1960s Fashion and Accessories Images: Harper's Bazaar March 1967

Neal Barr Cover image, restored by Sarara Vintage/rights reserved.

                                               
Many fashion buffs enjoy historic magazine and fashion photographs.  During my collecting of these pieces for my vintage jewelry/accessories archive, I ran across the March 1967 Harper's Bazaar magazine! The Neal Barr cover is visually stunning from the earrings to the graphic Burke-Amey dress. Not to mention the mod images of couture, watches, jewelry, and shoes found inside. I am thinking as of now of enlarging and printing my restored version of the cover. I will be including specific vintage images of jewelry and watches as usual on my instagram account. However, I wanted to put together a visual feast from the magazine for my readers:

Silk lined Halston hat, Malcom Marshall dress. 

Catherine Speak, Vendome mod watch. 1967.

1960s Movado watch, Mod Tire design.

Oscar de la Renta diamante prance suit. Like body jewelry!

Yves Saint Laurent, Jeweled short jumper. Shell and beads. 1967.

Charles Jourdan Mod shoes and tights, 1967.

Silk turban and dress, Halston.

Mod Penn- Carol tights and lingerie by Fischer.

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1920s Velvet: Fashion Service Magazine

I have been working on gathering up my magazine archives and adding to them.  I am focusing on the 1920s and 30s right now. I have just added two Vogue magazines from the 1920s to the collection.  I will be sharing some of those images here on the blog. They are great sources for fashion inspiration and vintage collectors. The Fashion Service Magazine was published under the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences.  This little 16 page publication contained new millinery styles being discussed, women's financial security and business opportunities, daytime frocks, the mode for autumn, winter outfits and Halloween ideas.

Fashion Service Magazine Illustration. Alice Seipp.  Image archive by Sarara Vintage.

The issue I own is the October 1928 edition. The illustration I chose to bring you is that of the cover, by Alice Seipp. Alice illustrated and wrote articles on the current fashions.  Alice was born in 1889 and a known illustrator based in New York City.  This particular cover image seen above, pertained to the inside article on page 11- How to Handle Velvet.  It is described as: "an afternoon frock of sheer velvet, the acme of chic among fabrics, in wine red, as suggestive of the season as the color of ripening fruits"(Fashion Service).  Firstly, why doesn't anyone write about fashion like this anymore! Wow, so delicious.  The article discusses how to sew and handle velvet.

The Fashion Service was a publication by the Women's Institute as mentioned, which was meant to school women and young seamstresses in the current techniques, patterns and styles.

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Paul Poiret Fashion Legend: How I love thee!

Romuald Leblond 's database. Paul Poiret illustrated by Georges Lepape "Antinea", 1920. 

Poiret was a French fashion designer working from about 1896-1944 his death.  Mr. Paul Poiret, oh let me count the ways...something about his work really speaks to my aesthetic. If you love the Edwardian into the 1920s and everything Art Deco, you will undoubtedly love Poiret too.

Romuald Leblond 's database. Paul Poiret, evening dress with Egyptian-style motifs, 1923 Lipnizki / Roger Viollet. 

Luisa Casati weaing Paul Poiret 1910's. From Romuald Leblond 's database.

He was the ultimate in Haute Couture, with a flair that was uniquely his own.  There are quite a few pieces that illustrate his genius and personify fashion history, as well as his role in shaping it.  The Met Museum houses quite a great selection-  in that regard. In fact one of my favorite outfits created in 1911 by Poiret, just shy of insanity and landing in perfection can be seen below.  Of course, the result of innate his theatrical flair.  Read more about its history here: Harem outfit.

I admire the calculated statement that his garments made. After working under Jacques Doucet and the House of Worth he opened his own store.  He made his mark with a mantle for the famous actress Rejane. His kimono coat modeled by his wife and photographed by Edward Steichen also cemented his notoriety and is believed to be one of the first fashion photographs. He was a master marketer, whose designs at the time shocked and provoked. Working at the turn of the century his work broke once traditional fashion molds. He has been called Avant Garde for a reason and was very influenced by other cultures.  Can you imagine this garment in 1910!

"Paul Poiret: Fancy dress costume (1983.8a,b)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1983.8a,b (September 2008)

Paul Poiret, Faune" dress worn by his wife, Denise Poiret 1919. Photograph by Delphi. Courtesy of Les Arts Décoratifs, Fonds

"Paul Poiret: Coat (2005.207)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2005.207 (September 2008)

He created Harem style pants in the Edwardian era very similar to those seen revisted on Downton Abbey.  His styles are thought to have contributed to liberating women from Victorian styles such as the corset.  Koda and Bolton of the Met Museum of Art  discuss:

"In freeing women from corsets and dissolving the fortified grandeur of the obdurate, hyperbolic silhouette, Poiret effected a concomitant revolution in dressmaking, one that shifted the emphasis away from the skills of tailoring to those based on the skills of draping. It was a radical departure from the couture traditions of the nineteenth century, which, like menswear (to which they were indebted), relied on pattern pieces, or more specifically the precision of pattern making, for their efficacy. Looking to both antique and regional dress types, most notably to the Greek chiton, the Japanese kimono, and the North African and Middle Eastern caftan, Poiret advocated fashions cut along straight lines and constructed of rectangles. Such an emphasis on flatness and planarity required a complete reversal of the optical effects of fashion. The cylindrical wardrobe replaced the statuesque, turning, three-dimensional representation into two-dimensional abstraction. It was a strategy that dethroned the primacy and destabilized the paradigm of Western fashion" (met museum article).

