Wednesday 26 January 2011

J'adore Dior!!! (And the lovely Mr Galliano)


Couture Fashion week has been happening in Paris this week, everyone in the fashion world is going mad  for the up and coming Autumn/Winter 2011 collections, men's fashion week has been and gone and now the creme de la creme of Fashion have been presenting their pieces they have been working on since last season, their pieces that they have worked their blood, sweat, and tears into, to show to the highest of highest, the richest of richest, the garments that I can only talk about and dream that maybe one day  I too could hold a couture gown in my hands,well in my dreams anyway.
There is one designer that I have always been smitten with, this is probably due to him starting off one of the most famous looks of the 20th century, yes Christian Dior, unfortunately he only led a short life in the glamorous world of fashion but he certainly made everyone sit up and take notice and thank god he did because it would truly not have been the same without him!
 Since 1996 John Galliano has been designing for Dior and has been keeping the label alive ever since, which leads me onto his Spring/Summer collection of 2011.
Galliano has always been known for looking back to Christian Dior's past collections during the fifties and this collection really shows a true love for the man that took the world by storm at this time. It couldn't come at a better time with the Rene Gruau exhibition coming to a close in London, Rene Gruau was famous for creating  Dior's fashion illustrations from the the 1947 Miss Dior Perfume advert to through out the fifties.

This collection takes inspiration from Gruau who was a close friend to Dior in this collection, using a selection of tones and shades from his colour palette with bold reds and slick blacks to match the way Gruau's way of painting, which was also represented in the models make up,  it shows Galliano's love for the era recreating the famous hourglass essence with fifties influenced ball gowns and empowering pencil suits, all beautifully embroidered by only the finest atelier's. Dior's couture show is always about going back to the roots and this has gone back to the very seed of Dior with elegance from the hair style's of the models which is also spot on for the collection instead of giving it a contemporary nudge, this show had to have authenticity or It wouldn't have worked. It has been my favourite show out of this season so far. Here are a few of my favourite garments.

A walking illustration with the gliding black lines of the jacket
creating an hourglass shape to the outfit
The famous Red pleated circle skirt used as a contrast to the monochrome
palette.

A fiery evening gown with sultry Jane Russell styled make up
This outfit just oozes power! The pose, the expression, it is clear that Galliano wanted
female domination!

Belle of the ball! This somehow reminds me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast?
This dress is classic 50s prom dress and the detailing in the skirt is incredible.
Little girls dream of trying dresses like this on when their older, I'm now older and
I am dreaming of wearing it.

The different tones of grey work so well together in this outfit
Very sixties influenced with the style of dress, the embroidery sends me towards
Japan and their people with the way they stitch cherry blossom into a tapestry.

This is my favourite out of all the collection, These images are a bit scrambled I do apologise
The dress is spot on, the netting makes the dress come from something so simply designed
to something extravagant with icicle blues and the models Porcelain complexion gives it that classic
fifties look, something you would expect Diana Dors to wear.

This collection is a stand out from the rest and Dior would be proud
Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx


Sunday 23 January 2011

Oh Johnny Oh Johnny Heavens above!

It is a well known fact that the majority of us girls are well and truly head over heels in love with a certain gentleman that goes by the name of Depp, yes Johnny Depp. I also have a soft spot for him which also happens to be a well known fact but I generally do think he is an amazing actor as well as being umm rather dashing! But I found out something today that I didn't know before, our Johnny is somewhat a vintage clothing fanatic! I remember seeing him at an awards ceremony or a film premiere ( I can't remember which!) wearing a Western Jacket similar to the H bar C ones which you will catch a lot of men on the Rockin scene wearing either vintage or Repro ones, which got me thinking, does he really go for vintage?

Spot the resemblance?

