Child of the Moon

Inside the Studio

2012-01-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

A special issue of 16 Magazine on The Beatles, from 1966. These photos document the transition of the group, right around the Rubber Soul sessions. From then on, all the songs on their records were originals. The Beatles began to experiment with sounds and instruments and they spent much more time in the studio than ever before. Their days of touring were winding down, soon they would become primarily a studio band.

From Modiste to Modern

2012-01-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

Halston was born Roy Halston Frowick on April 23, 1932 in Des Moines, Iowa. After moving to Chicago in 1952, Halston became a window dresser for Carson Pirie Scott department store. In 1954, Andre Basil provides Halston with a hat display in his Ambassador Hotel hair salon. A few years later Halston moved to New York in 1958, and began to work for Lilly Dache (by 1959 he is working for Bergdorf Goodman). Halston's first hat is featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar in 1960. His success as a clothing designer did not happen overnight, in fact Halston's first showing of ready-to-wear clothing at Bergdorf Goodman only received polite reviews in June 1966. Halston sought to infuse a level of youthful flair to his fashions but wanted to avoid "youth trendiness". This was difficult in a time when the influences were dominated by the mods and hippies of the youth movements. "I didn't want to make clothes for kids. I wanted feminine clothes for women between 22 and 55," he said in 1966. However, by the early seventies the direction of fashion evolved once again, and this time Halston's designs were a hit. He looked to the past eras like the thirties and re-created the slim, understated lines of the Mainbocher couture frocks made for the Duchess of Windsor, and then added a bit of Hollywood opulence to the mix. Halston's early designs were each constructed with a minimum of cut pieces, and this two-seamed assemblage created the streamlined silhouette that became Halston's signature look. He eliminated inner structures and linings to enhance the clean lines. Socialite Lily Auchincloss, one of Halston's clients in 1971, said "Halston's clothes are terrific in every way...easy to wear, understated and yet they enhance the woman." His philosophy was to infuse practicality with an bit of effortless glamour and relaxed sexuality.

"Halston's proportions were perfect. His clothes followed the shape of a woman's body without being tight; they held the body while still retaining a certain langour."
-Grace Mirabella

(Photos by: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Richard Avedon, Henry Grossman, Andy Warhol, Barry Berenson, Stan Papich, Bill King, Francesco Scavullo, Raymundo de Larrain, Hiro)

Kiss Me

2011-12-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

World War Two inspired a lot of noteworthy kisses of couples sadly saying goodbye or happily being reunited again. The ones that have become the most famous however--are the “Victory Kisses” that celebrated the end of the war. The most well-known of these images is called "The Sailor and the Nurse", but its proper title is "V-J Day, Times Square, New York City, 1945". Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt recalls: "There were thousands of people milling about, in the streets and everywhere. Everybody was kissing each other...And there was also a Navy man running, grabbing anybody, you know, kissing. I ran ahead of him because I had Leica cameras around my neck focused from ten feet to infinity. You only had to shoot...I didn't even know what was going on, until {he} grabbed something in white. And I stood there, and they kissed. And I snapped five times." This frame of snapshots was captivating—three of the five shots in it were notable but one was perfect. This photograph expressed the exultation, relief, and optimism of a post-war world. The iconic image did not make the cover of Life in 1945, instead it ran small inside. The photograph’s fame grew slowly over the years its notoriety intensified as people began to recognize that it captured a remarkable moment in history.

(images: Alfred Eisenstaedt, Life Magazine, Greatest Generation Tumblr, http://wwiiarchives.net/servlet/gallery/0 , Overpaid, Oversexed, and Over Here, Corbis)

State of Grace

2011-12-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

Grace Patricia Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to John and Margaret Kelly on November 12, 1929. At a young age, Grace decided she wanted to become an actress, and studied acting (primarily theater) at New York City's American Academy of Dramatic Art and worked as a stage actress and model. She moved to Hollywood for a while but soon moved back to New York. In New York, Grace promoted Old Gold cigarettes and appeared on the covers of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Redbook. In 1952 she landed the role of Amy Kane in High Noon, a western starring Gary Cooper and Lloyd Bridges. In 1953, Grace appeared in Mogambo where she played Linda Nordley. The film was a jungle drama in which fellow cast members, Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. It was also one of the best films ever released by MGM. After watching her performance in High Noon, director Alfred Hitchcock cast Grace in his films Dial M for Murder (1954) and Rear Window (1954) making her a star. Her standout performance in Rear Window as Lisa Fremont, she was cast opposite James Stewart, who played a crippled photographer who witnesses a murder in the next apartment from his wheelchair. Grace stayed busy in 1954 appearing in five films. Grace won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Georgie Elgin opposite Bing Crosby in The Country Girl (1954). In 1955, Grace once again teamed with Hitchcock in To Catch a Thief (1955) co-starring Cary Grant. In 1956, she played Tracy Lord in High Society (1956) which also starred Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. The whimsical tale ended with her re-marrying her former husband, played by Crosby. The film turned out to be her final acting performance. She retired from acting at 26 to enter upon her duties in Monaco. Grace had recently met and married Prince Rainier of Monaco. By becoming a princess, she gave up her career. She and Prince Rainier had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stéphanie. She died on September 14, 1982, two months before her 53rd birthday in a car accident in Monaco.

