SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010
KLMNO It was a bleak recession year, but the fashion world finds much to celebrate
hip or the most favored son, but because he produced a collection —in shades of gray and without any contrivances — that took one’s breath away with its purity. When Jacobs showed his fall
ROBIN GIVHAN On Fashion
awards gala — a mix of Seventh Avenue heavyweights, models, retailers, editors and the actresses who provide the business with its pop culture resonance. Indeed, it was a year worth celebrating. The frock trade survived the recession — with neither bailouts nor mass bankruptcies —and emerged with a more mature approach to style. And, even more important, the industry as a whole exhibited a greater sensitivity to diversity in race, age and even size. This year, of all the awards handed out by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the honors given to designer Michael Kors and model-turned- entrepreneur Iman were particularly resonant. They served as representatives of the kind of tenacity, intelligence and breadth of experience that the fashion industry came to value in 2010. The CFDA gave Kors the
T
Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award just as he approaches his 30th anniversary in business. From the beginning, Kors had a signature aesthetic sensibility: comfortable and luxurious sportswear. He is the master of the perfect cashmere turtleneck, flannel trousers that can work voodoo on the derriere, Hollywood aviator sunglasses and the glittering evening sheath. Kors has never engaged in tricks and gimmicks to lure customers. A designer doesn’t have to, if he’s offering customers smart clothes that make them feel glamorous. Kors has stood firm with his
signature style through grunge, his own bankruptcy, the industry’s recent obsession with rock-star glitter and a host of other dodgy trends and business hurdles. He made it through and prospered. It may be that much of the population knows Kors only as the witty and biting judge on “Project Runway.” But all those aspirants would be smart to listen to the wisdom tucked between the charming patter. Kors earned the respect of his colleagues by being a dogged, talented and enduring designer. When Vogue editor Anna Wintour presented the award, she noted that Kors has a love for his customers that few other designers can match. He is the rare fashion titan who revels in hands-on public appearances. He dives into the crowds of women who come to see him at boutiques and specialty stores and he listens to their concerns, their desires and their giddy enthusiasm. And he takes it all to heart.
If there is anything that comes across in a single encounter with Kors, it is that he not only loves women, he respects them. And that sentiment is evident in every garment that he sends down his runway. Kors’s American sportswear
doesn’t always make fashion editors salivate; he is not interested in costumes, nostalgia or the avant-garde. But his easy- to-wear clothes make civilians swoon. No wonder that first lady Michelle Obama chose to wear Kors’s black jersey sheath for her official White House portrait. She needn’t worry that a decade from now she’d look at it and ask
June 15–20 Opera House PROGRAM A Tue., June 15* &Wed., June 16 at 7:30 p.m. Houston Ballet
Stanton Welch, Artistic Director Falling (WELCH/MOZART)
The Suzanne Farrell Ballet
Suzanne Farrell, Artistic Director Monumentum Pro Gesualdo and
Let us know your birthday and earn PostPoints.
Movements for Piano & Orchestra (BALANCHINE/STRAVINSKY) WASHINGTON DEBUT
North Carolina Dance Theatre
Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Artistic Director Shindig
(BONNEFOUX/TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS)
Arts Across America is made possible through the generosity of the Charles E. Smith Family Foundation.
The Kennedy Center Ballet Season is sponsored by Altria Group, Inc.
PROGRAM B Thu., June 17* at 7:30 p.m.
and Sat., June 19 at 1:30 & 7:30 p.m. WASHINGTON DEBUT
Ballet Memphis Dorothy Gunther Pugh,
Founder and Artistic Director
In Dreams (MCINTYRE/ORBISON) WASHINGTON DEBUT
Ballet Arizona
Ib Andersen, Artistic Director Diversions (ANDERSEN/BRITTEN)
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Peter Boal, Artistic Director 3 Movements (MILLEPIED/REICH)
PROGRAM C Fri., June 18* at 7:30 p.m and Sun., June 20 at 1:30 p.m.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Tom Mossbrucker, Artistic Director
Red Sweet (ELO/VIVALDI AND BIBER) WASHINGTON DEBUT
Tulsa Ballet
Additional support is provided by Elizabeth and Michael Kojaian.
