The Reinvention of Fern Mallis
Fern Mallis has navigated two worlds in the fashion industry: the initial, enormous behind-the-scenes efforts, as executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, to unite the industry under what eventually became New York City’s iconic Fashion Week, and the public acclaim she later began to receive for that work as senior vice president of IMG Fashion.
When she departed IMG Fashion and stepped away from New York Fashion Week in 2011, Ms. Mallis retreated behind the scenes, taking a much-needed break to focus on reinventing her career. It’s safe to say she has emerged once again, riding a new wave of momentum thanks to her book, “Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons With Fern Mallis.”
The book debuted in April and was immediately celebrated with an epic display at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City, which devoted its 16 windows to Ms. Mallis and her work and closed its third floor for an exclusive party with some of the top names in the industry — Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, John Varvatos, just to name a few.
Ms. Mallis will make an appearance with her book at the East Hampton Library’s annual Authors Night, which, similar to the evolution of Fashion Week itself, has grown into a premier literary event over its 11-year history.
“I’m thrilled to be part of Authors Night,” she said recently at her scenic Southampton bungalow on Big Fresh Pond, which she purchased 17 years ago. “I love interacting with fans. . . . It’s always fun to meet new people, people who respect and like what I have accomplished.”
Those fans had better bring something hefty enough to carry some or all of the works they’ll find at Authors Night. Ms. Mallis’s book alone is a heavy-hitter, consisting of 19 in-depth interviews with modern fashion’s greatest names complete with many never-before-seen photographs of those greats. The interviews are culled from her popular interview series on one of New York City’s most coveted stages, the 92nd Street Y.
“Putting books together is a labor of love,” Ms. Mallis said. “It’s a lot of work to do them, but I can’t tell you how rewarding it’s been. To have a book really is a kind of validation that I never experienced before.”
That, coming from a woman who has had a SiriusXM radio show and who has even appeared in an Off Broadway production — Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s theatrical adaptation of the Ilene Beckerman book “Love, Loss, and What I Wore.”
Her own style has transitioned from primarily American design to what she calls “global eclectic,” dominated by up-and-coming designers from around the world. She briefly curated her own line of fashions and accessories, dubbed Fern Finds, which were featured on the Home Shopping Network.
Her love affair with fashion began early on. She was voted best dressed in high school, and said she knew, by the time she was a teenager, “how to tie a scarf in 8,000 ways” thanks to her creative mother and her father, who worked in the garment district. These days, she can be found advising young designers and business owners and consulting on fashion events across the country and the world.
“I love these regional fashion weeks,” she said. “They are very different from what New York fashion weeks are about. They are a platform and a runway, giving young designers a chance to put together a collection in front of an audience.” Not unlike her appearance at Authors Night.
The event will feature Ms. Mallis and 99 other authors whose work crosses all genres, including Jonathan Adler, Arlene Alda, Judith Miller, Victoria Tennant, Jules Feiffer, and many more. Tickets to the Authors Night book signing reception are $100. It includes hors d’oeurves and wine and starts at 5 p.m. at the Gardiner Farm in East Hampton Village. Private dinners honoring individual authors, starting at $300 per ticket, follow the reception. Full details and tickets are available at authorsnight.org, at the East Hampton Library, and by phone at 324-0222, extension 7.