A costume for Princess Margaret played by Vanessa Kirby in The Crown. Hand-embroidered and beaded floral appliques with the unexpected pockets.
The exhibition examines costumes from public and private moments depicted in the show … People are clearly captivated by the coronation robes and regalia, and they have enjoyed the wedding dresses – replicas of both Princess Elizabeth’s and Princess Margaret’s. But our visitor’s survey indicates that Princess Margaret’s hand-painted and beaded gown with the pockets is a strong favorite.
Kim Collison – exhibitions manager at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Delaware.
Ms. Collison is speaking to Victoria magazine of Costuming The Crown, the current exhibit on at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. On view are 40 costumes from the popular Netflix series, which fictionalizes the life of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged costume design, costume exhibits, Costuming the Crown, fashionable quotes, Queen Elizabeth II, television show costumes, The Crown, Victoria magazine, Winterthur Museum | 1 Comment »
Kit Cullinane at Salon 1757
It was a hot hot hot day on recent visit to my hair stylist Kit Cullinane at Salon 1757. But she was looking oh- so-cool in her bespoke dress.
When I asked Kit about her dress she told me it was one of the garments she had made while traveling in Vietnam last year. Knowing there would be ample opportunities to have clothing made, she brought with her a vintage shirtwaist dress which she had copied in rayon fabric at a shop called Su in Hoi An, Vietnam.
This is a thing in Vietnam – you can have clothing made to order. Suits, blouses, dresses, jackets, and in quick order too. Custom fit and good quality at reasonable prices.
Kit paired her dress with a brass chain belt that she found at a thrift store. She accessorized with a chunky bracelet and dangle earrings.
I love the fabric design, which will transition nicely into fall. She can easily wear this in September and October, and as the weather starts to cool she can add a short jacket or sweater.
Thanks Kit, for the fashion story and for keeping my hair looking its best!
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Berkeley style, bespoke clothing, bespoke suits, custom clothing in Vietnam, Salon 1757, street style, travel, Vietnam | 1 Comment »
I get a lot of fashion press on the shows I design, and journalists always ask what the brands are, so I always point out that it is not about the brands, it is about the pieces I combine to make an outfit and a character. We need to take control of the narrative. This is one of the reasons I feel we need to embrace social media, so we are part of the story, not a side note.
Salvador Perez, award winning costume designer and president of the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892-I.A.T.S.E.
Mr. Perez has costumed many a television series including The Mindy Project, Veronica Mars, and Moonlight.
I agree that costume designers should be acknowledged for their work. But I see that it’s confusing to laypeople when costuming isn’t always about building costumes. Often these days, particularly with contemporary costuming, costumers are actually assembling outfits off the rack. When they use recognizable brands, that’s what’s going to get the attention, not necessarily how the outfits were put together or who did it. People don’t really understand what goes into costuming and that the choices designers make, from color to silhouette to accessories, all reflect the character. It’s detailed. It’s complicated.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Speaking of costumes, the Emmy Awards are coming up on September 14th. In the period costume category nominees include Donna Zakowska for We’re Going to the Catskills episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video and Melissa Toth for Life is a Cabaret in the Fosse/Verdon series on FX Networks.
Fosse/Verdon
Any favorites?
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged costume design, Costume Designers Guild, costumes, Donna Zakawska, fashionable quotes, Fosse/Verdon, Melissa Toth, Salvador Perez, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | 2 Comments »
Luxury accessories up for auction at Abell Auction.
As consumers consider what they buy, the idea of what’s sustainable (what isn’t harmful to the environment) is now on our check list. “Reduce, reuse, and recycle” has become a mantra, and according to the fashion resale website ThreadUP, there are more secondhand shoppers than ever before.
In keeping with this fashion movement, Abell Auction Co. located in Los Angeles is featuring a unique collection of vintage luxury accessories at its next auction set for September 10th, 2019. Todd Schireson, VP at Abell Auction, Co. was kind enough to answer some questions for OverDressedforLife.
