Fantasy and theatre is the theme – lots of colour and glitter the focal points … Fantasy can run the whole gamut, but we like the feel of a ‘Thirties-type Hollywood pin-up pic, the soulful tragi-comic look of a clown or even a glamorous ‘Twenties flapper girl. Take your pick, and choose your own Christmas decorations.
An idea we captured from the realms of Erte, the artist and designer of the ‘Twenties – true theatrical fantasy, ideal for all your Christmas parties, a look which you can create yourself following our instructions.
Hair and the silver sequined skull cap with front forehead curl, was dressed by John at Leonard. To do this style yourself, use sequin strips (available on a card) and wrap them first round the head in a skull cap shape, making sure they sit flat, close an neatly. Leave a small strand of hair free and set it into a little curl. Then, take single hair strands, as we have done, and intertwine them with a sequin strip, like a plait.
Maxine Smith in the bedroom, where the four-poster is set on a mirrored podium. Her satin nightdress and jacket by Zandra Rhodes. Hair by Celine at Leonard.
DRESSED BY ZANDRA RHODES STAGED BY MAXINE SMITH
Maxine and Gary Smith moved to London from New York in 1971. Since then, Gary Smith, American television producer and winner of several Emmy Awards, has been working with Sir Lew Grade on television spectaculars, and Maxine Smith has been planning their London flat with Zandra Rhodes. The combination of their ideas has worked perfectly, with one taking over where the other left off. Initially, Zandra Rhodes designed a series of fabrics. Maxine Smith then had them printed to her own colour pattern by Alex McIntyre, often using the same colourway and design on different fabrics so that texture changes have been subtly worked from cotton to felt to satin. Some sur-faces are flat, others gathered – as in the hall where felt blends with draped cotton. Throughout there is an instantaneous impact of colour, wit and comfort. As one becomes accustomed to the colours, one realises that the sitting-room is designed for midnight rather than midday, the windows permanently shuttered and the curtains drawn. One notices the enormous portrait of Lenny Bruce by Gary Smith, ‘twenties’ armchairs with covered feet found by Maxine Smith in Antique City, the Vogue needlepoint cushions all worked by her mother. In the bedroom, apricot satin and taffetas with a felt print ceiling and apricot-coloured cupboards, the bed set on a mirrored podium, and covered with cushions. Other points of colour are the red telephone, the amber carpet. Next, a completely cupboarded dressing-room. Then, the apricot bathroom. Downstairs, past a neon sign—”I love Max”—and other such illuminations, to the dining-room: originally a cellar, now a brilliant blue small tent. The kitchen has dark rust-coloured prints, the ceiling hung with a thousand cooking utensils and an enormous electric lamp bulb found at Selfridges. Just off the kitchen a bar, a platform bat on steps, with three-tier cushions as bar stools, and an embroidery of Whistler’s mother by Malcolm Poynter, which came from the DM Gallery, Fulham Road. London’s galleries and off-beat furniture shops have produced many other pieces of art and amusement, some of them transformed by Zandra Rhodes’ coverings, others untouched, all with a special blend of humour and art.
Photographed by Henry Clarke.
Scanned from Vogue, late April 1975.
The downstairs bar with Malcolm Poynter’s embroidery of Whistler’s mother in the background, cushions instead of bar stools.
Two views of the sitting-room, Maxine Smith wearing a Zandra Rhodes’ dress of the same print as the walls—”The dress came first, the walls followed.” All fabrics by Zandra Rhodes, from the range at Christopher Vane Percy, 5 Weighhouse St, W.1
The garden room leading off the bar.
The hall draped with cotton print.
The blue tent dining-room with candlesticks by Carole McNicholl
How to have the best of all worlds at once, and be romantically different, dashing and gentle, nostalgic and modern. Never seen before in a contemporary context, the look, above, that is the key to so much that’s arriving in the first few months of the year: the billowy bodice brimming over with collar, the gathered shoulders letting fall sleeves as eloquent as Hamlet’s. Cinch the waist with what used to be a belt, what now can be pearls or bone or Plexi-glass, or soft wrapping cummerbunds as here. All in saffron silk crepe rippling into a richly pleated maxi-length skirt. By Jean Muir, £47 19s. 6d, from the 31 Shop at Harvey Nichols. Gentle glossy hair, waved and caught by a slide of pale coloured pearls, by Leonard. Dreamy Germaine Monteil make-up, by Gordon at Leonard.
DEPTHS OF EVENING CHIFFON, CAFTAN AND DIRNDL DRESS MERGED WITH GOLD AND VELVET Above: Tobacco chiffon caftan with smoked gold leaves, hooded, boot-buttoned, Arabic sleeves weighted with tassels. Gathered from the waist with a twisted gold rope belt. Choker, The Purple Shop, 15 Flood St, S.W.3. Soft gold boots with open lacing, 22 gns, Kurt Geiger. Right: Black organza with a bib and skirt of brilliant panne velvet, red, green and yellow printed in ribbon bands, with bangles and cuffs of the velvet. Rings, Andrew Grima. Beaded black velvet choker, The Purple Shop. Black satin ankleboots, with bright passementerie, by Moya Bowler for Edouard Jerrold. Dresses, both pages, to order at Bellville Sassoon.
How you dress is an escape and an adventure in itself… never more so than the evening.
Hair by Leonard
Models are Anne Schaufuss and Jean Shrimpton.
Photographed by Clive Arrowsmith.
Scanned from Vogue, December 1970.
SHEER BLACK OF NIGHT, WISPS PUT TOGETHER WITH JEWELS, VELVET AND GLEAMS Black chiffon blouse and skirt tiled with cut velvet mosaic. Blouse of velvet harlequins, bibbed with jet beads set in little studs of gilt; the skirt, striped with studded circles and squares. £184, at Thea Porter. Feather fan, to hire at The Purple Shop. Satin shoes, dyed to order, £18, dyeing, 21s, Charles Jourdan.
Black chiffon dress with a glittering apron tied around the skirt — turquoise and rusty velvet shapes shot with silver, with a striped hem, and cuffs to match. By Chloe, to order from Fortnum & Mason. Mirror necklace, £70, and gold sash clasped with turquoises, 140, both from Thea Porter. Rings, David Morris. Black velvet laced boots, 19 gns, from Kurt Geiger
KNICKERBOCKER BALLET ALL SURFACES RIPPLED WITH COLOUR AND SHINE Grass green silk satin glossed with an intricate paisley of red, ink, black, tremendous sleeves and tunic gathered from a yoke over ballooning knee pantaloons. 85 gns; choker 25 gns, and belt, 58 gns, all at Savita. Green moire boots, 18 gns, at The Chelsea Cobbler.
Water markings, waves of colour pooled in a chiffon blouse honeycombed at the shoulders, antique tunic and panne velvet knickers. The tunic has a fitted bodice, full sweeping skirt. Blouse, £59, tunic, £75, knickers £24, heavy silver belt, £100, all Thea Porter. Burgundy velvet boots laced to knee, 19 gns, Kurt Geiger. Rings, Blooms. Chokers, The Purple Shop, 15 Flood St, S.W.3. Make up by Lancome, with Climat scent.
A NEW SLEEVE CUT ACROSS NARROW FALLS OF GOLD LACE AND CLOUDY CHIFFON Spun gold laced with mauve, the bodice cut wide into the sleeves. sashed with deep purple velvet above a basque and a gathered skirt. By Jorn Langberg from Christian Dior London. Amethyst string and brooch, at Blooms: rings. Hooper Bolton. Satin shoes dyed mauve. £18. 21s for dyeing at Charles Jourdan. Amethyst tights. Mary Quant. Make-up by Dior. with new Dioressence scent.
The bodice sleeve in chiffon, clouds of mauve blowing across. The top crossed low over the bosom and simply gathered at wrists. slight gathers in the skirt catchir the air. By Nettie Vogues, at Harrods: Hilda Hanson. Nottingham. Velvet choker. The Purple Shop at Antiquarius. Amethyst and diamond rings. Blooms; emerald and diamond ring. David Morris. Make-up by Orlane, with Jean d’Albret Casaque scent.
