J.B. Taylor

Sneaky Peek!

Here's a sneak peek at Vintage LA's front and back covers (which officially debuts on  June 24th)!  . . .

Can't wait to hear what you think!

Ballroom Blitz!

Those obsessed with the avant-garde fashion culture of the 1970s and 1980s, simply-must-experience  The Blitz Kids, where you can peruse literally thousands of rare photos and collected press clippings for New Wave inspiration.

The original Blitz Kids were the dramatically dressed personalities that frequented London's infamous Blitz club in the early '80s . . . a gang which included Boy George (who was the "hat-check-girl" at the club), Steve Strange, performance artist Leigh Bowery, Billy Idol, and milliner Steven Jones.

The site's créateur, Danilo Monzillo, is a Brazilian make-up artist, who is also fanatical '80s memorabilia collector, and self-proclaimed "New Romantics connoisseur". On his endless site, you'll discover juicy profiles on glam rock pop stars, cult hero club kids, drag queens, photographers, make-up artists, underground films, legendary night clubs, fashion designers, and oh, so much more.

Here are some of my favorite photos spotted on the site (listed by row): Donna Jordan on the cover of Paris Vogue, Boy George in Egypt, Boy George Snoopy (this photo brought back many memories, since I remembered having this doll as a child), singer Toyah, Adam Ant in his signature pirate couture, the 1989 film poster for Slaves of New York (one of my all-time faves), Jerry Hall with glamour make-up by Way Bandy, Hibiscus from performance art troupe The Cockettes, and a Vivienne Westwood design from her 1982 Buffalo collection

 

 

All photos: http://us.geocities.com/theblitzkids

 

 

A swoon a day . . .

My heart fluttered upon finding this gorgeous alphabet created by the photographer Kjell Sandved, comprised entirely of butterfly wings. Here's a sample of what you can do with the flash cards available for purchase through the link above:

Enjoy!

Cheapeaux Party

Since I moved from sunny L.A., to Manhattan last year, a pretty new thing for me is the horrid sensation of bone-chilling Winter wind numbing my ears. So my hat collection has been growing, and growing, way past the capacity of my closet shelves.

So, for a little hat inspiration, here are some fabulous tilts, toppers, and a cloche, recently spotted on eBay (not that any of these would save my ears from frostbite, but at least i'd look chic while complaining about it): 

 

eBay tip of the day: This last photo, with the psychedelic print fur-felt hat atop the striped box, is also an original Schiaparelli design, but sold for only about $10, since the seller incorrectly listed the designer name as "Schiaysarelli". So a good secret trick is to spell your desired designers name incorrectly on purpose, to see if you can score something amazing at a steal. It has worked for me many times.

Also, take a gander at  this adorable French blog about vintage chapeaux. Merci!
(Photos: marymuldoon, lambi99)

Chanel ~ Spring 2008 Collection

I'd like to call Chanel's latest collection "Klaus Nomi Couture". It's so wonderful that Lagerfeld payed homage to the truly great, and nearly forgotten artist (though I wonder if he himself knows that's what he did).

Check out the similarities for yourself:
 

And if so inspired, I highly recommend watching Andrew Horn's 2004 documentary, The Nomi Song, as well as picking up a copy of Nomi's fantastically fun, self-titled New Wave/opera LP, Klaus Nomi (1981).

(Chanel photos courtesy of Style.com, Jezebel.com)

Hello, gorgeous!

It is moi, the vintager extraordinaire, and this first post marks the beginning of a beautiful blog . . . one that will be graced with gorgeous finds from my vintage hunting expeditions around the globe. All my secret haunts will be featured here, every place I adore, from secondhand boutiques, to landmark restaurants, from ice cream parlours, to movie palaces. This will also serve as my daily journal for my upcoming book signing adventures, as well as documenting the spectacular treasures I spot on eBay.

Stay tuned and stay secondhand ; )

Vintage love,

~ J.B.T.