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| Martin W. Witte Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series 2009
100 Black Men of Orange County14th Annual Gala
On Feb. 7, 100 Black Men of America hosts
its 14th Annual Gala Black Tie event for more than 700 guests. Billed
as Orange County’s premier African American social event, the evening
promises to be a power filled night with a gourmet dinner, as well as
high energy entertainment from The Derek Bordeaux Group. Also, lively
commentary from prominent business, political and educational leaders
will address the Gala’s theme, “Education on the Front Line.” Box: 14th Annual Gala, url=_lifestyle_news_eye_the_essence_of_hollywood_2021463;
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EyeThe Essence of HollywoodThe Essence of Hollywood
by WWD Staff Posted Friday February 20, 2009 Last Edited Sunday February 22, 2009 From WWD.COM url=_lifestyle_news_eye_the_essence_of_hollywood_2021463;
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Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson was the star of the Essence “Black Women in Hollywood” luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday. “I would love for Taraji to be the surprise hit of the Oscars. That would truly make my night,” said Vivica A. Fox.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button actress was feeling the love. “Black women in Hollywood, we have a lot of odds stacked against us and that could turn really negative and competitive,” Henson said. “But we continue to uplift each other and inspire each other, and now that they’ve started this luncheon I look forward to this every year.” “We have so much talent amongst African-American women, and we don’t always get recognized the way I think we should,” said Sanaa Lathan. “This is a day to celebrate that.” And all of the guests agreed that even in these difficult times, there’s nothing wrong with toasting what’s good.
“I don’t think anyone should ever feel guilty for celebration,” said Tracee Ellis Ross. “In hard times, you do need to take those moments that are joyous and enjoy them. After the inauguration nothing could be as exciting...There is an appropriate and a beautiful place for the celebration of the arts, and the Oscars is the epitome of that.” Queen Latifah said, “We thrive through hard times. That is the history of our people. We pull together and that’s just what we do.” Henson, who plans to bring her mom and grandmother to Sunday’s ceremony, got choked up as she accepted her Lexus Star to Watch Award, as did Halle Berry, who picked up a Power Award. “I’m truly a wimp,” Berry said as tears streamed down her perfectly made-up face. “I haven’t won an award in awhile. You know how I do it,” she quipped as boyfriend Gabriel Aubry looked on.
Attendees also included presenters Samuel L. Jackson and Terence Howard; Diahann Carroll, who received the Legend Award; and Anika Noni Rosi, who sang “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” as part of the Eartha Kitt Tribute. SYP | Photo Gallery
February 20, 2008 OC Social Diary is hitting the scene this weekend covering everything from the posh ambience to the relaxed, from Italian to Mexican, we profile some of the best (and worst) places to dine, the best cocktails, margaritas and platas. Check in with us as we indulge and clue you in to OC's best.
My sentiments exactly Covering the socialites of the day has been a practice of old, but in its modernized form has been less glamorous than in its hey day. I found this article by the l.a. times that cries the woes of the so-five-minutes-ago style of covering today's socialites. Read the article below:
The new society of the socialite
By Lynn Smith Does anyone care about socialites anymore? There was a time when big-city newspaper readers could consume pages of type about the bluebloods, the committees they chaired, the swanky places they danced, dined, summered and wintered. Vanishing just as quickly are the bylines of once powerful society writers like Los Angeles Times writer Jody Jacobs, who died last week at age 82, taking with her an era of genteel gossip and old-money journalism. People still want to know about the rich and trendy, of course, but over the last 20 years, society writing has shifted focus from the Dorothy Chandlers and Muffy Potter Astons of the world to the Paris Hiltons, P. Diddys and Jessica Simpsons. Whether this represents evolution or devolution is a matter of debate, but there’s no question it’s a fact of media life these days. “Celebrities have completely eclipsed socialites in the interest of the reader,” said Joanna Molloy, who chronicles the misbehavior of what she calls “young socials” with her husband, George Rush, for the New York Daily News. “I have my hands full now with celebrities, going either to jail or to rehab or who are in car accidents. I don’t have the space for socialites anymore.” Jacobs, who wrote for the paper for 15 years before retiring in 1985, covered parties and fundraisers and wrote profiles that appeared in what was then called the View section. An observer who was also part of the scene, Jacobs rarely