J.B. Taylor

eBay Tuesday: Harlequin Romance

There were several playful harlequin prints seen in the recent Spring 2009 collections, so here are some diamond-printed muses for your perusal, along with some fabulously clowny auctions currently featured on eBay:
 
(1st 2 pics) Moschino 2009 RTW, (2nd set) Marni 2009 RTW

(L to R) 1962 3 Harlequins print by Margaret Keane ($4.75), Mid-Century ceramic lamp by Arabia of Finland ($174.42), 1980s cotton knit sequin embellished top ($46.00), 1960s enameled pin signed "Babylon" ($9.99)

A Vivienne Westwood look from the 1990s, Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree Tour 2008, The Masked Ball by Edward Halouze c.1920, Givenchy c.1999.

French chanteuse Chantal Goya in 1980, Fabuit illustration c.1914, Japanese 1950s ballerina wall hanging ($9.99), Picasso's Harlequin c.1901

A mod suit c.1969, vintage goat throw rug ($1,800), Anna Pavlova and Laurent Novikoff of the Ballet Russe c.1920s, Siouxsie Sioux c.late 1970s.

Kristen Dunst modelling Miu Miu's 2008 Harlequin collection, Harlequin and Harlequina of Nymphenburg porcelain c.1759, Eden Moppet print c.1960s ($7.99), Yves St. Laurent couture c.1979

Freddie Mercury of Queen in 1977, Georges Barbier's Harlequin's Kiss c.1920s, Siouxsie Sioux in the 1980s, decorative shelf-sitters from the 1950s ($14.00)

And check out the legendary Siouxsie Sioux sporting harlequin chic in her 1981 video for Happy House here. Enjoy!

Photos: slowdive (Siouxie), Corbis, untiedundone.com (Siouxsie) Melanie Martina Klein (Goldfrapp on Flickr), MetMuseum.org, home114 on 1stdibs.com

Vintage Muse: Carly Simon

It's dank and rainy here in NYC, and i've been in a deep '70s songwriter mood, so Carly Simon has been in heavy rotation on my turntable all the live-long gray and cloudy day.

Growing up in L.A.. my dad frequently tortured my pre-teen soul with embarrassment by blasting Carly from his convertible (mostly the Let the River Run cassette single, played over & over). At the time, I really hated Carly Simon . . . finding her songs to be disjointed, over-dramatic, and super-white (I was most-likely really into Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam at the time). So it's as much a surprise to me that now in my 30s (at about the same age my pop was when he was rockin' out to the Working Girl soundtrack, i've become a huge fan.

The apex of my Carly-love realization, was while on a gorgeous drive to Nantucket last year, while blasting Lindstrom's Late Night Tales compilation, and from the moment Carly's Why began, with its fabulous '80s bassy beat and the production mastery of Nile Rodgers (of Chic),  I knew that the time had come for me to succumb to the Simon. 

 

 

 

Row by row: Cover of her 1971 LP Anticipation, cover of No Secrets (1972), cover of Playing Possum (1975), Carly shot for Vogue in 1971 wearing a Narcissa dress (photographed by Jack Robinson), 2 more Vogue shots from 1971, cover of Come Upstairs (1980), with then-husband James Taylor at the Waldorf Astoria in 1973, backstage at Madison Square Garden in 1980 (photo: Lynn Goldsmith), with then-beau Cat Stevens in 1970 (during the recording of Anticipation, which was written by Carly as she waited for Stevens to arrive for their first date), Carly in 1973, gorgeous and preggers on the cover of her 1974 LP Hotcakes, disco Carly, sheet music for I Haven't Got Time for the Pain (1974), Carly today (from her blog), with J.T., cover of her 1971 debut LP (a favorite of mine), and on a Japanese single.

Here are links to Carly's personal blog, and her boutique, Midnight Farm, in Martha's Vineyard (I totally want to visit)! I'm off to to listen to more awesome C.S. LP's, while dreaming up designs for my upcoming line of '70s-art-teacher-inspired artisan jewelry.

Photos: Corbis, I am the Child of the Moon, Bob Gruen, style.com, carlysimontouchedbythesun blog

We'll miss you terribly, Mr. Newman.

