WHO ARE YOU? Rudi Gernreich

Austrian-born and notorious inventor of the “monokini”. He was the bathing suit king who pushed the fashion envelope with his futuristic designs. Vogue featured his controversial thong bathing suits in 1975 captured by photographer Helmut Newton. I recently saw a play called “The Temeramentals”. It takes place in the 1950’s where a young Rudi was starting one of the first Gay Rights movements in California. The history of this play and the fashion twist of Rudi’s flamboyant personality kept my interest. Go for a dip of nostalgia.