Fashion’s Icon Status

Much has been made recently of whether fashion can be construed as art.

The true answer is within your own eyes, my dears.

The eyes don’t disguise the heart’s sentiments.

Does your heart ask the same question or does it just react to what it is taking in?

While we are having a heart to heart, can I just say that what art is, also varies from art to art and from soul to soul.

Does it matter where art starts and where it ends?

What is clear in this muddle of semantics is that we are all, clearly, romantics - in love with the visual – in one form or another.

What is also clear: given the recent success of McQueen’s Savage Beauty show at the MET (and its planned second coming in London); given that Jean Paul Gaultier took back his words of showing his pieces in a museum by launching a living retrospective in Montreal recently (another show that will be moving on – this one, to Dallas, San Francisco, then Madrid); given the current exhibit at the Museum at FIT, featuring couture and other curiosities from the closet of Ms. Daphne Guinness; what is clear – is our obsession with the ongoing conversation of fashion.

This is an important time in the history of fashion. I’m not talking about revolutionary design – there is some of that – although, which of it filters through the sieve of time to be calculated as actually being revolutionary, it will be interesting to note. The revolution, if you haven’t already been told via tweet, blog, Facebook, txt or carrier pigeon, is because of social media.

We discussed this during Social Media Week Toronto in early 2010 – an annual week of events which I co-organize and co-curate, as part of my other life. In a session I curated, called Having @Style, Social Media and Seismic Shifts in Fashion, Alexandra Palmer, fashion curator at the Royal Ontario Museum talked about the technological shifts that fashion has experienced in history – including groundbreaking ‘apps’ such as the zipper and the button. While the audience looked perplexed as to what these things had to do with social media, I remember thinking that it was only just the beginning.

The fashion industry as we know it, has been completely overhauled with the advent of social media (as it was with the button and the zipper). Or, it is at least, in the process of overhauling, because of social media. It has disrupted, changed, altered-to-fit an otherwise comfortable garment on a straightforward runway. That runway is slippery now, and the heels, along with the stakes, are high.

We have heard of (and are Friends with) designers that would have remained nameless. We have seen style, globalized and Follow that cool kid in Tokyo, along with the luxury label on Bond Street with equal affection – our bonds with both are boundless. We have fashion companies who now need to be media companies. We have media companies that have become fashion empires, and alas, household names from suburbia to the world’s lesser-known fashion capitals. We have millions of new, international fashion enthusiasts – we have consumers of fashion information, not just consumers of fashion products. We have a thousand icons to go with our thousand Followers (who, incidentally, also have icons).

With this consumption habit, there is a new rock star in town: the fashion curator. So, is it any wonder that I will be attending three information ‘rock concerts’ in a span of as many weeks?

The first – is put on by the Museum at FIT in New York, in the form of their annual symposium. This year, the topic is Fashion Icons and Insiders. The agenda includes discussions by The Honorable Daphne Guinness, in conversation with Dr. Valerie Steele, curator at the Museum at FIT. Both women co-curated the current show. Dr. Caroline Weber will discuss fashion icons from Marie Antoinette to Ms. Guinness, and other talks will cover everything from Italian fashion icons to vampire dandies. To me, this is better than being able to sit front row at any current fashion show. I’ll have full coverage of the symposium (which is to be held in early November), after the event.

Ms. Guinness and Dr. Steele strike a pose at the opening reception for the exhibition. Photo by Patrick McMullan.

The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto will also be hosting a talk with Harold Koda, Curator in Charge at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Koda, who has co-written 19 books and organized a dozen exhibitions at the MET will be speaking for the first time in Toronto, on The Arrangement: Fashion and the Art Museum.

Harold Koda

Staying in Toronto, but going Otherworldly, there is a talk at TIFF  by Oscar-nominated costume designer Monique Prudhomme, who will talk about creating costumes that translate elements from contemporary and vintage fashion, alike in The Reality of Fantasy. It’s part of the programming for the Otherworldly: The Art of Canadian Costume Design exhibit at the TIFF Lightbox, which also includes a guided tour by Sylvia Frank, Director of TIFF’s Film Reference Library, who curated the show.

Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, in a costume by Prudhomme.

Curator is a word I have always related to. While it has become a buzzword du jour, it still has meaning for me. I have always respected the work of curators and try to do some of that in this space. I think the role of curators is even more poignant now – to help us decipher the bits, the bytes, the jeggings, the tights, the wrong, the right, the worthy and the slight.

Look for a curation of the ideas presented at these events, in duration, in this fashion playground.

Images (in order): by Patrick McMullan, courtesy of the Museum at FIT; Koda, courtesy of the Bata Shoe Museum; film still, courtesy of Clothes on Film.

