#77 - Fashions from London, Milan and Paris, French Fashion Coloring Book, Extreme Expedition at FIT, Remembering Liz Taylor

London Keeps Calm and Carries On

Despite a disastrous terrorist bomb incident on the subway and disruptive anti-fur protests, London’s recent spring ’18 Fashion Week carried on. Scores of designers displayed courage, talent and that expected British stiff upper lip. They were joined by high profile foreign stars, Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace. Local talent delivered well-received collections that were creative, highly individual and on-trend. A few themes were far-fetched (Christopher Kane’s kitchen/bathroom supplies and Erdem’s homage to the long-ago day when the Queen met Duke Ellington), but commercial salability scored with international buyers. Springtime color came on strong with an emphasis on pale palettes. Noteworthy transparent materials, including non-wovens and knits were widely used for every item possible, especially dresses and coats. Fringe was a swinging detail. Last season’s London collections focused on casual streetwear, but spring ’18 runways leaned towards eveningwear with shine and sparkle plus plenty of pretty prints aimed at young and trendy consumers. 

Soft shades from Roksanda, Christopher Kane and Emporio Armani.

Transparencies by Burberry, Pringle and Top Shop.

Fringe at Roksanda, Erdem and Roland Mouret.

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Fashionable French Coloring Book

Even though I like vintage movie star coloring books, I keep my eye on the many, many new coloring books being printed to cash in on the current craze. French Vogue magazine has produced an exceptional coloring book, “Vogue Paris A Colorier.” Artist Marc-Antoine Coulon has artfully reproduced a line-and-wash, 111 page book based on fashion photographs from French Vogue. The images range from 1949 to 2016. I found this collectible gem selling for $19.95 at a store that specializes in imported fashion magazines. 

French Vogue coloring book cover and colored page of 1949 Horst photo.

Jean-Jacques Bugat and 1983 Bill King photos colored by David. 

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Milan's Millennial Mood Swing

Milan’s fashion profile has always been predicated on sophisticated luxury and easy elegance, sublime style and superb, subtle taste. However, the recent spring ’18 runway shows revealed a new mood in Milan, a total turn-about created to entrance the adventurous Millennial generation. Color-crazed palettes! A shower of sparkle! Shameless transparencies! Exaggerated shapes! Merry mash-up mixes! Collision replaced careful coordination. What caused such bold surprise elements? Easy answer: Gucci’s designer Alessandro Michele is the most copied vision in fashion today and his influence is clearly evidenced in many Milanese collections for spring ’18. 

Gucci sure to “inspire” copycat designers.

Color-crazed at Versace, MSGM and Bottega Veneta.

Coordination collisions by Prada, Marni and Stella Jean.

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Extreme Expedition Exhibition at FIT Museum

In today’s world of casual style, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that fashion didn’t earlier start assimilating extreme activewear as inspiration for high style. Only a few examples predate the 1960s. Certainly, “athleisure” is a recent rage. The Museum at FIT is exploring the inspirational fashion influence of apparel originally made to enable explorers braving difficult elements. The exhibition, which closes January 6, is divided into themes including Arctic, Safari, Ocean, Mountain and Space arranged around a suggestion of a space ship soaring through the ceiling and a sky-high peak climbing up one wall. The most emphatic fashion elements focus on furs, down-filling and metallic materials. The curated examples encompass a diversified roster of designers from the past and present. Although impressive, the exhibition might have been more explanatory if the fashion translations shared space with the original garments made to endure the extreme measures. There is a handsome book by Patricia Mears and Lacey Flint that accompanies the exhibition, available at amazon.com. 

Expedition gallery at FIT Museum.

Chanel’s arctic furs, Phillip Plein’s metallic space suit, Andre Courreges’ sixties space age style.

YLS’ safari tunic, Watanabe’s puffa coat, Chanel’s sequined scuba jacket.