Beyond sad to hear about the passing of Paul Newman . . . who was by all accounts, talented, kind, humble, and generous, not to mention drop-dead handsome. He was also Cool-Hand-Luke enough to have one of the happiest, longest lasting marriages in Hollywood history.

I couldn't help but shed tears this morning, just thinking about how deeply sad his lovely wife, Joanne Woodward must be. I'm sure it comforts her though, that his last moments were spent in the Connecticut farmhouse he loved so much, surrounded by friends and family, while being held in her ever-loving arms.

Here is a clip I love from Paul and Joanne's funny 1963 film, A New Kind of Love (which if you are a fan of vintage Parisian Couture, and brilliant comedic acting, I highly recommend watching). Enjoy!

Adieu to you, and those pale blue eyes.

 

(L to R) Paul and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969), Beat style in the 1950s, Paul and Joanne in 1955 (photos: Corbis, DoctorMacro)

Let's Go Vintaging! . . . in Sandwich, MA!

The mister and I recently attended a lovely wedding in Nantucket, and on the drive back home to NYC, just as our bellies were growling for lunch, we spotted a sign for Sandwich, Massachusetts, which obviously sounded like the perfect place for a nosh.

Sandwich is the oldest town on all of Cape Cod, and is also where collectible Sandwich Glass hails from. To arrive at the center of Sandwich (it's too much fun to resist saying), you take a dreamy drive through green winding canyons, surrounded by flower-lined streams and cute colonial homes, but to our dismay, Sandwich's only real sandwich joint was "shut".

(L to R) The great antiquing Taylors, no sandwiches for us, fancy Sandwich Glass

All hope wasn't lost though, as we decided to tighten our belts 'till NY, and feed our aesthetic souls instead, at the surprisingly awesome Sandwich Antiques Center. Upon first glance we thought it was your typical granny fare, but on further inspection, we found perfectly priced oddities, fun Maritime antiques, kooky Folk Arty pieces, spooky silhouettes, antique tools, and the largest collection of hand-painted Peter Hunt pieces i've ever laid eyes on (i'm beyond enamored of his happy, whimsical style). See photos of more things we adored below:

 

 

(Photos by row) Gorgeous Victorian taxidermy vignette (under $2,500), Yo Ho! Selections from the Maritime room, hand-painted Peter Hunt kitchen cupboard, cooking accessories and Cape Cod Cookbook, 1950s Peter Hunt milk glass coffee mug by Fireking ($20), P. Hunt table linen set ($45), adorable original P. Hunt headboard, and Mr. Taylor  admiring a wooden 1920s Folk Art  faux-teapot (which we regret not taking home with us, but there wasn't much room left in the ol' truck by the time we left).

Vintage Muse: Nina Hagen

I've been listening to lots of Nina Hagen lately, which is most-likely a true sign of insanity (in a good way). For those who haven't yet had their minds-blown by her multi-octave voice, Technicolor fashion sense, and uniquely theatrical stage presence, feast your avant-garde-starved eyes upon this video for her song African Reggae...my all-time fave Nina tune.

(L to R) Nina from her 1985 Japanese tour book, Nina in 1998, and as envisioned by Pierre et Gilles in 1995.

Her music is a cosmic blend of dub, punk, funk, opera, psychedelia, and New Wave surrealism (with a little yodelling thrown in for good measure). she sings in both German and English, and has been consistently writing groundbreaking tunes since forming her first band, Automobil, in 1974. Nina has recorded over 20 albums, but my favorite is NunSexMonkRock, which I can only describe as "hallucinogenic, inter-planetary disco". I've always had a hunch that the Red Hot Chili Peppers' payed homage to this brilliant album with the title of their 1991 LP, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, which would make sense, being that Nina and Anthony Kiedis were an item from 1984-1985.

