The Cat's Out of The Bag!

The summer season is over and work begins for the fashionista feline of the Persian persuasion! Mercedes Benz Fashion Week kicked off on September 8th with a resounding ROAR including my debut at Fashion's Night Out! My first stop was to Bergdorf Goodman - the crown jewel of specialty stores, where I met up with renowned couturier and pussycat lover, Vicky Tiel!

Vicky Tiel and Natasha Finkel

Fashion's Night Out - September 8, 2011

Bergdorf Goodman, 5th Floor

"It's All About The Dress" - Book Signing

Vicky Tiel, is a not just a designer, she's a ground breaking innovator and fashion icon! For pussycats in the know, she actually beat Mary Quant to the punch by prototyping the mini skirt with her partner, Mia Fonssagrives, a full season ahead of her in the Fall of 1963!

Mia Fonssagrives Mini Skirt Sketch

Fall 1964

Vicky has always followed her father's advice he gave her at the age of 17, "Don't have sex for shoes." Vicky knew from that time on that she would never depend on a Master to support herself and that she would have to make her own way in life! So after graduating from Parsons School of Design, she moved to Paris with her best friend Mia Fonssagrives, daughter of iconic and legendary fashion model, Lisa Fonssagrives, and took Paris by storm with their sexy lace bustiers, hot pants and something brand new, mini skirts - which had never been done before!

Vicky Tiel tells it like it is to Coco Chanel in Paris

Vicky meets Coco sketch by Vicky Tiel 1970

She is purrhaps the only American couturier and ready to wear designer to operate her own fashion design business in Paris and has done so much longer than her French contemporaries. Vicky owns a piece of prime real estate in the annals of fashion history. She is the longest surviving female designer in Paris!

Shortly after Vicky moved to Paris, she started designing costumes for Woody Allen's new film, "What's New Pussycat".

Mia and Vicky Pussycat jumpsuits on the set of "What's New Pussycat?"

Woody Allen, Capucine and Paula Prentiss

Did you also know that Ursula Andress rocked Vicky Tiel's cashmere alligator catsuit? It was the first of its kind to ever be worn as ready to wear!

Back to Fashion's Night Out and Fashion Week....Vicky Tiel was at Bergdorf Goodman to sign her newly published and highly acclaimed tell all memoir entitled, "It's All About The Dress" about 40 years in the fashion business and what she's learned in 40 years about men, women, sex and fashion!

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It's All About the Dress by Vicky Tiel

It was Elizabeth Taylor that backed Vicky and Mia so they could open up their boutique in Paris. Mia left the business when she got married and Vicky opened up her eponymous shop on the Rue Bonaparte not long after.

Her love of Hollywood glamour and fashion clearly shows. She's dressed Hollywood icons including sex kittens Ursula Andress, Elizabeth Taylor, Goldie Hawn, Hallie Berry, Joan Collins, Jane Fonda and even Kim Kardashian!

Goddess Gowns by Vicky Tiel

Photographed by Barbara Bordnick 1986

If you want to look like a Goddess, visit the Vicky Tiel boutique at Bergdorf Goodman at 745 Fifth Avenue or at one of Neiman Marcus' many fabulous locations. If you want her vintage pieces, click here -- they are incredible! And if you want to read about Vicky Tiel's most amazing life, BUY HER BOOK here or don't walk, run to Barnes and Noble for one of the best reads out there!

More about Fashion's Night Out 2011 and Fashion Week later! See you at the shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week pussycats!

Cougars v. Sex Kittens 1.0

The Battle of the Sex Kittens versus the Cougars has begun. But first, I must ask: What is the difference between a Sex Kitten and a Cougar?


According to Wikipedia, a Sex Kitten is a term that typically refers to a woman who goes around with a sexually provocative approach. It also refers to women with abundant sexual aggression. The term originated circa 1958, and was used to describe French starlet Brigitte Bardot,



who appeared in the 1956 film "And God Created Woman".



It has also often been used in association with Ann-Margret



in her iconic movie role in "Kitten with a Whip".



Personally, I think Sex Kitten is a term for a sexy Pussycat or a Woman who knows how to show off her sexiness without being aggressive about it...she knows how to seduce, with or without the help of the book I wrote. A Sex Kitten knows that she's sexy and let's the men approach her because of her devastating beauty! You know that I am describing myself!




Wikipedia also mentions that a similar term has been used as early as in ancient Egypt when people would refer to their partners as kittens. Funny, but my Mistress of Beauty and Adventure didn't hear the Rabbi mention that during the torturous seder she just experienced where she had to sit next to a very aggressive Israeli man!! I need to discuss this all of this with Wikipedia. They need help. But, I digress.

According to the Urban Dictionary, a Cougar is something else entirely: Noun. A 40+ year old female who is on the "hunt" for a much younger, energetic, willing-to-do-anything male. The Cougar can frequently be seen in a padded bra, cleavage exposed, propped up against a swanky bar in San Francisco, New York, LA or other cities) waiting, watching, calculating; gearing up to sink her claws into an innocent young and strapping buck who happens to cross her path. "Man is cougar's number one prey." Most notable Cougars include,

Madonna

Demi Moore

Joan Collins

and, of course, Susan Sarandon.

All of this makes me wonder why Plymouth named their muscle car a Cougar in 1967. The cars were made for men to conquer, not the other way around!

40 seems to be the new magic number for Cougar status, but some people say that 40 is the new 30...so I'm really getting confused! My friend and adoring fan, Amy Ferris, author of "Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Mid Life Crisis", thinks that 50 is absolutely fabulous. According to the Urban Dictionary, those women would be referred to as Sabre Tooth Tigers. I, however, do not subscribe to labels (I only wear them as a budding supermodel) and firmly believe that women are fabulous at every age. I'm sure that Amy would too!

In fact, Amy's attending a lecture today at Barnes and Noble by her friend and fellow author, Barbara Hannah Grufferman on her new book, "The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More" on East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue at 7PM. I may just join her even though I'm not even close to that age. I just adore Amy!!!

To be continued pussycats!