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Remembering and researching Liz Taylor

The next issue of Paper Doll Studio magazine is going to pay tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. She was the Hollywood star of stars, touted as the most beautiful woman in the world during the last half of the 20th century. I’m writing a biographic article for the issue and to go with the bio, I have created a paper doll of young Liz when she starred in National Velvet. The issue will give OPDAG artists the opportunity to dress the Liz dress-a-doll I created for what is sure to be a very glamorous issue. If you aren’t yet a subscriber, visit paperdollreview.com for details. 

Elizabeth Taylor paper doll portrait by David.

Vintage coloring books for young fans in 1950s and 1954.

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Paris packs a powerful punch!

What fashion needs now is newness, daring and a fresh point of view. The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan currently has a noteworthy exhibition that asks, “Is Fashion Modern?” The recent spring ’18 Paris runway shows answered with a resounding “Mais, Oui!” Gone are those elegant up-tight “jolie madames” in their impeccable Paris perfection. They used to call the shots and set the trends. They are being replaced by devil-may-care fashion consumers who know no boundaries, who dress-up-and-down in style that’s casual and sometimes crazy. Paris in the spring ’18 season dares to be different, to mix but never match. Stylists are the all-powerful influencers now. Design is often agonizingly over-designed, clever re-or-de constructions that break fussy old rules of hand-finished hems, darts and seams. Craftsmanship creates special effects that amount to an overload of embellishments including fringe, feathers and fol de rol. Metallic materials, sequins and jewels ramp-up the glamour. Paris is surprisingly color-drenched, mad for plastic, shameless transparent and ready to party until the break of dawn. Fashion plays out theatrically, as in the case of Saint Laurent’s runway that commandeered the Eiffel Tower as a background, or Chanel’s reconstruction of the scenic Gorge du Verdon with mountainous greenery and cascading waterfalls. The Thom Browne tribute to the “Little Mermaid” was a giddy bit of madness ending with a life-size unicorn puppet. Analysts, pundits and retail buyers are convinced that fashion-for-the-fun-of-it is a means of escape from fearful times. 

Saint Laurent, Chanel, Thom Browne.

Christian Dior, Celine, Dries Van Noten.

Balenciaga, Valentino, Louis Vuitton.

#76 - Celebrity Coloring Books, Spring '18 Fashions, Hollywood UNdressed, TV Costume Exhibit, Denim, Emmys

Celebrity Coloring Book Collectibles

I am primarily a collector of paper dolls, but for the last couple of years, I have slowly but surely added vintage celebrity coloring books to my collection. I particularly enjoy the artistic illustrative covers of some of the books. I have rediscovered the joy of actually coloring pages (most books are partly colored by the original owners years and years ago.) Recently I received a marvelous gift of seven vintage coloring books from two very generous friends. The books are: Doris Day 1952, Ann Blyth 1952, Betty Grable 1951, Margaret O’Brien 1947, Esther Williams 1951, Jane Powell and Judy Garland 1941 (The year of my birth!). I can’t wait to start coloring! 

Ann Blyth, Esther Williams, Betty Grable Coloring Books

Margaret O’Brien, Judy Garland, Doris Day Coloring Books

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A Cacophony of Color for Spring '18

The biggest news from the New York Designer Shows is an exuberant display of color, color, color! Happy days may not be here again, but spring ’18 promises an optimistic rainbow array of colors galore. In the coming spring ’18 multi-color extravaganza, the pink plethora continues, but sunshine yellow looks surprisingly hot. Red rages on and orange is fiery. Blues range from bright to soft. Although every color appeared monochromatically, more importantly, there is a veritable cacophony of upbeat color combinations. The psychological effect of so many happy hues suggests a feel-good fashion season ahead. 

