Rare Bird of Paradise

Those who follow my blog might already know that I have a soft spot for the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. I do firmly believe is probably the best fashion school in today's world and so are the graduation shows of their students. I'm always in awe with their designs and imagination, the quality of the garments and their ideas.

This year's graduation took place last month and the work of Meryll Rogge was specially dear to me. Let's say I have a total crush on her collection. (here to see all the shows)

Her work, as that one of Andrea Ayala, another Antwerp student graduated in 2007 whose collection still keeps me in awe, brings to mind Sonia Delauney's designs for theater during the 20's.- Cubism seems a very recurrent topic for these graduates.

Sonia Delaunay's costumes for "The Gas Heart" by Tristan Tzara.

Although such inspiration might seem dated, let me tell ya, I rather to see Cubism-inspired collections (and I'll clap if I see them!) than another twiggy/60's-hippie/70's one... it's needed more knowledge and imagination.

Hot Chicks in the Air

There was a time when girls dreamed of being stewardesses when they'd grow older... Or at least I did.
My cousin Tatiana never finished college because at age 18 and due to her ability with languages (she spoke 4 at the time!) she was hired as stewardess for Iberia. It was the coolest thing ever!
I was so envious... she was always flying, traveling, knowing places and telling me all these crazy stories... with pilots you know.
Fashion designers died for having the chance of designing flight attendants uniforms, and some privileged did as Christian Dior for SAS, Balenciaga for Air France or Valentino for TWA. (source)
If you want to know more about these fashions, do not miss the book Airlines: Identity, Design and Culture by Keith Lovegrove.
Unfortunately times changed and everything got cheap, affordable and tacky and being a stewardess wasn't cool anymore. That's a real shame, isn't it?

[A big thank you to Dark Roasted Blend for collecting such wonderful an archive]

Remember??... Free cocktails for everyone!

The First Supermodels. Part II

Working in a popular coffee shop in a cool neighborhood gives you the chance to meet all kind of people.. and to SEE.
Two days ago none other than Sasha Pivovarova came in with friends to have some food. I was amazed! So then I remembered my posts on the first super-models... I did a first part but there are so many more to come! So let's get continued...


Anne St Marie
I found the flickr account of her ex-husband and Harper's Bazaar photographer Tom Palumbo, where I could find endless images of her. But I couldn't find even one mention of her life along the www. How strange!
I knew of her because she is named in many "best of" models' list and the photo where she is with the monkey (see below) that her friend and photographer Irving Penn gave her is quite famous. But there is not even one word on her life.
All we know is that she worked for Harper's Bazaar, Vogue... and she wasn't young but what a face!, she had elegance and poisse! Wonderful character.

Suzy Parker
What Lisa Fonssagrives was to the 30's and 40's, Suzy Parker was to the 50's; The Face.
She was born Cecilia Ann Renee Parker in Queens, New York.
It was her elder sister, Dorian Leigh, who introduced the future model to agent Eileen Ford when Cecilia was just 14 years old.
Suzy became the "signature face" of Coco Chanel and Vogue would point her as one of the confident post-war American frontage women.
She was one of the models to be chosen to play in our fave movie Funny Face together with Fred Astair and Audrey Hepburn (she danced during the Pink Number) although her importance in the movie wouldn't be as important as Dovima's who was "the model" of the film.
Suzy died in 2003 at age 70 after a long battle with ill health.









































































































































































Bettina Graziani aka Bettina
Imagine that someone as Hubert de Givenchy names his first collection after yourself... well, that's exactly what happened to Bettina!
In 1952 Givenchy launched his first collection what named after the French model, and one of its designs, the Bryonesque "Bettina" Blouse, became a must in the early 50's. source Now, that's something!
Bettina, a favourite of Roybot as he kindly reminded me in my first super-model post, retired from modeling in 1955 after meeting Prince Aly Khan. She was with the Prince in the terrible car accident that cost his life, when both were coming back home from a party in Suresnes, France, a suburb of Paris.
After the accident Bettina wrote her memoires "Bettina by Bettina".

Christian Dior at YOOX

In a vintage madness era, virtual boutique YOOX is bringing to its costumers a rare selection of Christian Dior pieces found around the world in cities like New York, Paris and Florence.
With this project, Long Live Christian Dior, YOOX is ending a series of "specials" on vintage clothing which height was last year with Chanel, a sale that sold out in a record time.
Selection from the 40's to the 80's and beyond.
This is my own selection...

