I think that printed dress turns up in several adverts spanning several years. I’m assuming one photographer or stylist had the dress and just plonked every model in it when they needed a ‘floaty’ look. I shall scan further examples in when I can!
Has there ever been a sexier pairing on the planet? (Or, even, a more naked woman in the Sixties than Jane Birkin? But that’s another blog post altogether…) The chemistry practically jumps out of the pictures and slaps you around the face…
It’s a great disappointment to me that illustration seems to be such a niche market these days. There are occasional high-concept spreads in magazines (I know The Independent used to be very good at fashion illustration), and the odd one or two used to illustrate regular columns. But I’ve noticed, through my many old magazines, that illustrations used to be used to sell the most mundane products in the back of the magazines. Make-up, catalogues, pile cream, modelling agencies….ok perhaps I made up the pile cream one, but you get what I mean. Hell, one of them even advertises a Club 18-30 holiday…
It’s not just Topshop in the Noughties who enjoy ripping things off. Sometimes it seems like every minor boutique in London, New York and Paris was taking more than a healthy dose of inspiration from Ossie Clark back in the Seventies. But it’s not often they went the whole hog when it came to the prints. Celia Birtwell’s handiwork is so distinctive, few decided to gamble with duplicating them wholesale.
I recently acquired two dresses at nearly the exact same time, both of which are direct copies of original Birtwell prints and which have been used in vaguely Ossie-esque designs. I thought it would be interesting to show you both of them, and to remind everyone to be careful of ‘unlabelled’ Ossie pieces which might look Ossie because of the Celia print…but are nothing like an Ossie original. They can be a brilliant alternative, so long as you know they’re just that and not the real deal.
The first is the Botticelli print (renamed Monkey Puzzle for the Topshop Celia range). An original Ossie example (and more gorgeous variations on it) is one of my many holy grails.
This piece is by Betty Barclay in a lovely light cotton, lined in the body, with a small keyhole neckline (with faux tie detail). Now available over at Vintage-a-Peel.
An original Ossie piece in Vogue: I would walk over hot coals and possibly kill someone for this dress.
This second piece is even more outrageous because it’s actually made in moss crepe, in a rather Ossie-style cut (although far too modestly done for him), by Emma (whoever they were). This is the glorious Floating Daisy print, most regularly seen in the tie-fronted buttoned dress [best demonstrated by the gorgeous WendyB in her red bodied version]..
The Real Deal. Sold over at Vintage-a-Peel a while ago
I’ve been hankering after an Ossie in this print which actually suits me, sadly the tie fronted one does not, and this dress is a little godsend. It’s a lovely soft pink version [which I’m sure Celia never did…far too insipid for her but I rather like it!] and the cut, whilst not up to Ossie standards, is very sweet and flattering. So I’m keeping this one. Sorry ladies! I’ll let you know if I ever change my mind….and I am giving up a spectacular Celia print Ossie dress in lieu (my wardrobe is a bit one in, one out at the moment…and it’s not really my colour…)
Ossie with Suki Poitier wearing the floating daisy. I bet she didn't have to pay for it either! Scanned from Ossie Clark by Judith Watt.
Let’s hope the dancefloor at The Birds Nest, Waterloo wasn’t actually as shiny as it looks here.
Daily Telegraph Magazine, 1970
Perve-tastic!
Please don’t all cry out ‘who???’. Noosha is a little gem of an icon of mine from the mid-late Seventies. Born Susan Traynor, and originally from Australia, she changed her name to Noosha Fox and the glam band ‘Fox’ were formed around her. Her look was very heavily influenced by the starlets of the Twenties and Thirties. She wore floaty chiffon dresses, swishy capes, fringed shawls and flowers in that ringletted bob. Her make-up was a glorious mix of blue eyeshadow-ed Seventies-ness and that flapper girl cupid’s bow pout. And oh! that adorably squeaky, Helen Kane-inspired voice. She’s like a silent movie star taken out of her time and plonked on the set of Top of the Pops.
It’s fairly safe to say that Ms. Alison Goldfrapp has taken rather a healthy dose of inspiration from little Noosha. I love how unique and seemingly unspoilt her performances are. Someone who would never be a star nowadays, due to her slightly awkward dancing and facial expressions. But I adore her. She’s just so cute, and her clothes are delicious (being both very Seventies and also very antique-looking), and, and…..the songs are amazing. I have no idea what you look like now, or even what you’re up to, but Noosha – I salute you!!
It’s been tough to find enough images of this icon to fill the space, so I would highly recommend your looking at some footage of Fox on YouTube.
I seem to be strangely captivated by vintage adverts at the moment, so my apologies if my posts are becoming a little ad-orientated. But they are very entertaining, and certainly a far cry from the type of ads Vogue run nowadays…for shame. They’re so generic and boring now!
Another Pimm’s one…
Yes, indeed, there is nothing like a Pimm’s at a time like this. When you’ve got dolled up in your sparkly flapper dress and your stupid husband has turned up in a cricket vest. There’s nothing like a Pimm’s for tipping over his head and making him go and change into a decent suit.
p.s I don’t hate cricket vests, in case any cricketers are offended by my comments. The Fifth Doctor Who was one of my first crushes. Just not as eveningwear. A-thank you.
Awww…..now I want it to be summer and to be sat blowing bubbles, wearing fab early Seventies frilly clown-like Foale and Tuffin clothes and drinking Pimm’s.
I’m blowing a big loud raspberry to winter and to my severe lack of F&T clown clothes……I wonder if saying “Pimm’s!” loudly really works?
I managed to completely forget to come and tell you all about the Biba and the Katharine Hamnett dresses I listed on the site a few days ago. So I’m telling you now, go check them out – they awesome!!
And now I’ve just listed another bevy of beauties over at Vintage-a-Peel. There’s even a Mr Freedom. Now I’m really just spoiling you aren’t I?
Green satin Mr Freedom playsuit and skater skirt set
Black satin/crepe bias chevron Polly Peck evening dress
Adorable bow print ruched dress by Shelana
It’s a Polly Peck week! And this awesome feather jacket would go superbly with the dress above!
And, lastly but not leastly, a fabulous pineapple print cotton skirt by Sportaville with buttons to make Lee Bender proud!
Liz Eggleston 
