J.B. Taylor

Desk(top) Set.

Hello, you! I'm sorry it's been a while, but hopefully you'll forgive me when I launch the website I've been developing for the past year (more to be revealed soon)! As a gift to you for my absence, and also in an attempt to organize my ODC-worthy desktop of infinite inspiration folders, I've decided to share/purge some recent visual finds. Enjoy!

Above: 19th century Northern School watercolor still life spotted in an auction catalog.

Jerry Hall backstage, shot by François Moyal , Paris, c.1970.

Celluloid cabana awning sunglasses by Schiaparelli, c.1957, evoking happy childhood memories of days spent by the pool at the kitschy glam Beverly Hills Hotel, and The Racquet Club in Palm Springs.

"Nautch Dancer" Illustration for Ladies Home Journal by Dan Sweeney, c.1920.

A Southwestern style dollhouse named "El Rancho Reno", built c.1935 by Thomnas Reno of Pittsburgh for his daughter, and restored in the 1970's.

Georgia O'Keeffe painting at Alfred Stieglitz's Summer home in Lake George, NY, c.1918

And for musical inspiration, I've been listening to the mixes on Magic Transistor, which functions like the vintage portable radio of your fantasies. It even simulates the knobs so you can flip stations. They play mellow mixes perfect for when you're working, all curated by various obsessive LP collectors. Today I've been swaying at my desk to John Cale, Hank Williams, Fela Kuti, Bo Diddley, The Cure, Ultravox, rare Bowie, The Supremes,  and on and on . . .

Ballets Russes (2005)

I'm currently fighting the dreary Wintertime blues out here in our country cottage in NY—missing the California sunshine I grew-up with. So, in desperate need of colorful inspiration, I decided to re-visit the stunning documentary on the Ballets Russes (which you can view streaming here). On a grey and rainy day, like today, it's like a gold gilded treasure chest full of chromatic beauty, not only about dance, but all aspects of passion and creativity.

Above; Prima ballerina Mia Slavenska and a publicity photo of herself, taken in the 1930s. Below; two of Slavenska's characters, displaying her chamelion-like nature as a performer.

It's fabulous to see the original prima ballerinas still sassing it up, most of whom are dancing right on through their octo/nonagenarian years. How great they all look, and how vibrantly their spirits sparkle, is a testament to the grace and character one builds through a life of movement. Having taken years of ballet as a child (fueled by the movie Fame, and an early Chorus Line obsession), I sadly hung up my toe shoes in my late-teens, but watching this doc has reignited my love, and is responsible for my Ballet Beautiful membership. It's also dear to my heart, as it entertained me while recovering from a painful surgery years ago. While stuck in bed, I found it streaming on Netflix, and go absolutely lost in the Technicolor costumes (several designed by Matisse), mind-bogglingly innovative set design (mostly designed by Léon Bakst), and of course, the dancing, which is like watching the most heavenly dream.

Above; A stunning, surrealistic program for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, c.1950s (possibly designed by Dali?). Below; two looks at the adorable Nathalie Krassovska.

The Ballets Russes has long been an inspiration to countless designers and artists throughout the years; designers and artists like Galliano, Anna Sui, and Sarah Sophie Flicker of The Citizens Band, have each taken cues from the deco folkloric styles of the costumes and sets. I'll soon post photos I took during a visit to the magical Dance Museet in Stockholm, where my heart pirouetted like crazy over several original 1920s Ballet Russe costumes.

Above; Salvador Dali's program for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's production of Labyrinth, c.1940-41. Below; the company was home to some of the history's most celebrated dancers, including Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova, as pictured here.

If you'd like to dive deep into the story of the Ballets Russe, I recommend reading this wonderful book about the eccentric Russian impresario, Sergei Diaghilev, director and creator of this legendary company.

Don't be a drag. Participate.

Above: New years eve at Studio 54, circa 1978

A rumor has it that
It's getting late
Time marches on
Just can't wait
The clock keeps turning
Why hesitate
You silly fool
You can't change your fate
Let's cut a rug
A little jive and jitterbug
We want the best
We won't settle for less
Don't be a drag
Participate
Clams on the half shell
And roller-skates
Roller-skates

Good times
These are the good times
Leave your cares behind
These are the good times
Our new state of mind
These are the good times

Good Times, Chic (1979)

Here's to an inspiring love and disco-filled 2013 everyone! XO, J.B.T.

5th Helena Drive.

Like many starry-eyed little girls growing up in Hollywood, my first love was Marilyn.

I'm sure it would be hard for any aesthetically-minded human not to be moved by her innocence, genius, and dreamy aura. I've read many books about her life, each portraying a different mythology . . . but the fact that many of us have our own interpretation of her story, is further testament to her eternally captivating power.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of her death, and though it's blue to think about all the movie magic she had yet to conjure for us, I celebrate her spirit often. She had a wonderfully inquisitive mind, and fabulous taste . . . especially in clothing (simple Pucci pieces for day, Ceil Chapman gowns for evening), books (her Joyce, Hemingway and Whitman-laden library would've impressed any literary snob), and decor (she began collecting antiques in the 1950s, when it was still considered a bohemian hobby).

Her final home on Earth was a little Spanish bungalow in Brentwood, which she was happily  decorating up until the night of her tragically un-intentional OD. She had just returned from a trip to Mexico, where she ordered pieces of custom furniture that would soon be delivered to her beloved abode. While I'm sure most fans would imagine her home to be adorned with crystal chandeliers, white fur cushions, and gold leafed walls, it may surprise some to see that her nest was casual, warm, and completely unpretentious. She was setting up a cozy home, filled with hand-crafted Mexican art, weavings, Navajo pottery, and souvenirs from her travels.

Many of her beloved Mexican pieces were auctioned off years ago by Julien's in Los Angeles, and I've always treasured their catalog from the sale. It says more about this complex woman than any billowing white dress ever will. 1926–1962.

Sending you love and light, MM, wherever you are!

Select photos from top: Marilyn & mandolin by Milton Greene, her sun hat, photo of her festive dining room by Gene Anthony, Polaroid of her modern woven chairs (photog. unknown), the Iron boot was a gift from Clark Gable to MM during the filming of The Misfits in 1961, her portable record player.

Insta-obsessed.

Wishing I could post more often, but my husband & I are currently forming a new company (exciting details to be announced soon), on top of tending to our burgeoning design studio, which is currently a wonderful madhouse due to this feature about our work on Garance Doré! We're burning our candles at both ends, bright, to say the least. 

But if you'd like to keep up with our shenanigans on a more timely basis, you can follow @JB_Taylor on Twitter, or @Mrs_JBT on Instagram, where I post quite often. Here are some of my favorite recent captures . . .

Above, from top: Hand carved wooden camp totem spotted Upstate, moi celebrating my new Karen Walker Summer sunnies, Hydrangeas in our garden (the deer ate them all that night!), rooftop in Brooklyn at sunset, Ali Baba the Pug's usual morning pose, stunning antique embroidered kimonos currently on display at the Putnam History Museum (Cold Spring, NY), channelling The Craft with my witch sister Aviva in our Hobbity garden, Garance Doré enjoying the gorgeously scented rosemary at Hudson Hil's, across the road from our house at Russell Wright's woodland home 'Manitoga' (which Garance lovingly featured on her site) Ali Baba in his basket with his beloved bagel toy, weepy garden blooms, catching fireflies in the yard.

Estelle Ellis.

After reading news of Estelle Ellis Rubinstein's death in WWD last week, I wanted to pay homage to this inspiring, enterprising woman. After working for Popular Science in the 1940s, she went on to publish Seventeen in 1944, which became my bible throughout the '80s (especially when they made Molly Ringwald a cover girl, in her straw cloche). Many of the issues I so treasured are kept in archival sleeves on my bookshelf, along with the fabulous '60s and '70s issues that provide me with endless inspiration. Under the astute eye of editor-in-chief Helen Valentine, the mag hired now-legendary graphic designers when they were just starting out . . . Andy Warhol, Milton Glaser, Seymour Chwast, Ben Shahn, and Sol LeWit are only a few of the artists that contributed type, layouts, and drawings to Seventeen during its golden era, making the early issues all the more collectible. Estelle also launched Charm magazine in the 1950s, which later became Glamour. Here are some of my favorite covers of the mags Estelle created . . .

Sandi Fellman.

When looking through a recent auction catalog of contemporary art, I fell head-over-heels with American photographer Sandi Fellman's 1990 Incantation series . . . each shot a still life-of-sorts, luxurious messes of pattern and textile, with a mysterious David Lynch-ian vibe. I'd love to live in the decadent mood they exude, and hope to have one adorning my wall someday soon. Here are the three I'm especially swooning over . . .

Above: Fellman's Incantation #'s 22, 11, and 6 (each taken in 1990).

The Best Coast.

As alerted to by Rose Apodaca . . . my ultra-chic friend and fellow Cali-style expert, THIS SUNDAY is the final day of the epic LACMA exhibit, California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. So if in L.A., and a lover of classic West Coast mid-century vibes, hustle down to Miracle Mile, or fear reading the exhibit book and weeping that you missed it in all its golden teak glory.

