9/11 families protest attorney general’s decision from Marlow Stern on Vimeo.

By Amy Brittain

A steady, frigid rain smeared the ink on signs held high in Lower Manhattan’s Foley Square on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 4.

Some ditched their creative efforts in puddles of water, instead shouting to carry their messages: “Unbelievable!” “What a joke!” “Not in our house!” “Hell no!”

They were among several hundred people who gathered nearby the federal courthouse to protest a planned trial for five alleged Sept. 11 attacks co-conspirators, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced on Nov. 13 his plans for a civilian trial, faced the brunt of the criticism from speakers and protestors.

Many waved soaked American flags. Some held a yellow flag with the words “Don’t Tread on Me” below a coiled, hissing rattlesnake. Known as the Gadsden flag, it’s a common symbol of government protest.

They gathered with the hope that passionate dissent, in the form of wet shoes, shivering hands and loud voices, could sway Obama and Holder to choose a military tribunal instead of a civilian trial. Holder’s decision sparked controversy because of the potential security risks for Lower Manhattan, the notion of giving U.S. rights to alleged terrorists and the emotional effects the trials could have on the victims’ families.

Paula Cohen, a Brooklyn resident in her 50s, wondered if the protest could make an impact.

“Not unless a lot more people come out in the rain,” she said, bundled in a thick jacket and scarf.

“The thought that these guys are going to be here, exposing the people of New York to another atrocity just by their presence and the frenzy they’re going to stir up, just seems egregiously stupid. And I think the administration ought to reconsider.”

The 9/11 Never Forget Commission, a Sept. 11 victims’ advocacy group, organized Saturday’s event and set the agenda. More than a dozen speakers delivered rallying cries on a covered stage that provided protection from the elements.

“In the midst of war, the Obama administration wants to put on a show trial,” said Debra Burlingame, a board member of the National September 11 Memorial Foundation. Burlingame is the sister of Charles F. “Chic” Burlingame III, who piloted the American Airlines flight that hit the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

“A show trial,” she repeated for emphasis, drawing boos aimed at the government. “On the site of Al Qaeda’s bloodiest battle against this country.”

The crowd noticeably thinned as the speeches continued for more than an hour. The rain, which turned into the city’s first snowfall later in the afternoon, didn’t let up.

Peter Incledon, 69, retired in 1997 from the Fire Department of New York City after 35 years of service. He wore his chief’s uniform, complete with hat and gloves, to the protest.

“My very first reaction was shock,” he said. “Why bring it to New York? To open up old wounds and to give a platform to terrorism, to create a target for the terrorists?

“Terrible decision. It should be reversed. I hope that they reconsider.”

Incledon was part of a strong firefighter contingent in the crowd, many of whom wore jackets branded with their engine numbers.

John Breen, 42, answered the call on Sept. 11, 2001, as an FDNY first responder with Engine 74, located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He reported to the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel, which was located between the Twin Towers.

“I’m very fortunate to be here,” he said. “There were a lot of my brothers who were killed behind me.

“Why are you putting all of these families through this torture? Didn’t they go through enough eight years ago? It’s dragging all of the bad memories up. It’s putting our city in jeopardy.”

Burlingame cautioned the audience that it could take three years for the alleged co-conspirators to face justice. She then challenged the crowd to write U.S. senators and representatives and tell them to speak out against the civilian trial.

“If you take one thing away today folks, take this message,” she said. “Don’t get mad, get busy.”

When Halston set out to create the flowing, vivid red “American Beauty Rose” gown, he didn’t make his assistant do the grunt work. He did it himself.

Halston, who is considered one of the top American designers, started with 16 gigantic silk organza circles. He then layered the silk to make eight circles, pulled them apart at the radii and pieced them together in four quadrants that fall effortlessly around the body. The sweetheart-shaped bust features layers of silk that look like rose petals.

Halston's "American Beauty Rose" gown, which has become the emblem of the current Museum at FIT exhibit. Photo: Amy Brittain

This gown sits on a raised circular platform as the star of “American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion,” a new exhibit that opened in early November at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology in Chelsea. Although the end product alone would warrant prominent display in an exhibit, curator Patricia Mears chose the dress based on its hands-on, intensive design rather than its style.

“She sort of became our emblem,” Mears said. “It’s the perfect name for a perfect dress. People don’t realize the economy that went into this and the very precise, almost minimal patterns that Halston has used.”

The dress is among 90 that Mears used to illustrate the relationship between hands-on dress craftsmanship and the ideals of beauty in America. Simply put, Mears thinks hardworking, creative craftsmen, such as Halston, designed clothing that had a tremendous impact on the trends that Americans think are beautiful. Mears’ belief is a departure from a common idea that U.S. fashion is simply a collection of borrowed concepts from abroad.

