• December 10, 2001
• Vol. 56
• No. 24

Wearing the Flag

Designers Show Their Fashion Stripes—and Stars—with Styles Inspired by Old Glory

Since Sept. 11 Americans have become passionate patriots, craving all things red, white and blue. Designers wasted no time in satisfying that hunger. At the Bikini Shop in Washington, D.C., the American flag-inspired two-piece suits (priced from $48 to $52) sold out six times in two months. And at Escada's new boutique on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, says spokeswoman Laura Henson, "everything with the red, white and blue theme is selling well," especially the white T-shirt with sequined Old Glory ($350) and the red leather jacket with white stars ($3,700).

For Catherine Malandrino, who moved from Paris to Manhattan four years ago, patriotism is something she has long promoted. But the $330 silk-chiffon American flag dress introduced in her Fall 2001 collection last February has now taken on new meaning. Scooped up by celebs including Halle Berry and Kelly Ripa, the style, says Malandrino, has become "an icon in the collection. It is not a fashion item anymore."