Above: Another reason to worship this exhibit . . . the rare chance to practically step inside Charles and Ray Eames' iconic living room, every piece of which has been meticulously moved from Case Study House #8, where the Eames' lived throughout their lives, starting in 1949. When touring the home's permanent location in Pacific Palisades, you may only peek through the windows, so this is a special close-up view of their tzotchkes, furnishings, and books (so many of which are the same we have on our shelves at home).

I'm so glad we took the time to experience it when last in L.A., as we exited the show bursting with creative inspiration. I'm filled with even more native Californian pride than before, and dreams of perfectly simple, handcrafted work, surf, sunshine and mod Hollywood poolside glam. Here are some shots we sneakily snapped while viewing the exhibit in March . . .

Above: Fab Paul Fusco photo, c.late-1940s, of Billy & Audrey Wilder hanging with Charles & Ray Eames in the "conversation room" of their Pacific Palisades home. Below: Art Deco Cal-Arts pamphlets.

Above: Claire Falkenstein's model for client Peggy Gugenheim's garden gates, c.1961 (they remain at Guggenheim's home in Venice, Italy). Incantation Textile by Alvin Lustig for Laverne Originals, c.1947. Below: Arches and Dome Renaissance Christmas gift boxes by Joe Hong for Joseph Magnin (San Francisco), c.1966. Kraft paper Doggie bag for Lawry's Foods, art directed by Saul Bass, illustrated by Art Goodman and Phyllis Tanner, c.1961.

Below: Mr. Taylor and my sister, Miss. Lizzie, taking in all the beauty, as well as a bitchin' 1961 Studebaker Avanti, designed by Raymond Loewy, along with three Pasadena Art Center students.

Sassooning, with tears in my eyes.

Devastated to hear about the passing of hairdressing legend, Vidal Sassoon. My husband & I have actually been trying to emulate his positive lifestyle after viewing the wonderful 2010 documentary, How One Man Changed the World With a Pair of Scissors. It took my breath away to watch footage of him doing yoga beautifully at age 81 . . . still full of creativity, ambition, and humour. He seemed to be nothing less than radiant, and his self-made success story should be an inspiration to any creative or inventive soul.

Above: Sassoon (middle) with his debonair London salon team, c.late-1960s. Below: Model Suzy Parker in Chanel, getting tousled gorgeously by Vidal, c.early-1960s.

After years of experimenting with old fashioned '50s bouffants in London, Sassoon took a trip to New York city, and after falling in awe with the varied architectural landscape, he had a revelation that hair needed to be modernized for the fast-paced lifestyles of stylish metropolitan young babes.

Above: Vidal's first salon in London, all chrome, smoky mirrors and velvety browns, c.late 1960s. Below, L: Vidal's UK staff on their first visit to NY, where they were received like rock stars. Below, R: Vidal and his Beverly Hills salon staff, c.early-1980s.

His first famous experiment was in 1965, when he snipped model Grace Coddington's crimson locks into the sculptural "Five Point" cut for a story in Vogue. After seeing the photo, all the long-locked dollybirds came running into his futuristic-Deco London salon for cropped new 'dos. Designer Many Quant took notice of Vidal's magic talents, and inspired by each other, they revolutionized the modern look in unison . . . Quant giving girls monochromatic mini skirts and pop art accessories, and Sassoon giving them the look of cool, plus freedom from hairspray and weekly salon visits.

Above: Many Quant in her Sassoon bob, c.mid-1960s. Below: Vidal and Grace Coddington in her "Five Point" cut, as shot by David Bailey (?)

Now because we all look good, you'll always look good, Vidal Sassoon.

Faithfully.

I remember once hearing a record shop owner being asked by a customer who Marianne Faithfull was. His reply was "just some Rolling Stones groupie", and I immediately wanted to punch him in the face. Never just Mick's muse (he chased her, btw), or a stunning '60s dollybird . . . she was, for a long time, the spirit of The Stones. If it weren't for her, they would never have worn brocade, bought castles to fill with Persian rugs, taken LSD, tried to emulate the god Pan, or read Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita . . . which inspired nearly all of Beggars Banquet. She was rock 'n roll's first decadent, bohemian royal queen. Not only that, but she continues to contribute her own wonderful art to the universe . . . wildly entertaining memoirs, acting roles, and deliciously relevant music (collaborating with the likes of Nick Cave, Damon Albarn and Jarvis Cocker, to name only a few).

During a shamanistic convergence in my early-20s (aka; a really crappy time), I spotted a copy of Faithfull's autobiography at a used bookstore in Hollywood, and once I began reading about her glamourous, tripped-out and troubled journey, my soul applauded. I'd encountered a kindred vagabond spirit, and she's been a major source of inspiration ever since. It's also my belief that you haven't truly lived until you've seen her preform The Ballad of Lucy Jordan live. Next time she's in town, make it a life priority.

In a lovely tribute to her highness of cool, the Tate Liverpool has given Faithfull access to their collection, and she, along with gallerist John Dunbar (her first husband, also known as the man who introduced John to Yoko), have curated an autobiographical show featuring pieces she feels represent seminal periods in her colorful life thus far. The show, entitled Innocence and Experience, includes pieces by: Richard Hamilton, Nan Goldin, Man Ray, Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon (a close friend of Faithfull's), Robert Mapplethorpe, Pauline Boty, Rene Magritte and Sir Peter Blake, among others. I'm hoping to catch the show before it closes on September 2nd.

More about Marianne:

– She has the distinction of being the first person to say the word Fu*k in a motion picture (1967's I'll Never Forget What's'isname)

– Jimi Hendrix's The Wind Cries Mary is about her.

– She divides her time between an apartment in Paris, and an Irish castle with a ballroom made entirely of seashells.

– She co-penned the lyrics to Sister Morphine, and Jagger wrote Wild Horses about her . . . probably his most beautiful love song, ever.

– She recorded reggae with Sly & Robbie and Serge Gainsbourg.

– Marianne's great-great uncle was Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, author of the fetishtic book, Venus in Furs (1869). The concept of "Masochism" was later named after him.

– Her best friend is Anita Pallenberg.

– She basically invented hardcore gangster rap.

– She turned down Bob Dylan.

*Faithfull collage by me, J.B.T. Please do not reproduce without permission. Merci.

Desk Set.

Never one to pass up a good double-dare, I'm acting on a challenge posted here by Cat Party editrix, Chelsea Fairless, where she asked fellow bloggers to fearlessly post a screenshot of your insane desktops. So here for your viewing curiosity, is a peek into my digital brain . . .

I'm hereby passing this dare along, so don't break the chain, s'il vous plaît. If I can admit that I'm pre-planning a trip to the Trader Joe's in Danbury, you can too! C'mon and feel the liberation of sharing your deepest, darkest, nerdiest folder titles with the universe ; )

Knit Wit.

My dark and rainy morning was made infinitely more inspiring after discovering these tripped-out videos of performance artist and mother of re-purposed textiles, Evelyn Roth.

In the 1960s, before the concept of recycling was of any global importance, Evelyn began collecting old sweaters, unraveling the soft wool, and re-knitting the yarn into large scale cocoon-like shelters, provocative clothing and political wearable art. She is also known for collecting old rolls of TV film (found in newsroom trash bins), and crocheting it into clothing, car covers, and performance art costumes. When viewing the videos above, be sure to watch the awesome Arts 74 interview, wherein she performs a rad dance piece, playing with physical movement while completely encapsulated by one of her soft mollusk-like sculptures.

Above, top L: Roth c.1970s in a capelet of recycled feather dusters. R: In a crocheted fur and leather ensemble. Below, L: Moving sculpture happening in Vancouver. R: Recent portrait of Roth in a wheatgrass cape and recycled tape gown.

Roth has always found it bizarre that any person would choose to wrap their own skin in synthetic fabrics and textures, knowing that humans have the freedom to swath their bodies in any fabric available on Earth. Through her art, she wants to help people understand the physical and emotional effects brought on by the textiles we surround ourselves with, both healthy and non. Clothing and shelter are both intensely tactile and sensory experiences, to be considered with care, creativity and sustainability.

Above: Sea mollusk performance piece c.early 1970s. Below, L: Making a call from "The Family Sweater". R: Roth chilling out inside "The Environment for Living Recycled from 110 Sweaters".

I'm off to find a set of driftwood needles so I can whip-up a living room teepee and knit a sweater for my husband, Pug and I to wear simultaneously.

La Motocyclette.

My rebel heart be still! Willow's Fall 2012 collection featured one dress in particular that is causing the juvenile delinquent in me to swoon . . . a sinister chic black motorcycle dress, with leather sleeves and detailing. It was immediately added to my birthday list, and reminds me of a modern take on the poured-on leather suits Marianne Faithfull wore in the 1968 film The Girl on a Motorcycle, which if you haven't yet seen . . . hop to it!

And regarding the above image on the left . . . have you ever seen a cooler getup in your entire life? Leave it to la Faithfull to pair a leather jumpsuit, with a fox chubby, tights and ballet slippers, resulting in the universes hottest ensemb'. Vroom, vroom!

