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.
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.
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| Sophisticated Simplicity: Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Christian Dior. |
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| More Sophistication: Prada, Giorgio Armani, Prada. |
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| Practical Power of Pants: Designer Miuccia Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior. |
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| More Pants: Giorgio Armani, Prada, Christian Dior. |
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| Prints with Pizzazz Aplenty: Burberry, Christian Dior, Prada. |
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| More Pizzazz Prints: Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Valentino. |
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| Graphic Line-up of Stripes: Louis Vuitton, Dsquared2, Jil Sander. |
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| More Stripes: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Alberta Ferretti. |
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.
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.
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| Pillow Talk Limited Edition Paper Doll book cover, Doris Day as Jan Morrow and Rock Hudson as Brad Allen. |
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| Doris and Rock in pajamas, ready for the funny split-screen scene, Thelma Ritter as Alma. |
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| Doris in ‘60s career clothes plus emerald cocktail gown and Duchesse satin evening coat designed by Jean Louis. |
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.
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.
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| Zendaya-Cinderella arrived in a drab gray gown that a wandful of magical smoke transformed into beautiful blue. |
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| Zac Posen printed 3D rose petals to create a sculptural full blown floral gown. |
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…).
“…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!
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| Left-to-right: Joan Collins caricature reject, almost-there reject, and the final version. |
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| Leopard print slipdress/doll-body reject, reject, reject. |
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| Black/white “Dynasty” suit with handbag variations: reject, reject, reject. |
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| Sizzling hot pink cocktail dress: reject, reject, reject. |
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| OK’d 4th and final version (maybe…). |
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.
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.
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| Janet Lennon 1961 Coloring Book cover and a page colored by me, 2019. |
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.
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.
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| Helena Christensen’s controversial outfit and Harper’s Bazaar’s “Ageless Style” features fashions for women in their 20s and 30s. |
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| Helen Mirren at 73, Joanna Lumley at 72, Bernadette Peters at 71. |
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| Continuing “Ageless Style” for women in their 40s/50s and 60s/70s+. |
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| Joan Collins at 86 at the MET Gala, Faye Dunaway at 77 in Gucci advert, Jane Fonda at 81 on Vogue cover. |
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/
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.”
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| Dartmouth on the River Dart in Devon, England charmingly captured in a painting by talented local artist, John Gillo. www.johngillo-gallery.co.uk/ |
