Receiving Line: Bognerís Other Side SÙnia Bogner was visibly nervous before the models appeared to show off pieces from her fall 2003 collection at an exclusive preview at the German Embassy hosted by Jutta Falke-Ischinger, wife of the German ambassador. She was still nervous, barely even able to stay in her seat, as they paraded through the room, their clothes being rubbed, tugged and stroked by the admiring guests from Washingtonís diplomatic and social scene. ìIím so nervous. This is a very special day for me,î said Bogner, head designer and partner with her husband Willy in one of the worldís premier sportswear companies. ìBogner is famous for its ski clothes, but Iím very happy to be able to show this collection of casual wear and evening wear.î The piecesófrom Bogner Woman and the SÙnia Bogner Collectionówent way beyond the skiwear Bogner is generally known for (and which clothes the German Olympic ski team, and once clothed the American womenís Olympic ski team). It included evening dresses and scarves, leopard print ski pants, fur baseball jackets, richly embroidered tunic coats, colorfully trimmed denim, light-reflecting tweeds, ski parkas with fur collars and cuffs, and Asian-inspired prints on quilted vests. ìThese ar e too pretty for skiing,î murmured one guest as she stroked a fur coat. ìThey look like cocktail outfits.î True, most of the pieces were not fit to be worn on a ski slopeóand neither would you want to with price tags of $1,300 for a pair of embroidered pantsóbut the Bogner fashion house has its roots on the slopes. Founded in the 1930s by Munich native and German Olympic skier Willy Bogner and his model and designer wife, Maria, the company has become an internationally recognized leader in sportswear and now has stores in more than 35 countries. In 1977, Bognerís son, Willy, and his wife SÙnia took over the company, which continues to evolve and now features footwear, cosmetics, accessories and evening wear collections. The 100-some guests at the Bogner preview, hosted by Falke-Ischinger to mark the first-ever German-American Executive Summit, included Ambassador of Luxembourg Arlette Conzemius-Paccoud and U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Susan Blumenthal, as well as the wives of the ambassadors of Belgium, the European Union, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Russia and Spain. In Washington, Bognerís designs can be found at Harriet Kassman at the Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. For more information, please call (202) 363-1870 or visit www.harrietkassman.com. --Carolyn Chapman