Waterproof pigskin culottes, 18gns (matching jacket not shown, 40gns) to order, Cordoba Suedewear. Silk shirt, 11gns, by Annacat . Snakeskin waistcoat by Quorum, 6gns, only from Over The Rainbow. Mock crocodile boots, to order, Anello & Davide.
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…
One of my treasured pieces of fashion ‘ephemera’ is a flimsy paper catalogue for Cathy McGowan’s boutique range of clothes, which launched in 1965. I was pleased for it to be used in Richard Lester’s new book Boutique London: A History: King’s Road to Carnaby Street but, since only the front page was scanned and featured, I thought I ought to scan and share the rest of it!
Cathy ended up getting married in an amazing Celia-print Ossie Clark dress, but at this point she was alternating between Foale and Tuffin and Biba for presenting Ready Steady Go!. You can see a definite Foale and Tuffin influence in these clothes, I think, and I have often wondered how ‘proper’ designers at the time felt about these strange new celebrity “boutiques”.
Down with lurgies and stress! Boo, and may I say, hiss. I haven’t felt much like posting here, or anywhere. I’m lining up some listings when I’m able though, and they should be up and running next week I hope. Until then, or until I have the energy to post properly again, here is a lovely, shiny post with lots of lovely inspirational images I’ve picked up here and there.
Joan Buck in Ossie Clark. Didier Duvall. Date unknown, late Sixties. Scanned from Radical Rags.
A delicious image in so many ways. A messy bed, creativity flowing, casually pulling on your Celia-print Ossie whilst looking into an impossibly tiny but beautiful mirror…
Shorts have been with us for some time now – “hot pants” making even starlets front page news – but the big question was whether they were here to stay, or were just a gimmick. Increasing sales seem to show that they are really catching on, and now the big stores are stocking them. For those with the youth and legs to enjoy them, we bring the very latest designs.
Outfit by Antony for Stirling Cooper. All menswear by YSL.
Shorts and top by Bus Stop. Shirt by Toto from Crowthers
Outfit by Diana Crawshaw for Mr Freedom
Top and scarf by Ossie Clark from Quorum. Shorts by Clobber
Outfit on left by Diorling at Christian Dior. Outfit on right by Sheilagh Blagden at Stirling Cooper
Outfit on left by Ritva. Outfit on right by Paul Reeves for Universal Witness.
White pleated dress; £30 from a selection at the Prop Shop, 51 Old Church Street.
I can’t believe I’ve never scanned this before. Honestly, the backlog of scanning is ridiculous due to time constraints and the fact that all magazines other than early Honeys are a very Bad Size for my scanner. When will I ever have an A3 scanner? When will I ever have the room?
Anyway, this is an utterly delicious shoot from The Daily Telegraph Magazine, July 1972, featuring some seriously beautiful clothes actually worn underwater in the Bahamas. I must admit that part of me winces at the idea of a silk chiffon Ossie being ruined in the name of a photoshoot. But, then, this is an incredible shoot…and no one would dare do it now, with a vintage piece, so it’s totally unique. I genuinely think that Cherry Twiss is one of the great unsung heroes of British fashion journalism, I’ve always loved the Daily Telegraph Magazine shoots under her direction.
Fashion Editor: Cherry Twiss
Photographer: Flip Schulke
Model: Cathy Shirriff
Also, unfortunately, the Telegraph had a pretty lousy print at times – especially when it came to the small ‘inset’ images. I’ve done my best, but they’re low-res to start with I’m afraid. Still very enjoyable and inspirational though…
Dress by Suliman; £25
Red spotted voile nightdress from Biba; £10.25
Left: Top and skirt by Anokhi; £22.50 – Right: Chiffon dress by Ossie Clark at Quorum; £30
‘Capsule’ by Mary Quant; £4
Left: Silk dress from Rumak and Sample; £25.15 – Right: Chiffon caftan by Deliss; £79
Octopus scarf dress from Essenses (Stand N8 at Antiquarius); £30
A conversation with M last night got me thinking about the origins of the idea of ’boutique’. If it was a somewhat posthumous term applied to the era by fashion historians, in the same way that ‘Renaissance’ would not have been understood by anyone living through the Renaissance.
But then I remembered the veritable goldmine of information featured in Vogue in the late Sixties called ‘Vogue Boutique’ or variations on that phrase. So, I guess, no would be the answer. They did call it ’boutique’. This gem (featuring an outfit by Alice Pollock and another by Zandra Rhodes and Sylvia Ayton) is from July 1969. More to come, as and when I remember them…..
Stirling Cooper
New listings! Oh yes….
Miss Novell
John Bates for Jean Varon
Ossie Clark
Louis Caring
John Bates for Jean Varon
Victor Costa
Act III
Simon Ellis
I met up with the gorgeous Laurakitty yesterday for an Enchanted Palace experience (at Kensington Palace) and then prosecco and vintage geek talk near the birthplace of Biba on Abingdon Road. Laura has one of the most incredible collections of Ossie Clark clothes, many of which would definitely be something of a ‘Holy Grail’ for me.
Ossie holy grails are a strange subject I suppose, since I have a not-too-insubstantial handful of covetable pieces myself, but it doesn’t do to become too complacent about the idea of ultimate pieces by designers you love. New discoveries are what keeps the passion alive. Love Me Do is probably one of the ultimates, as is the Hockney portrait dress, but sometimes I think I would dearly trade either in for, say, this one as worn by the impossibly beautiful Marisa Berenson.
That said, I recently bought an Ossie I had lusted after for years. And now I have it, I’m not convinced it suits me.
Holy Grails are strange things. What are yours?
Liz Eggleston 