(Tfs, Life, soclassic.org, annex)

Annette Vadim

2011-11-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Annette Vadim was born Annette Strøyberg, on December 12, 1934 in Denmark. The beautiful Stroyberg was born on the island of Fyn. She was raised in Copenhagen after her father died. She found her way to Paris in her late teens where she worked for couture houses, including Chanel as a model. Annette was best known for being the pouty-lipped lookalike blonde who replaced Brigitte Bardot in the late 1950s as the wife of French film director Roger Vadim. She became Vadim’s second wife and they had a daughter together. Vadim then proceeded to build and groom a replica of BB with Stroyberg. In 1958, she was 24 years old when she starred in his film Les Liaisons Dangereuses alongside Gerard Philipe and Jeanne Moreau. He tried, but was unable to recreate the same Bardot allure and their marriage as well as her career quickly fell apart. Before she retired, Annette did a few more films including: Blood and Roses (1960), Anima Nera (1962), and Loscippio (1965). Sadly, Annette died of cancer in Copenhagen in 2005.

(Images: Life, archiviofoto.unita.it, corbis, all-star pics)

Pacific Standard Time

2011-11-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to keep you posted about what is going on. I am sorry but I think posts are going to be limited this next month. I will be very busy with school and sadly my mom is in chemo again. She was told she was in remission about two months ago, but it came back a few weeks ago. I have faith that she will be fine.

Anyway, I also wanted to let people know about a retrospective going on right now in Southern California. I am taking a seminar class that is about L.A. Modernism and how Los Angeles boomed after WWII. Like my class, this initiative by the Getty--Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980, focuses on L.A.'s often overlooked art scene. There are over 60 cultural institutions across Southern California that are celebrating the birth of the L.A. art scene. L.A. was and is overshadowed by New York, however these exhibits suggest that there was a collective sensibility among Southern California’s mid-century modernist architects, painters, and musicians. These connections and similarities are based in but not limited to aesthetics. Almost every aspect of California modernism developed as a protest against other forms of modernism, like the East Coast or European that put an emphasis ‘the heroic and the emotionally expressive’ styles of art. There was an emphasis on restraint and detachment— “coolness” which gave it a suavity and authenticity. I have been to the shows at the Getty, OCMA, The Fowler, and on Saturday I am going with my class to the Hammer Museum. Then the next Saturday I will be at LACMA. I do not have one weekend free this entire month! One of my favorite shows so far was the Crosscurrents exhibition at the Getty because there are works by Judy Chicago and others loosely identified with the "Finish Fetish" school using objects, materials, and techniques associated with CA such as: surf, motorcycle and car cultures, automotive lacquer, aluminum, acrylic, and fiberglass. This aesthetic established an image of L.A. that circulated around the world. L.A. grew as a center for advanced methods of painting and took a more abstract approach creating works that were optically complex. So, if you live in the Southern California area you should definitely go visit one of these shows.

First Lady of Fashion

2011-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

She has been featured in many of my posts throughout the years, but I have never had one specifically dedicated to her.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was the personification of style. Jackie always knew what worked best for her, which is why she managed to look fabulous in every decade. She was not intimidated into wearing what others were wearing, and never strayed too far from her favorite classic fashion basics which were: shift and A-line dresses, Chanel jackets, smart tailored suits, solid colors, pearls, and low-heeled pumps. For casual daywear, she favored high-waist trousers paired with a blouse, turtleneck or cashmere sweater. Jackie always completed her daywear with her famous black, oversized sunglasses. She demonstrated less is more with her clothing, and even when she wore the most expensive European designs, she managed to look effortless, modern, and undeniably American.

(Images From: Jackie: Her Life in Pictures, soclassic.org, tfs, Life, and I Love Your Style)

Yes we're going to a party party!!!

