Um, we made the cover of Seattle Magazine? Crazy! I still pretty much shake my head in disbelief over this one. I remember on the day I went in to do the shoot for this cover, I had to quickly run off to interview NBA Hall-of-Famer Lenny Wilkens for an unrelated assignment, and I thought to myself: Is this day real, or am I going to wake up soon? I don’t care if it’s narcissistic: This cover will forever hang framed on my office wall!
On This Day In Fashion on the TV! Think of it like an “On This Day In Fashion in Seattle…” segment, in which we homed in on the anniversary of Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis’s seminal grunge collection, the moment in fashion history when
Northwest grunge became glam. New Day Northwest invited me on the show to talk about the return of grunge, 21st-century style, and how it differs from the 1992 Jacobs’ take versus “real” grunge. Credit goes Heffner Management, who supplied the three terrific models, New Day Northwest producer Kate Huisentruit and Ajenste stylist Lily Brewis and hair and makeup artist Erin Skipley.
And the three-way tie for first-place favorite moment of the year rounds off with On This Day In Fashion on the radio! I’ve had so much fun appearing on KUOW Presents twice in the past three months, chatting with host Jeannie Yandel about fashion in film. My first segment was focused on movie characters that developed fabulous style with very little means, and the second edition featured December-release films that influenced real-life fashion. I can’t wait to go back and do another show; what Fashion In Film topic would you like to hear?We’ve been lucky to meet with a few fashion notables this year for exclusive interviews, and in no particular order these are my favorites:
Betsey Johnson: She’s a living icon and even though she’s the teeniest little thing, her humor and energy and personality are larger than life. It was such an honor to have her chat with us.
Willette Murphy Klausner: Cody Bay (who also nailed the Betsey interview) tracked down this fashion pioneer: The first black model to appear in a major fashion magazine. This interiew is a must-read: Willette is an endless inspiration.
Brunello Cucinelli: Let’s just say that Brunello is my new style guru. And just as soon as I figure out how to magically morph into a combination of Betsey and Willette combined, I’m spending the remainder of my days striving to live Brunello's dreamy Italian lifestyle. I met the designer at Mario’s clothing store in Seattle, and he and his small team were beyond sweet and charming.
Patsy Tarr: Anyone who pooh-poohs fashion as being an industry of flakes and narcissists hasn’t met Patsy Tarr, a witty writer and probably the foremost collector of Geoffrey Beene in the world. Oh, and she founded 2twice Dance Foundation, and started a blog to document wearing only Beene clothing for a solid year.
The New York Times discovers OTDIF! I have no idea how they found us, but City Room linked to Kristine Lloyd’s awesome Cinemode review of Saturday Night Fever for a “Back to Past Futures” column. I don’t blame them; Kristine did an excellent job. And, yes, New York Times, we are ready to become regular contributors to your newspaper at any time. Just say the word and we are all yours.
(The screen shot I sent to my sister when the NYT linked us.)
I have a feeling you’ll roll your eyes at this one, but I got married at the end of August, just when I was sure I'd be a forever Singleton, and I wore the most incredible Gary Graham dress. I know my wedding isn’t a moment specifically for On This Day In Fashion, but the dress provided enough editorial, so why not include it? And unless a woman attends a lot of balls or fund-raisers, most wear only one center-of-attention dress like this in her life. Why not make the moment last?
The OTDIF Style Slaves! I am fortunate to work with an excellent team of writers, editors and interns who have contributed so much personality and talent to On This Day In Fashion. So allow me to give a big thank-you to Cody Bay, Rachel Chambers, Katrina Ernst, Kristine Lloyd and Hope Misterek for their amazing contributions.
Readers! Our numbers are small compared to the behemoth fashion blogs, but I’m extremely impressed with how quickly the site was discovered and where the feedback comes from. Thank you all for visiting, and keep clicking through and send us your comments often.
Finally, there are lots of stories and themes I love on this site, but I’m especially proud of the Seventh Avenue Special series, the Stories Behind the Styles that highlight the people and the history of New York City's Garment District. Scroll through the list to read everything from the history of the Garment Workers Union to biographies of iconic American designers. These stories are a part of U.S. history—not to mention New York’s—that is fast disappearing, and I’m going to keep commemorating every day of it while I can.
All told, I can’t believe the success we’ve had after launching just six months ago. Happy New Year to everyone, and here’s hoping for a peaceful, happy and stylish 2011. —Ali Basye
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