Red Pump Solutions

The “fashion police” recently wrote me up for wearing socks with sandals. In my defense, it was an isolated incident; a warm day gave me a false sense of security, so I wore my Birkenstocks to the office. Then, realizing all too late that my feet were freezing, I had no choice but to put on socks. It seemed the reasonable thing to do—i.e., sacrifice fashion for function. Admittedly, I knew it was “wrong” when I did it since it took me back to my college days of some time ago.

I bring this up for two reasons: the NYSCC Suppliers’ Day and esthetics. First, if you haven’t noticed, Suppliers’ Day is themed “Project Trendway: Your Stage for Innovation.” This is appropriate considering the industry celebrities, press and scrutinizing eyes of would-be buyers that will be watching as exhibitors strut their latest and greatest on the Suppliers’ Day catwalk. And buyers don’t want to see socks with sandals. They probably expect at least some nice, bedazzled ballet flats or sturdy running shoes. What amazes me is how companies can engineer “sock/sandal blends” and in some cases, even make them look like 5-inch, red leather pumps.

Both fashion and function clearly are at the heart of our industry, as they are in this edition of Cosmetics & Toiletries. Ageless beauty is always en vogue, and here, three features are presented supporting this notion. DeHaven considers the latest biological pathways of interest as potential active targets, while Ribaudo explores atomic force microscopy as a means to measure the age (or age-reversal) of cells. Also, S. Wiechers et al. look to sun as a source of aging and consider how titanium dioxide particle size can impact UV protection.

Obviously, anti-aging and red pumps are not a match for all; some may look for hair conditioning and leopard-print flats, for example. For this reason, it’s good to see innovation continuing in many areas—especially since I doubt the industry (or the fashion police) wants to see the return of socks with sandals.

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