The Waistland

Dear Diane von Furstenberg,

Count me among your many admirers. You revolutionized women's ready-to-wear in the 1970s with your chic, simple wrap dresses. As the current president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, you're helping to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief. Just this week you announced the first DVF Awards, which are supported by your Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation and which recognize women around the world "whose leadership, courage, vision and commitment to producing positive change have transformed the lives of other women around the world."

However, my admiration for your work does not extend to the name of this skirt, the "Barren."

True, the model is so skinny that her fertility may be impaired. But to ask her—and us, your customers—to wear a garment whose name means "fruitless," "unproductive," and "incapable of producing offspring"? That's just cruel.

Comments

[Terry Elisabeth]

That's horrible for a name !

[Nancy C.]

Why would she give that cute skirt such a bad name?

Most of the other Diane von Furstenberg garments at Bloomingdale's have decent names. (Well, except for the dress called "Nada." That's not so hot.) I wonder what the story behind "Barren" is.

[Mark Gunnion]

Come to think of it, shouldn't it be Barrenness?

That's assuming the name was an unfortunate homonym (for Baron/Baroness) created in a spoken brainstorm that slipped past the spell-checker when it was typed up because it's a real word.

Just a theory!

[Nick]

Or maybe it's a homonym for "bare end"? That's what might happen whilst strapping on shoes or picking up a dropped locket.