Knits in Venice

1970s, alice pollock, Donna Jordan, jap, karl lagerfeld, kenzo, pat cleveland, Venice, Vogue
Alice Pollock

Snia Viscosa jumped right in at the deep end in Venice, invited twenty eccentric different and talented designers to do their own thing with their threads. The result was a spectacular Magliamoda at the Palazzo Grassi on the Grand Canal, and this is what Alice Pollock, Kenzo of Jap and Karl Lagerfeld did with it. What a show!

Photographers uncredited.

Scanned from Vogue, December 1971.

Kenzo of Jap
Karl Lagerfeld

Store Dummies

1970s, helmut newton, Inspirational Images, mannequins, Vogue

Store Dummies I, 1976.

I think that these mannequins, used so artfully by Helmut Newton, might be the Willy van Rooy mannequin by Barway. Which also happens to be the mannequin I use for my vintage clothes!

Photographed by Helmut Newton for French Vogue.

Scanned from Model Girl by Charles Castle

Simply Natural

19 magazine, 1970s, Antiquarius, chelsea cobbler, Essenses, hand tinting, Herbert Johnson, Inspirational Images, james wedge, Sacha, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials, wigs

Long cardigans, long skirts, long scarves add up to a rustic setting in a relaxed mood. A casual look forward to restful autumn days.

Photographed by James Wedge.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, August 1973

Maroon hat with turn up front. Matching sweater in maroon and camel, with plain camel collar. Brown pencil skirt with pleats at the side. All by Stirling Cooper. Cream tights by Mary Quant. Beige and brown leather bootees from Chelsea Cobbler. Long knitted scarf by Herbert Johnson. Wig in all pictures from Wigwham.
Camel sweater with red and blue Fair Isle pattern. Brown wool tweed mixture cardigan with cream and maroon trim. Brown pencil skirt. All by Stirling Cooper. Knitted scarf from Herbert Johnson.
All clothes by Stirling Cooper. Brown bootees from Chelsea Cobbler. Gloves from Ambalu. Scarf by Herbert Johnson.
All clothes by Stirling Cooper. Boots by Chelsea Cobbler. Scarf by Herbert Johnson.
Clothes by Stirling Cooper. Shoes from Sacha. Scarf from Essences at Antiquarius. Cane from Emmerton and Lambert.
Clothes by Stirling Cooper. Suede sandals by Baby Shoes. Scarf from Essences at Antiquarius.

WHAT KIND OF GIRL ARE YOU?

19 magazine, 1960s, alistair cowin, annacat, biba, bus stop, celia birtwell, Daniel Hechter, Foale and Tuffin, fulham road clothes shop, guy and elizabeth, hung on you, Inspirational Images, jean varon, john bates, Lawrence Corner, lee bender, liberty, liberty's, lilley and skinner, Maxwell Croft, ossie clark, Pierre D'Alby, quorum, ravel, Roger Nelson, Ronald Keith, sally levison, Stephanie Farrow, Susan Handbags, sylvia ayton, wallis, Weathergay, zandra rhodes
Cancer: Long Victorian styled dress with high neck in coffee cotton lace trimmed with white, by Annacat, 25gns.

Whether you believe in star signs or not, this lovely editorial is certainly fun to browse. Pretty happy with my Cancerian Annacat dress, modelled by Stephanie Farrow, but greatly envy the Aries and Scorpio threads.

(Also, please don’t shout at me about the furs. I don’t like them either but it would be weird to leave out Leo and Aquarius. Just pretend they’re fake…)

Photographed by Guy and Elizabeth

Scanned from 19 Magazine, January 1969.

