Light, bright, plain or pleated, it’s the new way to put colour back into your home and fun into furnishing.
Photographed by Roger Stowell.
Scanned from Over 21 Magazine, April 1979.
Put aside everything you’ve ever been taught about make-up. Look at colour afresh, not as a consumer of cosmetics but as a painter might.
Oatmeal cotton smock by Ally Capellino, from all branches of Whistles. Straw hat by Extras from Hobbs. Palette and brushes from a selection at George Rowney.
Make-up by Ariane using colours from Yves Saint Laurent’s L’Eté Bleu collection.
Hair by Leonard.
Modelled by Sophie Ward.
Photographed by Sandra Lousada.
Scanned from Harpers and Queen, June 1983.
Imagine the location of Brig-a-doon as your backdrop, or the intimacy of a private country cottage as your studio with the prospect of photographing a selection of 20 beautiful English maidens. All this in your own time and, on top of this, making a profitable career out of such a desirable assignment.
The pursuit of a playboy or the pleasurable hobby of a titled aristocrat perhaps? In fact, it’s the dream of a qualified engineer with no professional training in photography. Canadian John Xavier has achieved such a desirable vocation…
Gradually he found he was marketing more of his own work and selling numerous pictures to a variety of men’s magazines. More recently he has been involved in the production of his first book. Entitled Every inch a lady, it is a photographic tribute to five of his most remarkable models...
I must admit to having a major soft spot for late Seventies/early Eighties vaseline-smeared David Hamilton-esque photography. The more over-the-top romantic and saucy the better. This superb set of photos were printed in one of those ubiquitous photography magazines of the time, accompanying an article about John Xavier. I think one of the models might possibly be Sylvestra le Touzel but I can barely see through the Vaseline I’m afraid.
Photographed by John Xavier.
Scanned from Photography, August 1981.
“A woman does not put on my fragrance. She enters it.” Karl Lagerfeld.
Scanned from Harpers and Queen, October 1982.
Saint Laurent Rive Gauche advert photographed by Helmut Newton.
Scanned from Harpers and Queen, March 1983.
Scanned from Harpers and Queen, April 1983
Illustrated by Peter Weevers
(accompanying an extract from ‘Puffball’ by Fay Weldon)
Scanned from Cosmopolitan, February 1980.
1959: Ramona/Bright Young Thing. Influences: Vogue, Irving Penn, High Society, Barbara Golan, Paris couture. Ivory plant pot hat; ivory silk abstract rose print dress; ivory leather handbag; ivory leather fake lizard stilettos; tortoise-shell cigarette holder; white make-up and vivid red lipstick. To be seen around town, having tea at Fortnum & Mason or the Savoy.
“Contemporary Wardrobe, run by Roger Burton from a warehouse at London Bridge, fit up the stars of small and big screen. They specialise in clothes from 1945 to the present day, supplying outfits and accessories to customers in movies, TV, video, commercials, theatres and advertising agencies,, with some private hiring for parties, posing and…well, that’s their business. The clothes in Quadrophenia came from Contemporary Wardrobe; others have been on hire to Not The Nine O’Clock News, Minder, The Professionals, Dreams of Leaving, The Kenny Everett Video Show, The History Man, Shoestring and Mackenzie. Thy have also kitted out Freeez, Secret Affair, M, Wings and Judas Priest for Top of the Fops and promotional videos, and clothed the sleeves of Motorhead, Girlschool, Marianne Faithfull and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Most other huge collection is authentic, as are all the clothes and the majority of accessories in these photos commissioned, clothed, posted and photographed specially for The Face by Sheila Rock. CW also offer a research department to assist styling and offer technical advice an an express service to reproduce garment or outfits or specific projects. Couldn’t they do something about Doyle’s jackets an Bodie’s flairs [sic]?”
Before there was vintage, there were just old clothes! Superb shoot by Sheila Rock for The Face, June 1981.
1967: John Cooper Clarke/Regency Beau. Influences: elegance, Beau Brummel, Brian Jones, Town Magazine, LSD. Claret velvet suit hand-tailored; pink frilly shirt by John Stephen; patent spat boots by Bally; paisley cravat, crucifix ,cameo, birds foot brooch, jet beads ,silver top cane ,gloves, white make-up, mascara and back combed hair all essential to create the Look for promenading Carnaby Street and Portobello Road to acquire the odd fairground horse or exotic sign from Trad Alices or Lord Kitchener’s Valet. Photo taken at Trad Antiques in Portobello Road
1950: Ranking Roger/Zoot. Influences: Charlie Parker, the Zou-Zou movement in France, Puerto Rican chic, Wyatt Earp. Grey bird’s eye double breasted Zoot suit; eau-de-nil impressed cotton shirt; brown velour homburg; slim red bow tie; white buckskin brogues by Lillywhites; silver watch chain, silver key chin. Characters wearing this look could be seen around smoky jazz clubs and pool halls all through the ’40s and early ’50s in Harlem. Now adapted by the Chicanos in South America, who rive around in Low Rider cars of the period.
Photographed by Rebecca Blake. Fashion by Albert Capraro. Jewels by Fred Leighton.
Scanned from Rebecca Blake: Forbidden Dreams (1984)
I can’t quite believe it’s been nearly two months since I last blogged. I promise I haven’t gone away for good, I’ve just been incredibly busy working away from Vintage-a-Peel for all this time. The website is still up, I’m still on Etsy, and there will be new listings in July. You can also find me still posting away on Instagram, so please do follow me over there if you’re there too.
Today I stumbled across this dreamy book by Rebecca Blake, a New York-based photographer whose work informed and was used in the cult classic film, The Eyes of Laura Mars. It’s safe to say that I’m smitten, not least because she also directed the music videos for ‘Kiss’ and ‘Cream’ for Prince and photographed Duran Duran for the cover of Seven and the Ragged Tiger.
Photographed by Richard Young leaving a Mick Jagger party in Chelsea, 1986.
Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Paparazzo! The Photographs of Richard Young, 1989
Liz Eggleston 