took notes and often wrote from memory. Charity events are still popular, but it’s hard to find anyone to cover them. “They’re so boring,” said Richard Johnson, who writes the New York Post’s “Page Six.” “Nobody wants to go. You have to get dressed up and listen to a bunch of speeches that are sanctimonious and self-righteous. Or hear horrible stories about a disease.” Back in the day, he said, what mattered to readers was which clubs one belonged to, which prep school or college had been attended. “Now nothing matters except how much money you’re gong to give. What happened is that everything’s been corrupted by money, including society. In other words, standards have gone down.” Most old-line society writers have either died or retired and been replaced by gossip reporters such as the New York Post’s Lloyd Grove, who says he writes “about flavors of the month,” which aren’t powered so much by society as by money. “There’s very little I cover that isn’t associated with a product or company or publisher or just put out by celebrities,” he said. The West Coast, which once viewed old Hollywood, along with the city’s old-money families, as a form of royalty, has changed even more drastically. “You have more of a greed thing going on,” Johnson said. As the definition of society has changed, much social coverage has migrated from daily newspapers to websites such as Gawker.com, entertainment shows such as “E!” or magazines such as In Style. Stories blur old distinctions between charity, gossip, business and nightlife, and they tend to fall into two extremes: fluffy fawning or nasty sniping. It was different back then. Public relations consultants and journalists recall the ’60s and ’70s in Los Angeles when white- and black-tie parties were held every week, and socialites from Pasadena, Bel-Air and Hancock Park fought over whose event would get coverage. “Society editors got a lot of nice things as thank yous,” said public relations consultant Joan Luther, 76. News of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, like Ingrid Bergman’s, was shocking then. Writers knew of personal and business scandals but rarely reported them until after the scoundrel died. Jacobs detailed the more cheerful or absurd events in lives of her regulars, once covering a party held by socialite Alice Cohn during which Cohn changed her first name to Contessa. Now party coverage is focused on Hollywood, particularly on the big red-carpet events (the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes) along with all the pre- and post-soirees that go with them. Even trade paper Daily Variety has a social page that features photos of celebrities and executives at premieres and charity events. A few longtime society writers, such as Liz Smith and Aileen Mehle, have evolved with the times. In her most recent “Suzy” column in W, a fashion magazine, Mehle still politely chronicled what socialite Nan Kempner wore to opening night at the Met but also dropped some snooty gossip about Nicole Kidman dating New Zealand multimillionaire Eric Watson (“who made his fortune selling office supplies – how sexy”) Mehle, reportedly in her 80s, is admired by her youthful colleagues for her graceful put-downs, as subtle as a single paragraph ending word: “Please.” “The great WASP aristocracy in the Northeast, the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James, has lost its function. It barely exists. Great fortunes are not like they were,” Smith notes. “The Rockefellers used to be a big deal. Their fortune has eroded over generations because there were so many heirs. Bill Gates doesn’t care about that world. The whole scene has been vitiated by the arrival of what I call overnight rock stars and people who make so much money they can make their own terms for society. “I don’t resent the rise of this other entertainment faux society,” she added. “They’re rising to their moment. But I wouldn’t say it’s like dinner at Mrs. Astor’s.” Still, there is plenty of interest elsewhere in the lifestyles and causes of the rich, if not quite so famous, judging by the spread of regional magazines such as “The Hamptons.” “The reason to do them is simple. People love looking at the rich and famous and social. It’s a crowd pleaser,” said Spencer Beck, editorial director for Modern Luxury, a Los Angeles-based franchise for slick fashion and lifestyle magazines targeting Orange County, Chicago and Dallas as well as Los Angeles. Betty Goodwin, former society editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner who also covered social events for The Times, now writes for Angelino and Privilege, a new publication about a new generation of socialites. “All the people I’ve written about have started their own charities,” Goodwin says. “They’re new faces on the scene, and there’s an endless supply.” In Orange County, the “society press” has a strong presence at black-tie events, says Ruth Wardwell, director of public relations at Chapman University in Orange. Unlike the old-time society writers, they don’t need an exclusive or a scoop to lure them to an event, and they don’t have to ask who will be there – they know almost all the donors. And they’re not all octogenarians. One socialite couple in their early 40s contributed $20 million to the college, Wardwell said