Leo: Red fox knee length coat by Maxwell Croft, 259gns. Red wig from Beyond The Fringe.
Virgo: White jersey dress with brown snakeskin shoulders and belt by Sylvia Ayton and Zandra Rhodes, approx 8gns. Mottled chiffon scarf from Liberty. Brown leather boots by Lilley and Skinner, £6 19s. 6d.
Libra: Long brown crepe dresswith medieval claret-coloured velvet sleeves by Roger Nelson at 94, 9gns.
Scorpio: Metallic blue leather jacket with zip front by Ossie Clark for Quorum, 25gns. Chiffon scarf by Biba, 18s. Red jersey trousers by Wallis, £3 19s 11d. Leather boots by Lilley and Skinner.
Sagittarius: Fake horse jacket with leather elbows and trim, by Daniel Hechter for Weathergay 15gns. Herringbone trousers by Alistair Cowin at Grade One, £3 19s. 6d. Beige ribbed sweater 4½gns. Matching beret, 39s 11d. Both by Sally Levison Originals.
Capricorn: Beige rayon crepe trouser suit by Foale and Tuffin, 20½gns. Pink chiffon scarf by Biba, 18s 9d. Brown leather brogues by Ronald Keith, 6gns.
Aquarius: Maxi fur coat by Barbara Warner for Fab Furs, 150gns. Black hat by Biba, 25s. Worn underneath, black maxi jersey dress with snakeskin waistband by Sylvia Ayton and Zandra Rhodes, approx 8gns.
Pisces: Beautifully cut white raincoat by Foale and Tuffin, 16½gns. Boots to order by Ravel Studio, 19gns.
Aries: Brown suede fringed waistcoat, £7, with matching printed moccasins, £2. From Hung On You. Deep red satin blouse by Biba, £2 15s 6d. Brown cord trousers by Alistair Cowin at Grade One, 5gns. Narrow headscarf by Celia Birtwell for Quorum, 1gn.
Taurus: Blue rayon georgette, high-waisted dress with baby ribbon trim by John Bates for Jean Varon, 13gns.
Gemini: Green army surplus hat, 9s. 9d., and beige jacket, 11s. 9d., both from Lawrence Corner. Beige gabardine knickerbocker suit, by Pierre D’Alby, 14gns. Brown stockings from Mary Davies, 35s. Brown leather brogues by Ronald Keith, 6gns. Shetland Fair Isle beret, 25s. and scarf, 29s. 11d. by Lee Bender at Bus Stop. Leather shoulder bag by Susan Handbags, 7gns.

Enter Chloé

1980s, Chloe, harpers and queen, karl lagerfeld, Vintage Adverts
Exclusive Chloé Designs by Karl Lagerfeld – Chloé Boutique, 173 New Bond Street, London W.1.

“A woman does not put on my fragrance. She enters it.” Karl Lagerfeld.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, October 1982.

They’re a knock-out

1970s, Abecita, bill klein, City Lights, Inspirational Images, janet reger, lingerie, petticoat magazine, platforms, Tommy Roberts, underwear, Vintage Editorials

How does a really cool lady knock spots off the opposition? Sneakily. She discards her vibrant purples and blacks, climbs sweetly into pure white undies and, as innocently as a schoolgirl, demolishes all resistance.

While this editorial can’t quite work out how regressive or feminist it wants to be, I cannot fault the pom-pom platform shoes which are all by City Lights Studio (aka post-Mr Freedom Tommy Roberts and far too short-lived). I would definitely karate chop for those babies.

Photographed by Bill Klein.

Photographed at Pickett’s Lock Recreation Centre.

Scanned from Petticoat, December 1973

Left: Lacy bra and pants by Abecita. Right: Boxer pants and nylon and lycra bra from Marks & Spencer.
Left: Vest and knickers from Marks & Spencer Right: Cami-knickers and bra by Janet Reger.
Left: Boxer pants and vest by Marks & Spencer Right: Bra and pants by Abecita.

Ondine

1970s, Inspirational Images, lord snowdon, snowdon
An impression of the ballet Ondine Photographed by Snowdon at Nymans, the home of his mother, the Countess of Rosse in Sussex.