2011-10-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

Today is my 22nd Birthday. I started this blog when I was 18...time flies. Getting older doesn't bother me, I still look 15 anyway! I received the 'tell me something about you' award a while back and I am finally responding to it now. Thank you so much for thinking of me!Okay, here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I am left-handed
2. I speak Spanish fluently
3. I have worn glasses since the 3rd grade. I am -4.25
4. The last book I read was for my WWII era history class called: Still Alive by Ruth Kluger. It is a Holocaust memoir of a Austrian girl. It was very moving and it is one of the best memoirs I have ever read.
5. I have never smoked a cigarette, pot, or taken any kind of drug.
6. I am a vegetarian. I have been one since I was in high school. I just never enjoyed meat.
7. I never answer my cell phone, I always forget it or turn it off. Its always on silent. People always leave me messages saying "why do you even have a cell phone if you never answer the phone ?!" However, I never leave my house without my i-pod. I always have it.

Here are some of my favorite blogs! School has been keeping me busy, so I have not had as much time to read through them.

http://www.ciaovogue.com/
http://ashenlady-rhiannon.blogspot.com- great site, you always leave me such nice comments
http://born-late.blogspot.com- Kaitlyn you are so great and your site is amazing!
http://lost60s.blogspot.com- A wonderful sixties blog!
http://www.dollyrockergirl.blogspot.com- great blog, I love all your posts!
http://dietcokeandsympathy.blogspot.com- Leith you have the best Rolling Stones photos! Keep up with the awesome work!
http://thelifeofalostmuse.blogspot.com - another amazing site
http://childofthesixtiesforeverandever.blogspot.com- great sixties site.

Echo Park

The LBD

2011-10-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

The little black dress has found a spot in every woman's closet along with other fashion essentials like: white T-shirts, trench coats, and jeans. Chanel was the original creator of the wardrobe staple. In 1926, her black "Ford" dress became just as popular the Ford Automoblie. In 1954, Christian Dior (one of Chanel's competitors at the time) said: "You can wear black at any hour of day or night, at any age and for any occasion. A little black dress is the most essential thing in any woman's wardrobe. I could write a book about black." Donning a little black dress always makes you look effortless and chic. It is fashion incarnate and resists every trend. It never goes out of style and it is always sexy and right.

( Decades of Fashion: Getty, Assouline: The Little Black Dress, Annex, TFS, Fabulous Frocks; Douglas Kirkland: Corbis, Milton H. Greene, Rue des archives, Didier Ludot Collection, Gilles Trillard, P. Boulat, Vincent Rosselle, Karl Lagerfeld, Thierry Perez, Globe Photos Inc., Roxanne Lowit, Hiro, Patrice Stable, Antonio Courreges)

Come Fly With Me!

2011-09-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

During the golden age of flying, air travel was seen as completely glamorous and chic. Flying was an 'event' because air travel was quite expensive and rare. Only 10 % of the population flew in those days. The expectation was that you would wear nice clothing onto the flight. Passengers often were very elegant, dressed beautifully. Anyone who boarded onto an airplane in the 1960's or early 1970's in a sweatsuit, or ragged jeans, would've caused a major hubbub among the passengers.

For a generation of young women, being a stewardess was a chance to see the world. Women became an integral part of flight crews in the 30s, when Ellen Church approached Boeing Air Transport (now United Airlines) with an idea. She suggested that there should be nurses on board to assist with the passengers. Boeing agreed and nurses became the first stewardesses in the air. Originally, they dressed in military-style uniforms, but by the 60s the uniforms became shorter and more playful. Uniforms came in brilliant colors, mini-skirts, go-go boots, and even bold Pucci prints.

T.V. Show Pan Am

(Stewardess: Come Fly With Me!; photos collections of: Vicki Nicely, Mary Daniel, Bjorn Larsen, Chris Lamborde, Ken Jensen, Tom Bailey, Suzanne Crawford Johnson, Benjamin Shaykin. US Airways, Japan Air Lines, Trans World Airlines, American Airlines, Air Jamaica, Air France)

If you're going to San Francisco...

