Resort Wear 2020, Pillow Talk Costumes, Techno Textiles, Drawing and Re-Drawing, Coloring Janet Lennon, Fashionable at Any Age

Resorting Ahead to 2020

Does anybody still buy a new warm-weather wardrobe and head for a resort when winter settles in? “Resort” is the archaic name some delusional designers use for the mid-season collections delivered after Christmas and before spring. Surely, “Pre-Spring” would be a better name. Since mid-season fashions don’t usually get much media coverage, they tend to be less outrageous and more commercial than the “Fashion Week” extremes. However, if the fashions don’t make headlines many luxury lines stage their shows in unusual venues to add some excitement. The Christian Dior show took place in Morocco, Giorgio Armani showed in Tokyo, Chanel built an authentic Parisian railroad platform as a catwalk and the Louis Vuitton collection was launched in the newsworthy modernistic hotel that was designed in 1962 by Eero Saarinen as a futuristic TWA terminal at JFK Airport. What about the clothes? The key players, the influencers, created collections that confirmed current, on-going trends. There is a growing major mood swing underway, a move away from over-the-top embellishment and superfluous detail. Miuccia Prada explained it thus, “Simplicity as a protest against too much.” Prints and stripes provided cautious visual interest. Retro nostalgia continues to rewrite fashion history with designs from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, different decades all at once. Pants played a major role in these mid-season collections. Pants of various shapes and silhouettes, skinny and/or wide, in fabrics ranging from velvet and satin to genuine denim. Pantsuits emerged as a key item in most collections, a sure symptom of commercial saleability. 

Sophisticated Simplicity: Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Christian Dior.

More Sophistication: Prada, Giorgio Armani, Prada.

Practical Power of Pants: Designer Miuccia Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior.

More Pants: Giorgio Armani, Prada, Christian Dior.

Prints with Pizzazz Aplenty: Burberry, Christian Dior, Prada.

More Pizzazz Prints: Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Valentino.

Graphic Line-up of Stripes: Louis Vuitton, Dsquared2, Jil Sander.

More Stripes: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Alberta Ferretti. 

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Costuming "Pillow Talk" Paper Dolls

Sixty years ago, cinematic history was made when recently deceased Doris Day and Hollywood hunk Rock Hudson co-starred in “Pillow Talk.” They made a charismatic screen couple and went on to co-star in two more movies. Jenny Taliadoros and I were approached and asked to create a paper doll book to commemorate the film’s anniversary, a limited edition, not for sale, that was to be given to fans attending Doris’ 97th birthday celebration. As part of the creative process, I cut-out and dressed the paper dolls of Doris, Rock and Thelma Ritter in their costumes from the film. I am donating the dressed dolls and the book’s original artwork to benefit the fund-raising Silent Auction at this year’s Kansas City Paper Doll Convention in July. 

Pillow Talk Limited Edition Paper Doll book cover, Doris Day as Jan Morrow and Rock Hudson as Brad Allen.

Doris and Rock in pajamas, ready for the funny split-screen scene, Thelma Ritter as Alma.

Doris in ‘60s career clothes plus emerald cocktail gown and Duchesse satin evening coat designed by Jean Louis.

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Techno Textiles at the Met Gala

The scene at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s gala fundraising was an over-the-top fancy dress costume party. It generated little genuine fashion news for trend spotters, but plenty of “trick or treat” photo-ops. Two outfits did deserve attention as indicators of future textile innovation. Designer Zac Posen used a 3D printing process to richly color big “petals” that assembled into a rather breath-taking giant-size rose. Each petal took around 100 hours to print using a precision stereolithography machine at low-volume 3D-printing specialist Protolabs' facility. The petals were printed in a durable white plastic, before being primed, sprayed with a colour-shifting paint commonly used for cars, and finished with a clear gloss. The printing and finish of the entire dress took more than 1,100 hours. Young rising star, Zendaya, (Disney star and Vogue cover girl) came as Disney’s “Cinderella” in search of a Fairy Godmother to jazz up her drab gray gown. She propitiously connected with a magical being who tossed a little cloud of smoke at her and Presto! Her gray gown began to light-up and glowed with shimmering blue light generated by technology hidden under the skirt. Quite an enchanting effect. 

 Zendaya-Cinderella arrived in a drab gray gown that a wandful of magical smoke transformed into beautiful blue. 

