Why You Should Wake Up at 3AM on November 19th

To get in line for the Versace for H & M collection of course!  I kind of love these capsule collections designers do for H & M or the recent Target for Missoni and have a nice collection packed away (Karl Lagerfeld's collection for H & M, Kate Moss' first collection for Topshop and so on)  in archival boxes in acid free tissue paper for my daughter for when she is older.  Think she is going to love it.  I also love Gianni Versace and have been incredibly fortunate to have had and have some of the original iconic pieces that Donatella did a version of for the capsule collection.  Now, I personally would pass on the metal mesh dress which looks like a sad version of the real thing which RARE vintage has had and you can see here and here.

This is what I think it is worth getting up for (and diving into the insane madness that it will surely be):

We had this at RARE vintage too!  The original:

And what you should buy for the man in your life:

Versace for H & M.  Available November 19th

Who's The Man?

Tom Ford is The Man.  Watch him this Sunday on Oprah's OWN network.  While you are watching the preview, I am going to check my 10,000,000+ channels and see if I even have OWN...

Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind with Tom Ford

Sunday, October 23rd on OWN at 8PM

Fashion, Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Love Me, When I'm 64?

And the answer is, Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!

My new Style Icon is Costanza Pascolato.  She is 72 years old.  She wears a leather Miu-Miu Spring 2011 rockabilly-style jacket.  She wears Valentino's studded leather kitten heels.  Her hair is done.  She wears fabulous big black sunglasses.  She does Pilates every day.  She is fashionable.  She is age appropriate.  She is interesting.  She embraces new fashion.  But she knows who she is.  She has worn Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent.  She adores Miuccia Prada's irreverent luxury and kitsch sense of style.

I want to send her a Valentine,

birthday greetings,

a bottle of wine...

The Beatles - When I'm Sixty Four

Mr. Beene Has a Moment Via Stella McCartney

So let me just show you how influential Mr. Beene still is:

Stella McCartney Fall/Winter 2011.  Unless you have been hiding out in the wilderness without any access to the Internet you will certainly have seen Stella McCartneys illusion dress on:

Kate Winslet, Liv Tyler and even Jane Fonda.  Then there was Doutzen Kroes (inexplicably with her ginormous Granny panties underneath)

Whoa!  How old is Jane Fonda??!!

Almost forgot Doutzen with her super Spanx on (WTF?!  I am certain she needs nothing on underneath this):

And if you are in that cabin without internet then you also missed Kate Winslet (again), La La Vasquez Anthony,  Gloria Estefan (okay let me just say if you missed Goria Estefan in the dress be grateful.  Very, very grateful.  Hello?!  Wooden mirrors in house of Estefan?!), Liv Tyler and Penelope Cruz in Stella McCartney's hourglass sheath:

Kate Winslet is rocking the sheath and looking gorgeous!!  And good Lord, Gloria Estefan - if you don't have a strong stomach, avert your eyes:

I don't want to be mean but, what was she thinking??

But if you don't live in a cabin in the woods and you follow fashion and fashion's history, you will know, you will remember the fabulous Mr. Beene.  Mr. Beene who could cut a dress like no one else.  Mr. Beene who dressed a woman who was talented, creative, smart and sexy.  His lines were sculptural and even made one fashion journalist compare them to Brancusi's Bird in Space.

The Original:

In 1991, Geoffrey Beene showed a languidly beautiful evening coat in oxblood red and black stripe, kimono sleeves and a spectacular carved out sheer guipere lace back reembroidered with red and gold thread.  The dress he showed underneath was very short.

If you need something grand and regal and something that will have everyone's eyes on you, then this is the piece you were looking for.

1991 Geoffrey Beene evening coat with sheer guipere lace back.

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A Spectacular Philip Treacy Hat

There was a time when a woman, or a man, would not have dreamt of going out of the house without a hat.  Hats back in the day could be surrealistic (Elsa Schiaparelli's upside down shoe hat which was worn brilliantly by the ever so stylish, the Honorable Mrs. Reginald Fellowes), hats could elicit comments like, "look at the screwy hat on that dame!" (Myrna Loy in a, well, a screwy hat, in The Thin Man) or hats could be sexy masculine (Marlene Dietrich in a top hat).

October 10th would have been the birthday of the French born hatmaker Lily Daché who famously said, "Glamour is what makes a man ask for your phone but it is also what makes a woman ask for the name of your dressmaker."  The glamorous Lily also believed that men loved to buy for their wives, girlfriends or mistresses, "floozy hats".  (and don't we all have a little floozy in us:)

Hats are having a kind of a moment right now.  There were all the girls and ladies at the recent royal wedding looking chic in fascinators (which is such a great word don't you think?!) and there is the current exhibit, Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones, at The Bard Graduate Center. 

I recently met Philip Treacy and we spoke about an extravagant hat that he had made and that I have for RARE vintage.  Philip said that it was an incredibly difficult hat to make.  He used a vintage black brocade fabric and there is a crown of feathers atop the hat that are singed chicken feathers.  The hat was so difficult to make that I believe that there is jut this one.  And isn't that the way it should be?  This hat is a beautiful objet as well as something perfect for the Kentucky Derby or any occasion you would to wear to a hat to and if you don't have an occasion, you will just have to make one!

Philip Treacy Feather Crown Brocade Hat


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The Little Things in Life

A quilted leather Chanel bag from the 1970s is not going to solve world peace.  It will not tell you why the sky is blue, exactly how to pronounce the planet Uranus, it will not explain why grown men love packing a car with suitcases and other assorted paraphenilia. It will not tell you which came first: the chicken or the egg.  It will not explain the Bermuda Triangle or tell you if really there is a Loch Ness Monster.  A quilted leather Chanel purse, even in red, will not tell you what really happened in Roswell...

But what will it do you is to offer what you what the little things in life do for us: a gift of happiness, a burst of Seratonin, something that will be timeless (which answers the eternal question, do you really need another bag?  And the answer is, Dah!  It's Chanel!  From the 1970s!  It's an investment for the future!  Seriously?!)   

This thing called love, it's a crazy little thing called love. 

There goes my baby.  She leaves me in a hot cold sweat. 

Gotta be a cool.  Gotta relax.

It's a crazy thing called love: Chanel...

Chanel bag love via Queen.  Just a Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Chanel Cherry red quilted leather bag

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It's the End of the World as We Know It: Vivienne Westwood's Pirate Collection

The great split personalities in film and television are: Joanne Woodward in The Three Faces of Eve, Sally Field in Sybil and Toni Colette in The United States of Tara.  I am not sure if psychiatrists have delved into the mind of the fashionista suffering from split personalities but I am proud to admit to suffering from a severe case of 'fashionista split personality-itis'.   And just so you know the symptoms are:

a. Your Style Icons are: CZ Guest, Brigitte Bardot, Jerry Hall, Millicent Rogers, Bianca Jagger, Daisy Fellowes, Marisa Berenson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Debbie Harry.

b. In your closet or you covet: 1950s Christian Dior, 1970s Yves Saint Laurent, Tina Chow's Fortunys, 1960s Balenciaga, early Helmut Lang, Stephen Sprouse, Romeo Gigli, early Gianni Versace, Alaia, 1970s Loris Azzaro, Valentino Couture, 1930s Schiaparelli, Early Prada (and the amazing Spring 2012 collection), Duchess of Windsor's Mainbochers and Vivienne Westwood.

c. Your fashion film icons are: Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, Madonna in Who's That Girl, Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour, Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde, Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, Renee Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair and the documentary of Little and Big Edie in Albert and David Maysels' Grey Gardens.

So, are you suffering from 'fashionista split personality-itis?  Well if you are, you will surely love this Vivienne Westwood for World's End 1981 Pirate collection top as much as I do.  

Vivienne Westwood and Malcom McClaren rocked the world with their romantic and historically inspired Pirate Collection.  

Vivienne has said that she wanted "that rakish look of clothes that didn't fit".

It was the end of the world as we know it and I am feeling fine after discovering this brilliant 1981 Pirate's Collection top for RARE vintage.

1981 Vivienne Westwood World's End pirate Collection Top.  Size 4.

The next meeting of the self indulgent self help group 'Fashionista Split Personality-itis' will be held at RARE vintage next Wednesday evening.  Please rsvp at info@rarevintage.com.  Say it loud and say it proud!

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@RareVintageNYC: Friday Favorites

I love the whimsical Krizia animal print sweaters I bought in Italy for RARE vintage and I confess that I kept one and it is my new #FF@RareVintageNYC Friday favorite.  I have been impatiently waiting for the weather to get cool enough to put it on.    And hallelujah, that day has arrived!

It is always fascinating to see how trendy vintage can be while not being trendy at all; the word is timeless. Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga and Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy may have gotten everyone in the mood for animal prints again but Krizia was the original wild child with animal instincts.

I am feeling very Gaga as you can see: no pants!

Panther sweater: 1980s Krizia Sunglasses: Tom Ford

Holy Deja Vu: The Hi-Top Fade Haircut

What comes around, goes around - even in hair do's or don'ts (not sure which) but kind of loving it and wishing my hair could go that high...