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En una época de locura por lo vintage como la que vivimos, la boutique online YOOX aprovecha el tirón para lanzar una serie de prendas del couturier francés Christian Dior encontradas en diferentes viajes por el mundo, Nueva York, Paris, Londres, Florencia...
Con este proyecto, bajo el título de Long Live Christian Dior, YOOX termina asi una serie de especiales "diseñador vintage" que tuvo su punto álgido el año pasado con la venta de diseños de la gran Chanel, una venta que se agotó en tiempo récord.
La selección de Dior recoge prendas de los años 40 hasta llegar a nuestros dias... y aqui, mi selección personal...

Opening Night Party at the Metropolitan Museum

Every year the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum in New York hosts a Gala to celebrate the opening of a new fashion exhibition. It's the Oscars of the West Coast, where a red carpet is unrolled and celebrities walk it with the best fashions of the world. Fashion rules the night.
This year's Gala theme was Superheroes, and the whole blogosphere posted images of their favourite guests with their favourite outfits. We all knew who, what and when but, did we ever wonder what was behind the walls? How was the party? What did the people do inside?...
I found some footage on youtube from a 1982's Opening gala party at the MET, invitee included Andy Warhol, Gianni Versace, Diana Vreeeland, Marisa Berenson, Halston, Bianca Jagger... what a night!

The First Supermodels. part I

I'm definitely not one of those souls who misses the old times models with their elegance, allure and attitude, because I actually think that we now have amazing girls who perfectly know how to put out there the look of our time; Lara Stone, Sasha Pivovarova, Iekeliene Stange...

But It's true though that there are way too many amazing models from the past who are being forgotten too fast! so let's review the faces of those who started the concept of being a supermodel yeeears before of the supermodel era in 1980's...


Dovima.
You might remember Dovima thanks to the movie Funny Face, where she played Marlon, the empty brain model who's posing for Fred Aster with the Giacometti-alike sculpture and later at the bookstore where Hepburn was working...

Dovima was born in New York, in the neighborhood of Jackson Heights in Queens.
She was believed to be the highest-paid Manhattan high-fashion model of her time ($60 an hour) in the 1950s.

She lost her only daughter, Alison, when divorced from her husband, Jack Golden, who used to beat her so often that sometimes she wasn't able to go to work. As über famous white-haired model Carmen dell'Orefice would remember: "Sadly she could only be with men who beat her. I'd find her on my doorstep black and blue, and I'd take her in and she'd live with me." (source)
In 1974 she moved to Ft Lauderdale, Florida, where she married West Hollingsworth, a bartender co-worker.
Dovima died in 1990 of liver cancer.

Dovima with Elephants, by Richard Avedon

Dovima is wearing the first gown designed by YSL at Dior

Lisa Fonssagrives.
Swedish-born, an original ballet dancer who actually moved to Paris to continue her career as a dancer, Lisa married photographer Irving Penn and was credited to be the first super model in the fashion history.

Famous for her 17 inches waistline which could be measure anytime thanks to the tape measure the model carried with her to prove it for those who didn't believe it... when asked how she could maintain such figure she would answer by eating regular tiny meals: for example, six grapes, a cracker, a slice of cheese and a gulp of wine. (source).

After three decades of modeling (1930-1940-1950) Lisa continued her professional career designing clothing (at one point she would do a collection of leisure wear for Lord & Taylor) and sculpting (she was represented by Marlborough Gallery).

A book with the most notable images of the model, Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades of Classic Fashion Photography, chronicles Lisa's modeling years and "establishes her role in bringing fashion photography to the level of high art".

Woman in Palace. 1951 (Lisa Fonssagrives by Irving Penn)

Mary Jane Russell.
Mary Jane Russell, a favorite of the photographers Louise Dahl-Wolfe (Russell is estimated to be modeled for about 30 % of Dahl-Wolfe's photos) and Irving Penn, started her career in 1948 represented by Ford Model Agency in NY.

She became, together with her husband (who she met while studying art at Teaneck High School), an activist in zoning and environmental issues in Pound Ridge, N.Y.

The couple was notorious for their recounting of their courtship in "Love Stories of World War II" by CNN talk show host Larry King. (source)

Russell died in 2003 at 77 years old.





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Mucha gente se lamenta de la "pérdida" de grandes modelos del pasado que se llevaron con ellas la elegancia, el allure y el descaro...
Yo no creo en absoluto que dicha "pérdida" exista, y no me cuento entre la gente que se lamenta ya que hay modelos maravillosas hoy dia que representan como nadie el look de nuestro momento: Lara Stone, Sasha Pivovarova, Iekeliene Stange...

Pero también es cierto que muchas de las mejores modelos de décadas anteriores se estan olvidando con mucha velocidad! asi que me gustaria rendir un pequeño homenaje a aquellas mujeres que acuñaron el término "super model" mucho antes de que las Cindys, las Naomis o las Christis existieran...

Dovima.
A Dovima se la recuerda sobre todo por su papel de la modelo Marlon en Funny Face, aquella modelo algo tonta que posaba para fred Astair frente a la escultura/imitación de Giacometti, y más tarde en la libreria donde Hepburn trabajaba...

Dovima era originaria de NY, del barrio de Jackson Heights en Queens, y fue considerada como la modelo mejor pagada de su época, el los años 50', llegando a cobrar 60$ a la hora (unos 40 euros, entonces).

Perdió a su única hija (a la que nunca volveria a ver) Alison, cuando a esta se la llevo su padre, Jack Golden, del cual Dovima se divorció despues de los numerosos abusos fisicos que hizo sobre ella. Tal eran las palizas que el le daba que a veces Dovima no era si quiera capaz de ir a trabajar. Como la famosisima modelo italiana de pelo blanco, Carmen dell'Orefice recordaría: "Por desgracia ella no podía estar mas que con hombres que la maltrataban. A veces la encontraba en mi descansillo toda llena de moratones y me la llevaba conmigo a vivir." (fuente)

En 1974 se mudó a Ft Lauderdale, en Florida, donde se casó con West Hollingsworth, un camarero que trabajaba con ella.
Dovima murió de cáncer de hígado en 1990.


Lisa Fonssagrives.
Lisa Fonssagrives, originaria de Suecia y bailarina profesional antes de ejercer su carrera como modelo (de hecho su viaje a Paris fue debido a su intención de continuar su carrera como baiarina), se casó con el gran Irving Penn y se la llegó a considerar la primera super modelo de la historia de la moda.

Con una cinturita de avispa, nada más y nada menos que 43.18 cm, de la que etsba bien orgullosa (siempre llevaba encima una cinta metrica para demostrar a quien dudase de ella la veracidad de sus medidas) Lisa respondia a todos aquellos que la preguntaban como conseguia mantener una figura tan estupenda, que la clave era el tomar pequeñisimas comidas a lo largo del dia, como por ejemplo seis uvas, una galleta, un trozo de queso y un traquito de vino. (fuente).

Despues de tres décadas al pie del cañón (1930-1940-1950) Lisa continuo su carrera profesional como diseñadora de ropa (en un momento dado llegaria a diseñar una linea de ropa de lujo para la marca Neoyorkina Lord & Taylor) y escultora (siendo representada por la importantisima galeria Marlborough Gallery en NY).

Existe un libro que recoje las mejores imágenes de la modelo: Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades of Classic Fashion Photography.


Mary Jane Russell.
Mary Jane Russell, modelo favorita de los fotógrafos Louise Dahl-Wolfe (de la que se estima Russell posó para el 30% de sus imágenes) e Irving Penn, comenzó su carrera como modelo en 1948 representada por la agencia Ford Models en NY

Se convertiría más tarde, junto con su marido, al cual conoció en el instituto Teaneck High School donde estudiaban arte, en una fuerte activista medioambiental en la región de Pound Ridge, N.Y.

La pareja se haría famosa por la narración de su corteo durante el programa "Love Stories of World War II" (Historias de Amor durante la II Guerra Mundial) en la CNN, un programa presentado por Larry King. (fuente)

Russell murió en el 2003 a los 77 años de edad

Stylish People.- Screamin' Jay Hawkins

I'd like to start a series of stylish people through the history of fashion... and not only! because sometimes, many, is people who is "not" in fashion the ones who are more stylish because they couldn't care less of what's in and out... they're beyond.
Ladies & Gentlemen, let's start with the über stylish and creeeeepy Mr Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Jalacy Hawkins was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I came in this world black, naked and ugly. And no matter how much I accumulate here, it's a short journey" (source)

He began his career as a conventional blues singer, there was nothing special on him... till the day he recorded his famous song "I Put A Spell On You".

