SAVIDGE: As President Obama and Mitt Romney hit the campaign trail battling over how they like to fix the middle class, well, a new study suggests America's rich are leaving the middle class behind, in the dust, so to speak. CNN's Christine Romans breaks down the gap.</s>CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Martin, the wealthier 288 times richer than the middle. New analysis from the left-leaning economic policies shows the top earning households have spent half a century adding to wealth while the middle has slipped back. A sphere representing 1983 is on the left of your screen, 2010 is on the right. Household wealth for the top 1 percent grew from just under $10 million in '83 to almost $16.4 million today. For those in the middle household net worth dropped from $73,000 to $57,000 by 2010. Now income gaps have been widening for years, but accelerated during the great recession. The very rich have more money to save and invest, but middle class and lower income people are more vulnerable when they lose a job or their house price declines. The great recession slammed everyone, even the rich, but not equally. Just looking more recently from 2007 to 2010, average wealth of the top 1 percent dropped just 15.6 percent. But median net worth for the middle sank 47.1 percent. If middle class household wealth had grown at the very same rate as wealthy Americans, it would be twice what it is today -- Martin.</s>SAVIDGE: Christine, thanks very much. Well, speaking of glitz and glamour, we take you backstage for the New York Fashion Week. Hear how one designer crafted an empire. It all started quite simply with a dream and a dress.
Wealthy 288 Times Richer Than You