washingtonpost.com/postpoints
Tickets from $29 at the Box Office or charge
by phone (202) 467-4600
Online at
kennedy-center.org Groups (202) 416-8400 | TTY (202) 416-8524
SF 1x4.25 *
Marcello Angelini, Artistic Director Por Vos Muero
(DUATO/OLD SPANISH MUSIC)
The Joffrey Ballet Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director
Age of Innocence (LIANG/GLASS AND NEWMAN)
Explore the Arts: Free post-performance discussion with company Artistic Directors
CATS One of the best-loved musicals of all time FRI.–SUN., JUNE 18–20; 8 PM
WEEKEND MATINEES; 2 PM
EARTH, WIND & FIRE MON., JUNE 21; 8 PM LAWN ONLY
CHICK COREA FREEDOM BAND WITH CHRISTIAN McBRIDE, KENNY GARRETT & ROY HAYNES
BÉLA FLECK, ZAKIR HUSSAIN, EDGAR MEYER TRIO
TUES., JUNE 22; 8 PM
YES PETER FRAMPTON Record-breaking rock stars WED., JUNE 23; 7 PM
NATALIE COLE R&B and jazz royalty THURS., JUNE 24; 8 PM
DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES
NIGHT OF STARS: Clockwise from left: Among the honorees at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards Monday were Iman; designers Jason Wu, left, Richard Chai and Alexander Wang; and Marc Jacobs, left, and Michael Kors. David Hershkovits, Kim Hastreiter and Mickey Boardman arrive at the gala in style.
herself, “What was I thinking?” Kors’s brand of fashion may not always be trendy, but it is always in style.
This year, style was a
particularly valued commodity —not fads, not cheap provocation. Rag and Bone was honored for its dark-hued urban menswear and Alexis Bittar for elegant and playful accessories. The winners of the Swarovski awards for up-and-coming talent
included Jason Wu for womenswear, Richard Chai for men’s clothes and Alexander Wang for accessories. Wu sees himself as an old-world dressmaker with a modern sensibility. Chai’s menswear is down-to-earth and straightforward. And Wang’s accessories, despite being shown on a runway where ear-splitting rock shakes the speakers and models have just rolled in from the club dishevelment, are practical and commercial. In
“Ballet Across America is a success, not least in audience terms. More, please.” –The New York Times (2008)
new york
he fashion industry congratulated itself Monday night at its annual
DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES
collection in February, he used a mix of models, some of whom were long past that spindly filly stage. That choice made the collection even more compelling because it offered proof that a skilled designer can craft a dress that can be both spare and complex. Without excessive frills and complicated
embellishments, a dress can still have a depth of artistry that allows it to speak to a young woman just coming into her own as well as an older one filled with confidence in her own charms.
In a sense, the fashion LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS
industry recognized the beauty of diversity by bestowing the title of “fashion icon” on Iman. She strode to the stage in a strapless black gown with black tulle ruffles swirling around her legs. Iman has never been known for a particular wardrobe flourish. She retired from modeling, by her own account, some 20 years ago. But Iman built a successful makeup line, involved herself in international philanthropy and, in recent years, has been encouraging the fashion industry to broaden its definition of beauty. She is an international
DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES
each case, style wasn’t elevated over substance. The industry gave Marc
Jacobs the womenswear designer of the year award for a collection that was a study in restraint and elegance. It was the most mature collection from Jacobs in recent memory, one that wasn’t informed by rock bands or animated films. The focus was the clothes and their relationship to the woman. The industry was honoring the designer not for being cool or
celebrity who broke through color barriers and sees it as her duty to help other black models clear the remaining hurdles until they are fully and enthusiastically embraced by the fashion industry. Iman is an agitator against the status quo. And the industry applauded her for that. So often, the CFDA awards
have the feeling of insiders congratulating other insiders who adhere to the party line. But this time, Seventh Avenue seemed to understand that what it needs most are folks willing to not-so-gently nudge it into doing the right thing. Kim Hastreiter, the co-founder of Paper magazine, won the Eugenia Sheppard award for journalism. In her acceptance speech, she declared herself an outsider, a
discomforting thorn in the side of the establishment. Hastreiter is known for having
a keen eye for new talent, but she is also a tireless cheerleader for those who operate on the fringes. While onstage, she took aim at those industry kingmakers who are swayed by the young, cute, rich and connected. Don’t be fooled into thinking you are a talented designer simply because you have the raw materials of hype, she warned. And editors and retailers need to trust their eyes, not the buzz.
