Elsa Klensch was a fashion journalist who hosted “Style with Elsa Klensch” on CNN for more than 20 years.
- Died: March 4, 2022 (Who else died on March 4?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in New York City at the age of 89.
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Style with Elsa Klensch
A native of Australia, Klensch began her career as a journalist at the Sydney Morning Telegraph. After resettling in New York, she was senior fashion editor for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar before making a move to television as a reporter for WPIX. Klensch joined CNN as one of its original journalists upon its founding in 1980. She hosted “Style with Elsa Klensch,” a weekly program focusing on fashion and design. Klensch reported from runway shows and interviewed designers, bringing news of the latest styles to viewers across America. Her show was influential in opening up the fashion world to average consumers, who hadn’t previously gotten such glimpses into the runways of Paris and Milan. “Style with Elsa Klensch” remained on CNN until 2001. After leaving CNN, Klensch continued writing about fashion as well as writing a series of mystery novels including her debut, “Live at 10:00, Dead at 10:15.”
Notable quote
“I knew one hell of a lot about fashion, so my reports were more in-depth because I really understood. I used to sit in Geoffrey Beene’s studio and watch him fit and go through the fabrics, look at the new things … not many of the people who are covering fashion today have had that opportunity.” —from a 2001 interview for Observer
Tributes to Elsa Klensch
Full obituary: The New York Times
