art deco

Gilding the Lilia

1920s, 1930s, 1970s, art deco, Deco Inspired, Inspirational Images, Rossana Podesta, sunday times magazine, Tazio Secchiaroli.

Italian film star Rossana Podesta returns to the screen, after an absence of two years caused by illness, as Lilia the shapely leading lady of Paolo, il caldo, a study in eroticism written by Vitaliani Brancati. The film, which is set in the Twenties and Thirties, traces the relationship between Lilia and the central character, Paolo – a Sicilian Baron whose main interest in life is women. Before eventually ending her love affair with the sensual Sicilian, Lilia manages to slip through an enticing selection of seductive clothes, until she settles down to a conventional marriage. The clothes, by Tirelli of Rome, one of Italy’s largest theatrical costumiers, are modern interpretations of Twenties and Thirties styles; there are chunky furs, cream coloured foxes, flat berets, apache-type scarves, and saucy old-fashioned lingerie made from satins, laces, ribbons and ostrich fronds.

Photographed by Tazio Secchiaroli.

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, May 13th 1973.

Bronzed sequinned and lame plunged-necked evening blouse with a side-split skirt; a matching beret and a sugar-coloured silk scarf.

A striped dress in beige and brown wool under a dark brown jacket with a red fox collar and cuffs.

Black cami-knickers cut high at the sides to lengthen the look of the legs.
Cream roses, a dress of silk organza, and a luxurious stole of creamy fox furs.

Glamorscope

1970s, Adrian Mann, art deco, biba, Bourne & Hollingsworth, Charles Batten, che guevara, corocraft, Crocodile, Deco Inspired, Fenwick, hair, Hair and make-up, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, jeff banks, Make-up, Martha Hill, Michael Berkofsky, Monet, quorum, Regis, Ricci Burns, Russell & Bromley, sheridan barnett, Vintage Editorials
Glamorous funnel-shaped crepe-de-chine sleeveless mid-calf length dress and loose jacket with dipped hem, side pockets and matching triangular scarf (not shown), Monet £21, from Che Guevara, Kensington High Street, W8. Elbow-length evening gloves, D H Evans £2.40; fabric rose, D H Evans £2.20; silk bangles, Gay Designs £2; leather peep-toe shoes, Russell & Bromley £24.99. Cane chaise longue, Biba £52.50.

Make-up by Regis at Biba Beauty Parlour.

Hair by Robin at Ricci Burns.

Photographed by Mike Berkofsky.

Scanned from Honey, March 1975.

Clinging jet black strapless frilled pencil-slim knee-length dress with spotted net drapes and pink tulle rose trim, from a selection starting at £5 at Martha’s Market, Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High St, Wl. Sparkling sequined pillbox hat, Charles Batten £9.95; black flowered lace, Martin Klein 65p a yard;.long black evening gloves, D H Evans £2.40; mother-of-pearl and gilt compact £8.50, and sequin evening bag £2.05, both from Biba ; carved jet drop earrings, Adrien Mann £2.25.

Sensational pink morocaine dress with floating back and front panels and shoestring tied straps, Sheridan Barnett for Quorum £29.50, from Quorum, Radnor Walk, SW3. Long pearl ropes, Corocraft £3.20; rose, D H Evans £2.20; diamante drop earrings, Adrien Mann £2.25; silk bangles, Gay Designs £2; suede pointed stilettos, Biba £13. Satin cushions, large £7.95, small £2.25, ostrich feathers 95p each, all from Biba.

Stunning black self-embossed cap-sleeved crepe-de-chine dress with tight drawstring waist and slit back, Monet £14, from Che Guevara, Kensington High St, W8. Veiled satin pillbox, Charles Batten £8; long pearl rope, Corocraft £3.20; elbow-length satin gloves, D H Evans £2.40; thin silk bangles, Gay Designs £2; sheer black tights, Elbeo 55p; black satin strappy sandals with knotted front, Russell & Bromley £18.99.

Orange, green and cream flower-printed crêpe-de-chine dress with swirling accordion-pleated skirt, Jeff Banks £21.90, from Jeff Banks, Duke St, W1. Glittering pearlised gold belt £3.75 from Crocodile; long emerald green chiffon scarf, Fenwick’s £2.85; grey fabric gloves, Bourne & Hollingsworth 85p; gold leather peep-toe shoes with twisted front, Russell & Bromley £24.99.

The Jean That Speaks For Itself

1970s, 1980s, art deco, Deco Inspired, jean harlow, jeans, menswear, Vintage Adverts

Advert for Gentle Folk Jeans.

Scanned from Men’s Wear, January 17th 1980.