 Liya Kebede, Iman, Bethann Hardison and Naomi Campbell July 12, 2008, 10:38 PM I know we already covered the new Black edition of Vogue Italia, but I felt that it was momentous enough to talk about again. I am looking forward to the release of this magazine with such fevered anticipation that I found myself prowling the streets of Orange County for a book store, news stand, or coffee shop that may carry it's glossy pages in stock. Sorry to say I remain "Vogueless", but be soothed by the admittance that I refuse to end my search. However, during my frantic journey, my mind turned to the mavericks that made this all possible. Of course I first thought of the fabulous Andre Leon Talley, an editor at Vogue, with his large stature and always surprising ensembles, constantly looking the part of the fashion guru. Here's a secret, he's much more than just a pretty face, he has work most of his live to balance the playing field for all-not just Blacks- in "the industry". Love him, or hate him, Andre is here to leave his indelible mark on fashion at large. Next, I was drawn to the strength of modeling agent Bethann Hardison, mother of Kadeem Hardison (we all remember Dwayne Cleophus Wayne from Different World). Bethann made a name for herself in 1970s New York, and started her own Agency in 1984. Though, her agency was not exclusively for Black models, she turned out such beauties as Naomi Campbell and Liya Kebede. Try watching a fashion show without catching one of them prancing down the runway. Without the hard work of both of these dedicated fashionistas who knows how the fashion world would have developed and transformed over the decades. Beauty Dipped in Chocolate Liya Kebede, Iman, Bethann Hardison and Naomi Campbell July 12, 2008, 10:38 PM I know we already covered the new Black edition of Vogue Italia, but I felt that it was momentous enough to talk about again. I am looking forward to the release of this magazine with such fevered anticipation that I found myself prowling the streets of Orange County for a book store, news stand, or coffee shop that may carry it's glossy pages in stock. Sorry to say I remain "Vogueless", but be soothed by the admittance that I refuse to end my search. However, during my frantic journey, my mind turned to the mavericks that made this all possible. Of course I first thought of the fabulous Andre Leon Talley, an editor at Vogue, with his large stature and always surprising ensembles, constantly looking the part of the fashion guru. Here's a secret, he's much more than just a pretty face, he has work most of his live to balance the playing field for all-not just Blacks- in "the industry". Love him, or hate him, Andre is here to leave his indelible mark on fashion at large. Next, I was drawn to the strength of modeling agent Bethann Hardison, mother of Kadeem Hardison (we all remember Dwayne Cleophus Wayne from Different World). Bethann made a name for herself in 1970s New York, and started her own Agency in 1984. Though, her agency was not exclusively for Black models, she turned out such beauties as Naomi Campbell and Liya Kebede. Try watching a fashion show without catching one of them prancing down the runway. Without the hard work of both of these dedicated fashionistas who knows how the fashion world would have developed and transformed over the decades. Helena Bonham Carter to be a Terminatrix?
July 2, 2008,
5:21 PM
July 7, 2008
Click here to view Vanity Fair’s Blogopticon. —Matt Pressman and Keenan Mayo Photo illustration by Hamish Robertson. Paris Couture: Smoke & RosesBy Cathy Horyn  One of the haute-couture pieces designed by Alessandra Facchinetti for Valentino.Alessandra Facchinetti showed her first haute couture collection tonight for Valentino. It was held in the Place Vendôme showroom of Valentino, a little more intimate than most places here. She did a great job. This collection was so much more interesting than her ready-to-wear show, and, of course, you might expect something a little higher up for couture. But there was more expression and feeling—more work—in this collection. The first outfit was a little strange, in my opinion—a white silk jacket with an egg-shaped skirt. The proportions looked off to me, and the whole thing looked strained.  Another piece from the Valentino show in Paris.But things moved along. There are a lot of architectural clothes—stiffened edges curling, the back of a jacket pointing out, some modified egg shapes. These looks showed a range and a bit of willingness to try new things, and they were a good contrast to the softer dresses—by far my favorite things. She had one simple dress (#2) that was in pale taupe chiffon with some mohair ruffles, and another loose dress in smoky brown chiffon that was open and slightly ruffled around the neckline. Very pretty. Her embroidered suits were gutsy—very Valentino but fresh looking. I thought she completely captured the sense of Valentino but made it more youthful. I can imagine lots of women, young or old, being interested in the clothes. As I said, I’m not wild about some of the architectural effects—they were a little fashion-schoolish. But mixed in with the dresses and the smart suits, they’re fine. Read more …