Surrounded by McQueen

Quietly last Fall, Alexander McQueen, the brand, introduced a line of rugs and home accessories, in collaboration with The Rug Company.

No stranger to designer collaborations, the UK-based home decor mecca has worked with Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and dozens of artists and designers over the years. They know how to do it right.

This is not fast fashion for your foyer, my dears. This is divine dressing for the den – and beyond.

Being a bit of a McQueen dreamer, I fell head over hummingbirds for these designs.

The collaboration took three years and the results echo the mastery of McQueen and the level of luxe detail The Rug Company is known for. The carpet couturiers even explored new weaving techniques and spun sumptuous yarns to accommodate the genius of McQueen.

The military brocade rug, for example, incorporates golden silk yarn, raised from the wool background – all of which is carved by hand. Look carefully and you can see that the serpent is wrapped in oak leaves and originates from a skull in the centre of the design and is surrounded by wreaths and ferns. The devil – and the divine – is in the details, my dears.

Alexander McQueen military brocade rug: hand-knotted Tibetan wool and raised silk.

It raises your consciousness of what a rug can be, no? The design came from a coat from the FW01 collection.

The coat that inspired the rug, from Fall Winter 2001. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

Going back ten years in time to find these images, I am reminded again of how ahead of his time the man truly was. These would still be stand-out pieces today. His clothes are museum-worthy, aren’t they?

A gold skull "stole" from the FW01 collection.

The “stole” above, looks like another piece of wearable art from McQueen mate Shaun Leane.

Lee was consistent in his depictions and inspirations. The military brocade design appeared ten years later, in what would be his final collection.

The Intarsia wool and silk blend dress from FW10.

Compare them again.

The dress above, is a more wearable interpretation of this glorious caped coat.

The gilded, caped coat - such darkness and light in one garment.

Echoes of the Asian theme still exist, but are intricately woven with western motifs.

McQueen often worked in stark contrasts – light and dark; east and west; modernity and tradition; real and surreal.

The rug in the window of the Milan boutique.

How it could look in your world...

Feathers were another consistent theme for McQueen. They appeared in many forms during his shows over the years – perhaps birds were the inspiration for his frequent flights of fancy.

The hand-knotted Turkish cashmere Feathers rug.

The cashmere yarns used in the rugs were woven to reflect the softness and lightness of the feathers they depict.

The softness and lightness of a feather dress, from the Alexander McQueen SS08 show.

Is it me, or can you feel the softness of that cashmere through these images?

They take you to another world. You are transported.

Getting carried away during Voss, SS01.

Ferocious feathers from FW09.

A bodice for a goddess: from FW09.

McQueen was inspired by birds of prey and lovebirds, alike. I will never forget his hummingbirds, though.

Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company hummingbird cushion, wool and silk aubusson with metallic thread.

The history of the term, aubusson dates back to workshops that originated in 1743 in the villages of Aubusson and Felletin, France. These workshops were established to weave pile carpets for nobility and royal residences. The pile-less tapestry technique previously in use in this district was adapted for so many of the carpets, that the word Aubusson has become synonymous with a flat-woven French tapestry or carpet.

I saw many of these on a visit to the South of France more than a decade ago. I’ll never forget that artisan, nor his stone-walled cave workshop.

Beauty, captured.

The Edgar Allan Poe-try of a dress: FW09 McQueen.

"Reflections of - the way life used to be. Reflection of - the love you took from me."

Alexander McQueen suit from The Birds SS95 - one of his earliest runway shows.

But like I said, it’s the hummingbirds that have me singing a consistent tune.

While the bulk of the collection was launched last October, designs like this one, have only become available recently.

Alexander McQueen hummingbird rug for The Rug Company: hand-knotted cashmere and silk.

I will not lie – I want this rug lying on my floor – and I want to wear this dress lying on top of that rug – if only for the freedom of living in a McQueen dream…

One of my fave McQueen pieces of all time - the hummingbird dress.

McQueen’s designs were always so cerebral – so it was fitting (and it fits so well!) that the man almost single-handedly had the world adorned in skulls.

The rug of skulls: hand-knotted Tibetan wool and silk.

The infamous McQueen skull scarf, copied the world over.

"Rest your head. Don't worry too much."

Golden skull pillow.

Wool aubusson, aussi.

The skulls made a memorable appearance on Ms. Moss.

Kate Moss, being, well, Kate Moss during the SS04 show.

She wore the same dress (and other notable ones from the past) for the May 2011 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

Kate Moss in the May 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar wearing the skull gown.

In that issue, Moss remembers her friend Lee, along with close compatriots Annabelle Neilson and Ms. Guinness. How any of us will ever forget him, I cannot know.