My fella and I were talking about it the other day and he said a chum of his told him that Mr Depp was a big vintage collector, so as I am a bit of a dork I started looking around on the net to see what I can find, and yes apparently he is weak to a bit of vintage!
Johnny gets the majority of his clothes from a vintage company known as Kakkoii Mono to wear for premieres and ceremonies, so he doesn't look the norm so to speak, even wearing vintage he still manages to give a messed up look to an outfit, in the nicest possible way! Here are a few image of him wearing some good old fashioned gear.

Wearing High waisted pegs, these were worn through the forties and fifties, men's trousers were generally worn higher than today and were more baggy. Depp also wears his belt on the side which Elvis (supposedly) also did during the 1950s to stop his belt buckle scratching his guitar, I've noticed most men who wear pegs do this including my fella who told me this bit of useless info!

Johnny wearing a 1950s Hollywood Jacket with a 50s loop shirt, all of which are popular with men
on the Rockin Scene

Wearing a Vintage 50s "Ricky" Jacket (or some of you gents may call it a gab jacket because they are usually made from Gabardine fabric)
Similar to that of what teens wore during the 1950s

Forties double breasted suits and One button jackets with saddle style shoes

I love love love this suit!! 50s black and white fleck with matching high waisted pegs,
he even wears his hanker chief in his top pocket like a gentleman!
Like with most of his suits he wears his shirt collars over the lapels of his jacket which
was a strong look in the 1950s for men.
Now I'm not usually the type to write about celebs, especially as this post sounds stalker border line but honestly It is all about the clothes.. I promise
Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx

Four in a Million... coming to a theatre near you


I love going to the theatre when I can, but unfortunately living in the little town of Lowestoft has never let me explore it properly, I have seen a few in my short 21 years luckily as Norwich is just up the road from where I live during non uni times and they occasionally have some good shows! A few I've managed to see was Singing in the Rain, Buddy and Doctor Dolittle (with Philip Scofield in!!) I see going to the theatre as something quite old fashioned, for quite some time people would frequently go there for an nice evening out, this obviously still happens today but then it was more seen as a necessity to go out to the theatre and it was for more of the upper class. I love it because you can put on your glad rags for an evening of watching something that you love!
Which leads me onto the subject of this post!


The Million Dollar Quartet is hitting London, no not the real one, that would be slightly bizzare if it was the real thing, even though amazing but bizzare never the less, of course I mean the show, for those of you who don't know of the Million Dollar Quartet then you have missed out.
On 4th December in the year of 1956 four men came together and recorded some of their most favourite songs , these were Elvis Presely, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. And it all happened in the widely known studios that was Sun Recording studio in Memphis, Sam Phillips (then owner) saw a moment not to be missed when Elvis came on in Carl Perkins recording session and started possibly one of the most famous jam sessions in History, and Phillips made sure he recorded it and now the Million Dollar Quartet are one of the iconic groups of the Rock n Roll/Rockabilly world, they chose to sing a mixture of different songs from Country, Gospel and other famous rock n roll hits from singers such as Little Richard and Chuck Berry and the rest was how they say, history?

The Million Dollar Quartet has been taking the stage in America for a while now with people such as Eddie Clendening performing in it (Eddie is a well known stage performer, performing with stars such as Scotty Moore and many others) with rave reviews and it was such a  big hit they decided to bring it to good ole England, damn right they should too, I havent seen a decent rock n roll musical since Buddy!

The show kicks off on the 8th Feb at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, I'm booking up so make sure you don't forget to!!

Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx

Wednesday 19 January 2011

For when I have my little vintage home

Similar to my last blog, I seem to have fallen in love with Antique drinking glasses! I like to think, however cliche it sounds that when I get my own home that I can create my own little vintage haven, I know a lot of people seem to do this but I don't necessarily want to do it in every room, maybe just one room with some vintage bits and bobs around the house, to be honest I think this is a good way to start because Antiques can be so expensive especially around the London area which is where I hope to live in a couple of years.
Luckily where  I'm living at the moment in Rochester I have two fabulous little antique shops that I love to go in when I get the chance and they are pretty reasonable with their prices.
I popped there on Saturday with my fella for a general nose around and we first spotted an antique fifties coffee set but unfortunately couldn't afford it, I was rather heart broken because it was a beautiful black and white atomic set, but we left it be and I'm so glad we did because we found some cute little antique glasses for bargain prices and I thought I would share them with you!
Set of 12 glasses that were still in the box! Antique fifties, oh I adore them very feminine and pretty!
Excuse my chipped nails!  My fella spotted these and I was quite surprised he did because they are more of a woman's glass I'd say, definitely suited for spirits or to put your fruit juice in to go with your breakfast!
The second set was a true bargain, I managed to get an antique jug and glasses, now I don't think these are authentic fifties, they are quite possibly seventies but I still love them never the less!
I love these and really cannot wait to use them I think the Jug will be perfect for cocktails! I would love to be able to display these in an antique cabinet, One day definitely.
Finally here is a set my lovely friend bought me a little house warming present for when I moved into my house last year, these are quite possibly my favourite
So beautiful don't you think? the thing is with all these glasses I've now got I'm too scared to use them in my current house because I wouldn't want to break any of these but then I think they are only being hidden away until I can use them, it's like having a dress in a wardrobe and not being able to wear it... hang on a minute that sounds familiar!
Hope you like these beauts!
Until next time
Toodle Pip
xxx

Monday 17 January 2011

A little collectors item

I've always wanted to collect something but nothings really ever took my fancy, I mean I'm a girl so I generally collect shoes and many types of clothing, mostly vintage, so I guess I am a bit of a vintage collector however when I was in Southwold during the summer I found a bag in a little antique shop hidden away, Southwold is such a cute little town, only five minutes up the road from my home town and I never think to go there, bizarre!
This bag caught my eye straight away, it was beautiful covered in little gems and crystals, I'd seen so many on EBay and Etsy but never thought to buy one, so as soon as I saw this I thought I'm having that without even looking at the price, to be honest now looking back on it I did buy spontaneously because I could of got the same back for better condition and cheaper on the Internet but live and learn!

These bags are by the designer Enid Collins or usually inspired by her, the company Collins of Texas started in 1959 and carried on until Enid Collins sold the company during the 1970s, there were two types of bags, the wooden box bag or the canvas bag. The company also sold diy bag kits so a lot of the ones you can buy off the Internet are actually imitations, which to be honest I think I have but I still love them nevertheless!
Collins bags are somewhat the collectors item now and as I have fell head over heels for them I've decided to collect them (with my father constantly going you don't need anymore bags!!) .
If you are wanting to collect them the ones obviously that are worth more are the ones with the jewels still intact, unlike my first one which hardly have any jewels on!
This is the one I purchased in Southwold, pretty even though a bit jewel-less!
Other collectibles ones are ones with the signature on, these can go for over £70 if you are lucky to find one!

This is the type of label to look for, On the Canvas bucket bags the signature is usually scribbled on with the design that is carefully hand painted on!
 So hunt out bargains on eBay, in shops such as Beyond Retro and other vintage shops, because luckily these types of shops don't usually realise how much they are worth because they only see it as "vintage" and don't know anything about labels! 
I bought this little darling at Beyond Retro for £30 and only has one gem missing!! I didn't even look at the price when I picked it up, I just knew I had to have it!  
I've noticed that even though I'm a fifties girl at heart I'm glancing towards more vintage sixties bags, what does it matter though if you think its pretty?

This is my little collection! The one nearest to the left is one I got off Etsy, I think it is a diy one because I found another lovely lady that had it and it is one of the cheapest to buy off the Internet,so I generally use this and my Southwold buy as everyday bags, as they are fairly large so I can fit all my rubbish in it!
I only have three but I have another coming on the way which looks something like this...