June 27, 2008, 11:13 pm
Paris: Showing OffBy Cathy Horyn  Many of the spring and summer 2009 shows feature hats.The French are feeling as economically pinched as Americans, but I get the sense they are busting to look fashionable. I’ve noticed it all day as I go around to shows and look at people on the streets. Heading to Montmartre, I saw a young woman—20s, thin, medium height—in a pair of slim gray shorts that ended mid-thigh, a loose navy popover top, and a classic pair of black stilettos. Super chic. I’ve seen slim-fitting shorts with a sailor front, worn with chunky black sandals and a cream silk blouse. The look is tailored and sexy. And there are lots of women in mini skirts; this afternoon I saw a woman in a flaring navy cotton skirt with a red and white striped polo shirt. The best-looking dress at the moment seems to be a dark tunic. I’ve noticed a lot of the guys in the front row also wearing shorts, especially as a kind of nerd school-boy uniform with knee socks and maybe a pastel vest and a tie. And it’s a little surprising how many shows have hats—the porkpie, the scarecrow, the snap-brim. Shades of next summer…
June 27, 2008, 1:26 pm
Your Sister’s DressBy Cathy Horyn  A look from Junya Watanabe’s show in Paris.The Paris men’s shows have started. Last evening, a beautiful Paris sort of evening, Mr. Alloux and I were on our way to Dries Van Noten’s show in the 15th, at the site of a former slaughter house for horses. Our destination prompted a culinary discussion (in my limited French) about the differences between horse and beef. Mr. Alloux said that horse meat was once a commonplace in France and that, in terms of taste, you could barely distinguish it from beef. He asked me if horse was ever popular in the States, and I replied that it may have been at one time in some places but that we Americans tended to keep Nelly in the barn. Mr. Alloux gave a sympathetic nod. He then mentioned the name of another animal the French used to eat, but the word was unfamiliar to me. Seeing my perplexed look, Mr. Alloux put his hands on his head and flapped them and emitted a kind of braying noise. “Ah, a donkey!” I said, as if I’d won a game of charades. I love how Mr. Alloux can explain the subtleties of French culture. Van Noten had hired a man with a supply of vintage cars to bring about 100 to the outdoor site, so that the background for the show would be all white cars — Fords and Dodges, along with Fiats and at least one Rolls. “The fancy from lots of small details,” Van Noten said backstage, describing his idea of focusing on dapper men’s wear elements without spoiling the rest of the stew. There were lots of tie-print fabrics in blue, some kimono jackets and a white safari suit that had a wide belt somewhat high on the waist. It was an interesting, wearable collection but, on the whole, not a big statement. Read more …
June 18, 2008, 7:14 pm
Beauty and SoulBy Cathy Horyn  Tyra Banks in one of photographs taken for Italian Vogue’s July issue that features all black models. (Steven Meisel) As some of you may have heard through the grape vine, the July issue of Italian Vogue will have only black models, and all the features are related to black women in the arts and entertainment. Considering the displays of tokenism on the runways last season—Jourdan Dunn at Prada, and in only one look—an entire issue devoted to black models could be seen as making hay of a controversy. I’ll let you be the judge. The issue will be on newsstands in Europe next Thursday, and after in the States. Steven Meisel did the fashion pictures, about 100 in all, and I think they are some of the best he’s done. They are crazily, softly beautiful, plainly the work of someone who knows women and fashion, has looked at both a long time, and when I spoke to Meisel the other day—for a piece in the Times tomorrow—I admitted I didn’t recognize Tyra Banks in one of the portraits. She’s wearing a soft head wrap, and her head is tilted back. Meisel laughed and, describing the session, said, “That was, like,
10 minutes. She sat at the window. Guido”—Guido Palau, the
hairstylist—“wrapped her hair. I’m exaggerating, it took an hour. But,
no, that’s Tyra.”
June 5, 2008, 5:25 pm
The Saint Laurent FuneralBy Cathy Horyn  Pierre Berge waves to the crowd after the Saint Laurent’s funeral. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)Now that more pictures are coming in from Paris, I thought it was evocative that the entrance of the Eglise Saint-Roch appeared to be framed, amassed, in greenery and white flowers, not unlike the classic backdrops for Saint Laurent’s couture shows, and perhaps as well the view into the private garden behind his Paris apartment. Outside, as the casket was brought to the sidewalk after the service, Pierre Berge waved a final farewell. It’s hard to imagine his thoughts and emotions at the end of Saint Laurent’s life, which was, after all, linked so deeply to his own. See more photos of the Saint Laurent funeral.
