Think of those heinous jeans the 90210 crowd wore. In those dead zone years, fashion was pretty grim. This quote encapsulates the era Agins recounts: 'Glamorous as they are, fashion shows are fairly low-voltage to the general public, who will probably never see a tape of an Armani runway show.' Thank you for that prediction, Professor Trelawney.Īgins was writing in the dead zone between the end of American economic protectionism that allowed cheap clothes from Asia to flood the market and the rise of the fashion blogger. However, the title has more to do with timing than absolute truth. Less facetiously, there was also the perpetual issue of couture being a huge money-loser, and fashion people making very bad business people (the chapter on Donna Karan is a great illustration of this principle). Those ugly-ass oversized color-blocked sweatshirts were all over the damn place. When you read the book you remember why this would be easy to believe: this was the height of Tommy Hilfiger Hegemony, as covered in a chapter of the book. Writing in 1998 or so (the book was published in 1999), Agins argues that fashion is dead. This 90-minute program is scheduled to stream on YouTube and Facebook Live at 12:00 noon EST on Saturday, Decemas the fifth installment of The HistoryMakers 20 Days and 20 Nights Convening and Celebration.I'm pretty sure I am the only person who would moderately enjoy 'The End of Fashion' at this point, so if you have it on your to-read you should probably take it off. Tune in to this incredible panel to learn more about this fascinating and little-known history.

The discussion also features a Q&A session with questions from The HistoryMakers StyleMakers Advisory Committee. Joining Agins are the legendary fashion show producer, Audrey Smaltz, successful menswear and home décor designer and author, Jeffrey Banks, and Assistant Curator of Costume at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Elizabeth Way. Hosted by former fashion editor of The Wall Street Journal Teri Agins, Black Fashion & Beauty: A Historical View explores the rich history of African Americans in the fashion and beauty industry. Walker, Johnson Products, Soft Sheen and cosmetic companies like Fashion Fair Cosmetics and Carol’s Daughter. However, Black Fashion & Beauty: A Historical View shines a light on this important topic that includes black fashion dressmakers Anne Lowe, fashion designers Stephen Burrows, Byron Lars, Jeffrey Banks, and Tracey Reese fashion activist Bethann Hardison, style icon Ophelia DeVore hair stylists John Atchison and Olive Benson the Ebony Fashion Fair show, widely successful hair care companies like Madame C. African Americans are excluded from the history of U.S.

The End of Fashion by Teri Agins