Fashion Becomes Trivial Pursuit
By late Tuesday morning, the clothes, parties and the celebrities of Fashion Week simply did not matter as the nation grappled with the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
The tents at Bryant Park immediately went dark for the remaining four days of the spring 2002 shows, and many in the media here for the collections began reporting about the destruction and loss of life. There was no question about the irrelevance of the biannual fashion fest in a shattered city.
Thoughts were with the thousands of victims and their families and friends. “The main concern of everyone in the industry is not the shows, but for the people who may have been killed or injured,” said Ed Filipowski, whose KCD public relations firm stages shows worldwide.
Before tragedy struck, fashion week kicked off with its usual frivolity with collections from Marc Jacobs, Miguel Adrover, Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, Catherine Malandrino, BCBG Max Azria and others.
Fashion seems to be reaching backward. The gypsy look, tunic dresses and low-slung trousers with feminine tops are back. Colors were mostly neutral, although Jacobs offered a colorful ode to late 1960s flower power. His show took place at Pier 54. By the next day, however, the pier area along the Hudson River had become a command center for police and firefighters recovering bodies.
