gala

Shaping Up

1970s, antony price, che guevara, gala, Inspirational Images, Karl Stoecker, manolo blahnik, sunday times magazine, Valerie Wade, Vintage Editorials, zapata
Main image: Crepe-de-chine two-piece, £20. Shoes by Zapata, 49 Old Church St, London SW3

One thing that designer Antony Price really understands is pattern cutting : “I can think of a shape and create an optical illusion — people’s figures don’t change, clothes make figures.” Price, who designed all these clothes, wants women now to start looking artificially female, but “in a sumptuous way — this time it’s bosoms, hips and tiny waists”. He admits to being influenced by the Fifties and his ex-showgirl sister who lives in Miami and looks like his idol Jayne Mansfield. “The Fifties were less extreme, taste was incorporated into everything.” He wants shoes tall and dangerous like his own cowboy boots, but insists that his clothes (available direct or mail order from Che Guevara, 23 Kensington High St, W8) are comfortable. “What’s more comfortable than swimming costume tops?”

So, so good. Model, designer and photographer are the most perfect combination. It even has Manolo Blahnik shoes for good measure.

Model is Gala Mitchell.

Story by Valerie Wade.

Photographed by Karl Stoecker

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, February 13th 1972.

Shiny one-piece outfit, £18. Shoes, Zapata.
Flocked nylon cocktail dress, £20.
Cotton suit that owes its shape totally to the cut, £18.
Batman Cire dress/cape, £20. Six inch boots, £25.
Deep V-necked ruched nylon dress, £12.99. 5-inch silver shoes, £18.

Spectacular

1960s, amanda lear, corocraft, gala, kari ann muller, Sunglasses, Vintage Adverts, Vogue

Spectacular is certainly how I would describe this triumvirate of iconic models: Gala Mitchell, Kari-Ann Muller and Amanda Lear.

Scanned from Vogue, December 1968.

Anarchists go their own sweet way

alice pollock, beauty, biba, gala, Hair and make-up, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Jill Harley, kari ann muller, Make-up, Steve Hiett

They break boring beauty traditions and riot lip colours go on eyes, eye colours go on lips. Upside down- Quite contrary. And why not? Make-up was getting so dreary. We just stuck to the rules and slicked warm colours—pink, amber, soft orange—on our mouths, and cool colours—grey, green, blue, brown—on our eyes. Till now. Till the anarchists started this new groove. Now things are happening. Putting on a face isn’t a daily chore to be done as quickly as possible. Make-up is something to enjoy. It’s art. Total fun. Total fantasy. After all, painting on warm mobile skin is so much more exciting than .cold fiat paper or canvas. Come, join the anarchy party and experiment with colour. Sit down this evening in front of a well-lit mirror, not the telly, and design surprise eyes.

Alice Pollock (top) says she would like to be invisible (can’t think why) and her favourite perfume is Chanel No. 5. She has tried every hair colour under the sun, including green, but she’s glad it’s her own shade now—”At least I know who I am when I wake up.” Every morning she washes it in the bath with Boots Herbal Shampoo, 2s. 11d. On her eye-lids she paints Leichner’s Ivory Stick No. 5, 5s. 3d., and then an arc of pale green under the brow and round along the cheek-bone. Her lip-colour is a mixture of the same Leichner stick and Christian Dior’s Sepia 61 lipstick, 15s.


Moon (centre left, whose real name is Constance Mullens and who was nicknamed after a South African cartoon character called Moon Mullens) wears Mary Quant’s Citrus Jeepers Peepers, 18s. 7d., on her eye-lids and a purple Caran D’ache water crayon all round the eyes to tone with her hair which is cleverly coloured mauve and butterscotch by Erik and styled by Herta at Vidal Sassoon, Grosvenor House; 01-629 2463. Her favourite perfume is jasmin and, asked what the most vital beauty product is, she said, “a razor.”


Gala Mitchell (centre right) is a beautifully original actress. You may have seen her before in Ken Russell’s television film about the Pre-Raphaelites. Her most treasured beauty product is lipstick. Here she’s wearing Biba’s purple lip-tint, 5s., with black liner round her mouth. She uses more of Revlon’s Natural Wonder Lid Liners, 17s. 6d., to paint intriguing black spots across part of her face to symbolise a veil, and then twists a string of blue curls, tinted by Erik, amongst her copper hair which she keeps in place with two ’40s tortoiseshell hair-combs.