2011-09-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts this month. I went to San Francisco for a couple of days last week. I start school next week and I wanted to fit in a small trip before I go back. San Francisco is such a beautiful city. I went with my mom, cousin, and aunt. It was my mom's first trip since her transplant. We also went to Sausalito for one day. Sausalito is such a charming little city, with the blend of historical buildings, wooded hillsides, sweeping bay and San Francisco views nestled against the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I stumbled upon an amazing vintage and antique shop. It had the most amazing jewelery. I bought two art deco necklaces that were from the 20s or 30s. My mom bought an amazing Victorian brooch and vintage earrings from Toledo, Spain. San Francisco wouldn’t be San Francisco without a protest going on. I saw a lot... the most interesting being across the street from my hotel with naked dudes in knit hats. The other highlight of my trip was going to the Giants game. They were playing against the L.A. Dodgers. My brother and I are weird because we love both teams even though they are rivals. I wore Giants stuff because we were in San Francisco (and I really wanted to wear my Kung Fu Panda hat). Clayton Kershaw (LA) and Tim Lincecum (SF) were the pitchers for the game. They are both amazing, although I have a soft spot for Timmy- (it’s the hair). I predicted a Dodgers win because Kershaw might be the best pitcher in the National League right now and the Giants have been weak offensively. My prediction was right and the score was 2-1. Timmy still had his 1-0 lead with 2 outs in the 8^th inning and a 0-2 count on Matt Kemp. Then Kemp hit out a dribbler, stole second base and came home on a blooper down the third base line that fell in no-man's land. AT&T Park is awesome! Really, it is such a beautiful ballpark. Too bad the Beard is still hurt; Brian Wilson is such a character (and a great player). Overall, my trip to San Francisco was a success. I had a lot of fun and will probably be going there more often because it’s only an hour flight.

Wild Thing

2011-08-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

I can’t remember a time when leopard or animal print clothing has not been in style. Leopard and animal print handbags, shoes, belts, and accessories have become timeless classics in their own right ever since Bob Dylan wrote about a Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat on his masterpiece album Blonde on Blonde, in 1966. Animal prints have long been a popular style for many reasons. For one, they add allure, drama, and fun to your wardrobe. Throughout history, kings and other people of high social standing have used animal print rugs and such as a sign of status. However, unlike the past, today people wear mostly animal prints. Animal prints are not to be confused with animal fur which is real, animal prints are just that, prints that look like animal skins. Personally, I am someone who will never wear real fur so faux fur is the way to go!

(Scanned by me from: Getty: Decades of Fashion, The Style Book, I Love Your Style, tfs, Lets Spend the Night Together, Hal Lifeson's 1966)

Flower Power

2011-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Floral prints, motifs and designs are always in fashion, and never more so than when used as the fabric for a summer dress. From the naturalistic to the painterly, from the graphic to the abstract- floral prints may have itsy, ditsy, floral dolly prints or big blousy cabbage rose blooms. The floral print originates from the east and Asia; traders brought fabrics with ornate floral designs to Europe where they sold for very high prices. To have been able to wear these fabrics was a status symbol. Over time European manufacturers began to copy these fabrics to suit European tastes at a cheaper price. Some of the first ‘Western’ fabrics with floral designs were seen in the late Middle Ages; Italian merchants traded frequently with Ottoman textile manufacturers and brought sumptuous woven velvets to Europe. Eventually, Italians weavers figured out how to reproduce these velvets, and began to manufacture luxurious textiles with organic motifs like pomegranates and vines. These early floral motifs, however, were quite ornate, heavy and stylized. Floral fabrics lost favor after the 1830s, but became a fashionable fabric to wear again after a century of plain materials. Floral prints were revived again during the 1950s.They promised couture inspired shapes echoing back to glamorous times.

Along with floral prints came floral accessories. Fresh or fake flowers are great to wear in your hair or pinned to revamp an old cocktail dress. It’s no wonder that we wear flowers to decorate our clothes; they are symbolic of femininity, and they show the beauty of the natural world.

(Scans from: Getty: Decades of Fashion, The Style Book, I Love Your Style, Vintage Vogue and Teen Magazine, Hippie, Mini Mod Sixties Book, TFS; www.ciaovogue.com )

Head Case

2011-07-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Turbans, scarves, and bandanas are everywhere! Historically the 'turban' was traditionally worn in the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia, and they were introduced to English fashion in the 1700s. The expansion of trade opened Europe to other cultures. Turbans have been a fixture in the fashion world throughout the past century and have been worn by famous starlets and socialites, including the sophistication associated with Hollywood glamour of the 1920s and '30s when women like Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson wore them.

My interest however in this latest fashion 'trend', did not come from seeing them on the 2011 high fashion runway shows of Giorgio Armani, Vena Cava, and Prada; it came from my mom. For her, it is a fun and fashionable alternative to the wig—not to mention a more comfortable one too. Scarves have helped her and many other women maintain their sense of style and femininity while experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy.

(Images from: Style Book, Decades of Fashion: Getty Images, Vintage Fashion. Scans from Vintage Vogues, TFS, http://www.ciaovogue.com/ )

Biba and Beyond...

2011-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

"I love old things. Modern things are so cold. I need things that have lived." (Barbara Hulanicki of Biba)

‘The Biba Look’ was ‘fresh little foals with long legs, bright faces and round dolly eyes.’ Barbara Hulanicki described her customers as ‘postwar babies who had been deprived of nourishing protein in childhood and grew up into beautiful skinny people: a designer's dream. It didn’t take much for them to look outstanding.'

Barbara Hulanicki started small, selling just a handful of simple designs through her mail-order business. The popularity of a particular pink gingham dress, allowed Barbara to open the first Biba in 1964. The boutique and fashion scene in London was centered on Chelsea’s Kings Road until Biba opened in Kensington.

The Biba shop was a dreamy, hazily lit Aladdin’s Cave where clothes were stacked on antique vanity tables or hung from crooked wooden hat racks. Feathers were stuffed in art nouveau vases and tons of beads, sequins, and Lurex glittered in shadowy corners of the store.

The succession of larger and larger Biba boutiques stayed in the area, culminating with the 1974 “Big Biba” which consisted of an entire department store on Kensington High Street. Spread over seven floors, the shop on High Street Kensington was one of the UK's first big lifestyle stores. There were different departments, and each floor had its own theme, such as a children's floor, a floor for men, a book store, a food market, and a "home" floor which sold items such as wallpaper, paint, cutlery, soft furnishings and even statues. The store had an Art Deco-interior evocative of the Golden Age of Hollywood with its crowning glory being "The Rainbow Restaurant", which was located on the fifth floor of the department store. Big Biba was a huge responsibility in terms of expense and organization. Because of this massive undertaking, Hulanicki said, "Every time I went into the shop, I was afraid it would be for the last time." No one was aware of how serious the financial difficulties were going to be - and they in fact proved too much for the new entrepreneurs. After disagreements with the Board over creative control, Hulanicki left the company and, shortly afterwards in 1975, Biba was closed.

Today, Biba is a very sought after brand on the vintage market (despite never being expensive in its day or even particularly well made).

Biba was more than a trend. Biba sold a total look-clothing, handbags, shoes, hats, makeup, and jewelry-all at inexpensive prices. A girl could go into Biba and buy a pair of shoes, a dress, and hat for the same price of one Mary Quant dress.

Signature Biba Elements:

-Button detailing, as long rows of covered buttons on cuffs or at the neck
-Droopy low-cut necklines with ties
-Leg-of-mutton sleeves
-Funnel collars with buttons
-Bias cutting on long dresses
-Allover small prints
-Colored fake-fur shrugs and tippets
-Maxi-length double-breasted trench coats

""Big Biba"

Lolita Dept.

Childrens Dept.

Closing of "Big Biba" 1975

(Images: Sarah Moon and James Wedge. Dressing Up Vintage, Boutique: a 60s Cultural Phenomenon, Vintage Fashion, The Biba Experience, Inside the Most Beautiful Store in the World: Welcome to Big Biba)

Make Do & Mend

2011-06-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Rationing enforced an era of obligatory minimalism when the Second World War broke out. From 1939-1946 rationed restricted consumerisms; and the extravagant silver screen star look of the 30s was now viewed as ostentatious, vulgar, and unpatriotic. Luxurious fabrics like silk and nylon were used for parachutes and mattresses became life jackets. Rayon, viscose, and blackout material were the fabrics left to use on clothes. Designers on both sides of the Atlantic were called up to do their part, and the British Board of Trade drafted a group of designers to create a complete civilian “utility” wardrobe to be mass produced. Restrictions banned wasteful cutting and excess trimmings, so hemlines became shorter and dresses became more fitted. Thus the ready-to-wear designer took over the couturiers, during the war. Women also rolled up their sleeves and went to work, while the men fought overseas. Women who worked the land wore corduroy trousers and dungarees, and bundled their hair into a colorful scarf. Women’s daywear was quick and to the point, with sharp-shouldered jackets and knee length skirts. And as the war continued, women concocted a new mix and match blueprint to make the most of their wardrobes. Suits allowed for mixing and matching shirts and skirts. As, materials such as straw ran out, women improvised with scraps of dresses to make miniature doll-sized hats which were worn perched on the head. Gals also wore heavy shoes, often with wooden soles to save on leather. In fact Vogue patriotically focused on ‘Do it yourself’ fashion and ‘Make Do and Mend’, advising sewing different colored ribbons into pleats of skirts, and adorning black dresses with sequins and paisley pockets and turning maternity capes into reefer jackets. Women were essential in the war effort and joined the Navy WAVES, the Army WACs and WASPs, Army nurses, the Coast Guard SPARS, and the Marine Corps Womens Reserve.

Seattle

wooden shoes

Brighton, UK

(images scanned from: Decades of Fashion: Getty, Dressing Up Vintage, Vintage Fashion. Life. http://www.womenofwwii.com/ )