Tom Ford, Prabal Gurung, Elizabeth & James

Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, Fenty Puma

Derek Lam, Calvin Klein by Raf Simon, Marc Jacobs

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Getting Ready to UNdress Hollywood

My new paper doll project is an unusual book, “Hollywood Gets Undressed.” Movies often have scenes featuring stars in a half-UNdressed state, often in a boudoir, on a beach or poolside and sometimes scantily clad in a sexy costume for a musical number. This new book, presently a work-in-progress is to be published by Paper Studio Press later in the year and will have three female model paper dolls and one male, all ready to dress in varying states of UNdress…negligees, nightgowns, pajamas, corsets, slips, swimsuits and sexy costumes. 

Work-in-Progress faces for the Undressed Paper Dolls

Work-in-Progress Version #2 Paper Dolls

Front Cover Art 

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TV Costume Exhibit Launches Awards Cycle

The Emmys are TV’s annual self-congratulatory awards in so many categories that it seems as though everyone in Hollywood must receive one of the gold statuettes. I’ll leave the categorized confusion to others and I’ll offer my view of the Emmys presented to the costumes designers. I previewed the costumes by visiting FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) in Los Angeles where the 11th Outstanding Art of TV Costume Design will be on exhibit until October 7th. 

100 costumes represent 25 shows from 2016 and include 9 Emmy nominees. Whereas television production values used to be a poor relation of the extravagant, big budgeted, big screen movies, but no longer is that the case. With so many means of accessing entertainment media, the myriad TV networks spend millions to make streaming series look as good as, as glamorous as, anything ever projected onto a movie theatre’s big screen. The scope of the stories calls for creative costuming. While there is yet to appear a fashion genius like Adrian or Edith Head, a new generation of designers is meeting the challenge. 2016 was a year of brilliantly diverse television. “Westworld” took place in a robotic theme park while “The Handmaid’s Tale” foretold a chilling rethink of gender roles in society. “Feud: Bette and Joan” turned back Hollywood’s clock and “The Crown” began the regal, epic life story of Elizabeth II. The hero-turned heroine in “Transparent” shared exposure with RuPaul’s Drag Race.” “And for sheer magic, the extravagance of “Dancing with the Stars” demonstrated that it is possible to lavishly costume a weekly television show with as much razzle dazzle as Hollywood’s heyday. 

Although it’s an honor just to be nominated for an Emmy, show biz, be it television or movie, is a competitive game. Somebody wins…and for 2016 shows, judged to be the best, the Emmy went to …..The Crown, Big Little Lies and RuPaul’s Drag Race.  

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Feud: Bette and Joan

The Crown 

Westworld

The Handmaid’s Tale

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My First Dreamgirl: Betty Grable

I fell in love with Betty Grable when I was barely able to talk. My parents told me that as a toddler I called her “Betty Dwable” and used to sit spellbound in the dark movie theatres watching the most famous pin-up girl in the world. Of course I had coloring books and paper dolls of my dreamgirl. (OK, so I probably should have been learning to pitch a baseball, but I didn’t.) At the recent Philadelphia Paper Doll Convention, for the second time in my life I bought my favorite movie star coloring book totally UN-colored. I remember buying it when it was first published by Merrill in 1953. The lush cover captures Betty’s peaches and cream, down-to-earth beauty that once brilliantly described her as "a celestial waitress."

The coloring book is a splendid example of how the old Hollywood Studio Star System perpetuated the myths it created. The book is divided into “concepts,” the first being "Beautiful Betty Grable" and includes her 112 pound weight and diminutive 5-feet, 4 inch height. Next, “Betty’s Exciting Career” declares that she is “famous for her gorgeous costumes." Also revealed is that “She likes to be on time…and likes others to be.” While coloring the well-drawn pages, the kid colorists learned that Betty like dogs, horses, bowling, football, gardening, visiting children’s hospitals and lots of other wholesome activities including breakfast in bed with her mother! 

