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from: Troy Patterson

Why Fashionistas Wear Sunglasses Indoors

Posted Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006, at 6:36 PM ET

Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, famously keeps her sunglasses on while striding through the lobby of Bryant Park's tent complex and then while taking in the shows. It goes well with her aura, and no one is going to call her out on it: Who does she think she is? One supposes she thinks she's the editor of Vogue.

But what about Fashion Week's lesser presences? How skilled are they at justifying the dark lenses that hide their eyes from view? A Slate investigation:

Name? Dani Stahl
What brings you here? Accessories director at Nylon magazine.
What kind of sunglasses are those? Marc Jacobs
Why are you wearing them inside? " 'Cause I'm tired."

Name? Nicole Albano
What brings you here? "Fabulousness."
What kind of sunglasses are those? In a hush: "They're from Chinatown."
Why are you wearing them inside? "It completes the look."

Name? Emmaline Ranzman
What brings you here? Works for StarStyle.com; "We link consumers to products on TV."
What kind of sunglasses are those? Bottega Veneta
Why are you wearing them inside? "Because the lights are really bright, so really it helps me get a better sense of the clothes."

Name? "You can say Mike."
What bring you here? "I work for a freelance company that helps out with the event."
What kind of sunglasses are those? "I normally wear Maui Jim … This is brandless."
Why are you wearing them inside? "I'm an optimist."

Name? Lauren Wyse
What brings you here? "I do international licensing."
What kind of sunglasses are those? J. Lo
Why are you wearing them inside? "Because I have a prescription."

Name? Starr Micheli
What brings you here? "I'm an advertising and marketing spokesmodel."
What kind of sunglasses are those? "You can't see what they are?" Indeed, on the stems, it reads, "FERRE."
Why are you wearing them inside? " 'Cause I don't want nobody to see me. Why, you got a problem?"

Name? Tamara Ericson
What brings you here? "We do, like, production—fashion shows, music, dance, the whole nine."
What kind of sunglasses are those? "Not anything special."
Why are you wearing them inside? "I have no idea. I don't even need to, actually." Removes glasses. "I'm not tryin' to be too cool."

Name? Atoosa Rubenstein
What brings you here? Editor in chief of Seventeen.
What kind of sunglasses are those? Chanel
Why are you wearing them inside? "Because I'm about to go outside. I'm being an urban warrior."

fashion
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from: Troy Patterson

Why Fashionistas Wear Sunglasses Indoors

Posted Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006, at 6:36 PM ET
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Troy Patterson is Slate's television critic.
Photograph of model on Slate's home page by Mark Mainz/Getty. Photograph of Paris Hilton impersonator Natalie Reid by TP2/ARB/WENN Photos. Photograph of the Diane von Furstenberg show by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for IMG. Photograph of Paris and Nicky Hilton at the Heatherette show by Mark Mainz/Getty Images for IMG. Photograph of model on Slate's home page by Mark Mainz/Getty. Photograph of Project Runway host Heidi Klum on Slate's home page by Mark Mainz/Getty Images For IMG.
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