\t\t\t\tThis is a story published in the New York Sun, on July 25, 2002. I was interviewed by email and was featured in this fashion piece.<\/p>\n
\nHere’s the entire story.<\/p>\n
\nARTS & FEATURES
\nWhat\u2019s Next: MTA-Chic?
\nNicole Graev Talks to the True Originators of Today\u2019s Fashions<\/p>\n
\n– In the world of fashion, it seems that just about every lifestyle and career path has become de rigueur as of late. Designers have given us \u201cmilitary-chic\u201d and \u201cbiker-chic,\u201d \u201cbohemian-chic\u201d and \u201ccowboy-chic.\u201d Gucci and Yves St. Laurent\u2019s macabre Fall 2002 offerings are distinctly \u201cGothic-chic,\u201d while the slick, high-collared trench coats recently unveiled by Calvin Klein and Versace are decidedly \u201csecret agent-chic.\u201d To be on the cutting edge these days, the only accessory you really need, it seems, is a hyphen.<\/p>\n
\nAt the same time, there\u2019s been a lot of chatter about designers ripping off the work of their colleagues. Oscar de la Renta accused Marc Jacobs of copying a sequined trench coat, and everyone gasped. Balenciaga maestro Nicholas Ghesquiere was caught trying to pass off a 1973 vest by designer Kaisik Yoon as his own, and the fashion police got its knickers in a bunch. But when it comes to designers aping the outfits of us laypeople, it seems that anything goes. Which makes one wonder: Should we common folk have as much a claim to our outerwear schemes as the experts? Are the current lifestyle-inspired looks a form of flattery, or should we all be demanding royalties?<\/p>\n
\nFor the answers to these questions, I turned to the true originators of today\u2019s fashions. Here\u2019s what members of some of the more sartorially happening cultures have to say about haute-couture versions of their wardrobes.<\/p>\n
Hippie-chic <\/p>\n
\nThe \u201chippie-chic\u201d look, epitomized by the current urban uniform of leather sandals, macram\u00e9 belts, and earthy jewelry, is perhaps the most pervasive and tenacious lifestyle-based trend to come along in recent seasons \u2014 a fact that has not eluded 47-year old flower child Skip Stone. More than 30 years after the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, Mr. Stone still considers himself a \u201creal\u201d hippie and says he\u2019s been one since the late 1960s. (To his credit, Mr. Stone, who lives in California, has all the requisite hippie credentials \u2014 participating in student protests, living on cooperatives in Oregon, trekking the hippie trail from Bali to India and Amsterdam.) As the genuine hippie article, he has some firm opinions about the hippie look\u2019s recent high-fashion resurrection.<\/p>\n
\nOn an aesthetic level, Mr. Stone finds the latest haute-hippie creations \u2014 Louis Vuitton\u2019s floral kaftans and Marc Jacob\u2019s monochromatic men\u2019s kurta shirts, for instance \u2014 downright uninspiring. \u201cIf you look at the designs from 30 years ago, you\u2019ll see that today\u2019s hippie fashions are far more subdued and less creative and vibrant than they were then,\u201d he says. \u201cPerhaps modern designers are lacking any new ideas or innovations.\u201d Or maybe, he offers, \u201cthey\u2019re not dropping enough LSD anymore.\u201d <\/p>\n
\nWhat perturbs Mr. Stone even more than their lack of imagination, however, is how little these creations reflect real hippie ideals.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHippie fashions originated from used clothes bins, army\/navy stores, and handmade clothes from scraps. In other words, whatever was cheap and available. So to see the mighty fashion world copy this look is incredibly ironic,\u201d he says. The hippie lifestyle, he points out, is a commitment to holistic, alternative values. <\/p>\n
\nPersonally, Mr. Stone says that he wears only comfortable, practical garments made out of natural materials \u2014 ones that you would be hard pressed to find on the racks at Saks or Bergdorf Goodman. Hemp, for instance, is very big these days among real hippies, he says: \u201cIt\u2019s not just a fashion statement. It\u2019s a political statement. Dig?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMr. Stone adds that, like any self-respecting hippie, he eschews clothing with labels or logos on it. This would, absent a seam-ripper, rule out any high-fashion hippie garb from his wardrobe \u2014 hemp or no hemp.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe more radical among us would point out how fashion is a capitalist tool that exploits many to benefit a chosen few,\u201d Mr. Stone says. \u201cBut I guess you wouldn\u2019t print such real important stuff in a fashion article\u2026.That is, until protesting fashion comes back in fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAll together, now: One, two, three, four. We don\u2019t want your stinkin\u2019 velour!<\/p>\n
