A More Mature Approach to Modeling

Occasionally, female baby boomers are heard to mutter about not wanting to buy clothes shown on stick-thin young models.

More magazine, which targets women 40 and older (its slogan: “Smart talk for smart women”) responded by launching a nationwide model search for “older” women. The magazine and co-sponsor Wilhelmina Models received 4,000 entries. California had four finalists, two of whom won Wilhelmina contracts as grand prizes.

Elizabeth Cullumber, 52, a part-time Beverly Hills speech pathologist, and Christy Rosenblum, 40, a Westlake Village skin-care specialist, won first and second prize.

“This is a new, burgeoning industry, modeling for older women,” Cullumber said. “We are hoping for a lot of modeling work. My friends see a void in the fashion and beauty industry. We don’t want to see a 20-year-old. We want to see a woman in our own age group.”

More’s September-October issue, due on newsstands Tuesday, will feature the winners.

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Those who would like to catch a sneak preview of next season’s TV wardrobes have until 6 p.m. Sunday to see Neiman Marcus’ showcase of clothes from four Emmy-nominated series.

Mannequins in the store’s windows along Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills are sporting some of the outfits that will be worn on NBC’s “The West Wing,” “Providence” and Lifetime’s “Any Day Now.” Inside the store, next to the women’s shoe department, of course, are mannequins in ensembles to be worn by the four actresses in HBO’s “Sex and the City.” Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) will be running around Manhattan in her typical footwear: knee-high, stiletto-heeled boots in red plaid fabric. With fall fashion going logo-loco, Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) will wear a Gucci taupe cashmere mock turtleneck with a pattern of small white “Gs.”

Naturally, anyone who wants to duplicate the looks can do so at at Neiman. For example, the Dolce & Gabbana plaid boots cost $770; the Gucci sweater will set you back $695.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Wednesday that Liz Claiborne Inc. agreed to recall a DKNY junior line of jeans with verses from the Koran incorporated into the jean design. The council’s spokesman said said that some American Muslims were particularly offended at the fact that verses from the Koran were printed on the back pockets.

Claiborne, which is licensed by Donna Karan International to manufacture and distribute DKNY jeans, sent about 8,000 of the jeans to U.S. stores in February. Over time, the Islamic-American council received complaints from the Muslim community, and met with Claiborne representatives last month.

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Islamic advocacy group, said Claiborne acted quickly to recall the jeans. Claiborne also issued an apology.

What still has to be decided, he said, is what to do with the recalled garments. “We’ve consulted scholars,” he said, “and I think the final result will probably be burning.”

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Although it sometimes seemed as though everyone was in town this week, Beverly Hills’ own Monica Lewinsky has been conspicuously absent. Turns out Lewinsky, who has an apartment in New York’s Greenwich Village, went to England the week before the Dem’s big bash, according to a close friend. She may need the rest: This week, reports circulated that Independent Counsel Robert Ray impaneled a grand jury that has been hearing evidence against President Clinton in the Lewinsky case.

Last year, Lewinsky, 27, began designing handbags which are sold at Henri Bendel in New York and the Fred Segal store on Melrose Avenue as well as her Web site at https://www.therealmonica.com.

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Candace A. Wedlan can be reached at candace.wedlan@latimes.com.