Zac Posen printed 3D rose petals to create a sculptural full blown floral gown. 

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If at First I Don't Succeed...

“…I try and try again.” Like most artists, I am a cruel self-critic, a tough taskmaster and a never-satisfied perfectionist. Since I retired a while ago from my long-term “day job” as a Fashion Trend Forecaster, I find myself enjoying the luxury of leisure time that allows me to do and do again… and again. My paper doll projects are totally engrossing to me and seldom does a day pass that I don’t work and rework a paper doll book or an article plus a paper doll for Jenny Taliadoros’ Paper Studio Press or this monthly blog.  

A forthcoming issue of Paper Doll Studio magazine is themed “Favorite TV” and I came up with the idea of a Joan Collins paper doll with a few fashions in the style of “Dynasty.” I ended up completing four (count ‘em, four!) versions of the doll and her outfits. First of all, I usually begin by trying to capture a good likeness that turns a real person into a stylized beautiful doll. On a whim (and because I have tons of time nowadays) I thought I’d try something different… a cartoony caricature of the evil villainess. I had fun taking a new approach, but I didn’t like it when it was finished. Neither did Jenny who said the face looked too old... and sick, too. Reject number one! Two more attempts followed with Joan looking as gorgeous as ever. Since I had a version that satisfied me, I decided to move on. Next I created the body posed in a way to make rendering the clothes easy. Her arms and hands got repositioned several times and her leopard print slipdress changed its spots several times. I recalled watching “Dynasty” when it aired initially and beheld the impact of Joan as Alexis Carrington Colby when she first appeared wearing a high impact black-and-white suit with a big-brimmed, veiled hat. I decided that she needed a new handbag and tried several different bags before I was pleased enough. Then came the icing on the cake; a sizzling hot pink cocktail dress. I experimented with several different shades of intense color and a more tonal painting technique than I usual use. Finally, I worked on the fourth and final version of the art, one mo’ time, scanned and uploaded it, ready for a place in Paper Doll Studio magazine. Watch for it! 

Left-to-right: Joan Collins caricature reject, almost-there reject, and the final version.

Leopard print slipdress/doll-body reject, reject, reject.

Black/white “Dynasty” suit with handbag variations: reject, reject, reject.

Sizzling hot pink cocktail dress: reject, reject, reject.

OK’d 4th and final version (maybe…).

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Coloring Janet Lennon

This month’s coloring exercise gave me the chance to color the first page in a mint condition, un-colored book. It is the newest book in my collection, published by Whitman in 1961. The subject is Janet Lennon, the youngest of the 4-sister singing group (ages 9-16) who debuted in December 24th, 1955 on The Lawrence Welk Show. So instantly popular was the group that they appeared every week for the next 13 years! Tragedy struck the group when a demented fan shot and killed their father in 1969, but they continued to perform their sweet harmonies. Today Janet is 72 years old and has 12 grandchildren. 

Janet Lennon 1961 Coloring Book cover and a page colored by me, 2019.

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Not Just a Number

Newsflash! There is no such thing as “Age Appropriate Fashion,” not anymore, anyway. Thanks to the massive group ego of the “Great Generation” and “Baby Boomers,” there is no longer a fashion generation gap as far as these powerful demographic groups are concerned. Recently a flurry of indignation in the Twittersphere caught my attention. Fifty year old Supermodel, Helena Christensen, was criticized by an ex-editor of “Vogue” for being “too old” to be wearing a black lace bustier and blue jeans. Wrong! She looked fabulous and was well defended on the Internet. This tempest in a teapot made me think anew about age appropriate fashion rules that are simply irrelevant today. Harper’s Bazaar magazine continues to run a feature that assigns fashions according to age; the ‘20s and ‘30s, the ‘40s and ‘50s, the ‘60s and ‘70s+. Once it was considered a good guide for being well-dressed for your age. Look closely! The items are interchangeable, edited without apparent reason! Such a constrained dictate seems archaic to the truly ageless women of today. The dividing lines that once dictated propriety are no longer valid. Age is much, much more than a number… it’s a Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Helena Christensen’s controversial outfit and Harper’s Bazaar’s “Ageless Style” features fashions for women in their 20s and 30s.

Helen Mirren at 73, Joanna Lumley at 72, Bernadette Peters at 71.