One way to never forget,  is to surround yourself in McQueen’s mastery, any way you can.

The rugs range from $4K to a soaring (think hummingbirds) $72K CAD, while the cushions are between $750 – $1K CAD.  All are available at Avenue  Road, the exclusive distributor for The Rug Company in Canada.

Why limit McQueen’s genius to your closet – when your condo, too can be dressed in couture?

One day that hummingbird rug will reside in my domain. It may not be domani but one day…

Images: All fashion show images courtesy of Style.com except for Intarsia dress which is from Netaporter.com; Harper’s Bazaar image courtesy of TFS; all rug and pillow images courtesy of Avenue Road and Alexander McQueen.

Auntie Viv Goes Royal

Well, she is fashion royalty, after all.

That’s likely why the blue bloods of Royal Ascot asked our dear Auntie Viv, along with magnificent milliner Stephen Jones, to collaborate on a promotional campaign for the regal races.

The gowns are from Westwood’s Gold Label collection and the toppers are all Jones.

Auntie Viv takes a historical view of Ascot fashion, interpreted through her Gold Label collection.

The magical millinery of Stephen Jones.

Let’s face it – while many are watching stallions – many more of us are watching style at Ascot.

Let the games begin on June 14th.

Déjà Vu: Slash This, Copy That

Many years ago, in a land not so far away, two designers went head to head in a controversy over bandages.

The era was the ’80s. The land was Paris. The designers were Azzedine Alaïa and Hervé Léger. The bandages in question were in the form of dresses.

Léger worked for Alaïa (although this isn’t listed in the current bio on the Hervé website) and Alaïa claimed he copied his designs.

I will let you make up your own mind, but I distinctly recall the Tunisian designer, otherwise known as the “King of Cling”, being adored by the Supes.

Supes of the day: Naomi, Christy, Linda, Beverly and more.

I remember Naomi and Yasmin Le Bon in his stretch dresses – and I dreamed of adding one of those numbers to my own closet. I think I bought a clinging skirt in a mushroom tone, only because I saw Christy wearing that dress above. The skirt wasn’t an Alaïa (it would have taken a lot of student work hours to afford one at the time) – so it just wasn’t the same.

Monsieur Alaïa (amongst the Glamazons including Yaz Le Bon and Gail Elliott) is a giant in so many ways.

Well, Monsieur Léger, who created those bandage dresses under his own label in the ’80s to much success, lost control of his company and the right to use his name in the late ’90s. The Hervé Léger website says that the BCBG Max Azria Group bought it in1998 and Léger, who now runs a successful design business under Hervé L. Leroux says it was 1999, according to his own website.

I spotted the Leroux boutique while out for a Parisian stroll in St. Germain de Prés.

The Leroux label specializes in bandage dresses made from jersey, that drape and pleat. Incidentally, I took a photo of the Leroux shop in St. Germain, on a visit to Paris in 2009 and this green dress caught my eye.

The perfect green - it stood out amongst the otherwise black and white windows.

The Léger label, now designed by Max Azria, still specializes in bandage dresses to this day.

I actually came across one of their dresses via The Outnet today and it reminded me of a pair of Alaïa boots I had seen on the same site a few weeks ago. From memory, I thought they were somewhat similar and that I must have gotten the designers confused – both of them surely had to be by the same company.

The boot.

The dress.

When I looked again, I found that the boots are indeed by Alaïa and the dress is Léger.

The Alaïa boot.

The Léger dress.

The Alaïa boot slash.

The Léger dress slash.

It wasn’t until I was trying to find a vintage Alaïa photo for this post, that I realized Niki Taylor is wearing a longer version of the Alaïa slash bandage dress in it! Naomi and Linda also have one on in the original photo above (with actual skin – not skin-tone fabric showing through the slashes).

Niki's Alaïa dress at first glance/slash, back in the '80s.

Talk about a full-circle déjà vu!

Images: Leroux shop photos taken by Yours Truly, Paris, 2009.

Léger Dress and Alaïa Boots from The Outnet; Alaia and models image courtesy of YasminLeBon.net; Elle image courtesy The Fashion Spot.

Electric Avenue

That blue is back again.

You know the one – you wore it years ago, for that pop of colour – back when pop music was heard on the spirit of radio?

I opted for electric blue when fluorescent colours were all the rage back then. It was under the radar, over ultra-glow, neon yellows, pinks, oranges and greens. I had electric blue socks and an over-sized, handknit mohair cardi in the same hue. I always wore it with black.

Call it brilliant blue, electric blue, cerulean, azure or phthalo -  it’s back with a vibrant vengeance.

I’ve been collecting these images for several seasons now. At first, there were random outbursts of colour…but collections for Spring and Fall 2011 are saturated in blue notes – from couture to common, everyday fashion.