\nGothic-chic <\/p>\n
\nWhile not as inclined as hippies toward organized protest, some Goths similarly find it ironic that their subculture\u2019s trademarks \u2014 crucifixes, black frocks, and Victorian bustles, for example \u2014 are being plucked from their sepulchral underground and paraded into the catwalk limelight. <\/p>\n
\n\u201cI think it\u2019s kind of tragicomic that fashion designers are following subcultures these days rather than creating their own trends, which is something they\u2019re supposedly renowned for,\u201d says 25-year-old Marieke Bermon, web-mistress of Goth.net. <\/p>\n
\nAs Ms. Bermon explains, genuine Goth fashion, much like genuine hippie gear, is highly personal, emphasizing each wearer\u2019s own creativity and individual style. In light of this, she sees the vampy, spear-toed stilettos and imposing floor-length black satin cloaks that Gucci is now peddling as a \u201cfunny contrast\u201d to authentic Goth gear, much of which is homemade or bought in thrift stores. <\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe fact that there are designers like Gucci copying the Gothic look and slapping a several hundred dollar (or more) price tag is kind of offensive to me,\u201d Ms. Bermon says. <\/p>\n
\nSince the Gothic subculture attracts mostly teenagers and young adults, most true Goths would never be able to afford these chi-chi \u201cinsta-Goth kits,\u201d she points out. Not that they would want them if they could. While several designers\u2019 gloomy, austere fall lines might be labeled as \u201cGothic,\u201d Ms. Bermon says that many of the pieces \u201cjust aren\u2019t things Goths would wear.\u201d \u201cFor one I saw a lot of brown in there with the black,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n
\nMs. Bermon\u2019s husband, Preston Elder, a fellow Goth as well as a practicing Wiccan, seconds his wife\u2019s assessment. After reviewing Gucci\u2019s upcoming Goth collection, he declares the haute-Elvira ensembles \u201coverdone\u201d and \u201ctoo stylized.\u201d \u201cThis is bad news for the subculture,\u201d says Mr. Elder, whose own wardrobe consists mostly of black jeans, black T-shirts, and black dress shirts. <\/p>\n
\nStill, Ms. Bermon and Mr. Elder doubt that the fad will pose any long-term threat to their lifestyle. <\/p>\n
\n\u201cAs with all things, eventually the trend followers will move onto something else and it will all settle down again,\u201d Ms. Bermon says.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt will just mean more posers around,\u201d says Mr. Elder. \u201cWe\u2019ll ride it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nCowgirl-chic <\/p>\n
\nNevada native Lee Raine has spent much of her life as a professional cowgirl, rounding up cattle on ranches throughout the West. In her standard duds \u2014 jeans, fringed chaps, tailored shirt, silver-buckled belt, and Western hat \u2014 she\u2019s the real deal, a bona fide Buckaroo. <\/p>\n
\nSo what does Ms. Raine think of high-falootin\u2019 designers like Ralph Lauren and Hogan \u2014 not to mention celebrities such as Madonna \u2014 copping her style? After all, there\u2019s an old cowboy saying: \u201cIf you climb in the saddle, you better be ready for the ride.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI think it\u2019s neat,\u201d says Ms. Raine. \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of those thin leather, stylized cowboy boots around. They\u2019re cute.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIn Ms. Raine\u2019s opinion, her cowgirl authenticity doesn\u2019t give her any particular claim to the style. Though her Western wear does serve a practical purpose, shielding her from the brush, bugs, and dust, Ms. Raine confesses that the look involves an element of dress-up, even for genuine cowpokes such as herself.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a kind of costume, like the kids going to school in baggy clothes with their caps backward,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\nAnd in many ways, Ms. Raine explains, cow-folk are as self-conscious and competitive about their clothes as high-school kids \u2014 or even the fringed bag-toting fashionistas outside of Bungalow 8, for that matter. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a joke amongst us cow-people that you have to have a lot of money to get the good jobs,\u201d she says. \u201cYou have to have the right gear: real leather, real silver, the silk scarf and the $300 hat. These things aren\u2019t cheap.\u201d <\/p>\n
