Press Release: Gala Cocktail
Party Sunday, December 7th Celebrating Lookonline.com’s 20 years online from
2PM-5PM at place to be announced. Contact: Ernest Schmatolla
212-734-9747

Original Invitation to the 1994 launch party Over 800 attended the event at Sony Plaza

Lookonline.com is the longest running
on-line fashion publication (of any kind) in the world. Before there was
Style.com, Hypermode.com, FashionInternet.com, NYstyle.com, Fashionmall.com,
Elle.com, hairnet.com, Hintmag.com and even Fashion.net, there was us. We have
not always garnered the attention, funding or notoriety of some of these
fashion sites, but those in our industry, who have followed Lookonline’s
development over the years, know we helped pioneer the use of the Internet in
providing real-time coverage of fashion events, regularly scheduled video
reports, fashion blogs (DFR: Daily Fashion Report has been in blog format for
almost 14 years and is recognized as the first fashion blog), market reports,
editorial cartoons and original runway and event photography long before there
were sites like Style.com or Fashionweekdaily.

Our guiding editorial principle: “It
is not how many people read us but who reads us that counts”

Since our official launch was on December 1, 1994 as a dial-up service
(does anyone even remember what a BBS service is or was?), the Lookonline has
been on-line “officially” for 20 years. Our first subscriber was Harper’s Bazaar in 1994,, but it was not until December of 1994 we began a website (hosted under another
domain name) in addition to our BBS site. Later in 1995, we discontinued our
BBS service and concentrated on developing our website using our own domain
name ‘lookonline.com’.

I want to personally thank our many
contributors who, over the past 20 years, have helped support our site. First
and foremost my editor-in-chief, Marilyn Kirschner, whose fashion
expertise and determination has set the tone for our editorial coverage. And former
editor Bernadine Morris for many years lending her name, expertise and
guiding hand. Also special mention goes to Randy Brooke, an exceptional
photographer who is always there when we need him; and Diane Clehane
for providing us with first class coverage of major fashion and
entertainment events. Also special thanks goes to Susan Sommers for her
timely suggestions including coming up with the name “Lookonline”.,

Kudos to our senior writers, Rhonda Erb,
Lieba Nesis and Laurel Marcus for their great work covering the
many shows, parties, press events and special assignment reporting required to
give our editorial greater depth. Also a special shout out to photographers Udor Rothenko and Isabelle
Erb; writers Stacy Lomman, Tricia Kenney, Eila Mell, Melanie McKinzie, Adriene Weinfeld-Berg,
Alexander Erb, Anna Bayle, Muriel Geny-Triffaut, Logan Bentley Lessona, Tobin Levy, Sally
Lourenco, Sarah Valdez, and Laurie Schechter for their past
contributions and to Grace Mirabella, the former editor-in-chief of Vogue, for hosting our first three
‘Master of Fashion Video Interviews’.

Additionally, I want to thank our sponsors Ty Yorio of Citadel Security
Agency and Eddie Mullon of FashionGPS for their generous support.
Finally, a special thanks to my wife, Deborah Brumfield, who all these
years has sustained me in my efforts. Without her, none of it would have been
possible

– Ernest
Schmatolla

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