Purdey Fragrance

1970s, celia birtwell, joanna lumley, ossie clark, Random Ossies in Adverts, Vintage Adverts, Vogue

Carlo Dini has created Purdey Perfume. A Perfume in the timeless French tradition, made for the exciting woman of today. Purdey for the woman with style.

Joanna Lumley giving me the New Avengers and Celia Birtwell-print Ossie Clark crossover I didn’t know I needed. I would dearly love to know what this smelled like, if anyone can remember please let me know!

Scanned from Vogue, January 1978.

Live a Little

1970s, Adrian Mann, Bata, Boobs, Brian Downes, bus stop, Butler & Wilson, celia birtwell, corocraft, Crocodile, Dickins and Jones, Fenwick, gillian richard, Inspirational Images, lee bender, ossie clark, quorum, Sacha, Therèse, Titfers, Upwest, Vintage Editorials

LEFT: Long flowing marocaine wrapover dress with frilled cap sleeves, Radley for Ossie Clark, £15, from Quorum, 113 King’s Road, SW3. Swallow brooch, Adrien Mann, approx £2; antique satin clutch bag with rhinestone star, Titfers, approx £8. RIGHT: Keyhole-fronted crêpe button-through party dress with Chinese word pattern, £12.95, from all branches of Bus Stop, mail order 20p extra from 3 Kensington Church Street, W8. Sequined skull cap, Crocodile, £4; antique powder compact, Butler & Wilson, £4-75.

Short, shiny waves, tight to the head and crowned in a slippery sequin beret add the ritzy touch to oyster satins and champagne silks—daring dresses, glamorous enough for anybody’s Rolls.

Brunette model is Therèse.

Photographed by Brian Downes.

Scanned from Honey, December 1971.

LEFT: Poppy printed black dress, Ossie Clark for Quorum, £16.25. Sheer natural tights, Elle, 45p; high-heeled suede peep-toe shoes, Bata, £6; round beaded evening bag, Butler & Wilson, £8.75; diamante hairslide, Adrien Mann, approx £1.25; diamante stranded necklace, Adrien Mann, £4-50. RIGHT: Daring slash-necked green pineapple printed marocaine dress, Ossie Clark for Radley, £16, from Quorum, 113 King’s Road, SW3. Luxurious white feather boa, Dickins & Jones, £7.60; multi-coloured sequined cap, Crocodile, £4; pale green tights, Elle, 45p; suede peep-toe shoes with bows attached, Sacha, £5.99; diamante rings from a selection by Adrien Mann.

LEFT: Slippery black rayon satin dress with scarlet rose print and plain scarlet bolero, Gillian Richard, £11.60. Jet black sequined cap, Crocodile, £4; black fabric gloves, Fenwicks, £1.30; simple diamante choker, Adrien Mann, approx £1.50; tiny square powder compact from a selection by Butler & Wilson; diamante and pearl brooch and diamante rings from a selection by Corocraft. RIGHT: Ritzy plunge-neck black and multi-coloured satin party dress with black velvet bolero, £12.50, from Boobs, 1 A Chapel Market, N1. Diamante drop ear-rings, Corocraft, approx £2.50.

LEFT: Slithery rayon and satin flower embossed dress and bolero, Gillian Richard, £10, from Way In, Hans Crescent, SW1, mail order 20p extra. Glass and diamante choker, Adrien Mann, approx. £1.50; real silver zig-zag and wavy bangles, John Plenderleith, £8.50 each; suede and snakeskin peep-toe shoes, Upwest, £10.95. RIGHT: Flowery fluted long printed satin skirt, £7.50, waistcoat-jacket, £7.50, and slashed-neck button through satin blouse, £5.95, from all branches of Bus Stop, mail order 20p extra from 3 Kensington Church Street, W8. Diamante drop ear-rings, £2, diamante sailing ship brooch, approx £2, both by Adrien Mann; black suede shoes with mauve diamond pattern, Bata, £4.49; beaded evening bag, Butler & Wilson, £12.50.

