‘Vanity’ Fair

Extra…Extra…Extra….Cathy Horyn is not ‘above’ obsessing and stressing about the superficial, yearns to fit into many of the clothes she dishes about, wants to be chicly slim, AND has a vain side after all. Who knew?

What was most ironic about the confession-like article written by Cathy Horyn in yesterday’s ‘Style’ section of The New York Times,(“Fashion, The Mirror, And Me”), was that her obvious weight loss was the VERY FIRST thing I noticed when I saw her at Monday evening’s CFDA Awards. In fact, it was so noticeable, (particuarly since she was wearing a body skimming brown jersey gown) that I mentioned it in my day after article about the event (“In the Heat of the Night”). But because I didn’t want to ask her about how she lost the weight, or even talk about her weight (because I thought that would seem so, well, shallow,and she always seemed more intellectual in her approach to the fashion business and somewhat ‘above that’), I didn’t approach her. In addition, I didn’t want to insinuate that I thought she was heavy before.

But my gosh, what a stark contrast to last year’s high profile event, where she showed up looking a bit ‘puffy’ in a somewhat simple black knee length dress wearing flat black shoes and not much makeup which spoke volumes. What it said was, “I’m above this and I don’t want to – or have to- compete with all you skinny fashion victims who have spent hours on hair and make-up and on finding the perfect dress”. This was very much in keeping with Cathy Horyn’s whole image and very ‘Cathy Horyn statement making’ since she was never one to go for all out obvious glamour, and seemed very content to distance herself from the visual and materialistic trappings that normally go hand in hand with important, front row fixtures.

Ah, but that was then- this is now- a whole new Cathy. I guess being in Paris and spending a lot of time with newly skinny Karl Lagerfeld has really rubbed off on her. Maybe the two will collaborate on a fashionable diet book together.

Speaking of which…..When I talked with the perenially trim and slim James Galanos at the dinner Christine Suppes hosted in San Francisco following the Academy of Art University’s graduation fashion show, and asked what he was reading these days, he said he had picked up Karl’s diet book (“The Karl Lagerfeld Diet”, by Ingrid Sischy) not because he needs to lose weight but out of sheer curiosity. He was interested in exactly how he managed to lose that amazing amount of weight so quickly.

There continues to be a wide gap in the way people view weight and body image. The fashion world continues to idolize and worship the skinny and malnourished and many of those who are held in high esteem (because of their mannequin like frames) can arguably be considered sickly, anorexic, and unattractive to the rest of the population. Ms. Horyn’s article, with her down to earth and human admissions, (“Losing weight changed the way I look at clothes, and life”, and “I now understood why women skirmish like the dawn patrol on sale days”) points to why eating disorders are so prevalent and why men and women of all ages are literally starving themselves to become ‘enviably’ thin.

By the way, speaking of weight and body image, for all of you who inquired about where to buy the NYDJ Tummy Tuck Jeans, you can do so on www.nordstrom.com.

-Marilyn Kirschner