 
Some of my favorite Nina Hagen LP's above (L to R): NunSexMonkRock (1982), African Reggae EP (1978, In Ekstasy (1985), Nina Hagen Band (1979), New York New York Single (1983)

(Above,, by row) The self-described "Queen of Punk" in 1980, baby-faced Hagen in 1978, pre-Madonna in the '80s with a green bow, Lene fellow New Wave vocalist Lene Lovich, from her 1985 Japanese tour book, still from the 1999 film Punk + Glory, Nina from her Zarah single, a severe look for her 1985 Japanese tour, and a gamine Nina in the mid-'70s

Unlike other performers who hit it big internationally in the '80s, and haven't progressed as artists since, she is constantly creating new, mind-expanding material, inspired by her zen spiritual philosophies, peaceful political stances, and animal rights activism. Not to mention, her shows are still just as crazy as they ever were, and she's still stunning, with bone structure from a galaxy far, far away.

(Above, L to R) Nina rocking colored vinyl as a hat, Nina at an airport in 1984 with her daughter Cosma Shiva (I wonder if they'd let a metallic tinsel wig through security today), and Nina in fabulously frou-frou '80s glam. (Below) when I first saw this collage as a little girl, from the inner sleeve of her Ekstasy LP, I became truly creatively inspired, and began making collages of my own. Thank you Nina! XO's & Manic Panic "Pink Flamingo" hair dye kisses!

Most photos: Barry Lancaster, and here.

Fab Film Fridays: The Scarlet Lady (1969)

Ever since first viewing Italian bombshell Monica Vitti in the fun '60s spy-romp, Modesty Blaise, i've always known she was cool, but after watching her sizzle up the screen in the fabulous film, The Scarlet Lady (originally released in France as La Femme écarlate), i'm now absolutely obsessed!



It is the story of a perfume company heiress, who after finding out that her entire fortune has been squandered by her schmucky boyfriend, she plots to murder him, and then herself, but first decides that since she doesn't have long to live, she wants to spend a week shopping, partying, and flirting with young rock stars as a faux-journalist. Of course, along the way, she meets a handsome stranger . . .

This film has anything I could ever ask for . . . a complex-yet-comical femme-fatale, amazing costumes by Dior, a Parisian shopping spree, a fictional French pop band called "The Timothys", a fun story-line, a romantic ice-cream date atop the Eiffel Tower, and psychedelic designer décor (if Jonathan Adler hasn't taken inspiration from this film, i'm a monkey's auntie).

Not to mention that you get to watch Monica Vitti learn to smoke weed, making her the most gorgeous stoner ever to grace the silver screen. High Times should totally include a pin-up of her in their next ish'.

* All screen caps by J.B.T., so please be polite and ask permission if you plan to use them on your site. Thanks : )

And Now Presenting . . . eBay Tuesday!

In addition to my new weekly feature, Monday's Muse, I hereby declare every Tuesday to be eBay Tuesday, wherein I share all the wonderful vintage finds I uncover, like pirates treasure, on "the world's largest marketplace"!

I'm proud to be an eBay junkie, and love to turn other passionate collectors on to new avenues of vintage design, but sometimes can't justify my finds on a lowly writer's budget (not to mention that our studio is toppling over with knicknacks and general oddities).

Here are some current auctions that need happy homes:

 '80s black wool hat ($45.99), '50s Gigi Young dress ($24.99), python Biba platforms (UK auction: 65 p.)


Rare vintage books on interior design, typography, and fashion advertising ($45 to $90)

  
'70s Donald Brooks dress, cat poster dress circa 1969, surreal '50s hand belt, and '70s printed velvet Hanae Mori gown; all listed in this fabulous live auction (starting bids from $50 to $450)

    
Mod Italian elephant bank ($15), brass Nouveau ashtray ($49.99), Mid-Century Rasta-colored Gailstyn tidbit tray ($9.95), Swedish handwoven zig-zag pillow sham ($9.99)

I do have to admit though, that if you buy this antique Sevres porcelain bust of Marie Antoinette ($22,222.00) i'll be really jealous, especially since I plan on saving up for it over the next 20 years (she's the perfect display model for my gaudy '80s art-teacher necklace collection) . . .

And for those about to bid, we salute you!

Monday's Muse: Alison Goldfrapp

Monday's Muse is a new feature here on the J.B.T. blog, where I plan on bringing you one dazzling, stylish, artistic, uniquely talented individual to both inspire and entertain, each and every Monday!