Continuing “Ageless Style” for women in their 40s/50s and 60s/70s+.

Joan Collins at 86 at the MET Gala, Faye Dunaway at 77 in Gucci advert, Jane Fonda at 81 on Vogue cover.

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Home Sweet Homesick

Having relocated to Palm Springs, California a year ago, I now live in a mock Modernism apartment complex. I left behind a delightful home in the charming village of Sea Cliff on the North Shore of Long Island. My husband, Francisco, and I lived in an apartment on the second floor of a carriage house originally built in 1883. Previous to that, we lived in rural, horse country Northwest Connecticut in the antique crossroad village of New Preston. Our very traditional hilltop home on Flirtation Avenue was built in 1939, surrounded by a forest of beautiful, aged oak trees. If I turn back time to the preceding decades before those years, I led a Trans-Atlantic life, bouncing around the fashion capital cities and living at various times in three New York apartments on the Upper East Side’s 74th Street, trendy West Greenwich and a full floor loft in lovely Brooklyn Heights. My home base during those years was London, England so I could be in the epicenter of trendiness. I had several interesting residences there: a Victorian artists’ studio with huge windows overlooking Parson’s Green, a surprisingly modern metal-sided tower block with a view of Regent’s Park Zoo, a 1920s penthouse in Wimbledon Common. To get away from the fashion turmoil, I escaped to the home of my dreams in Devon on the picturesque rolling green hills surrounding the ancient town of Dartmouth on the River Dart. The town is as if time has stopped. “Summerhill” is the name of the house I bought, a 200 year old Queen Anne stone cottage on the Coast Road along the cliffs and beaches of the English Channel. Is it any wonder that this idyllic, scenic corner of unspoiled countryside continues to hold me under its spell? Every springtime, I remember well the hills of wild daffodils, pale primroses and delicate bluebells. Even though I’ve not been back to Devon for years and years, nevertheless I feel a homesickness that brings a poignant tear to my eye. Of all the places I have lived, my heart belongs to “Summerhill.” 

Dartmouth on the River Dart in Devon, England charmingly captured in a painting by talented local artist, John Gillo. www.johngillo-gallery.co.uk/

Met Gala, Fall 2019 Runway, Legendary Supermodels, Coloring Eve Arden, Fiesta Paper Dolls, Satch LaValley Project, Remembering Doris Day

Camping at the Met Gala

What began several years ago as an elegant soiree at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has become a fashion farce. Whereas in the past, it was a high society highpoint, an elite fundraiser attended by the best-dressed socialites. Now it is a costume party. Celebrities, major and minor, preen and pose on a sweeping stairway that suits the extravagant and often enormous gowns. Since the theme of the exhibition is publicized ahead of the opening night party, there is plenty of time for the guests desperately seeking attention to deck themselves in the theme du jour. “Camp: Notes on Fashion” was this year’s license to go over the top. And did they ever! Unfortunately, this year’s theme encouraged shenanigans rather than style.The Met Gala has jumped the shark. Most of the celebrities were obviously unaware of what constitutes “camp.” Camp (n.) is defined as being so extreme that it has an amusing and sometimes perversely sophisticated appeal, intentionally exaggerated so as not to be taken seriously. The evening started with Lady GaGa’s “performance art” strip tease helped by designer Brandon Maxwell to peel off layers, and the evening ended with Cardi b.’s blood red monumental creation by Thom Browne. The time in between was devoted to scores of lesser celebrities, often looking like Vegas showgirls, parading up and down the pink-carpeted sweeping stairway leading to the $30,000.00 a plate dinner. 

Lady GaGa’s multi-layered pin-up girl strip tease with designer Brandon Maxwell aided by half a dozen male dancers with big umbrellas. The crowd loved it, as did the social network.

Correctly “Camp” creations worn by Janelle Monae, Hailee Steinfeld and Ezra Miller. 

Feathered frenzy ; Kendall Jenner, Anna Wintour, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Gilding the glamour; Emily Blunt, Billy Porter, Awkwafina.

Sky high headdressing; Celine Dion, Cara Delevingne, Gemma Chan.

Pink power; Kacey Musgraves, Deepika Padukone, Emma Roberts.

 Icy white lightning; Gwen Stefani, Gigi Hadid, Katy Perry.

Daredevil men of style; Ryan Murphy, Darren Criss, Alessandro Michele.