Intended to be a blues ballad, the song ended up being one of the most "cannibalistic" songs ever made, the mother of what will be known as "shock rock".

The reason why this song ended up being the way it is and not the way it was intended to be was the everyone's surfeit during the recording in 1957: Screamin' Jay and the musicians got drunk and wild, they started to play and sing and this is what they brought... a song ahead of their time.
And what a great man.

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Me gustaría empezar una serie dedicada a gente con rollo, gente con estilo personal, alejado de modas y convenciones sociales... gente más alla de su tiempo.
Señoras y señores, empecemos con el inimitable Screamin' Jay Hawkins...

Jalacy Hawkins nació en Cleveland, Ohio.

"Llegué a este mundo siendo negro, desnudo y feo. Y a pesar de todo cuanto acumule aquí, la vida no deja de ser mas que un corto viaje" (fuente)

Empezó su carrera no siendo mas que un cantante de blues sin mayores pretensiones... hasta el dia que grabó la famosísima canción "I Put A Spell On You".

Dicho canción fue compuesta como una balada más, y acabó siendo una de las composiciones mas "canívales" de la historia, la madre de lo que llegó a llamarse "shock rock".

Si la canción acabó de esta forma y no de la manera en que se quiso fue por el simple hecho de la borrachero que los músicos agarraron mientras grababan el disco en la productora. Así nació uno de los temas más adelantados a su tiempo, que nos trajo lo mejor de Jalacy Hawkins.

Madonna Did It First

I used to be the biggest Madonna fan. Actually the first "public dance" I did (I was 8 years old when I did a school performance with my friends Etel and Isabel in front of our moms and all the school, choreography by ourselves!... I wish I had a video to show you! you would laugh out loud...) was with her song "Like a Prayer". To put it plain: I wanted to be like her (although my mom kept throwing the stockings that I, with a lot of care, was breaking and making holes to. Being 8 and independent was something my mom couldn't understand.)

Unfortunately the years passed by and Madonna became such a media product that i stopped thinking of her for good.

Then one day (yesterday), I was looking for some images to reference an upcoming editorial when several images of her came up... I have to admit that I was surprised and delighted to be remembered her wearing in the 80's and early 90's "hot" looks of today...

Madonna and her punk hair cut / Alice Dellal bringing the cut back

Latex = Madonna did it first

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Madonna fué durante toda mi infancia mi cantante número uno, tanto es así que el primer "espectáculo" que hice en el colegio fue con su canción "Like a Prayer". Yo tenía unos 8 años y prepare la coreografía con mis amigas Etel e Isabel... era una de esas fiestas de colegio, aun me acuerdo, que pena que no tenga un video para enseñarlo porque es digno de ver!.
El caso es que Madonna se fue volviendo más y más comercial hasta volverse insoportable y de la noche a la mañana decidí no prestarle mayor atención.
El otro día estaba viendo unas fotografias de inspiración para otro edito que estoy preparando cuando me encontré estas fotos de Madonna llevando (y estamos habando de los 80 y principios de los 90!) prendas y peinados que son lo más "in" de este momento, el que estamos viviendo ahora mismo... punk y látex.

I Should Pay More Attention

When I posted about blog. mode: adressing fashion, I didn't pay enough attention to realize I was posting about an exhibition, not an actual blog.... my friend Ainne advised me that it was an amazing show at the MET and to my shame I have to admit I didn't trust her until I went to the MET myself... Et voilá, what an amazing exhibition indeed!.

Blog.mode: addressing fashion is located at the Costume Institute inside the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The pieces were chosen under three categories: Technology, Deconstruction and Draping.
I had the fortune of arriving on time for a guided visit... it's funny I always fought against "guided" anything as I think being "guided" means they will only tell you what they want you to know instead of the whole picture and "behind the scenes". But I'm realizing more and more that you actually need someone to explain you at least what's going on because enjoining an exhibition just reading the little notes the museum posts is not such enjoyment really and you end up thinking, what the hell is going on.... and bored.

So there was this very sweet old lady who took us under her wing and I learned really interesting things, like...

** Have you ever wondered why the costume samples from centuries ago that Museums have are always so tiny?

You might think is because people back then was tiny but that's not the exact reason.... When a person is big, or "normal" weight, his/her clothing can be used and reused and make new dresses for younger generations, it can be passed from one person to the other, from one period to the other (grand moms to moms to daughters), doing the necessary alterations.
But when a person is tiny its clothing won't be able to be used and be altered as there is not fabric enough to do so... For this reason the costumes that serve as perfect examples of its period are very tiny because are the ones that were never altered.

