One article said, “She was famous for her hats, saying wearing a hat was “a cheaper and less painful form of plastic surgery.” One of her hats was shaped like an encrusted lobster. Blow is survived by her husband of 18 years, Detmar.”

“Friends told the Times that although Blow helped others make a lot of money, she didn’t see any of it herself.”

Hmmm… that is a real shame!!! WE need to make sure that never has to be said of our Kathleen!!!!!

This link is to a doll board I frequent, yes dolls wear clothes, too. In fact, Mattel is the largest clothing manufacturer in the world (if my source was correct!!)

http://members5.boardhost.com/prego/msg/1178679223.html

The doll board is very fast moving and if you do not click the link for a few days, you will not see it. To be able to see it for about a month use this link (which will not work for a few days until the post hits the archives… where it will not last forever!)

http://members5.boardhost.com/prego/msg/archive/1178679223.html

Rest in Peace, Isabella

I never met Isabella, but I would have been honored to meet her.

Blow was credited with discovering designer Alexander McQueen and milliner Philip Treacey and helped launch the careers of models including Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl.

I am putting a link to the 208 stories already published but most seem the same. Try to find some with pictures of her in her hats.

She also did a museum exhibition and book of her Treacey hats. I forget the title but the subtitle is “When Philip Met Isabella”.

I think I have also read the Blow helped to bring Hussein Chalayan to fame also… I am not sure if that is correct.

If the link is not working here is the url
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=Isabella+Blow&um=1&ncl=1116127056

I had my students in the Fashion Promotion class do a final exam of two parts. In one part, they self evaluate on all the aspects of the class and all the things they had to do to achieve their grade.

The second part was a ranking and evaluation of all the students in the class. So each student had to rank every student including him/herself.

The form showed that only six of the eight persons in the class could be “hired” for our “new” in-house promotions department (ficticous, of course). So at least two people “would not be hired”. That makes the evaluation more difficult than just a ranking alone. Further, the rankings were attached to (ficticious) wages, with the first person earning the most, 2nd and 3rd hires received the next highest wages, and 4th, 5th, and 6th hires recieved only $9.00 per hour.

I have only read some of the forms but I am truly impressed. Almost all the students hired the best person first and left the less useful people out of the hires. They had to justify everything they did, so it was alot and I feel great about it. I think this type of teaching brings out the best in our future apparel industry workers and future DEs.

This industry is so difficult, with so many different things that have to be learned in so many different areas. Strong self-motivation is the only answer. We are demanding it here in the Fashion Technology program at El Paso Community College, and it appears to be working quite well.

I hope other people will blog this week while our dear friends are out on business in Miami.

I look forward to the posts that we can get going this week.

I have to get ready for our Draping final exam tomorrow…

So who is next???