June 5, 2008, 1:42 pm
On Rue St.-Honoré, ParisBy Cathy Horyn  The
coffin of fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent at Saint-Roch church
after his funeral mass on Thursday in Paris. (Yoan Valat/European
Pressphoto Agency) Neighbors of the Église Saint-Roch watch during the funeral cermony. (Jean-Luce Huré for The New York Times)The funeral this afternoon for Yves Saint Laurent at the Église Saint-Roch began at 3:30 and ended around 5, although photographers had gathered in front of the small church before 9 o’clock this morning. Rue St.-Honoré was eventually closed for the arrival of French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla, who wore a charcoal pantsuit, and there were throngs of people in the smaller streets nearby.  Catherine Deneuve arrives at the church carrying a bouquet of green wheat. (Jean-Luce Huré for The New York Times) About 800 people were reportedly invited to the funeral for Saint Laurent, who died Sunday evening at his home. Pierre Bergé was of course there, as was Saint Laurent’s mother, Lucienne Saint Laurent. Among the designers attending were Hubert de Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alber Elbaz, John Galliano, Sonia Rykiel, Stefano Pilati, Christian Lacroix and Vivienne Westwood. According to wire reports, Karl Lagerfeld, who first met Saint Laurent in the 1950s when they won Wool Secretariat prizes, was away on business. It surprised me, though, that he didn’t attend the funeral. Betty Catroux, who was Saint Laurent’s muse and great friend, arrived with her husband Francois Catroux. Loulou de la Falaise, who for years worked with Saint Laurent, was with her husband Thadee Klossowski and their daughter Anna. Among the mourners were Bernard Arnault, François Pinault, Marisa Berenson and the models Claudia Schiffer and Mounia, who did many YSL shows. See more photos of the Saint Laurent funeral.
June 2, 2008, 9:03 am
Fashion’s YvesBy Cathy Horyn
The morning news shows carried Saint Laurent’s death—last night in his Left Bank apartment around 11:10—and I was surprised to hear a news reader say he was the last of a generation of couturiers that included Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. Chanel was born in 1883, Dior in 1905. At his death, Saint Laurent was 71: do the math. Of course he had qualities in common with Chanel and Dior, starting with exceptional talent, but Saint Laurent was of a different generation and time. You could this in his clothes, beginning with the stylishly Mod Mondrian dress and the street coolness of the pea jacket and the safari dress. It wasn’t that Saint Laurent put women in pantsuits. One could argue that half a dozen Hollywood actresses in the 1940s made men’s trousers look chic and influenced women to least think about wearing them. But Saint Laurent did put women in the right kind of pantsuit for the time, defined by those sharp shoulders and the after-dark, let’s-see-what-happens glamour of a tuxedo. Some years ago, in the course of interviewing Saint Laurent and his entourage for a piece in the Times Magazine, Thadee Klossowski, the husband of Loulou de la Falaise, recalled sitting twice through a very long YSL fashion show, just because it was so spell-binding. And Klossowski didn’t go to many shows. But he said there was an incredible rightness about Saint Laurent’s clothes, and I can’t think of a simpler and better description. It says as much about the proportion and cut of the clothes, their joie de vivre and delicious combination of colors, as it does our emotional response to them. Saint Laurent’s clothes were just right. Read more …
May 31, 2008, 12:49 pm
Where have I seen that dress before?By Cathy Horyn  Left,
Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York premiere of “Sex and the City” in
a Nina Ricci gown designed by Olivier Theyskens. Right, Lauren (Davis)
Santo Domingo at the Met ball with Olivier Theyskens. (Photos: Joshua