These are not your mother’s blues, my dears. These are make-an-entrance, knock-em-dead outfits that will have reds blushing.

Pimp and Circums-dance: Gucci's decked out '70s disco ladies for FW11. Love the deep red, glossy lip as a contrast to the blue - a new view for my eyes.

Look what the wind blue in – can you imagine these next two on a breezy day? (Note, I didn’t say windy – a subtle breeze is all we want.)

You'd be nothing short of electrifying in this pant/gown combination from Stéphane Rolland, from his Fall 2010 Couture collection. Je need.

Fringin' Fabulous: Emily Blunt, wearing Tom Ford SS11 in the January 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar UK.

Or you can create your own movement and express yourself…

Debbie Harry spins circles in electric blue in Blondie's Call Me video, 1980.

…the Expressionists certainly did.

Five Women in the Street by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1913.

This Christian Siriano ruffled dress from FW10 belongs in a painting, no?

Whether in a painting or at a dance, these rich shades and fabrics will have you panting for more.

1950s dance dress from Shrimpton Couture - you make me feel like dancing, I wanna dance the night away...

The shades from season to season vary slightly, but there is a boldness in each blue.

What a tangled blue web we weave - Gaultier Spring 2010 Couture.

Mabille showed a split personality for his Spring 2010 Couture show - part of which was blue.

I was obsessed with phthalo blue in my art school years – it had a depth and transparency all at once. Currently, I am obsessed with this gorgeous gown from Bibhu Mohapatra, which to me, exhibits the same qualities – it’s just frothy enough and yet solid in that impeccable neckline and romantic in that empire waistline. I would love to wear this to an art opening, to bring the phthalo full circle.

Frothy, without the frou at Bibhu Mohapatra, SS11.

Even if it’s a darker blue like navy or midnight, it’s a change from the LBD for evening.

Sweetheart, I'm yours - Armani Cruise 2011.

Wayne Clark - a true blue Canadian couturier - did this perfect layered dress in the '80s. This one is sold on Shrimpton Couture - sorry darlings.

It’s also a great way to add a little flair to your day.

Blue-accented grey, tailored glen plaid gets a soft, billowy blue jacket at Pringle, FW11.

The opposite sich at Stella SS10 - a crisp jacket covers looser pants.

I love how the suit has returned, but in what I call Suit 2.0 – the more social, interactive suit – it allows a girl to move. This shade will also make you stand out in the corporate hierarchy.

Slant twist on a classic blue suit at Costume National SS11.

And quite frankly, also at fashion fêtes the world over – because everyone else will be wearing buh-lack.

It looks just as great in "real life" - front-row-seaters Stafania Rocca and Fabio Novembre at the Costume show.

Imagine this on a dreary and rainy day.

Military or Mod? A coat from the Burberry FW10 show.

In this Rachel Roy, you can slink just about anywhere…but might need your own soundtrack to accompany you.

Rachel Roy shows how sexy a suit can be - from her SS10 collection.

You can toy with your multiple personalities.

Viktor and Rolf - always playing around with how to present their clothes. This suit comes in life-size versions, aussi.

The men can play this game, too.

A colour-blocked coat at Dries Menswear FW11.

Jonathan Saunders had a similar thought - only he was seeing double blue for FW11.

Flirt with as much – or as little colour as you can handle. And be sure to coordinate it with your landscape du jour.

I loved this image by Garance Doré, taken on Ipanema Beach last summer – the play of sunlight, the Louboutin sole against the patent blue, against the straw and sand.

It perfectly captures the energy of Rio as I imagine it to be.  “Tall and tan and young and lovely…the girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes, each one she passes goes Ahhhhh…”

They know how to do colour on Ipanema Beach. Not sure which I love more in this photo by Garance Doré.

You might have to change your tune and give a nod to Mod with these on.

1960s Carnaby Street strutters, according to Pierre Cardin - part of the Bata Shoe Museum collection. I photographed these on a visit last Spring.

And really, could a post like this be complete without a couple of pairs of Blue Suede Shoes?

Strapped and ready to stroll. Hermès SS10 sandals.

Punk prancers by YSL for FW10.

My head is now exploding with musical references from punk days (mohawk heels, anyone?) to the glitz and groove of glam rock. Perfect boots to Do the Strand in?

These Givenchy Spring 2010 Couture boots are not only glam, they are glam rock, baby.

These had me taking steps a few hundred years back.

Velvet crush: Alberta Ferretti goes medieval mod for FW11.

If you can’t walk a mile in those shoes, perhaps you can add a not so subtle bauble to your otherwise neutral ensemble?

