Chicago Tribune - December 11, 2005
Wendy Donahue, Tribune staff reporter

So maybe his new public service platform, kicked off on World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, shouldn't shock those who have read the provocative ads he uses to sell footwear, clothing and social awareness.

But the reaction to new T-shirts he created--reading "We All Have AIDS" or "I Have AIDS"--has been one of surprise or unease for many people. Even for Cole.

"There has not been a warm response to the 'I Haves' and I was hoping there would be, but I guess I was a little naive," Cole said, acknowledging that he wouldn't wear the "I Have" shirt either, out of consideration for his wife and daughters. "But the 'We Haves,' they've sold out at two of our New York stores."

Cole, chairman of Kenneth Cole and of Amfar, the Foundation for AIDS Research, united several AIDS organizations under the We All Have AIDS Foundation. He says that between 90 and 95 percent of people who have HIV today do not know it.

"The goal here was to mount a message of solidarity that ultimately addresses the biggest problem of all: why those people don't know. And that reason is stigma."

This week, People magazine will include a collage of several celebrities wearing the "We Have" (not the "I Have") shirts.

They're $35 at Marshall Field's, Barneys New York and Kenneth Cole stores, and on weallhaveaids.com, with proceeds going to the We All Have AIDS Foundation.

***

Cherry Chau's finishing touches

Paris-based accessory designer Cherry Chau will show Chicagoans on Thursday how her chic fur-trimmed ponytail holders, chain belts that double as necklaces, rabbit-fur shrugs and feathered hats can transform a holiday look.

She'll be offering tips from noon to 2 p.m. to shoppers who visit her boutique on the first floor of Marshall Field's, 111 N. State St. Chau also will perform hairstyling demonstrations, showing women simple techniques for donning her hair accessories, including the papagena, an intricately beaded hair clip made with dyed feathers and flexible wire runners. Among fans of the papagena are Gwen Stefani, Kate Hudson and Sharon Stone.

Cherry Chau accessories are handmade in Paris and shipped to Chicago in limited quantities, so boutique guests are assured that their look is unique.

***

Japanese/Chinese: What's what

The whole geisha style trend gets a little confusing--some of the pieces we've seen look Chinese as much as Japanese.

Indeed, "trans-Asian" and "neo-traditional" are how Gennifer Weisenfeld, associate professor of Japanese art history at Duke University, describes the current fashion references to the East.

"It's a mixture of Japanese and Chinese motifs," she said in an e-mail from London, where she is on sabbatical.

From the Banana Republic holiday collection, the Chinois velvet jacket has the high collar of Chinese garments--"very Shanghai modern," she said. (High-collar jackets and dresses that button down the middle or to one side are a Chinese hallmark.)

Banana Republic's kimono-style wrap dresses are Japanese, with the high waistline/sash of geisha style, Weisenfeld said. Layers of kimono closed by the stiff obi are a Japanese hallmark.

Weisenfeld noted that, as entertainers and courtesans for more than two centuries, geisha have had to tweak their look. (Traditional beauty is an asset. Stale attire, occupational hazard.)

In general, though, geisha and maiko (their apprentices) are distinguished by their white face makeup, fire-engine red lips and traditional wigs with elaborate ornaments.

"The use of seasonal motifs for proper attire was also critical, so you might have maple leaves in fall and cherry blossoms in spring--cherry blossoms are an eternal symbol of Japan," Weisenfeld said. "Geisha style is colorful, stylish and decidedly seductive."

Geisha also are known for wearing zori, sandals with a high platform that imposes their signature exaggerated walk.

They still exist, by the way, but fewer women opt for that sort of indentured lifestyle these days, Weisenfeld said. They must apprentice from childhood to learn all the arts--dancing, playing the shamisen (a stringed instrument), flower arranging--and the lifestyle is strict.

"Sometimes you see maiko riding in rickshaws in the Gion district of Kyoto," Weisenfeld said. "The entertainment services of the highest-level geisha have always been extremely expensive--they still are. So maybe now only company CEOs can afford their company."

051211
CT051206

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .