Fashion and Apparel

Subterms

    More stories

    • 113 Shares129 Views

      in Television

      Jessel Taank is Back For More on Season Two

      by

      Early on a Monday evening during New York Fashion Week, Jessel Taank breezed into the Sabyasachi boutique in the West Village, passing a life-size elephant sculpture near the sidewalk. But the “Real Housewives of New York City” star couldn’t quite say what it was doing there.“Good question,” she said with a laugh. “There’s apparently a great elephant migration that I wasn’t aware happens this time of year, and Sabyasachi is celebrating that tonight.”In fact, The Great Elephant Migration is a touring art installation featuring a herd of 100 faux pachyderms, handcrafted in Tamil Nadu from a dried invasive shrub. (Actual Indian elephant migration in India happens year-round.)Such obliviousness to details seems on brand for Ms. Taank, 41. After all, who could forget when she called TriBeCa “up and coming” on the last season of the “Real Housewives of New York City”?Ms. Taank with an art installation outside the Sabyaschi fashion week party she attended on a recent Monday night. Lanna Apisukh for The New York TimesBut when she commits these faux pas, she does so with a disarming smile, one that has won over prickly fans. By the end of the show’s 14th season — and the first of the cast reboot — it was clear that she had received the villain edit, criticized for what came off as willful ignorance and bratty behavior. But she had also found a fan base so ardent that, according to Rolling Stone, its members call themselves “Taank Tops.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 113 Shares199 Views

      in Movies

      ‘Happy Clothes’ Review: Patricia Field Doc Is Pleasantly Chaotic

      by

      “Happy Clothes” covers her work on “Emily in Paris” and “Sex and the City,” as well as her time as a tastemaker in the 1970s and ’80s underground.Patricia Field likes, as she puts it, “happy clothes.” If you’ve seen her work, you get it; if you’ve watched TV, you have probably seen her work. The fashion maven is one of the most celebrated and influential costume designers of the past three decades, with “Emily in Paris,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Sex and the City” among her credits. Michael Selditch’s new documentary, “Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field” (in theaters and on demand), follows Field as she works on the second season of the Starz comedy “Run the World,” but the feature is really a celebration of her long career.A movie like this can head in a lot of directions, and a possible weakness of “Happy Clothes” is that it tries to go in all of them. There are conversations with Field’s friends and collaborators, including the “Devil Wears Prada” director David Frankel, the “Sex and the City and “Emily in Paris” creator Darren Star, and the actresses Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Lily Collins. Field’s work in the past as the owner of a well-known boutique that bears her name comes to life through archival footage and interviews, while observational images show her working with assistants, shopping for pieces and going to sets.There’s just a lot here. But with a subject like Field, the mild chaos feels pleasantly appropriate. Her taste runs toward the conspicuous and bold, and several interviewees — particularly Parker, who became a fashion icon partly because of her willingness to wear anything Field selected — note that her choices can be shocking at first. Prints and patterns, gems and silhouettes, neons and bold accessories: You never really know what you’ll get when you work with Field.But that’s why people love her. Her style, as she says, is happy. “I like clothes that don’t die,” she explains, a statement that reveals she’s always thinking about longevity. Field is amazingly energetic — her 80th birthday approaches as the film begins — and she’s interested only in the future, telling someone at one point that she doesn’t keep an archive because she’s always looking forward.It’s probably ironic, then, that the most illuminating element of “Happy Clothes” is a sequence in which her taste now is linked to her history as a central figure in New York’s underground culture of the 1970s and 1980s. Former employees and customers attest to what it meant to have a place — her store — where they could be unapologetically queer or trans or just interested in fashion, where they didn’t have to hide their identities. Field was ahead of her time in more ways than one, and this history suggests that she has been practicing an exuberant joy her whole career. That, “Happy Clothes” says, is her real legacy. More

