"Men love clothes in Hollywood," Michael Kors said backstage before his show. "I'm sure Eric Dane thinks about clothes more than his wife, Rebecca." The Danes were in the front row, alongside costar Ellen Pompeo, Debra Messing, Raquel Welch, Sigourney Weaver, and Natasha Richardson, to see Kors' take on something he called "The Reel Life," mixing timeless and tabloid. For the women, that high/low thing meant Hitchcock blonde with a shot of Amy Winehouse. For the men, in their heavy horn rims and snap-brim hats, it was more Cary Grant with the mean streak of Mad Men. It worked.
Kors left no smart-guy classic untouched: From cashmere sweater set to camel blazer, from herringbone crombie to sharkskin suit, he re-created a capsule wardrobe for a thrusting young exec circa '63. But, just as the iciness of his women was warmed up by a hint of Winehouse, he brought his retro references up to the present with the punky fuzz of a saffron mohair sweater, or a shearling-lined duffel coat in viscous black patent. One conspicuous absentee from his lineup? Anything sporty, like sweatpants. Kors wants his young Hollywoodites to be dressed for the paps at all times.