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside

1970s, anello and davide, art deco, Bombacha, Bugatti, bus stop, Butler & Wilson, carr jones, chelsea cobbler, Crocker Wilson, Deco Inspired, Diana Doe, Diane Logan, edward mann, Honey Magazine, Inega, Jackie Ross, John Craig, Jon Elliot, kangol, Lawrence Corner, lee bender, Martha Hill, Michael Berkofsky, miss mouse, peter robinson, Ricci Burns, Rosie Nice, Russell & Bromley, Samm, Shelana, Simpson of Piccadilly, Spectrum, stirling cooper, Sujon, Tabu, tuttabankem
LEFT: Spotted cotton baggy trousers, Stirling Cooper £7.95. White cotton boned sun top John Craig £3.50. Cornflower blue shirt with wide turnback sleeves, John Craig £5.50; bobble bead necklace, Corocraft £1-25. RIGHT: Baggy white trousers, Stirling Cooper £9.95. Loose cotton shirt with American Bowling Print design or back, Inega £6.95. Pull-on hat, Edward Mann £2.70; twirly plastic bangle 25p, and thick blue marble bangle 45p, both by Corocraft; shoes, Samm £8.99.

Cotton jackets and blouses, comfortable baggy trousers, skimpy bareback sun tops and neat knee-length shorts. Team them up with saucy felt berets and rope-soled espadrilles —wear them anywhere (or on the prom).

A glorious recreation of 1930s photographs by the late great Mike Berkofsky, but we all know those pups are the real stars of the show!

Photographed by Mike Berkofsky.

Scanned from Honey, May 1974.

LEFT: Striped cotton blouse, Stirling Cooper £6.95, from Ronnie Stirling. High-waisted trousers, Shelana £8.95. Thin patent leather belt, Gay Designs £1.50; authentic sailor’s cap, Lawrence Corner 44p; espadrilles, Samm £3.99. RIGHT: Finely striped jersey halter-neck T-shirt £2.95, and matching cardigan jacket £5.95, both by Bus Stop. Shantung linen Oxford bags, Martha Hill £8.50. Original 40’s canvas percher hat, to hire from Diane Logan.

LEFT: Swirling striped cotton skirt with elasticised waist £15.95, loose white cotton blouse with pintucked front £5.95, both by Stirling Cooper. Sailing ship brooch, Butler & Wilson £2; canvas peep-toe wedge-heeled espadrilles, Chelsea Cobbler £9.99; natural straw hat, Diane Logan £10; denim umbrella, Crocker & Wilson £10-50. RIGHT: White cotton trousers, Jackie Ross at Jon Elliot £9-50. Spotted cotton halter-neck top with rope ties £4, and matching jacket £10.75, both by Diana Doe at Carr Jones. Leather rope-soled espadrilles with ruched front, Samm £8-99. Sunglasses from a selection at Bombacha £2.

Sky blue double-breasted Trevira jacket with shawl collar £6.75, and matching Oxford bags £5.50, both by Spectrum. White cotton piqué fitted halter-neck sun top with buttoned back, Miss Mouse £6.50. Brown and white striped umbrella, Crocker & Wilson £14.50.

Cornflower blue cotton jersey halter-neck top with daisy motif, Tabu £4.90. Cream gaberdine shorts, Tuttabankem £12.50. Silky fine knit cardigan with embroidered pockets from a selection at Bombacha. Blue felt beret, Kangol £1.50. Thin scarlet belt, Peter Robinson 55p. Royal blue canvas wedge-heeled peep-toe espadrilles, Chelsea Cobbler £9.99. Men’s clothes: Striped blazers from £23.50, and Panama hats £1.30, both from Simpsons, Piccadilly, W1. Double-breasted white jersey knit suit £40, striped cotton shirts £7.95, and white bags from £5, all from Bugatti, Kensington Church Street, W8. Black and white correspondent shoes, £12.75 from Anello & Davide, 33 Oxford Street, W1. Brown and cream correspondent shoes, £24.99 from Russell & Bromley. Hair by Trevor at Ricci Burns.

White linen tie-waisted jacket with wide elbow-length sleeves, Rosie Nice £17.95, from Rosie Nice, 12 Clifton Road, W9. Tangerine, green and white map-printed cotton boned sun top with shoestring straps, John Craig £3.50. White cotton sun hat, Edward Mann £2.70; leather rope-soled espadrilles, Samm £8.99; thin emerald green patent belt, Gay Designs £1-50.

LEFT: Cream, navy and scarlet checked madras cotton shirt, Carr Jones £8.50. Pale blue linen Oxford bags with tie waist and patch pockets, Martha Hill £8-50, from Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, W1; blue beret, Kangol £1-50. RIGHT: White cotton loose pintucked shirt and matching Oxford bags, Sujon £16. Sunshine yellow cotton jersey halter-neck, Tabu £4.50, from Nouvelle, Kensington Church Street, W8 ; umbrellas from Crocker & Wilson.

