ELLE Flashback: 1993

Arresting though it is, I can’t help but wonder if model Kim Melander was somewhat disappointed that her first ELLE cover featured a YSL silk satin mousseline scarf much more prominently than her pretty face. (February)

1993 marked the year Miuccia Prada launched her second line, Miu Miu, which, according to this fashion news story heralding the designer’s self-described “antifashion fashion” collection (bearing her childhood nickname), would have an aesthetic a little less prim than big sister Prada’s. Its audience? “For those without trust funds,” the author writes. Well, one out of two ain’t too bad…. (February)

Bottom-boob isn’t something you often see in the pages of ELLE, but here, on the first page of a Ruth La Ferla–written fashion story spotlighting ’90s wonderboy Todd Oldham, the typical high-fashion gloss was replaced with playful, besequined garishness. Oldham, who excitedly referred to the look on the right as “another whole new way to show off cleavage!” mixed his own Ready to Wear with thrift shop finds and on-the-spot constructions like the “bra” he made in between wardrobe changes, which was little more than a pair of orange rinds, a shoelace, and a few rainbow-hued butterfly appliqués. (March)

Calling a then 19-year-old Amber Valletta “the nymphlike incarnation” of Betsey Johnson’s Disney-inspired, childhood-fantasy aesthetic, writer and Executive Editor Ruth La Ferla interviews the quirky designer about her concept behind the shoot’s styling. “This is about remembering the way we used to feel,” Johnson says of the clothing in the six-page spread, all of which was whimsical, colorful, and children’s size. “It’s about being back when we all were young, before we had to learn how to fit.” (April)

Sporting Shiseido shades of bronze, apricot, and terra cotta (and a far out Jean Paul Gaultier rubber wig), this model represents the final look in the beauty story, Three Shades of Summer: Day, Night, and Beyond. (June)

Oh Brandon…

…try as you might, you’ll never be as hot as Dylan.

Fresh-faced and just barely turned 21, Gwyneth Paltrow talks about her role in the Texas drama Flesh and Bone, co-starring then real-life couple Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, as well as 53-year-old James Caan, who played her much older, con-artist lover. On how her parents, both industry veterans, reacted to her career choice? “There were practical concerns,” she admitted. “They also didn’t know if I’d stink or what.” (December)

The year Whitney Houston ruled the charts with “I Will Always Love You,” Jurassic Park topped the box office, and President Clinton oversaw the historic Middle East Peace Agreement.

(elle.com)

Wow.......1993! As I think back, that was a busy year for me, as I moved from Tulsa to San Antonio for a job with, nationwide, insurer USAA. I remember all the packing (ugh...!) and the movers coming for the boxes. I was so excited about starting a new life in one of the most scenic cities in the U.S. I also looked forward to the favorable weather (no snow!) and the discovery of a new culture. There were two things that I came to dislike immediately, one is the gecko lizards; I had actually never seen one and could have gone through life just fine, without ever coming close to those awful little creatures! this particular species appeared almost transparent and many times I wouldn't see them at first and when I did, I would scream "like a little girl"! Most often, when I arrived at my apartment door, one of the little buggers would be perched aside the door panel. They didn't do anything and would usually run away, but it was just the fact that I saw it and that image would stick in my mind. I was visiting a guy friend one evening and I happened to look up and there was one going up the wall above his fireplace, and I launched into my "gecko scream," which he thought was so silly, as (in his words)"they won't do anything to you." Needless to say, that was THE LAST TIME that I visited his home!It was also during this same evening that I was confronted by my second nemsis.....fire ants!(a good sign that that relationship wasn't meant to be! lol) As I was leaving, I stepped into the grass while we talked for a few minutes; I'll just say, that after that experience, I retreated to the patios, driveways and sidewalks from that point forward! All and all though, I look back on my time in San Antonio (4 years), as one of the most wonderful experiences in my life!

I always find in refreshing to take a "trip back in time." To step out of today's craziness and reflect on "gentler times," but I digress. Elle has always been one of my first magazines of choice and this feature reminds me of some of the reasons why. Tyra is sporting "big hair" and I love it! It would be nice to get my hands on the pants that each model is wearing and the choker featured on the cover. A young Amber Valletta (a Tulsa native who graduated from one of the city's best high schools) and Gwyneth Paltrow....my how times flies! And to think, it was 1993 when Miu Miu was launched.....it seems as though the label has been around forever. Hats off to Elle!