xanadu

recovery is xanadu for me baby. so strangely enough, i am going to salute roller boogie today. i know it's kinda kooky and that's okay. viva la perm. and all hail to things that shimmer and glitter and to olivia newton john.

and if you are short on ideas for fundraisers- this is one that has been working for some folks... just have a xanadu sing-along roller skating party. it's goofy enough to work. and bring on the disco clothes. you know folks love that! drug and alcohol free works,too.

big smiles for you... and lots of love..

here's the article


Rolling back the clock
Tina Fineberg © Acciated Press


Clothing line suits 'Hannah' style
Style briefs, June 28
Rolling back the clock
By Samantha Critchell, Associated Press
June 28, 2007
Dust off that satin bomber jacket and pull on those tube socks - right to the knee, please - then delve into the attic on a mission to find your roller skates: Xanadu is opening on Broadway this month.
Could this be the start of a roller-disco redux? Before you shake your head in disbelief, consider that Macy's giant Herald Square store in New York City plans a "Roller Boogie"-themed in-store boutique, leggings already have become ubiquitous, and gold lamé had a presence on the red carpet at the Oscars this year (a Carolina Herrera gown worn by Jada Pinkett Smith).

Sure, the 1980s might very well be the most maligned fashion decade, but many of its key looks are being worn today - maybe those wearing sorbet-colored tube tops and white-trimmed jogging shorts simply don't know that those pieces had their first heyday as accessories to old-school, four-wheel skates.

At a recent preview of Xanadu, a musical based on the 1980 movie starring Olivia Newton-John about a muse who encourages a starving artist to pursue his dreams of building a roller rink, the cast wore metallic leggings, graphic T-shirts and barrettes made of woven satin ribbon.

That was all to be expected.

But what was particularly noticeable was the mint green dance dress, yellow track jacket and hot pink metallic shoes on a woman in the audience - she could've jumped onstage and blended in seamlessly.

"We're definitely seeing '80s as the latest retro influence, from high-waisted jeans to super bright neon colors to big hair and the return of perms - spotted on both males and females," says Carla Avruch, director of consumer insights and trends at market research firm The Zandl Group.

She points to bands with an '80s throwback sound, such as I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness, '80s-themed nights at clubs and the success of American Apparel, a company that's made tiny, shiny workout shorts cool to people who were probably in diapers when the trend was worn the first time.

Andy Young, a 30-year-old actress, puts on her shortest shorts and miniskirts a few times a week to skate at Central Park in Manhattan.

"It's like a mini little show," she says. "The more fun we're having, the more other people want to join us - and it's reflected in the clothes."

Russell Orlando, a fashion director at Macy's East, says the Let's Get Physical craze was in full swing in the early '80s - both in fitness and in fashion.

"Shorts were skintight but everyone was doing Jane Fonda," he says.

At American Apparel, designers didn't overanalyze the how and the why of bringing back roller-inspired fashion, they simply saw Roller Boogie - a 1979 movie in which Linda Blair tries to save her favorite on-wheels disco - one too many times.

"We became obsessed with that movie," Matthew Swenson, the company's fashion media director, explains. "On a whim, we also bought lamé fabric and turned them into leggings, and the gold and silver took off."



Rink and file

Roller disco clothes should be kept to small doses. How to get the look right:

On wheelz partie_Archos_
Uploaded by sebbouchair

• Focus on finding the shape.

"The inspiration I've taken from the '80s is the general silhouette," says Stacy Bendet, founder of Alice + Olivia. "A high-waisted pant - you can be completely elongated by it. Skinny jeans can be sexy," she says. Try black legwarmers tucked into black or brown boots and worn with a black sweaterdress and black leggings, she says.

• A pair of Dolphin shorts can go a long way. While the roller disco look is flashy and even sometimes skimpy, it's always neat. If you wear short shorts, consider a looser top, perhaps a blousoned halter, or a bodysuit, which, although tight, provides a lot of coverage. If you want to be more subtle, a T-shirt and flouncy miniskirt can give off the '80s vibe.

• If you remember the '80s look from the first time around, act your age. Macy's fashion director Russell Orlando describes the modern version of the '80s look - camisole-strap bodysuits with a front cinch detail, tie-back halter tops - that his store is mimicking as "East Coast preppy meets Venice Beach." The preppy details are the pink-and-green color combinations and slim polo shirts, styled with the collar up, of course. Women who don't want to wear tube tops and short shorts can still go for pieces like a track jacket and a pair of low-profile, contrast-color sneakers.

• Don't take it all too seriously. Orlando is excited about stocking wide headbands - the kind worn horizontally over the forehead - and tube socks. "What we're saying is have fun!"

Olivia Newton John - Xanadu
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