This Rado Blue Fascination Jubilé timekeeper has an 18K gold bracelet with 206 diamonds, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face and hi-tech ceramic bracelet. Did your heart just skip a beat or few? It will set you back a cool 40K at Birks.

Oh, and let me borrow it? My cost per wear would be sky-high, since I only dabble in colour on occasion.

Keep Feeling Fascination: Rado's Blue Fascination watch.

So, really, this colour has you covered.

Peek-a-blue: I see you. JPG Spring 2010 Couture millinery at its finest.

It may be a cool tone, but its intensity will have you energized.

Clearly, I am taken with this Gucci topper - I'll add it to the list.

The trick to looking chic: a turquoise Treacy. Top marks.

It will leave you – electrified.

We're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue. Armani Privé Spring 2011.

I’ll have the remaining blue-hued images for you in part deux (yes, there are more if you can believe it).

Image Sources: 1. Vogue.com; 2. Elle.com; 3. Harper’s Bazaar UK; 4. You Tube; 5. Stegosauro; 6. NY Post; 7. Shrimpton Couture; 8, 9. Style.com; 10. Courtesy of Bibhu Mohapatra; 11. Style.com; 12. Shrimpton Couture; 13. Vogue.com; 14. WWD; 15. Elle.com; 16.  Courtesy of Costume National; 17. Getty Images; 18. Style.com; 19. Courtesy of Viktor and Rolf; 20. Style.com; 21. Vogue.com; 22. Garance Dore; 23. Pierre Cardin Shoes at the Bata photographed by Me; 24-26 Style.com; 27. Vogue.com; 28. Courtesy of Rado; 29. Style.com; 30. Vogue.com; 31. Luxury Emporium; 32. Vogue.com.

Now That’s Couture!

Dior Haute Couture made me scream those words out loud: “Now thaaaat’s coutuuuuure!”

Inspired by the wonderful, whimsical and other-worldly illustration of Rene Gruau, John Galliano put on a jaw-dropping parade of beauty.

Just a couple of teasers for now…with much more sumptuous detail to come…

Talk about striking (!) a pose. Galliano had me at the red lips!

Rene Gruau's La Toque Rouge

My favvvvvourite red. Delicious.

Images courtesy of Style.com and Artnet.

Rolling Through Rajkot

The Star of India, as seen in Rajkot, 75+ years ago.

The Star of India.

That’s how they Rolled in Rajkot.

The Royce was the choice for a regal’s roadster.

Western luxury was no match for the cash and cachet of the courtly cluster.

If it wasn’t a bespoke RR, it wasn’t up to Maharaja muster.

‘Tis true, my dears. Those maharajas loved their motor vehicles, namely Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

One of them – named after a rather large, 563-carat star sapphire – is currently on display at the AGO for the Maharaja exhibition, opening to the public on November 20th. I got a sneak preview of the car a few days prior to attending last night’s launch gala.

The Star of India, a Phantom II Rolls-Royce, is currently the Star of Toronto.

Shine on - what looks like pure silver is actually aluminum with a silver patina.

The Star of India, the second most expensive car in the world, recently sold at auction for €644K. In a coup not managed by the regal V&A Museum at the start of this safar of splendour known as the Maharaja exhibition, the AGO secured a prestigious, albeit temporary, parking spot for it inside the Gehry-fied gallery walls.

The car, belonging to His Highness Dharmendrasinhji Lakhajiraj, the Thakore Sahib of Rajkot, has moving headlights controlled by the steering wheel – unheard of at the time of its creation in 1934. It also has two small lights that flashed orange (naturally, to match), indicating that the road should be cleared for its royal passenger.

It is an all-weather convertible (another new concept at the time), with a retractable roof. The coachwork was made by Thrupp & Maberly.

But surely, no rain fell on those regals - and their bejewelled turbans!

Customized vehicles were de rigueur for these drivers and their lifestyles, which in many cases included a day or few out hunting. The Maharaja of Nandagoon opted for a steering wheel made of elephant tusks, while the Maharaja of Bharatpur outfitted his for tiger hunting – complete with searchlights and running boards for the hunters.

The ultimate luxury, at a cost to us all. Sacrilege. The Maharaja of Narsingarh.

1919 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, owned by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, of Patiala.

Everyone's favourite Maharaja - Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Be-dazzling, no?

Said Maharaja of Patiala in his RR Silver Ghost

As an aside, the Maharaja of Patiala didn’t have a Rolls or two – he had a fleet! Being such a loyal customer, he was given first choice of the Rolls-Royce Twenty when it was introduced. Like a box of chocolates (or ras gullas) you can never have just one.

