Paintings by Moschino: Big Fun, Fine Art
What a tragedy for the fashion world when Italian designer Franco Moschino shed his mortal (and very attractive) coil in 1994 at the tender age of 44. Moschino, the court jester of high fashion, often mocked the pretensions of the business. One year, he presented a ball gown made of trash bags. The message: “Fashion is trash,” he said. A group of Moschino’s whimsical paintings is on exhibit through Oct. 23 at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills. (The store is celebrating a Festa d’Italia, which translates roughly as: “We think you are beautiful and want to sell you some clothes.”) The canvases, originally conceived as part of an ad campaign (surprise!) were never used commercially.
A Marie Claire Magalog? A what? You know . . . a magalog! One of those hybrid thingies that combines editorial content with stuff to buy. (Delia’s and Abercrombie & Fitch are champions of the genre.) Now, fashion magazines are getting in on the retailing act. Marie Claire rolls out its own line of clothing, inspired by its monthly feature “Runway to Realway.” (Gee, wonder where they came up with that name? Guess “Runway to Reality” was already taken--by us!) The R2R line includes leather shells, flat-front pants and other trendy basics at prices from $29 to $239. The line will also be for sale on the Home Shopping Network beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Such a sale: The National Council of Jewish Women, which funds a broad (!) array of nonsectarian family programs in Los Angeles, is having its biannual Fabulous Flea Market on Oct. 23 and 24. You’ll find vintage items and treasures from clothes to jewelry to furniture. Don’t think this is a slow-moving event where you can dally before deciding: Sources say shopping pros--Hollywood stylists and shoppers hired by stores that sell vintage clothing--will be combing the joint for great stuff. At the council’s local headquarters, 543 Fairfax Ave., L.A., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; (323) 651-2930.
Hemlines: Massimo Ferragamo, vice chairman and president of Ferragamo, USA, Inc. will receive the National Italian American Foundation’s U.S./Italy Friendship Award. The NIAF’s Gala Awards Dinner takes place Saturday in Washington, D.C. . . . Fashion designer Marc Bouwer, whose clients include Whitney Houston and Shania Twain, will be at the opening of the Mi Place boutique, Newport Beach, from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Is There Life After Prada? Two stylish 26-year-olds from Los Angeles think so. Haydee Trump and Melissa Harbour left their sales jobs at the South Coast Plaza outpost of the high-end fashion house in March to start Itsay, a catalog that offers hard-to-find items, from Lucite hair accessories to Jutta Neumann pony hair cuffs. The catalog, in mailboxes this week, will be published quarterly. Log on to https://www.itsay.com for more information.
