I was so sad to hear about Ingrid Pitt passing away the other day (do go and read about her fascinating life story). I know for most people she was mainly a Hammer Horror legend, but she was also in a couple of Doctor Who stories and I had heard so many brilliantly bonkers things about her over the years that it seems odd she should have died like any normal human being. Surely she should have been taken away in a swirl of smoke and chiffon?
Also, normally I would seek to avoid the topic of someone’s breasts, particularly if they’ve become notorious for them, but she seems to have revelled in their magnificence so it would be a shame not to… I know that when I die, I should like everyone to talk excessively about my ‘incredible arse’, regardless of anything else I might achieve 😉
I’m often yapping on about the genius of James Wedge’s photography, but I have been meaning to share this very rare, very precious part of fashion history and of my personal collection for a while now. Wedge is one of those rare Renaissance-man types; successful in every new skill to which he turned his hand. He successfully ran his own boutiques (Countdown and Top Gear), forged a career in photography with no experience or working knowledge (trial and error often creates some of the best works of art) and, initially, he trained and worked as a milliner.
James Wedge hats in Vogue
His hats were regularly featured in Vogue in the early to mid Sixties, often teamed with outfits by his friends Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin, and are some of the most perfect examples of mod ‘op-art’ ever created. But they weren’t being produced for long, or in any great quantity, so they are now incredibly rare.
This hat splits me in half. I cannot wear fur. I just can’t. Not particularly morally, I eat meat and wear leather quite happily, but the feel on my skin is like nails down a blackboard. Consequently, a hat made from rabbit fur is a thing of beauty aesthetically but I wouldn’t wear it even if I could squish it over my big head. However, I can’t quite bring myself to sell it just yet. I mean… it’s James Wedge?!
I’m currently avoiding the cold (and the general public) by working on some gorgeous new listings, including Biba, Janice Wainwright, Marie France and many more, and immersing myself in my beloved clothes, films, tv and music – like some strange, velvet-clad hobbit.
Thankfully, gorgeous people like Laurakitty are on hand to point me back towards the amazing person on Youtube who has access to footage from the German programme ‘London Aktuell’ and a whole host of seriously groovy easy-listening music of the era. I posted about this a while back, but hadn’t realised some new editions had been posted. Utterly droolworthy the lot of them, and containing precious footage of Carnaby Street, the King’s Road and Kensington High Street. ‘Scuse me while I dribble…
Caterine Milinaire. Step-daughter of the 13th Duke of Bedford. Photographed at Woburn Abbey at the beginning of the Sixties, and at a protest towards the end of the decade. Caterine worked for Vogue in the Sixties and wrote the now legendary ‘Cheap Chic’ book in the Seventies. Both photos scanned from Radical Rags.
Left: Janice Wainwright at Simon Massey / Right: Kadix
I didn’t quite realise how HUGE this spread in Honey, from December 1969, was until I began to scan it. And you can see for yourself. But I think it was worth it, because it’s a really gorgeously done shoot with a delightful conceit. One of these days I’m going to run away and join a circus. Although I’d have to be a clown, considering how clutzy and goofy I am (and my lack of all other circus skills…).
Since scheduling this blog post the other day, I have accidentally proven my total clumsiness by falling over and hitting my head very hard. I’m going to have to take it easy for a couple of weeks, so posts here and listings on the website may be erratic, depending on how I’m feeling day-to-day. Thank you for bearing with me….
Left: John Marks / Right: Clobber
Left: Louis Caring / Right: Lizzy Carr
Angela Gore
Above, below and cover:- Left: Janice Wainwright for Simon Massey / Right: Marlborough
Both: Janice Wainwright at Simon Massey
Left: Angela at London Town / Right: Dolly Day
Left: Lizzy Carr / Right: Shirt by John Craig, trousers by Gordon King
Marlborough
Left: Paul Sebastian at Gordon King / Right: Pourelle
Both by Radley
Photos by Roy A. Giles taken at Billy Smart’s Circus
I am dying of envy over here. She has a mesh panel Jean Varon LBD and a stripy Oliver Reed with his sexy paws all over her. Lucky lucky lucky…..
Janice Wainwright
Ongoing, as ever, but I’ve put up some new listings over at Vintage-a-Peel for your delectation. Two things have already sold (hurrah for me and my gorgeous buyers, not so hurrah if you wanted them, but there’s plenty more to come!) but there’s just a whole host of beautiful new pieces to choose from.
Forbidden Fruit
Jacqui Smale for Spectrum
Wallis Shops
Catherine Buckley
Frank Usher
Hang Ups, Too
Lee Bender for Bus Stop
unsigned 1970s moss crepe
Sportaville
Bridget at Strawberry Studio
Yvonne Jacovou at Cornelius
Pret-a-Porter
unsigned 1930s
John Bates for Jean Varon
Kiki Byrne
My poor puns know no bounds. I’ve just listed some new items over at Vintage-a-Peel, but wanted to concentrate a blog on just one dress today. It’s as rare as it is beautiful.
There’s not a great deal of information out there on Kiki Byrne, but only a fool would underestimate her importance. Her King’s Road boutique Glass and Black was contemporaneous to Mary Quant’s Bazaar, and the few references around are extremely fond and complimentary about her clothing. She was heavily involved in the Chelsea scene in the Sixties, and her partner was iconic graphic designer Robert Brownjohn. Virginia Ironside’s book ‘Chelsea Girl’ references Byrne’s boutique thus:
We stumbled up the Kings Road back home. We looked, as usual, in Sportique and Kiki Byrne and said how pretty the clothes were, and was Kiki Byrne better than Bazaar.
This dress is a rare example of Byrne’s work, and is utterly representative of her style. She was known for elegant, wearable dresses and often used lace (as you can see in the photo below). This piece is a beauty in horizontal strips of peach lace, on a beige linen base, which are used to cleverly slim where they are stitched down around the waist and then loosen up into the skirt section. Very wearable and in remarkable condition for its age.
A typical Kiki dress.
Kiki and Robert. Isn’t she gorgeous??
Kiki is sitting just in front of Foale and Tuffin
A couple of brilliant German adverts for the Twiggy clothing range. I love that Ban-Lon is ‘Bani-Lon’, but Crimplene is hideous Crimplene in any language…
(p.s I still have an über rare Twiggy-labelled dress for sale over at Vintage-a-Peel)
Liz Eggleston 