The more consumer confidence sinks, the more concern rises in the global fashion industry, especially as preparations for the holiday shopping season approach. But there is hope in a bottle: While women might resist big-ticket fashion items, they will occasionally splurge on a beauty product. The cosmetics industry, worth about $24 billion a year worldwide, is anticipating about seven percent growth this year; remarkable, all things considered.
So it was with great delight that The Etceterist happened upon the world-famous dermatologist Dr. Patricia Wexler at Manhattan's chicest hotel, the Plaza Athenee on East 64th Street at teatime over the weekend. Fashion Week finally ended here and the flock - in greatly reduced numbers due to the cost of travel and fears about the economy - is moving on to London, Milan and Paris for more shows. Dr. Wexler was attending to business related to the launch of her newest product, Patricia Wexler MD Dermatology Intensive 3-in-1 Eye Cream, available on bathandbodyworks.com and ebay.com among other venues. Like her 3-in-1 Day Cream, in one week it started to re-contour the area around The Etceterist's eyes.
The Etceterist: It works!
Dr. Pat Wexler: Of course it works!
ETC: You went to lots of shows during Fashion Week, how was your week?
PW: I went to Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors, Vera Wang, Donna Karan, Marchesa and Tory Burch.
ETC: And?
PW: Like everywhere, people are talking about the economy and the election.
ETC: You are very politically oriented. May we talk surface first before we get "under the skin"? What do you think about the faces in politics right now?
PW: They are different across the board. On one side you've got the Democrats, Michelle Obama with this very natural, youthful beauty and also Mrs. Biden, who is very natural and understated, her hair and her makeup, and that she wore Kay Unger a lot during the convention, which is very recession oriented.
ETC: And the Republicans?
PW: Cindy McCain is a much more upscale face and a lot of people talk about how young she looks for her age and the fact that it looks like she cosmetically enhances herself.
ETC: "Cosmetically enhances": Love that expression, you're so polite, Pat. Do you think she does?
PW: I think she probably does and she does a good job. She looks like she does more maintenance than the other side.
ETC: And Sarah Palin?
PW: It is definitely a look.
ETC: Any suspicion of "cosmetic enhancement"?
PW: No.
ETC: John McCain?
PW: He had surgery because of skin cancer. You would not call that cosmetic enhancement. You call that restorative.
ETC: Have you any advice for the faces in politics this fall?
PW: Yes. The face of politics should be a work in progress, and progressive. Universal health care would put a smile on my face.
ETC: Did you see any trends at the fashion shows that will influence the beauty business or makeup trends?
PW: The message I saw in the collections was "pretty." Everything soothing, everything soft, and I think that is what we are doing now in beauty. It is no longer about ultra-high cheekbones, or anything too architectural looking, too exaggerated. Soft lips, soft eyes, soft hair color...nothing screams, no longer should you want anyone to notice and comment "your filler, your Botox, looks great."
ETC: You look great! What are you wearing today, a Saturday afternoon off duty?
PW: I am wearing James Jeans, an Urban Zen black top, a Dries van Noten trench, my de Grisogono watch and Yves Saint Laurent three-and-a-half-inch high-heel red sandals.
ETC: Everyday all day in your office, it is a dress and high heels. You are the best-dressed doctor in America.
PW: [Big laugh.] There's competition, not that I am competing.
ETC: Why do you dress up for work? Is it like Brooke Astor used to say, that when she went around touring the various organizations to which she gave money she early on realized people expected to see "Mrs. Astor" so she gave them "Mrs. Astor" - the pearls, the white gloves, the hat and the suit? So you dress to look the part of the beauty guru?
PW: I dress for me, really. Getting dressed in the morning cheers me up.
ETC: Always a dress to work?
PW: No. Once or twice a week I will wear jeans and a sweater, maybe a Vera Wang blouse. I like to shake things up.
ETC: And always high heels?
PW: Since I was resident nearly 30 years ago, I always wore heels. "Where's the one in the heels?" they used to say when they were looking for me.
ETC: And you wear them all day?
PW: I never wear less than a three-and-a-half-inch high heel, and that is what I call my kitten heel. I go from that to five-inch heels.
ETC: For work?
PW: What can I tell you? I was the shortest one in my family. I am five feet two and half inches so I have been wearing heels since I was 16. Last Monday was the first time ever that they hurt, a new pair of Louboutin five-inch heels. To the office, to Carolina's show, back to the office and then to a cocktail party for Women's Health magazine that night and by the time I got home my feet were quite cartoonesque. I will never wear a pair of shoes twice if they hurt me.
ETC: What happened to the shoes?
PW: I returned them to Barneys.
[Photo Credit: Shutterstock]