Part of his colourful history includes a falling out with Rolls-Royce in the 1930s, when they wouldn’t accept any more orders from him.  He then commanded his entire fleet of RRs to haul garbage in Patiala City. The company finally relented to prevent their brand from ahem, being soiled. I wonder if HRH used them after they were cleaned?

One of my style icons, Gayatri Devi with her Maharaja + motor vehicle.

For this Rolls, the Maharaja of Rajkot, wanted the colour to be saffron ochre, a symbol of purity. He was replacing the 20-year old, 1909 Barker-bodied Silver Ghost open-drive landaulet inherited from his father. Personally, I think it looks more haldi (turmeric), but then again, who am I to question the majestic set?

His grandson Mandhatasinhji Jadeja, was quoted as saying, “It was specially done as this colour was not in vogue.”

Not in vogue, as yet, perhaps. The maharajas started many a trend. The biggest? The commissioning of luxury items from the West, including companies such as Louis Vuitton, Boucheron, Cartier…

It may not have been in vogue at the time, but I am guessing it started a trend. Love the saffron rim accents.

Other features include an ochre leather interior, a dashboard marbled with saffron paste (delicious) and a Rajkot family crest on the doors along with the motto Dharmi praja raja, meaning “an impartial ruler of men of all faiths.”

The Rajkot emblem - because the RR hood ornament wasn't enough.

The car, which was put up for auction earlier this year, by German collector Hans-Gunther Zach was purchased by the Maharaja’s family. Jadega indicated, “This car has high nostalgic value for us. Our family used this car during marriages and hunting expeditions. It has great heritage value and today it is not just the star of Rajkot but the country.”

The Rolls will finally return to the Motherland, originally leaving Rajkot in 1965 and travelling throughout Europe, once the exhibition concludes in April, 2011. Be sure to see it before it jets off, back to the Jadegas.

From a regal past to a colourful present - history on wheels.

I’ll have full fashion coverage of the gala for you in the coming days. I’m happy to say the word gala was taken literally this time when it came to dress code. There were turbans, true gems and the toss of many a sari palloo…

In the meantime, read past posts about maharajas and maharanis.

With files from RM Auctions and Haema Sivanessan, Special Project Assistant at the AGO. Historic images courtesy of (in order): World Amazing Records, Nitroexpress.com, How Stuff Works, Wikipedia, Rediff and indiannetzone.com.

All AGO photos by Yours Truly. And the Rajkot Rhyme? It’s all mine.

God(dess) Save(d) McQueen

You undoubtedly heard a week or two ago that Isabella Blow’s wardrobe was to be auctioned off by Christie’s in Fall, 2010.

Isabella Blow by Miguel Reveriego

Well, the couture collectibles have been saved from the grabbing hands and bought by one Ms. Daphne Guinness, in a private sale.

Everyone's fave fairy goth mother, DG does good - seen here wearing Treacy in Vogue Italia.

She bought the whole lot!

You could say the Guinness goddess saved McQueen…and Treacy…and beyond.

There are over 90 McQueen masterpieces, custom millinery by Philip Treacy and a smattering of designers like Galliano and Manolo.

Isabella with McQueen in early days. She famously bought his CSM grad collection.

Camping it up with the fashion set, Blow with Hedi Slimane and Philip Treacy, wearing one of his transformational toppers.

Lee and Issy in happier times.

I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the creations were in good hands.

“Like any artist, it should not be dispersed, but remain as a monument with people having access to it,” said Ms. Guinness, speaking to the New York Times.

I look forward to a future exhibit of the works. I am sure Valerie Steele is on the case as well!

Photos: Blow by Miguel Reveriego, Daphne G wearing Treacy in Vogue Italia, Slimane, Treacy image courtesy of the New York Times, both Lee and Issy images courtesy of the Telegraph UK.

Modern Maharajah

If we can have modern matajis and Mediterranean maharanis, then why not modern maharajahs?

Burberry menswear for Fall 2010 was about the New Model Army, referencing military traditions from a bygone era.

There were a couple of pieces by Christopher Bailey that echoed the great rulers of the Mughal era and beyond.

The modern-day mogul marches on @ Burberry FW10.

An epaulet of buttons! Ingenious.

Embellishment went beyond the epaulets for the Maharajah of Gondal and H.H. Maharajah Jagatjit Singh and his entourage.

Maharajah Thakore Shri Sir Bhagwant Singhji Sagramji Sahib Bahadur, 1911

H.H. Maharajah Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala, with his courtiers.

Regal rockstar @ Burberry FW10.

The boots say combat at Burberry, but like the uniforms of the regal rulers in the Motherland’s history, the coat is strictly ceremonial.

Shri Sir Nripendra Narayan, Maharaja of Cooch Behar 1902

Like Wonder Woman's power bracelets!

