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Pop Quiz | Jonathan Van Meter, WWD, Rana Plaza Fund, Men's Swimwear

How well have you read your BoF this week? Test your knowledge of all of the latest news and analysis from around the world of fashion in our Pop Quiz, which covers Jonathan Van Meter, WWD, Rana Plaza Fund, men's swimwear, and more.
Source: Shutterstock
By
  • Devi Vallabhaneni

You can find the correct answer and detailed explanation for each question immediately following the question (simply highlight to read), along with all the answers at the end of the quiz. Good luck!

Question 1: Who said, "You really have to honor the way a five pocket jean has always been made"?

a. Levi Strauss
b. John Elliott of John Elliott + Co
c. Mickey Drexler of J.Crew
d. Sam Kershaw of Mr. Porter

Answer 1: Choice (b) is correct. "You really have to honor the way a five pocket jean has always been made," says designer John Elliott. "I take a more modern, architectural approach — with clean lines and less of the 'authentic' details. We don't have hidden rivets; we don't have the stitch details that reference a vintage feel."

Question 2: Jonathan Van Meter's first celebrity profile was of ___.

a. Carrie Donovan
b. Elsa Klensch
c. Joan Rivers
d. Diana Vreeland

Answer 2: Choice (c) is correct. Jonathan Van Meter recently shared, "The very first real profile I did was with Joan Rivers. I will never forget she was wearing a Calvin Klein pea green dress and holding her little dog Spike under her arm and we ran around the city together all day and into the night."

Question 3: This week, Penske Media bought WWD and its related media sites for $100 million. All of the following companies have once owned WWD EXCEPT:

a. Time Warner
b. Advance Publications
c. Capital Cities Communications
d. Walt Disney

Answer 3: Choice (a) is correct. Fairchild, owner of WWD, was founded in 1892 by Edmund Fairchild. The company was owned by Capital Cities Communications for a number of years before that company's acquisition by Walt Disney Co. Advance Publications, the Newhouse family's publishing business, acquired Fairchild from Disney in 1999. Time Warner has never owned WWD.

Question 4: Which company to date has contributed to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, a money pot "open to contributions from any organisation, company or individual"?

a. Primark
b. Benetton
c. Matalan
d. Walmart

Answer 4: Choice (c) is correct. UK clothing retailer Matalan has paid into the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund.

Question 5: The three pillars of menswear brand John Elliott + Co are:

a. denim, jersey, and activewear
b. French terry, denim, and jersey
c. French terry, activewear, and jersey
d. knits, activewear, and denim

Answer 5: Choice (b) is correct. "The foundation that we built this company on was really three pillars: French terry, denim and jersey," says John Elliott, the designer.

Question 6: Women's apparel sales rose 1 percent to $116.2 billion in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in June. Which women's apparel category grew twice as fast?

a. designer sneakers
b. pants
c. t-shirts
d. jumpsuits

Answer 6: Choice (b) is correct. While women's apparel sales rose 1 percent to $116.2 billion in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in June, sales of women's pants grew twice as fast to $8.2 billion, according to NPD.

Question 7: Who said, "Anna Wintour won the charm offensive through phone calls and flowers"?

a. Grace Coddington
b. André Leon Talley
c. Tonne Goodman
d. Jonathan Van Meter

Answer 7: Choice (d) is correct. After doing freelance writing for everyone, from Vanity Fair to The New York Times Magazine, Jonathan Van Meter wound up signing a contract with American Vogue, because, as he puts it, "Anna Wintour won the charm offensive through phone calls and flowers."

Question 8: Where does John Elliott + Co manufacture its garments?

a. Paris
b. Prato
c. Los Angeles
d. Worldwide

Answer 8: Choice (c) is correct. John Elliott + Co is manufactured entirely in Los Angeles. Materials are stocked and supplied by a third party company and, as Aaron Lavee puts it, "We can pull the trigger at a moment's notice and get the wheels turning so that we can produce garments that are needed at a relatively quick turnaround time. That gives us a tremendous advantage."

Question 9: Brazilian men's swimwear brand Frescobol Carioca has a high profile investor. Who is it?

a. Mario Testino
b. Giselle Bündchen
c. Nacho Figueras
d. Isabeli Fontana

Answer 9: Choice (a) is correct. Fashion photographer Mario Testino has invested in Frescobol Carioca.

Question 10: Between 1989 and 1991, how many American Vogue covers featured celebrities?

a. 2
b. 10
c. 15
d. 20

Answer 10: Choice (a) is correct. According to Jonthan Van Meter, "In the two years that I myself worked at American Vogue (1989-1991), the only celebrities we ever put on the cover were Madonna and Ivana Trump, when she was having the divorce scandal of the century. André Leon Talley famously re-did her whole look, so, in a way, it became a fashion story. But it was very unusual; two out of twenty-four issues."

Answer Key: 1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (b) 7. (d) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (a)

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