And it is an actual Collins bag too! I love the tan leather finishing, it stands out so much more than my other three! I'm happy that I now have something to collect, the only thing is finding somewhere to put them all! I have two wardrobes and both are chocker block with bags! A steady investment for the future I think!
How adorable is this advert!? If only she knew how much her bags would go for today!!
                                                                     Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx

Thursday 6 January 2011

Too many shoes not enough time

Now Christmas is over and done with, what comes next, oh yes January sales! You can't have a Christmas break without spending a fortune in the sales, well with me I just need an excuse to go spend money and now I can say that I'm well and truly broke but I have some glam new shoes to keep me happy for a little while anyway. When I was 'oop north recently visiting my fella we decided to do a bit of shopping and I got in a right sulk because I couldn't find any nice shoes for New Years Eve night so there I was huffing and puffing, I wanted a lovely pair to go with my dress I was wearing, I didn't really want flats because that's all I seem to live in so I thought I'd brave it and look for some heels.

My luck was in when I went into
Barratts which was my last port of call when I'd had enough of hunting and finding zilch, I first went to the sale rail as anyone who knows me I am a bit of a cheapskate! I found some gorgeous black lace heels and in my size
As I went to try these on my man pointed out a pair that would certainly make my feet shine! Could I afford both pairs? Well you only live once so I tried these beauties on too
I needed a gold pair to go with my green and gold dress and these matched a treat! I managed to stay in them the majority of the night until I wanted to dance then the flats came on!
Go on the Barratts website and check these stunners out. At good prices too even if I myself a cheapskate does say so!
So no more shoes now for me, well maybe until I can afford these from Marks and Spencer...


mmmm I'd better start doing the lottery!
Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Goodbye to 2010..

Yes 2010 has been and gone in the blink of an eye! I really can't believe how quick it has gone and what a blast it has been, I've gone through a lot of ups and downs in the past year I think, luckily though its been mainly ups and 2011 seems to have kicked off with a high but I thought I'd reflect over the past year and what 2011 may bring!
The beginning of the year came with some sad news with the loss of my gran which left a big gap in my family and I still miss her every day but we had to get on and positive things came and passed in my life such as landing a fashion article in the 50s Rock n Roll magazine
UK Rock which for me felt like a light bulb going off in my head and made me discover my love for writing which I didn't realise I had and since April 2010 I've been writing my monthly article on fifties fashion, this has pushed me further with creating my blog and emailing other magazines.

Then came May and the Hemsby Pin up Contest where I won first place in the contest which I never expected to get as to say having the jitters would be a slight understatement, there were some gorgeous girls in that competition and I didn't think I'd even come in the top three but no I was wrong and I got some great vouchers to spend and got a double page spread in MilkCow magazine!!
I had constant photo shoots through out the year luckily enough, I got to work with some fantastic photographers and I definitely think I have become so much more confident in myself with modelling and am hoping 2011 will give me more of this.
University wise I passed each project and got through to the second year with good grades and am now half way into it! How quick it's gone, I've only got a year left until I have to go into the big wide world! Through Uni I've now done three work placements with three companies, Tatty Devine, Vivien of Holloway and of course Vintage Patisserie!! I'm finally getting some names on my CV!!
Towards the end of this year I went to my first Rhythm Riot where people were recognising me from the magazines which I thought was lovely!
I was also getting emails from newbie pin ups asking me for advice which is a real boost for me if I do say so, which makes me think I might do a post on some of my best pin up advice.
I celebrated my 21st birthday with a blast last month and was also Miss December in a blog calendar from a photographer I worked with!
So what can 2011 do to top such a great year? well I'm hoping to do some more writing for other magazines, blogs etc, really pull my finger out with modelling, which I'm already starting to line up!
Carry on doing great at Uni and all being well get some work experience at a magazine. As I've thought to myself that however much I loved working for smaller individual companies I think it is time to take a step up the ladder and try a designer or a well known magazine.
What can it offer? Only time will tell
Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx