#TBT Fashion and Food Diary of 1994

I recently unearthed my precious Fashion & Food Desk Diary published by DIFFA as a fundraising project. I loved this calendar. It was my first year studying fashion at Parsons School of Design and my second year living in NYC.

1994's Fashion and Food Desk Diary was the perfect time capsule of 90s Fashion

The calendar was beautifully printed with a collection of the contributions from the top fashion designers of that era. Between weekly entries were fashion sketches from different designers with a culinary theme.

NY Fashion Week was called 7th on 6th then. That year, it took place in April for Fall 1994. The  ones I attended included Nicole Miller, Todd Oldham, Norma Kamali, Prada, Anna Sui and Bradley Bayou. Some names in the calendar and that year's NYFW lineup are still going strong. Some are no longer in the spotlight like they once were, like Richard Tyler and Pamela Dennis. Some took a step back briefly and came back with a roar, like Nicole Miller and Byron Lars. Some have gone on to become mega-brands. Some, like Carlos Falchi, have sadly passed away.

What is amusing to me is looking back at my personal diary entries of that time in my life. It reads  like the perfect time capsule of a fashion ingenue cliche in NYC/Paris during the 1990s.

Using a mix of student discounts and Times Square TKTS booth, I went to see Broadway shows Kiss of the Spider Woman and Angels in America. I had dinner dates at Gotham Bar and Grill and Lucky Cheng's. I went clubbing at Tunnel(studios), The Limelight (now a mall) and Club USA. I had movie dates with boys or girlfriends at Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Interview with a Vampire. I attended exhibition openings at Exit Art and dressed up for Wigstock. 

At the beginning of the calendar, there are photos of many fashion icons looking young and fresh. The fashion sketches represent an era when designers still had the time and passion for creating full sketches in the industry. Now, fashion illustration seems to be a pastime of elite artists and bloggers. DIFFA (Design Industries for Fighting Aids) was more involved with fashion then while they are more famous for their Dining By Design events now.

The recipes contributed by the designers in the book (it was also about food after all) also show a more innocent time. There are multiple dessert recipes, pasta, polenta and pizza entries. This seems unusual now in today's carb-fearing fashion climate.

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's lookback into 90s fashion and a personal, somewhat embarrassing glimpse of my life as a new New Yorker. Enjoy the fashion illustration and the history lesson my friends.

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#Unselfie Style - #GivingTuesday

It’s the morning after  Cyber-Monday.  I thought I would take a break from the holiday shopping and gift guide planning to focus on giving.  The #Unselfie and #GivingTuesday campaign is a social media initiative most active on Instagram to take away from your own narcissism and instead raise awareness of a cause that is important to you.  The point is to post a photo with information on your cause instead while obscuring your own face.

The project was launched with the 92nd Street Y, Mashable, the United Nations Foundation and over 2,000 partners, big and small, across America.  Do you have a charity that you regularly donate to?  What about an organization that you volunteer for?  This is the perfect opportunity to give them a shout-out.

I can’t say I am particularly loyal to one specific cause.  I have volunteered my time over the years for DIFFA, Fashion Fights Cancer and many seasons with the CanadianCancer Society.  I am happy to give blog space to promote pretty much any good cause one of my fashion industry peeps are passionate about.

The general public has an image of the fashion industry as a vain and shallow community, but in my 20 years in it, I have found it to be the exact opposite.  I can’t name any prominent fashion brand or designer who doesn't devote a good percentage of time and resources to a great cause. 

To name a few:

Cynthia Rowley and Lauren Bush have worked together for F.E.E.D.

Betsey Johnson is a huge advocate for Breast Cancer Awarness with programs for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, Iris Cantor Center, Pink Ribbon products, etc.

Donna Karan founded the Urban Zen Organization to provide comfort and wellness where the health care industry fails, but also to preserve and support diverse cultures.

Josie Natori was in her native Philippines right after Typhoon Haiyan hit.  She rallied a large number of fashion brands to donate aid to the country and has channeled visitors to her site to organizations that provide the most help to the victims of the tragedy.

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