Flower face, eyebrows powdered out and eyes shadowed deeper, brighter; the heart of Cardin’s morning glory dress of Bianchini organza finely pleated into a double ruff to frame the head. Make-up by Gil of Geminesse.
Orange and white spotted bra and pants by Mary Quant. Blue leather shoes with sequin encrusted heels and platforms from Derber. / Blue and white spotted bra and pants set by Mary Quant. Black and white spotted peeptoe shoes from Biba. Black patent leather shoes covered with fake diamonds and silver leather shoes with silver sequins on heels and platforms, both by Derber. Blue felt hat with embroidered flower from Universal Witness.
Your poor old great grandma used to wear corsets with lots of complicated lacing and back-piercing whale bones! Fortunately for you, such constricting garments are history, and the accent is now on complete and utter freedom. In fact, you could say underwear has become a second skin – and we prove our point with the following…
It’s nice to know that Harri Peccinotti still has the capacity to blow me away with a new-old photoshoot. Of course, insanely high and sparkly platform shoes and silky underwear plays a large part in that, but the mood he captures is second to none. I wonder if I will ever not believe that this aesthetic is the ultimate?
Photographed by Peccinotti.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, April 1973.
Green silk shorts with leaf print by Janet Reger (matching bra not shown). Blue metallic platform peep toe shoes with silver spot trim by Sacha. / Cream crepe de chine bra and pants, with pink and green cloud print pattern, by Janet Reger. Suede ‘Forties’ platform shoes with beaded sides by Terry de Havilland.
Green, yellow and pale orange striped bra and pants set by Abecita of Sweden. / Gold halter neck bra and shorts set by Abecita of Sweden. Blue felt hat from Universal Witness. Knee socks from Che Guevara.
Madame Grès’s canary pleated bra and skirt: Triangle bra top, tied with shoestrings at the neck and back, silk jersey skirt finely pleated over a yellow crepe petticoat. Silk organza overdress baring shoulders. Silk jersey by Racine and organza by Veron.
The Madame Grès exhibition at the Musée Bourdelle is still one of my all-time favourites. I can’t quite believe it was ten years ago – and little did I realise how precious international travel would become!
I was drawn to scan this incredible piece by her today, and when I looked at my post from 2011 I realise that it was one of those I photographed. Well, I pretty much photographed them all, but it was one of the chosen ones for my post. And although my tastes and style have changed somewhat since then, I would still count an original Madame Grès as my holiest of holy grails.
Helga, half-Austrian, half Irish/American and twenty-one this month, with new eye-catching make-up: Leichner’s theatrical grease stick in Chrome with Carmine 1 over it above the eye hollow. Foundation: Blend of Pearl with Pink on Pink Glowtone over cheeks, Alletta lipstick, all Kamera Klear. Jean Muir’s silk crepe jersey dress, pink coral flower brooch with earrings to match by Demas.
Sparkling black chiffon dress with plunging neckline and diamante embroidery, £250 from Thea Porter, 8 Greek Street, London W1
Japanese men are peculiarly affected by a glimpse of the naked nape of a Japanese neck. In Western cultures such excitement is generated by a panorama of bosom (as in this black chiffon dress by Thea Porter), or a smooth swathe of thigh. Here we show some revelations from the London autumn collections… hot numbers for the coolest of winter evenings.
All perfect for lockdowns, I’m sure you’ll agree! It’s also nice to be surprised by Ossie Clark every once in a while – with a corset being so vastly different in tone from what we would usually expect.
Photographed by Sam Haskins.
Fashion Editor: Cherry Twiss.
Hair by Paulene at Michaeljohn.
Scanned from The Telegraph Magazine, 8th November 1974.
Cream and brown two piece with lace split skirt and boned top by Ossie Clark. Shoes by Charles Jourdan, 47/49 Brompton Road, SW3
Slate blue dress by Yuki. Approximately £,165 from Fortnum and Mason, Chic of Hampstead, Heath Street, London NW3 or Lucienne’s, 89 Knightsbridge, London SW1. Gold and jade bangles from Jones, 52 Beauchamp Place, London SW3.
