Not so fast, others counter. Alex Proud, a London art dealer, said he believes a young generation has indeed rediscovered the brand. He said he was surprised to find that about 75 percent of the visitors to Playboy Exposed, a current show of Playboy photos from the 1970s at his Camden gallery, have been under 40, and that about 40 percent have been women.
A new generation began embracing the slick, fastidiously groomed Playboy style of the 1960s four or five years ago. Since then its appeal has broadened. George Maloof, the owner of the Palms in Las Vegas, said the brand was hip enough to appeal to the kind of young, moneyed visitors the resort has attracted since opening three years ago, including contingents of MTV executives and, most notoriously, Britney Spears, who checked in after a hasty first marriage was annulled. Playboy consumer products are licensed in more than 100 countries and distributed in more than 2,500 stores in the US, the company says. It recently opened its first independent stores in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and in Melbourne, Australia, and plans five to seven new stores a year. Some will sell premium denim, evening and beauty products.
In the US, Playboy has reported this year more than US$600 million in sales of apparel, accessories and other products, 80 percent of which are being bought and worn by women, Christie Hefner said. She characterized them as "trend-conscious, fashion-forward women" who identify with the Playboy brand.
Cavalli seemed to have those women in mind the other day, when he suggested variations on the bunny outfit. "This costume you can do long, you can do short," he said. "This can be a dress, because it's fashion, you understand."
His customers will no doubt understand. Judging from the racy lingerie, tight-fitting jeans and scanty swimsuits they're buying at stores like Fred Segal in Los Angeles and at chains like Urban Outfitters, some would seem to be as sexually uninhibited as, say, one of Playboy's online playmates this month, who manages to sound as coy as her predecessors of the 1960s while casually raising the ante on sexual permissiveness.
"I like to switch positions, to bring out some sex toys and try role playing," she tells her readers.
"I just want my man to say, `Whoa!"'
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