That old black magic

1970s, alice pollock, alistair cowin, biba, Buckle Under, bus stop, celia birtwell, christian dior, christopher mcdonnell, corocraft, Dolcis, edward mann, Elgee, Elle, Fenwick, flair magazine, George Malyard, gillian richard, Herbert Johnson, Hiroshi, Inspirational Images, janice wainwright, jean muir, John Craig, kangol, Ken Lane, lee bender, leonard, lilley and skinner, Malyard, Marks and Spencer, marrian mcdonnell, mary quant, Miss Impact, ossie clark, quorum, Russell & Bromley, Sheraton, simon massey, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials, yves saint laurent

The witching hour—smock shirt dress, white birds flying on yards and yards of transparent black georgette, Alice Pollock for Quorum, £36.75. In her hair, crescent moon £3, and a flash of lightning slide £5.25. Both from the House of Leonard.

Black, the old enchanter. Bewitching, mysterious, romantic. In velvet, satin and soft silk jersey. Dramatic alone or shouting with colour. That timeless black magic still weaves its ancient spell.

Hair by Leonard.

Photographed by Hiroshi.

Scanned from Flair, November 1971.

In best black style. Left : tailored single-breasted embossed velvet jacket, £16.75; matching skirt, £12.60; matching velvet hat £3.50. Brown tea rose, £1.05. All from Biba. Black thorn walking stick from a selection at Herbert Johnson. Right : Silver birds on black velvet blazer, £13.95, satin shirt with black cravat, £5.95; ankle length skirt, £4.95. All from Bus Stop. Sweeping ostrich feather hat by Edward Mann, £3.85.

Celia Birtwell printed Marocaine shirt by Ossie Clark for Quorum, £7.50. Red Poppies, 35p each, Fenwick.

Romantic panne velvet dress by Simon Massey, £16. White full-blown rose on black velvet ribbon, both from John Lewis. Black chenille snood, £1.95 Fenwick.

Graceful blouse with elasticated waist, over matching rayon flared skirt, £21.50 by Mary Quant. Silver diamante belt by Ken Lane, £21.50. Quant’s butterfly tights, Farfalla, 95p. Diamante paste clover leaf on black velvet ribbon, £7.90 by St Laurent Rive Gauche. Black ostrich feather, 55p Biba.

Printed shirtdress buttoned up with red hearts. By Gillian Richard, £9.50. Red heart necklace, £19 by Christian Dior. Sweeping black felt hat, by Buckle Under, £8.

For high coloured drama put black with traffic light colours : red, yellow green and strong electric blue.
Wool jersey vest by Sydica at Miss Impact, £4.90. Heart necklace from Elle, £3.75.

Cotton velveteen shirt £9.75, and culottes £7.75. By Alistair Cowin. Jersey wool shirt by John Craig, £4.80. Black leather belt, Fenwick £2.45. Suede boots banded in red, yellow and green, Lilley and Skinner £10.95. Velvet cap by Malyard £5, pinned with red star by Corocraft, 99p.

Warming up to black, in strictly daytime mood, our model wears Guerlains Teint Dore for a real tawny tint, 99p with Juvena’s Sahara Sun Blush Colour Stick as a highlighter, £1.63. Her. eyelids are coloured in Boots No 7 Transparent Eye Tint, 40p, and her lipstick is Chanel Corail, 95p.

Wrap around, tie belted wool jacket. £10.50. Over red Oxford Bags £6.50. Both by Alastair Cowin. Tartan wool man’s scarf, Scotch House £1.25. Black suede beret by Malyard, £16.

The little black dress revamped by Jean Muir in crepe de chine with puffed sleeves, demure bow and flared skirt, £21. Black suede strappy shoes, Russell & Bromley, £19.95. Sheer black tights, Mary Quant, 65p. Rhinestone star, St Laurent Rive Gauche £2.50.

Tie round black wool midi coat, topstitched in white, £22. Matching trousers, £6.25. Both by Elgee. Black and white Orlon tweedy knit tunic jumper, Marks and Spencer £2.95. Herbert Johnson knitted wool cap, £2.50.

Black wool tent coat by Stirling Cooper for Sheraton £16.95. Black wool Kangol beret, 65p. Black and plum suede lace up shoes, Dolcis £8.95. On collar, cupid heart brooch, St Laurent Rive Gauche £14.

Black wool jersey nautical blazer, £15.25, over grey and white knitted wool trouser suit, £28.25. Both by Christopher McDonnell for Marrian-McDonnell. Mock mother of pearl clips, Biba 35p each.

black velvet smoking jacket, £10.50; ankle high skirt in red, yellow and black wool tartan, £5.75. Both from Bus Stop. Cupid heart brooch, Rive Gauche £14. White shetland jumper, £5.50 Scotch House.

Scarves from head to toe

1960s, Adrian Mann, biba, celia birtwell, edward mann, Ginger Group, headscarves, Inspirational Images, Jaeger, janice wainwright, jinty, liberty, liberty's, Liz Smith, Marlborough, mary quant, observer magazine, polly peck, quorum, Richard Allan, simon massey, Steve Hiett, steven hiett

Long chiffon scarf designed by Celia Birtwell, 2 gn., from the Vidal Sassoon Shop, 44 Sloane Street, W1; Quorum, 52 Radnor Walk, SW3. White Tricel tricot blouse, part of set, by Mary Quant’s Ginger Group, 13 gn., with contrast trousers and jerkin, from Bazaar, Knightsbridge, SW1.

Scarves, instead of being dismissed as last year’s fashion gimmick, are being perpetuated as this year’s most important accessory. Still the simplest way to wear a scarf is to flip a long one casually college-style around the neck. As long as it’s not literally a college scarf this somehow adds enough chic to whatever you wear, without making you look fussily overdressed. There are dozens of different ways to tie a scarf. Smart French girls are tying scarves around their waists, twisted in with chain belts or beads. Marc Bohan at Dior makes headscarves tied pirate-style look young and chic, and shows scarves tied like a man’s tie. Although large squares will still be in demand to wear on the head or folded up as cravats, the big fashion in scarves is still for long ones, preferably fringed. Men will have to accept with a good grace that they have lost their long-established monopoly of fringed silk scarves. Until now almost the only places to find them were men’s departments, antique market stalls or somebody’s attic. (Shawls are the latest craze from jumble sales.) But shopping for scarves is easier this spring, with stocks at last in every shape and size. Hair by Valerie at Cheveux, 15 Abingdon Road, London W8.

Fashion by Liz Smith.

Photographed by Steve Hiett.

Scanned from The Observer Magazine, March 1969.

Paisley printed chiffon square, 63s., from Liberty, Regent Street, W1. Hat by Edward Mann, 49s. 11d., in a variety of colours. Tricel jersey tunic shirt (with trousers), by Jinty, 8 gn.

Tied around the waist a filmy silk square by Richard Allen, 75s., from Fenwick, 63 New Bond Street, WI. Pearl and turquoise twisted bead belts with tassel ends, by Adrien Mann, 30s. each, from Harrods; Kendal Milne, Manchester. Beige crepe shirtsleeved jumpsuit £41 10s., from Jaeger, Brompton Road, Sloane Street, Baker Street and a number of provincial branches.

Pirate-style cotton handker-chief, 17s. 6d. from Liberty. Silver brooch on shoulder, 30s., silver bracelets, £1 7s. 6d. each; all from Indiacraft, Marble Arch, W1. Tricel jersey dress by Mary Quant’s Ginger Group, £5 19s. 6d., from Bazaar.

Indian silk scarf, 36 in. square, £1 11s. 6d., from Indiacraft, Silver chain, 18s. 6d. from Fenwick. Cigarette holder from Tunisia. Tunic dress in Lancola jersey by Marlborough, 11 gn., with trousers, from Peter Robinson.

