|
THE RUDI GERNREICH BOOK |
|
The white satin "Dietrich" suit that so appalled the fashion committee (because they thought I looked like a Lesbian) that they threw it out of the Coty show. My Day When I started working with Rudi in 1962, I was living in Los Angeles. I was both his fitting model and his show model. This involved going to New York several times a year and staying at the Gotham Hotel where Rudi would take a suite to show his line. My day consisted of getting up around 6:00 in the morning, bathing, washing my hair, having coffee while I put on an elaborate makeup, getting dressed, and going up two flights to Rudi's suite. I would sit and chat with Rudi while he had his coffee and a soft-boiled egg. Our appointments would start around 8:30 or 9:00 and go straight through the day. We would show to buyers and editors, often one at a time, and I was usually the only model. This meant that I had to follow myself. Three things prevented me from going completely crazy from this tiring and boring routine: Rudi was fascinating to be with as a friend and a creator; the clothes were so brilliant that they were always a pleasure to wear; and I entertained myself and the audience by regarding the collection as a play, with each outfit a new act or a new character. This meant that the collection had an emotional beginning, middle, and end, with drama, jokes, tension, and slapstick. In fact, I really didn't model the clothes so much as perform them. At the end of the work day we would go out together. Often we would socialize with people in the fashion business. Once we went to the Russian Circus. We sometimes went to the movies or plays, but usually we would just go out to dinner. Occasionally we went to great restaurants like Lutece, but more often, we chose quiet, unpretentious places. One of our favorites was a Greek restaurant near 42nd Street called the Pantheon. After dinner, we would walk home through the whores and pimps, and we would sing songs together. Rudi's favorite was Falling in Love Again. And he always sang it at least once on the way home.
|