Avedon and did.

Was just re-visiting Richard Avedon's stunning 1978 monograph, Photographs 1947-1977, published by the Metropolitan Museum to coincide with his first major exhibition, and all the images felt so totally au courant, that I wanted to share the inspiration. Photographs was edited with guidance from his friend and editor extraordinaire, Diana Vreeland, and was designed by Alexey Brodovich, who had been the art director at Harper's Bazaar during many of Avedon's most iconic shoots. In honor of fashion week (I mean, fashion month), feast your peepers on these rarely seen shots from this very special tome . . .

Above, R: Dovima and Betsy Pickering in gowns by Lanvin-Castillo, Paris, 1958 Below: Dovima in a wrap by Brooke Cadwallader, in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt 1951

Below: Lisa and Alfred Leslie, with Liza wearing a suit by Zelinka-Matlick, New York, 1960.

Nymphs Only.

In my first post of favorite frocks hailing from Fall 2012 NY Fashion Week, I bow to a particular otherworldly Marchesa gown that looks to be made of poured gold. Chapman and Craig's exquisite collection was inspired by the angelic works of French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and each hand-made couture quality piece was worthy of a Venus' birth.

Above: Jourdan Dunn in the beyond glam Marchesa gown, and The Youth of Bacchus (1884) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

Photo: Filippo Fior for Style.com

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968)

While sequestered in bed for a week with the flu, I had a chance to catch up on rarities saved in my "Instant Queue", and took a chance on the rarely seen '60s romp, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom, starring Shirley MacLaine, James Booth, and Lord Richard Attenborough. I'd wrongly assumed I'd seen every likeable swingin' '60s flick in exisitance, so this was a total psychedelic surprise! It is an adorable love story, with loads of mod eye candy and a groovy soundtrack by The Spectrum and The New Vaudeville Band.

It's the story of Mrs. Blossom . . . a wealthy and dutiful housewife/painter of psychedelic artwork, who is quite lonely due to having a husband that is obsessed with building his company, Blossom Brassieres. When Mrs. Blossom's antique sewing machine breaks, her husband sends one of his factory workers, the ever-eccentric Ambrose Tuttle, to repair it, and the two begin an adorable affair, culminating in Mr. Tuttle secretly moving into the attic so they can hang out while her hubby is at work.

While it's a wacky premise, it's not merely a story about adultery. . . it has more heart than that, and is beautifully sweet, with a surprisingly un-formulaic ending. Not to mention the inspiring LSD-meets-Art Nouveau set design by Assheton Gorton, and wickedly wonderful costumes by Jocelyn Rickards, both of whom were also responsible for the look of iconic films such as; Blow-Up, Wonderwall, and The Knack . . . and How to Get It. See it, live it, love it!

Lady Madonna, Jr.

In honor of Madonna's Goth/Viking Super Bowl spectacle, I've decided to share a priceless childhood document from 1984 . . . the first draft of a fan letter, written to my then #3 idol, Ms. Ciccone. While the letter mentions that Marilyn was my other "idol", I left out the fact that my #1 favorite was Cyndi Lauper . . . a fact I intentionally omitted as not to cause Madge any jealousy.

It should be noted that the "bleach" I refer to, was actually me squeezing lemons on my hair while sitting in the backyard after school. And while I prayed for the sun to turn my locks platinum with dark roots, I sat on our swing-set listening to Like a Virgin on my Sony Sports Walkman.

Above: My Walkman of choice, c.1984 . . . the very Memphis-inspired Sony Sports, and me (age 10) in full Madonna-wannabe mode . . . white lace, rubber bracelets and Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

It's was also a testament to how much I loved the Material One, that I used a sheet of my sacred new wave brushstroke paper, as I was a hoarder of everything made by Paper Moon, my stationery obsession at the time (along with Lisa Frank).

P.S. I never received a fan club acceptance or a picture, but all is forgiven.

Pop Rocks.

Above: Brooke Shields with heart by Haring, as photographed by Avedon.

Though I was only a kid at the time, I've always felt lucky that I got to observe a tiny part of the '80s NY art scene. My sister, Lizzie and I were raised in L.A., but my parents were in the fashion 'biz, so they spent much of the year in Manhattan, toting us along wherever they went. It's also hard not to be grateful for the Reaganomics that enabled us to live temporarily like Dudley Moore in Arthur, with a private chauffeur, who drove us to experimental off-Broadway musicals, cocktail parties in lucite-adorned apartments, and to Bloomies for black patent mary-janes, so we could look fancy for linguine and clams at Il Mulino. 

Our memories of those days are so idyllic, I sometimes wonder if they were created in a cyber dream-chamber, a-la Vanilla Sky. Before the big recession in 1990, which hit the garment business pretty hard, Dad bought us five foot tall stuffed teddy bears and hot fudge sundaes at Rumplemeyer's, and Dom DeLuise sprinkled us with pastel confetti at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, where we got to touch Garfield, as his giant balloon body floated up to hover above 34th St.. We didn't yet know of AIDS, or losing friends to heroin, and we didn't have to live solely on popcorn and Twizzlers, like Madonna, when she first arrived in Times Square. It was awesome to be a precocious kid bopping around the glitzy Apple.

Above: Madonna at the Party of Life, c.1984, in a suit painted by Haring.

My most treasured Manhattan memories, are when we headed Downtown to the Soho art galleries. It was Slaves of New York come to life, everything covered in polka-dotted crinoline, neon tubing, silver steel, fake fur, and florescent graffiti. But our minds were the most blown by Keith Haring's Pop Shop, which to two mini-Valley girls, was the Toys-R-Us of cool. Our parents were awesome enough to gift us each with a Haring tee, pin, and an inflatable "crawling baby" pillow. Sadly, all was lost in a house fire, though I did manage to rescue one of the pins.

So, when recently viewing the 2008 documentary, The Universe of Keith Haring (currently streaming on Netflix), I was thrilled to know the story of this hugely influential young artist's life. He left small town Pennsylvania to study at The School of Visual Arts in NYC, and in the process became obsessed with street art, mixing the bright, naive whimsicality of Nikki de Saint Phalle (his fave painter), with the rebel spirit of tagging he spotted on the trains and streets. Through his influences, he developed a commercially groundbreaking animated style that probably inspires more young artists today than any other contemporary artist, aside from Warhol.

Along with branding himself and opening the Pop Shop, he art directed major advertisements, designed album covers, styled musicians like Grace Jones (above) and Madonna, eventually becoming a social activist, throwing fundraisers for AIDS research, as well as creating memorable "Crack is Whack" and anti-Apartheid campaigns.

In December, we viewed the Warhol Headlines exhibit at D.C.'s National Gallery, and in the tabloid inspired installation were several fun Haring/Warhol pieces . . . gummy bear-colored silkscreens created by the artists as wedding gifts for Madonna and Sean. They were, of course, my favorite items in the show. Bringing back nostalgic feelings for a time and place that will forever live on, covered in day-glo rubber triangle jewelry, in my Stephen Sprouse spray-painted heart.

Darling (1965)

I just had a blast re-visiting John Schlesinger's cinematic classic, Darling . . . the 1965 film that launched Julie Christie into Swinging '60s super-stardom, granting her an Academy Award for Best Actress along the way.

It's jazzy and slick, with pitch perfect early-mod style, my favorite example of which occurs in a scene where Christie strips down at a Parisian-Beatnik party, and after many cocktails, winds-up in only a polka-dot hair bow, white Courrèges booties, and a gentleman's shirt & tie. There's also a moment where she's undressing to be with her lover, and as she removes the prim white button-down shirt she's tucked into her pleated plaid wool skirt, she reveals a wild leopard negligee. Now a legendary fashion moment for me.

The soap-opera-esque drama tells the tale of a social-climbing tart, who slides through life on her charm and gorgeous looks, wreaking havoc on the men who attempt to love her. And though she eventually gains all the fame and fortune she could ever dream of, she ends up a prisoner of her own chronic dissatisfaction, leading to a shallow life, lived as an ungrounded bird locked in a gilded cage.

Laurence Harvey plays one of Christie's paramours with sinister aplomb, making me feel a bit melty in a scene where he dances up to Christie in a nightclub, with a devilish smirk and naughty glimmer in his dark eyes. His character's bachelor penthouse is accessorized with Fornasetti, he wears Saville Row like a dream, and I'm considering placing a glossy 8x10 of him on my wall. Christie's other co-star, Dirk Bogarde, ain't so shabby either.

I'm rating this film: 4 Mary Quant lipsticks.

Cecil Takes Manhattan.

Cecil Beaton arrived to NYC in 1928 with a sketchbook under his arm, a camera in his bag, and a mission to woo Manhattan's upper crust in the same whimsical fashion that he dazzled his native England's ritziest regals.

I've been in love with Beaton's eclectic body of work ever since first viewing his glittering portraits of socialite Paula Gellibrand (Aka; Marquesa de Casa Maury) as a teen. His work felt so modern to me, that I wouldn't have been surprised if you told me he invented Glam Rock. The theatricality and decadence of his creative vision will inspire bright young things for ages to come.

