Back When It Was All Terribly, Terribly Glamorous

"When Yves and Betty and Loulou got dressed up and went out on the town, it was all terribly, terribly glamorous.  Back then, there was liberté, beauté and lots of glamour.  Now there are stock options."

Overheard at the premiere of the film, Saint Laurent, at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

xo, Juliana

Books Fall 2014: Loulou de la Falaise

You can never be too rich or have too many books.

If I had a pillow embroidered with a motto (which I most certainly do not : ), it would say something like that.  I just added another bookshelf to our bedroom, at our beach house, and everyone said it was not going to be big enough... don't you just hate when people say "I told you so!" 

So I found a spot for another bookshelf in my dressing room, which means I can keep on buying books!

And it will be just in time because some ah-mazing books are coming out in the fall!  On my pre-order list is Loulou de la Falaise by Ariel de Ravenel and Natash Fraser-Cavassoni.  The afterword is by Loulou de la Falaise's husband, Thadee Klossowski, and the foreword is by Pierre Berge.

Betty Catroux remembering her friend Loulou, said that she saw life in pink.  I really like the idea of "life in pink".

BC also spoke about her creativity:

"All the women in her family were creative.  It was in her blood.  To create things was an absolute must for her.  She would take a piece of fabric, wrap it in a turban on her head, and pin it with a clip."

Loulou de la Falaise was, of course, great friends with Yves Saint Laurent, but she also went to work for him in 1972 designing the jewelry and hats and I hope the book will cover her jewelry designs too...

You can pre-order the book here.

love, kisses and life in the pink, Juliana

Extreme Elegance: Yves Saint Laurent

I always love to find images of pieces I have acquired for RARE vintage from back in their day - years ago when I went to see the Giorgio Armani show at the Guggenheim, I thought the show lacked (and needed) context because it did not show anything around the clothes, the life like it was then, why women wore and desperately wanted those softly deconstructed pant suits...  

So when I find pieces we have, like a yellow silk Loris Azzaro ball gown in a Vogue from 1977 with the model's sleek blonde hair windswept and with glossy lips or a Givenchy haute couture gown in stark black and white from 1968 in Harpers Bazaar, I find it very exciting because it puts back some of the past into the present life of these pieces.

We have two Yves Saint Laurent rive gauche leopard print cossack-style hats at RARE vintage and I knew they were pretty fab but when I saw this image of the great and talented Loulou de la Falaise in le look totale, I did not realize the extreme elegance of it all.  Seriously, wouldn't you love to be that woman in that outfit for one day?  You know something exciting is going to happen!

Loulou de la Falaise in YSL

YSL rive gauche hat as seen on Loulou de la Falaise available for purchase at RARE vintage

love, kisses and vintage YSL on Loulou de la Falaise and at RARE vintage, Juliana

Weekend Reading 19: Loulou de la Falaise

Loulou de la Falaise's death was announced today by the Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent Fondation.

"My home is like a gypsy as it has a lot of color and generosity.  I want to make people feel happy and surprised but at the same time it has to be beautiful."  Loulou de la Falaise

Loulou de la Falaise's apartment in Paris

In 2007 Falaise created a line of jewelry and objects for the home called 'Loulou de la Falaise Fantasie'.  "Each piece is a fantasy - but things shouldn't be serious, but fun and enhancing," said Falaise.

Loulou de la Falaise, Yves Saint Laurent and Bianca Jagger all looking so happy.

"Anything I've ever had a really good time in, I would never give away."

Loulou de la Falaise modeling for Vogue

"When I shop, I try things on and then look at the label."

Falaise's bangles

'Loulou de la Falaise's preferred beauty tonic comes in a bottle of Scotch.'  From Francesco Scavullo's 1976 book, 'Scavullo on Beauty'.

Loulou de la Falaise in Yves Saint Laurent on her wedding day to Thadée Klossowski in 1977 with her mother, Maxime de la Falaise.  Doesn't the mother of the bride, Maxime, look glamorous in her white dress with gold jewelry, red beads and red nails?!

'As a designer as well as a small business owner, Loulou del la Falaise has finally abandoned the last vestiges of her fabled role as Yves Saint Laurent's muse.  "I'm looking for one myself" she said.  The New York Times

Loulou de la Falaise, our RARE vintage Muse Forever.  Creative and Createur.  

Weekend Reading 3: Loulou de la Falaise, Yves Saint Laurent and a little Opium

Weekend reading for you from RARE vintage.  Read on...  (click on the images to enlarge)

Harper's Bazaar UK March 2011

Jerry Hall in the 1978 Opium ad campaign.  The clothes look so familiar don't they?!

Night of a thousand red lanterns:

Marina Schiano, Loulou de la Falaise and Yves Saint Laurent:

Loulou de la Falaise in the black velvet dress embroidered with a red poppy that Yves Saint Laurent made for Loulou.  It was short in the front, with a train in the back and lined in gold fabric:

Two greats: Yves Saint Laurent and Diana Vreeland:

Yves Saint Laurent and models: