Echoes of War
What to do when you work in fashion and don’t want your business to sound superficial in the wake of terrorist attacks? Tow the fashion-as-escape line and invoke World War II, of course!
When the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar--the first published under new editor Glenda Bailey--hit newsstands this week, most Americans probably had more important things to think about than speed shopping and beauty buys. But Bailey, 42, interviewed over the phone, is keeping the faith. “Let’s not underestimate the power of fashion,” she said in a tone reminiscent of Diana Vreeland. “Fashion makes a woman feel great. Now what is wrong with that?”
The native Brit, who left Marie Claire to replace the unceremoniously dumped Kate Betts, added, “During World War II, Winston Churchill refused to ration lipstick because he knew everyone wanted a morale booster. To me, that pretty much sums it up.”
Lesley Jane Seymour, who succeeded Bailey at Marie Claire, used similar rhetoric. “During World War II, women drew lines up the back of their legs to look like stockings,” said Seymour, whose first Marie Claire issue (November) debuted this week. “They needed that little lift. It wasn’t for the fashion police, it was just for them.”
Spin, alive and well.