The hi-top fade haircut as seen at Union Square today:

and as seen on Kid n Play circa late 1980s:

Indian Summer

Merde.  Paris Fashion Week had an unseasonal bout of super hot weather and everyone who had packed their brand spanking new fall clothes, had nothing to wear!  But looking at the photos from Tommy Ton and Philo Oh, I think the stories of having nothing to wear are maybe a little exaggerated - but of course, I know the feeling well even though any such statements from me guarantee a roll of the eyes from my husband.  The funniest thing was when our daughter was getting dressed recently to go out, she actually said she had nothing to wear!  She is 8!  I swear she did not hear it from me:)

So what do you wear when Indian Summer hits PFW?  Color and lots of it:

You also wear Native American inspired pieces:

This heavy silver necklace is very Millicent Rogers in Taos don't you think?

Photos from Tommy Ton and Phil Oh

So you might consider wearing this incredible beaded kilt from Jean Paul Gaultier.  A very international mix: Native American, Scottish and a Frenchman.  Designed by Gaultier during his strongest years, the mid 1990s, it is a runway piece beautifully done with lots of movement from the beaded fringe.

Mid 1990s Jean Paul Gaultier beaded kilt.  The kilt wraps so will fit a variety of sizes 4 through 8

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Romantic Romeo

Romeo Gigli's soft, romantic clothes from the 1980s and early 1990s were a favorite of mine.  Mr. Gigli has said that his clothes are for anyone "willing to take a journey of the imagination".  The journey which will surely include rich jewel tone colors, a hint of Paul Poiret and a dash of Edwardian elegance.  Cathy Horyn wrote of Romeo Gigli's influence in Haider Ackermann's Spring 2012 runway show.   I don't know, I am not loving everything Haider Ackermann is doing. I love the idea but then the quality in the stores seems disappointing and the balloon style pant for the Spring is not going to be flattering on anyone. Definite Man Repeller territory.  This is one of the reasons Romeo Gigli was so brilliant: there was nothing gimmicky about his design sensibilities.

I thought that I would start with two coats that epitomize the dreamy world of Romeo Gigli and that both would be beautiful this fall and winter with a straight leg pant and a good boot with a heel or not.  There has been a lot of contrast on the runways with a play between volume and leaness.

Our first coat is a 1987 moss green cotton velvet cocoon-style coat with a kimono sleeve.

Our second Gigli coat is an all out glamorous and romantic coat in a crushed black velvet with a deep burgundy iridescence.  It can be worn fully buttoned with the high collar or left draped and open.  There are high slits on the side of the coat so you can seen the iridescent burgundy interior.

Why don't you wear the coats with... Stella McCartney's faux leather streamlined pants and a pair of Dries van Noten's black leather boots with a transparent heel available here

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The United Nations of Vintage

UN Week has mercifully ended in New York - and if you have ever had the misfortune of being in New York when the General Assembly meets, you will know exactly what I mean: lots of traffic and lots of road rage; not a pretty picture nor a very quiet one!

But I am feeling very United Nations of vintage fashion this week at RARE vintage.  We've got New York, London, Milan and Paris covered.  I think I will start in New York...

I am in LA to see a big collection of Chanel as well as a bit of R & R with my children so it seems appropriate to start RARE vintage's UN Fashion Week with a great American designer who showed in New York but designed in Los Angeles: James Galanos.  I am so happy to see a new generation of  women discovering Galanos.  I don't love all of Galanos - some of it can be a little dowdy but when he is good, he is very, very good.  

I think this beautiful black and brown Galanos gown is as good as it gets.  The fabric and the workmanship is superb and very couture.  AND the gown is sexy & fun & unique.  It has a slightly 1940s, madcap Carmen Miranda minus the fruit vibe.  I am sure that you have noticed there has been a lot of fruit on the runways recently and on of course on Anna dello Russo's head.

The front plunges seductively low and the waist is cinched with a black silk bow.

Galanos Gown in Black and Brown.  Size 4/6

Why don't you wear it with... okay so speaking of Anna dello Russo and her very whimsical head gear, I have fallen madly in love with a, new to me, English hat designer,  Victoria Grant.  I actually think this little chapeau would look amazing with black tuxedo pants, a slinky white top and a white tuxedo jacket or our Galanos gown.  Or for lunch at Shutters on the Beach.  So?!  I'm from New York!

Victoria Grant Midnight Kiss Hat.  Available at Colette.

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Weekend Reading 17: Dear Charles... Millicent Rogers and Charles James A Love Story of Sorts

Weekend reading for you from RARE vintage.  Read on...

Dear Charles,

In answer to your various letters, I do think yours suddenly is a queer way of acting.  A while back when you needed money in Europe I sent it to you in exchange for a suit the whole of which I finally got a year later. 

Millicent 

Dearest, dearest Millicent,

In this, I have entirely forgotten or struck out of mind all the dealings which went to make up the total of of 6,000 in Bill A.   I have simply arranged a gift to the Museum for the sum of 6,000, which is entirely payable out of your untaxed income  and should NOT cost you more then 1,000, and therefore saves you between four and five grand." 

Charles