Fashion Will You Still Love Me, Will You Still Need Me When I'm 80? The Joan Didion Edition

The face of the Céline's Spring 2015 ad campaign?  80 year old Joan Didion!  Photographed by Jurgen Teller and looking super chic in oversize black sunglasses, a black knitted top and what looks like a flattened Swiss cowbell.  

Joan Didion for Céline Spring 2015 ad campaign photographed by Jurgen Teller

It is lovely and inspiring to see a woman of 80 years being celebrated by one of the most talented fashion designers working today.

And Céline resort 2015 also seems like it was inspired by Joan Didion circa 1968 in LA with her Corvette Stingray in a long knit dress...

Joan Didion photographed by Julian Wasser

Céline resort 2015

and on Instagram the fabulously fashionable Giovanna Battaglia wore her Céline resort dress not in front of a Corvette but on a boat...

Giovanna Battaglia from her Instagram

and now since I am in California, I think I will go cozy up in a long Céline dress and read Slouching Towards Bethlehem...

xo, Juliana

Real Girl, Real Vintage: Giovanna Battaglia in Alaia

Real Girl, Real vintage: the glamorous Giovanna Battaglia at Paris Fashion Week in 1991 leopard Azzedine Alaia:

and back in the day... photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele:

and at RARE vintage... SOLD but not forgotten... we are always looking for leopard Alaia!

Ruff-ing It!

Coco Chanel ruff-ing it:

Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I, ruff-ing it:

Gareth Pugh ruff-ing it in 2009:

A Valentino silk pajama-style ensemble with a ruff of feathers at RARE vintage:

It is a little hard to see in the photos but the neckline is finely pleated.

I absolutely LOVE this ensemble with its super flattering, face framing ruff of feathers

Fearless girls in fashionable print on print ensembles:

Caroline Sieber in Louis Vuitton:

Viviana Volpicella:

Giovanna Battaglia:

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Made in Italy

I don’t think you know but I have been in Italy to see a collection. It has been super hectic - you know, a little shopping for the store, a little shopping for my children and I am sure you will be absolutely shocked (or not ; ) a little shopping for lil’ ol’ me.

I tried to find this Jil Sander boot from the Spring 2012 runway show 

but alas this story does not have a happy ending. It seems as fabulous as they are - and impractical - a white boot for spring/summer - but when you fall in love, you fall in love - you don’t worry about technical things like: how will I keep them clean (New York is notoriously hard on shoes and feet) or how often one would really wear a white boot when it gets warm... you only think, won’t they just be perfect with...

but a shoe story with a happy ending was my visit to see Cecilia Bringheli, the designer and founder of C.B. Made in Italy. I first read about her on Cathy Horyn’s blog and I made a mental note to visit her on my next trip to Milano.

C.B. Made in Italy from NYT

Giovanna Battaglia has been out and about in her CB Made in Italy slippers and of course she instantly makes anything look chic. 

I had been pondering a pair of Stubbs and Wootton. I really like the black velvet with the monogram of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor embroidered on the toe.  BUT I have this thing about monogram’s. The Duchess of Windsor had her monogram on everything from her knickers to her handbags but it was hers. Not mine. I may have my chef cut the pieces of lettuce for my salad into exactly the same size and have an enormous and stunning collection of vintage Cartier jewels** but that, my friends, does not make me the Duchess of Windsor.

So thus I had a mental block about the Stubbs and Wootton slippers.

Enter or entrata: CB Made in Italy by Cecila Bringheli.  

Colorful, comfortable, classic and modern. All a girl could want. 


And for the boys: dessert boots, camouflage and other colorful velvet slippers. 

I ordered two pair one in neon pink linen (you see, I obviously love slightly impractical things) with black leather trim and basic super soft black suede. Each pair are made by hand in Italy.  I love when I travel NOT to go to the big stores but to find the small and the unique.  I should have them in a month and I will be counting the days: uno, due, tre...