Kari Ann Moller (bottom left) says she wants to look like the wicked witch in fairy tales, yet she loves cosy perfumes like Apple Blossom and Lily of the Valley (Coty’s Muguet des Bois Creamy Skin Parfum, 17s. 6d.), and she couldn’t live without Nivea. “I found an old purple crayon in my boyfriend’s car—he’s a painter—so I’m wearing purple with a dab of lipstick and Leichner silver sparklers on my eyes today, plus tart red lipstick by Elizabeth Arden.” Her soft ginger wig is by Ricci Burns, 151 Kings Rd., S.W.3.


Jill Harley (bottom right) never wears fake eyelashes now, she’s only interested in colour: Chrome stick by Leichner.. 5s. 3d., with Gait orange paint near the socket line and Dorothy Gray’s Light-Up Yellow lipstick, 11s. 6d., as a highlighter for her eyes. Woltz ltaliana’s pale green polish, Laguna, goes on her nails to match up with her pale green wellingtons. Instead of expensive face-shapers, she brushes on Miners’ Frosted Brown Powder Eye Shadow, 2s. 10d. For her lips, she mixes an old red lipstick with Boots 17 Shiny Brown Eye Shadow Stick, 2s. 6d.

Two of my favourite models + one of my favourite designers + some wild 1970 make-up = happy Liz.

Photographed by Steve Hiett.

Scanned from Honey, September 1970.

Go To Blazers

1970s, alistair cowin, bus stop, david montgomery, Electric Fittings, gala, Inspirational Images, lee bender, Vintage Editorials, Vogue, yves saint laurent

go to blazers 1

Heavy red cotton blazer, red bows on white voile shirt, blue check shorts, all by Electric Fittings.

Five looks gone to blazers here, five separate ways to be wearing them all summer through – with baggy Oxford bags, check shorts, short trousers, pleated skirts. Other best things to go with blazers are fake flowers, cloche hats, shady straws, veiling, hair nets, print shirts, a bevy of built up shoes. Go get a blazer.

Photographed by David Montgomery. Modelled by Gala Mitchell.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vogue, May 1971

go to blazers 2

Long double breasted white cotton brocade blazer, fuchsia velvet cloche, petrol green crepe pleated skirt, all at Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

go to blazers 3

Navy denim blazer, navy, ivory and scarlet plaid seersucker bags, white polka dot scarlet acrylic shirt, all at Bus Stop.

go to blazers 4

Navy denim blazer pin striped extra fine, white with navy stripe trousers, both by Alistair Cowin.

go to blazers 5

Champagne satin blazer in bow print, blue print Chinese alphabet short dungarees, both by Electric Fittings. Sandals and tomato tights at Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

Painted Lady

1970s, barry lategan, Estee Lauder, gala, hair, Hair and make-up, Inspirational Images, kensington market, leonard, Make-up, Sharron's Shoppe, Vogue

Painted Lady - Barry Lategan

…contrived in Van Dongen colours.

Gala Mitchell photographed by Barry Lategan.

Make-up by Estee Lauder. Hair by Daniel and Oliver of Leonard.

Black straw hat and ivory satin-ribboned blouse from Sharron’s Shoppe, Kensington Market.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Beauty In Vogue, 1970.

The most nostalgic clothes of all…

1930s, barbara daly, barbara trentham, gala, ginger rogers, harpers and queen, hollywood icons, maureen o'hara, mr fish, ossie clark, patrick procktor, rosalind russell

Rosalind Russell wore this soft grey georgette evening dress with cross-draped bodice, for The Velvet Touch.

[Proving that nostalgia is nothing new…]

You are forgiven if you think the pictures on these pages are fashion circa 1971. In a sense, they are; but in fact, these are original Hollywood – the clothes of the stars, people like Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Olivia de Havilland, Jean Seberg, Shirley Temple — worn in their films, coming up for a gala auction at Sotheby’s Pantechnicon in Motcomb Street at 7pm on December 1.

The man who made it possible is Michael Fish — Mr Fish, no less — who bought the whole collection of 30s, 40s and 50s creations from Max Berman & Son of Hollywood, and is putting them to auction in aid of Immigrant Community Services. So you could help to provide a new children’s playground in Brixton, say, while treating yourself to a great fashion original . . . like Jane Russell’s navy pleated chiffon coat over crepe culottes ; Bonita Granville’s pink chiffon dress with Alencon lace and fine pleating; not to mention the original mini worn by Betty Hutton in Annie Get Your Gun. 

Patrick Procktor is contributing to the programme for Mr Fish’s ‘frock fantasy’. Ossie Clark’s sensational model, Gala, will wear some of the clothes, as she did for us in company with Barbara Trentham. Make-up here by Barbara Daly; hair by Smile; location, Mr Paul Hamlyn’s house. 

Harpers and Queen, December 1971. Photographs by Tim Street-Porter

Square-shouldered 40s suits, as worn by Maureen O’Hara and Ginger Rogers.

Agnes Moorehead starred in this vampy black crepe dress with sequins and a matching shoulder cape fastened with jet.

Inspirational Images: Gala Mitchell

1970s, celia birtwell, gala, Inspirational Images, ossie clark, quotations

Photographed by Celia Birtwell

“Usually I lack confidence, but when I wear Ossie’s designs I know I’m beautiful and sexy. His clothes are like a play. I act to suit the mood of the dress. Fashion now is very sophisticated – as always Ossie had that feeling first.”

Gala Mitchell quoted in Vanity Fair, July 1971

Vanity Fair: Pat Cleveland and Gala Mitchell

alice pollock, alkasura, antony price, david montgomery, gala, just looking, manolo blahnik, pat cleveland, vanity fair, zapata

Dress by Antony Price from Che Guevara

I must admit that I am generally pretty ambivalent when it comes to model worship, but two of my absolute favourites are Pat Cleveland and Gala Mitchell. So imagine my delight when I found another issue of Vanity Fair from 1971 (December this time. Again, falling apart. What’s with the Vanity Fair binding?) and an entire spread with the two ladies I love? Imagine my further delight when I realise the shoot contains phenomenal clothes by Antony Price, Alice Pollock and Alcasura [sic]. It helps that it was photographed by the great David Montgomery (whose photos always seem to tickle my fancy).

Outfit by Alice Pollock. Shoes from Zapata.

Outfit by Alkasura. Shoes by The Chelsea Cobbler.

Dress by Simon Ellis from Just Looking

Dress by Martha Hill

More fashion etiquette to break

gala, Inspirational Images, Make-up, seventies fashion, underwear, Vogue
A lady never wears fake jewels, coloured underwear, diamonds before breakfast


Amazing images, ludicrous etiquette I’m happy to be breaking on a regular basis, clothes I want desperately. Ahhhh……it has to be more from Vogue, June 1971.

It is in bad taste to dress extravagantly or showily with people who are all plainly dressed.

It’s That Ossie Again! (Magic Ossie Moments Part II)

gala, ossie clark, vintage fangirl squee

I’m starting to wonder if this Ossie is actually meant to be mine. Firstly I find a photo of a model wearing it with Ossie in front of Quorum, then it spends months languishing on my website without being sold, then finally I spy it being worn on the catwalk in British Style Genius. A programme which otherwise made me want to hurl things at my television, I’m still composing myself to attempt to write a longer, non-ranty post about it, and proves yet again that Ossie is a god-like figure who makes the world beautiful and balanced when all around is irritating and miserably depressing.

Here is the best screenshot I could muster, it was a teeny tiny snippet of the dress but doesn’t she look delighted to be wearing it? It’s that kind of dress. And Ossie is that kind of designer.

On a side note, I’m not sure you can better a Hockney painting but I was also delighted to see Ossie’s favourite model, Gala, wearing the legendary portrait dress – which I’m lucky enough to have hanging in my closet.

It greatly entertained me that she was wearing flesh coloured pants, most of his models and muses would never be so straight-laced as to wear underwear normally, because that dress actually really does conceal nothing if you so much as move in it. Hence mine had a hook and eye stitched onto the skirt by its original owner, who told me she wore it at the premiere of Waterloo in 1970. Useless factoid for you there!