Designers have innocence, purity in mind
It is the color of vanilla milk shakes, christening dresses and writer Tom Wolfe's suits.
White also symbolizes purity and spiritualism, says color expert Leatrice Eiseman.
And it is a strong fashion color this summer in clothing, accessories and home decor.
Bill Blass designer Michael Vollbracht made a powerful endorsement when he opened his spring show with a pristine, simple, short strapless dress and went on to feature six out of his first seven runway statements in white.
Ralph Lauren chose white for a centerpiece color in his 1920s-inspired collection. Kenneth Cole topped a white ruffled skirt with a simple tank bodice. Designers from Narciso Rodriguez and Karl Lagerfeld to Tommy Hilfiger included white dresses in spring presentations.
It is an old story, of course. In the 1930s, it was seen on the tennis courts and off. The color was a status symbol indicating that one could afford frequent cleaning. It reflected the sleek turn to modernism that occurred in the mid-'60s, when designers such as Andre Courreges and Pierre Cardin made it the rage.
Vogue was photographing dramatic flowing white pantsuits in the mid-'70s. And, perhaps because of its spiritual connotation, it sold well in the summer of 2002 after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Eiseman writes in "The Color Answer Book" that the implication of innocence and youth means that people who love it might want to take a step back to earlier times. But its relevance today might be more as a pause in the trend cycle to clear the palette before a major fashion shift. After the explosion of riotous color in recent years, muted dark neutrals are expected to re-emerge this fall.
Nice appearance has its benefits
Clothes might not make the man or woman, but they might make them safer.
It's true if we believe a recent study at the University of Leicester in England. Allure magazine reports that psychologists observed the reactions of 18,000 drivers as pedestrians attempted to cross the street in front of them. The researchers placed young men and women in crosswalks. Some wore a suit and dress shoes with neat hair. Others wore dirty sweaters, torn jeans and green spiked hair. Woe unto the unkempt.
Drivers failed to stop for nearly 35 percent of the unkempt pedestrians. On the other hand, they didn't stop for 21 percent of the more polished dressers. The results, Allure says, reinforce earlier research that shows a "mainstream" appearance encourages positive treatment.
Clinique offers makeup brush guide
Beauty professionals always are espousing the virtues of makeup brushes, but it's not always easy to pick the right one for the job when faced with a bouquet of soft hair and long, slim stems.
Clinique, which launched a collection of brushes with anti-microbial technology, offers this guide:
All brushes need to be cleaned and stored properly since brushes often are kept in the bathroom where moisture and humidity are constant, factors that can lead to mold, fungus and bacteria.
Model inspires new type of flower
Dutch model Frederique van der Wal is the inspiration for a new type of lily.
The Frederique lily, a completely new breed of the flower, was unveiled at the Keukenhof Garden Flower Show, held just outside Amsterdam. The flower is pink, with the brightest color at the edges and getting progressively lighter toward the middle.
The development of a new lily takes about 10 years to develop, beginning with hybridizing to get a seed, then bulbs, then pollination and blooming.
In honor of the new flower, the first in a series for Frederique's Choice, the Dutch Fashion Foundation organized a fashion show within the Keukenhof gardens to showcase top local designers.
Van der Wal has modeled for Victoria's Secret and Revlon, and appeared on covers for Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
Hilfiger hosts reality show
Forget his Nantucket neighbors. Tommy Hilfiger is running with a new crowd this summer, including Miss Minnesota, a professional skateboarder and a stay-at-home mom from St. Louis.
They're among the 16 contestants on CBS' new reality show "The Cut," which aims to recreate Hilfiger's own rags-to-riches story. They'll live "Tommy's life in fast forward" and be faced with assignments that test their talent, business acumen, sales and marketing savvy, social skills, resourcefulness and, of course, their sense of style, according to a network statement.
Hilfiger hosts the show and the winner will design a collection under his label.
The participants are Felix, 35, a skateboarder from Los Angeles; Jeff, 42, a salesman from Chicago; Deanna, 23, a retail manager and stylist for a trendy shop in Los Angeles; Chris, 26, a San Francisco student and Hilfiger fanatic; We, 25, a creative director from New Orleans; Jessica, 22, Miss Minnesota USA; Vlada, 24, a Russian sales associated who now lives in Chesterfield, Mo.; and Julie, 37, a mother with three children from St. Louis.
Also, Liz, 30, a publisher/editor from Beverly Hills, Calif.; Amy, 26, a fashion stylist from Chicago; Chris, 25, a Nashville restaurateur; Shauna, 39, a socialite and mother from New Orleans; Rob, 35, a graphic designer from Brooklyn, N.Y., who also has five stepchildren; Tommy, 42, a Chicago teacher and aspiring couture designer; Princess, 22, a freelance designer from Philadelphia; and James, 27, from Encinitas, Calif., who works in production for a sportswear company.
The show premieres June 9 at 8 p.m. EDT.
Beaching' gives youthful, natural look
Want a head start on your summer look⢠Brad Johns, the creative director of the Avon Salon & Spa, says you should "beach" your hair.
Beaching is gradual highlights that are lightest in the front and darker in the back, mimicking what really happens to hair when you're sunning yourself, Johns explains.
It's youthful and looks more natural than other color treatments, he says.
Johns, who has given the treatment to Brooke Shields and Natasha Richardson, was inspired to create the coloring technique after seeing "a beautiful sun-kissed child" on the beach one day. Additional Information:
Details
Send fashion news to Fashion FYI in care of Living, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, D.L. Clark Building, 503 Martindale St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212; fax 412-320-7966; or e-mail tribliving@tribweb.com .