The long and short of hemlines; Charlie XCX, Nicki Minaj, Lili Reinhart.

Absolutely extravagant; Saoirse Ronan, Lupita Nyong’O, Regina Hall. 

Cardi b., the last to walk the pink carpet is an appropriate grand finale in an over the top Thom Browne creation. 

Fall 2019 Runway Review Checklist

The fashion world is always in an advanced time zone. Now that the real-time world is ready for summertime to begin, designers and retailers are eagerly anticipating the delivery of Fall 2019. Fashion Weeks that previewed the new looks have come and gone. Pity the poor consumers who are forced to think back to the runway shows in order to decide what is going to be trending next. Here’s my own cheat sheet to help recall the top five trends for Fall 2019 (when it actually arrives!). The biggest news is the best, as if fashion is turning back Time to the days of the Best-Dressed List when style was polished, when tailoring was precise and fashion was all grown-up. Perhaps the fashion world is finally moving beyond throw-away athleisurewear, at long last. This shift in attitude turns the spotlight on suits, smartly tailored jackets (fitted or boxy) with matching skirts or pants. Traditional patterned textiles are again focusing attention on woven plaids and checks, especially traditional Glen plaids. If this is starting to sound somewhat dull, fret not. There is still room for extravagant expressions of sparkling razzle-dazzle, frothy furs and a few fine feathers. As expected, black is always present, but for Fall 2019 it is more prevalent than recent seasons. 

Back to Best-Dressed: Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana.

Suitably Attired: Dolce & Gabbana, McQueen, Burberry.

Traditional Textile Patterns: Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry.

Extravagant Expressions: Michael Kors, Naeem Khan, Dolce & Gabbana.

Black Evermore: McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy.

Magical Models Return to the Runways

Gone are the days of so-called Supermodels of the ‘70s and ‘80s. They had personality and pizzazz that brought electricity to the runways. I think it is unfortunate that they were replaced by youngsters, dazed and disgruntled sleepwalkers loping down the runways like zombies. Wait! There is hope. A few top models from the past reappeared as if by magic at the fall 2019 shows. There was Patti Hansen (62), Christy Turlington (50), Grace Jones (70), Karen Bjornson (67), Alva Chinn (70) and the legendary Pat Cleveland (68), Queen of the Catwalks. She began modeling as a teen-ager and was one of the first to succeed in print as well as runway. No wonder, her exotic looks made her perfectly photogenic but it was her delicate but jazzy dancer’s movement that turned her into a true superstar. Pat Cleveland’s every appearance was a performance as she pranced and pirouetted, effervescent as a glass of champagne. She has lately been mentoring her daughter Anna’s modeling debut. She also has a son and lives in New Jersey where she and her second husband, Paul Van Ravenstein, raise peacocks. Sadly, Pat was recently diagnosed with colon cancer while working in Paris. Her expensive treatment was not covered by Medicare. When the news broke, her friends and colleagues in the fashion industry launched a crowd funding account that quickly generated enough money to pay Pat’s 6-figure medical bills. 

Karen Bjornson 67/ Pat Cleveland 68/Alva Chinn 70, Christy Turlington 50 and 68 year old Pat Cleveland on the Tommy Hilfiger runway.

Grace Jones 70, Patti Hansen 62.

Pat Cleveland in the 1970s.

Worst Fashion Ad... Ever!

Double page spread in May issue of “Vogue.” Shame on Gucci!

Coloring Eve Arden

This month’s coloring fun was in a book gifted to me by Jenny Taliadoros. I knew there had been an Eve Arden paper doll published in the ‘50s, but the coloring book was a nice surprise. I was a devoted fan of Our Miss Brooks when I was growing up and I always hoped I’d have a high school English teacher just like Eve Arden, smart and sardonic. But I didn’t. Over the years I grew to appreciate the actress playing supporting roles in scores of motion pictures such as Mildred Pierce and Cover Girl. I was very pleased when I landed the plum assignment of writing Eve’s bio for Paperdoll Review Magazine. I also contributed the doll I did in the souvenir book that I created for last year’s convention. I gave her a new very sophisticated dress and a fetching ‘40s hat, too. 

Eve Arden Coloring Book, 1953 and page colored by me, 2019.

Chic Eve publicity photo, and as “Our Miss Brooks” in the long-running TV series.