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      in Television

      Best Red Carpet Fashion At the Emmys: Jennifer Aniston, Ayo Edebiri & More

      by

      For people who like to look at clothes, there have lately been many opportunities on red carpets and off. Movie stars were in the spotlight at film festivals in Venice and Toronto. New York Fashion Week brought industry players and followers to parties, front rows and the city’s streets. Pop stars had their night at the MTV Video Music Awards.On Sunday, it was the TV world’s turn with the Emmy Awards. The event took place less than a year since the last Emmys ceremony in January, but the shorter-than-usual interim did not affect the spectacle of the red carpet.Actresses like Selena Gomez, Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph radiated sleek sophistication in black dresses that hugged curves and showed skin. Actors like Andrew Scott, Lionel Boyce and Dan Levy, who hosted the ceremony with his father, Eugene, chose modern interpretations of classic penguin suits. Over-the-top costumes worn by a group of contestants from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” amped up the camp.The fashion on the red carpet at the 76th Emmy Awards ran the gamut, but these 16 looks were among the most notable — for good reasons and bad.Jennifer Aniston: Most Familiar!Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesA career spanning more than four decades has taught the actress, a star of “The Morning Show,” a thing or two about red carpets. Among them: It is hard to go wrong with a simple silhouette like that of her columnar, beaded Oscar de la Renta gown.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 150 Shares189 Views

      in Television

      2024 Emmys Red Carpet Photos: See the Looks From TV’s Biggest Night

      by

      For the second time this year, Hollywood is convening to toast its work on the small screen. Here’s what the stars wore to make their entrances.Follow our live updates for the 2024 Emmy Awards.Strikes by Hollywood’s actors’ and screenwriters’ unions in 2023 combined to create a quirk of the awards season calendar: two Emmy Awards ceremonies in the same year. Exactly eight months ago, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded another batch of Primetime Emmys, with HBO’s corporate drama “Succession” collecting six trophies for its final season.With “Succession” out of contention, the field was cleared for new faces, including several from FX’s splashy historical epic “Shogun.” Turning out once again to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, here’s what presenters and nominees from the year’s biggest shows wore to make their red-carpet arrivals on Sunday.Anna Sawai, winner of the Emmy for best actress in a drama for “Shogun.”Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →Quinta Brunson, nominated for best actress in a comedy for “Abbott Elementary.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressJeremy Allen White, winner of the Emmy for best actor in a comedy for “The Bear.”Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressCatherine O’Hara, a presenter.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesBowen Yang, nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Saturday Night Live.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →Lily Gladstone, a presenter as well as a nominee for best supporting actress in a limited series for “Under the Bridge.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesMeryl Streep, nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Greta Lee, nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for “The Morning Show.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressJennifer Aniston, nominated for best actress in a drama for “The Morning Show.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesViola Davis, a presenter.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →The pop star Rita Ora and her husband, Taika Waititi, a producer of two shows nominated for best comedy series: “Reservation Dogs” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesDavid Swanson/EPA, via ShutterstockFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesMaya Rudolph, nominated for Emmys for her performances in “Loot” and “Saturday Night Live.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressSofia Vergara, nominated for best actress in a limited series for “Griselda.”Mike Blake/ReutersReese Witherspoon, nominated for best actress in a drama for “The Morning Show.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJanel Moloney, who reunited with her co-stars from “The West Wing” to present the Emmy for best drama.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Sheryl Lee Ralph, nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Abbott Elementary.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesYuka Kouri of “Shogun,” winner of the Emmy for best drama.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesPaul Rudd, nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesJessica Gunning, winner of the Emmy for best supporting actress in a limited series for “Baby Reindeer.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →Brie Larson, nominated for best actress in a limited series for “Lessons in Chemistry.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressBilly Crudup, left, winner of the Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama for “The Morning Show,” and Naomi Watts, nominated for best actress in a limited series for “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesDa’Vine Joy Randolph, nominated for best guest actress in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →Kristen Wiig, nominated for best actress in a comedy for “Palm Royale.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesAude Guerrucci/ReutersAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesYelena Yemchuk and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, winner of the Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy for “The Bear.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesNicola Coughlan, a presenter.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSarah Paulson, left, nominated for best guest actress in a drama for “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and Holland Taylor, nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for “The Morning Show.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesDiego Luna, a presenter.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesLaura Dern of “Palm Royale,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Selena Gomez, nominated for best actress in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressJessica Betts, left, and Niecy Nash-Bett, a presenter.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesDakota Fanning, nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series for “Ripley.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJean Smart, left, winner of the Emmy for best actress in a comedy for “Hacks,” and her co-star Kaitlin Olson, nominated for best guest actress in a comedy.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressRichard Schiff, left, and Dulé Hill joined their “West Wing” co-stars to present the Emmy for best drama. This year is the 25th anniversary of the long-running political drama.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressReba McEntire, a presenter.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSusan Downey and Robert Downey Jr., nominated for best supporting actor in a limited series for “The Sympathizer.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesAndrew Scott, a nominee for best actor in a limited series or TV movie for “Ripley.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesHannah Einbinder, nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Hacks.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesGillian AndersonAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, hosts of the 76th Emmy Awards.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressMike Blake/ReutersFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressJodie Foster, winner of the Emmy for best actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country.”Mike Blake/ReutersMrs. Astor, you’re on notice: Carrie Coon, nominated for best actress in a drama for her portrayal of Bertha Russell in “The Gilded Age,” stuns in Thom Browne.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesJimmy Kimmel, whose show was nominated for best variety talk series, and Molly McNearney.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressSteve Martin, nominated for best actor in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesKaren Pittman, nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for “The Morning Show.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesJon Hamm, nominated for best supporting actor in a drama for “The Morning Show,” and Anna Osceola.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressMindy Kaling, a presenter.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesNakata Kurumi and Tadanobu Asano, nominated for best supporting actor in a drama for “Shogun.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSaoirse RonanAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesLisa Ann Walter of “Abbott Elementary,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →Aja Naomi King, nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series for “Lessons in Chemistry.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesRamy Youssef, nominated for best directing for a comedy for “The Bear.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesOlivia Williams and Dominic West, nominated for best actor in a drama for “The Crown.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesTyler James Williams of “Abbott Elementary,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Alan Cumming, winner of the Emmy for best host for a reality or competition program for “The Traitors.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressIdris Elba, nominated for best actor in a drama for “Hijack,” and Sabrina Elba.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesRuPaul Charles, nominated for best host for a reality or competition program for “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesGillian Jacobs of “The Bear,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesChristine Baranski, nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for “The Gilded Age.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJanelle James, nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Abbott Elementary.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesSam Richardson, a presenter.Mike Blake/ReutersElizabeth Debicki, winner of the Emmy for best supporting actress in a drama for “The Crown.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesAbby Elliott of “The Bear,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesNava Mau, nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series for “Baby Reindeer.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressNicole Beharie, nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for “The Morning Show.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesLionel Boyce, nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy for “The Bear.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Liza Colón-Zayas, winner of the Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy for “The Bear.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesMike Blake/ReutersDavid Swanson/EPA, via ShutterstockConnie Britton, a presenter.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJuno Temple, nominated for best actress in a limited series for “Fargo.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesJohn Oliver, whose show “Last Week Tonight” won the Emmy for best variety scripted series, and his wife, Kate Norley.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressMatt Bomer, nominated for best actor in a limited series for “Fellow Travelers.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesMoeka Hoshi of “Shogun,” winner of the Emmy for best drama.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesMaya Erskine, nominated for best actress in a drama for “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesRichard Gadd, who won three Emmys for his limited series “Baby Reindeer.”Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJonathan Bailey, nominated for best supporting actor in a limited series for “Fellow Travelers.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesD’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, nominated for best actor in a comedy for “Reservation Dogs.”Allison Dinner/EPA, via ShutterstockGina Torres, a presenter.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressLeslie Bibb of “Palm Royale,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesYoshiko Sakuma and Takehiro Hira, nominated for best supporting actor in a drama for “Shogun.”Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressChris Perfetti of “Abbott Elementary,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJohn Leguizamo, a presenter.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressJelly Roll, who performed during the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesEiza González of “3 Body Problem,” one of the shows nominated for best drama.Mike Blake/ReutersContestants from Season 16 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” nominated for best reality or competition program.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesTrish Spencer and Matty Matheson of “The Bear,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressSwipe for More →Devery Jacobs of “Reservation Dogs,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressFrazer Harrison/Getty ImagesJesse Tyler Ferguson, left, a presenter, and his husband, Justin Mikita.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressThe rugby player Ilona Maher, an Olympic bronze medalist in Paris and a presenter.Allison Dinner/EPA, via ShutterstockJoshua Jackson, a presenter.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSkye P. MarshallAmy Sussman/Getty ImagesDallas Goldtooth of “Reservation Dogs,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressKathy Bates, a presenter.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressCaillin Puente, nominated for best writing for a drama series for “Shogun.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressKristen Kish, nominated for best host for a reality or competition program for “Top Chef.”Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesMolly Gordon of “The Bear,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesKristin Scott Thomas of “Slow Horses,” one of the shows nominated for best drama.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesSwipe for More →Desi Lydic, nominated for best performer in a short form comedy or drama series for “Desi Lydic Foxsplains.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressMike Blake/ReutersMike Blake/ReutersJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressRosalind Eleazar of “Slow Horses,” one of the shows nominated for best drama.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesTaylor Zakhar Perez of “Red, White and Royal Blue,” a presenter.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressSusan Kelechi Watson, a presenter.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressAaron Moten of “Fallout,” one of the shows nominated for best drama.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressMichael Cyril Creighton of “Only Murders in the Building,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesHarvey Guillén of “What We Do in the Shadows,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressAmber Chardae Robinson of “Palm Royale,” one of the shows nominated for best comedy.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesPadma Lakshmi, a presenter.Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesElla Purnell of “Fallout,” one of the shows nominated for best drama.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press More

