|
Can you wear it to work?
|
 |
April 8, 1997: 8:43 p.m. ET
Designers reach for style and practicality in new looks
|
NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Overlooked by clothing designers for years, the working woman is starting to drive the fashion business.
Oscar de la Renta, who gained notoriety as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' designer and recently designed Hillary Rodham Clinton's inaugural gown, is among the leading voices who now see working women redirecting the focus of fashion.
Slinky and slim dresses still dominate on the runways, but more and more designers recognize that women want clothes that are both practical and elegant.
"The working woman today is the most important consumer," de la Renta told CNNfn's Biz Buzz on Tuesday. "I think fashion today is geared toward that woman -- the woman who is professional, who has a very active life, who wears clothes that are practical." (QuickTime movie 890K)
De la Renta and other top designers arrived in New York City this week for a fashion show promoting their latest visions of what women should be wearing. The answer to that never-ending question appears to be that woman want clothing that is conservative enough for the office and elegant enough to wear out on the town. De la Renta calls it "power feminism" -- a play on the traditional power suit.
For designer Bill Blass, the latest focus on fashion for working women is a welcome reprieve from the dark days of grunge. He credits it with helping lure consumers back to the stores.
"In the last few years, there has been an enormous turn off by the consumer who was somewhat confused by fashion," the designer, also appearing on CNNfn, said. "There was grunge, and somehow we lost credibility. Now we are trying to gain that back. I think it's working."
Blass points to another fact that has played a role in how working women approach fashion. Not many women can fit into the clothes that haute couture designers have been promoting. Unless you're name is Kate Moss or you make a living walking down fashion runways, a huge portion of the designs introduced in recent years lacked any sense of practicality. You couldn't show up for work in a slip, could you? (QuickTime movie 2.1MB)
Of course, there are still plenty of designers willing to stretch the boundaries of imagination. Mary McFadden attempts in her latest designs to conjure up memories of clothing from the era of the Russian Empire of Peter the Great. Her fur designs, thick with luxury and opulence, are hardly meant for the rack at Brooks Brothers.
But McFadden, along with de la Renta and Blass, agree that there is a place for a multitude of styles so long as designers not forget that someone is supposed to wear the clothing they promote.
Recalls McFadden: "A friend of mine once said to me, 'Mary, you can make the most beautiful dress, but if you don't know how to go out and sell it, you might as well keep it in the attic." (QuickTime movie 560K)
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