Defending the American fashion industry is nothing new for Mears.

She once offered to introduce a Dutch designer to several New York fashion designers, but he delivered a cold, curt response.

“You don’t have any good designers in America,” he told her.

Mears bit her tongue at the moment but not for the long haul. Instead, she went to work to prove the Dutchman wrong.

Valerie Steele, fashion historian and director of the Museum at FIT, supported her colleague’s educational mission.

“The idea in Europe is very widespread that American fashion is just derivative and it’s just casual,” Steele said. “I think this exhibition definitively disproves that.”

A stroll through the exhibit’s dresses conjures images of red carpets and lavish ballroom dances. But Mears hopes the exhibit also shows that craftsmanship, rather than style, is essential in the history of U.S. dressmaking.  She wants the casual viewer to understand the intensive manpower and countless hours required for handcrafting a beautiful piece. The show puts an emphasis on the technical creation, such as the manipulation of geometric shapes used to create a flowing dress.

“Some of the most famous images of fashion have come out of the United States,” said Mears, referring to old Hollywood glamour, blue jeans and sportswear. “The proliferation of good-quality, ready-to-wear is an American invention. But we have not done a good job of showing the world that we have true designers.”

The exhibit at the Museum at FIT features 90 pieces from America's best hands-on designers. Photo: Amy Brittain

Mears organized the dresses, which date back to the 1930s, by themes in construction and function. There’s a section for little black dresses and classic American sportswear, along with dresses grouped by geometric patterns: including circles, squares, rectangles and parallelograms. Rectangles are by far the most common shape for constructing a piece, given the shape’s ability to flatter and elongate the body’s natural lines. Squares aren’t so flattering, which is why the shape is used sparingly among designers.

Despite American Beauty Rose’s prominence in the exhibit, it is not the most expensive or labor-intensive dress that Mears displayed. That honor goes to Ralph Rucci’s “Suspension” Infanta gown, a black duchesse satin 2006 creation with olive silk embroidery. Mears estimates the dress took several hundred hours to create and would cost more than $100,000 to buy.

Next to Rucci’s dresses are the historical Charles James gowns. Created in the 1950s, his gowns required the most delicate care in preparation for the exhibit, according to senior conservator Ann Coppinger. The dresses can easily stand up by themselves, strengthened by a complex structure of curves, angles and volume that would make it nearly impossible for the wearer to sit down. Steele labeled James’ dresses as her favorites within the exhibit.

Claire McCardell's 1957 romper. Photo: Amy Brittain

On the other end of the price and complexity spectrum, Mears identified a Claire McCardell 1957 romper as the most functional piece in the exhibit. The black and white plaid cotton romper, cinched at the waist with a red elastic belt featuring gold-colored metal hooks, likely cost $5 at the time of its creation.

It’s unclear if the skeptical Dutchman will make a trip to the exhibit, which runs through April 2010.  But even if he doesn’t show his face and view the “American Beauty Rose” dress, Mears and Steele think he has heard the message.

“I hope that with all of our shows that people start thinking more about the subject,” Steele said. “This will get them to question, ‘What’s American about American fashion?’

— Spencer Bailey and Amy Brittain

By Amy Brittain

The 26.2-mile New York City Marathon is the final stretch of a trek that began across oceans and beyond borders for many international participants.

Runners from 105 countries comprise nearly half of the 42,000 entrants in this year’s marathon, the largest pool in the race’s 40-year history. The world’s largest marathon will be broadcast in 125 countries, reaching all corners of the globe.

Italy and Great Britain boasted the largest international delegations for last year’s marathon, with more than 3,000 finishers from each nation.

Runners from all over the world made a pit stop at the marathon’s Health and Fitness Expo, which began Thursday, to pick up registration packets. Many donned colorful team jackets and backpacks displaying the names of their countries and running clubs.

“I’ve heard there is a big feeling, and I hope I feel the big feeling,” said Christiane Schaefer of Germany, who chose New York City for her first marathon.

Schaefer, 53, arrived in New York on Wednesday from her hometown of Gladbeck. She is one of 29 representatives from Gladbeck’s 200-member “Fun Runner” club. The group has planned sightseeing visits to the Empire State Building and Central Park and has reserved several tables at the Hard Rock Café for a post-race party.

“We have rented two long Hummers,” she said. “We will go two hours through New York after the race. I hope I can do that and not feel so bad.”

Schaefer spoke of a contagious energy she expected to channel from the crowd along the race route.

“We hope the New York people push us,” she said.

Christophe Prevot, 37, traveled from Paris as part of a group of 10 police officials.