His eye for imagery and ability to create illusion is illustrated by his photograph of a ballet dancer in the role of Ondine for a calendar for ICI. ‘The girl was in the lake, surrounded by pale, pale blue and she was just coming out of the water.’ He photographed her in the lake at his mother’s house, Nymans, in Sussex, one freezing April morning. ‘I let off smoke bombs, but they didn’t work, so I lit some leaves to make blue smoke. I thought the poor girl would freeze to death, so I filled one of those thermos buckets with hot water, and put it just below water-level, and she was stood in the hot water – in gum boots; but you wouldn’t know it, because she was standing in the blue-lit haze.

Date unknown. Photographed by Snowdon.

Scanned from Model Girl by Charles Castle, 1977.

In praise of smaller men

1970s, Club International, Illustrations, James Marsh

Illustration by James Marsh.

Scanned from Club International, August 1976.

Don’t cry your eyes out

19 magazine, 1970s, Hair and make-up, Make-up, mary quant, Vintage Adverts
“Don’t cry your eyes out”, says Mary Quant. “I’ve just added some new colours to my Tearproof Mascara range. You can now get chocolate, grey, bottle-green as well as black, brown-black and blue.”

Scanned from 19 Magazine, September 1975.

The Party Dazzlers

1970s, Alana Collins, Anne Turkel, biba, Blades, bus stop, corocraft, cosmopolitan, Dana Gillespie, Deirdre McSharry, edina ronay, Eva Reuber-Staier, Feathers, Fiona Lewis, Hildebrand, Inspirational Images, jeff banks, just men, mary quant, Nancy Bleier, norman eales, Peter Bubb, Peter Finley, platforms, polly peck, Sally McElvin, sandie shaw, Stephanie McLean, terry de havilland, Vintage Editorials, yves saint laurent
Dana Gillespie, the bosomy (43 in., actually) Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, is the most modest of party girls. At the show’s opening night party she turned up in her old gipsy skirt and a t-shirt, happily flashing her gold and jewelled snake rings. “Sometimes I feel like being outrageous – I just wish there were more parties to entice me out. When I was on my own I went to parties to see more people so I wouldn’t be on my own.” Alone only for the picture, Dana wears her snake collection, backed by a velvet dress and jewelled jacket, designed by her friend Sally McElvin. Pop designer Sally makes one-offs only, from £20.

In the words of Noel Coward, every girl ought to be able to say the morning after, “I’ve been to a mah-vellous party.” A little champagne does not go amiss, but this winter the clothes alone will put a gleam in your eye. There are enough sequins, crystal beads and glittering fabrics to guarantee you are the star attraction. To clinch the deal, I’ve asked some of the most stunning party girls around to give their definition of what constitutes a marvellous party and to put the most dazzling party frocks to the test…

Fashion by Deirdre McSharry.

Photographed by Norman Eales.

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, December 1972.

Ann Turkel is the 5ft 10in. tall New Yorker who steals the limelight from the stars at film premieres, so parties are just kid’s stuff. “Parties? That’s when I know no other woman in the room can ‘top me’. I make a real effort – my mother has dresses made up specially in New York and ships them over – I never wear the same dress as any other woman. I know I’m a success when the photographers start crowding me. I like a man who appreciates when you are looking great.” Ann, who likes to move in a cloud of Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, comes on diamond bright in sequins and taffeta. Jacket by Biba £20. Red dress by Mary Quant £12.60.
Eva Reuber-Staier is the ex-Miss World turned TV personality who helped present BBC1’s Animal Stars. She’s cool, poised and gregarious. “I love parties, the kind with pretty girls and clever men. I prefer big parties; there’s more of a choice. I got to at least two parties per week.” The best one she says was given by some Cambidge dons. “Clever, but sexy with it, and could they dance!” Would she make the first move if she fancied a man at a party? “Fortunately I don’t have to.” Cleverly draped, sexy dress by John Bates for Jean Varon £36. Roses by Spectrum. Shoes by Terry de Havilland £13.99. Pop singer Gary Hamilton, star of Hair and several horror films says, “It’s the quiet girls who catch my eye.” Gary in satin trousers by Blades.
Alana Collins is tall, blonde and blue-eyed. “At parties back home in Nacogdoches, Texas, the boys used to call me the Duchess because I love to get dressed up. That was the original one-horse town, but in London I still like to cause a stir. There’s such a variety at parties – long and short hair. I go for the man who is paying total attention to one woman. And if you give him all yours, that clicks.” A lady who watches her strategy. Alana is the perfect Cosmo party girl in pink draped jersey by John Bates for Jean Varon £27. Sheos by Yves Saint Laurent £19.50.
Sandie Shaw sings for her supper. Her husband Jeff Banks, designs for his. United on most fronts, the Banks are divided on parties: “I hate them,” she says. “I love ’em,” he leers. Then they go on remember half a dozen great parties they’ve given including one in a char-a-banc to Southend; another on a river boat and a third at Madame Tussauds. “My idea of a good party is mostly fellas,” says Sandie, “but I don’t like him to look posh. The thing is, he loves me dressed up.” Dolled up for “that great party no one ever seems to give,” as Jeff says, is Sandie in a Banks special, suitably glittery in green and gold gauze. Sandie’s hair by Smiles. Jeff’s clothes by Blades.
Nancy Bleier, a bouncing brunette model import from Milwaukee, prefers her parties on the small size. “Just a few intimate friends, a quite dinner and dancing at Tramp or Annabel’s,” says Nancy who keeps her party figure by taking modern dance lessons. Nancy makes her eyes up like Sophia Loren, wears a lot of scent and generally sticks to trousers at parties. “My French boyfriend says: ‘Darling why don’t you ever wear a dress?’ He offered to buy me one – but never did.” Not downcast, Nancy dresses up for Swiss model Reto in a 1000 watt lime glitter outfit from Biba, top £14, skirt £15.25. Reto’s dinner suit from Just Men, £45.
Edina Ronay, the actress and model says: “A good party is when Warren Beatty murmers ‘call me tomorrow’. Actually the best parties are the ones I give myself – straight and freaky, champagne and – uh – cakes. The people look at each other and enjoy the difference. What happens afterwards – that’s what counts about parties.” Edina, who had her hair hennaed in Morocco, gets ready for her Christmas party in crushed pink velvet and feathers. Dress by Biba £15, boa and ‘diamond’ ring by Bus Stop, £6.50 and £1.95. Robert wears sequined jacket by Dior and ruffled shirt by Just Men.
Stephanie McLean, at 5ft 10in., is the kind of status blonde most men hope to meet at parties. And it was at a party where her husband, a photographer who specialises in nudes, met her. Says Stephanie, “Now when we go to parties we separate – otherwise why bother to go out at all? – but I keep my eye on him. I prefer relaxed, informal parties and almost always wear jeans. Sometimes I get dressed up and he says ‘you look fantatic, we’ll go out.'” Looking dressed up in a glittery silver and black taffeta dress by Polly Peck £12.85. Peter Finley the model who prefers parties for two, wears black satin trousers from Blades.
Film actress Fiona Lewis has the sophisticated face of the Seventies, so it’s not surprising that her idea of a party is simple – and expensive. “Lots of drinks and lots of people, never punch which is a bore and bad for your digestion. Simple things like smoked salmon and chilled white wine are best. And I prefer to wear fantasy clothes which I run up myself from scarves. I ask dishy men and tell them to bring their friends.” Fiona adds her own glitter to a black and white taffeta halter dress, Hildebrand about £18.50 and also a floating red chiffon dress aove right, at Feathers £25. Peter Bubb the model wears velvet dinner jacket by Just Men £35.