Retro-Modern Wedding

Dolce&Gabbana runway for Winter 2013-14 was clearly influenced by the budget conscience festivities of the Vatican for the new Pope Francis. True to his priestly vows, this Pope has proven to be more humble and frugal than past Pontiffs.  

In my opinion, if the Pope can cut back for the biggest celebration of his life, no bride should shy away from  saving a few dollars for her nuptials. Creating your own beautiful dress that can be worn again for other occasions, is a good place to start. 

The D&G Winter collection is a great look to use as a direction for a retro modern wedding. To my eye the collection was very Byzantine religious icon meets 1950's-'60's styling.  For this blog, I selected two chic and sophisticated white lace dresses that would be easy to re-create for your own wedding. 

These dresses lend themselves to a second life in your closet and can easily be worn again with some added accessories. That's smart and modern thinking. Ironically it's also retro thinking  from the pre-Victorian era.  Years ago women would wear their Sunday best dress to get married in, and then would continue to wear it.  They did not put the dress in a sealed box  , and store it in the back of the closet.

After the wedding over, the short lace dress on the left  could

 be worn with  black leather pants underneath and a black obi at the waist . The dress on the right could be worn with a red leather belt  or a great chunky necklace to any cocktail party.

 I found this white cotton lace on Etsy under "crochet lace".  However don't hesitate to hunt vintage or thrift shop  for  old wedding dresses and repurpose the lace from them. Some beautiful expensive lace can be found at a bargain.

The best selection of vintage patterns can be found the internet.  It's easy to see how these patterns  above and below can translate to the D&G  looks.

Remember go by your bust size when buying patterns as all the companies use American standardized sizing.  Store bought clothing sizes  are vanity sized, and not accurate to patterns. 

As for the bridesmaids why not polish off the whole sophisticated wedding look with D&G influenced red brocade or lace dresses ?  

Just a little note I would like to point out, the model  in the middle wearing the red dolman sleeve style dress, needs alterations over the bust. Perhaps she wasn't the original model intended for that dress. Either way,  I would recommend using a set in sleeve style for a better fit when using brocade, because of the thickness of the fabric.

The lace fabrics above here are from Etsy and 

the brocades below are an example of random searches. 

FASHION NOIR for LOST SOULS

For this post I am writing about the dark side of fashion.  Truthfully the Fall RTW 2013 has left me underwhelmed.  In my opinion it is a mixed bag of desperate attempts to grasp at a new fashion direction in our flat economy.

That said, I selected a few outfits from the runway that had some promise in the most unusual way.  Using photos of criminals from a bygone era, I coupled those runway looks for these past fallen angels pictured below.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  MURDER $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Murderess Barbara Graham

When lost souls fall, sometimes it's into a bottomless pit of no return. For murderess Barbara Graham she started her pitfall at a young age.  She had a sad life growing up, and by the time she was a teen she was in reform school. Shortly thereafter Barbara  got married, had two kids, divorced and lost custody of her kids to her ex-husband.  By 22 she was working in a  brothal.   

Her desire to acquire the finer things in life often led her to criminal actions.  She was finally executed in 1955 for robbing an elderly woman, then pistol whipping and smothering her with a pillow.

There was some confusion as to whether Barbara was fully guilty of this murder as there were three other accomplices. Her lover turned states witness to save himself from the gas chamber.  At the end of the day, all involved with this deadly robbery were executed, except for Barbara's lover.  

Perhaps If her court appearance was today,  Barbara would have used her crime money to find a better lawyer and  buy this Band of Outsiders RTW 2013 dress below for her court date.  Even the makeup on the runway model seemed to be reminiscent of her mug shot photo which shows her with a black eye.

Band of Outsiders Fall 2013

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ROBBERY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Sixty two years ago, bad boys Kenneth Christiansen, John Schultz, and John Debellis were arrrested for robbery. Quite stylish for thieves, we can see here from their fedoras to their suede buckskin shoes and penny loafers,  the boys were clearly into fashion. 

If they were plying their trade today, perhaps Prada, Burberry Prorsum, and Calvin Klein might be found in their closet. Below are updated versions that any bad boy would would want .

Fall RTW 2013

Prada Black leather jacket ; Burberry Prorsum olive wool coat;  Calvin Klein grey wool zip jacket

Stetson Longshoreman cap ** Stetson Stratoliner 1940's fedora ** Stetson Inwood Fedora

Vintage 2011 Comme Des Garcon pants cuffed up  to show off the shoes

Clarks Vexation Casual * Lloyds Hectors suede lace ups * Timberlands Earthkeeper Penny loafer

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ PROSTITUTION $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Madam Brenda Allen

Madam Brenda Allen was famous for her discreet approach to running a call girl service. She had started as a teenage streetwalker and moved up from there. Eventually she  took over a call girl service from the madam she worked for. Under Brenda's management the business became extremely profitable. She payed off both the mob and the police for protection.  In addition Ms. Allen had  an ongoing affair with Sergeant Elmer V. Jackson which helped to keep her business dealings above the law. Their relationship was eventually discovered,  revealed  to the public, and Brenda  landed in jail.