Above: The photo that started my fascination . . . Paula Gellibrand as photographed by Beaton in 1928. Below: Yours truly in front of the whimsically hand-painted entrance mural.

During his years hotel-hopping in Manhattan (from the 1920s through the '60s), he created visual poems for Vreeland at Vogue, wardrobed the Metropolitan Opera, designed book jackets to swoon over, styled Broadway musicals, befriended Warhol, champagned with Monroe, and romanced Garbo. He became creative director of the social-set . . . slaying the city's elite with his lyrical watercolors and sumptuous photography. Beaton was a Renaissance soul of the highest order, deeply inspired by the city's metropolitan razzle-dazzle.

Now through Feb. 20th at the Museum of the City of New York, there is a wonderful collection of Cecil's New York oeuvre on display. Beautifully curated by Donald Albrecht (an acquaintance, as he is a board member of Manitoga, which is across the road from our studio, and a place dear to our hearts), the exhibit is a visual love-letter to Beaton, told through rare photographs, 1st edition books, set design and wardrobe sketches, watercolors, magazine layouts and original costumes. It is an absolute feast for the peepers.

Above: Beaton's colorful apartment in the storied Plaza Hotel, c.1946 (as captured by Dmitri Kessel). Below: My favorite piece in the exhibit . . . Broadway phenomenon, Tallulah Bankhead in watercolor and pencil, c.1932. Beaton later designed her costumes for a production of Antony and Cleopatra in 1937.

Farewell, Mon Ami.

I'm very blue, to bid adieu, to my friend, the revolutionary costume designer, Theadora Van Runkle. She has been an inspiring force to lovers of vintage design for decades, whether they know it or not. With her film debut, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), she single-handedly brought a level of cool to films that hadn't been seen before, and lived her life with a glittering élan.

Above: Portrait outtake from my book, Vintage LA, as photographed by Jeaneen Lund.

Theadora started her career as a young advertising illustrator for May Co., and went on to become one of Hollywood's most talented costumers, garnering three Oscar noms (Bonnie and Clyde, The Godfather Part II, Peggy Sue Got Married), as well as being awarded with an Emmy, and a Costume Designers Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.

I first met Theadora in 2003, at a screening of I Love you Alice B. Toklas (a film she lovingly costumed) at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood, and after much gushing about Leigh Taylor-Young’s lace mini-dresses in the film, we bonded over a mutual adoration for embroidered piano shawls, and my deep love for her was born. Five years later, I spent the day sipping tea in her dreamy, ivy-covered Laurel Canyon cottage, as I interviewed her for my book Vintage LA (HarperCollins). After our chat-sesh, we had several long talks, where she told me delicious stories about Hollywood’s golden era . . . about her regular Friday night movie parties with Edith Head in the ‘60s, Cary Grant’s secret love affairs (I’m sworn to secrecy), and tips on how to be irresistible to men (most of which are too risque to publish!).

She was magical, talented, ever-inspired, and positively glowing from within. With her platinum bob, smiling red lips, and dramatic flirtatiousness, she still attracted sexy young suitors. One beau of which (a producer in his 20s) was so obsessed after cocktails with Thea, he sent her a strand of pearls.

Observing Theadora’s beautiful daily routine: watching the way she adjusted the antique textiles strewn about her boudoir, obsessing over finding the perfect vintage brooch to wear on her velvet kimono, and delicately painting portraits of her beloved cat, Hazel, showed me that you can live a creatively free and decadently bohemian life, even in your eighth decade. I'd been telling my husband about her for years, and dreamt of having them meet next time we were in L.A., so he could experience her illuminating energy. I'm incredibly sad that I'll never get the chance to visit with her one last time.

You can read all about her amazing career here, but you can also read the interview I did with her for Vintage LA below. There were so many hours of wonderful material, it should have been a book in itself . . .

Above: My photo of lovely Theadora in her vintage finery, taken the night we met in 2003 at the American Cinematheque (L.A.), for a screening of I Love you, Alice B. Toklas (1968).

I was a teen-age goth.

Each and every October, when Vincent Price movies are projected at midnight in local revival theatres, Siouxsie & the Banshees songs slink out of the radio, and historic cemeteries begin to give spooky night-time tours . . . I'm reminded that I was once a 15 year-old, clove cigarette-smoking, Munsters lunch-box carrying, kohl eyeliner addicted, goth.

During this chilly time of year, whenever I wake to a rainy grey sky, I'm filled with nostalgia for lazy days spent lying on my bed in tattered '30s silk-velvet gowns (once so cheap and easy to find), listening to Love and Rockets LPs, drawing spiderwebs on my school notebook, and talking on the phone to my vintage hearse-driving, Robert Smith look-a-like beau.

So, when I spotted Tabitha Simmons's perfect pointy death-rock booties, it took me back to a day, circa the early-90s, when I sold a garbage bag full of dresses at Claudia's Boutique in the Valley, and hopped in a cab to a rock n' roll supply shop on Hollywood Blvd., so I could hand the Nikki Sixx wannabe behind the counter $100, and buy a long-coveted pair of black patent stilettos with skull buckles (photographic evidence above).

My parents would have keeled-over at first glance of these treacherous heels, so I kept them hidden in my Mary Poppins needlepoint doctors bag, and the moment I was in the clear, out they came, ready to ghost-dance the night away to Sisters of Mercy.

So, in homage to my inappropriately dramatique after-school shopping ensemb's of spike-heels and floor-length velvet gowns, here are some stylish vintage finds to achieve this sinister Fall look . . .

 

Above: Antique handcrafted diamond and ruby snake bracelet, Tabitha Simmons Early boots ($1,130), me at age 15 browsing on Hollywood Blvd. in my skull buckle stilettos, rare antique sterling lion claw necklace ($3,950) c.1900

  

Above: Victorian Whitby jet and silver buckle bracelet ($850) c.1860s, Dova needlepoint handbag c.1950s ($99), blood red silk velvet and chiffon déshabillé coat c.1920s, Radley of London moss crepe and satin gown c.1970s ($825), midnight blue silk velvet bias cut gown ($1,250) c.1930s

Tangerine Dream.

Whilst watching a video for the 1985 Howard Jones song, Things Can Only Get Better, on YouTube at 6:30 am this morning (don't ask me how these things happen), I discovered my new muses for stellar Summer style . . . his back-up singers.

Dressed in simple white cotton, with dip-dyed tangerine accessories, wrapped turbans, and African bone jewelry, they're a fashion force to be reckoned with.

I'm off to buy some orange sherbet RIT dye, but first, here are some ideas on how to emulate their easy, breezy look.

   

 

Vintage African shell necklace from Zanzibar, Tanzania c.1940 (contact dealer for price), Rick Owens Belted jersey dress ($595), suede turban c.1960s by Irene of Montreal ($350), Vintage African hinged bangle made of carved ox bone ($125).

Heartstrings.

A recent exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum, entitled Guitar Heroes, displayed some of the most gorgeously hand-crafted and covetable axes on Earth. Every instrument featured was astonishingly detailed, displaying the most intrcate craftsmanship imagainable.  These were tools  invented for playing symphonies of love . . . music made of magic. Also, looking at these images marked the very first time I've ever even considered hanging guitars on my wall, Hard Rock Cafe Style.

Above: Baroque guitar by Matteo Sellas (c.1630–50), crafted of spruce, bone, parchment, snakewood, and ivory, with a sound hole filled with parchment rosettes. Below: Stunning silhouette-laden guitar (c.1800) featuring image of Neapolitan composer Giovanni Paisiello, whose operatic works were a fave of 19th-century guitarists. It is made of spruce, ebony, ivory, and tortoiseshell.

Above, L: Neck detail of a Neapolitan mandolin by Antonio Vinaccia (Italian, c.1781) made of spruce with ivory inlay, with a soundboard of tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, and gold alloy. Above, R: Guitar by Giacomo Ertel (c.late 17th century), comprised of spruce, ebony, fruitwood, bone, ivory, and mother-of-pearl inlay. Below: Neck detail of a Viola d'amore (c.18th century), created by Johannes Florenus Guidantus, and carved of spruce, maple and ebony. It was an instrument favored by both Bach and Vivaldi, and these particular violas feature carved figural heads, usually with either a blindfold or shut eyes, in reference to the adage “love is blind.”

Costume Party.

On June 18th, a Hollywood costume and memorabilia auction of epic proportions will occur, featuring iconic, museum-worthy items from the life-long personal collection of American sweetheart, Debbie Reynolds.

"My passion for collecting began in earnest when the studios broke up their inventories. In 1970 MGM announced it was going to auction off everything except their real estate. I was still under contract at MGM and knew this inventory well. These were the clothes that the studio wouldn’t even lend us to wear to events or parties. Prior to this auction, I was a “normal” collector. After the auction, preserving as many of these costumes as possible became my obsession. After MGM’s auction, the other studios followed suit. I was very fortunate that I knew the president of Fox Studios, who allowed me to purchase many items prior to their auction. Over the years, I continued to save as many pieces as I could as the studios threatened their very existence."—D.R.

For those who haven't yet been dazzled by her adorability in musicals such as Singin' in the Rain, Debbie grew-up in front of the cameras at MGM . . . sharing milkshakes with Elizabeth Taylor at the studio commissary, dancing with Gene Kelly, and hanging out in the wardrobe dept., watching legendary costumers like Helen Rose create intricately beaded glamour gowns. This is where her passion for collecting bits of Hollywood's history began. She was 'vintage' obsessed, before it was even a term.

As the old studio system crumbled in the early-'70s, and MGM was sold, a legendary auction was held on the lot, and Debbie had her bidding paddle raised throughout. She knew in her heart that these artifacts would one-day be seen as an important part of America's cultural history. She rescued as many costumes and props as possible, with the dream of opening a Hollywood museum, but in recent years found that the constant preservation and storage care, were too all-consuming, both financially and emotionally. So she now hopes to find loving homes for her trove, which happens to include Chaplin's bowler, Scarlett O'Hara's curtain hat, Harpo's curls, Eliza Doolittle's derby frock (designed by Cecil Beaton), as well as a certain infamous white pleated dress. I'm also floored by the items she acquired from personal estates and prop houses, including silent-era stunt cars, sound stage lights, and rare camera equipt. This is a woman who truly loves film, body and soul.

Here are some of the featured treasures currently slaying my old Hollyweird heart:

Above: Mother-of-pearl button embellished costume from Cover Girl (Columbia Pictures, c.1944), as featured in Rita Hayworth's Poor John number. Below: Antique Native American canvas canoe, used in various MGM Westerns.

Above, L: Gold bullion-embroidered silk velvet gown designed by Adrian for Norma Shearer in Romeo and Juliet (MGM, c.1936). Above, R: Gold bullion fleur-de-lis trumpeters tunic designed by Adrian and featured in Marie Antoinette (MGM, c.1938). Below: Egyptian ceremonial headdress worn by Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (20th Century Fox, c.1963)

Above: Gold lamé gown designed by Travis Banton for Claudette Colbert in Cecil B. DeMille's Cleopatra (Paramount, c.1934) Below: Antique carved Chinese rosewood bed from The Good Earth (MGM, 1937)

Above, L: Gold lamé Egyptian gown worn by mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom in The Great Caruso (c.1951) Above, R: Art Deco-era 10K Fresnel MGM kleig light (can't you just picture Jean Harlow being meticulously lit with this?) Below: Ivory appliquéd lace gown worn by Mary Astor in Meet Me in St. Louis (MGM, c.1944).

Above: Watercolor, gouache and glitter sketch of Mae West by Edith Head and Theadora Van Runkle for Myra Breckenridge (c.1970). Below: Jaunty life-size oil portraits of Marion Davies from her estate (c.1920s).

Above: Portrait of Marion Davies in various film roles by Federico Beltran Masses (c.1920s) Below: The white rayon-acetate crepe dress by Travilla for Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (20th Cent. Fox, c.1955), estimated to sell for 2 million (though I suspect it will go for much more). Remind me to tell you the story of when I got to try on this dress (I even have photographic evidence)!

Fellow film nerds, I implore you to download Debbie's auction catalog, and swoon over the historic treasures contained within.

Pretty in Paul.

If Pretty in Pink's Andie Walsh were shopping for the perfect new wardrobe, she'd surely swoon over Paul Smith's Spring/Summer '11 collection, with its mis-matched pastel prints, chintzy rose-patterned pencil skirts, ankle booties, Wayfarers, fedoras and men's blazers. After all, I'm sure by now, she and Ducky (let's go with the original Hughes-preferred ending) are living happily in their West Village townhouse . . . he's a stay-at-home dad watching over their pouty-lipped babies, until night, when he sings in a No-Wave cover band, and she brings in billions with her Sonia Delaunay-inspired line of triangular gowns, so she can totally afford to skip the vintage for a spell . . .

Now back to hunting down a vintage peach, chrysanthemum-patterned kimono, like the one worn by Molly in the scene below. I've been coveting this robe ever since first viewing the film in 1986, at a $1 theatre in Boulder, Colorado, while visiting my grannie . . . and from then on, life was all about; lace collars, beaded cardis, dusty-rose Karmann Ghias, tortured boys, and The Psychedelic Furs. Sigh . . .

Les Femmes (1974)

I've been totally transfixed by photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue's gorgeous 1974 tome, Les Femmes, which features portraits of society women, taken from the 1920s through the early-1970s.

Above: Autochrome of Bibi and Germaine Chalom, Cannes, c.1927 Below: Spain, c.1905

Every photo in the book looks as I want my entire Summer to feel . . . one where my wardrobe solely consists of; Victorian whites, mariniers, straw hats, palazzos and Spanish espadrilles, and we sit on linen picnic blankets talking about art, eating tangerines, and drinking Lillet under cherry blossom trees. View for yourself, and dream away . . .

Above: Autochrome of Bibi in the new Eden Roc restaurant, Cap d'Antibes, c.1920 Below: Florette at Picasso's Studio, Cannes, c.1955

Above: Fashion model Colombe, at Nevez, Brittany, c.1970 Below: Lartigue's muse and lover, Renée Perle at Cannes, c,1931, and Renee in her painting studio (where she only painted portraits of her own face), Paris, c.1931

Above: Autochrome of Bibi at Cannes, c.1927 Below: Yvonne Printemps, sunbathing in Royan, France, c.1924

Busy, Miss Lizzie.

Feeling so proud of my stylish little sis, Lizzie, today, after reading through her colorful profile on StyleLikeU. Every time I visit her in L.A., she lets me take over her jewel-box of a boudoir, which for a vintage collector like me, is like entering Aladdin's cave. Her wardrobe, as well as her collection of  whimsical trinkets, is unlike any other I've seen . . . it's really like walking into the treasure chest diorama on Disneyland's Pirates ride, and also brings back fond memories, as I've handed-down some fun frocks throughout the years (as all good, vintage hoarding big sissies should).

Above: The night table in Lizzie's Beverly Hills boudoir accompanied by a fabulous '60s stained-glass lamp once belonging to Chris Robinson and Lala Zappa, and (R) Lizzie wearing a vintage dress by Young Edwardian, the fashion line our father helped to create in the 1960s, and our mom, Moira (pictured below), placed in Contempo boutiques, where she was the head buyer (which is how our parents met)!

Above: Lizzie wearing a white lace maxi gown of her own creation while hanging with Moira, and (R) Lizzie wearing her favorite vintage Sex Pistols tee, Terry  de Havilland platforms, and zoot suit pants.

Lizzie is a designer who creates gorgeous custom party dresses, all sewn of rare vintage fabrics (two of which are featured in the interview video accompanying the story), each infused with her signature delicate dollybird style. She also works with Anthropologie, inspiring their visual merchandising team daily with her penchant for sequins and bows, as well as running a fabulous online vintage boutique called Dream Baby Dream, with fellow StyleLikeU alumnus and bestie, Kimme Aaberg.

My favorite quote from the interview . . .

“I recently rediscovered my journal from the age of eight. I wrote the following entry (spelling included): 'Two of my favorite things are red roses and blue silk dreses with lase at the bottem. i just love egrolls, flowers, kittens, pink wigs and satten dreses. it was hard to do it, but i finally put all my sunglasses in the right order. i just love to do art, go shopping on mellrose avenue. the best thing about school is art because i love art so, so, so much! p.s. i love carnifals.' Honestly, not much has changed since then.”

Pirates, Jewels and Geometrics.

On a grey and misty day in Manhattan last week, the mister & I went on a lovely visit to the Cooper-Hewitt, bringing us tons of inspiration, not to mention a few extra pounds, after noshing on decadent corn arepas and plantains afterward at Caracas, one of our all-time favorite cafes in the East Village (which we always try to keep secret, but I feel so guilty not sharing the culinary love with you).

Above: Rhthme Coloré by Sonia Delaunay, (France, c.1946)

Currently on display are two gorgeous exhibits . . . Color Moves: Art & Fashion by Sonia Delaunay, and Set in Style: The Jewels of Van Cleef & Arpels. For many moons I'd been awaiting the debut of  Delaunay's exhibit, being that she is a muse of mine. . . both for her commitment to live an unconventional life as colorful as her creations, and the harmonious creative partnership she shared with her husband, painter Robert Delaunay.

(L) Sonia in her studio on boulevard Malesherbes (Paris, c.1925), and (R) a printed silk satin dress with metallic embroidery (Paris, c.1925-28)

Sonia was an abstract painter whose rainbow-hued art flourished in the otherwise cold & grey machine age. She applied her modern sensibility to textiles, clothing (including costumes for films and theatre), book bindings, and interior design. In the 1920s, she and Robert, with whom she frequently collaborated, began designing dresses described as "poems in motion", sewn of prints featuring controversial prose by Dadaist poets.