For Paperdoll Review Magazine: Eve paper doll and dress/hat worn in “Cover Girl.” 

Dressing Movie Star Paper Dolls for Fiesta!

I have just completed a new paper doll book for Paper Studio Press. “Hollywood Retro Fiesta” will be published later this year. It was probably the most challenging artwork I’ve ever done. The book has six dolls: Carmen Miranda, Betty Grable, Judy Garland, Jane Powell, Esther Williams and a Chorus Girl. Each doll has a costume or two from a film made during WWII’s “Good Neighbor Policy” inspired by a governmental request for Hollywood to make movies flattering to our Central and South American allies. Included in the films were lavish musicals such as “Fiesta,” “Down Argentine Way,” “Week-end in Havana,” “Holiday in Mexico,” “That Night in Rio” and “Bathing Beauty.” The costumes were very extravagant and detailed, difficult to capture with markers/paints/pencil. I had to recreate some several times before I was satisfied. The book will include an essay by my daughter, Professor Amanda Hallay-Heath, whose YouTube series has more than 30,000 dedicated followers. 

Carmen Miranda in “Week-end in Havana” and Judy Garland in “Ziegfeld Girl.”

Chorus girl in “Week-end in Havana” and Esther Williams in “Fiesta.”

Two versions of embroidered dress and swimsuit cover-up cape worn by Esther Williams in “Easy to Wed.”

Photo of Betty Grable in “Down Argentine Way,” rejected gown and approved version of dress on doll.

New faces: Rejected chorus girl and accepted retro-glam chorine.

Creative Collaboration

“High Fashions of the 1940s” is a recently published very special paper doll from Paper Studio Press. It is the work of Satch La Valley who passed away several years ago. He was apparently a very flamboyant personality, an exceptional artist, an expert on Hollywood history and a collector of vintage fashions. I regret that I never had the privilege to meet him as I admire his artwork so greatly. He was friends with Gene Maiden, the beloved gentleman whose passion and personality made him a driving force in the paper doll community. Gene was well connected to Hollywood and often arranged to bring stars to the Los Angeles paper doll parties and conventions. (It is thanks to Gene that I met so many stars including Marsha Hunt, Ann Rutherford, Betty Garrett, Margaret O’Brien and Jane Powell.) Gene frequently commissioned various artists to create special paper dolls for him and he requested Satch La Valley to do a paper doll inspired by designer Adrian. Satch had many Adrian creations in his own vintage fashion collection. Before he died a few years ago, Gene gave the doll and clothes artwork to Jenny Taliadoros in hopes that she would publish it. Several years passed and during that time Jenny showed me Satch’s work. I was thrilled and suggested I design the book’s covers and decorative elements on the clothes pages. I was inspired by Salvador Dali’s Surrealism that was so hot in the ‘40s. The book is something special, a rare collaborative effort that spanned the years before its recent publication. An absolute must for paper doll collectors and fashion history enthusiasts, “High Fashions of the 1940s” is available from PaperdollReview.com. 

High Fashions of the 1940s: Front and back covers.

High Fashions of the 1940s: 2-pages of clothes to dress the doll. 

Rest in Peace, Doris Day

The world is a sadder place with the passing of Doris Day just a few weeks after her 97th birthday. Her professional persona was sunshiny and sincere. Her talent as a singer and actress was absolutely natural and her dedication to her Animal Foundation was authentic and heartfelt. I never met her, but did have a telephone conversation with her when Paper Studio Press published the first of three Doris Day paper doll books I created. It became the biggest selling paper doll book I have ever done. I had submitted a list of my favorite costumes for her to approve. She said she trusted me. Each book was a joy because I would watch her movies again and again, making sure I was accurately representing the costumes she wore during her long career. I was thrilled to chat with her. She told me that she always was too busy on the set to be actively involved in designing her movie wardrobes and she trusted the talented designers who dressed her. She surprised me by telling me her favorite costume was a gold suede wrap coat with matching big-brimmed hat and high gloves. Chuckling, she said, “It made me feel like Greta Garbo.” 

Original study, one of more than a dozen done in an effort to capture Doris Day’s effervescence. 

Covers of my trio of Doris Day Paper Doll books published by Paper Studio Press (“Pillow Talk” is a limited edition commissioned for her birthday celebration this year, not available for sale.)