Such a saccharine story was obviously calculated to turn impressionable kids into lifetime loyal fans, a marketing ploy that worked (…at least on me.) To this day, my must-see stars on Turner Classic Movies are Betty Grable, Doris Day, Esther Williams, Rita Hayworth and Greer Garson. Can it simply be a coincidence that I had coloring books and paper dolls of every one of those lovely ladies? Or was I brain-washed at a tender age by M-G-M? Perhaps other starstruck kids dreamed of becoming movie stars, but I fantasized about being the head of a studio…just call me “Louis B. Wolfe!” 

Betty Grable 1953 Coloring Book

Pages colored today by David

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New York Fashion Week Revitalizes Fail-Safe Denim

Once, long ago, down-to-earth blue denim was not considered designer level material. That was then. This is now and the New York runways were populated with denim designs in collection after collection. Some designers remained loyal to faded denim destruction with overly familiar slashing, rips and fraying. Dark indigo denim looked fresh again, taking the fabric right back to its raw roots for innovative designs as well as almost-basics. Denim, a real people-pleaser, deserves its star place as an ever-popular designer show fabric. 

Tom Ford, Tom Ford, Elizabeth & James

Alexander Wang, Carolina Herrera, Colovos

Oscar de la Renta, Anna Sui, Coach

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Mixed Bag of Fashion at the Emmys

Politics and diversity got more attention than red carpet fashion at the recent Emmy Awards, a three-evening affair. Two evenings of “Creative” awards including costume design were not televised. “The Crown” won for Period/Fantasy. The winner for Contemporary costumes was “Big Little Lies” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” won in the Variety/Non-Fiction/Reality category. (Reality? Yes.) 

CBS aired the big prime time awards but skipped the usual pre-show red carpet parade. Perhaps that’s just as well as the fashion quotient was hit and miss, depending on the star’s stylist. There was glamour galore thanks to plenty of sparkling sequins and beads plus a few feathers on Tracee Ellis Ross and Zoe Kravitz. Transparent fabrics, usually embellished, were favored by many including Ellie Kemper and Gina Rodriguez. Probably the most beautiful look of the evening was Jessica Biel’s artfully draped sparkling transparency. The old “New Look” above-ankle ballerina length made a comeback on Nicole Kidman and Elizabeth Moss. 

Sex appeal appeared as necklines plunged and backs were bared. Red on Issa Rae and many others replaced the usual black as the repeat favorite. Jane Fonda in hot pink looked astonishingly ageless and Viola Davis was a knock-out in sizzling orange. Tessa Thompson wore a whole rainbow. The Emmys kicked-off the Awards Season without making any surprising fashion news but with stylish diversity as the major message. 

Nicole Kidman, Gina Rodriguez, Issa Rae

Jane Fonda, Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Moss

Tracee Ellis Ross, Viola Davis, Ellie Kemper

#75 - 2017 Philadelphia Paper Doll Convention Review, Halston, Tom Tierney, Paris Haute Couture

Honoring Halston's All-American Style

The Nassau County Museum on Long Island’s Gold Coast is housed in an elegant traditional mansion set in a huge, glorious green park-like landscape. It recently housed a major fashion exhibition displaying the genius of Halston, the designer whose work in the 1970s did so much to bring global recognition of All-American style. His designs were simple, yet spectacular and they suited the emerging liberated woman who needed comfort and modernity yet also yearned for glamour and sex appeal. The exhibition featured 60 outfits from the designer’s own archives and they were spread throughout the mansion. Also displayed were many watercolor illustrations by Joe Eula and design sketches. There was also a screening room that showed a lengthy tribute filmed shortly after his death. 

