The Allure of Couture - McQueen for Givenchy

McQueen for Givenchy, Autumn/Winter 1999.

In my youth, I wanted to be a Fashion Designer.  But I realized in time that it was a hard road to travel, filled with vampires and monsters that would bleed you dry and tear you to ribbons, leaving little guarantee of your dream becoming a reality.  In my eyes, a Fashion Designer needs to be a genius, straddling time and space, giving an audience what they crave, what they can not have, and what they hate.  In a way, it's a quest for immortality; your art, ideas and craft all having the potential to be preserved in any number of ways for generations to come.  I don't think I could ever be all of those things, or, depending on whom you ask, any of those things.

As an Interior Designer, I look to Fashion, with a capitol 'F', for inspiration, because nothing else continually reinvents itself with an almost manic need for currency, and little else is as close to the human condition as what we choose to armor ourselves in.  Among the pantheon of image makers, few inspire me more that McQueen, with his use of color, drama, sensuality, and history. 

A gold coin gown with belted fur stole.

Image of the presentation.

Kate Moss in McQueen's Givenchy.

I remember seeing this collection, which will come at the end of this ramble, when it was presented on a network television special hosted by Isabella Rossellini.  The title remains a blurred memory for me, but the purpose of the hour long program was to show the American audience the power, art, and history of Haute Couture in Paris. 

America has always been the home of Sportswear purchased from Department Stores, while Paris has been the proud home of Haute Couture and the Designers Atelier.  These worlds on opposite ends of the ocean couldn't be further apart in theory or execution.  Mass production versus hand craft, thousands of options in multiple sizes versus one piece of art made just for you.  It's a dichotomy that seems to call into question the exact benefits of democracy in fashion; it's great to have a level playing field, but do we really like to look like our neighbor?  Wouldn't we rather wear a bold plumage that is exclusively ours? 

A McQueen for Givenchy Haute Couture emsemble
as seen in InStyle Magazine.

When this program aired, the exclusive world of Couture was shrinking, much like it is today (recently, Valentino retired, LaCroix closed his house), but new blood was also being brought into the old houses.  McQueen took the reigns of Givenchy (with what I think were staggering results), and John Galliano took over Dior from Gianfranco Ferre.  Of course we know the tragic end of McQueen's tale, and the scandalous end of Galliano's, but we can't deny the artistry and legends that were created.

So, here is a three part video presentation of McQueen's collection for Givenchy Haute Couture for Autumn/Winter 1999, courtesy of the wonderful world of Youtube, to enjoy this first Sunday of October.  It's a wonderful use of a free half hour.

McQueen's reinterpretation of the past is amazing (part Tudor Court, part Knights of the Crusades, part Scottish Highlander, part Dandy), his textiles and tailoring jaw dropping, and his presentation concept is nothing short of genius.  Side stepping the traditional use of live models, he creates awe and drama with static mannequins that rise and descend through trap doors, their heads glowing like stars in the darkness until the lights come up, revealing the sort of decadent wares that built empires and made histories. 

- Ian  

Going Down to Chinatown : Ralph Lauren

The back of a an evening jacket done as a shawl collard
robe embroidered with Chinese motifs.  Detail, for me, is
everything.  This piece alone is worth not eating for a month.

As you know, I love a lot of things; my list is quite expansive and somewhat enviable.  One of the things that constantly gets my motor running is Chinoiserie; the West's interpretation of Chinese design as decorative elements.  Simplicity and opulence are hard notes to strike in tandem, but to me, that's Chinoiserie.  Imagine how tittered I became when I saw that for Fall 2011, Ralph Lauren showed a heavy dose of Chinoise with his Deco inspired collection.  As always, his sleek menswear inspired suiting and stunning frocks were present, but they were tempered with a nod to a different era ripe with streamlined elegance and exotic dreams of far away lands.  Have a look for yourself.

- Ian
 

Elegant simplicity in jade with a
plunging neckline.

 

The tiny bag done in calf hair with
carved stone embellishment.



 

Classic men's suiting for trousers with a cropped jacket.
I love the drama of the portrait collar and the femininity of
the charmeuse blouse underneath.



I was crazy for this look for one big reason,
the fur trimmed vest over the tweed jacket.
So unexpected and dramatic.



That beautiful embroidery just adds another
layer of texture and dimension.  And
I love the carved pendants too!



