Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2014

"Everything was kept in a state of polished and dazzling cleanliness.  Nothing was ever tattered.  Her Goyas, Bouchers and Reynoldses had been tenderly relieved of years of grime and oxidation.  Not a speck of dust had the opportunity of gathering on the books in the air conditioned library.  English furniture and crystal candelabras were highly polished; parquet floors were waxed and shining.  One even had the feeling that all of the bonbons and the peppermint sweets on the dinner table were thrown out the moment the exquisite flower strewn table cloth was removed."

Cecil Beaton The Glass of Fashion 1954

The woman of dazzling cleanliness and waxed and shining parquet floors would wear this Valentino Spring 2014 haute couture dress don't you think?  Dream a little haute couture dream...

Look 1 Valentino Spring 2014.  Verdi's La Traviata embroidered in black on a parchment colored  tulle dress.

love, kisses and vintage, Juliana

The Queen.

In honor of this weekend's Diamond Jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 60 year reign on the British throne, I present

The Queen as painted by Lucien Freud

The Queen's Norman Hartnell designed coronation dress

The Queen in her coronation dress

Updated: The Queen's Roger Vivier gold fleur-de-lis ruby encrusted coronation shoes (thank you for the suggestion from one of our RARE vintage blog readers.  I can not believe I forgot the ruby slippers!)

The Queen photographed by Cecil Beaton

The Queen photographed by Annie Liebowitz

The Queen's enormous pink diamond, the Williamson Diamond Brooch, by Cartier

The Queen in her enormous pink diamond brooch

The Queen, Michelle Obama and the Queen's trusted purse

The Queen and her Corgis

The Queen in a hat

and The Queen all dolled up and in a crown

Give and Receive

I think anyone would jump at the chance to help the enormous need in Haiti.  Vogue has printed seven rarely seen images from Cecil Beaton, who was on assignment for Vogue in Haiti in 1935 and fifty percent of the $149 purchase price goes to the Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Looking at the photos it seems that Cecil Beaton was captured by the magnificent and grand beauty of Haiti itself.  I like to see them as an opportunity to contribute something towards the rebuilding of a country tattered by a disaster and as a optimistic look that amid the ruins, there is still the incredible beauty of the country and its people.  Click here  for more information.