Roy Halston Frowick was born in Iowa in the midst of the Great Depression but he grew up keenly aware of beauty. While attending the Chicago Art Institute Halston worked at the prestigious department store, Carson Pirie Scott. He displayed his creative millinery in a beauty salon and in 1957 he went to New York to work for Lilly Dache. Within a year he became head milliner at Bergdorf Goodman where he created Jackie Kennedy’s famous pillbox hat for JFK’s inauguration. In 1966, he started to design women’s clothing that resonated with the modern woman and celebrities like Liza Minnelli and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1972, he introduced the Ultra-Suede shirtdress, a huge success that was followed by his iconic halter dress. Halston was the first American designer to extensively brand himself but when he made a deal with middle-class retailer JC Penny, his private clients and high-class licensees were horrified. (Of course, such strategy is common today.) His fast lane personal life and questionable behavior undermined his business and he was fired from his own company and lost the right to use his own name professionally. Halston died of AIDS in 1990. 

Halston’s halter gown, Jackie’s pillbox and super-successful Ultra-Suede dress.

Sheer glamour, silk jersey and cashmere knitwear. 

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Paying Tribute to Tom Tierney

Back in 1974 paper dolls were endangered, almost extinct. Gone were the glorious movie star paper dolls of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Then Tom Tierney appeared like Superman and saved the day! “Thirty from the 30’s, Costumes of the Great Stars” was published and billed as “paper dolls for grown-ups.” It was a big book, printed in black-and-white for coloring fun and calling attention to Tom’s stunning talent and knowledge of Hollywood fashion. Of course, I bought the book and treasured it for decades, coloring a few pages. The star line-up featured Garbo and Garland, Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard and Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Jeanette MacDonald and many more. Tom also included leading men (being one of the few fashion illustrators whose brilliance embraced both female and male genders). The most surprising and amusing figures are The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy plus W.C. Fields and Boris Karloff. Tom is gone, of course, but his genius talent and his sense of humor will stay with those of us who enjoyed the pleasure of his company. Every artist and collector owes Tom Tierney full credit for saving the wonderful world of paper dolls. 

Thirty from the 30’s Cover and Greta Garbo paper dolls. 

Claudette Colbert and Fredric March paper dolls by Tom Tierney. 

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Vive Paris!

The recent Paris Haute Couture collections for Fall 2017 did just what they are supposed to do. Unleash the imagination, reveal the incomparable artistry and honor the meticulous craftsmanship that is an irreplaceable tradition of French fashion. What the collections did not do was set a new trend that will sweep the world. No Dior “New Look.” No Courreges “Space Age.” No Saint Laurent “Rich Russian Peasant.” Now we have a dozen or so talented designers each creating an individual vision of fashion du jour. The big names demand singular attention. 

Karl Lagerfeld re-sculpted Chanel’s timeless tweeds into a new shape and proportion with exaggerated arched shoulders. A bit heavy-handed, but significant. Maria Grazia Chiuri celebrated Christian Dior’s 70th anniversary by revisiting the 1947 then-revolutionary long full skirt with yards and yards of fabric for daywear. Her theme was inspired by a lady explorer on safari, but only the jungle setting seemed related to the theme. Pier Paolo Piccioli’s Valentino collection married sacred religious ritual raiment with couture drama inspired by cardinals, bishops and nuns. Jean-Paul Gaultier’s always playful and camp collection hit the ski slopes for a snow bunny winter festival. John Galliano’s collection for Margiela Artisanal looked as if garments were taken apart and incorrectly reassembled, a fashion autopsy gone awry. The models’ hair was sudsy, interrupted mid-shampoo. Armani Prive, a frequent red carpet choice, looked slim and simply shaped (superb jackets as always) with intricate embellishment and sexy scooped necklines. Elie Saab evidently couldn’t wait for “Game of Thrones” to return so he whipped up a medieval collection of regal gowns fit for a glamorous warrior queen. Giambattista Valli remained true to his pretty, pretty, pretty look with micro-mini dresses often made of clouds of tulle and encrusted with flowers, sometimes with a long train in the back. Fendi’s fur couture parade was a prime example craftsmanship such as appliqued blue poppies made of shaved mink. The most inexplicable show of the season was Viktor & Rolf’s parade of extreme creations topped with giant anime cartoon heads which were removed mid-show when the clothes were unzipped to reveal denim jeans and shorts. The most original and artistic collection was the inventive work of Iris van Herpen, the techno-designer who is pushing fashion into the future. 

Dior’s safari setting, Christian Dior, Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld.

Giambattista Valli, Iris Van Herpen, Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Valentino, Armani Prive, Fendi.

Margiela by John Galliano, Elie Saab, Viktor & Rolf.

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Fun Times in Philly at the 2017 Paper Doll Convention

The recent Paper Doll Convention held in Philadelphia was a fun time for all attendees, over 100 collectors, artists and enthusiasts. Organizers, Linda Ocasio, Valerie Keller and Rudy Miller plus all their helpers, did a great job of organizing and executing the 5-day event that was jam-packed with presentations, workshops, a raffle, an auction, a museum outing and scrumptious meals. I had the honor of being the emcee, a task I enjoy immensely. This year’s theme was the Swinging ‘60s, an era that brought back memories for most of the attendees. Every night was a gleeful costume party with outfits recalling Hippies, Psychedelic and Mod fashions. 

The first event was a bus trip to the famous Art Museum where we were given special treatment viewing noteworthy fashion items from the 30,000 pieces in the museum’s collection. Visiting the fashion library where books and magazines had been specially laid out for our inspection. The rest of the convention days followed a familiar plan, carefully scheduled workshops and presentations plus a day of sales. I bought a mint-condition Betty Grable coloring book that I intend to enjoy coloring even though that will diminish its value as a collector’s item. I don’t care! One of the highlights of the convention was a musical extravaganza starring the super-talented Sharry and Micheal O’Hare/O’Hara, featuring songs from ‘60s Broadway musicals such as “Hello, Dolly!” and “Gypsy.” The raffle room under the management team of Sondra Leeds and Debra Van Dyke was filled with treasures that generated the sale of hundreds of tickets, helping to fund convention expenses and delight lucky winners. 

When my friend Scott Jorgenson had a dental problem and had to miss the convention workshop he chaired, Penny Arrowood and Kim Cataldo stepped in and ably assisted in the construction of silver “paper” dresses designed and devised by Scott. The highly creative creations appeared at Saturday night’s dinner. A personal highlight for me was the ‘60s fashion presentation given by my daughter Amanda Hallay. She’s a professor of fashion history in Manhattan and a talented speaker. (Check-out her “Ultimate Fashion History” videos on youtube.com.) As always, the souvenir paper dolls are coveted collectibles and this year’s ‘60s themed books, organized by Rudy Miller, were very exciting. 

Of course, as soon as one year’s convention ends, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s. 2018 will be held in the Northwest, chaired by Sharry and Micheal who are already planning themes, events and entertainment. Early registrants get a discount. See below for details and start to plan attending now! Visit OPDAG's website for more info.

My Souvenir Booklet “Swinging London."

More of My Souvenir Booklet.

Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton Souvenir by Eileen Rudisill "Rudy" Miller.

James Bond Souvenir by Bruce Patrick Jones.

Pierre Cardin Souvenir by Jim Howard.

My newest book, "Hollywood Gets Married," available from paperdollreview.com

Working on the paper dress creations.

The paper dress designers wearing their creations.

Be sure to sign up for the 2018 National Paper Doll Convention in Seattle!

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Dressing the Convention Dress-A-Doll

One of the many fun things about the annual paper doll convention is the opportunity to design an outfit for the convention’s “Dress-a-Doll.” This year’s doll, beautifully illustrated by Valerie Keller, is Donyale Luna, the extraordinary model of the 1960s. Designing an outfit was great fun. I wanted it to be something really avant-garde and extreme so I designed a black-white-pink creation. If Donyale had worn something like that in the ‘60s, I imagined she might have been photographed on a zebra, so that’s the way I did it. 

My outfit for Donyale Luna, the convention’s Dress-a-Doll by Valerie Keller.