The concept of the exhibition is quite interesting and it is even more for us fashion bloggers: Blog. mode: adressing fashion's curators wanted to open a blog so viewers could comment on what they were looking at. Fashion is probably the only Art that is truly democratic, everyone is able to comment on it because everyone dresses everyday, everyone is in contact with fashion on a daily basis.
When one attends an Art exhibition has the feeling that needs to read or study before being able to comment, no one feels in the mood of talking of a Picasso if it's the first time is been viewed. But with fashion is different and you, me and my mom can have a very curated opinion on a garment.

For that reason the blog was created and 10 computers were located at the center of the show where you can go and sit and comment on the pieces around you.

The show will be on until April 13th, don't miss it, is absolutely wonderful.









all images taken by me, surprisingly you could take picture if not flash was involved.

La Reine Margot

I saw Patrice Chéreau's La Reine Margot for the first time when I was 15 years old.

My friend Inés and I were bored at home and decided to rent a movie. I remember the shock of seeing Isabelle Adjani in the cover of the VHS (yes ladies, there weren't DVD's yet!) so solemn and wonderful in a red brocade dress with white partlet. We didn't know a thing about the film but we rented it just because we liked the fashions in the cover.

The film was as shocking as was the look of the VHS jacket. You have this thing in your head that all movies from "old" times are kind of sweet and happy. You don't expect when one is like this, as bloody and violent, sexually charged and deep in the matters that was talking about. (note that we saw the "European" version of the film, 160 minutes instead of 138; the movie cut was due to a disappointing box-office performance in France and the criticism of the film as being too violent and often incoherent. source).

The film, based on the 1845 historical novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas father, narrates the years in the life of Margot de Valois, sister of the Catholic King Charles IX, when her wedding with the Hugenot King Henri of Navarre is arranged by the King’s mother, Catherine de Medici to "unite" Christians and Protestants in quite politically febrile years in the history of France.

The years to come will be a horror for the country because nor Christians nor Protestants will accept such a superficial show; what was supposed to forestall a conflict between the religious groups eventually metamorphosed into what would become known as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, an event that signaled the death of 6,000 Protestants, irretrievably blackened Medici’s name and became an unsightly smear on France’s history. (source). Those were the days...

This has always been a very special movie for me, I probably can say this is one of the best movies ever made. For this reason it was a wonderful surprise when when i interviewed Zoey and Brian from Boudicca for milkshake chocolate mentioned La Reine Margot and its Costume Designer Moidele Bickel, as something to remember.




/// La primera vez que ví la película del director francés Patrice Chéreau, La Reina Margot, yo tenia 15 añitos.
Era un día de esos de aburrimiento total en casa con mi amiga Inés, cuando decidimos irnos al videoclub a alquilarnos una peli.

Si cogimos La Reina Margot no fue por otra cosa más que por la carátula de la cinta (ah... nada de DVDs todavia!). Nos gustó Isabel Adjani con su vestido rojo de brocado y su gorguera blanca, tan solemne y maravillosa.

Obviamente no teniamos ni idea de lo que íba la pelicula, pensamos que sería otra de esas ñoñeces a las que Hollywood nos tiene acostumbrados en las peliculas de época. Claro que se nos escapó un detalle: esta no venia de Hollywood.

La película nos dejó en estado de shock, fue una de las pelis más violentas y sexualmente cargadas que yo habia visto hasta la época, tratandose de eso, una peli de época. Claro que encima nosotras vimos la version "Europea" de 160 minutos en vez de los 138 a los que se redujo posteriormente por motivos comerciales y porque a los americanos no se les podia mandar tanta violencia a casa... fuente.

La pelicula, basada en el libro de 1845 del mismo nombre escrito por Alejandro Dumas padre, narra los terribles añs que siguieron a la boda concertada entre la católica Margot de Valois, hermana del rey de Francia Carlos IV, y el rey hugonote Enrique de Navarra.

Esta es probablemente una de las mejores peliculas que se han echo en la historia del cine en mi opinion. De ahi que cuando Brian y Zoey de Boudicca nombraron este film en la entrevista que les hice para milkshake chocolate y su diseñadora de vestuario Moidele Bickel como algo para recordar, se me quedó grabado.