September 17, 1998

Article profiles 94-year-old designer Albert Frey, who embodies minimalist philosophy that is enjoying revival by generation fattened on go-go 1980's and 1990's; photos (M)

Venator Group, formerly Woolworth Corp, says it will close its 570 Kinney and Footquarters shoe stores and take $173 million third-quarter charge; will try to avoid huge layoffs by seeking jobs within its other business units for many of 4,600 full-time and part-time workers affected by closures; chairman-chief executive Roger N Farah comments; photo (M)

Supplements Tied to Illness Six reports in a medical journal say that people have become severely ill from home remedies sold as ''dietary supplements.'' Page A24. A Bid to Buy the Yankees Seeking to buy the Yankees, Cablevision is said to have offered George Steinbrenner a hand in running three teams should he sell. Page B1.

Article on Toronto Film Festival, 1998; nine-day festival, which ends on September 19, includes 311 films from 53 countries; photo (M)

Anna Kisselgoff's Critic's Notebook column on Lyons Dance Biennial, arguably Europe's most important dance festival, which is mired in hot-tempered debate over multiculturalism because of its Mediterranean motif; not everyone in France, especially extreme-right National Front, thinks Mediterranean cultures are worth celebrating, especially if their dark-skinned peoples share propensity for emigrating to France; photo (M)