Inspirational Images: Hairpins and lipstick

1970s, Inspirational Images, Jacques-Henri Lartigue

By Jacques-Henri Lartigue. Scanned from the British Journal of Photography Annual 1972

Inspirational Images: Jane Birkin in Wonderwall

1960s, Dennis Stone, Inspirational Images, jane birkin, Queen magazine, Wonderwall

Photograph by Dennis Stone

Jane Birkin and Iain Quarrier in Wonderwall, the first production of Alan Clore Films, which will be released later this ear. Wonderwall is the story of Oscar, a mother-dominated scientist, who lives a lonely and solitary life until one day he throws an alarm clock at the wall in protest at the noise which is coming from the flat next door. The wall cracks and light coming though the hole turns Oscar’s room into a wonderful camera obscura. Peering through the hole, Oscar is able to watch Penny, the model girl next door, as she embraces her lover.

Images and text from Queen, January 1968

Photographs by Dennis Stone

Biba and Beyond: Barbara in Brighton

1970s, barbara hulanicki, biba, brian duffy, brighton, british boutique movement, Inspirational Images, Studio

Biba models, c1973, photographed by Brian Duffy © Duffy Archives.

Excitement is building for the upcoming Biba and Beyond exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, which I have already blogged about here, helped by Visit Brighton‘s fascinating short documentary video about Barbara Hulanicki.

The exhibition will be celebrating the Biba look and lifestyle, so much admired and coveted forty-odd years later, but also looking at Barbara’s career beyond her most famous creation. I’m certainly looking forward to more coverage of her illustration and interior design work.

Left:- Barbara Hulanicki in 1969 © Neil Libbert. Right:- Photograph Tessa Hallmann © Royal Pavilion & Museums

If any of you are visiting specifically for the exhibition, don’t forget that you are welcome to pop in to my new studio to say hello, browse the rail (yes, there’s Biba!) and have a cuppa. Just email me a bit in advance so I can make sure I’m there, armed with tea and biscuits…

Trouser Suit, c1971

Inspirational Images: Noosha Fox

1970s, glam rock, Inspirational Images, Look In, noosha fox, platforms

Scanned from Look In, 12 June 1976

Umm. Pink tights and green platforms? Yes please!

Noosha just gets more and more spectacular…

RIP Louise Clarke

1970s, Louise Clarke, pan's people, Pan's People and spin-offs

Far too many RIP posts these days; another beloved Pan’s People dancer, beautiful Louise Clarke, has died – at the too-young age of 63. Thanks for the moves, doll x

Vintage Adverts: What can you do now they can’t deliver asses milk any more?

1970s, Inspirational Images, Vintage Adverts

Scanned from Nova, November 1973

What indeed? Dream bathroom…

Tighten your belts – Conspicuous waist

1950s, 1970s, biba, british boutique movement, dorothee bis, Escalade, Eva Sereny, Fiona Lewis, Inspirational Images, sunday times magazine

Sweater by Biba and belt by Fenwicks

One of my favourite fashion shoots of, ooh, forever, I have no idea why I have only just got round to scanning it in. This look appeals to me more and more every time I look at it. Part of what I love about the Seventies is the way they were influenced by the styles of earlier eras, and yet the result is always so perfectly Seventies and, inexplicably, preferable to the original. Speaking for myself, anyway…

Photographed by Eva Sereny. Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, October 1972

“At the Paris winter collections no-one seemed to have any scruples about cribbing from the Fifties. However, Dorothée Bis, one of the most influential ready-to-wear designers, did it better than anybody else because the clothes managed to look far sexier than they ever did at the time. Big baggy men’s department sweaters; jackets and coats, swagger-backed or lumberjack style, in cloth or fake fur; tight skirts hobbled over seamed lurex tights – in fact, everything that could be worn with a waspie belt like the one shown here, giving more shape tot he shapely and hope to the straight. On the cover and on these pages actress Fiona Lewis shows how she wears waist-clinchers.”

Sweater and belt from Biba

Sweater is model’s own, belt from Biba

Waspie from Escalade

Waspie and felt skirt by Biba

Shades of Miami Beach

1970s, coopers, Di Saunders, Inspirational Images, Over 21, Sunglasses, Titfers

Scanned from Over 21, September 1972. Photographed by Christian Larroque.

Guy Day: What I Want in a Wife

1970s, Mensday, mr fish, oliver reed, peter wyngarde

Gyles Brandreth; David Broome; Mark Caine; Robert Carrier; Max Clendenning; Tom Courtenay; Roger Collins; Brian Strange; Michael Fish; Benny Hill; John Hurt; Simon Jenkins; Eddie Kulukundis.

Your eyes do not deceive you. A ‘What I want in a wife’ article is not a natural place you might expect to see either Peter Wyngarde or Ian McKellan’s face, but… this was 1972, so here they are.

As for Oliver Reed? Well, let’s just say I’m not surprised…

“Femininity is important. I hate the bull-dyke Women’s Lib type of bird. The best women for me are those who have plenty of drive but in the end like to be dominated. I like a girl who can understand and then tolerate me and, above all, she must have good knockers.”

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, April 1972.

John Lill; Lord Lyell; Ian McKellan; Ron Moody; Tim Nicholls; Simon Oates; Brian Patten; Lance Percival; Jimmy Saville; Ned Sherrin; Sidney Shipton; Johnnie Silvo; Joachim Stein; Dave Cash; Max de Trense; Derek Underwood; Jack Wild; Oliver Reed.