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By Casey Davidson

While ordinary book lovers might recognize the brand names Ralph Lauren and Hermes, author Bret Easton Ellis has sewn many more obscure, hoity-toity labels and exclusive designer tags into his controversial new novel, American Psycho. In fact, the slasher book, controversial for its violence against women, reads like the ultimate yuppie shopping list. ''It shows consumerism,'' says an editor at Random House, the novel's publisher. Among the names dropped in just the first 50 pages:

* Ermenegildo Zegna men's silk suit, $1,100

* Ceralene coffee cup, $139.70 with saucer

* Ike Behar cotton shirt with French cuffs, $120

* Tumi calfskin attache case, $450

* Jenny B. Goode tapestry pillow, $79.50

* Rembrandt toothpaste, $9.95

Posted Mar 22, 1994 | Published in issue #58 Mar 22, 1991 | Order Article Reprints