Lott/Rueters, left; Billy Farrell/PatrickMcMullan.com)This week for the New York premiere of “Sex and the City,” Sarah Jessica Parker wore a strapless Nina Ricci gown designed by Olivier Theyskens. It was one of 40 outfits that Parker planned for the movie’s premieres in London and Berlin, and the press junkets. She looked glamorous and happy in the dress and was asked several times by reporters on the red carpet if it was the sort of dress that Carrie Bradshaw would have worn. New Yorkers have no trouble seeing SJP as Carrie, and given the TV show’s name-dropping familiarity with the fashion world, what she wore to the opening was bound to get attention. It had to be stand-out. Parker was surprised, then, to learn the morning after the premiere that the silver pleated Ricci dress had already been worn on a red-carpet—by Lauren (Davis) Santo Domingo at the Met ball, on May 5. Santo Domingo went to the Met with Theyskens. Read more …
May 27, 2008, 9:49 am
Cannes, Monaco, Yeah-yeahBy Cathy Horyn After finishing the piece about Pat Capolupo of Pat & Rose last week, I went to Monaco to see the Grand Prix—hence my recent silence. Pat’s last word to me as I left the factory was “Ferrari.” I laughed. Pat likes to keep things simple: pick a great name. On the plane to Nice I saw Tory Burch, who was going to visit some friends near Monaco, though probably wasn’t going to stay for the Grand Prix. Later, the next day, the sun shining as it’s meant to, we got together for lunch on the beach at Cap d’Ail. She introduced me to her friends, who invited me to a cocktail party at their home that night, where I met some more people who I would see throughout the weekend at various places. Monaco, I guess, is like that during the GP.  Renault
F1 Team principal Flavio Briatore, right, and his girlfriend Elisabetta
Gregoraci before the start of the F1 Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. (Gero
Breloer/EPA)As motor races go, it has incredible flair, in part because of its history, in part because it attracts the most diehard and informed fans, and in part because it’s such a rich place. You hear all kinds of figures about what a room in one of the top hotels costs for the four-night stay—from $10,000 to $30,000 and more. There are the yachts in the harbor, floating hotels. The flower tab alone must be extraordinary. Most of the men I noticed wore suit coats—and the hard-core spectators were predominantly male and European. There were lots of beautiful women of the tight-white-slack-and-goggle-glasses variety. The men’s attire, though, told me they were serious about Formula One, and maybe they worked for some of the team sponsors, like Hugo Boss. I wonder why Ralph Lauren (the company) doesn’t get involved with Formula One, given his collection of cars and the global aspects of the brand. If the reason is sponsorship costs too much, I’d understand. This is a very expensive game. Read more …
May 6, 2008, 6:49 pm
The SupersBy Cathy Horyn  Gisele Bundchen arrives for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)The trouble with last night’s party at the Met, if I may speak frankly, is that it was a little like being sucked into a sequined wind tunnel. It started with a little breeziness before the superhero displays—Oh, hey, Narciso and Claire! Hi Liya! Alessandra! Isaac! Diane! Tom!—and then, suddenly, people seemed to be flying around the room. Oh, it was fun. In the crush and cocktail chatter, you don’t really see the clothes. But I thought Anna Wintour looked great in her Chanel dress—fantastical fashion. Gisele’s Versace dress was in the spirit of things, too. Ditto Byrdie Bell’s draped gold dress and the embroidered latex dress by Balenciaga that Charlotte Gainsbourg wore up the red carpet with Nicolas Ghesquiere. I loved the unexpected chic of L’Wren Scott’s black sequined pants outfit. Ah, but you can wear pants to that kind of evening…The pale Rodarte chiffon suited Lisa Airan. And though I didn’t see Victoria Beckham until later, in pictures, her lace Armani coat dress was definitely a look—Hollywood grandeur with a wink.  Zac Posen and Kate Mara arrive for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala. (Keith Bedford/Reuters)Zac Posen and his date Kate Mara, in outfits painfully inspired by Superman, get the try-harder award. I’ll be interested to know who you all thought looked super—and not.
May 5, 2008, 9:13 pm
Live From the Met!By Cathy Horyn  Claudia
Schiffer and Garavani Valentino arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art Costume Institute Gala. (Photograph: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)OMG, have suddenly seen just about everybody. Tom Ford, Richard Buckley, Valentino, Daphne Guinness (in a twilight sequined L’Wren Scott), Ed Burns talking with Jerry Seinfeld, lots of models. A pretty glamorous, not sci-fi, night.
