“R. U. kiddin’ me?” most people would say, thinking about all the people they have seen on the streets in this area wearing fuzzy pajamas outside in broad daylight. Many of us don’t know that Vogue Magazine’s former editor, Anna Wintour, the original inspiration for the gorgon in The Devil Wears Prada, maintains a home in Old Mastic.
I saw her a couple of times driving staff? friends? relatives? to the Mastic/Shirley LIRR station in her van. It was summer. She drove, complete with bob, bangs, and celebrity sunglasses, her face completely immobile. She said nothing and made no gestures toward her passengers, who simply opened the car doors and walked to the platform. Then she up and left.
I have always considered Wintour overdressed, but who am I? She favors small prints, ruffles, and interrupted silhouettes. I prefer an unadorned architectural look and solid colors, but who gives a $#&!? I remember when she dumped the noted fashion guru, André Leon Talley, who wrote The Chiffon Trenches about it. Talley, a friend of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, had written a Vogue column for years, originally hired by the great Diana Vreeland. Rumor had it that Wintour fired him for gaining weight … and getting old. To date, she has made no apologies. Who is Anna Wintour?
Cornell Auctions, a Bellport auction house, sold a portion of his estate. Those wanting a souvenir of Talley could bid on his size 12 shoes.
The first week in May always highlights Met Gala, in which celebs sashay up the stairs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing … visions. Admission reportedly costs upwards of $100,000. I particularly remember one year when Kim Kardashian wore an opaque bodysuit. This year, we are hearing rumors that attendance has gone down due to the fact that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, whom the fashion trade considers upstarts, are at the helm.
People of Southern Long Island: take a few minutes to put on, at least, a pair of jeans. Leave the fuzzy pajamas in the closet. (I make an exception for loud prints featuring Betty Boop.)—Kathryn Nocerino