Word: adolfo
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...giant border town, a torrid zone just across the line of sexual decorum, that most heavily policed boundary in the American psyche. Though that image is being discarded, it is not going without a fight. In a Miami department store not long ago, the Cuban-born fashion designer Adolfo, a favorite of Nancy Reagan's, was pained to overhear two women express surprise that he was the creator of a collection that was elegant and simple. "Obviously," he laments, "they just assumed that anything a Cuban designed would be full of neon, sequins and ruffles...
...Moorish curves of Spain or the ancient cultures of Central and South America, are now so thoroughly mixed into the mainstream that their source is often forgotten. There seems to be a Taco Bell on every corner, Corona beer in every bar. The First Lady's preferred fashion designer, Adolfo, is Cuban. And out of the crossover into the mainstream come some curious hybrids: bolero jackets with blue jeans, Jalapeno Cheez Whiz, Brie enchiladas and, in Santa Fe, even an adobe McDonald...
...mention of Coco Chanel conjures up the essence of French style, so does the name Cristobal Balenciaga evoke Hispanic style. The legendary Spanish designer, who died in 1972, reigned over high fashion from the 1930s to the 1960s with his sleek chemises and pillbox hats. Among his students were Adolfo, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Ungaro and Courreges. Herrera calls Balenciaga the "greatest designer of all time," while De la Renta traces his use of ethnic accents to the master's influence: "Balenciaga made the most beautiful folkloric clothes ever made...
Leaving aside the high-profile pantheon of De la Renta, Adolfo and Herrera, some of the hottest young designers are building their collections and reputations around traditional Latin styles. Fernando Sanchez's luxurious lingerie, Isabel Toledo's topstitched, balloon-shaped skirts, Angel Estrada's sexy satin bustiers all have an unmistakable flair that is setting the standard for many designers across the country. "A Latin sensibility in fashion design is apparent in nuances," says Penny Harrison, a co-founder of Hispanic Designers Inc., "in a certain flair, elegance or the use of vivid color...
Since then, the Christian Democrats have splintered over who should inherit the leadership. Duarte tried to unite the party behind a trusted adviser, Abraham Rodriguez, but found no echo; instead a divided rank and file lined up behind two former Cabinet ministers, Julio Adolfo Rey Prendes and Fidel Chavez Mena. Rey Prendes is favored to receive the presidential nomination, but his candidacy will be tarnished by corruption charges that have dogged the Duarte administration...