Monthly Archives: December 2023

………………………There were many clear messages for this 1993 Fall collection………..FABRICS were key……..My exclusive Wool Crepe in different weights…..Cavalry Twill….Wool Barathea….Gaberdine….Leather….Sheer Wool Gauze….Boucle in solids, and in checks and tweeds….Menswear subtle textures were also key for suiting and separates……Sweaters in different styles, yarns and weights were always a focal point in every collection………..Woven and knitted Chenille…..Solid  Silk Velvets, Silk Burnout Velvets, Plush velvets and crushed velvet…Woven tapestries in a blend of silk, wool and chenille….Georgette, chiffon, tulle and sheer stretch mesh were used for both day and evening clothes……Extraordinary glass faceted bugle bead hand embroideries were used to create the evening silhouettes of the collection………BLACK was the main color supported by a light fawn, merlot, forest green and midnight indigo……..Jackets were always the starting point for every collection…..They gave the collection the “Look” I wanted to achieve…. They ranged from short boleros. single and double breasted styles at every length…..Frock coats and maxi coats. Pants were generally tailored and slim, straight legged or slightly flared when worn as a suit or under tunics and dresses…..Wide leg pants added a certain femininity, and gracefulness…Skirts were either super short as the wrap “Towel Skirt”….or long and slim or flowing…..Sheer godets inserted into the skirts gave them a sense of sheer, graceful movement and drama….Knits were always an important element to every collect. There were your basic underpinnings, as well as statement pieces like dresses, tunics, and wonderfully textured chenille cardigans, pull overs, scarves and roll brimmed hats….Tunics and dresses came in many different fabrics and shapes…..Tiers of sheer wool gauze were used in both tunics and dresses to create an ethereal look…….BLACK JET was the jewelry I chose to highlight, and accessorize the collection with. Brooches of different shapes and sizes were worn under collars as well as pinned to velvet neck bands, and the lapels of jackets. Jet bibs were dramatic on anything!…….Gloves in leather, fine jersey, stretch satin and stretch velvet made an important statement….Cuffed caps were used for both day and night in different fabrics and knits…..Footwear was designed to work specifically with the collection…..For evening the combinations of different fabric jerseys, and velvets mixed with sheer tulle, fine mesh, sheer georgette and chiffon added a sophisticated sexiness….Triangular godets of georgette or chiffon on velvet added a feeling of times passed….a retro 20s look…….Sheer burnout silk velvets were beautiful in Black, Merlot and Forest Green…Hand embroidered black glass faceted bugle beads added extravagance and a luxurious quality to the collection…………..The entire collection made a statement of exclusivity, and richness that was pure DESIGNER.

………………………..The Fall 1993 collection for Anne Klein was my LAST collection that I would design for the company…………This year, 2023, marks my 30th year since I left the company that I had designed 20 years for……..Since 2023 is coming to a close, I thought at this time it would be appropriate for me to post the last “LOOK BOOK” I did for the company, and my last collection…..On the following days I will be posting photos from this “Look Book”………..This Look Book was unlike any other as most of the pictures were directly from the runway….or….candid shots from BACKSTAGE….which for me are some of the best!…The photo here was from a National Ad…..I loved this image, because it represented the “mood” of the collection…………….I hope you enjoy this look back at the history of my career.

There’s a BIG SALE going on at my Linea Jewelry site on QVC…..If you order by Dec19th, Tues. you can still get it by Christmas!!!!

……………….From the very first window I saw of this Christian Dior themed window display,  I new I was in for something very special….Each window told a Christian Dior story in MINIATURES!……The first window “Carousel of Dreams”, featured maquettes of tiny clothes on tiny dress forms….beautifully executed with precise  detail……During WW11 the fashion houses of Paris could not afford to put on shows, and fabric was at a minimum…..so the different fashion houses, Dior included, made these tiny examples of the collection in white fine muslin for clients to look at. Mr. Dior made the sketches and the ateliers, or sample rooms, made these maquettes as they were called. The clients would come in and look at the maquettes and select the styles they wanted, and then they were shown the fabrics that were avail to make them in. This went on through all of the war years…..Many of the houses have kept these maquettes for history……The bottom right miniatures represent the years after the war…….I had scene original maquettes at the Dior exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum so it was wonderful to see the company represented in this way………The photo at the upper right represents the building in Paris that Dior is in till this day…..I can’t express enough how incredible each detail of each piece in every window was….You just have to see it for yourself…I can’t imagine how long it took to make them….and then install them!!!….For a better look visit my FaceBook page…They should do a movie or documentary on these magnificent windows!

…………………There were miniatures inside plexiglass globes of all things related to Dior and France such as a mini statue of Liberty……There was even a store front miniature of SAKS 5th Ave with the light show that was going on now . Each of the open cases, second photo in from the top right, had a different vignette…. Every window was so creative. It was a superb collaboration!