Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    The idiosyncratic style of fashion designer Rudi Gernreich

    Rudi Gernreich redefined how the world saw swimsuits. The avant-garde darling of 1960s and 1970s fashion challenged conventional standards of beauty, gender, and identity.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • May 29, 2019 • 1 min read

    Rudi Gernreich redefined how the world saw swimsuits. The avant-garde darling of 1960s and 1970s fashion challenged conventional standards of beauty, gender, and identity. He brought the trends, politics, and art to life by using vibrant colors, geometric shapes, and incredible draping in his clothes. Now the Skirball Cultural Center has an exhibit about Gernreich’s innovative work called “Fearless Fashion.”

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Yael Even Or

      Producer, 'Press Play'

      CultureFashion & BeautyDesignArts
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand