#58 - Dateline Paperdollywood - Royal Fashions, Chanel, Fashion Exhibits, Award Season

Fine Tuning Royal Fashions

Never have I turned down a creative challenge and my new paper doll book, Queen Elizabeth on the Screen contains some of the most difficult artwork I’ve ever done. The iconic ruler was very image conscious and her wardrobe was meant to establish her grandeur and power. She dressed to intimidate. Over the years, some extremely talented costume designers rose to the creative challenge of dressing stars for the role and it was my idea to try to represent many of the magnificent outfits in the 12-page book. The lavish details, the extravagant materials and the wealth of jewelry meant long hours hunched over the drawing board. (Millions of pearls!) As always, I am ruthlessly self-critical and several of the costumes called for more patience and artistic endurance than the average paper doll outfit. I redid Cate Blanchett’s costume because I realized the complicated fabric detail needed to be more carefully executed, rather than “suggested.” And Bette Davis’ bold black-and-white striped outfit was reworked five times, two versions didn’t even get close to being finished before they hit the wastebasket.

Two versions of Cate Blanchette's costume.

Three of the five versions of Bette Davis’ costume

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Chanel’s Classic Suit: Now ironic, not iconic! 

Coco Chanel’s famous cardigan suit debuted in her 1954 comeback collection and became a true classic. It was repeated, with slight variations, in every Chanel collection thereafter and was knocked-off endlessly. It became the uniform of the high society “Ladies Who Lunch,” as seen constantly in WWD throughout the late ‘50s and ‘60s. It became even more iconic when Jackie Kennedy wore a pink version of it on that fateful November day in Dallas. Eventually the suit’s popularity waned but when Karl Lagerfeld took over at Chanel after Coco’s demise, he revived the cardigan suit and it reappeared often during the ‘80s. He treated it irreverently which gave it great appeal to a younger generation. He still grinds out variations, but has lost the suit’s essence (timeless, ageless, flattering and casually elegant). However, that fabled suit refuses to fade away and was included, practically verbatim, in the Spring ’16 runway shows of wacky Jeremy Scott at Moschino and disruptive designer Alessandro Michele at Gucci. But there’s a big difference. Now it’s ironic not iconic, so out-of-it that it’s considered humorously cutting edge and in today’s fashion climate, perhaps it’s ready for yet another comeback. Subscribers to Paper Doll Studio are already on the Chanel comeback trail, having enjoyed the magazine’s recent special Chanel Tribute Issue #113.

My sketch of Coco wearing Chanel and Chanel models, 1990 

Spring ’16 Jeremy Scott for Moschino

Spring ’16 Alessandro Michele for Gucci, and the current version of the Chanel classic by Chanel.

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Marilyn’s Octopus Dress

It’s all in the eye of the beholder. Every artist finds it difficult to see his (or her) work with a “fresh eye” after slaving over a piece of artwork for hours. I’m lucky to have Jenny Taliadoros as an editor/critic/best friend. Sometimes her keen eye can surprise me. I painted the white pleated dress that Marilyn Monroe wore while standing on a subway grating in “The Seven Year Itch.” I was happy, having met the challenge of the billowing skirt. Jenny’s bizarre reaction made me look at it in a new way. “It looks like an octopus,” she declared. I looked at it again and had to agree. That skirt became tentacles and her breasts looked like boggling octopus eyes! What to do? The dress looked just fine once it was cut-out and put on the blonde doll in the Hollywood Goes to New York City book. I realized that if the dress had bare arms “attached,” it would no longer look like a creature of the deep. The episode was a nice reminder that being an artist means constantly solving problems and that four eyes are better than two.

Does this look like an octopus to you?

Adding arms makes all the difference.

Doll and dress from “Hollywood Goes to New York City” book.

Study of Marilyn Monroe for a future issue of Paper Doll Studio magazine. 

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Once Upon a Fashion Exhibit

Fairy Tales can come true…in fashion, anyway. “Fairy Tale Fashion” is the current hit exhibition at The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in Manhattan. Once upon a time, the spacious two-floor gallery used to mount exhibits of a somewhat scholarly nature which befits its academic setting. Exhibits were seriously educational, yet mounted with plenty of flair. The current exhibit which closes April 16, may be a crowd-pleaser, but I didn’t really learn much as I wandered through the enchanting fashion fairyland. The mannequins are grouped to pay tribute to classic tales including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and Rose Red. One tableau is devoted to The Wizard of Oz, another to Alice in Wonderland. Little Red Riding Hood’s cloak is reinterpreted by several designers. There is also a trio of serpentine styles. Another display features gold and silver gowns. The fashions are entertaining, mostly extravagant eveningwear, although sadly, there are only a few gowns from the historic past. There are far too many recent runway showstoppers. This fanciful exhibition is yet another example of how such high fashion is fast becoming a spectator sport, an entertainment extravaganza and is no longer a relevant reflection of even a very fashion-conscious real life. 

My sketch, one of several Red Riding Hood cloaks on display.

Snapshots taken in fashion fairyland.

More fairlyland frivolities.

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SAG Style: Sequins, Sleeves, Skin and Slits!

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are considered to be as serious as that sort of show can be and this year’s fashion stories were about as serious as show-off Red Carpet style can be. There was plenty of sparkle with sequins twinkling in some surprising colors, both bold and/or subtle. Sparkling stars included Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Helen Mirren, Gaby Hoffman and Saoirse Ronan. Two trends, poles apart, were in evidence. Some celebs showed skin with long leg slits, bare backs, plunging necklines and sudden peek-a-boo effects. Bri Larson, Laverne Cox and Eva Longoria were stand-out flashers. The big surprise is the cover-up of sleeves, often to the wrist. Alicia Vikander and Anna Faris took to this unexpectedly demure design idea. After so many years of black or white dominating the Red Carpet, it was refreshing to see a veritable rainbow palette of reds, pinks, blues, greens and more, in hues from pale to bright to dark. An unintentional trend is hemlines that are too long, the understandable result of the reality that borrowed sample gowns are made to fit long, tall models not shorter, real-life size stars. 

Alicia Vikander, Helen Mirren, Saoirse Ronan

Laverne Cox, Brie Larson, Gaby Hoffman, Anna Faris

Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman

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Paris Couture, Different but the Same

The concept of creative fashions, custom-made for the richer-than-rich, continues to thrive by catering to younger, global-centric clients. The Spring ’16 collections, recently shown in Paris, demonstrate the staying power of priceless workmanship and the continuity of haute couture. There are a surprising number of couturiers at work today, but only the legendary labels even pretend to set trends. Everybody is making spectacular showpieces, but Dior, Valentino and Chanel still do it best. The House of Christian Dior even managed to put on a splendid show without a Creative Director due to the hasty departure of Raf Simon. A young team interpreted the creative integrity of the storied label, even re-imagining the famous 1947 “Bar” suit with its shapely jacket and black full skirt. The update is somewhat less shapely and features slit flared sleeves. The Dior signature lily-of-the-valley is scattered over half the jacket while the other side gets jewel trim. That history-making “revolutionary” long, full skirt is now modernized into a slim wand with a sexy high slit. Call me an old-fashioned romantic, but I much prefer the 1947 version. How about you?

My sketch of the “Bar” New Look suit and the Spring ’16 current interpretation.

Valentino Haute Couture, Chanel Haute Couture, Christian Dior Haute Couture.

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Movie Costumes Off the Screen!

Fans of film fashions can see actual costumes from the best movies released in 2015 if they are lucky enough to visit the 24th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition at the FIDM College in Los Angeles. Two large galleries are simply stark white to allow all attention to go to a super collection of cinematic costumes displayed in little groups. Getting well-deserved pride of place are Oscar-nominated costumes from “Cinderella” by Sandy Powell who garnered a second nomination for “Carol.” Other nominated costumes include “The Revenant,” “Mad Max Fury Road” and “The Danish Girl.” It is interesting to note the number of films like “Brooklyn,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Carol,” and “Trumbo” set in the mid-twentieth century, allowing designers paying homage to elegantly tailored suits as well as petti-coated full skirts and cardigans. More antique are the superb period pieces for “Suffragette,” “Crimson Peak” and “Far From the Madding Crowd.” Fashion of the future is forecast in a tableau of sci-fi style from “Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens.” The iconic West is represented by “The Hateful Eight,” “The Revenant” and “The Longest Ride.” Contemporary fashion appears in “Straight Out of Compton,” “Jem and the Holograms” and “Pitch Perfect 2.” Several other films round out the impressive display of design creativity and skillful craftsmanship that results in costumes designed to be seen first on giant theatre screens and the viewed again and again on large home televisions and palm-size personal devises. The annual costume exhibition at FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising annually pays tribute to cinematic costumes. This year’s exhibit ends April 30, 2016.

 Star Wars and Disney’s Cinderella.

Period Pieces in Suffragette, Crimson Peak, The Danish Girl.

Smartly Tailored in Trubo.

‘50s Chic in Carol, Brooklyn.

Rugged Looks in The Hateful Eight, Revenant, Mad Max Fury Road.

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Fashion Embraces Diversity, too!

The 88th Academy Awards show was dedicated to encouraging more racial diversity in movies. The pre-show red carpet parade demonstrated that fashion has already achieved definite diversity of design and style. No definite direction but a parade of pretty women dressed in diversity. There were beautifully simple gowns in contrast to daydreamy Cinderella-goes-to-the-prom effects with full skirts or dragging trains. A perfect example of opposite extremes co-existing in harmony was exemplified by Cate Blanchett’s minty-blue feathery froth versus Charlize Theron’s blazing red sublime stunner. Color was diversified. Although black, white and red were plentiful, they were challenged by a veritable rainbow ranging from sugary pastels (Alicia Vikander’s pale yellow and Emily Blunt’s soft pink) to bold brights (Brie Larson’s blue and Olivia Munn’s red-orange) and on to dark shadows (Sofia Vergara’s midnight blue and Tina Fey’s intense violet). Glamorous glitz is a red carpet classic and sparkle was plentiful (Naomi Watts, Saorise Ronan and Margot Robbie.) Lace looked sexy on Rooney Mara, Priyanka Chopra and Jennifer Lawrence while sheer chiffon ruffles wafted around Brie Larson. Sex appeal aplenty appeared as legs peeked out of high slits, necklines plunged and backs were sometimes absolutely absent (Olivia Wilde and Rachel McAdams). Lady Gaga’s gown-pants-combo creation was innovative, but Daisy Ridley’s sheer bordered ankle length looked a bit odd. Divine diversity with only a couple of nightmares. (What were Heidi Klum and Amy Poehler thinking?) Fashion-wise, diversity means no definite direction, so you win some, you lose some…not everybody gets that gold statuette.

Diversity in Design on Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett and Lady GaGa sketched by David. 

Black and White on Olivia Wilde, Kerry Washington and Kate Winslet.

Soft Shades on Alicia Vikander, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Emily Blunt.

Rainbow Brights on Brie Larson, Olivia Munn and Tina Fey.

Peek-a-Boo Lace on Jennifer Lawrence, Rooney Mara and Priyanka Chopra.

Flesh Flashers on Rachel McAdams, Margot Robbie and Saorise Ronan.

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2016 Phoenix Paper Doll Convention

Convention host Jane Alfano Rasor is busy preparing for our next convention to be held June 22-26, 2016 at the Biltmore Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Arizona. There's still time to sign up! Visit the Convention Information Page for details. Don't miss out on all the fun!

#57 - Dateline Paperdollywood - Queen Elizabeth, Star Sopranos, Around the World, Royal Fashions, Fashion News

David Bowie 1947-2016 

A brilliant talent, truly original and absolutely unique. 

My portrait in remembrance.

Queen Elizabeth I AND II 

Queen Elizabeth on the Screen, my newest paper doll book, is devoted to great actresses who portrayed the historic ruler in the movies and on TV. The six paper dolls stars in the book include Bette Davis, Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Regrave, Judi Dench and Glenda Jackson. Both Bette and Cate starred in two Elizabethan movies each and Glenda inhabited the Royal role in a nine-hour mini-series on BBC. But only one actress has played both Elizabeths. Helen Mirren was Elizabeth I in a British mini-series broadcast in 2005 for which she won an Emmy and the following year she played Elizabeth II in the movie simply entitled “The Queen,” for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. I couldn’t resist giving Helen costumes for both of the monarchs. The doll gets two rather magnificent Tudor gowns and with a grey wig, she’s transformed into today’s long-reigning ruler with a wardrobe including a gown with regal regalia, an elegantly simple silk dress, a cardigan and tweed skirt plus a raincoat and even a Corgi! The 12-page book, published by Paper Studio Press, can be ordered from paperdollreview.com. 

Helen Mirren costumed as Elizabeth I in the TV series.

Helen Mirren costumed as Elizabeth II in "The Queen."

Star Sopranos Soon to Become Paper Dolls 

If only paper dolls could sing! I am about to begin research for a new paper doll book in my series “History of Hollywood Fashions by David Wolfe” for Paper Studio Press. This third book in the series will be entitled “Hollywood Star Sopranos”…not to be confused with the gangster family TV series, please! The six soprano paper dolls are all sweetness and light, singing like angels in musical movies. The paper dolls will include Jeanette MacDonald, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell, Deanna Durbin, Julie Andrews and just for fun, Marni Nixon whose voice famously dubbed the non-singing leading ladies in “My Fair Lady,” “The King and I” and “West Side Story.” (Even though she didn’t actually appear on screen in those classic musicals, my paper doll will get to wear all the costumes she would have worn if in the films! (Wait a minute, she did appear as a singing nun in a convent scene in “The Sound of Music.”) She also provided the singing voices of Margaret O’Brien and Sophia Loren as well as singing the high notes for Marilyn Monroe. 

Jeanette MacDonald, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell

Julie Andrews, Deanna Durbin, Marni Nixon

Around the World in 80s Days … with a Stopover in Phoenix 

The 2016 Annual Paper Doll Convention will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, June 22-26, organized by Jane Alfano Rasor. This year’s theme is “Around the World with Paper Dolls” and many of the workshops and presentations are planned to tie-in with the globalization of our paper doll passion. I’m delighted to have been asked to do a presentation and tell the tale of one of Hollywood’s legendary films, Mike Todd’s “Around the World in 80 Days.” Not only was the 1956 mega-hit an Academy Award winner, but the backstory of the global filming is an exciting tale. Producer Mike Todd (then Mr. Elizabeth Taylor, of course), worked magic, both artistic and financial, to get the movie made and showman that he was, the promotion hoop-la made show biz history. What does this have to do with paper dolls? Well, I’ve never done a convention presentation that didn’t have a paper doll to go with it. If you’re not already registered for the Convention, don’t miss the opportunity to have fun with your friends, new and old, from the wonderful paper doll community. For more information, see the Registration Form included in this newsletter. I hope to see you there! 

A famous scene from the film, "Around the World in 80 Days."

The Cold Shoulder is Fashion’s Hot Spot 

Sex appeal has always been one of the driving forces of fashion. The “erogenous zone” travels around the body as times and fashions change. Today’s body-conscious exhibitionism exposes legs, backs, breasts and mid-riffs. What’s left? Surprisingly, the once-popular bare shoulder is this spring’s sexy site. European designers are cutting away shoulders on tops, dresses and gowns, flirtatiously baring one or both. 

Roland Mouret, Blugirl, Barbara Casasola

Thierry Mugler, Balmain, Sonia Rykiel

Breaking Out of the Boudoir 

Spring fashions that look as if they are seductive lingerie and nightgowns are designed to go out in public this spring. Sheer and semi-sheer fabrics, lace and lacy knits appear in innocent white, sexy black or a palette of soft shades. Silhouettes are sometimes skin-tight, but look newer when they are soft and flowing. Unquestionably the most outrageously feminine look of the season, from Paris, Milan and London. 

Givenchy, Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy

Scognamiglio, Celine, Emanno Scervino

Unrolling the Red Carpet, Once Again 

The Golden Globes marked the start of the so-called “Awards Season.” With so many categories of movie and TV eligible, only the winners really care who wins. But the public loves to watch the stars parade up the red carpet wearing gowns that go from gorgeous to God-awful. It’s a fashion spectator sport. Everybody has an opinion and here are mine. For me, Helen Mirren was the best of show in her long-sleeved black gown with sheer shoulders and the best diamond necklace of the evening. Most challenging was Cate Blanchett’s pink, fringed Givenchy saccharine-sweet concoction, a cross between Downton Abbey and French pastry. Jane Fonda’s dramatic Saint Laurent gown looked as if she had been transformed into a long-stemmed white rose. Also curious were the cape effects on Jennifer Lopez (Gianbattista Valli) and Viola Davis (Marchesa) and a number of difficult-to-drag trains on Taraji P. Henson (Stella McCarthy) and Laverne Cox. The media went mad reporting the skin show provided by plunging necklines, cut-away sides and a plethora of bare backs. Among the many flesh flashers were Jennifer Lawrence (Dior), Kirsten Dunst (Valentino), Joanne Froggatt, Alicia Vikander (Louis Vuitton) and Saoise Ronan (Saint Laurent). As always, there was plenty of glitz, sequins and jewels paving simple, slim columns. Some of the sparkling stars included Julianne Moore (Tom Ford), Brie Larson (Calvin Klein), Kate Hudson (Michael Kors), Olivia Wilde (Michael Kors) and Kate Bosworth (Dolce & Gabbana). Amidst such a flashy crowd, all dripping borrowed diamonds, the looks that stood out were often simple gowns in richly colored plain fabrics such as Kate Winslet (Ralph Lauren) in deep blue, Amy Adams in red-orange, Jada Pinkett Smith in rich green, Rachel Bloom in dark green. Of course, there was plenty of black and white, as seen on Amy Schumer (Prabal Gurung) and Lady Gaga (Versace), among others. It never fails. The fun of red carpet gazing is spotting the clunkers and there were a few…Maggie Gyllenhall looked positively frumpy in a black/gold floral Marc Jacobs and Eva Longoria’s bouquet-trimmed gown by Georges Hobeika (Who?). Stayed tuned for more star style as the red carpet rolls out again and again this season. 

Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez

Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, Laverne Cox, Jennifer Lawrence

Kirsten Dunst, Joanne Froggatt, Alicia Vikander, Saoirse Ronan

Julianne Moore, Bri Larson, Kate Hudson, Olivia Wilde, Kate Bosworth

Kate Winslet, Amy Adams, Jada Pinkett Smith, Rachel Bloom

Amy Schumer, Lady Gaga, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eva Longoria

Sublime Illustrator: Remembering Kenneth Paul Block 

When I see the few well-executed fashion illustrations today, I miss the time when Kenneth Paul Block reigned supreme, the 1950s to the 1980s. For 40 years, he was the chief features artist of WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, the fashion industry trade paper). His incisive, yet infinitely graceful work set the tone for the last years of genuine fashion elegance. His sketches of society grande dames helped WWD owner, John Fairchild, create a mystique surrounding “the ladies who lunch.” (Block often did clandestine sketches as he dined at the same chi-chi eateries as his subjects.) Babe Paley, CZ Guest, Gloria Guinness, the Duchess of Windsor and Jackie Kennedy among others, were turned into celebrities (at least in the eyes of the fashion industry.) As a young man in Ohio, just joining the fashion world, I leaned about taste and style by carefully studying the authoritative sketches signed with the initials KPB. 

Block was born in Larchmont, New York in 1924 and grew up enthralled by the elegance of the 1930s. He himself was always impeccably dressed, a dapper gentleman. He attended Parson’s School of Design, graduating in 1945. His first job was sketching for McCalls Patterns. He joined Fairchild Publications in the mid 1950’s and produced an innumerable number of drawings over the years, even as photography slowly but surely out-moded illustration (which Gloria Vanderbilt once correctly described as “divine distortion.”) When WWD launched a slick sister publication, “W,” Block’s artistry reached a new level of expression, truly pure art. Nevertheless, he was let go with entire art staff in 1992. Time marched cruelly on. 

There is a beautiful, very oversize book published in 2007, “Drawing Fashion, the Art of Kenneth Paul Block” by Susan Mulcahy. It is available on amazon.com. It contains a breathtaking array of his most artistic expressions. As gorgeous as the book is, I find it unsatisfactory because it so blatantly ignores Block’s prodigious output of more commercial (though still highly artistic) drawings. It is those drawings that I admired so as a teen-ager, drawings that inspired me to pursue fashion illustration as a career. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is the repository for almost 2,000 of his drawings. 

Block’s most significant and fascinating work was his sketches of the society swans he so greatly admired. Once, after sketching the Duchess of Windsor at home, he wrote an insightful interview about the sitting, but didn’t pursue a writing sideline to his art. In addition to WWD and W, Block produced campaigns for prestigious NY fashion emporiums including Bonwit Teller, Bergdorf-Goodman and Lord & Taylor. 

Kenneth Paul Block understood fashion as an expression of the wearer, saying “Gesture to me is everything in fashion. It is the way we stand, sit, walk and lie. It is the bone. I was never interested in the clothes. I was more interested in the women in the clothes.” 

Color Sketches in "W"

KPB at WWD Office #53…KPB at Met Opening 

Show Notebook, Diana Vreeland 

Babe Paley, Issac Mizrahi Sketch in “W” 

Duchess of Windsor, WWD Front Page 1960 

Dissecting a Fashion Illustration 

For future issues of Paper Doll Studio, the OPDAG magazine, publisher Jenny Taliadoros has invited several well-known artists to share their “secrets,” the special techniques that makes their artwork popular. I’m revealing my own step-by-step process for creating paper dolls and their wardrobes. I start with a rough sketch, then transfer it to watercolor paper, block in color with markers, add a layer of gouache paint and finish up with colored pencil accents. Sound easy? It’s not, believe me. Here’s the finished sketch, the end result of the process I delineate in a forthcoming issue of the magazine. If you don’t already subscribe to Paper Doll Studio Magazine, you can do so at paperdollreview.com, so you don’t miss a thing. 

Finished sketch of Dietrich after a five-step art technique process. 

Now Available! New Paper Doll Books by David 

Paper Studio Press has just published three new paper dolls that I created. 

First is Hollywood Goes to New York City. Four model dolls and eight pages of clothes celebrate the movies’ everlasting fascination with the city that never sleeps. The costumes in the book were seen in screen plays actually filmed on location in the Big Apple or on Hollywood studio sets built to stand-in for the city itself. Included in the book are some iconic, instantly recognizable costumes from such films as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Ziegfeld Follies,” “42nd Street,” “The Women” and many more. 

 Also released are two new books in a brand-new format, the start of a planned on-going series devoted to historic Hollywood costumes. Each book will feature six movie star paper dolls and ten pages of costumes. Classic Drama Queens, the first book in the series, stars Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, Greer Garson, Irene Dunne, Loretta Young and Bette Davis. Costumes worn by these great stars include creations from “Queen Christina,” “All About Eve,” “Mildred Pierce,” “Mrs. Miniver” and “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Also included is a lengthy commentary I wrote about the stars and the costume designers. 

The second book in the series is Queen Elizabeth on the Screen. The six paper dolls are stars who portrayed the legendary ruler in the movies and on TV: Bette Davis, Cate Blanchett, Glenda Jackson, Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench and Helen Mirren (who also played Elizabeth II). Each doll has magnificent costumes from her portrayal, costumes that took hours and hours of diligent work to capture their lavish luxury. Also included is a lengthy commentary, a history of the Queen’s rule and behind-the-scene stories about the costumes and the designers.

#56 - Dateline Paperdollywood - Flowers, Denim, Jacqueline de Ribes, Queen Elizabeth

Color Inspiration in Bloom

On my recent trip to Mexico City to present Fall ’16 trends and tour a newly opened luxury department store, I had a chance to visit the glorious, overwhelming, huge Jamaica Flower Market. As an artist, I gravitate to color and I was left dazzled and dazed after walking through the explosive rainbow of colorful roses, lilies, birds of paradise, daisies and so much more. The combinations of color on display are artful and sometimes unexpected, always inspiring. Some of the vendors specialize in arrangements for weddings or funerals and because it was Christmas season, there were impressive, festive Holiday arrangements and wreaths. The flowers are sold wholesale and/or retail. Prices are ridiculously low. The Jamaica Market is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Jamaica Market in Mexico City

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Denim: The People’s Choice Fabric

A new exhibition at The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York City traces the history of the world’s most popular fabric…indigo blue denim. “Denim, Fashion’s Frontier” is a rather uninspired display that begins with a pair of work pants made in 1840 and tracks the textile right up to the current season. The presentation lacks excitement, dismally dark with only one bright spot, a TV monitor playing the notorious commercial with Brooke Shields purring that “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” Arranged chronologically, the hard-working fabric turns up as workwear, cowboy clothes, prison uniforms, sailor suits, ‘40s playwear, hippie arts & crafts and decades of cutting-edge designer creations. 

Denim, originally perceived as lower class, stepped up into big money importance in the 1970s. Designers like Calvin Klein launched “premium” denim lines, elevating the humble material into high fashion status. The curious, on-going phenomenon of wearing worn-out blue jeans is represented but not explained. In fact, the exhibition brochure/guide never bothers to explain that denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced, diagonal ribbed twill textile. The warp threads are indigo-dyed, the weft left white which is why true denim is white on the inside. Denim was thought to be so-called because a wool blend textile was developed centuries ago in the French town of Nimes (“de Nimes” became “denim.”) But recent research disagrees. To add more historical confusion, there was also a cotton fabric called “Jean.” Experts now estimate that on any given day, half the world’s population is wearing blue denim jeans. Such a success story should be more excitingly told. The exhibition continues until May, 2016. 

For more denim information, see the History of Denim, a well-researched paper doll book by the late Tom Tierney. It’s an excellent collector’s item available at paperdollreview.com and amazon.com.

'40s jumpsuit, '73 Roberto Cavalli embroidery, '40s Popover dress.

'73 leisure suit, 1840s workwear. 

'02 Junya Wantabe Gown, '90s Hip-Hop Style, '69 Decorated Jeans.

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There's a Goat Eating My Paper Doll Book!

Linda Hoerner is one of today’s most creative and clever paper doll artists. She has a great sense of humor. I laughed out loud when I saw a page from her forthcoming More Paper Pals Paper Dolls. A very hungry goat is depicted nibbling on my own Polka Dot Paper Dolls book! Linda’s book is a delight and will be published by Paper Studio Press this summer 2016.

Gretchen the goat and the partially eaten paper doll book. By Linda Hoerner.

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Jacqueline de Ribes at the Met, Elegance Personified!

The new exhibition at NY’s Metropolitan Museum is an ode to an 86 year old French aristocrat, Jacqueline, the Countess de Ribes. She is an extraordinary beauty. Her distinctive profile was captured in many photos (the most famous by Richard Avedon). When Jet Set High Society set the stratospheric standards of fashion, Jaqueline de Ribes represented the height of high fashion, always absolutely on trend, although never actually setting a trend. That would have been considered too vulgar in the decades before Kardashian exhibitionism. The Countess was passionate about fashion and as a young woman made her own clothes before she became one of the preferred clients of the great Paris couturiers. Had she not been born into such a rigid social strata where women were not allowed to work, there is no doubt she would have been a successful fashion career woman. As it was, she worked in close collaboration with the designers who dressed her, customizing creations to make them uniquely hers. The exhibition at the Met displays a wardrobe of exquisite perfection and a strong sense of personal style, the most breathtaking items being costumes the Countess created for several history-making fancy dress balls. In the 1980s, she launched herself commercially as an haute couturier against her family’s wishes and enjoyed a successful, though somewhat brief career span. Her creations were never avant garde, but ever elegant. The exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan ends February 21, 2016. 

I never met the elegant Countess though I saw her at fashion showings in Paris and appreciated her unique beauty and personal style that was so often idolized in Vogue and WWD. When I moved to London in the mid-60s, my very first freelance assignment was for The Evening Standard, England’s national newspaper. The fashion editor had written a story about the Countess purchasing a special gown but such publicity was considered vulgar then (How times have changed!) and no photo was available of the aristocratic Countess in the draped and jeweled gown. The editor was thrilled that I was so knowledgeable and could sketch the unique beauty of the Countess and accurately draw the dress. That sketch (No, I don’t have a copy of it!) got a lot of attention and helped to jumpstart my 20 year Euro-career as a fashion illustrator.

Jacqueline de Ribes' famously unique profile.

Elegant exhibition at the Met.

Colorful eveningwear.

Pink gowns designed by JDR.

Yves Saint Laurent Gown, photo by Avedon, '62. Bal Oriental Fancy Dress, '69.

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Paper Doll Fashions Fit for a Tudor Queen

Queen Elizabeth on the Screen is my current work-in-progress paper doll project for Paper Studio Press. It will be the second in a new series entitled “David Wolfe’s History of Hollywood Costumes” and will feature dolls and costumes from movies and TV series portraying the great ruler. There will be six dolls representing famous actresses who played Queen Elizabeth: Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Vanessa Redgrave. Each doll will have several extravagant costumes. The Tudor Queen’s fashions are an artistic challenge for me, requiring careful research and then hours of painstaking drawing and painting the lavish fabrics and fantastic details like ruffs, feather fans, massive jewelry, yards of pearls and crowns. It is interesting to note how every screen version over the years reflects the prevailing fashion of the times. This new book with six dolls, ten pages of costumes and the stories behind the costumes will be published early in the year.

Studies of six actresses who played Queen Elizabeth

Elizabethan costumes for Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett (works in progress)

Elizabethan costumes for Bette Davis and Helen Mirren (works in progress)