Harper’s Bazaar Editor Regrets Versace-Inspired Tattoo

by Justin Fenner | 6:23 pm, September 11th, 2010

Most Saturday mornings we find ourselves in our PJs, eating toast and looking for news. But today we were invited to the Diane von Furstenberg lounge in the Meatpacking District, where some the accessories business’s biggest players assembled to talk about the future of baubles, bags, shoes and — randomly — tattoos.

CFDA executive director Steven Kolb moderated a discussion panel that included Harper’s Bazaar accessories editor Ana Maria Pimentel, jewelers Alexis Bittar, Dean Harris and Philip Crangi, miliner Albertus Swanepoel and shoemaker Alejandro Ingelmo.

When Kolb opened the discussion, the general consensus seemed to be that fashion is moving away from disposable trends and into things that consumers will want to keep forever.

“I think we’re moving away from the aspect of the ‘It’ bag,” Pimentel said.

Bittar commented that he’d always be on the lookout for what’s new. “If we keep returning to the past for inspiration, then we just suck,” he said.

But Ingelmo pointed out that what’s classic is different for every designer.

“Four generations of my family are shoemakers,” he said. “I always try to connect to my heritage.”

The hour-long discussion covered a range of topics, including where the designers get inspiration (walking down the streets of New York was a popular answer) to what the panelists would be if they weren’t in fashion. Kolb said he’d love to own a bike shop that he could “close every day at 5,” and Pimental would go around buying stones for jewelers to use in their creations.

We wanted to know if there would ever be a spirit of collaboration in the jewelry world the way there is with ready to wear — if Lanvin can work with H&M, can Harry Winston team up with Claire’s? As it turns out, it’s already happening to some extent. Dean Harris did a Go International collection for Target, and getting the jewelry from concept to store was process he said he really enjoyed.

“They surpassed my expectations. You do have to be very careful about your brand,” he said, commenting that bringing his jewelry, which normally go for around $500, down to $19.99 didn’t hurt what Dean Harris as a brand represents to a high-end customer.

As a final question, Kolb asked the panel if they had any tattoos — Ingelmo and Crangi both have tattoos that you can see. Pimentel opened up and said that she has a Versace-inspired butterfly tattoo on her lower back that she got in college.

“Can we see it?” Kolb asked.

“No,” responded Pimental, to the loud laughter of the entire room.

The CFDA worked with Harper’s Bazaar to create an exhibit of accessories at Lincoln Center that will be open to Fashion Week attendees next week. All of the designers and craftsmen on the panel will be included in that showing, in addition to several other designers and craftsmen.