Is it wrong to want this printed dinner jacket to be made for men?
It makes me want to host an eclectic dinner party where
I bring guests back from the dead for one night of rousing conversation.

I'm crazy for this Bordeaux color, and
Laurens limited palette in general. 
The wholecollection was
as much about texture
as it was color.

Bordeaux again, fur trimmed. 
I'm a sucker for velvet,
and the silk variety plays
with light like no other. 

Lauren has started a line of semi-precious jewelry to compliment his
seasonal collections.  I love the organic simplicity of the Chinese
ornaments and the way they have been scaled to become these
showstopping earrings punctuated by faceted jet drops.

The sleeve of a one shouldered dress embellished with dragon embroidery.
So beautifully rendered and so thoughtful to create a Dolman sleeve so
the image would be uninterrupted.

A gown with a minimalist simplicity that transcends centuries and
remains ageless.



The illusion panel of a cocktail dress shows off sensuous
Asian embroidery.



Louis Vuitton and L' Art Nouveau

An image from Vuitton's Fall Winter 2011
campaign.  Red Guard goes S&M, with lovely
accessories.

 Sometimes, it's hard to imagine that there really was, at one time, a man named Louis Vuitton.  In the era we live in, luxury fashion houses are owned by multi-national conglomerates who sometimes change designers as frequently as they change color stories; seeking to steal the limelight for a few seconds more to gain just that little bit of extra publicity.  With this m.o., many brands have lost the identities of those who founded them in favor of a more flashy and faddish existence. 

Of course, Vuitton hit pay dirt by employing Marc Jacobs to reinvent the classic motifs and silhouettes of the house for a new generation of consumers, but as with most things, we tend to focus on the current incarnation and willingly let the foundation of the past fade into a foggy memory.  We are left with the salable superficial beauty of the modern age, but we have no idea of the path we traveled to arrive at our destination.  True identity is often lost, in it's place a few epithets and a coveted logo that make up nothing more than a designer headstone in a grave yard of sentimentality.

The exterior of the Vuitton home shows an eclectic mix of
modest profiles and elaborate ornament indicative of the
Art Nouveau movement.

One thing, however, remains constant when it comes to discovering the true character of anyone; the home.  Nowhere else can we see the exquisite beauty of everyday life so well.  All that is human is on display for all to see in the sacred inner workings of the home.  Case in point, Villa Vuitton in Asnieres, just outside Paris.  The family home of the Vuitton's couldn't be further from the homogenized glossy commercial model of the Louis Vuitton boutiques that populate the up market shopping districts throughout the world, and that's an incredibly beautiful thing.


In 1859, Louis Vuitton purchased a plot of land just over an acre in size in the riverside village that was once the haunt of Monet, Manet, and many of the Impressionist painters during the 19th Century.  Vuitton would build a factory on the site, which would remain the companies sole production facility until 1977.  The whir of sewing machines and the sight of delivery trucks bearing freshly milled timber and leather for luggage would be commonplace.  The facility is still in use today, producing Vuitton's trunks, case goods and custom orders.

The Vuitton home has as much Art
Nouveau decoration on the outside
as it does on the inside.

 Vuitton also chose this plot of land to build his family home, which was occupied by his descendants until 1964.  The Villa dates to 1869; previously Vuitton and his wife Emilie occupied an apartment on the top floor of the factory.  Never one for overwrought extravagances, Vuitton aimed to build a dwelling that was 'homely and comfortable' where he could raise his family and also supervise production at the factory next door.  The modest aspirations for his home were just as well; during the Franco-Prussian War, army officers temporarily took over the Villa.


Vuitton's son, Georges, had a different idea for the design of the home.  After his fathers death in 1892, Georges called on Louis Majorelle to redecorate the Billiard Room and Salon in the most luxurious and up to date style, Art Nouveau.  A style truly fit for a luxury brand of that era and the family that built it.   Majorelle, along with Louis Comfort Tiffany, Rene Lalique and Emile Galle, was one of the leading proponents of the Art Nouveau style which dominated the Decorative Arts from the 1890's through the early 1900's.  It is this incarnation of the Vuitton home that is still seen today.  The home is dramatic and beautiful; compelling with it's intricate leaded glass windows, soft ethereal colors and incredibly ornate plasterwork, but for all of its jaw-dropping qualities, it is seen not as a show piece or a museum, but a living home, designed with comfort and family in mind.

