWD glides over hot messes and style.com’s willingness to sift out the nugget of gold from the muck…except in the case of Maison Martin Margiela…yikes. But… Read More »

As I started reading Tim Blanks‘ review of the Thom Browne collection on men.style.com, I thought I must have landed in the Fashion Twilight Zone. Having read the Women’s Wear Daily review and judging for myself based on the images, I thought, “What is Tim drinking backstage…Thom Browne Kool-Aid?” There is little to say. WWD wrote, “The clothes were ridiculous.” Whereas Tim Blanks says things like, “Browne’s clothes felt refreshed, confident, and as upbeat as the soundtrack of Beatles songs.” Or how’s this, “He just loves polka dots and Darth Vader.” Fotz. You judge for yourself. This is a bi-polar… Read More »

After my heartfelt Woodstock moment yesterday, I am breching (vomit in Yiddish) from the lead story in Women’s Wear Daily, Woodstock at 40: Fields of Fashion. First of all, the writer Sarah Haight (no doubt hired for the whole Haight-Ashbury coincidence) has very little to say about the cultural, societal phenomenon; rather, she is quick to hone in on the “unfolding of the hippie chic look”…which correct me if I am wrong…is an oxymoron. The Hippie movement rose and fell as a rebellion against the stats quo…if not, status in general. Thankfully, Valerie Steele, chief curator F.I.T., points this out.… Read More »

Ahhhh, what a feeling. Women’s Wear Daily proclaimed that orange is the new black for Spring ’10 from the mens’ runways, days and days after I MEAN…WHAT?!? spotted it and even labeled the trend Gina Lollobrigida Orange. Click here to see all the I MEAN…WHAT?!? reportage from Milan and Paris mens’ shows. The other trend WWD spotted was also, right up there in each and every I MEAN…WHAT?!? fashion entry known as Manzie, but they call it something else, “Boys of Summer”. Now, scroll down and tell me that: A) If boys wore these outfits, they would not be shit… Read More »