** of course, my enormous and stunning collection of vintage Cartier jewels exists only in the safe in mind - and what a virtual treasure trove it is! Now, as far as the lettuce... what do you think? True? Not true?  And I certainly hope you are thinking not true! 

You can see more of the C.B. Made in Italy collection on their website here.  And you can order a pair too!

And so you know, they run true to size.

About a Girl: Giovanna Battaglia

W's glamorous globe-trotting editor, Giovanna Battaglia, trotted into RARE vintage one day for an interview about a girl.  A very, very fabulous girl. Enjoy!

"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!

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YSL Safari

Fun Fact: The first safari jacket (saharienne) was not made at first for a collection but for a safari-themed photo spread by Franco Rubartelli for Vogue Paris in 1968.

The iconic photo that started it all:

Photo by Franco Rubartelli for French Vogue

If you look at the photo of Saint Laurent, Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falasie, you will see that Loulou is wearing a safari jacket similar to the one we have at RARE vintage.  A classic closet-must-have for every lover of vintage and Yves Saint Laurent!

Yves Saint Laurent safari jacket.  Size 38.

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Real Girl, Real Vintage

and speaking of vintage YSL...

Giovanna Battaglia in a vintage YSL safari tunic with the ever so dapper George Cortina

Cathy Horyn Recounts the Year in Fashion and RARE vintage is Number 4!!

Well, actually it is the super lovely Giovanna Battaglia in her Stephen Sprouse gown that she bought at RARE vintage that is number 4 on Cathy Horyn's Year in Fashion list.  Now this even trumps a best dressed list don't you think?!  It is the year in fashion.  The year!!  In fashion!  In other words "a major fashion moment"!!!  Thank you so much to Giovanna Battaglia for rocking that dress, Stephen Sprouse for designing the dress and Cathy Horyn for mentioning the dress!  (I'll take a little credit too for finding the dress : )

Giovanna Battaglia's Best-of-Gala Gown- Revealed!

Mystery solved.  But we know, you know, Giovanna Battaglia's most memorable, most fantastic gown was 1992 Stephen Sprouse from yours truly, RARE vintage!  

And I have to thank Giovanna for knowing exactly what she wanted, when she saw it.  It was nothing less then AMAZING!

See the story on Style.Com

Photo from Style.Com

Which Fashion Editor Outdid the Movie Stars at the Amfar Gala

So says Style.Com and so do I.  Giovanna Battaglia lookin' frickin (sorry, I'm still on this frickin thing☺) AMAZING in Stephen Sprouse from RARE vintage at the Amfar gala!

Giovanna Battaglia at Cannes!

Looking glamorous, gorgeous and tres chaud in RARE vintage Gianni Versace!  (Oh Gianni how we miss you!)

Toujours L' Amour: Yves Saint Laurent

Here is what a big belt (really big!) can do for a LBD:

 Anna dello Russo in Francesco Scognamiglio

Here is how a belt can define the waist:

 Kate Moss in Azzedine Alaia

Here is what a little imagination and a bit of rope can do for your outfit:

 Giovanna Battaglia in ?? some rope?  Doesn't Giovanna always look amazing?

Those are just three examples of why a great belt is a great accessory and can transform an outfit into something very personal.  I love buying belts for RARE because they are the little item that makes a big impact.

Here are four belts from Yves Saint Laurent beautifully crafted - they don't make 'em like this any more!  They are the perfect addition to something you already have.  They are the secret weapon of a stylish wardrobe.  You can wear them at the waist or on the hips and they will fit a variety of sizes!  We love that!  Except for the last belt which is quite small ☹ (unless you are small then ☺) and is meant to be worn at the waist.

Black and blue suede tasseled fringe belt gilt metal Yves Saint Laurent belt

 Red and green suede tasseled fringe gilt metal Yves Saint Laurent belt

Color me happy!  Pink and red Yves Saint Laurent belt

 The mysterious Orientalist belt in green, orange, yellow, red and pink from Grand Mix Color Master YSL.

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