Extra long silk scarf looks good tied as a sash, also in black, £2 2s. 6d., from Biba, 19-22 Kensington Church Street, W8, and by post. Rayon chiffon smock dress, by Polly Peck, 13 gn.

Square scarf tied like a tie, silk crepe de chine, 7 gn. yard, 36 in. wide, from Liberty. Dacron and cotton blouse, also in white, pale blue, brown, lagoon and pink, £5, from all Young Jaeger branches. Courtelle Neospun jersey pinafore-topped trousers designed by Janice Wainwright for Simon Massey, £8 18s. 6d. Maltese cross on chain by Adrien Mann, 25s. Tibetan bird ring £1 10s. from Indiacraft. Sunglasses by Corocraft, 25s.

Silk stole to wear as a sash, by Richard Allen, £7 17s. 6d., from Fenwick. Simple round-necked sleeve-less jumpsuit zipping up the back, in linen-look rayon, navy, beige, thyme or caramel, £14 10s., from Jaeger, London, and all provincial shops. Red and navy slingback shoes, 79s. 11d., from Dolcis. White plastic chain belt by Adrien Mann, £1. Page-boy wig, £21 15s., from Beyond The Fringe, 59 Brook Street, London

Ossie invents summer… Patti wears it.

1960s, celia birtwell, david bailey, Inspirational Images, ossie clark, Pattie Boyd, pre-raphaelite, quorum, Vintage Editorials, Vogue

Yellow vibrations, sun crepe printed with black and green, cut out at shoulders, frilled like a waterfall down tight sleeves; 15 gns. All clothes by Ossie Clark at Quorum, 113 King’s Rd.

Look at summer through new eyes. Ossie Clark sees you in shepherdess smocks of voile, in long crepe dresses, reed-thin red or printed by Celia Birtwell. Pattie Boyd looks at it her way. All at Quorum.

Photographed by David Bailey.

Scanned from Vogue, June 1969.

I think this editorial might be one of the first I ever scanned, back in even my pre-blog days. I may have posted it on MySpace (don’t judge me, I feel ancient enough as it is). I’ve been meaning to properly rescan for years, but finally the time seemed right. It is the perfect combination of designer, model, photographer and a stunning use of Pre-Raphaelite imagery.

Cloud white voile, left, with apple green and peach, a shepherdess shirt, about £8 14s. 6d, matching skirt, about £10 8s. 6d to order.

Gentle beige smock, below, with crepe yoke, half sleeves above long voile cuffed sleeves; body beige, too, with olive and orange; 142 gns.

Flame red crepe dress, below, wrapped round and tied behind, with dragon fin sleeves, long and slender, a potent mixture of enchantment; 12 gns. Scarf by Celia Birtwell. High collar, £3 5s, from selection at London Docks, Munro Terrace.

Who knows her face better than a model?

1970s, beauty, celia birtwell, Hair and make-up, Make-up, maudie james, ossie clark, patrick hunt, Patrick Hunt, quorum, Vogue

And who better than Maudie James, demonstrating here, exactly how she shapes and colours her face:

1 Starting with shining clean skin (thanks to Pond’s Cold Cream), she dabs on Mary Quant’s Skin Drink and blends it in.

2 Max Factor’s Nouveau Beige Pan Stick goes on with a small damp sponge giving a smooth ‘finish, covering tiny blemishes.

3 Several coats of Boots No 7 Black Block Mascara intensifies but does not cake upper and lower lashes.

4 Blackened lashes are curved to sweep up and out with eyelash curlers (45p from Boots).

5 Each eyelash is separated to look natural.

6 Eyelids coloured with Caran d’Ache purple pencils (Nos 110 and 120) blended up to the brows.

7 Short feathery lines drawn with Caran d’Ache pencil (No 80) outline the cheekbones.

8 And are then blended in towards the nose to make a soft rose-pink blush.

9 Caran d’Ache pencil (No 80) outlines then fills the lips with colour.

10 Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream glossed over lips with a brush—for protection and shine.

11 Biba’s Mascara Brush neatens the eyebrows.

12 The look: face dusted with Boots No 7 Nearly Natural compact Powder; hair: shining with Wella’s Shampoo and Lemon Creme Rinse.

Photographed by Patrick Hunt.

Scanned from Beauty in Vogue, Summer 1972.

*Dress: brilliant silk chiffon by Ossie Clark for Quorum, print by Celia Birtwell, £45, from new Quorum, 52 Radnor Walk, S.W.3; Just Looking, Knightsbridge, S.W.1; Hedgehog, 135 Fulham Road, S.W.7*.

Ossie Vamps it Up – But Superbly

1970s, celia birtwell, flair magazine, Inspirational Images, kari ann muller, manolo blahnik, ossie clark, Peter Rand, quorum

Long dress with side pleats and sash tie at back, in black marocain flower print, red poppies at the neck.

OSSIE CLARK, twenty-nine, designs clothes that would be right up the street for the woman whose profession is the oldest in the world. There’s nothing Woman’s Lib. here, thank you. His twelfth collection is outlandishly, gloriously and candidly tarty. But tarty in the ’40s and early ’50s sense of dressing: brazen, glamorous, passion-ately female. The cut of the clothes is masterful. The old black magic is there. Jazzy sequins. Star insets. High wedge heels. Ankle straps. Bias cut crepe. Oodles of pleats. Blowsy tulips and full-blown poppy prints. Plus black, and lots of it. You name it—it’s there, superbly executed.

Fabrics include new prints on marocain by Ossie’s wife, Celia Birtwell. Hairdos evoke memories of Rita Hayworth & Co. And contours are as they should be: breasts (bra-less), waists, hips and bottoms are all back in their rightful place — and proud of it. Ossie’s new clothes are as scarlet womanish as they are beautiful and witty. When you wear them you automatically adopt a Monroe wiggle.

Top price for a frock from his collection is £150, but around a fiver will buy you a printed crepe shirt. You may not be able to take this look seriously — but it will probably influence the way you dress next season. For Ossie’s secret as a designer is that his tarty vamps keep chic and never look cheap, jaded, or just plain common.

Photographed here are a selection of Ossie’s new clothes.

All enquiries for stockists and prices to Quorum Wholesale, 6 Burnsall Street, SW3.

Modelled by Kari-Ann Muller.

Hair by Richard at Maximillian.

Shoes by Manolo Blahnik for Zapata, 49 Old Church Street, SW3, from £17.75.

Photographed by Peter Rand.

Scanned from Flair, August 1971.

Red and green strawberry embroidery on black crepe Oxford bags, matching waistcoat and jacket and red blouse.

A Long, black, marocain dress side pleats, printed with pink and green begonias.

A black marocain multi-coloured flower print dress with suede halter bib trimmed with ric-rac.

Red, blue and green poppy and daisy print on black marocain hour-glass dress.

Red crepe off-the-shoulder dress (with strawberry embroidered 11″ jacket, not shown).

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.

Summer at Source

1970s, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, celia birtwell, Emmanuelle Khanh, gerald mccann, Herbert Johnson, ingrid boulting, Inspirational Images, norman parkinson, ossie clark, Suliman, Vintage Editorials, Vogue

Following Gaudi’s thought “to be original, return to the origin”, following it down to Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire where William Fox Talbot invented the camera, Norman Parkinson photographed eight dresses conjured from pure air and gauze.

This is like an album where every song is a certified banger. From the model, to the frocks, to the photographer, to the photographer he’s referencing, everything is flawless. Except that I don’t own all these dresses.

Photographed by Norman Parkinson.

Modelled by Ingrid Boulting.

Photographed at Lacock Abbey.

Scanned from Vogue, July 1970.