Daphne Guinness at FIT

Daphne Guinness doodles...
Daphne Guiness' collection is at Fashion Institute of Technology museum till January 7, 2012.
She was there in person last Thursday for the Fashion Icons conference...
Signing her book and sharing fashion tales...
If you missed the McQueen or even if you didn't, do stop in at FIT for more fashion drama and extravaganzas...

Seen sprinting through Leicester Square in his red kimono, McQueen yelled out,

"Och, that's my coat you're wearing"

The rest is fashion history...

The exhibition collection is divided into categories. 'Dandyism' reflects Guinness' 'absolute passion for men's clothes.'

Waistcoats, cumberbands, epaulets...

Military jackets galore..

'Sparkle' evokes Daphne's love for anything shiney

'Evening Chic' equals classic elegance. "I like structure...with a bit of chaos."

Wilde said,"One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art".

A plumed bird...

Valentino says he knows Daphne's been there because of the trails of feathers and beads left in her wake...

BONJOUR DAPHNE!

It's All About The Dress

Bardot's Vichy Ballerines, watercolor, 9" x 11"

Today being Fashion Night Out 2011...
It's a perfect opp to tell you about Vicky Tiel's It's All About The Dress!
If you're a little bit mad about fashion/Paris/celebs you can't go wrong.
Vicky Tiel and I both went to Parsons School of Design. Miss Keagy, head of the fashion dept., kindly suggested I become a librarian.
I replied, "It's either the river or 7th Avenue!"
Vicky was also dissuaded from a fashion career for different reasons - her designs were super short, super sheer and very naughty. Vicky went off to Paris with fellow classmate Mia Fonssagrives and they shook that town up, whilst I went off to 7th Ave...wish I'd followed suit...
The overnight success of Vicky and Mia made them international fashion celebrities...
And they got to dress super hot celebrities in their first movie, "What's New Pussycat" and many others...

Francoise Hardy, Ursula Andress, Paula Prentice, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers etc. YIKES! Vicky's book is full of fun vignettes of all their Parisien adventures....

On top of it Mia got involved and married Louis Feraud (they did do designs for his show and modeled them on the runway to boot) who had designed Bridget Bardot's famous 'Vichy' pink checked wedding dress among other glories (gotta read the book to find out more).

Did I mention Vicky's book is full of sketches like this Paris map near her shop on 21, rue Bonaparte...
Isn't it funny that I doodled one house down from her shop..?
Vicky's building formerly was the grand residence and shop of superb interior designer, Madame Madeleine Castaing...

Did I mention Vicky got involved and married Ron Berkeley, Liz Taylor's personal makeup artist, so Liz and Vicky became bosom buddies for N-teen years and Vicky designed Liz' famous caftan bla ba bla...

Vicky's book is loaded with all kinds of 'rules' from everyone who was anyone plus their recipes (none for the dreaded macaron thank gawd). Plus lots of dirt on everyone in Paris and Hollywood and and and.
Oh just READ IT!
BONJOUR VICKI!Disclosure: Vicky sent me her book..

Balenciaga & Spain

This has been a Balenciaga + Spain week...
I visited the Balenciaga exhibit at the Queen Sophia Spanish Institute at 684 Park Avenue on Tuesday (on through Feb 19 so don't miss it)
Three floors of exquisite examples of the maitre/master of couture..
Plus designer sketches and catwalk videos. Here drawings by Rene Gruau.
Everywhere evidence of Balenciaga's Spanish background, as an altar boy at the Church of San Sabastien...
Plus influence of the great Spanish painters like Zuniga...
Picasso, Goya and of course Velasquez.
*Note the infanta's multi satin bows!
Bows are everywhere on Balenciaga's creations...
Bows both fore and aft...

The bow acts as a feminine touch to soften a simple, austere gown like this one covered in red carnations, the national flower of Spain.

Deep red gypsy roses show up on Balenciaga's amusing hats...

"Wit was on the head, where it should be."

Rose Champagne, original watercolor 9" x 11"

Inspired me to get out my paintbox...

The bullring was a favorite inspiration source, though Balenciaga did not like to attend the slaughter. But 'the suit of lights', the tiny hats, the rituals fascinated him, and French women were delighted to follow where ever he led them.

"A ruffle must be intelligent," he told his protege, Givenchy.

Certainly Audrey benefited from Balenciaga's tuteladge to her chosen designer...

The flavor of Joquin Sorolla's flamenco dancers is evident in richly embroidered mantilla dresses...

Last night at FIT, Vogue European editor, Hamish Bowles gave a lecture on the exhibit he helped curate and his new book on Balenciaga & Spain, coming out March '11

Seen side by side, the Spanish source of inspiration + the unique creations endlessly amazed.

Do go to the exhibit and immerse yourself in an elegant world long gone...

"Working sometimes on the cut of a sleeve, he would neglect all else and go without food or sleep for days and nights." said Gloria Guinness, couture client.

BRAVO BALENCIAGA!