[1995 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards—Thierry Mugler opening]

The discrepancy between high fashion and mainstream “fashion” as it is nowadays featured on American television—think Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or E! Fashion Police—are poles apart and, generally speaking, scarcely reflective of one another.

My generation was fortunate enough to have such genuine fashion-centric, runway collection-driven gems as CNN’s Style with Elsa Klensch and the annual VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards; however with their cancellations in 2000 and 2002 respectively, the cultural disparity between the actual fashion industry and how it is portrayed on television (largely in fictionalized dramas and overwrought reality competitions) is teetering on the precipice of unprecedented woe.

This current gap is altogether regrettable, as the fashion industry is a well-founded and reliable barometer of international affairs. Any given collection by an even semi-cognizant designer is bound to be telling of the prevailing economic, political, societal and anthropological state of the world at large—especially with regard to the city whence it is presented—most notably New York, London, Milan and Paris.

Prior to CNN’s restructuring in 2001 upon their acquisition by AOL Time Warner, fashion was indeed considered newsworthy in America and was covered on air accordingly (as it is in Europe and around the world to this day).

The fact that reporting on the fashion industry has largely been relegated to television’s reality and entertainment sectors (and is consequently no longer covered for its merits on legitimate networks or cable news) is unfounded; by the same token, arguments that it is unappealing to middle America either because it does not “hit home” enough to be of interest or that it is of little concern in our fragile economy are baseless—especially given that topics such as nonviable, flashy concept cars at auto shows or the latest, most extravagant techie gadgets on the market are given more than ample airtime.

[1993 CNN Style with Elsa Klensch—Anna Sui F/W ‘93]

Alexander McQueen on Charlie Rose

November 17, 1997

Rest in peace, Sir Lee…