Teen Tavi, Sassy, and Tulle

There is much fashion related news this week to report, none of it breaking, all of it intriguing, some of it Sassy:

1. Yes, I mean that Sassy. Fashion protege Tavi Gevinson (14) and grunge-era Sassy mag mavin Jane Pratt (48) are teaming up to start a print and online magazine for "wall-flowery teenage girls"--which everyone knows are the best kind. Tavi already has her own fashion blog which always kicked the butt of mine (not that that's hard to do). For those of you who did not read Sassy back in the day, it was genius: irreverent and self-mocking, consciousness raising, envelope pushing, fashion savvy, ironic and sometimes angry, and most crucially, it was feminist, with regular articles on reproductive rights, political activism, body image issues, girl power, and edgy advice columns. Read against the stodgy, boy-obsessed Seventeen--and the other establishment teen mags that had ginormous subscription bases back in the early '90s--Sassy was especially groundbreaking. I was so moved by it back in the day that I used to discuss Sassy with my freshman composition students.

2. My favorite local party dress designer Mary Adams has a book on making your own party dresses! Not that my sewing skills are up to this kind of speed, but I miss her shop on Ludlow Street, and would frequently press my nose up against the glass and salivate over her frothy frocks, which reminded me of items in the case of a lavish bakery.

3. Last but not least, H&M debuted their collection designed by . . . that big guy with the heavy glasses who designs for Lanvin over the weekend. If I were to buy one of these dresses it would be the last one pictured here, mountains of red tulle. Please bury me in it.