12
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, JULY 28, 2019
FASHION
MARKET
look.
Most impressive is the
outer space room at the
back of the exhibit. Dresses
draped with neon lights
fl ash in the dark, and the
walls sparkle with starry
gems. The high ceilings
and sweeping gowns lend
the space an ethereal, royal
charm — a charm that
dominates most of Cardin’s
work.
The exhibit demonstrates
how Cardin’s striking
style has evolved to
keep up with the changing
times.
“I really appreciate his
sense of experimentation,”
said Yokobosky.
In order to implement
his innovative designs,
Cardin invented his own
material called “Cardine,”
a synthetic fabric that can
be molded into three-dimensional
shapes. And the
96-year-old is still designing
new looks.
“Pierre Cardin is an inspiration
in terms of living
and in terms of design,”
Yokobosky added.
“Pierre Cardin: Future
Fashion” at Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Pkwy.
at Washington Avenue in
Prospect Heights, (718) 638–
5000, www.brooklynmuseum.
org. Open Wed, Fri–
Sun, 11 am–6 pm; Thu, 11
am–10 pm. $20 ($12 students
and seniors).
replaced by a newfangled
digital version.
The store is covered in
vintage photographs, including
an autographed
photo of Tony Bennett
hanging near a box of pasta
sits, along with a shot
of the Brooklyn Dodgers
featuring famed slugger
Jackie Robinson. Another
famous New Yorker has
also visited the shop, Cortese
said.
“Gil Hodges once came
in the shop. I saw him picking
grapefruits,” he said.
“His hands were like baseball
mitts, so I helped him
pick out the ripe ones.”
And if you’re looking
for a history lesson, the 95-
year-old Cortese has plenty
to say, especially when it
comes to the dietary habits
of Kings County shoppers.
The grocer used to carry
lima beans, oyster plants,
and rhubarb, but stopped
as habits changed and people
began looking for prepared
foods — customers
shop lighter these days,
says the grocer, who attributes
the lighter grocery
bags to smaller families.
“I used to have families
of four or fi ve walk into the
store. Now families are
smaller. Most of the people
who used to come in
have either passed away
or moved away,” says Cortese,
a little melancholy. “I
remember when the block
would have trolleys strolling
down the avenue, and
women left their doors
open as they cleaned.”
World War II memorabilia,
stirring memories
of the Battle of the Bulge,
where Cortese served as
part of the 551st Field Artillery
Battalion, helping
to stave off the German
advance in what would be
Hitler’s fi nal offensive on
the Western Front.
The veteran recalls
how, before he joined in
the Allied invasion of Normandy,
the army put him
through a two-hour demolitions
course, and he
was taught how to handle
mines in a live mine fi eld.
But the grocer’s life
wasn’t all blood, guts, and
mangos.
Cortese meet his wife
through a friend, who
thought enough of him to
introduce the shop keep to
his sister. She died when
he was 92 — another reason
he continues to return
to the store.
SPACE LACE: Cardin’s sparkly, space-age evening wear is displayed
in a room made to look like a starry sky. Photo by Rose Adams
The outside of the Golden Gate Fruit Market, which recently celebrated
its 80th anniversary. Photo by Louise McCarthy
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/www.brooklynmu-seum.org
/www.brooklynmu-seum.org
/www.brooklynmu-seum.org