"MICRO Spikes...Layered necklaces...Neon clutches...Pointy pumps...Thumb rings...Beaded chains...Diamante flats...Clear Totes."
These are items that Harper's Bazaar magazine says are most definitely O.U.T. So, don't be caught dead with a layered necklace ladies (and some gents.)
I love lists like this. In a season or two, everything will be back. Even thumb rings, which I do find odd. Oh, yes, tasseled necklaces are IN.
More: Something that never goes out of style are Judith Leiber evening bags (or a minaudiere for those who want to practice their French or pretentiousness.) There's a dazzler shown in Bazaar -- one of the items on their Must Have List. It is priced at an economic $4,000. The bags are usually large enough to fit a lipstick, a condom and a vial of hemlock. Well, what else does one need at a Manhattan gathering?
•MY good friend, the Prince of Chintz -- one Mario Buatta -- was honored this week at a big sprawling event given on the 25th anniversary of Traditional Home magazine at "583 Park" at Park and 63rd Street.
Mario was intro-ed by none other than Barbara Walters and made his usual self-deprecating, drop-dead appearance. (HE didn't, however, wear a funny wig or hand out fake cockroaches to friends at dinner, as he is wont to do!) Very dignified our Mario and he took home a silver goblet to mark the occasion. This nice guy is a terrific and historic decorator. He noted that he had done Barbara Walter's apartment and years later, had forgotten to send her a bill; "That's why she just left!" he wise-cracked.
I had a nice time at the honoree's table but the event itself had so many introducers of speakers, speakers themselves who recited their biographies and lives and times, the magazine's publisher, her editors and then they segued from their two big honorees, the aforesaid Buatta, and also honoree Michael Bruno, who formed the famous 1stdibs. He also took a silver goblet and Mario said he wanted it as he loved everything in groups of two! Mr. Bruno would not give his goblet up!
But the multitudes who got onstage couldn't upstage the celebrated and beautiful disc jockey, one Donna D'Cruz, whose sparkling ear phones and headset everybody wanted!
NBC and ABC were well represented by Ms. Walters...Lara Spencer...Chuck Scarborough...Tamron Hall...all of whom are very attractive but when you add the "real" honorees who went on at the half for "the Classic Woman Awards" it makes for a lot of speaking, self-congratulation and it did go on and on. Never mind, my seatmate was a handsome fellow named Frederick Anderson, prexy of Hanley Mellon. They make clothes and tell us how to live. Everybody should be so lucky as to get him at dinner!
•JESSE KORNBLUTH'S novel, Married Sex has been snapped up for the Hollywood treatment. Griffin Dunne will direct, and Nick Wechsler will produce. (Weschler's credits include the classic indie Sex, Lies and Videotape and the more recent, classic for less esoteric reasons, Magic Mike.)
Kornbluth, Griffin Dunne and Griffin's dad, the late Dominick Dunne were old friends. Jesse felt some of the scenes in his book "could have been written by Dominick." So this past August, on the anniversary of the writer's death, Kornbluth sent Griffin the book, "an act of friendship -- to complete the circle, as it were. The next thing we all knew, Griffin and Nick Weschsler and I were in business!"
•HARVEY WEINSTEIN likes to have a finger in every pie. Movies, Broadway, TV, charity. Now he'll have a slice of the fabled Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall.
Let me explain. Madison Square Garden Entertainment is putting on a $25 million show, titled New York Spring Spectacular. This will hopefully become an annual event and a kind of warm-weather lead-in to the Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular.
Weinstein is pals with the executive chairman of MSG Company, James L. Dolan. Harvey gave his friendly, expert opinion that the show needed some work. Mr. Dolan took this criticism to heart and the next thing you know, Harvey's on board, tinkering. (Not that HW does anything as delicate as "tinker.")
Aside from observing all those high-kicking chorines, Harvey has another show opening on Broadway soon -- Finding Neverland.
•THE knowing-inside world is in Washington, D.C. today for Ben Bradlee's memorial. "Everybody who is anybody," etc. Wish I could be there to say farewell to a man I respected and loved; just about the sexiest guy who ever lived. One of the heroes of Watergate.
If you are so young you can't place him, call up the movie, All The President's Men, where he was played by the late Jason Robards.
•If you have overblown or underblown the Ebola Crisis, you can sign up for Sir Harry Evans' first-hand report from the front lines and hear, in person, Sheri Fink author of "Five Days at Memorial" and Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee of Columbia U. and Samantha Power (our rep to the UN) talking together, in person. This happens on October 31st at Thomson Reuters, 3 Times Square at 8:30 a.m. to register.