Raja Ravi Varma's painting of Maharajah Syajirao

These clothes are not practical for battle, unless that battle is the 9-5 one in the urban jungle.

We wouldn’t want to get any grime on the gild, now would we?

Burberry photos courtesy of Fashionising. Maharajah pics are from here, here, here and here.

Gothenticity 2

When we last left our exploration of Gothenticity, we were speaking of the Victorians and their musings over dark, albeit ladylike duds.

Black Eyed Suzie doll by Sarah Faber

That Victorian influence is still evident today in dresses like the one by Olivier Theyskens in the last post or this one by goth guy, Lee McQueen.

The sweeping gown is still there but paired with leather sky-high boots.

The jet jewels remain but the influence is Indian – which is particularly clever of McQueen to make reference to.

McQueen's mod goth goddess for FW08

You see, the British Raj of India had begun in 1858, so there was travel and trade going on between the countries at the time.

Mira Nair makes many visual mentions of this in Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon (who incidentally, has worn lots of stuff by Olivier and McQueen – in fashion’s six degrees of separation).

Passion and practicality amongst the pashminas in Mira Nair's take on Vanity Fair.

That was the latter half of the 19th Century.

Goth glamour saw a major revival in the very late 1970s and early ’80s – again, in the birthplace of cool – England.

Bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure (whose lead singer was also a member of the Banshees in the early days), The Damned, the Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus embraced this love of all things dark.

They wore black (not new by any means) and had crazy hair, taking points (no pun intended) from the King’s Road punk kids that preceded them by a year or two.

Dear prudence, won't you come out to play? Siouxsie Sioux in all of her gothentic glory.

Siouxsie Sioux is still one of the strongest, most original women in music as far as I’m concerned. She epitomized glam as we knew it then – well before I was versed in the couture or courtly definitions of it.

Her make-up was flawless and we all wanted that hair, that presence. It’s because of women like her that today’s pop tarts can even imagine a musical and pop-cultural career. Siouxsie Sioux is gothentic – she was then and is now.

Authentic isn’t a word you use very often these days when referring to music or fashion.

And the man that started a musical revolution without even knowing it (not to mention the countless boys and girls walking around with smudged red lipstick) is Robert Smith. His look was usually simple back then: all black, big hair, pointy shoes, black eyeliner with a few variations here and there.

Robert Smith: Dressing up to be all this.

I remember being in a car as we pulled into the parking lot for a Cure concert I attended. The line-up had one running silhouette: trench coat, skinny pants, pointy, exaggerated shoes and big, big, spiky hair. The colour story of that line was all black, of course. That was the power of Smith’s fashion influence.

When he switched to a white shirt, we gasped and shuddered, but wore one ourselves nonetheless. When that white shirt became a polo shirt and the hair got cut, we almost defected, our eyeliner running from the tears… But then, Robert went back to being Robert and we breathed a sigh of relief.

With all of the 1980s influences in fashion of late, it wasn’t a surprise when leather, black and a motorcyle jacket appeared on Even Biddell’s runway. I loved its pairing with a flowy skirt – it made for a striking contrast.

Evan Biddell's FW09 runway. Photo by Angela Y. Martin.

Evan B's modern goth rock chick for SS10. Photo by Angela Y. Martin.

Biddell isn’t the only one with an obvious love of the dark. Gareth Pugh is all over it and I particularly love Todd Lynn’s lanky ladies lurking down the runway.

Lynn's tall, dark and then-some look for FW09. Je want.

What is it with Canadians and our goth obsession? Hmmm…

I remember stumbling into another great Canadian designer’s store for the first time in 1984…Pam Chorley’s Fashion Crimes boutique. It was a magical wonderland, chock full of feathers and other finery. Wherever you looked, it was a visual smorgasbord. And when I say chock full – I mean packed to the ceiling and every nook covered in a thousand accessories.

The boutique moved across the street, to a much larger (and brighter!) location and is still an integral part of Queen West today. I’m still glad I have the original in my fashion memory. I won’t give away my silk, American penny button blouse bought there ages ago, out of sheer nostalgia. I also have great new pieces bought on a recent summertime stroll.

Accessories by Fashion Crimes, Toronto.

So, imagine my delight when I attended the Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition at FIT in NYC a couple of years ago, with B. Valerie Steele did the period such divine justice with the exhibit and in her excellent book by the same name.

Now there’s a conversation I’d love to get lost in – a dinner with Ms. Steele on the topic of gothic fashion. I’ll add it to my list of couture dreams, I suppose.

The cover of Valerie Steele's excellent tome on the topic.

One of the dresses from the exhibition: Ricardo Tischi's goth gown for Givenchy Haute Couture, FW06.

