Designer

………………..MEMORIAL DAY……for me……is the most solemn day of the year. I know people have a day off from work and want to have a good time, and who can blame them……The news is horrible, and times are tough, and any reason to enjoy a free day is a good one…….However, we can’t forget the meaning of this day…..It is to remember all of those men and women who have given their lives so ours can be free….and to show a great appreciation for the veterans who have defended us, and those who have to live with the wounds, both physically and mentally, that they have incurred fighting for our freedom……With all of the fighting around the world, and within our own nation, and all of the enemies this country has….like Russia, China, North Korea and Iran…..how can we not fear the future……I don’t fear so much for myself, because as Jac used to tell me we are on the “shady side”, but what about all of the young people today like my great nephews and nieces who don’t really know the devastation of war, because they haven’t lived though it…So many don’t even know what the Holocaust was!…….The future is so precarious and frightening, and no one knows what is going to happen from one day to another……The one thing we do know is to be thankful for our men and women in the armed services around the world…..REMEMBER the fallen, and pray for the safety of those brave men and women defending us every day….and pray they come home unharmed……..God bless them and protect them.

…………Betty Lago…………More accurately……..THE DIVINE BETTY LAGO………….and divine she was…….I adored Betty……She wasn’t only beautiful and EXOTIC on the outside, but she was golden, and had an exuberant, infectious personality, a huge heart and a great laugh……EVERY DESIGNER around the world, bar none, loved Betty!……..This photo was a National Ad from the late 80s……Betty is wearing a black bugle beaded top with gold bugle bead bands….The skirt was stripes of black and gold bugle beads….It was inspired by the mask of Tutankhamun!…….Arthur Elgort was the photographer and Marc Balet the art director…The lighting on Betty is stupendous…..I grew close to Betty when we hired her to do the “ANNE KLEIN 11” commercials…….Many thought it was a strange pairing…..This Brazilian model form Rio De Janeiro wasn’t exactly the American girl next door type, but her incredible personality, and her wonderful accent is exactly what made her perfect to be the Anne Klein 11 spokesperson….All of the commercials had a common theme….A photographer with a hand held camera followed her around the city like a paparazzi….There were many scenarios…..One was in the subway, another on the steps of the NYC Library, in a grocery store, and just on a tree lined street in upper Manhattan…..In the scene….Betty, realizing that she was being followed…..suddenly stopped, turned around to confront the cameraman…..and simply said……..”ANNE KLEIN 11″………as if they wanted to know what she was wearing. It was Betty’s smile, personality and accent that made these commercials a total success!…….I used Betty in all of my shows in the 80s….until she retired from modeling and became a successful actress in Brazil…….Dear Betty died from cancer in 2015….She left behind a husband and two children…..and many adoring fans!…me included……..Betty was only 60 years old…….Heaven is more beautiful with Betty in it……I am sure she and Jac are telling stories and laughing away!!!

……….A LOOK BACK………I don’t recognize the model in these National Ads from the late 70s, but I remember this Spring collection. It had a strong men’s wear influence……Silk shirts with silk ties, and lots of Panama linen, which is a heavier weight washed linen which gives the linen a softer hand and more drape…..It came from Italy……The skirt was in navy crepe…..The Panama straw hat, that we had made for the collection, was FABULOUS!

………………If memory serves this raincoat was to be made out of a coated, water proof white opaque fabric and a clear plastic for the side panels…..both manufactured by “Giovanni Crespi”…..The coat was a simple A-LINE shape, with a fly buttoned front and a shirt collar with a half moon stand……To keep the silhouette clean there were no armhole seams…..a sort of raglan sleeve was created…..The clear plastic was somewhat stiff though it was very light weight. This kept the A-Line shape from collapsing in…….Under the coat is a BOLD STRIPE knit red and black dress. The rain boots were to be vinyl, and AK Co. did have an umbrella licensee to produce the red and black umbrellas.

………………Creating clothes utilizing geometric shapes goes back decades…..Two of the earliest designers to use blocks of fabric were PAUL POIRET…..and SONIA DELAUNAY, though she was best know for her paintings and textile design…..Yves St. Laurent made a big splash with his reinterpretation of the Mondrian paintings, which were all about blocks of color……In my croquis sketches there is certainly a 60s vibe…..Knee high socks with color top bands worked well with the short lengths, or opaque tights gave total leg coverage….The shoe I sketched had a slightly undercut block low heel, and the front had a blunt square shape. The square leather plaques which decorated the shoes, in contrast colors, added to the total look. White contour leather belts with white leather buckles added to that 60s hip hugger flare…Square acrylic clip on earrings in all the colors was a fun accessory……These clothes were to be made in Ponte Knit which was heavy enough to keep the shapes. The knit was easy to sew, and also gave the contrast pieces, pockets and inserted stripes a clean look.