May 5, 2008, 8:16 pm
Live From the Met!By Cathy Horyn  Anna
Wintour arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute
Gala, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. (Photograph: Evan
Agostini/Associate Press)Arrived to the roar of the red carpet-though not for me. Ha! Mob scene inside, or at least gathering. Said hello to Anna Wintour (in silvery Chanel), ciao to Mr. Armani, and said hey to George Clooney, who was very cheery. Many theme looks. Diane Kruger terrific in a silver mini, Ivanka Trump with a diamond planted in the middle of her forehead. More later…  Ivanka Trump arriving at the Met. (Photograph: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
May 5, 2008, 6:02 pm
On the Street: ShortsBy Cathy Horyn This afternoon, following my wig wash for the Costume Institute party, I saw a twentysomething woman on Fifth Avenue wearing a black knit top and boxy red hotpants, perhaps in a cotton sateen. Her look was not entirely successful (the conventional black pumps?), but an hour earlier, near Times Square, I happened to see a young Asian woman wearing a similar pair of hotpants in a stiff white fabric (with platforms). The effect was more flattering on her. I was intrigued on this warmish spring day: Will we see more of the look on the streets?
May 1, 2008, 10:20 am
Milton Gendel: The Fine PrintBy Cathy Horyn  One of Milton Gendel’s photographs.Milton Gendel, born in New York City in 1918, has his first photographic exhibit in the United States, at Verdura on Fifth Avenue. There are, perhaps, several reasons for this delayed happening. Gendel is primarily a writer; living in Rome since 1950, he has been a correspondent for Art News and a consulting editor for Art in America, as well as the editor of the “Illustrated History of Italy.” Photography is essentially a pastime, in spite of producing many, many albums and a dozen or so exhibits in Europe. Gendel’s friendships span the worlds of artists, writers, and aristocrats, and they are the subjects of his candid, unaffected photographs, taken over the last half century.  Another Milton Gendel photograph entitled “CULTIVATED HIGHFLYERS Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera Formentor, 1976.”He was a friend of Fulco di Verdura; hence the connection to the jewelry firm, owned by Ward Landrigan since 1985. Landrigan proposed an exhibit to Gendel, and was a little stunned, he told me, when Gendel sent him some 75,000 images to choose from. There was a party last night for the opening of the exhibit, co-hosted by Carolina Herrera, who in a picture (from 1976) is seen sunbathing at a villa in Majorca. Gendel’s wife, the artist Monica Incisa, was also at the party, and I had a great time talking with her about Rome. Because of his friendship with Britain’s Princess Margaret, Gendel has some amazing pictures of the Queen at Balmoral (feeding her corgis) and of the indoor swimming pool at Windsor Castle, which looks vaguely like a Roman bath. His pictures also evoke, without much sentimentalism, life in Rome in the 50s. The show, at 745 Fifth Avenue, will be up until the end of May. (Verdura is closed on the weekends.) Read more …
April 30, 2008, 2:18 pm
Our Ms. Spindler & MoreBy Cathy Horyn Lots of us think about Amy Spindler, the mind of Amy Spindler, and I’m glad people are again discovering her writing. She came to life, I think, in the latter part of her run as fashion critic of the NYT and then again when she became Style Editor of the Magazine. Amy was a good writer and an excellent, tireless reporter who had an energetic mind that sought out new ideas. She loved the nostalgia piece; one of my favorite articles that I wrote for her at the Magazine was a profile of Jacques Tiffeau (a wild, brilliant guy and a lover of Dior’s, by the way). She saw the charm and evergreen “news” in those kinds of pieces. But Amy was also someone with strong moral beliefs and maybe that was the source of her contentiousness. She loved catching a fashion exec in a lie, and, of course, there was the heroin chic piece. You felt her rage, her high sense of standards. And she could REALLY yack during a fashion show. Amy would be talking away during a show and you’d be looking at the clothes and going, “Yeah…ahum…yeah…ahum.” Somehow, she saw everything. Her deputy at the mag, Andy Port, gave a marvelous speech at Amy’s memorial, which was held at the Rainbow Room. Amy had a knack, as Andy said, of persuading people to her side. We all knew that special power of hers pretty well. Read more … ArchiveJuly 2008
About On the RunwayOn the Runway, The Times's blog on all things fashion, takes you to the front row of fashion shows, behind the scenes at ateliers and houses around the world and inside the minds of designers. Cathy Horyn, the Times fashion critic, is your guide. Popular Tags
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Video: Wham Bam Pow: Superheroes at the Met
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