I am in awe of the Turquoise on silk and the Avant garde bubble style belts you see sewn into a few such designs.  Of course this is not for the faint of heart, but amazing non the less.

His coats really illustrate how he changed the conventional silhouette.  This soft rich velvet could be worn today or tomorrow. Again, you see the large culturally influenced detail, that I am such a fan of.... This coat was worn by his wife and "constructed of one fifteen-foot length of silk velvet that has been twisted into shape without resorting to cutting" (see the met article). Oh what a lucky woman! Can you image all of the clothing at her fingertips.... The dress called Faune above is unaccounted for and is believed to have been lost to time.   Denise Poiret, his muse yet they did divorce, kept most of her outfits which the Met museum acquired and now houses.  

My most recent contact with one Mr. Paul Poiret was at an auction held by Charles Whitaker. The most beautiful silk red Poiret jacket came up but went beyond my budget. While I did acquire a few pieces, alas this was not one of them. However; the auction house did place up great images see them below. The tag is a great one! The jacket has wonderful draping and interest. 

PAUL POIRET LABELED SILK "ROMAN JACKET", c. 1910. In "as found" condition, burgundy satin short cape with ruffled over-capelet, the open front having tucked crossing points at waist with single self button & loop closure, the button marked "La Robuste Paris", lined in pale pink silk. Two silver link chains at neckline probably later additions. Label "Paul Poiret a Paris", tape en verso "78664 MacAlfan Pyle Paletot Romaine". L-26 1/2. (Some stains, lining torn, label upside down) fair. $2,520. Description by Charles Whitaker Auction House.

Paul Poiret jacket and labels. Charles Whitaker Auction House images, rights reserved.

1929 Scanned magazine ad for the collection, found in The Smart Set Magazine, sold by Arcanium Antiques.

Paul Poiret remains one of the most prolific and collected (when available) designers of all time. Although his work can be hard and pricey to come by- relief can be found in the Whiting & Davis designs done by Poiret.   The above ad represents one of those bags. Some of these mesh enamel bags from 1929 were his!  He produced a large mesh bag collection designed for the company. The "poiret pouch" comes up here and there so keep your eyes open for a little piece of Poiret history.

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Exclusive: Vintage Fashion Shots by Gordon Parks

Exclusive: Vintage Fashion Shots by Gordon Parks! Check out this slide show of Vintage Fashion Images made by Gordon Parks. They are beautiful eye candy!

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The Gorgeous Designs of Gilbert Adrian (1903-1959)

Joan Crawford in Gilbert Adrian Gown. From the film The Women,1939.

We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZ.... Gilbert Adrian ( Adrian Adolph Greenberg) was the creative director for the film The Wizard of Oz  and was one of the most important costume designers to have ever created. He designed for Greta Garbo and many other famous ladies of the silver screen, such as Jean Harlow and of course Joan Crawford-who could forget those shoulders. He got his start in film reportedly after Natacha Rambova, movie art director and wife of star Rudolph Valentino hired him to design for two of her films.

Dinner at Eight, Jean Harlow. MGM image.



His designs for MGM were amazing and set trends that rippled throughout the fashion industry of the time. He draped fabric on the bodies of women like butter and made their best assets shine. His peak was in the 1930's and 40's. He did film design/costumes for around 200 films. Born in Connecticut and trained in France, he worked in the industry and ran a studio in L.A. for ten years. He retired to Brazil in the 1950's... Ah, a man after my own heart.

Photographer: unknown,Marlene Dietrich in Gilbert Adrian, 1946.



His innovating draping and groundbreaking elegant designs are probably best encompassed by this wonderful taffeta gown, found in the museum collection at FIDM see the image below. He also used everyday fabrics and unconventional ones, such as gingham for ball gowns. He was known not only for costumes and gowns, but also for strong fitted suits with shoulder pads, pencil skirts and everyday wear. One look at the gown below and its easy to see why his dresses and suits are sought after today by vintage collectors.

Gilbert Adrian. Evening gown.1948. Gift of Bob Diamond. FIDM Museum Collection. Photo by Brian Sanderson. Copyright FIDM Museum. See other examples housed at the Met:here.

Read more on his life and see more examples of his work in- Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label. Christian Esquevin. The Met Museum also houses various examples of his work: Met Spotlight on Gilbert Adrian.

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