"Forever Wanted"
Anna Sui's party-girl look (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)
I am so pooped that my eyes are at half mast. I can barely tell the difference between teal and turquoise, lilac and violet.
I saw a couple of P.E.T.A. protesters the other day outside the tents at Bryant Park where New York fashion week is centered. They were all upset about the use of fur by some of the designers. Okay, fine. But I have a bigger issue with the organization having women dress up in skimpy cop costumes -- like Halloween's hookers -- to make their point.
A little art deco shows up in Sui's spring collection (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)
I went to the Anna Sui show Monday night and tucked into the little gift bag was a T-shirt that read "Forever Wanted." I didn't really think much of it other than I don't get it and I don't feel like hauling this T-shirt around with me. But then one of the publicists came over to make sure that I had taken note of the T-shirt and explained it all. It was a reference to the store Forever 21, which has been sued for knocking off designer clothes. The shirt had photos of the owners of Forever 21 under the heading of "Wanted." It offered a $21,000 reward and quoted the Bible: "Thou shalt not steal."
Folks love to copy Anna Sui's hipster looks(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)
Yes, American designers are up in arms about the amount of copying and counterfeiting going on. They're trying to get a bill passed in Congress to protect their work under copyright laws. And Anna Sui is one of the designers that folks love to copy. Her spring collection, by the way, was hipster '50s-style dresses, sequined boleros and some exceptionally cool patent leather wedge sandals. Cute stuff. Hopefully she'll manage to make a few bucks off the designs before they turn up somewhere on the super cheap.
By Robin Givhan |
September 12, 2007; 7:14 AM ET
New York
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Posted by: 20010 | September 12, 2007 9:55 AM
I sat in second row at yesterday's Carmen Marc Valvo show, about six seats over from you in front corner. Entirely too shy/starstruck to tell you how much I enjoy your work. If I'm exhausted with this week, I can only imagine how you're feeling. Started out the week in eyeliner and heels, ending it in Airwalks and a ponytail.
Posted by: e* | September 12, 2007 10:45 AM
I really enjoy these updates, and your writing about fashion all the time.
About the PETA protesters - I wouldn't conflate animal rights with sexism/objectification. They're totally different issues, and it's clear which one PETA's targeting!
Posted by: Julia | September 12, 2007 1:49 PM
ooooo, Robin....no one works as hard as you do. ... no more Crocs & Socks stories, eh?
Posted by: alk | September 12, 2007 7:55 PM
So I'll chalk it up to an already overloaded assignment schedule brought on by demands of the spring shows. But I must register my disappointment at your not reviewing Dana Thomas' new tome, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. I was so looking forward to your spin on it. Not that Ms. D'Amato failed to provide adequate coverage. But this was a story begging the Givhan treatment.
I'm especially appalled by soaring retail pricing in luxury handbags as of late, brought on no doubt by increased demand, certainly not improved craftmanship, especially among many of the leading brands (you know who they are) whose quality has declined in the past decade.
What's your take? I suspect we would have gotten an ear (er, uh eye) -ful from you.
Note to Style editors: We would have waited a couple of weeks for Robin's review.
Posted by: Natasha | September 13, 2007 11:57 AM
I really dislike PETA - there's no need to disrupt the shows, and display themselves and their bodies as false martyrs!!
Posted by: riz | September 14, 2007 2:15 AM
Anna Sui's collection was very cute!
Posted by: Olga Davydova | September 15, 2007 4:33 PM
Hey tell PETA to go after the Vicks of the world. That would take guts and not some empty exercise with old ladies in fur. Get real PETA do something worthwhile
Posted by: NYC | September 19, 2007 9:22 AM
I'm so jealous! I'd love to go to a fashion show in New York. Although since I'm planning on doing fashion photography, I'll probably be eating my words 10 years from now. I think that Anna Sui's collection was indeed very cute! I would definitely wear that suit! If I had the money and figure. ;]
Posted by: Alicia Raft | September 19, 2007 12:04 PM
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Anyone from the show, Ugly Betty, filming for an upcoming episode?