Out on a Limb
In their newest ad campaign, the folks at Gitano are targeting the last group you’d expect to see in a sexy jeans commercial--mature women. Actresses Betty White (age 66) Dixie Carter (51) and Marilu Henner (38) have their own TV spots for the jeans, debuting this week. Henner’s and Carter’s svelte, denim-clad physiques are closely studied by the camera lens. White is camouflaged by an overstuffed pillow, but company VPs say that’s coincidence, not modesty. As for why Gitano opted for mature women instead of the usual 15-year-olds, marketing Vice President Pam Breeman explains, “The huge baby boomer population is hitting the 30-to-50-year range.”
138 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT: Don’t look now, but the Christmas decorations are up at the I. Magnin Wilshire store. Fortunately, the purpose of the tinsel onslaught is not to push the holiday season but to meet a film production deadline. The store will be used for a Paramount November release, “All I Want for Christmas,” about two children trying to reunite their estranged parents (Lauren Bacall and Jamey Sheridan) for the holidays. The irony is that the store will be called Macy’s in the movie. In fact, Macy’s does own the Wilshire Boulevard landmark and has repeatedly denied rumors that its name would one day be changed to Macy’s.
WORLD CLASS: Beverly Hills retailer Sami Dinar has an official stamp of approval from the Italian Trade Commission. During a recent New York gala, he and the heads of four other stores received this year’s UomoModa Award for contributing to the success of Italian menswear. Dinar’s podium pals for the evening included a fellow Californian--Ralph Lewis, owner of Ralph Davies, San Francisco.
A LITTLE SOMETHING ON THE SIDE: Big Apple bluenose and avid gardener C. Z. Guest has been doing more than cultivating her summer tomatoes. She is readying a collection of patio furnishings and coordinating gardening togs, set for a spring ’92 debut at Bloomingdale’s in New York.
SILICONE HOT LINE: So many women have so many questions about breast implants that an information hot line has been set up. Call (800) 442-5442 between 5 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (Pacific time) to reach the new Implant Information Center established by implant manufacturer Dow Corning Corp. The center’s staff will answer questions about the benefits and risks of silicone implants, implants and mammography, and whether there is a link between implants and disease. Materials that explain how to contact breast-cancer support groups are also available.
FASHION QUIZ: If you know which famous couturiere designed Gloria Swanson’s costumes for “Tonight or Never,” you know which couture collection is coming to town next month. The answer is Coco Chanel, invited to Hollywood by Samuel Goldwyn 60 years ago. She’s back (in name only) to show and tell all Sept 16. But frankly, it sounds as if Chanel’s current designer, Karl Lagerfeld, will be better represented that night. A runway extravaganza during a party hosted by the socially indefatigable Blue Ribbon will feature his fall ’91 Chanel couture and ready-to-wear collections. Will there be a French designer in the house? “We’re not sure,” said Chanel press agent Arlette Thebault. “Mr. Lagerfeld never commits to attending shows.”
