J.B. Taylor

Try a Little Tenderness.

Here are a few things worth fighting for, that are quite dear to my heart. So, if you want to feel a little bit awesomer about yourself today, join me in support of the following worthy causes:

It's our last chance to save the historic Coney Island boardwalk from evil shopping-mall developers, so let's do something! Perhaps we should throw a giant dance-party-fund-raiser, like in Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.




Above photos: Coney Island postcard c.1943, boardwalk magic show c.1926, Luna Park postcard c.1906 (oh, how I wish that was still around), Grace Kelly on a date with Jean Pierre Aumont (and too frightened to ride the Cyclone) c.1955, groovy Coney Island couple diggin' the scene surrounding Astroland's Wonder Wheel (R.I.P.) c.1973 (all © Corbis)

And Brigitte Bardot is crying out to President Obama, along with the rest of us animal lovers, to help in stopping the horrendously cruel annual Canadian seal hunts. If this breaks your heart, as much as it does mine, then you can start helping today by boycotting all Canadian seafood products, and asking your local grocer to do the same (they feature a pre-written letter you can easily print and hand to your grocery store manager next time you go shopping). Click the Humane Society's widget below for more info.


Photo of B.B.: Dean Loomis for Life

And if you're a fan of Film Forum in NYC, then it would be wise to buy a movie ticket, as most our beloved revival houses are in need of serious moolah. Currently showing is  the fabulous Breadlines & Champagne festival, featuring awesome pre-code, Depression-era dramas, gangster flicks, and screwball comedies. I'm most jazzed about the Busby Berkeley double-feature on March 1st, of Footlight Parade, and Gold Diggers of 1933.



And Brooklyn's wonderful, whimsical museum, The City Reliquary, is also having trouble (paying last month's rent), but they plan to pull through by throwing a fund-raising event dubbed "Brother can you spare some rent?", featuring Depression-era entertainment . . . fortune tellers, "pie-the-landlord", a hobo photo booth, oil drum fires,  Marx Bros. movies, hooch, and hot jazz (what more could you need)? It would be a total travesty to lose this place, so step on up! The soirée is THIS FRIDAY, Feb. 27th, from 7-11 pm ($10).

Below are some sneaky snaps I took on my last visit to the magical City Reliquary, which teaches visitors the history and eccentric mythology surrounding New York City, as told through interesting artifacts and art exhibits (click photos to view full-size):




And on a sad note, this week we bid adieu to NYC's infamous Peeler Man. My apple skin-allergy forever thanks you. My carrots and potatoes won't be the same without you.

Going Once, Going Twice . . .

On February 23rd, Christie's in Paris is hosting what has already been called "the sale of the century" . . . over 700 important pieces of art and décor from late designer Yves Saint Laurent and companion Pierre Bergé's Rue de Babylone and Rue Bonaparte apartments. It is a collection amassed during their five-decade-long partnership, in a quest for artistic beauty, and creative inspiration.

Bergé, who after Yves death in 2008, has said the items are nothing when not accompanied by the man, his partner in both life and design since 1958: and when you read the beautiful story in Bergé's own words of why he has chosen to part with the entire collection, I dare you not to feel your heart break.

Offered in this historic auction are important pieces by; Matisse, Picasso, Degas, Duchamp, Cézanne, Brancusi, Mondrian, Munch, Klee, as well as  Calder mobiles, African sculptures, Art Deco furnishings, an Eileen Gray dragon chair, (expected to sell for $6 million), extraordinary Lalanne and Limoges, ancient Roman sculpture, and various other things sure to keep The Met drooling for years to come.

(L) YSL's telephone table, with the original hand lettered art of the couture house's logo (one of the only items in the home not for sale), done in 1961 by graphic designer Cassandre. (M) The apartment's grand salon c.1971. (R) Laurent and Bergé's butler arranging the Jacques Grange-designed velvet curtains in the grand salon.

(L) Detail of the decadent grand salon, featuring Ingres's Portrait of the Countess de Larue (c.1812). (M) An ancient Egyptian sarcophagus adorning a plum purple room. (R) YSL and his beloved mummy c.1980.

(L) A model wearing a YSL gown, lounging in the library c.1972. (M) Ornate '70s Lalanne mirrors adorn the walls of the beyond-luxe music room. (R) Matisse's 1937-38 collage The Dancer, in YSL's library.

You can view all auction items here, and just for fun, here are some pieces I wouldn't mind bidding on:

(L) Calder's Dancers and Sphere c.1936 (estimate: $2 million), (M) portrait of Josephine Baker by Jean Dunand c.1927 (estimate: $20,000), (R) Francois-Xavier Lalanne's Oiseaux de Marbre petit chairs c.1974 (estimate: $50,000)

Photos: Pascal Chevallier (for Vanity Fair), Horst P. Horst, Condé Nast Archive, Christie's

Adieu . . . the world will miss you.

I'd like to pay tribute to a few inspiring folks that split town for Heaven this month . . .

Author and adventuress Leila Hadley, who traveled the world in the 1950s and wrote wonderful books about her journeys, including Give Me the World (1958), How to Travel With Children in Europe (1963), and A Journey With Elsa Cloud (1997)

Estelle Bennett of the legendary '60s girl group, The Ronettes, which she formed with her younger sister Ronnie. Together, the sisters, along with their cousin Nedra Talley, performed heartfelt songs that were the main inspiration for producer Phil Spector's inimitable "Wall of Sound" recording style.

Lux Interior, singer of the legendary psychobilly band, The Cramps, and husband of the band's wicked-cool bass player, Poison Ivy. They were at one time, one of my favorite bands ever, and whose explosively fabulous Holloween eve shows in Hollywood, became a tradition of mine for years (I would go-go dance until I couldn't walk)! My sister Lizzie and I once spotted Lux eating a sandwich at Art's Deli in Studio City, CA (he was wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, black latex pants, and nice black pumps), and  we wanted to tell him how much we loved him, but were too awestruck (what lame-o's)! Rest in rock 'n roll peace, you lovely devil.

 

And a sad farewell to Kelly Groucutt, bass player for the magical '70s super-group ELO, who played on beautiful melodies such as Telephone Line, Mr. Blue Sky, and the soundtrack to Xanadu, only to name a few.

Photos: Leila (Thomas Dunne), Ronettes (Getty), Lux (beastandbean on flickr)

Quite a Pressing Matter . . .

I'm jazzed to announce the gala grand opening of our design studio . . .

Located in a cottage overlooking the Hudson, in historic
Garrison, New York (come up and see us sometime).

Feel free to peruse our lovingly hand-crafted work HERE.

And may all your letterpress, design, and bookbinding dreams come true!

~ J + N ~

Fall 2009 Pret-á-Porter ~ Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs took inspiration this season from the layered looks of the 1980s, harking back to the heyday of Bennetton and Brooke Shields. I'm really loving the scrunchy socks (as thick as legwarmers), swingy skirts with hiking boots, bright plaids, rainbow stripes, and poufy sleeved frocks (finally . . . a Marc collection with basic pieces I'd really love to wear)! His presentation this time 'round had me happily reminiscing about the excitement I felt while flipping through Seventeen's gigantic "Back to School" issue, circa 1985 . . . when Jennifer Connelly was the teen model, Simon LeBon was taped to every girl's bedroom wall, and Molly Ringwald hid from paparazzi behind floppy felt fedoras.


(L) Molly Ringwald (publicity shot for Pretty in Pink) c.1986 (R) Marc by Marc Jacobs, c.2009

But what I was reminded of more than anything while browsing the collection, was the short-lived-but-much-loved '80s TV series, Square Pegs, which starred a pre-teen Sarah Jessica Parker, and sported guest appearances by cool peeps, such as Bill Murray and DEVO. Like, totally check out the similarities for yourself below, and then check out some episodes of the classic show here:




 
 

Dearest Blossom.

A weepy farewell to the lovely-voiced Blossom Dearie, who's songs sound like a much admired girlfriend whispering funny, swoony, secret-diary-entries in your ear. I'd first noticed her astonishingly sweet voice on the soundtrack to the heartfelt 2003 film My Life Without Me (starring Mark Ruffalo and Sarah Polley), and have been smitten ever since. How wonderful that though she is now looking down from a cigarette smoke cloud in Jazz-baby heaven, we still have her wonderful songs to keep us warm. We'll always love you, Blossom, dear.

Vintage Advice from Mrs. Helen Gurley Brown.

Helen Gurley Brown was the ground-breaking editrix-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years  in addition to writing several best-selling books, including the revolutionary Sex and the Single Girl in 1962 (which was made into a film starring Natalie Wood in 1964). She contributed loads to the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and her goal has always been to help women feel like sexy, powerful, independent creatures. Essentially, there would be no Sex and the City without the good ol' "Gurl". She penned many advice tomes over the years, including Having it All: Love, Success, Sex, Money, Even if You're Starting With Nothing (1982), The Single Girl's Cookbook (1969), and I'm Wild Again (2000). Now aged 86, H.G.B. is still kickin' . . . out partying in her fringed day-glo Pucci mini-dresses, and consulting for international editions of Cosmo. We should all be so bitchin' as Octogenarians.

Today, while going through my files, I came across a page from Helen's last issue at the helm of Cosmo, the magazine she made into an icon. Here are some of my fave bits from her final editor's letter:

"Self-Discipline ~ Do the rotten stuff first everyday . . . dreaded phone call, confrontation, awful work assignment. Getting the bad over with—it's called postponing pleasure—will inexorably move you along the success trail . . . truth!"

"Popularity ~ Empathy is the most important social asset you can have. Feel what it's like for them . . . How are you coming across? Talking too much? Ignoring signals of what they need? You don't have to sparkle or be beautiful. Get the vibes, listen with your soul, respond with love, humor, applause . . . You'll have a million friends. P.S. Enthusiasm doesn't hurt  . . . I love it, let' s do it!"

"Thanks for your friendship, pussycats. Be my valentine."

 

(By row) Helen celebrating the millionth copy of Cosmo in her office c.1965 (wearing Pucci, of course), Helen on the town in 1991, In her Park Ave. apt. with a stack of her bestselling books c.1965, with a favorite needlepoint pillow that reads "I love champagne caviar and cash", and "Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere", hangin' out with Jackie Susann in 1967, cocktail hour c. 1965, 4 examples of the "Cosmo Girl look" created by Helen and photographer Francesco Scavullo,  4  of Helen's book covers.

Photos: eBay, Corbis, LIFE

Genius of Love Vs. Lacroix

While checking out the new Pre-Fall '09 collections on style.com, I was caught by how much Christian Lacroix's current multi-patterned-and-heavy-shoulder-paded-vibe reminded me of the ensemb's worn by the Talking Heads, on the back cover of their 1985 Little Creatures LP . . .

 

And while we're at it . . . has anyone else noticed that one of the coolest, most inspirational women in rock is Tina Weymouth? If not, read this, and check out the pics below for a chronicling of her effortless and awesome style . . .

(By Row) 2 Talking Heads press shots, Tina with husband and Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club band-mate Chris Frantz,Tina performing in an African caftan with the Tom Tom Club (Circa mid-'80s), Tina and Grandmaster Flash C.late -1970s (photo by Laura Levine), Glam sun-kissed Tina funking out on bass, late '70s Talking Heads promo still, Tina on keyboards with T.H..