(L) Cover of La Prose du Transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France written by Blaise Cendrars and illustrated by Delaunay (France, c.1913), (R) sketch of Robe Poemè no. 1328 (France, c.1923)

Above: Film still from Le P'tit Parigot (which must have been a huge influence on Klaus Nomi, as well as Bowie), directed by René Le Somptier and costumed by Delaunay (France, c.1926)

Her controversial brand of couture led to much success and a storied Paris boutique, Maison Delaunay, which sold Sonia looks from top-to-toe, every time featuring her avant-garde patterns and textiles, and collected by stylish stars such as Gloria Swanson and Nancy Cunard.

A wool embroidered coat (so amazing in person, it had me entertain the thought of becoming a professional cat burglar) handmade for Gloria Swanson, (Paris, c.1923-24)

Looking at her work today, one can't believe how fresh and modern it all feels . . . there were whimsical embroidered cloches that felt totally Anna Sui, and other pieces in the exhibit that if you told me were designed by Marni or Rodarte, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.

Above: Models in Delaunay beachwear (France, c.1928), Sonia and her models in Robert's studio (Paris, c.1924), and design #253 in gouache and ink (France, c.1928-30)

And then there was the crazy ice on display in the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit, featuring très dazzling pieces worn and loved by Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Princess Grace, Jacqueline Kennedy, Doris Duke, Eva Péron, et al. Here are some choice pieces I'll be placing on my birthday list this year  . . .

Above: Kikumakie butterfly brooch (created using age-old Japanese lacquering techniques) c.2004

Art Deco Anneau (ring) brooch (Paris, 1919), and Art Deco compact (Paris, c.1928)

Stunning Lamartine bracelet, given as a gift to Dame Elizabeth Taylor (along with matching earrings, naturally) by husband Richard Burton, during a romantic visit to Geneva, c.1971. Le sigh . . .

Diamond lapel clips, inspired by the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids (Paris, c.1920)

Egyptian Odalisque evening bag, featuring quite possibly the most exquisite clasp I'll ever encounter in this lifetime (Paris, c.1927)

Turban Cowgirl.

I'm in the process of writing an epic fashion week post, so in the meantime, I give you this fab article found in one of my 1940s issues of the Saturday Evening Post, written by hat designer Sally Victor on the history of the turban (one of my all-time favorite accessories), and how to wear it (click images to view full-size).

For yet more chapeau inspiration, view this post from the Vintager archives, which should provide you with a major turban incentive for the coming season.

Glitter & Glam Man.

 
On Wednesday eve, Mr. Taylor and I were invited to a reception at the Staley-Wise Gallery in Soho, to view an installation of photographs by legendary photographer, Bert Stern. Titled Jewels, Stern has selected several of his most famous portraits, including those of Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and (of course) Marilyn, as well as '60s super-dollybirds Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. But what makes this exhibit special, is that Stern has glittered each print with crystal appliques, along with its frame, giving these iconic images added sparkle, hence the title of the show.

One favorite image from the show was a black and white portrait of Marilyn holding a silk scarf over the lower half of her face, like Sheherazade, and he had lightly dusted the draping of the scarf with silver glitter, giving her a spookily sultry aura. Another piece we dug was a large uncut-sheet of day-glo serigraphs Stern did for Avant-Gard magazine in 1962, featuring Monroe.

Glued to Glamour.

Once upon a time, in the early 1930s, a young girl created the most beautiful collaged scrapbook of her favorite Hollywood screen goddesses and leading men, meticulously pasted onto fragile sheets of lined-school paper. Featured on these pages, are the most glamorous actresses of all time, in hundreds-upon-hundreds of rare candid and on-screen photos (including one of Louise Brooks i've never before seen).

I discovered this beautiful scrapbook (or early fanzine, as I like to think of it), wrapped in tissue paper and plastic at an antique barn in Upstate, NY, and after keeping a few pages for myself, I've decided to part with the bulk of the collection though my Etsy boutique (now SOLD).

Each page was layed out so beautifully, begging for an Art Deco frame to display it, and adding to the romantic ephemeral vibe of the stack is the golden foxing to the edges of each sheet.

Featured Stars Include: Clara Bow, Jeanette MacDonald, Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Louise Brooks, Dolores Costello (grandmother of Drew Barrymore), Fay Wray, Dolores Del Rio, Lupe Velez, Corinne Griffith, Bebe Daniels, Anita Page, Billie Dove, Norma Shearer,Greta Garbo, Mary Pickford, Loretta Young, Carole Lombard, Claudette Colbert, Pola Negri, and hundreds more.

Hopping Mad.

On January 11th in NYC, Christie's will be featuring a selection of contemporary art from Dennis Hopper's personal collection, for their Interiors auction. Hopper was not only an awesome actor, but an inspired artist himself, utilizing the mediums of painting, photography and sculpture. He was an important figure in the California art scene of the 1960s, and a regular contributor to Semina, a cultural postwar journal edited by his friend Wallace Berman, and written in a beat tempo, from 1955-1964.

Above: R.C. Gorman's Grey Rug Model c.1973, P. Jahan super-imposed photo c.mid-20th cent., Expert Bobbing signed Keinholz c.1965

Being that he was a key member of this highly creative circle, he naturally became a collector and supporter of other artists work, and his home was filled with treasures of both a conceptual and aesthetic nature. Above and below are some of my favorite pieces in this epic auction of his possessions.

Above: For Dennis by Robert Dean Stockwell (from Married to the Mob!) c.1971, photo with stamped message about their notorious 8 day marriage by Michelle Phillips c.1970, Ace collage by R.D. Stockwell c.2005, drawing by Beatrice Wood c.1974, earthenware Female Torso plaque by Beatrice Wood c.1970s, collage by R.D. Stockwell c.1980s?

Mr. Taylor and I were jazzed to view a collection of Hopper's own art, in an exhibit at MOCA last August. During the visit, we were especially blown-away by his photo-realistic 1961 painting of an L.A. intersection, entitled; Double Standard (which was also the name of the retrospective), as well as his humorous pop sensibility . . .

Above: Nic entering the exhibit at MOCA (photo: J.B.T.), Hopper's Double Standard c.1961 (Tony Shafrazi Gallery), Hopper's giant moving Plexiglas sculpture Bomb Drop c.1967-68 (J.B.T.), Hopper's 30 ft. tall La Salsa Man c.2000 (J.B.T.)

Purple Haze.

Ads for Cacharel photographed by Sarah Moon (as found in the book Modern Publicity 1971/72).

Christmas Dream.

I can't think of a more dramatic stocking stuffer than a 1970s "crystal teardrop by Ells and Farrier". I'm fantasizing that it is a totally easy-to-find Ren Faire item, but it's doubtful. Back to crying actual tears of envy . . .

Photo: British Vogue, Barry Lategan, c.June 1972

Tinseltown.

I've decided to make everyone's holiday gifts this year by hand, so as you can imagine . . . i've been working my digits to the bone. Loved ones will be recieving a variety of prezzies; decoupaged vases, seashell jewelery, CD compilations, moon & star-shaped cookies, fresh-baked granola, and custom journals.

I'm also in the process of designing our holiday card, which i'll share soon, but for now, here is a totally adorable and inspiring Christmas card, created in 1964 using sparkly tinsel and special effects, by surrealist photographer Angus McBean:

When David met Celia.

When thinking about artists and their muses, one inspiring pairing immediately comes to mind . . . that of David Hockney and his best friend, textile designer Celia Birtwell (who was also muse and wife to Ossie Clark). This triumvirate of characters has been tantamount to my aesthetic development, as we're talking about one of my all-time favorite painters on Earth, one of my absolute personal-style ideals, and a designer whose frocks I could wear solely until my very last breath. Being that Celia has the dreamy eyes and fair ringlets of a Botticelli goddess, Hockney was naturally drawn to her, stating that . . .

"Celia has a beautiful face, a very rare face with lots of things in it which appeal to me. It shows aspects of her, like her intuitive knowledge and her kindness, which I think is the greatest virtue. To me she's such a special person … Portraits aren't just made up of drawing, they are made up of other insights as well. Celia is one of the few girls I know really well. I've drawn her so many times and knowing her makes it always slightly different. I don't bother getting the likeness in her face because I know it so well. She has many faces and I think if you looked through all the drawings I've done of her, you'd see that they don't look alike."

Here are some of my favorites from Hockney's endless archive of Celia studies, which he first began in 1968 and continues adding to:

Cozy Overload.

Although I'm a born & raised California girl, you'd never know it (aside from the remnants of my Valley accent) due to my absolute LOVE of Harris tweed coats, hot apple cider, huge scarves, and Hunter wellies. With my pale Irish skin, and love of being snowed-in (am I the only one that finds it to be heaven?), I'm only truly happy when the air begins to chill, so let's talk turkey (season, that is). Here's the kind of Fall fashion I'm feeling;

I recently went shopping at Barney's and couldn't a thing to wear, until I strolled through the men's dept. and realized they had everything I'd ever wanted in a Fall wardrobe . . . (Above, Left): Jerry Hall in a tailored men's suit c.early 1980s (Right): Vintage tweed Annie Hall-inspired ensemb' as featured in the fabulous 1983 tome, Vogue: More Dash Than Cash by Kate Hogg (Below, L): An asymetrically tailored look photographed by Brian Duffy for French Elle c.1979 (Below, R): Margaret Howell trousers, tailored shirt and embroidered braces (I could wear her clothes exclusively, forever & ever, and still be elated).

I'm in the market for a cozy new coat, and have been romancing the idea of finding the perfect vintage fur chubby (and I repeat, "vintage", as I choose not to support the modern fur industry). Jane Birkin (above) epitomizes the warm bohemian vibe I'm swooning over, down to her sweet old basket tote. (Below, L to R): Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki in a glam bustier with '40s-style chubby c.1970s, Mod model (and sister of Pattie) Jenny Boyd in a golden pelt, c.1960s, and flawless Katherine Hepburn in sailor jeans and full-length mink c.1930s ("what becomes a legend most?", and how!)

But I'm also on the hunt for either a classic camel raincoat, or a colorful plaid trench (whichever finds me first). (Below, L to R): Ossie Clark trench photographed by Celia Birtwell c.1970s, Penelope Tree c.1960s, classy Molly Ringwald in NYC c.1980s (Beneath): wooly glam photographed by Duffy for French Elle c.1979

But as is eternally the case, I'm also completely devoted to the boho-Mucha-goddess-dollybird look, as seen below (L to R): Model Raquel Zimmerman in an absolutely perfect assemblage of accouterments c.2000s, a vintage Geoffrey Beene Bazaar paisley dress c.1960s, and a dreamy ragamuffin muse c.2000s.

As for dudes, if you want to be seen as a hip gentlman, attracting only the chicest of sexy brainy ladies, take my advice and go with any of the following Fall fashion vibes (L to R): Clint Eastwood in his legendary poncho from the Spaghetti-Western A Few Dollars More c.1965, and Robert Redford in super-cool literary-hipster/spy garb from Three Days of the Condor c.1975.

Steepletop.

After reading Nancy Milford's extraordinarily fascinating tome, Savage Beauty, about the great American poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, i've become deeply transfixed with the story of this brilliant bohemian, who lived her life with dramatic élan. After winning the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to a woman for poetry, she became the most famous person in America, and her readings in the 1920s were more like rock shows . . . with screams for encores, and young fans swarming around just to breathe-in her velvet-clad ethereal air.

Above: E.St.V.M as a little witch, c.1800s (posted just in time for Hallow's Eve!)

Most of her life was spent high atop a hill in Austerlitz, NY, at Steepletop . . . the beloved farm estate (named after a wildflower), where she resided with her husband, Eugen Boissevain, until her passing. It is a National Historic Landmark that has been turned into a museum, along with an old barn that is now the Millay Colony for the Arts, as per the wishes of Vincent (as she preferred to be called) and her sister, Norma Millay Ellis, who oversaw the estate until 1986.

Norma made sure that every detail in the home was exactly as Vincent left it, much to the joy of devotees, like me. Mr. Taylor and I took our dear friends Doris and Joe to tour the house and its verdant grounds on October 17th, the day before the anniversary of her passing. It was terribly moving to stand in her boudoir, looking at her little glass pill bottles and travel souvenirs, and even more wondrous was her private library, filled with thousands of first editions, each one well-loved, and in the middle of the room, a blanketed chaise, and a funny little hand-painted "silent" sign hanging from the ceiling. We all sighed when it was time to exit, as none of us ever wanted to leave.

Yet the most intense experience for me, was Vincent's stunning Poet's Trail, where she and Eugen frequently rambled, and where both their spirits were eventually laid to rest, along with her beloved mother and muse, Cora Millay. On the chilly Fall day when we visited, travelling down her well-worn path, covered with Technicolor leaves, acorns, and bright green moss, I really felt as if I were walking in a dream. And when we arrived at Vincent and Eugen's memorial, the tears began to roll. It would be impossible for any visitor not to feel the poignancy of this artist's life.

Steepletop is closed for the season, but check their site for upcoming events, as it is truly an unforgettable place. And for more photos from our magical day, visit the full gallery here.

All photos (except Vincent the witch): © Nic & J.B. Taylor

Three Inspiring Spirits.

On this gloriously gloomy Fall afternoon, my mind has been consumed with three artists: one who passed on to the cabaret in the sky long ago, and two more recently departed.  Though in pleasant news, no member of this inspiring triumvirate will soon be forgotten, for they created some truly dazzling new sights and sounds . . .

While exploring Yale University's Beinecke Library of Rare Books online, I discovered some wonderful rare photographs of performer and activist Josephine Baker (by photographer Walery of Paris c.1926), that knocked me off my Art Deco t-straps . . .

And I bid a deeply heartfelt adieu to Ari-Up (also known as Madussa), vocalist for the legendary '70s punk band The Slits, and one of my early musical heroes. And if you haven't heard their funky version of Heard it Through the Grapevine (or rather as she she sings "Heard it Through the Bassline"), allow me to enlighten you. I'll always cherish memories of dancing around in my room while wearing torn-up vintage prom dresses, to their whimsically sarcastic song Love and Romance. Here is a fabulous series of interview and performance clips of the band as well.

The sound Ari created with The Slits forever changed my ears, with their disjointed, punked out tribal jam style, eventually leading me to love reggae and dub, through reading about friendship with DJ Don Letts and adoration of Rasta culture. Before The Go-Go's or The Runaways, there was The Slits, and they single-handedly inspired me to get involved with the girl power movement (I was the organizer of the San Fernando Valley Riot Grrrl chapter), not to mention, had me wearing underpants on top of my tights (see the Caroline Coon's iconic photo of Ari's underpinnings c.1977  below), much to my parents chagrin. Much love to you Ari, up in Rastafari Heaven.

 

Above photos: John Tiberi from England's Dreaming, Ray Stevenson scanned from my prized copy of Vacant: A Diary of the Punk Years 1976-79, Caroline Coon's famous  knickers pic, and Ari with Nina Hagen by Anton Corbijin

Ari will be in good rhythmic company, being that one of the most velvety of all Reggae voices has joined her today . . . beautiful Gregory Isaacs, also known in Jamaica as The Cool Ruler and The Lonely Lover. Here is a sampling of his suave sound and debonair look.

FIDM-mmm-mmm.

I recently discovered the wonderful FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) blog, where they post about special acquisitions for the museum and galleries located on their Los Angeles campus. Here are a few inspiring items i'd love to one day meet, face to fabric . . .

(L to R): Marlene Dietrich's gown from A Foreign Affair designed by Irene & Edith Head c.1949, Dietrich wearing the gown during a USO tour in 1944 or 1945.

Suit of Lights jacket worn by Rudolph Valentino in Blood and Sand designed by his wife Natacha Rambova c.1922, Vivienne Westwood ensemb' c.Autumn/Winter-1993.

Detail of a silk faille dress designed by Madame Olympe Boisse of New Orleans, c.1866

All photos: FIDM Museum

Caftan Call.

Lord knows I love a good muumuu. And in my hunt for the most inspiring tent-frocks throughout history, i've discovered that Thea Porter is responsible for the creme de la creme of caftans. here are some jems i've uncovered, perfect for the comfee cosmic Earth mama in us all . . .

Photos: Kerry Taylor Auctions, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Augusta Auctions, Decades Inc., VAM (U.K.)

Sad Day.

This week we bid adieu to the extraordinary photographer Corinne Day, whose work, for me, epitomized the look of the languid, boho-grunge 1990s (especially in her editorials for The Face magazine). She also happened to have discovered Kate Moss, henceforth, rewriting the pages of fashion history forever.

Here are some favorite Corinne works . . .

McBean Dream.

I've recently become deeply enamored with the work of English portrait photographer, Angus McBean (click images to view in their full glory).

Above: Bromide print self-portrait photo-montage, c.1951   

McBean began his career in the 1920s as a maker of sought-after decorative masks (mostly caricatures of famous personalities, like Garbo), and his creative talents were soon noticed by celebrated English photographer, Hugh Cecil (Aka; First Baron Quickswood) who hired him as an apprentice.

 

In Cecil's studio he began to develop a uniquely surrealist point of view, and it was there that he experimented with various photographic special effects, many of which involved elements of collage, handmade dolls, and the building of elaborate sets (see the above self-portrait, c.1956).

 

It wasn't long before he became the most sought after photographer of British theatre productions throughout the 1930s and '40s, until the war shut down the industry. During his rein as the stage's favorite shutter-man, he formed a bond with Vivien Leigh, who considered him to be her favorite portraitist.

Programme cover for a performance of The Importance of Being Ernest at The Globe Theatre, London, c.1939

After WWII, he revived his career by becoming the official photographer for both The Royal Opera House and the Old Vic, as well as being commissioned by Tatler and The Sketch to do a series of surreal personality portraits, a feature which ran for over ten years.

 

Angus himself as Neptune in a rope crown, c.1939

In the 1950s he turned his lens to LP covers, including Please, Please Me, the very first album by The Beatles. He was also responsible for discovering a young Audrey Hepburn, (see below) whom he hired as a model for a beauty advertisement, leading to her first screen test.

Throughout the 1980s he was still being commissioned for projects in both music and fashion, and he continued to capture magical souls until his passing in 1990, never ceasing to be inspired.

Above images: Angus amidst many busts c.1966, Dame Elizabeth Taylor c.1966, Dame Vivienne Westwood c.1988, Run-DMC c.1988

Summertime Sultry.

One of my favorite fashion photographers has always been John Rawlings, for his dreamy sense of color, surrealist tableau settings, cinematic concepts and mannequin-esque models. He was a visionary to behold, and i'd love my life to resemble a bit more what he saw through the lens.

Here are some favorite Rawlings shots to set the Summertime mood (all photos were taken from 1941-1965) . . .

 

Above: Rawlings in his Oyster Bay, NY, Summer home, c.1957

 

 

Above: (L) May Beverly in Vogue c.1965, (R) Pink chapeau c.1943

 

Above: (L) Socialite Byra Hemingway and her daughter, in the MOMA, wearing a Mildred Orrick dress and Dobbs hat, (R) and at home in 1947.

 

Above: Model with Japanese Haniwa clay figure, c.1961

 

 

Above: Ballerina Alicia Markova in Enka Pajamas, c.1944

I'll Tumbl for you.

Due to the aforementioned theft of my laptop, in order to mend my heart's fried database, i've started a Tumblr, wherein I will safely archive inspirational photos, for both your perusal, and my peace of mind.

ENJOY!

Photo of Marilyn: Ed Feingersh

20th Century Foxy.

Auctioneers Rago Arts in Lambertville, NJ, is holding an Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts auction on April 24th, and there are quite a few pieces I wouldn't mind adding to my tzotchkes shelf . . .

(L to R): Bisque-fired bank (est. $1,500), risque "brothel tokens" (est. $3,500), and top hat trinket (est. $1,000), all by George Ohr (Aka; the "Mad Potter of Biloxi"). Awesome photos of the eccentric Ohr (and his manifique moustache) below . . .

 

  

(L and Center): Large ceramic Amphora vases with Grés-Bijou by Riessner, Stellmacher and Kessel (Est. $1,750 ea.),  (R): Austrian ceramic vase with spooky trees and pearly leaves by Paul Dachsel of Terex ($800)

Chinese Art Deco silk carpet by D. Shaw Nicholls ($1,200), Silver Crest Decorate Bronze Art Deco etched desk set, which totally reminds me of Blade Runner ($900)

Silver turquoise and enamel necklace by Charles Ashbee, which by the looks of it, has to possess actual magic powers ($4,500), California Arts & Crafts bronze and conch shell lamp ($1,500)

The Turbanator.

Spring has arrived, and i've begun dreaming of a wardrobe filled with rayon '40s frocks in floral & ethnic patterns, platform espadrilles, and a rainbow of eclectic turbans. I'd recently remembered a fun interview with Erykah Badu, from back in the '90s, where the journalist inquired as to what her huge yellow turban meant to her, and Badu hazily replied that it was basically a symbol of her inner-royalty and wrapping her mind "in knowledge". I'm all for that trippy theory, but am also jazzed at the prospect of wrapping my head in dazzling rajah regalia. Here are some divine looks to inspire you into becoming a fellow turban cowgirl this season . . .

(Above, L to R): '70s British Vogue, '70s Paris Vogue featuring Dayle Haddon, '70s Harpers & Queen magazine.

Carmen Miranda (aka; The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat), flanked by head vases designed in her likeness c.1940s.

My (sneaky) photos from the 2007 Paul Poiret: King of Fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, showing examples of the magical designer's Orientalist inspirations. C'est manifique!

Socialites at an exotic-themed 1925 fun-raising soireé held in Manhattan's Plaza Hotel (photo by Edward Steichen).

Favorite Biba-model Ingrid Boulting (as the genie of all my fashion dreams) from  British Vogue c.1970s, and a romantic 1920s rajah illustration.

 

Rudolph Valentino (ambassador of the turban as seductive style statement), seen on the left with Vilma Banky in the 1926 silent film, Son of the Sheik, (middle) on the cover of a posthumous fan magazine with his  turban-obsessed costume designing wife, muse and manager, Natacha Rambova, and again in 1926 with Banky.

 

Faye Dunaway playing diva extraordinaire Joan Crawford in the 1981 cult film, Mommie Dearest (which i'm not ashamed to admit I can recite word for word), and the inimitable Greta Garbo, who's face was simply made for said chapeau.

 

Vintage pastel rainbow taffeta Don Anderson–New York turban c.1960s (currently $49.99 on eBay), chic fashion-weeker donning a cashmere coat, Jackie O's and vintage silk scarf turban (photo: Tommy Ton of Style), and vintage  graphic psychedelic silk  Lazarus turban hat c.late-1960s ($169.99 on eBay).

 

Yours truly in a favorite leopard fringed cashmere scarf (wrapping pretty things around my head sometimes cures writer's block), and a fringed John Frederics number c.1941 from the archives of the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute

 

Model Helen Bennett wearing a turban and dress by Balenciaga c.1938 (photo: Horst P. Horst), Elsa Schiaparelli in one of her own creations, and Loretta Young in a cashmere turban with silk flowers c.1940 (photo: John Rawlings, who is one of my all-time faves)

 

Gorgeous Murad Turkish cigarette advertisements c.1920s, inspired by Orientalist art (which there was a craze for, during the jazz age)

Sterling and bakelite fur clip c.1940s by Sandor, Baronne van Zuylen at the Egyptian Pyramid of Khafre in a gold lamé turban c.1965, sterling, amethyst and opal brooch by Tono (Antonio Paneda)  c.1945 ($3,900 here)

Amazing blues songstress Ethel Waters c.early-1930s, Lana Turner in the classic 1946 Film Noir The Postman Always Rings Twice, Rudolph Valentino wearing a turban designed by his wife Natacha, and Joan Crawford in an embroidered sweater/turban set, at a Hollywood malt shop c.1939

 

Striped silk faille turban topper from Saks Fifth Ave.'s Debutante Shop c.1930s (sold by nancybcat on eBay), model in a colorful and surreal parrot turban (how Prada is this?) c.1939 (photo: Toni Frissell), 1970s Yves Saint Laurent silk scarf chapeau ($225 on Etsy)

 

Purple velvet knotted turban c.1940s, Pola Negri vamping on the cover of Photoplay c.1920s, and a Dior–Paris for Saks velvet turban c.1960s (sold by 1860-1960 on eBay)

A still of exotic actor Sabu in the absolutely gorgeous 1947 Powell and Pressburger film, Black Narcissus (a must see based on the colors alone, not to mention the spooky story, stunning art direction and unforgettable performances).

Om shanti shanti shanti.

 

 

 

Vuitton is the word, is the word . . .

Louis Vuitton's buxom and bomshelled Fall 2010 RTW collection featured one ensemb' in particular that had me Hopelessly Devoted to Peter Pan collars and Patty Simcox. If you ask me, the power this comparison's supplyin' . . . is electrifyin'!

Grease (1978) Vs. Louis V. (2010)

Louis Vuitton photo: Kim Weston Arnold for Style

Pin-Up Whirl.

Last month in  Dallas, Texas, there was the most incredible auction of original vintage illustrations, which for me served as a delicious art exhibit, filled with pulp fiction cover dames, advertising babes, bunnies, cheesecake cuties and silver screen queens. Aside from the cool fact that all the iconic pin-ups featured were original paintings (not prints), another thing that astonished me, was the astrononomical prices that they sold for.

Of the hundreds of beauties on display, here are my favorites (as well as their winning bids) . . .

(Above): Dutch Treat Club Yearbook Illustration c.1952 by Bradshaw Crandell (Sold for $17,000!)

(L to R): Club Bunny from VIP Magazine c.1966 by Don Lewis ($4,500), Greta Garbo (for a movie magazine) c.1930s by Charles Gates Sheldon ($2,600), Pin-Up in Fur pastel c.1940s by Guy Hoff ($900)

(Yowza!) Nude oil by Gil Elvgren c.1950s ($15,000)

Mens shoe illustration for Playboy c..1960s by Robert Peak ($1,200), Black Stockings by Alberto Vargas c.1930s ($28,000)

Vogue magazine cover c.1980s ($950), Clara Bow c.1930s by Charles Gates Sheldon ($4,000), portrait of Mae West for Screenland c.1933 by Charles Gates Sheldon ($2,200)

Carole Lombard for the cover of Motion Picture magazine c.1936 ($14,000) by Charles Gates Sheldon, The Gibson Girl c.late-1800s by Charles Dana Gibson ($7,500)

Drink Budweiser - America's Social Companion advertising die-cut c.1930s by Andrew Loomis ($6,500)

 

Pastel portrait of Mae West for movie magazine c.1930s by Henri Sabin ($140), pulp paperback cover for Tonight It's Me c.1957 by Lou Marchetti ($1,300), Clara Bow portrait for the Call Her Savage film poster c.1932 by Fox artist Alex Luders ($1,100)

Pulp paperback cover for Teacher's Pet c.1963 by Paul Rader ($9,000)

Go-Go Music watercolor c.1960s by George Guzzi ($325), Hippies on Motorcycle c.1960s by J. Asaro ($700)