Dan's Papers - July 4, 2008

"I make seersucker sexy," said Jackie Rogers about her new Gin Lane collection, a modern take on traditional seersucker that makes stripes glamorous and young. Rogers responds to styles from the '20s and '30s, and collects old magazines for inspiration. "I love looking at copies of Vanity Fair from the '30s. Women with wide pants and white cotton gloves on their way to the 'bathing club.' It's marvelous. So I took the cotton, the seersucker and made it 2008." Her attraction to the line and cut stems directly from her unusual technique of "off grain" design. Rogers doesn't lay straight - she prefers less construction because then, "You wear the clothes, they don't wear you."

Rogers has been influencing the Hamptons since the '60s when she first came out (back when there was just one driving lane) to model at the late Robert David Lion Gardiner's home in East Hampton. Gardiner was the last heir to bear the name of the family that has owned Gardiner's Island, on what is said to be one of the largest privately owned islands in the world. "It was great fun then. Everyone was so much more sympathique. It used to be a three-hour trip to get out to East Hampton - we would even stop to get dinner and take a break from driving." And since that unforgettable night modeling in East Hampton she's returned to the Hamptons and now lives in her "Hansel and Gretel" house in Wainscott with her dachshund, Ms. Lilly.

One thing you might not know about Rogers is that she claims to have sold the very first whole wheat pizza in Southampton. In 1972, Rogers opened her men's clothing store in Southampton and by chance, opened up a pizza parlor in the space next door called, "The Pizza Parlor next to Jackie Rogers." She started making pizzas on July 4th weekend, and the place buzzed with diners who wanted to try her whole wheat pizzas and sweet red sauce. The long lines that wrapped the corner of Main Street and Hampton Road (where the Golden Pear is now) included the likes of young budding designers Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

And it's exactly that sort of hybrid experience that Rogers seems to be drawn to. After modeling and working with legendary "Mademoiselle" Coco Chanel in Paris, she returned to New York and started the then revolutionary concept, a barbershop boutique. "One day I was getting my hair cut at Vidal Sassoon when my hairdresser informed me he was cutting the hair of 250 guys a week at night. I suggested we get together and work out of my apartment. He'd cut hair, I'd sell Ken Scott's incredible men's shirts - they were all the rage." It was then that Jackie took a stride forward and created Jackie Rogers for Men, which formed a whirlwind of publicity that attracted some of the most fashionable names of the day, such as Peter O'Toole, Winthrop Rockefeller, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Gore Vidal and Woody Allen. The idea quickly expanded and her store became the hot spot. "It was more like a 24/7 party. I remember when they were shooting The Godfather and all the cast and crew came to hang out at my place - the last salon existed in my store."

Zest. Gusto. Passion. These are some terms that encompass Rogers' livelihood. Her career has stretched from band singer, film starlet (for Fellini in the movie, 8 1/2), Coco Chanel's preferred model and now owner of four retails stores with locations in East Hampton, Southampton, Manhattan and Palm Beach. Romantic highlights include dating a European prince, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Kirk Douglas - and driving Frank Sinatra to work on the weekends. But, perhaps her most impressive pairing didn't involve a famous man. "I am the only designer today who ever worked with the great Coco Chanel," explains Rogers. "It was a great experience; she influenced the way I make clothes. I learned that fashion doesn't start with design. Everything comes from fabrication - it's like sculpting." And when Rogers told Chanel that she was leaving Europe to design clothes for men, Chanel responded, "That's great. Those women will drive you insane, anyway."

But perhaps Chanel was wrong. The women didn't drive Rogers insane. In fact, women flocked to her simple and elegant designs. Lee Radizwell, who brought Rogers to her sister, Jackie Onassis, finally put her on the map as one of the foremost American designers. Today, her following includes recognized women in politics, finance and entertainment, including Condoleezza Rice, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Courtney Love. Just recently, Rogers fitted Bethenny Frankel from "The Real Housewives of New York City" in her new Gin Lane Collection for the Belmont Stakes. Frankel looked fabulous in a seersucker jumpsuit, which Rogers raced to fit in 48 hours.

Who doesn't want to feel good in their clothes? But sometimes there's that pair of empire-waist pants that are a little too starchy, or that great shirt that's unflattering in the sleeve - which is why Rogers creates clothes based on how they feel. When she first started with men's clothing, she gave the pieces silk pockets. "I was hoping men would put their hands in their pockets and smile. Details on that level are very important. I want to make all my clients happy."

What's great about the Gin Lane Collection - other than the colors and soft materials - is the fact that Rogers is donating all the proceeds from the sales of her adorable pet "love knots," plus a portion of sales from clothing, to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. The love knots are available in seersucker, gingham, denim and many colors.

Rogers will soon come out with a memoir of her many "lives" and lovers, but plans to stay out on the East End as much as possible. "The lighting is just so beautiful," says Rogers. And perhaps the area also serves as a pleasant reminder of how far she's come from the days of whole wheat pizza. "For any artist it's important to remember that where there's a will, there's a way."