DATE: Wednesday, September 10, 1997         TAG: 9709100127

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KIM WADSWORTH, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   44 lines

PHOTOS MAY LOOK COOL, BUT WE ALL FELT THE HEAT

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS SECTION BEGAN in July. Jokes went around the room like The Wave.

``Why don't you do the shoot in Maine?'' someone suggested. ``Or Alaska?'' another quipped.

We were desperately seeking the look of fall in the heat of summer.

For many of our pictures, we settled on a place closer to home than Alaska - and better for the budget: Charlottesville. The Boar's Head Inn, a resort on the western side of the city, became our base of operation.

But then we ran into a new obstacle - the UPS strike. Retailers reported that their merchandise was stuck in warehouses. We couldn't photograph clothing we couldn't get.

Still, through relentless foraging of many stores, we managed to come up with a rich collection of some of the best for fall.

In Charlottesville, the shoot finally set, the August heat burned the morning dew off the ground at 6 a.m. Pilot photographer Bill Tiernan could hardly contain himself.

``Get the models ready as fast as you can,'' he said. ``The morning light mixed with this haze and the spot that I've found for the first shot is incredible.''

When we arrived at 6:50, Tiernan was mopping an already sweaty brow. I looked at our model, Meghan Hoyle - made up to perfection, wearing a wool suit with a camel-hair coat and gloves - and wondered how long this would last.

``Don't let them see you sweat,'' I shouted for good luck.

Our cover shot is the result of that moment.

By 11, temperatures were in the upper 90s. Model Cookie Smith strolled along a riverbank, looking cool as a cucumber.

``Feel the fur,'' I shouted, as assistant Kristin Ryals threw an intense sunlight from a big reflector onto Smith's red mink coat.

Look at the photo on page E3 and see if you can tell it was taken in the sweltering heat.

``Trompe l'oeils'' are tricks of the eye. We hope we've lead you to believe that the cool days of fall are here and that those tweed and wool moments are fast approaching.

We actually ``beat the heat'' to create this section. KEYWORDS: FALL FASHION PREVIEW AUTUMN SERENADE

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