THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2002
LIFESTYLE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 11
Hand bags no longer billboards for designers
Purses are the completing element of the perfect outfit, an essential ingredient in one's wardrobe,and, in some cases,reflective of the political and emotional state of our country.
FASHION
You may be wondering how something that seems so irrelevant, such as hand bags, can depend heavily on the circumstance of society. Designers create their garbs to not only reflect the season, but also what's going on in the world. Important events that affect society, in turn, affect the demand of consumers.
Sara Behunek sbehunek@kansan.com
With that in mind, I turned to my friend Alyson Coffing, Apple Valley, Minn., junior.
I consider Aly a handbag connoisseur. Hanging in her room are eight purses featuring the likes of Gucci, Kate Spade and Coach. On some of her purses the logo is barely noticeable and on others, such as the Coach bag, the logo is in a repeating pattern on the outer fabric.
Aly and I recently sat down to discuss an article on purses I read in The New York Times.
According to the article, "Dropping Logos That Shout, Luxury Sellers Try Whispers," by Tracy Rozhon, designers are taking a conservative approach to handbag design. Referred to as "walking billboards," by Marshal Cohen, co-president of NPDFashionworld, a market information service in Port Washington, N.Y., the last decade of handbags was covered in G's
(Gucci), LVs (Louis Vuitton) and CCs Channel).
In contrast, this season's purses have their logos discreetly embossed in leather or displayed by other tactful means. In January, Coach will release a subtler version of the logoed purse. The new C's will be "so small they read like checks," said Reed Krakoff, president and creative director of Coach
Aly said the sobering effect of Sept. 11 might have caused people to move away from the tacky and conform to a humble individual style.
"I think toning down the logos in the fashion world definitely represents a shift that was motivated by Sept. 11. So much has happened in the past year — everyone just wants to chill out instead of being so bold and out-there," she said.
Sept. 11 and its resounding effects have reverberated in almost every aspect of our lives, but it takes more than just one factor
to change the face of fabrics. Everything is more classic and understated this season from handbags to jackets.
This fall and winter, designers will take their creations back to their classic roots. However, classic does not mean boring, and toned down does not mean unoriginal. The shapes of handbags this season especially the clutch purses are original, yet more subtle than the signature fabric.
Carrying a handbag with a large logo is like wearing a neon sign for that company just a more upper-class logo than T-shirts that say, "Abercrombie," "Tommy Hilfiger" or "CK."
OK, maybe those T-shirts are worse and yes, maybe I have coveted an expensive purse with the logo plastered on like an advertisement, but with all things considered, a life without the G's, LVs and the CCs is not too bad.
MTV video jockey defies expectations with attitude
At times I can be quite a shy person, but I'm proud to announce that I feel comfortable enough with all of you readers to tell you about my relationship. My love-hate relationship with MTV, that is.
POP VULTURE
Today I am here to talk about the people who introduce the sometimes brilliant, sometimes terrible shows.
Yes, I'm referring to the video jockeys. To be specific, I'm here to talk about one VJ in particular, and his name is Iann Robinson.
In today's plastic, sugar-coated, silicone-injected, Ken-doll world that is entertainment television, it's easy to pick out the real thing. And let me tell you, Iann Robinson is it.
MTV has boatloads of VJs who put on their happy faces for the camera, compliment the artists no matter what, and generally be a fine upstanding VJ citizen.
I'm not going to name names, but one of these VJs I am referring to rhymes with Parson Baly.
And then there's Iann Robinson, the only VJ on the entire network who will actually say what he's thinking.
He'll tell you when he thinks Justin Timberlake's solo album sucks. He'll say who he thought actually deserved to win the Best Male Video award at the MTV Video Music Awards. He doesn't make excuses for his opinions.
He's a head trip to listen to because he's only giving you things you joke about with your friends inside your living room. The only difference is that he's got the balls to say it in front of us. He just gets on the mike and spits it and whether you like to admit it, he's smarter than 90 percent of you VJs out there (thank you, Eminem).
For those of you who don't know who Iann Robinson is, he's the one who sticks out like a sore thumb. While the rest of the VJs look like they came straight out of the JC Penney catalog, Iann sports a Mohawk, tattoos and a gut. He's not the prettiest one, but his personality makes up for his lack of looks. Obviously, MTV has some smart in the hiring department to have Iann on the staff.
Of course, MTV will always have VJs like Carson Daly to appease the teenyboppers who make up a significant part of the audience. But not all MTV viewers are interested in the teen pop genre. Although these viewers may not get to see a lot of videos they like, with Iann they at least know someone will make fun of the videos they don't like.
This world is full of a lot of horse rubbish, so it's always a breath of fresh air to encounter someone who is pure.
Thank you Iann.