A view into the Billiard Room with beautiful cove ceilings and stunning
leaded glass windows.  I am in love with those understated but dramatic
pendant fixtures above the pool table. 

The characteristic sweeping whiplash curves and fantastic organic motifs fill the space with an almost dream-like effect.  The leaded glass windows and interior are decorated with motifs that incorporate irises, poppies, nasturtiums, chrysanthemums, and clematis.  Columns are formed from florid leaves and flowers, and ceilings are ornamented with delicate tendrils of hand sculpted plaster.  The kitchen, also done during this time, is said to have had handmade tiles bearing the famous LV monogram, which was designed by Georges in 1897.  Georges' widow, Josephine, was the last Vuitton to live in the family home.  After her death at the age of 103, the house was gutted and converted to storage space and offices and the original furnishings dispersed among the family.


An alcove off the Salon is defined by the intricately carved columns and is filled
with eclectic furnishings such as the Beaux Arts settee, mahogany table and a bronze Crane.



A bay off the Salon houses a circa 1900 English cane furniture suite and
majolica style planters. The leaded window panes are dynamic with their
pencil thin whiplash curves and borders of leaded glass flowers.

A most exquisite chandelier of gilded bronze
and frosted glass leaves springs down from a whorl
of plasterwork tendrils on the Salon ceiling.
Matching sconces can be seen flanking the fireplace.

 In 1984, a decision was made to renovate the Villa and turn it into a museum chronicling the development of the Vuitton brand.  The Billiard and Salon were reconstructed through the use of old photos.  Plaster friezes and moldings in floral forms were remade, and a copy of the immense turquoise ceramic mantelpiece was installed.  Furnishing, purchased at auction, were selected to recreate the spirit of the original Art Nouveau interior; Louis XV bergeres, Beaux Arts settees, mother of pearl inlaid Chinese tables, Majorelle lamps, bronze sculptures, art pottery planters, and oriental carpets contribute to the eclectic, exotic, and sensual feeling that Art Nouveau is known for.

The Villa Vuitton stands as an emblem of the company's origins; a modest family home built by a proud patriarch and entrepreneur, then embellished by the heir apparent as the company grew.  Beyond the established brand image, the home is more than just a status symbol, it is the people that make it a home.  It's slamming doors and creaking floors and cracks in the plaster.  A home tells volumes about it's family, all we have to do is be ready to observe and listen.

- Ian

Hand painted details add charm to the entire room,
as this fragment of a white Lily frieze indicates.
I'm also smitten with the elegance and simplicity of
the egg shaped brass knob.  Given the exuberance of the
interior, this detail is restraint at its best.

The stunning turquoise ceramic mantelpiece was
recreated and installed.  Note the marvelous upward
sweep of the wainscot panels and the shield shape
of the mirror.  Epic drama on a residential scale.
And look at the art pottery hearth!  J'adore!

Dorothy Draper, Off the Collar.

The Draper Necklace at Mizrahi's F/W 2011
show.  I'm also smitten with the dyed to match
pooch.  No need to dig out the lint roller!

I eagerly anticipated the departure of Isaac Mizrahi from the realm of Target.  He was far too good for the likes of mass marketing.  True, it gave him the opportunity to dress a broad spectrum of women and give style to any income bracket, but it was heartbreaking to see a wonderful design executed in a lack luster fashion via poor craftsmanship and sleazy fabric.

Since departing the land of the red bulls eye, Isaac has returned stronger than ever over the past few seasons with incredible designs that are undeniably fresh, making the traumatic plug pulling by parent company Chanel so many years ago seem like a case of drastic short sighted decision making.  Case in point his witty, irreverent, and inspired homage to decorator Dorothy Draper, rendered in white enamel and rhodium. 

Part of his Fall 2011 collection, the Baroque collar (which also has matching earrings that I haven't found yet but they can be seen on the last photo of this entry), provides a graphic and delicate foil to his bold swaths of exuberant intense color, a Mizrahi signature, and his sculptural and voluminous silhouettes of the season.  

The Draper Necklace is available at Saks
and http://www.saks.com/ for $880.00.

The Draper necklace, as it is called, looks to be inspired by Drapers work in the 1940's for the Palace Quitandinha, in Brazil.  At least it does to me.  The dangling shell, the central lattice cartouche, and the scrolling volutes all appear in her designs executed in white plaster and wrought iron and carved stone throughout the resort.  The necklace is also done in bright white, another Draper hallmark. 