    • 75 Shares159 Views

      in Movies

      Fashion True Crime Documentaries to Stream

      by

      Four picks across television, film and podcasting that examine dark stories about some of the most trendy clothing brands.In recent years, several popular apparel brands have made news for troubling reasons. Most often, they have been accused of corporate greed, having predatory practices that exploit young women, and propagating abusive systems at all levels of production, promotion and distribution. These headlines have, in turn, inspired a string of documentaries, docuseries and podcasts.Here are four picks that explore the stories of such companies, all of which have been marred by corrupt leadership or sudden tragedy.Documentary“Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion”Having barely heard of the Brandy Melville brand, I wasn’t particularly eager to watch this documentary that was released in April on Max. But as it turns out, that is kind of the point. This film from director Eva Orner not only is a searing examination of the toxic culture at this Gen Z-targeted, social media-fueled label, but it also manages to expose the many unethical systems endemic to the global fast-fashion industry. Footage from Ghana, where mountains of clothing waste from the United States blanket towns and shorelines, chilled me to the bone.As for Brandy Melville itself — maybe most famous for selling only tiny clothing with disingenuous “one size fits most” labels — the film highlights many of the takeaways from the journalist Kate Taylor’s Business Insider investigation, including scores of allegations of racism and of widespread predatory practices by the brand’s shadowy leaders, Silvio and Stephan Marsan. It all becomes that much more grim with a rape allegation against a manager by an employee.Documentary Series“Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in Movies

      Venice Film Festival Looks: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt And More

      by

      No amount of star power can truly outshine the beauty of La Serenissima, the ancient republic better known as the city of Venice. But the Venice Film Festival, with its parade of A-listers arriving for movie premieres in water taxis, comes close.Typically held not long after the fall couture shows in Paris, the Venice Film Festival benefits, in pure fashion terms, from being a showcase of the newest garments from some designers. How these elaborate, often form-fitting, confections are transferred so rapidly from Parisian runways to Venetian red carpets hardly matters to looky-loos with their eyes perennially pressed to the glass of fashion.This year’s festival, running from Aug. 28 until Saturday, has not just been an exhibition for new designs, but also of vintage pieces. Some looked as fresh as ever. Garments old and new are among these 15 looks, which will be hard to forget for reasons good and bad (but mostly good).Taylor Russell: Most Modern Retro!Louisa Gouliamaki/ReutersThe actress radiated an icy elegance in a Loewe gown reminiscent of the creations of Jean Louis, a designer who had the lock on high glamour during the golden age of Hollywood studios.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 125 Shares149 Views

      in Television

      Phil Donahue’s Neutral Wardrobe Kept the Focus on His Subjects

      by

      The talk show host made a career of exposing polarizing topics while dressed in a relatively neutral wardrobe.The hoary tabloid axiom “if it bleeds, it leads” played no small part in the decades-long career of Phil Donahue, the pioneering host of “The Phil Donahue Show,” who died on Sunday at 88. Mr. Donahue spent three decades exposing subjects difficult for many Americans to confront — homosexuality, atheism, civil rights, consumer protection and abortion among them — to the disinfectant light of daytime TV.Central to Mr. Donahue’s success was his physical appearance. A conventionally handsome man with a boyish cast to his features, he had a perpetually merry look of bemusement and a virile, Kennedy-esque thatch of hair that grayed and then whitened as he aged in front of viewers in their living rooms. The aura Mr. Donahue conveyed was that of genial, avuncular family doctor who distracts you with innocuous banter as he rips off the bandage.Mr. Donahue deliberately played to that look with an on-air wardrobe that occasionally veered toward dapper — vested three-piece suits, wide ties, broad ’80s lapels — but was seldom, if ever, flamboyant. No “groovy” Merv Griffin shirts or turtlenecks for him, or the loud jackets and pastel polyester suits that were Johnny Carson’s sartorial signature. By comparison, Mr. Donahue’s style was resolutely neutral: He wore good clothes that fit his trim frame neatly but still seemed unremarkable, as though bought off a rack at J.C. Penney.When at times Mr. Donahue shed his jacket, it was to roam the studio aisles with his shirt sleeves rolled up, wielding the mic like a baton and putting it and the authority into the hands of audience members, whose questions he once remarked were often better than his.“Donahue’s subjects were often sharp, but his presentation was soft,” Wayne Munson, the author of “All Talk: The Talk Show in Media Culture,” said in an interview. Mr. Munson’s 1993 book took aim at a cultural form that, reviewers noted, blended interpersonal exchange and mediated spectacle and that would ultimately, as few then predicted, give way to all the yapping now consumed on social media.Mr. Donahue’s appearance, demeanor and habit of sharing the mic with audience members suggested his was never to be the authoritative voice of God but that of a neighbor.Getty ImagesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 88 Shares129 Views

      in Movies

      Alain Delon, Godfather of the Belted Trench

      by

      As a titan of French cinema, he dressed the part, even when playing a killer.Alain Delon, the French film star who died on Sunday at 88, was not big on smiling.He smiles little in “Le Cercle Rouge,” the 1970 caper in which he plays the mastermind of a jewel heist.He smiles little in “La Piscine,” the sexy 1969 thriller in which he plays the boyfriend of a woman whose friendship with an older man drives him to madness.And he smiles little in “Le Samouraï,” the luscious 1967 noir that cemented his status as a titan of French cinema and arguably does as much to glorify fashion as it does a life of crime.That one opens with a shot of Mr. Delon, as a hit man named Jef Costello, lying fully dressed on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he smokes a cigarette.The room is dim and bare. The suit he wears is a beautiful cadet gray. The double-breasted trench coat he puts on before exiting onto the street — well, that quickly becomes its own character.We see Jef step into a car, which is not his car. We know this in part because he carries a bracelet of keys with which to boost it. The shot of him reaching for the correct one serves as an opportunity to show off the thin leather strap of his Baume & Mercier watch.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More