A Legacy of Lace

1970s, art deco, Deco Inspired, Inspirational Images, janet reger, Linda Dagenais, meriel mccooey, Meriel McCooey, Sarah Moon, sunday times magazine, Vintage Editorials
Long beige slip in lace and crepe, £19.50; soft-lined crepe bra, £5.40.

It is not often that they auction old knickers at Christies, but earlier this year the celebrated wardrobe of Heather Firbank went under the hammer, and an integral part of the collection was her exquisite underwear. Heather Firbank, sister of the novelist Ronald Firbank, was famous for her unique, occasionally eccentric clothes, and though most of them now belong to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the highest bid for the underclothes came from the lingerie manufacturer Janet Reger and her husband Peter. They made copies of the pieces they bought, and tomorrow they will be on sale from Bottom Drawer, 33 Southwick Street, London W.2, and by mail order. They are expensive, certainly, but unfortunately the luxury of Twenties underwear no longer comes at Twenties prices. All accessories are from Maria Cavallo‘s shop Dignetts, at Antiquarius, King’s Road, London S.W.3.

Model is Linda Dagenais.

Words and styling by Meriel McCooey.

Photographed by Sarah Moon.

Scanned from Sunday Times Magazine, November 17th 1974.

Oyster satin cami-slip, £25.00.
Black lace slip, £19-50; black lace camisole top, £28.50
Original cami-knickers from Heather Firbank collection (also shown on cover). The seam-for-seam copy costs £19-50.

Miners Movie Queens

1970s, art deco, Deco Inspired, Hair and make-up, Honey Magazine, Make-up, Miners, Vintage Adverts
Bring back glamour with Miners Movie Queens

An exemplary bit of Seventies-does-Deco, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Scanned from Honey, November 1974.

You know how good it feels (Part 1)

19 magazine, 1970s, art deco, Deco Inspired, Illustrations, Lyn Gray

Magic moments, happy moments, moments alone and moments together—you know how good all that feels. And nothing feels better than that touch of luxury when it comes your way unexpectedly. Just in case you don’t know, we want to prove it, by putting that touch of luxury within your reach. For us, the ‘Thirties, perhaps more than any other era, set the mood for elegance and glamour, and we’ve chosen all our prizes in styles and shades to capture that mood.

A series of eight blissfully brilliant illustrations accompanying a competition feature. There is also a stunning photograph which I will post tomorrow as I thought these deserved their own post.

Illustrations by Lyn Gray.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, July 1974.

Waiting For Your Sugar Daddy

1970s, anello and davide, Angela at London Town, Ann Reeves, art deco, charlotte martin, Deco Inspired, Inspirational Images, John Bishop, mary quant, michael chow, Norma Moriceau, nostalgia, ossie clark, Tony Berkeley, Tony Berkley, Vintage Editorials
Halter-necked backless midi dress. brown with red and white splodges. has a peplum waist. by Tony Berkeley. 9,gns. Grey tights by Biba. 10s 11d Metallic silver-pink T-bar shoes. by Mary Quant. E4 19s.11d. Photographed at the Boulestin Restaurant. 25 Southampton Street. Covent Garden. London. W C 2 (01-836 7061)

Every girl, if only once in her life, gets the opportunity to eat out at one of London’s smart restaurants. so when the time comes you may as well make the most of it. The main thing is not to feel intimidated by your surroundings. but to be very cool and nonchalant. as if you do it all the time. (No slumping down in your seat or staring around the room with your mouth open.) If you just don’t understand the menu. ask your escort or the waiter. don’t just point to something and hope for the best. Make sure your hair is clean and shiny. and please don’t have it set and lacquered (very uncool). Wear some-thing soft and romantic in crêpe or voile, that moves well when you walk. or a halter-neck dress with a low back to make the most of the remains of your summer tan. Make sure your dress length isn’t mini (it might be the only one in the room. and then they’ll all know you’re from out of town). Don’t spoil the effect of your midi with the wrong accessories—wear a pair of new Granny shoes with the higher heel and bar strap for added authentic ‘Forties’ glamour.

Ignoring the title (which I have, as always, left for posterity) this editorial is pretty damn perfect. On the cusp of what we more clearly think of as ‘Seventies’, just before platforms and the extremes of Glam, but turning its back very determinedly on the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and looking further back with nostalgic eyes. It’s also a delicious, possibly unique, snapshot of the most fashionable restaurants in London at the time.