These calling cards are not found solely in her work in Brazil; Drapers penchant for the Baroque and her desire to render everything over scale (I often refer to it as 'bombastic') can be seen in every installation she has ever done.  Subtle and nuanced were not in her vocabulary.  Draper was a full on assault of the most decorative kind. 

I am sure this piece will fly off the shelves, especially with so many decorators out their (many of whom I went to school with) pledging their allegiance to the United States of Draper.  While this trinket won't give them any more talent or skill, it will at least help them keep Draper close to their hearts.  And as for Isaac, I can do nothing but commend him for his tongue in cheek salute to one of America's most notable decorators.  

- Ian 

The trellis cartouche above the doors is very similar to
the one seen on the necklace.  Also note the stark
white trim.

One of th  many fountains at the Quitandinha, the
scrolling volutes and the shell motif echo those found
on Mizrahi's design.

The leafy acanthus scroll arms of this wall sconce recall
the scrolling leaf forms seen at the neck of the piece.



The matching earrings shown with a pink dress.
I think it's smart to keep the necklace and earrings
apart.  No one wants to look like a Showgirl.



Gilbert Adrian and the Tigeress.



With a silhouette that recalls the 18th Century (Adrian had done the costumes for Marie Antoinette, starring Norma Shearer, in 1938), I love that this rather modest gown gets a huge shot of sex appeal from the print alone. 



I can not think of any other phrase to use on this ensemble except 'hot damn'.  This Tiger print gown and bolero was designed by Hollywood Costume Designer Gilbert Adrian in 1949 and is made of silk shot through with metallic threads.  It was a gift of Janet Gaynor (Adrian's wife) to the MET in 1963.  

As you know, I have a soft spot for animal prints and the people bold enough to wear them, and I can not help but fantasize about the brazen post war sex bomb that wore this number out on the town.  Perhaps she wore it to the Mocambo in Hollywood, with lavish interiors by Tony Duquette, or dancing at the Coconut Grove with it's exotic Orientalist flair.  Either way, this movie star confection would have had tongues wagging in all directions and leaving them wanting more.

- Ian  

The Perfect Jeans for Guys

Catherine, my blog buddy and mother of my unborn children (it will be the master race I always dreamed of) paid me a wonderful compliment when she mentioned that my wardrobe was stellar.  I think it was her post on wallpaper.  I don't remember how she got there, but when it comes to compliments, I'm not too picky about the origins so long as they keep coming.

On the subject of my wardrobe, I recently did a purge of my closet.  I've lost some weight, so about 70% of my jeans had to go.  Yes, I had enough pairs of jeans to start using percentages rather than quantities.  I deliberated, but was ruthless about what had to be expelled.  I saw my torn denim phase exit, my embellished jeans phase be cast aside (though I still kept the hand painted Gucci's and the Cavalli's with the embroidered Griffins...I'm a man, not a machine.) and while I mourned for old friends now gone, I took solace in the new need to go shopping for new jeans.

I am not one to try things on; I think this coincides with my DNA. I can usually guess what will fit without having to hunt down a dressing room so I can look at myself half naked under bad lighting in a tri-fold mirror.  However, needing a new size, I was going to have to relent and actually take a few pairs of jeans into a dressing room.

On a whim, I avoided the trend jeans I always buy and went for classic Levi's.  It didn't take long for me to find the perfect pair; the pair I feel all men should own.  That pair is the Levi's 501, the father of all jeans.  Not skinny, not baggy, no boot cuts or high rises, just perfect and button fly.  A multitude of washes are available, but you only need one, and it needs to be dark.  It's dressy enough to go out at night, but also passes for casual without looking like you slept in your car.  If you must buy a second color, make it black.  They make a great over-dyed black style, with black buttons and rivets too, very hot.



The Perfect Jean for Guys.
501's in Dimensional Rigid wash.  $64.00.
The perfect dark, inky, go with anything, blue. 



The Perfect Jeans for Guys, II.
501's in Over Dyed Black.  $58.00
Super dark and edgy.

For up keep on jeans (yes guys, there are rules to follow), it's pretty simple.  To keep jeans looking nice and new, don't wash them in hot or warm water, this will fade the color, and you want them to stay dark.  Darker colored jeans look more expensive.  Wash them inside out (with the zipper zipped) on cold with Lingerie soap.  Yes, you read that right.  Man up and go to the land of Bra's and buy a bottle.  I use Forever New from Macy's, it does not smell like a flower garden, in case you're worried.  For black jeans, send them to the dry cleaners.  There is nothing sadder than faded black.  And I shouldn't need to say this, but, no creases in jeans.  Ever.

- Ian

PS, Converse sneakers are the perfect shoes for jeans.  Boots, flip flops, drivers, mocs, and brogues are also nice depending on season and setting.  Never, under any circumstance, wear running shoes with jeans.  This is a cardinal sin; loved ones will shun you, you will be unfriended on Facebook.  Just don't.

A classic Gucci slip on (or something like it) dresses things up a bit.
Available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $550.00.

Lizard embossed leather sneakers from Converse by
John Varvatos are perfect for a casual style. 
Available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $150.00.

Tripping Out On Chopines: Eat Your Heart Out Lady Gaga



Venetian Women at their Toilet.  Paris Bordon c. 1545.
These courtesans would have undoubtedly been shod
in Chopines.  By the Renaissance, Venice has developed
a reputation as the epicenter for art and fashion.

Long before Lady Gaga stormed into our lives wearing death defying shoes and some glitter, Venetian women of the Italian Renaissance were teetering through flooded Piazzas in tricked out platforms that would make a 16th Century Gaga go gaga.

Chopines, as they are called, were elaborate platform slippers with wooden bases covered in tassels, lace, nail head, tooled leather and opulent silk and velvet.  While they may have originally been all about function (elevated shoes kept feet and hems dry during the wet season), like many everyday accessories they evolved to express wealth, taste and a certain amount of decadence.  Why wear wooden stilts when you could wear velvet wedges embellished with hand made silver lace and glass beads?  Perhaps Venice was the true birthplace of Carrie Bradshaw, and not New York.

Turkish Woman with Slave. Jean-Etienne Liotard 18th Cent.

Chopines were born in Turkey.  Thought to be the footwear of choice for harem girls, they became the fashion for elite women in Renaissance Italy and Spain.  They did serve a practical purpose in keeping the wearer from stepping in debris found in the gutters and streets around town and dirtying their feet and hem, but they also helped to make their owners literally stand heads above the rest.  The shoes could extend the wearers height from 7 inches to a whopping 30 inches, depending on the wearers equilibrial prowess and the height of the average doorway.  The added height also called for extra fabric (fine textiles were luxury items) for the mistress' gown; though the shoes were highly elaborate, fashion dictated that they should never be fully exposed.  The shoes remained hidden jewels, only to be seen by lovers or the help. 

Leather and Silk over Wood.  1600's.  Met Museum.

Velvet and Lace from the Bata Shoe Museum.

In addition to making one taller, Chopines also required assistance from several servants in steadying the wearer and clearing the path ahead.  The higher the shoes, the more servants you required, and this was a direct expression of your wealth for the whole city to witness.  The reduced mobility caused by such impractical foot wear is often compared to Chinese foot binding; done for the sake of beauty and wealth, but also rendering the fashionable woman unable to walk without assistance.  Most women walked with a staggering awkward gait in these shoes; yet some writers of the period maintain that with practice and training, women could not only stroll the city but even dance gracefully while wearing the unique platforms.  I'm sure there were also advances in Kinesiology and Occupation Therapy as a direct result of these shoes running amok amongst the slaves to fashion that populated Venice. 


Pink Brocade and Gold Lace with Silk Tassels.
17th Century.  Museum of Fine Art, Boston.

Let's be honest, it's all really just superficial frivolity; Venetian women of manipulated proportion hobbling around a sinking city in fancy shoes that no one ever got to see.  Yet for a time full of unparalleled invention and thought, it's rather fun, even exciting, to see a little bit of outright vanity and eccentricity tempering the seriously cerebral theories of Humanism.  This is not unfamiliar territory; war in Iraq, the economy in the toilet, but look at Christina Aguilera's Louboutins!  I think we could all stand a little distraction, no matter how trivial, from time to time.  It didn't seem to phase the great minds of the Renaissance, even when they were wearing haute chaussure.  

- Ian

20" leather covered Chopines, for those rainy days in Venice.

15th Century Spanish Chopines of tooled Leather over Cork. 
Spanish Chopines were conical, while Venetian versions were
more artistically carved.

Venetian Chopines of Walnut with Mother of Pearl inlay.