GLORIOUS NIGHT SHAPES. TAPESTRY BELLS AND SATIN PAGODA Misty blue tapestry and gold leaves. left. edged with wide ribbons of sprigged tapestry. A gold thread laces the deep neck of a small jacket belling from the Yoke, with short arabesque sleeves. Fade-print chemise underneath, with full sleeves and crossed braid ; a slim bell for a skirt. By Bill Gibb for Baccarat, at Fortnum & Mason. Pearly black velvet choker, The Purple Shop at Antiquarius. Tangerine braid decorations, from Savita. Rings, Andrew Grima. Honey-gold and gilt velvet slippers, 20 gns, to order, The Chelsea Cobbler. Make-up by Eve of Roma, with the new Eve scent.
Sunset burst of satin, right, a pagoda of quilted tiers, wide sleeves set up to a bib bodice. Feather-print of celestial blue and of black for sun-rays. By Zandra Rhodes, at Fortnum & Mason. Diamond and blue enamel rings, at Blooms. Neck lace stringing pale beads and colourless feathers, by Pablo & Delia. Make-up by Mary Quant with P.M. scent.
Revlon’s make-up. Creamy Ivory Touch & Glow Liquid Make-up, and Frosty Sienna Blush-On so that it shows. Touch & Glow Translucent Powder dusted on and dusted of again. Eyes outlined with Midnight Blue Liquid Eyeliner. Black Super Rich Mascara for lashes. Lemon Frost merged into Meadow Green Super Rich Eye Shadows. Charcoal Grey Fineline Pencil for brows. Copper Coral Lipstick, brush-outlined for cut-out clear edges.
Make-up artist, Barbara Daly; hair by Nick at Leonard.
Herbaceous silk chiffon dress, with chiffon rose necklet, by Salvador, about £150, Liberty.
When you go to a nightclub – don’t look nice! Nice means safe make-up, a little eyeshadow and ordinary hair. That’s the best way to get lost when you should be turning every head.
Go wild, wear crazy colours – cause a sensation whatever you do, don’t play safe. Looking so sensational, you’re going to be dancing a lot, so be sure of your cool. Have a crazy bath with the water coloured blue with Weil’s Antilope Bain de Mousse, £1.10s. Deodorise from top to toe with Arrid’s anti perspirant for underarms, 4s.6d. which you wisely defuzzed the night before, and use Bidex vaginal deodorant spray, 8s.11d. Give feet a treat with Windsor Gold Foot Freshener, 18s.6d.
Then wear lashings of cologne and matching talc touch of the exotics with Kiku’s Talc Ball £1.7s. 6d. and After Bath Cologne, £2.9s.6d. by Faberge.
Jayne’s wig comes from Leonards and it really stopped the traffic. Her foundation is Rubinstein’s Illumination Souffle Stick £2.7s.6d., then a polished glow with a few deft slicks of Vanilla Souffle stick £2.7s.6d. On her eyes—Lumina Silver Cake Eyeshadow, 35s. by Rubinstein, Gala’s Iced Mauve Matte Shadow 7s.9d., in the socket line. Pale mauve real feather lashes by Piero de Monzi, £3.13s.6d., top lashes 18s.6d., by Cardinelli. Mauve eyeshadow painted on lips or Cydax Apricot Gold Colour Creme Lipstick, 14s.6d. Kiku perfume stick, £2.17s.6d. for bosom, behind ears, wrists and back of knees. Give nails crystal lights with one of Cutex’s new exciting colours like Zircon Glaze, 5s.3d. Soften hands with Rubinstein’s Hand Delight. 16s.
Clothes from Fenwick. Golden Disc and Sidney Smith.
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.
…with Boots completely revised Number 7 range – pure good colours, everything you need, and all in handsome heavy white and tan jars, cases and bottles – over 200 products in all.
While the hat is – unusually for Vogue – uncredited, the image is taken from this otherwise black and white editorial from the previous month so is probably by Malcolm Raines.
Liz Eggleston 