An audible gasp swept through the audience in response. People were stunned —and, yes, admiring — that Hastreiter had the courage to speak the truth. The question, though, is whether anyone will take her words to heart. There was a lot of truth and realism at this year’s CFDA awards. Burberry’s Christopher Bailey was given the International Award for his successful reinvention of the historical British brand. Alexander McQueen received a posthumous tribute for his artistic honesty. And Vogue’s Tonne Goodman was celebrated for her career as a fashion editor, during which she crafted countless photos that seamlessly merged fashion and contemporary life. It would be presumptuous —
and even sad — to say that the fashion industry had transformed into a no-nonsense business of nuts and bolts and a place of political correctness. But the industry has come to terms, at least a little bit, with its cultural responsibilities. When CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg delivered her opening remarks, she threw in a reminder to designers that racial diversity and healthy physiques should be part of the basic requirements when casting a runway show. The audience murmured its assent. Fashion is changing. Slowly.
Too slowly, perhaps. But all for the good.
givhanr@washpost.com
MORE PHOTOS Find more photos of the 2010 Council of
Fashion Designers Fashion Awards gala at
washingtonpost.com/fashion.
E3
PREMIER SPONSOR 2010 WOLF TRAP SUMMER SEASON
THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP Wolf Trap Opera Company
MOZART
ZAIDE You choose the ending in Mozart’s unfinished opera about a young couple captured in a foreign land.
WOLF TRAP’S 21ST
LOUISIANA SWAMP ROMPSM MARCIA BALL THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND BEAUSOLEIL AVEC MICHAEL DOUCET ROSIE LEDET & THE ZYDECO PLAYBOYS
ANNUAL TODAY! 2 PM JUNE JOHN BUTLER TRIO
STATE RADIO SPECIAL GUEST: ANGUS & JULIA STONE
Indie roots-rock with a message WED., JUNE 16; 7 PM
RAIN—A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES From Ed Sullivan and Shea Stadium to Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road!
FRI. & SAT., JUNE 25 & 26; 8 PM
AN EVENING WITH GORDON LIGHTFOOT SUN., JUNE 27; 8 PM
LOVE ON THE RUN PAT BENATAR
REO SPEEDWAGON WITH SPECIAL GUEST KEATON SIMONS
TUES., JUNE 29; 7:30 PM
JULY
PAT McGEE BAND SPECIAL GUEST: HONOR BY AUGUST Local rocker with hits “It Must Have Been Love” and “Beautiful Ways”
thurs., july 1; 8 pm
GIPSY KINGS Performing the worldwide hit “Bamboleo”
FRI. & SAT., JULY 2 & 3; 8 PM
The world’s No. 1 show about a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!
WED.–SUN., JULY 7–11; 8 PM WEEKEND MATINEES; 2 PM
CHRIS ISAAK SPECIAL GUEST: MARC BROUSSARD
“Wicked Game” pop-rocker MON., JULY 12; 8 PM
THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP Wolf Trap Opera Company
THE TURK IN ITALY IL TURCO IN ITALIA
ROSSINI NEW PRODUCTION
IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES
TUES., JULY 13; 8 PM
JULIO IGLESIAS Worldwide Latin pop sensation TUES., JULY 13; 8 PM
THE B-52s SPECIAL GUEST: SUPERCLUSTER WED., JULY 14;
8 PM
AND MANY MORE! Visit
www.wolftrap.org for the complete schedule!
TAKE METRO TO WOLF TRAP! Express Bus #480 leaves from the West Falls Church Station starting two hours prior to show time!
Express Bus service will still be available during temporary rail shutdown to West Falls Church on June 13. For details, visit WWW.WOLFTRAP.ORG/METRO.
For info:
www.wolftrap.org/visit. Support for metro accessibility to Wolf Trap is provided in part by Heineken USA, the Official Beer and Responsibility Sponsor.
Tickets:WWW.WOLFTRAP.ORG 1.877.WOLFTRAP
NEW PRODUCTION—IN GERMAN WITH ENGLISH DIALOGUE AND SUPERTITLES
TUES., JUNE 15; 8 PM SAT., JUNE 19; 7:30 PM
NORTH CAROLINA DANCE THEATRE, PHOTO BY JEFF CRAVOTTA
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