Lost Art: Illustrating the Mundane

1960s, 1970s, Illustrations, Vintage Adverts

It’s a great disappointment to me that illustration seems to be such a niche market these days. There are occasional high-concept spreads in magazines (I know The Independent used to be very good at fashion illustration), and the odd one or two used to illustrate regular columns. But I’ve noticed, through my many old magazines, that illustrations used to be used to sell the most mundane products in the back of the magazines. Make-up, catalogues, pile cream, modelling agencies….ok perhaps I made up the pile cream one, but you get what I mean. Hell, one of them even advertises a Club 18-30 holiday…

All Aboard

Illustrations

Look out for a brand new collection of Agatha Christie movies on DVD. Released on the 3rd of June, this collection, published fortnightly, comprises a DVD and an informative magazine that looks at the story and the characters with a behind-the-scenes journey into the making of the film.

http://www.agathachristie.com

Very excited to see that the Agatha Christie film collection is being released. The Orient Express one is particularly exciting because it actually features some illustrations by yours truly (see photo above). Oh yes! I was asked to do them last year, and will hopefully be doing some more soon. I’d actually forgotten about the entire project until hearing that it was getting a release this month.

Anyway, here’s the TV advert, which I keep catching the end of and flapping madly that I’ve missed my bit. That’s my stuff on there. Excitement and panic ensues….

Mannifesto

mannequins, roxy music

You may or may not remember my ongoing saga with Odette, my thin white Duchess of a mannequin. Well her stand finally gave up the ghost a few months back, and I’m no welder, so she’s been semi-retired for now (she might be going to live with a friend in Cardiff, so I know she’ll be in good hands). I’ve been using Lil the Dummy ever since but, while I certainly like the simplicity of a dummy, she’s definitely lacking four very important features which allow me to show off sleeves and trousers.

I recently acquired this new-old mannequin; I’ve been coveting a proper vintage one for years. As soon as I unpacked her, I knew what her name had to be. She’s a Roxy girl through and through, so she’s Roxy. Also, Manifesto is a brilliant album cover. And a good pun at that.

However, since I respect my customers’ opinions, I thought I’d ask you all what you thought. She’ll stay put anyway, for the occasional trousersuit or big sleeved confection, but I’m not sure whether or not she should totally replace the dummy. Opinions, if you please?


p.s She’s also giving me wig-envy. But I’m not sure I could carry off a strawberry shag?

Red Dresses

kate bush, noosha fox

I find I’m completely captivated by two videos of two beautiful women, with unique voices and dancing, wearing stunning red dresses, with brilliant hair and make-up. I realise this is not all that surprising for me.

What I find really odd is that, dates-wise for these videos, Noosha appears to be imitating Kate. Whereas, in fact, Noosha pre-dates Kate with her style, singing voice and aforementioned peculiar movements. I generally tend to think Ms Bush imitated Ms Fox, albeit probably quite subconsciously. So when these things blur in such a way, it boggles my mind.

Is it just me overthinking things? Did Noosha start imitating Kate slightly, or was it the natural progression of her own style (which Kate acquired a little earlier because she was processing the Noosha style faster) – since she’s certainly changed a bit! Almost like she’s had a sexual awakening between S-s-s-single Bed and The Heat Is On. Perhaps it’s the effect of a really sexy red dress?

Why should I care? I have no idea. It certainly makes me wonder about individuality and imitation, and how clear-cut either thing can really be.

The Good Life

seventies sitcoms, the good life

Walking along with Charley the other day, who should walk past us but Seventies Sitcom Icon Felicity Kendal. We both got the giggles afterwards, just with a look to each other. Charley is a major fan of The Good Life [and not afraid to admit it – atta girl! That’s why we’re so well suited as friends] and having grown up in Surbiton myself I can’t really help but love it. I’d have been even more impressed had it been the fabulous Varon-wearing Penelope Keith. But you can’t have everything.

More Make-Up: Who’d you like to be today?

barbarella, emma peel, Make-up, tara king, Vintage Adverts

I seem to be looking at a lot of make-up ads and features in my magazines at the moment. I overkilled a bit on the liquid liner a few weeks back for a New Romantic night (I should really post a full size photo of the end result some time) and have been smudging kohl on ever since, just to be different. So I’m ready to be re-inspired.

I love this Boots 17 advert, particularly the Barbarella one. I remember seeing an illustration of checkerboard effect eye make-up, but doubted whether it was really feasible (especially since my lids aren’t the largest in the world). Now I might try it on my brow bone instead, since that seems to be a better canvas for such doodlings.

I’m also appreciating the Tara King reference. I’ve always been a die hard Emma Peel girl [you don’t say???] but having seen a few of the Tara King episodes recently, I’m a bit of a convert. She might have had a bit of bum deal (sometimes literally) in the wardrobe department, but her make-up was always rather lovely.

Baby Doll Make-up at Woolworths

Illustrations, Make-up, Vintage Adverts

If I could find a huge batch of unused Baby Doll make-up, I’d be one happy bunny. Even if it had been used, I’d still happily display the gorgeous packaging. In fact, if I could be an illustration I’d probably be the Baby Doll girl. Yes I know that’s weird, but she’s adorable!


I don’t remember Woolworths (RIP) having a make-up range at all, so it must have been a Sixties/Seventies thing. Regardless, their adverts are amongst my very favourites of all vintage advertising.

A Tale of Two Knockoffs

1970s, celia birtwell, ossie clark, topshop, website listings

It’s not just Topshop in the Noughties who enjoy ripping things off. Sometimes it seems like every minor boutique in London, New York and Paris was taking more than a healthy dose of inspiration from Ossie Clark back in the Seventies. But it’s not often they went the whole hog when it came to the prints. Celia Birtwell’s handiwork is so distinctive, few decided to gamble with duplicating them wholesale.

I recently acquired two dresses at nearly the exact same time, both of which are direct copies of original Birtwell prints and which have been used in vaguely Ossie-esque designs. I thought it would be interesting to show you both of them, and to remind everyone to be careful of ‘unlabelled’ Ossie pieces which might look Ossie because of the Celia print…but are nothing like an Ossie original. They can be a brilliant alternative, so long as you know they’re just that and not the real deal.

The first is the Botticelli print (renamed Monkey Puzzle for the Topshop Celia range). An original Ossie example (and more gorgeous variations on it) is one of my many holy grails.

This piece is by Betty Barclay in a lovely light cotton, lined in the body, with a small keyhole neckline (with faux tie detail). Now available over at Vintage-a-Peel.

An original Ossie piece in Vogue: I would walk over hot coals and possibly kill someone for this dress.

This second piece is even more outrageous because it’s actually made in moss crepe, in a rather Ossie-style cut (although far too modestly done for him), by Emma (whoever they were). This is the glorious Floating Daisy print, most regularly seen in the tie-fronted buttoned dress [best demonstrated by the gorgeous WendyB in her red bodied version]..

The Real Deal. Sold over at Vintage-a-Peel a while ago

I’ve been hankering after an Ossie in this print which actually suits me, sadly the tie fronted one does not, and this dress is a little godsend. It’s a lovely soft pink version [which I’m sure Celia never did…far too insipid for her but I rather like it!] and the cut, whilst not up to Ossie standards, is very sweet and flattering. So I’m keeping this one. Sorry ladies! I’ll let you know if I ever change my mind….and I am giving up a spectacular Celia print Ossie dress in lieu (my wardrobe is a bit one in, one out at the moment…and it’s not really my colour…)

Ossie with Suki Poitier wearing the floating daisy. I bet she didn't have to pay for it either! Scanned from Ossie Clark by Judith Watt.

Don’t Forget Your Knickers!

1970s, British Steel, Vintage Adverts

Let’s hope the dancefloor at The Birds Nest, Waterloo wasn’t actually as shiny as it looks here.

Daily Telegraph Magazine, 1970

Perve-tastic!

I Love My Shirt

donovan


Current favourite Donovan song: I Love My Shirt. I love Donovan anyway, but this song is just brilliant in so many ways. I can relate wholeheartedly (shirts with stitching going all over the place, scuffed boots with the Nth pair of replacement heels, my velvet frock coat with the bald patch where my bag strap goes….).

Sometimes I like something crisp and new and I adore my occasional pristine vintage pieces, but there’s nothing quite like an old favourite. Bobbles, holes and all.

And for Brits of a certain vintage….here’s the Trevor and Simon version. Swing those pants!

Do you have a shirt that you really love,
One that you feel so groovy in ?
You don’t even mind if it starts to fade,
That only makes it nicer still.
I love my shirt, I love my shirt,
My shirt is so comfortably lovely.
I love my shirt, I love my shirt,
My shirt is so comfortably lovely.
Do you have some jeans that you really love,
Ones that you feel so groovy in ?
You don’t even mind if they start to fray
That only makes them nicer still.
I love my jeans, I love my jeans,
My jeans are so comfortably lovely.
I love my jeans, I love my jeans,
My jeans are so comfortably lovely.
When they are taken to the cleaners,
I can’t wait to get them home again.
Yes, I take ’em to the cleaners
And there they wash them in a stream,
Scrub a rub dub dub
And there they wash them in a stream –
Know what I mean.
Do you have some shoes that you really love,
Ones that you feel so flash in ?
You don’t even mind if they start to get some holes in
That only makes them nicer still.
I love my shoes, I love my shoes,
My shoes are so comfortably lovely.