The muse of the day is Alison Goldfrapp, the glitzy singer and songwriter for the aptly-titled mystical-electronic-psych-folk band, Goldfrapp. 

  
She not only has a set of pipes sent from heaven (why is this not the most famous female singer in the world right now?), but she is also a bonafide style icon in my book. For every album, she debuts a different sound and look . . .

For 2000's ultra-dreamy Felt Mountain (her debut LP), she did Heidi-braids mixed with Vivienne Westwood punk, and army parkas.

For 2003's Black Cherry, she went Biba glam, with corkscrew curls (her signature), and huge dollybird-eyelashed peepers.

 
2005 brought the Italo-Disco inspired, Supernature, and all the peacock feathers, sequins and sexiness that accompanied it's sexy beats. She was clearly inspired by the '70s photography of Guy Bourdin, as well.

 
It's obvious to me that Madonna frequently takes musical and stylistic inspiration (and sometimes downright steals it) from her Gold-ness (which A.G. has expressed frustration about in the press).

 

But my favorite Goldfrapp phase thus far, is her current one, surrounding the release of Seventh Tree, which was musically inspired by California dreamin', psychedelia, Harlequins, and '60s folk songstresses, like Vashti Bunyan. Just make sure to be driving through a beautiful canyon, or biking along a sunlit lake, or strolling through a poppy field when you play the first track on the album, Clowns. It deserves the proper setting, but will move your heart to melt in the concrete jungle as well.

Mr. T.  and I had the please of attending Goldfrapp's  awesome show last Friday at Radio City Music Hall, and were blown away by Alison's otherworldly voice, and her harlequin/maypole-laden stage setting (which was inspired by the 1973 film The Wicker Man), along with her covetable ribbon dress, not to mention the stunning Art Deco venue (which I hadn't stepped foot into since watching The Rockettes in The Nutcracker at age 7). We loved the show so much, that I became a super-nerd and made crappy videos with my digital camera, and have uploaded them here.

My own snapshots from the Radio City show are below;

 

P.S. Thank you to my wonderful sister Lizzie for gifting me that perfect Celia Birtwell date dress. You can see me wearing it in the pic (adorned with a vintage ceramic horse brooch, and my beloved Victorian-cut M. Jacobs velvet).

"There was this time during my teenage years when everyone was doing ecstasy and going out to raves, and I was at home listening to Kate Bush. On ecstasy."—Alison Goldfrapp

Photos: Goldfrapp.com, Burak Cingi, corbis, J.B. Taylor

See you on the Dark Side of the Moon.

Was sad to read this morning about the passing of Richard Wright, keyboard wizard and founding member of Pink Floyd (click pics to view full size).
    

He wrote this gorgeous little diddy (which has always been a favorite of mine) along with many others, including Shine On You Crazy Diamond, which he lovingly composed in homage to former Floyd bandmate, Syd Barrett. He will be missed by music geeks and Prog-Rock freaks around the world, forever (me included).

Press Pretties

I'm quite excited to share two interviews with yours truly that are gracing newsstands this month . . .

I'm happily featured in TimeOut NY's Fall Fashion spectacular, as the "Eccentric Vintage Queen" (click to view full size, then double click to read story), or read the online edition here:


I'm in love Ryan Pfluger's fancy portrait (taken in my storied closet!), and want to send kisses and thanks to Quinn and Courtenay (Ali Baba misses you)!

I'm also currently featured in the October issue of Mean Magazine (which is one of my favorite publications) giving away more secret haunts in Vintage LA, and dishing the dirt about what it's like to grow-up as a true blue Valley Girl (double click on interview to view full size):

Thanks to Kashi for featuring me in your wicked cool 'zine, Lyndsay for writing such a fab piece, and Jeaneen for the cosmic shot : )

J.B. Taylor ~ Accoutrement Extraordinaire!

I'm elated to announce that I will be posting a link to my new J.B. Taylor Jewelry boutique by the end of the week. All items are created with love, by hand, and comprised solely of vintage findings, so stay tuned if you are a fan of dazzling bijoux and glittery glitz. Here's a sneak peek: