…if you’re going to engage in a bit of label-swapping, which of course is fraud and completely illegal – not merely a ‘folly’ of vintage dealing, when it comes to Biba it would help if you didn’t use the relaunch label from the 90s. That’s all I’m sayin’……
My apologies for my prolonged absence lately. I do have many more blog posts to come but I’ve been rather caught up in real life stuff the past few weeks. Some of the more fun stuff has involved….
I’ve really missed blogging and vintage-ing the past couple of weeks, one of the reasons I love to take “breaks”, so I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. The saddest thing was that I missed the chance to meet up with the wonderful WendyB and Sharon Rose, but these things can’t be helped and hopefully I’ll get another chance eventually!
It seems bizarrely appropriate that while I’m currently surrounded by finger waves, sequins, tulle and ballet shoes that the phenomenal Cyd Charisse should pass away. She began her career with the Ballet Russes, a training which would come in handy for working with the likes of Gene Kelly when she found success in Hollywood.
“If I was black and blue,” she said, “it was Gene. And if it was Fred, I didn’t have a scratch.”
Like most people, I was borderline obsessed with her segment from Singing in the Rain and that spectacular green pseudo-flapper dress she wore. Who wouldn’t want legs that long, or a face that sultry and oh such beautiful hair? I also realised I was obsessed -as a child- with a photo that my film-loving Uncle (kudos to him for having given me a life-long obsession with the Hollywood classics!) had, amongst many others, of Charisse and Astaire hanging on his wall.
I have little more to say, because it’s all been said. So I’ll leave you with a few more favourite pictures and mourn the loss of yet another classy, glamorous lady. We have so few left these days……
This dress is so vivid, slinky and confident that it almost looks too good to be true! The label says otherwise though: Party Lines by Domb, the very first label used by the Californian Queen of Party Dresses, Emma Domb.
It hugs your curves, the structure of the ruched waist enhancing the hourglass effect. I love the exotic print, grapes and flowers in vivid greens and purples. The one-shoulder design is beautifully executed and drapes elegantly.
It’s definitely designed for a confident siren and is perfect for lounging around drinking cocktails, with ruby red lips blazing and loosely curled hair cascading over your bare shoulder.
Available over at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
I thought my Bolan jacket was something else. Then I saw this beauty, currently listed (probably with whopping great big reserve, quite rightly) on eBay.
Not only is it a Marc Bolan-worn piece, it’s also by Alkasura – whose pieces are the sartorial equivalent of hens teeth.
If some millionaire wishes to purchase this piece for me, I’d be very grateful!
I must admit, I’ve never really understood the whole Veruschka ‘thing’. I mean, clearly she’s never encountered the ugly stick in her life but I find her looks to be a bit….well……blahhhhhh. I like unusual, quirky looking people and she is frequently described as ‘amazonian’ and exotic but I simply cannot understand or see this.
Anyway, I slightly changed my mind when I saw this gorgeous spread in The Telegraph Magazine (something of a Seventies boutique bible at times) from 1972. Touted as “The price of looking like Veruschka is less than you think” and showing her in inexpensive British Boutique clothes, she actually looks quite cute for once…..and I really love the background of Woburn Abbey.
The front cover in a Jeff Banks smock is my joint favourite with the window shot of her in Bus Stop cheesecloth. But they’re all pretty fabulous……enjoy!!
From top: Blue Bus Stop cheesecloth dress; Issey Miyake pedal pushers; Anthony Price for Che Guevara top and pedal pushers; Biba print dressBy way of a little tribute, here are two of my favourite pairs of shoes….both by YSL.
Firstly the [faux I think] snakeskin peeptoes I wore to the Sex and the City film, coincidentally on the night he passed away.
Secondly, the black patent peeptoes with red platform soles and heels. Which I wore with my black and red striped Biba dress to the Scissor Sisters gig last summer.
I alluded, in an earlier post, to having recently acquired an original Avengerswear piece. Now before you go getting too excited on my behalf (because, you know, I imagine you would…..), it’s not a John Bates one. That remains my holy grail of collecting…
Diana and Alun
In the first colour season of The Avengers, Alun Hughes took over from John Bates as costume designer. Although strictly speaking Bates was never the costume designer per se, he simply provided Mrs Peel with a fully equipped working mod-girl wardrobe. Which would be used in various ways by the designer and whoever else happened to be making such decisions. Explaining why so many fabulous outfits, in which Diana Rigg was heavily photographed for publicity, made only brief appearances – if at all.
The colour episodes had been intended to be designed in a similar ‘working wardrobe’ manner by Pierre Cardin, who was already creating Steed’s very elegant suits [Shocking! A Frenchman designing our beloved Avengers? Whatever next??], but he was unable to complete the task and Hughes was brought on board as designer instead. Unfortunately I know very little about the man himself, but it would seem he actually was a costume designer rather than a fashion designer like Bates or Cardin. With the new colour format, and the strong overseas interest in the show, Hughes had new challenges to those of Bates with the black and white. He attacked it with gusto, using vivid colours, prints and playing with new synthetic fabrics. There’s also the varied influences, reflecting the ever-changing fashion scene of the time. We still have space-age cut-outs and skin tight gear, but also feathers and psychedelic silks. The look is more way-out, and more feminine than ever. He also invented the Emmapeeler, which was a more ‘Pop’ take on the leather and pvc catsuits of the earlier series.
“Don’t diss my mustard emmapeelers!”
As with Bates, and Frederick Starke before him, an Avengerswear range of clothes was produced and licensed out to different manufacturers and shops. Unlike Bates, whose Avengerswear collection was largely complete replicas of the Mrs Peel-worn originals, Hughes’ designs were used as templates for a wider range of colours and styles. Most items were produced in different colourways to the one seen on screen, again unlike Bates who was largely working in black and white anyway, and it would also seem that some items were produced in different lengths.
This stunning moire patterned velvet dress is clearly the same design as the one she wears in Return Of The Cybernauts. Emma’s is black (or perhaps dark green, it’s difficult to tell with early colour television) and a mini. Mine is purple and a maxi length. Nevertheless, it’s my first – and possibly only piece of Hughes’ Avengerswear and I feel very honoured to now have it in my possession.
The lovely Sharon Rose suggested I post more pictures of myself in some of my favourite frocks. Now in theory, that is a lovely idea. In reality, I fear cameras greatly unless I am properly prepared with a shovel-load of make-up and good lighting. Which is why so few photos of me are allowed out into the great world wide web.
However, I decided to post a photo of myself in one of my favourite Biba dresses….nay, one of my favourite dresses period. Mainly because I was completely delighted to see this dress, albeit in pale yellow rather than red moss crepe, worn by the fabulous Paula Wilcox as Chrissie in Man About The House (remade as Three’s Company in the US). I was less delighted to see she ‘fills’ it rather better than I do, but then again…..mine is so teeny tiny I couldn’t fit much more in it anyway! Small boobs can be very handy when it comes to Biba clothes…..
The sleeves are my favourite bit, they’re gigantic (not the biggest though, I think my Bill Gibb takes that particular biscuit) and have a very deep buttoned cuff, which gives a delightful swag. Honestly, this has to be one of my top ten favourite dresses in my closet……
Perhaps at a later date I will post a picture of me in the Jean Varon dress her flatmate Jo is also wearing in this particular episode! Yes, I have both dresses!
….but I might well up a little bit with pride and gratitude towards the people who voted for me. Many, many thanks and I sincerely hope I continue to satisfy your vintage needs. I promise there are many more goodies on the way on Vintage-a-Peel, including a Celia print Ossie (“yikes, she’s actually giving one up???”), an early Janice Wainwright for Simon Massey, a superb Forties Emma Domb and maybe a coupla Varons as well!
Liz Eggleston 