Model is Charlotte Martin.

Fashion by Norma Moriceau.

Photographed by John Bishop.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, November 1970.

Cream satin hat from a selection at Feathers. Purple and cream chiffon dress. by Tony Berkeley. 15gns Purple tights. by Mary Quant. 15s Ankle-lacing shoes. by Anello and Davide. 75s. Photographed at Julies Restaurant. 135 Portland Road. London. W.11. (01-229 8331)
Brown panne velvet short-sleeved midi dress has a sweetheart neckline decorated with tiny bunches of flowers by Ossie Clark. for Radley. £14 10s. Photographed at Mr. Chows Montpelier Restaurant. 13 Montpelier Street. London. SW7 (01-589 0032)
Backless halter-necked brown and cream chiffon dress, by Tony Berkeley, £13 Aubergine tights. by Mary Quant, 15s. Metallic silver-pink T-bar shoes, by Mary Quant, £4 19s. 11d. Photographed at Prunier’s Restaurant, 72 St. James’ Street, London, S.W.1 (01-493 1373)
Multi-coloured triangle dress. by Ossie Clark for Radley, 12 19s 6d. Neutral tights. by Biba. 6s 11d. Ankle-lacing red shoes. by Anello and Davide. 75s. Photographed at Burkes Club, 10 Clifford Street. London, W.1. (01-734 1912) All the jewellery on these pages belongs to our model.
Purple crepe shirt-style calf-length dress. by Ossie Clark for Radley. £15 10s. Purple tights. by Biba. 10s 11d Black T-bar shoes. by Mary Quant. £4 19s 11d. Photographed at Chez Solange, 35 Cranbourn Street. London. W C 2. (01-836 0542)
Long purple crêpe dress with multi-coloured embroidery,-loosely tied at neck and sleeves, by Ann Reeves, 8gns. Neutral-coloured tights. by Biba. 6s. 11d Ankle-lacing purple shoes, by Anello and Davide, 75s. Photographed at the Garden Restaurant, 9 Henrietta Street, London. WC2 (01-240 0088)
Golden panne velvet top. teamed with a Bordeaux and gold skirt. decorated with butterflies. by Angela at London Town. 11gns Aubergine tights. by Mary Quant, 15s. Black T-bar shoes. by Mary Quant. £4 19s 11d. Photographed at Provans Restaurant. 306 Fulham Road. London. S W.10. (01-352 7343)

Shades of Autumn

19 magazine, 1970s, art deco, celia birtwell, francois lamy, Hair and make-up, Ingmari Lamy, Inspirational Images, karl lagerfeld, Make-up, ossie clark, quorum, Revlon

We’ve tried to capture the golden richness and mellow nuances of a well-preserved old oil painting, and create our October face with the new Moody Hues make-up from Revlon’s Natural Wonder collection. Face tone should be warm and tinged with a hint of tan, and we used foundation colour ‘Bisque Beige’, 66p., dusted over very lightly with translucent pressed powder in the ‘Medium’ shade, £1.02. We rouged the cheeks with Cheek Shine in ‘Red’, £1-32. Pursuing the same rustic-toned theme we chose ‘Soulful Plum’ mascara and lashed it on both top and bottom lids, 85p. Eyes are a muted melange of ‘Tortoiseshell’ Eyeshadow Stick, 66p., and the same shade in Lid Lights, the powder version, fading to complementary ‘Minty Green’ powder shadow just under the brows, £1.10 each. We dabbed over the eyelids with ‘Brown Shine’ cream blusher for extra gloss and softness, £1.32. Lips are outlined in ‘Bracken Brown’, 62p.

Model is Ingmari Lamy.

Make-up was applied by visagiste Jean Duval of Revlon, Paris.

The beautiful décolleté dress with huge winged sleeves is in black with a yellow, red and blue feather print, from Quorum, £24.

‘Forties-style hair was dressed by Tina of the Jean-Louis Davide Salon in Paris.

Photographed in the apartment of Karl Lagerfeld, the designer, by Francois Lamy.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, October 1971.

Perfumed Ladies

1970s, art deco, Illustrations, malcolm bird, vanity fair

One of my favourite illustrators of all time, Malcolm Bird takes the very essence of what I love about the Twenties/Thirties and the Sixties/Seventies and just melds them together with a Beardsley-esque eye for detail in little works of genius like this. Intended to illustrate a frivolous quiz on finding the right perfume for you (I’m resolutely a D, in case anyone was ever in any doubt) he gives us a brilliant cross-section of ‘types’ from 1970. I have separated the illustration above but you’ll find the quiz below for a bit of fun.

Illustrated by Malcolm Bird.

Scanned from Vanity Fair, April 1970.