The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/25742
Laygirl Fashion Lost in translation I was something of a fashion nerd as a tween. For my 13th birthday, I got a subscrip- tion to Allure magazine, which seemed to me extremely worldly and sophisticated. I can still remember some of my favorite articles from the magazine _ a piece by a photojournalist about her love-hate rela- tionship with her long, curly mane of dark hair; a woman’s search to hang on to her favorite Clinique lipstick after the shade un-sartorial references for their collections. A collection might be inspired by a period of history; a particular style icon; a mood or feeling; or even a philosophy. I look at the resulting collections in much the same way. I will surely never resemble any of the models Isaac Mizrahi sent down the runway in New York. Although the show was titled “Cake,” it could easily have been called “Poodles.” The show featured actual dogs, as well as hairstyles and colors inspired by the prim pooches. But I do find inspiration in some of the clothes he showed. A high-necked, loose- fitting yellow dress gave me ideas about fit, texture and cut _ just as the idea of “cake,” apparently, inspired Mizrahi to create this confectionary collection. The colors, textures and vibes presented on fashion’s runways lodge in my subcon- scious mind and crop up in unexpected ways. The colors, textures and vibes presented on fashion’s runways lodge in my subconscious mind and crop up in unexpected ways. had been discontinued. But mostly I was after the pictures taken at runway shows. I clipped them out care- fully and stuck them into a huge photo album, with notes in Sharpie on each detailing the designer, season and year. I thought I was going to be a fashion designer when I grew up. That didn’t hap- pen. But I still love looking at runway shots. Every year, New York Fashion Week presents an opportunity to see what fashion designers have in their fall collections. Some things are predictable _ plaid and tweed always seem to crop up. But even the most jaded or cynical style-watcher can find something to get excited about when watch- ing the still shots and videos that come back. (This year’s Mercedes-Benz Fall-Winter 2011 collections were shown at Lincoln Center.) The challenge is translation. It’s no secret that few of us mortals will ever wear exact replicas of the clothes that saunter, glide or strut down the catwalk. So how do we interpret these fairy-tale (or horror-show) “looks” into our own wardrobes? Take a cue from the design- ers, who often cite seemingly 14 O-Town Scene Feb. 24, 2011 Associated Press The fall 2011 collection of designer Isaac Mizrahi is mod- eled during Fashion Week in New York, Thursday, Feb. 17. Who knows? May- be I’ll try out a poodle pouf in my hair one of these days. _ Emily Popek Emily Popek is a nonprofessional appreciator of fashion. She is the assistant editor of The Daily Star and also writes R.o.B.S. for the O-Town Scene. A Single Dad A Foot in The (Revolving) Door There’s a lot of perks to this single dad business. Sure, it’s hard work, but a guilt-free night watching the game while the boy is safe and sound at his mother’s house is great, right? Dating, too, is a benefit _ or so I’m told. Being in a stable, committed relationship myself, I can’t speak directly to the current “singles scene” in our fair O-Town, but the ability to “play the field” has been touted by more than one of my bachelor- dad pals. “You get to be single AND be a dad,” they say, “it’s the best of both worlds!” I can certainly imagine so. Not to be a downer (again), but if I can impart one bit of advice for dating dads it’s this: beware the revolving door. When Little Raul’s mom and I were splitting up, we took great pains to ensure that the tike’s long-term stability was prioritized well beyond our own immediate gratification _ as you’re well aware if you’ve read this column before today. Essentially, we agreed that any new partners in our lives would have to be serious partners before being introduced to Little Raul. We agreed that each par- ent would have to meet this prospective partner before Little Raul did, and would have veto power, just in case somebody brought home a degenerate junkie or what have you. This seemingly small hurdle helps We agreed that each parent would have to meet this prospective partner before Little Raul did, and would have veto power, just in case somebody brought home a degenerate junkie or what have you. As a sidebar, if you’re working on splitting up now, I highly recommend you make an appointment with the me- diators at Catholic Charities. Mediating our Parenting Plan meant that we had a court-stamped document outlining how Little Raul would be raised. It meant we had to put our money where our mouths were, so to speak, and it meant we’d have an agreement in writing to fall back on if need be. The folks at Catholic Charities are great at what they do. You don’t have to be Catholic, there’s no unnecessary Jesus and Mary banter, and they do their work for donations, so you pay what you can. Look them up. One of the most important parts of our Parenting Plan was what I’ve come to think of as The Revolving Door Clause. ensure that there are consistent people in our son’s life, which is no small thing. A two-household kid has an awful lot to adapt to: different bedrooms, different routines, different social circles, differ- ent classrooms and on and on. In our discussions with a child therapist, we were encouraged to do everything we could to keep Little Raul’s life as predict- able as possible, so that he might thrive in his development without worry over details like who’s picking him up from school which day. What could be more disruptive to a kid than a constant, never-ending stream of romantic partners for his parents? Little Raul (nearly 5 years old) is just now start- ing to grasp concepts like love, marriage and domestic partner- ship. (For instance, yesterday he asked “Daddy, if two boys get married, how do they feed the baby?”) How confusing, then, to have to meet each of daddy’s dates or _ God forbid _ one night stands? My head spins just trying to imagine it from his perspective. So go forth, single dads. Knock ’em dead with your awesome dadness, and bring a wagon train of to-be-satisfied ladies home to your bedside. But please, wait until you’ve found some- body you plan to spend more than a couple of nights with before you start introducing the tike to the latest lady- friend. You’ll be glad you did. _ Raul O’Toole Raul O’Toole is a single dad raising a young child in the Oneonta area.