Tuesday, February 28, 2012

"Glamour shooting out of her eyeballs"

You may remember that Cathy Horyn recounting the year 2011 in fashion said, of Giovanna Battaglia in our Stephen Sprouse, "What a dress!  What a woman!  Ms. Battaglia's vintage Sprouse dress seemed a delirious cut-and-paste job; the men's blazer worn over her shoulders and the goddess ponytail were a nice finishing touch from a stylist with glamour shooting out of her eyeballs."

Giovanna Battaglia in Sprouse from RARE vintage on Style.com

Stephen Sprouse's clothes defined cool and they defined cutting edge:

Paul Cavaco: They were exciting clothes.  There was something sexy and dark and dangerous about them.

They were also - which I don't think people are necessarily aware of - beautifully made.  Stephen Sprouse was not just a club kid designer.  

Candy Pratts Price:  Stephen knew the art of draping.  He knew his fabrics.  He loved to design things on the bias and loved double faced fabrics with no seams.  All this takes a trained eye to understand, and he obviously had that talent. 

This 1998 Stephen Sprouse dress


is so reminiscent of Debbie Harry 

Photos from The Sprouse Book by Mauricio and Roger Padilha

Racerback, cut on the bias with fluttering petals appliquéd all over.


Then we have this Sprouse.  It may look like a Mia Farrow circa Rosemary's Baby baby doll - until you hear this:

Velcro!

Circa 1998 Stephen Sprouse black velvet baby doll dress with white satin collar and cuffs attached by velcro.  Let it rip!



PURCHASE

1 comment:

  1. oh, to emulate debbie harry.... a noble and ultimately futile act.

    http://dallianceswithsuitsandskirts.blogspot.com/

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