Now look with the success of the Met ball and with awards shows around the corner, here comes those old chestnuts. “All these stars are borrowing clothes. None of them actually buy anything. They are all in the hands of the stylists. Blah, blah, blah.”
Well I think everybody should just calm the hell down. First of all, an evening like the Costume Institute is a media event that raises tons of money for the Metropolitan Museum with it associates fashion designers and celebrities in an explosion of television, print and Internet coverage. Besides it makes the museum look like it is a part of pop culture and not just a repository for mummies and renaissance art among other things. I think I read somewhere that this dinner gets more media coverage than many major sporting events. And good sport it is. Who is with whom? Who is wearing what? Who hit a home run…a base hit or struck out in the choosing and wearing of an outfit? The consuming public eats it up with a spoon and with all the New York papers running at least two stories on it, here come the weeklies this weekend. The TV entertainment shows have run multiple segments…it is also burning up the Internet.
We are in a recession (depression) and this is just plain good for fashion. It makes the clothes on both the men and women look desirable, aspirational and attractive. The fashion, jewelry and accessories businesses could never afford to get this kind of attention on their own. All of these industries have trade associations that are candidly, pretty benign. Any of these industry events are really resume passing moments for go-getters in their fields to promote themselves and not the category.
The Costume Institute, awards shows, movie premieres and the like work on almost every level and I guarantee you that today millions of people know more about what designers’ clothes look like than they did two days ago. So those of you who are out there carping. What’s the matter? You jealous they aren’t wearing your stuff?
Paul