For Brenda's court appearance , I thought she might appreciate the 3.1 Phillip Lim pant suit shown her on the runway with the type of sunglasses she had an affinity for.

Although sans make-up in prison, Brenda still wore her heels as seen in the photo on the left.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ MORE PROSTITUTION $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Sheila McDonald and Gloria Jaffee were both hard working girls who enjoyed their furs. If they were working today I could see them wearing the Marc Jacobs or Christopher Kane furs (photo below). However working their trade in California, these gals would need to keep those furs hidden under the covers of their bed . Wearing furs in public today could prove to be more scandalous than hooking. 

Read more on Barbara Graham- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Graham

For more about Brenda Allen-  http://articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/30/local/me-59191/2

The Sensuality of Noir

This year I've been immersed in costume designing  a TNT series called "Mob City", which centers around Los Angeles in 1947. The series is based on the book "LA Noir" by John Buntin, and  details the true accounts of police and gangster corruption in Los Angeles from the 1920's-1960's. The pilot script was written and directed by Frank Darabont.

The beautiful clothing style of the 1940's era have always fascinated me.  Fabric was rationed during the war, so people learned to make do with less. Creative details using minimal fabric brought forth some beautiful designs.  Over the years, I  have collected several pieces .

The film noir look of the 1940's was not driven by the latest fashion trends, (unless the scripted character called for it, and that was usually reserved for a femme fatale or a murderous gangster). For the most part noir films were shot in black and white.  However there were a precious  few  shot in color  which have been given the name "sunshine noir".  These stories typically revolve around the average working stiff  who is often driven to corruption by a femme fatale.   Details such as the texture of the fabric, the shadow of a hat, or the slit on the skirt are featured in those films. The overall look is very simple, and even at times quite bleak.

For the captivating pilot script of "Mob City",  I spent one hundred days and nights captivated in the world of  noir.  Long before my official prep time, I began my research and savored this extra time.  The more I read and researched,  the more I was drawn in. The sensuality of the clothes and style began to flow through my veins, and I became addicted .

Since we have not yet aired, I can't reveal any of my designs . But I can show some of my inspiration. Shooting a noir look in color is challenging, as a single wrong hue can throw off the entire look. As a native to Los Angeles I decided to use the iconic Malibu tile as my color board. The beautiful hand painted cuerda seca tiles were frequently used in Spanish style homes throughout the city during the early 20th century.

    A selection of Malibu tile

                                             Examples of modern "Sunshine Noir" films

                   Chinatown with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway

                                  Body Heat with Kathleen Turner

The  design of evening dresses from the 1930's and 1940's  are mysterious and alluring, yet not overly revealing. Noir has a smokey sensuality to it and the clothes highlight that. The slim cut dresses ( bumps and lumps  smoothed out by the proper under garments) glide over the body.  When a woman walks  around in one of these dresses, the fabric moves around her with a graceful fluidity.

While filming our nightclub scenes for Mob City, the men on the set kept commenting how beautiful all the women looked.  Today many of the club dresses are cheap short tight knits that reveal every body flaw a woman can have from back fat and bellies to chubby thighs and knees.  These kind of stretch dresses do nothing to compliment a figure. The dresses of the 1940's were designed to compliment the body.

Then "Femme Fatale*  Veronica Lake     Now- We have looks from The Kardashians and Snooki

Jessica Rabbit -the ultimate femme fatale

*A femme fatale ( /ˌfɛm fəˈtæl/ or /ˌfɛm fəˈtɑːl/; French: [fam fatal]) is a mysterious and seductive woman^[1] whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art. Her ability to entrance and hypnotize her victim with a spell was in the earliest stories seen as being literally supernatural; hence, the femme fatale today is still often described as having a power akin to an enchantress, seductress, vampire, witch, or demon.

 My next Blog: More on the style of Noir

Summer 2012 Fashion+Statement

With nothing pertinent or interesting coming down the runway, I decided to create a Summer 2012 collection of my own. Politics and finances were my inspiration for this collection, incorporating the design of WPA posters from the 1930's and 40's as well as current politics.  During the great depression, there was no welfare or unemployment benefits. The Works Projects Administration or WPA was set up by the government to provide jobs for the the unemployed. New bridges, roads and public art were all created under this program.