Todd Schireson
It seems how people shop is in the midst of a major shift, has the auction business been impacted? In what way?
People are shopping and browsing sales more online these days. Because of the online marketplace, people tend to take shipping into account; large furniture being difficult to sell, while luxury goods, fine art, and jewelry is thriving.
Who is your (buying) client these days?
We cater to dealers, designers, and decorators on the West Coast. Since the business has shifted more to online sales, we have buyers in every major city in the world.
What do you think it is that attracts a new audience to auctions?
The idea of getting unique, vintage or historically important items is what brings people to auction.
In jewelry and accessories, what are your clients looking for? What brands? What kind of style?
At Abell Auction, we have a wide range of consumers. The luxury items that tend to do well at auction are Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Tiffany & Co., Patek Philippe, Cartier, Harry Winston, Montblanc, etc. Styles in jewelry change quite often, whereas with purses, the classic Chanel flap bag will always be a popular trend.
You have a sale of luxury accessories coming up – please briefly describe what will be offered.
The luxury auction coming up has a great collection of watches from Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Piaget. Handbags and other fashion items from Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Pierre Cardin, Gucci and fine appointments by Lalique, Daum, Cartier, and Buccellati.
What are you most excited about with this sale?
Luxury auctions bring in a different customer base than those who typically attend fine art and antique auctions. With the new customer base, there is not only opportunity to show them a Birkin bag, but to also showcase the amazing collection of Pablo Picasso pottery, David Hockney prints, and amazing original mid-century furniture, etc.
Thank you, Todd. Click here for more information on Abell’s upcoming auction. (Preview September 4-6 & 9).
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Abell Auction, fashionable Q&A, luxury auctions, resale luxury accessories, sustainable in fashion, ThreadUP, Todd Schireson | Leave a Comment »
Yesh! Even fashion bloggers, who today will be putting away their whites for the season. Or maybe not.
Posted in Events, Uncategorized | Tagged Labor Day, Mutts, White after Labor Day | Leave a Comment »
The lovely Isabel Toledo (1961-2019). Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images.
This week fashion designer Isabel Toledo died of breast cancer. What a loss!
I was a fan of Ms. Toledo, who as a teenager immigrated with her family from Cuba to the US. She and her husband, artist Ruben Toledo, moved to New York City in the 1980s hitting the pavement and knocking on department store doors looking for a place to sell their avant-garde fashions.
Michelle Obama wears Isabel Toledo for the 2009 presidential inauguration.
Ms. Toledo made fashion fame in 2009 when she designed Michelle Obama’s inaugural outfit – a shift dress and coat in what she called lemon grass. I recall reading in her memoir (Roots of Style: Weaving Together Life, Love, & Fashion) that they knew it was going to be freezing cold in Washington that day so they sewed layers of padding in the wool coat.
Prior to that in the 1990s, she shunned corporate driven fashion shows working instead with museums. Although she remained an independent designer, for a short time she was creative director for Anne Klein and designed a line of shoes for Payless and fashions for Lane Bryant.
What I like about Isabel Toledo’s designs is her use of textured fabrics and off colors. She was a unique creative spirit and how sad for us that she is gone.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged fashion designers, fashion icons, fashion news, inauguration outfits, Isabel Toledo, Michelle Obama | 1 Comment »
I wore miniskirts when I was younger. We used to hide them in our bags before going out. And we wore bloomers underneath because we danced rock ‘n’ roll. Then we went from very short to very long, and one day when I was wearing one of those long skirts, my grandmother said to me: “Good lord, you look like a musty old granny!” That was the end of that.
France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron. Quote from Elle magazine, originally published in French Elle and translated from French.
That was the end of that all right. Almost every photo I found of Ms. Macron she was in a short dress. In the other photos she sported straight-leg jeans.
The hemline might be a bit short but otherwise, I think the look suits her and is appropriate for her position as First Lady.
At age 66 she is anything but a musty old granny!
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Brigitte Macron, fashionable quotes, France First Lady, French fashion, vintage fashion | 1 Comment »
