The Valley Line

Boo-hoo, summer is over. The Labor Day weekend always signals the end of carefree days and getting back to school and business. Vacation photos have been lovingly pasted into albums and carefully put on the shelf for winter viewing.

Of course you can’t tell by the weather that summer is over because we are still sweltering around here. But what has been a surprise to me is the humidity that has been seeping into all the summer’s end cracks. “I swan,” as my Virginia grandmother would say, “it’s so humid that the butterflies are gettin’ their wings all wet.”

And if you had any doubt at all about summer’s end all you had to do was turn on your television this past weekend to see all the college football teams in action. The pigskin preview is in full swing across the nation!

I’m still trying to get up to date on the summer news so I shall do so right this instant.

Another opening, another show! Well, more like lots of shows. The Fashion Institute of Fashion/Merchandising (FIDM) in downtown Los Angeles, recently opened its exhibit, “The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design” exhibit that is quite wonderful.

This free exhibit is open through the 28th of this month and is truly a fun feast for the eyes and a delight to every fashionista’s heart. Jointly presented by The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, this third annual exhibition showcases a retrospective of television’s most memorable costume designs from the past and present. Spotlighted in this year’s exhibit are this year’s Emmy-nominated costume designers and costume supervisors. There is even a nod to realty TV as the devine designs of Rami Kashou, a contestant on “Project Runway4,” are presented.

More than 100 costumes are being shown in the FIDM gallery. Just about every genre of costume will capture your attention — mini-series and movies, comedy/variety series, classic sitcoms, sci-fi and westerns.

Costume and dress designer legends Bob Mackie and Nolan Miller were in attendance for the opening. Their fabulous designs are well represented in this exhibit. Front and center is the flashy Mackie-designed red-carpet gown worn by Angelica Huston when she hosted the Costume Designers Guild 10th Anniversary Awards.