For my Summer collection, I chose the prosperous 1960's for the silhouette. A time when the labor unions and the middle class were flourishing but also coupled with war protests. The posters have reverent statements for today and become a wearable social statement bridging the 30s depression to the economy of today. The black and white dress is a statement about our current recession. The writing design reflects the picket sign statements from the Occupy protesters. The bottom of each dress has a shredded sheer flounce, which represents the current broken infrastructure of the U.S. 

The Art of Lingerie on Nude Paintings

Lingerie is always in style and is an important foundation for the well dressed woman. The French and Italians place great importance on beautiful lingerie. Americans tend to invest in generic and functional pieces. For this blog I use lingerie as an art statement and color trend forecast for 2012.

Here are the original nude paintings before their lingerie makeover shown with fashion color boards for 2012.

The model in this painting in the style of Richard Diebenkorn, is wearing a two piece bra and thong set from Rien of France lingerie. The bold lines compliment the clean structural color blocks of the painting. Color blocking is a 2012 fashion trend.

This Lichtenstein nude is now dressed in Agent Provacateur Emenuell black with red lace bra and panty. Chosen for the open lace work, this bra set mimics the print dots used by the artist and the dark red a 2012 fashion color.

A Monica Fallini line sketch of a nude lent itself to Agent Provocateur. Here I chose the Thora Suspender Brief with red topped stockings. The simplicity of the gray brief a trend color, and red stockings kept the purity of the line drawing in tact.

In this Helga Sachse acrylic nude, the see -thru frothy mint bra and panty from the Nina Collection of Simone Perele of France picked up the sheer colors in the painting. Green is a trend color for interiors.

For this nude canvas painted by Amadeo Modigliani, the bra and panty selection from the Explosive Collection of Rien of France lingerie slipped onto the painting as if always there . The cut angles, stripes, and velvet texture played off of the claret color background of the model, a trending color for next season.

Raphael's Three Graces model a selection of La Perla lingerie. It has been said the Graces represent three types of women. From the virgin on the left, to the wiser experienced woman on the right. The overall colors in this classic painting employ shades of the entire 2012 color palette.

http://www.rienlingerie.com/

http://www.simoneperele.com/

http://www.agentprovocateur.com/

Art Wearing Fashion Resort RTW 2012

My reporting of Resort 2012 RTW continues. For this group, I selected classic nude paintings from Raphael, Titian, and Botticelli to model the collections. The focus here is on Venus and Eve. These nubile young women in all their fullness, were considered to be the ideal shape to the Renaissance style and eye.

Using art to model fashion has been a fascinating study into the personalities of these paintings. Like costuming actors for a part, there are several things to consider: the story, figure, color, and background are all things to take into account. Links to the collection websites at the end of this blog.

Raphael's Adam And Eve in Gucci

For Eve, the Gucci purple blouse symbolizes magic, mystery, and good judgment. As the voyeurs of this painting we ask, was it good judgment to seduce Adam with the "apple" ? The story of the bible would have ended here had she not. For the Gucci short and seductive skirt, the color red depicts lust, but also is the color of the delicious apple.

For Adam dressed in a Gucci white sweater and pants, this represents innocence and purity. Poor Adam so naive had no idea what he was getting himself into. I chose to add the Gucci suitcase to the scene because we all know how this story ends. At least Adam and Eve can leave in style.

Women's Gucci

Men's Gucci

Titian's Venus from the painting of Sacred and Profane

dressed in Badgley Mischka

This Badgley Mischka dress in shades of pink, magenta, violet, and red brings forth acceptance, contentment, and calming. It also stimulates love and beauty. Perfect for our model Venus here.

Badgley Mischka

Boticcelli's Venus

in La Perla Coral Bathing suit from Summer

For our Botticelli Venus, the rich color of sea coral compliments this water presentation of her birth from a clam shell. Shown here wearing a La Perla bikini, which is a perfect match for her trim figure with a long pelvic region. The coral-orange color represents curiosity as well as the exploration and adjustment of new things.

Retouching disclaimer here- Venus did ask if we could remove the six pack, give her fuller hips and a minor breast enhancement. She was suspicious Botticelli used a male model (as a stand in for her) while she was out sick for a few days .

Bathing suits from

Beach Bunny, White Sands Australia, and La Perla

Cabonel- Eve after the Fall

in Carolina Herrera

For Eve after her fall from grace, I chose a solid red dress from the Carolina Herrera collection. This deep shade of red depicts blood, but also can represent the negative side temper and anger which God was- when he commanded Adam and Eve out of Eden.

Carolina Herrera

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/2012RST-BMISCHKA

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2012MEN-GUCCI

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/2012RST-GUCCI/

http://www.laperla.com/en-us/

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/2012RST-CHERRERA/