ALT on The Influence of Mahogany



(image via chron)

As the Fashion Week party invites trickle in -- okay, okay, a single invite, leave us alone -- we thought we'd post this chestnut. The Corsair had to reinforce his coffeetable to support ALT's massive coffeetable book ALT. In it, he ruminates on the influence of Mahogany (And how, among other things, Diana Vreeland, honorary black woman, loved to watch Soul Train):

"(Diana Ross') role as Tracy in Mahogany, somewhat of a cult classic, is to me a breathtaking autobiographical film that makes you believe in the American Dream: the rise of a small town talent to the top of the heap who, on her own terms, rejects fame and fortune for love. What seems like a blink on the face of fashion is actually significant. In her collaboration with director Berry Gordy, Miss Ross made history -- she designed all the costumes. Looking back, her Kabuki-inspired collection, shown at the beginning of the film, is a precursor to the incredibly overwrought, yet sometimes fantastical fashion presentations so prevalent in Paris during the final decade of the twentieth century. If anything, her homage to Erte designs helped people like John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Zac Posen realize their dreams."