Another look from the ex: McQueen's crossed and ruffled gown from FW07

So whether it’s the rustle of a ruffle that rocks your world…

Chanel Couture FW09

…or you like a dash more drama…

Ann Demeulemeester FW09

…gothenticity can be had from head…

J Smith Esquire top hat, as seen in the exhibition, Gothic: Dark Glamour.

…to toe.

Givenchy Couture FW09

In the next part of the series, we’ll discuss goth goddesses du jour.

Image sources: Black Eyed Suzie, McQueen FW08, Todd Lynn, Chanel, Ann D, Givenchy Couture looks  from Style.com, Vanity Fair film still, Siouxsie, Robert, Evan Bidell runway photos courtesy of Angela Martin Photography, Gothic: Dark Glam cover and fashion photos courtesy of FIT Museum, Fashion Crimes blog.

Gothenticity

Gothic. The word meant many things to the people of many different eras.

There was the Gothicke language spoken by the Germanic tribes of Goths, Visigoths and Ostrogoths, which generally wreaked havoc on much of Europe during the 3rd to 5th Centuries.

An example of gothic script.

A modern take on gothic script, courtesy of the Contemporary Art Society.

Thus, one of the current meanings of the word, according to the OED is “barbarous, rude, uncouth, unpolished, in bad taste.”

Footwear in bad taste? What the early Goths wore on their feet, as displayed at the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto. Ouch.

What some of us girls with a bit of Goth still in them wear nowadays. My ladylike cockroach killer slings by Les Tropiziennes - what I happened to be wearing when I visited the Bata.

Bad taste is what those living in Renaissance times attributed to gothic architecture, which was the style from the 12th to 16th Centuries. Funny thing is the architecture was not made by the earlier mentioned Goths. It got its name because it too was considered rude and barbaric.

Brunelleschi and other Renaissance men didn’t care for flying buttresses and pointed arches, favouring barrel vaults and classic columns instead.

Gothic architecture in well, a very gothic setting. Image by fotofil.

Snooty opinions aside, the crude architecture experienced a revival in 18th Century England. In the mid ’1700s, it became quite fashionable to have your personal home and castle rebuilt in the gothic style.

Shortly afterwards, Horace Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto and started the era of gothic fiction – a style of writing that was picked up by the Victorians, including writers like the Brontë sisters and Mary Shelley, who penned Frankenstein.

Frankenstein, the movie version.

Mr. McQueen's modern Frank for Fall 09?

This fascination with the dark and gloomy naturally transcended into the fashion of the day.

Victorian mourning dress, 1880s.

Victorian girl drawing by Megan Balanck

The silhouette consisted of a fitted bodice with full, structured skirt. The bodice was often buttoned and tailored for daywear, while evening dresses had lace, bead and jet detailing.

Hats or other hair accoutrements and gloves were de rigueur. Gothic fashion inspiration was one thing, but the Victorians were nothing if not, ladylike.

Painting of a well-to-do Victorian.

You could say the devil was in the details for these Gothicistas. The romanticism of Victorian goth goddesses continues to inspire today’s designers.

Jet neck collar by Louise Black

This beautiful jet neck collar by Louise Black is available at Shrimpton Couture. Wouldn’t it be divine with just about anything? However, the exquisite cape by RSVP now resides in a closet other than ours, my dears.

Couture lace and pearl cape by RSVP.

The lace-up boot was a staple in the wardrobes of these women – usually mid-calf height with a slightly rounded and elongated toe and a curvy heel. Alexander McQueen, who often pays homage to this period of fashion, did a fantastic version for his Fall, 2006 collection. His version included laces, buckles, ruffles and a stiletto heel – always OTT, our Lee.

I have a bit more than a passing affection for this type of boot (look for this in an upcoming post).

The Victorian laced boot as reinterpreted by Alexander McQueen, Fall 2006.

Romance reigned for these women – you pictured them walking amongst rain-soaked forests in their grand gowns.

Just hanging in A Forest with my silks. Doesn't everyone?

Kirsten Dunst wearing Rochas at the Oscars in 2007.

It was all a flight of fancy, this ode to darkness back then. But as the multiple appearances of Edgar Allan Poe’s raven on Olivier Theyskens’ dress for Rochas attests, we are still in love with the romance of Gothicism.

The next post in the Gothenticity series will reflect more modern influences… [Update Jan 4th - read Gothenticity: Part 2.]

Image sources: script, modern script, architecture, Frankenstein, McQueen menswear, Victorian mourning dress, Megan Balanck drawing, High Society book cover, Shrimpton Couture necklace and cape, McQueen boots, purple dress painting, Rochas dress.

Gothic footwear shots taken at the Bata Museum, by moi. [Be a dear and provide a credit and link-back if you use them?].