White silk chiffon and net full skirt and sheer top by Zandra Rhodes, to order from Fortnum and Mason.
Black jersey skirt with split front by Yuki obtainable from Fortnum and Mason or Chic of Hampstead. Sheer silk chiffon halter top by Sheilagh Browne, £14 from Quorum. Black suspender belt from Janet Reger, Bottom Drawer, 33 Southwick Street, London W2. Black stockings from Biba, Kensington High Street, W8. Shoes from Yves St Laurent, 113 New Bond Street, W1 .
Model Sue Baloo, brightly glowing with Revlon’s Ultima 11 Dresden Peach Cream Foam smoothed over her face and neck, then dusted lightly with Transluscent Face Powder – her cheeks learning the blues in Lapis Blue eyeshadow from the new Silk Print Eye Collection, blending into its compact partner, Sari Pink on the eyelids with Carbon Blue Lash Makeup Automatic intensifying her grey eyes. Blue Baloo’s lips are smiling in Rich Rich Russet – a stunningly clear bright red from the Couture Lip Collection; her hair is drawn back by Oliver at Leonard under a leather, feather and wooden bead belt wound around her head of brilliant blue and yellow ochre with medallions painted in powder blue, by Pablo & Delia.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Knitted silver lurex halterneck top by Erica Budd. Fox fur cape from Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Knitted silver lurex wrap over cardigan by Erica Budd. Fox muffler as before. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Black and glass beaded pendant necklace from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market.
Black and silver are this year’s popular Christmas colours. Sweaters are in silver lurex striped in black, black wool flecked with silver and endless other combinations. Shapes are halter-necks, dolmans, or little wrap-over cardigans – almost any shape will do. Accessories are bright and glittery. Add touches, like sticking sequins on your hats, and shoes, and you’re all set to outshine the fairylights.
Photographed by Christian Laroque.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, December 1972.
What a year. It’s hard to summon up a great deal of enthusiasm for the Christmas we’re about to have, but I’m looking backwards to look forwards, as I often do. I still seem to find joy and solace in art and aesthetics and I hope my posts have given you the odd moment of enjoyment and inspiration this year. Thank you for your support and to everyone who has bought vintage from me or liked/shared/commented on my blog and Instagram posts. Sending you my love and best wishes for a better year ahead.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Wool halterneck sweater with thin silver lurex stripes by John Craig. Black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Fox fur muffler from a seletion at Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Silver lurex sweater with thin black stripes by Marshall London. Fox fur muffler as before. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Christmas decorations from Woolworths.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Lurex cardigan with long sleeves from Biba. Long black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Fox fur muffler from a seletion at Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Black and silver lurex striped sweater from Biba. Black satin Oxford bags by Richard Green. Black suede shoes with silver snakeskin trim by Leicester shoes. Fox muffler as before. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Necklace from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Green wool lurex flecked sweater from Universal Witness. Black satin skirt by Mushroom. Black suede shoes with silver snakeskin trim by Leicester shoes. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Glass and amber dress clip from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market. Charcoal grey lurex sweater with heart-shaped neck and lurex trims by John Craig. Black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Fox fur muffler from a seletion at Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Black, gold and silver striped lurex sweater by Crochetta. Black satin skirt by Mushroom. Black suede shoes with silver snakeskin trim by Leicester shoes. Long yellow chiffon scarf from a selection at Essences. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Necklace from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market. Black angora halterneck sweater, striped with silver lurex, by Crochetta. Black sequin jacket from Essences at Antiquarius. Black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Gold shoes from Sacha. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros.
Diana Rigg in buckled snakeskin coat made by Paul Blanche.
On Thursday evening at 8 o’clock The Avengers comes back. Viewers in London, Scotland and the South will see it, other channels will have to wait until October 2. The new show lacks one vital element. Honor Blackman, who played Cathy Gale, that female gauleiter with a heart of gold, has left television for films and the arms of James Bond.
She is replaced by rangy, redheaded Diana Rigg, an actress already blooded for knock-about violence in shows like King Lear and The Devils with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She plays the new Avenger woman Emma Peel, who is described by A.B.C. television as “the youthful widow of an ace test pilot, daughter of a wealthy shipowner, and an internationally educated symbol of the jet-age female”.
A strong-arm widow, born with such disadvantages, couldn’t fail to be an interesting autumn draw, but the new girl will find it hard work to oust the memory of Cathy Gale from the spot she kicked out for herself in these shows. For, as Cathy Gale, Honor Blackman was mesmeric. Male viewers turned to pulp in their armchairs as she hurled opponent after opponent through plate glass windows, and their TV dinners turned to dust as she half-nelsoned men twice her size.
Women were fascinated too, but for different reasons. They sat glued to their sets wondering what it was she had, that they hadn’t. Her slightly sinister but wholly fathomable allure had little to do with her natural assets ; her toughness, the purring reassurance of her voice, her earthiness ; her blonde hair and wide mouth. Cathy Gale’s real appeal was firmly laced into the shiny black leather of her fighting suits.
The black leather fighting suits she wore, now generally referred to as ‘kinky clothes’ were designed by Frederick Starke. They proved such a success both here and in the U.S.A., where the last series was sold, that the American business men controlling the sales insisted that these clothes should be retained for the next series. This was a mistake. Fashion moves much faster than most business men, and the feeling for black leather was on the wane, long before the last episode was off the screen. But A.B.C. agreed to the American conditions, and Emma was togged up in black leather and boots, looking just like Cathy Gale in a long red wig.
Before the new series was half-way through, the planners realised that some fairly startling changes were taking place in the fashion world. Skirts were getting shorter and women appeared to be crossing their thighs, not their knees. Leather was out. All sorts of animal skins, from snakes to zebras, were in. And op and pop art were having an explosive effect on textile design.
This series is the first to be made on film instead of videotape, which means it could be running in different countries all over the world for the next five to ten years. It would be pushed to keep its con-temporary smack with a limping gimmick like black leather. At this point, with half their film in the bag, A.B.C. called in fashion co-ordinator Anne Trehearne, an ex-fashion editor of Queen magazine, and asked designer John Bates of Jean Varon to plan a new wardrobe for Emma Peel to wear during the last 14 episodes. John Bates is the man who made the now famous daisy dress which 25 red-faced debutantes wore to the same ball.
Designing a wardrobe for a preconceived image is no easy task, but he succeeded in doing this and more besides. His clothes are 100 per cent. modern. He has shortened the skirts (in spite of tough opposition in certain quarters at A.B.C.), re-designed the black leather fighting outfits into modern, one-piece jump-suits, introduced tailored snakeskin and a whole range of op art furs.
In all there are 35 garments with complementary accessories. And for the first time the whole collection will be sold in the shops. (Frederick Starke did sell some of Cathy Gale’s wardrobe, but only selected items.) Over 12 well-known manufacturers, like Edward Rayne, Paul Blanche and Kangol, are co-operating with John Bates at Jean Varon and are making the shoes, the skin coats and the berets under licence; Echo are even making the amusing ribbed sheer nylon stockings. They will all be in the shops in October.
Both the clothes and the series are now saleable properties. It will be interesting to see which proves the biggest draw to interested buyers the striking new clothes or the shiny new girl.
Photographed by David Gittings.
Story by Meriel McCooey.
Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, September 26th 1965.
In short snakeskin blazer made by Paul Blanche and ribbed sheer nylon stockings.
Leather jumpsuit with clasps made by Paul Blanche.
Black and white bunny coat made by Selincourt. All designed by John Bates.