\nTell us about it.<\/p>\n
\nMs. Raine says she isn\u2019t at all bothered by the idea of Manhattan publicists \u2014 whose yogacized glutes have probably never touched a saddle \u2014 sporting fringed Ralph Lauren shawls or Anna Sui cowboy boots. In fact, she even sees an upside to the trend.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf I walked into a New York City office wearing a cowboy hat, maybe I wouldn\u2019t look so out of place now!\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
\nMilitary-chic<\/p>\n
\nTitle 18, Section 772 of the United States Code makes it illegal for civilians to wear the uniform \u2014 or any \u201cdistinctive part\u201d of the uniform \u2014 of the U.S. armed forces. In recent months, however, this certainly hasn\u2019t stopped trend-followers from snapping up Balenciaga\u2019s coveted baggy cargo pants, or Celine\u2019s Rambo-esque ammo belts. Nor has it stopped women from shelling out $1,185 for Christian Dior\u2019s army-green, canvas \u201cColumbus Avenue\u201d bag, complete with snap-on utilitarian pouches. <\/p>\n
\nCaptain Joshua Eisenberg, an artillery officer in the Army National Guard, says he can\u2019t help but feel flattered by the military-chic trend, even if those marching around in the clothes haven\u2019t technically earned their stripes. <\/p>\n
\n\u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s a sign of respect,\u201d says Captain Eisenberg. \u201cIf I saw a guy walking down the street in jeans and a BDU [Battle Dress Uniform] top, it wouldn\u2019t annoy me, since it shows that we\u2019re on his radar, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nStill, Captain Eisenberg, who works as a lawyer in New York City when not on duty, is astounded by how much money some people are willing to pay to achieve the combat look. On a recent visit with his wife to the fashionable boutique Intermix, he spotted a green nylon bag much like the pilot\u2019s helmet bag he uses to carry manuals in the field. \u201cMine cost me $35 at the army post-exchange. This one cost about seven times that,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
\nCaptain Eisenberg is generally more concerned that his clothes get him through insect-infested swamps than into the VIP room at Lot 61, so he can\u2019t help but be struck by the impracticality of much of the current military-themed designer garb. The Christian Dior \u201cColumbus Avenue\u201d bag, for one, leaves him perplexed.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI can\u2019t imagine jumping out of helicopters or crawling across an objective with those pouches hanging off my web gear,\u201d he says after examining the satchel. \u201cYou might be able to stuff a few M16 magazines and some grenades into that handbag, but what happens when it gets wet?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAccustomed to clothing with \u201crip-stop\u201d threading and near-infrared capabilities, Captain Eisenberg is equally skeptical of the durability of some of the military fashions we\u2019ll be seeing this fall, such as Michael Kors\u2019s camel \u201cflying coat\u201d for Celine and Prada\u2019s fur-sleeved black nylon bomber jackets. <\/p>\n
\n\u201cI suppose all this stuff is more useful when bartering for intelligence with foreign nationals,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n
\nPerhaps, in the end, we should all aim for Captain Eisenberg\u2019s sense of humor on the matter. Because one thing is certain: with no lifestyle or m\u00e9tier off-limits, you never know when you\u2019ll be seeing your look in the windows at Barneys. Perhaps next spring we\u2019ll have \u201ccomputer programmer-chic\u201d or \u201corthodontist chic.\u201d Maybe Fall \u201903 will bring \u201cMTA worker-chic.\u201d Personally, I\u2019m holding out for \u201cfreelance writer-chic.\u201d I\u2019ve got the holey T-shirts. I\u2019ve got the frayed pajama bottoms. I swear, any day now, I\u2019ll be the hippest chick in town. <\/p>\n
\nMs. Graev writes regularly about fashion for The New York Sun. <\/p>\n
\nCopyright 2002 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC. All rights reserved. <\/p>\n
\nBTW, this story is no longer on the Sun’s website, but I retrieved from Google’s cache.<\/p>\n
Posted by: skip
\nViews: 48235
\nTopic:3\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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