“This is a gift because I am very proud of us,” said Prevot, who is running his first marathon.

Prevot, a police chief in Paris who has spent 15 years with the force, would only pose for a photo if his teammates could be in it too. “We are a team,” he said, pointing to his group of men wearing sweatshirts with “France” boldly displayed.

Prevot’s group arrived after an eight-hour flight from Paris more than a week prior to the race. With ample time for sightseeing, the team visited Philadelphia for a day trip and also explored Times Square and Chinatown.

Prevot said the group has already enjoyed meals at Hooters and the ESPN Zone and planned to dine Thursday night at Gallagher’s Steak House.

“I’m not a good example,” Prevot said of pre-race nutrition. “If you come from France, you like food. We don’t eat diet food. I like American food.”

Prevot had a very simple goal for his first marathon performance. “Arrive,” he said. ”Finish.”

Selma Oliveira, 48, also chose New York for her first marathon. Oliveira, who works for a petroleum company in Rio de Janeiro, arrived at the expo just hours after her plane from Brazil landed in New York.

“I’m very excited, very nervous, a little tense,” she said.

Oliveira said she and her husband “gave the gift of the marathon” to Jaci Jesus, who has worked for the family for 10 years in their home. Jesus is an avid runner and inspired Oliveira and her husband to take up the sport.

“She wants to make her last marathon in New York,” Oliveira said, translating for Jesus, who proudly held up a blue jacket with “Brazil” written on the back. “She has never been to the United States.”

Steven Goudberg, 38, battled a case of jet lag after arriving Wednesday from Leiderdorp, a small village in the Netherlands.

“There’s a five hours time difference with Holland at this moment,” he said. “We are very tired. We had a drink last night and went to bed.”

Goudberg competed in the Berlin marathon two years ago. He’s aiming to finish this one with a time of 4:30.

“I learned from Berlin two years ago that it was not a wise thing to do the day before the marathon to go through the city and walk a lot,” he said.

Goudberg said his team planned to limit activities Saturday after participating in the leisurely Continental Airlines International Friendship Run that morning at the United Nations.

“After that, we will at least take a lot of rest – watch TV, read and just sit down,” he said. “Otherwise, you may have a problem with the marathon.”

When Goudberg takes his place at the starting line Sunday morning, he wants to be well rested for a moment he’s anticipated for quite some time.

“In a lot of movies and on TV you see a lot of New York, and you think you have a picture of it,” he said. “But when you’re really here, it’s overwhelming. It’s such a beautiful city. It’s what I call the marathon of the marathons.”

As a poll worker for the 74th Election District, she didn’t have much to do. By 2 p.m. her eyes started to droop.

“I got here at 5:30 this morning,” she said.

Across the room, one poll worker slept in his chair. His head fell to the side several times before he stretched and walked outside.

The primary turnout reached record lows all over the city, and Public School 165 near 109th and Broadway was no exception. The turnout for Tuesday’s runoff election is expected to be even lower, with only comptroller and public advocate races on the ballot.

Frances Orta, the poll site coordinator, said it was obvious from the start that it was a typically slow primary day.

“If it was going to be a good turnout, we would have had 500 people by 7 in the morning,” Orta said. “It’s 2:30 now, and we’ve had less than 500 for the day.”

For Cruz, it was a stark contrast from the last day she worked the polls. That day didn’t allow time for leisure reading.

“When Obama became president, it was packed,” she said. “It was a madhouse. It felt really long to me that day.”

— Amy Brittain

While many at P.S. 4 couldn’t keep emotions under wrap for the first day of school, one third-grade girl stood silent.

Eight-year-old Naa wore a blank expression and shoulder-length braids as she clutched her pink Bratz doll backpack.

Evelyn Quartson, 46, dropped off Naa at P.S. 4 Duke Ellington before taking her older brother to a nearby middle school. She prodded Naa to talk about her feelings on the first day of school.

Whatever Naa was thinking, she didn’t show it. The third grader’s stoic expression didn’t reveal any sadness, happiness, confusion or nervousness. Her blank face said nothing as a barrage of questions ensued.

“What are you most excited about for the first day?”

Silence.

“What about your friends?”

Not even a blink.

Quartson chimed in, trying to encourage her participation.

“Did you miss your friends?” she asked.

No response.

“What do you normally do on the first day of school?”

Another empty stare.

“How about telling me what you’re going to miss the most this summer?”

Nothing.

“Did you watch cartoons a lot in the summer?

Still wide-eyed.

“You don’t want to talk?” Quartson asked Naa with a furrowed brow. “I’m surprised.”

Quartson then said the obvious.

“She’s shy.”

— Amy Brittain