Valentino Dishes

I can be very repetitive - when I really love something, a film, a book, a place, a dress... I can return to it over and over again without getting ever getting bored.  One of my favorite books is Nan's Kempner's entertaining book R.S.V.P. 

R.S.V.P. 'Menus for Entertaining from People who Really Know How' was written in 2000 by Nan Kempner and lushly photographed by Quentin Bacon.   I keep it at our beach house and I can pick it up on a cozy fall afternoon in front of the fire and take a visit with Nan to Anne Bass' country house in Connecticut and have a lunch (with Bill Blass) of seared pork loin with herb lime butter, Jack Daniel's Yam purée with buttered pecans and an apple far with maple cream.  

On a summer day, from our deck, I can go with Nan to Tuscany to visit Robin Hambro's Tuscan farmhouse and have fried sage leaves with anchovies, a toasty bruschetta with tomatoes and basil and fresh figs with lavender infused cream.  For all of the many delicious sounding recipes, I have actually only made the fried sage leaves with anchovies so far for some reason (they were delicious!)... but I can be almost as happy to read about food as I am to make it... almost...

Nan and I can also spend the day on Valentino's yacht, the T.M. Blue One, with the pugs.

"Valentino has a remarkable sense of flavor and textural combinations.  His food is imaginative and creative, and he designs his menus in much the same way he designs his fashions.  For each meal, he prepares a menu book for his chef, sketching out what he wants.  He then spends time on the kitchen developing the recipes for the chef, specifying ingredients and discussing how to realize the dish he has in mind - not just how it will taste but how the dish will be presented."

Nan Kempner

So on the T.M. Blue One, we had barley seafood salad, fresh seafood ravioli with sea bass sauce and a caprese cake.  Delicious food, in a delicious setting.

Above photos by Quentin Bacon from Nan Kempner's book R.S.V.P. Menus for Entertaining from People Who Really Know How.

I was very excited to read that Valentino, the Emperor of stylish fashion, stylish homes and stylish food has a book coming out in the fall on just that!  Valentino: At the Emperor's Table will be published by Assouline on October 28th.  The photographs are by one of my favorite photographers, Oberto Gili.  So let's get ready for Gstaad, London, Rome, New York, Paris and another visit to the T.M.Blue with Mr. Valentino.  Recipes included!

Valentino At The Emperors Table.  Photos by Oberto Gili.  Published by Assouline.

love, kisses and see you on the T.M. Blue One, Juliana

Nan Kempner's John Galliano for Christian Dior 1997 Cheongsam

There is so much wonderful going on here: John Galliano's first ready-to-wear collection for the house of Christian Dior and the American bonne vivante Nan Kempner.  Although I would not normally think of the two together - Nan Kempner, was a famous client of Yves Saint Laurent, this John Galliano Christian Dior cheongsam was never the less in her closet.

So thrilled to have this for sale at RARE vintage!  From Nan Kempner's garde robe and John Galliano's debut collection for Christian Dior:

Tiny pearls, tiny buttons...

1997 John Galliano for Christian Dior cheongsam available for purchase at RARE vintage.
info@rarevintage.com or 212-581-7273

"Wrenching beauty... romantically sexy and beautiful... kept and cared for but jaded too... silent-movie gowns... dresses had tiny pearls sewn onto Mandarin collars... a sharp piece of workmanship..." 

Amy Spindler on John Galliano's debut for Christian Dior.

Spring 1997 Dior ad campaign:

and then Nan Kempner, the woman Yves Saint Laurent called "la plus chic du monde".

Nan Kempner.  Photos from WWD

Nan Kempner whose style and vast wardrobe was celebrated at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the exhibit, Nan Kempner American Chic:

"Fashion is an art.  When you look at paintings in museums, you see a reflection of how women dressed in certain eras.  A designer is as much of an artist as an author, painter or architect. Fashion design is, after all, architecture for the body.  Look at the work of Gres, Chanel, Poiret, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent."

Nan Kempner

love, kisses and vintage, Juliana

PS... I am ALWAYS looking to purchase early John Galliano and  Galliano Givenchy and Dior...

Alexandra, Nan Kempner, Givenchy and Bazaar 1968

As I was relaxing in Paradise surrounded by Vogue and Bazaar magazines from 1963 until the mid 1980s - I happened to find this image of our Nan Kempner Givenchy which was just featured on our bride, Alexandra in New York Magazine Weddings issue.  Great isn't it?!

RARE vintage's Bride in New York Magazine Weddings

You see, we told you Alexandra was the coolest bride!  And the most beautiful.  And the most lucky - not too many women could fit into Nan Kempner's Givenchy haute couture!  Here is the article in New York Magazine Weddings and tips from Juliana Cairone on how to buy and store your vintage pieces.

Fringe is In!

I have a sneaky suspicion that the flurry of fringe bags we saw on the runway for Spring 2010 was inspired by Kate Moss carrying Genevieve Jones' fringe bag.    

But fringe has been the adornment of choice by haute bohemians since the 1960s.  Yves Saint Laurent explored his luxe hippie side with this early 1970s leather and pony hair fringed belt.

And you know how we are always saying that we buy pieces that are wearable and collectible for RARE vintage? A similar piece was also bought by the great collector of fashion, Nan Kempner, and is now a part of the Costume Institutes collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

 

Early 1970s Yves Saint Laurent fringe belt. 

  Marked a size small. Total Length 73cm or about 29".

 

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Always Classic: Yves Saint Laurent

We will be posting some great options for all of your resort needs shortly but in the meantime we were thinking about what to wear as the weather turns a little cooler. We were wondering, what would a style icon like Nan Kempner wear for serving spaghetti at home on a fall Sunday night or for skiing in Gstaad? And then we knew! A crocheted vest from Yves Saint Laurent of course!

From Nan Kempner's personal collection is this wonderful 1970s crocheted vest from Yves Saint Laurent. It is an amazing wearable piece of fashion history from a great couturier and his great patron.

1970s Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche crocheted vest. Provenance: Nan Kempner

Our second piece of cozy elegance is also from Yves Saint Laurent. From the 1960s this cardigan trimmed with wool fringe and narrow sleeves is a great basic. Just the thing when you are looking for something simple but gorgeous (and a bit of Saint Laurent from the 1960s which is becoming increasingly rare to find).

1960s Yves Saint Laurent cardigan. Size 4/6.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

It's an Haute Couture Rampage! (more from Nan Kempner)

We have so many goodies for our RARE vintage readers that we did not even quite realize just how good some of the goodies are! We promised you more from style icon Nan Kempner's personal wardrobe and here is a divinely beautiful Yves Saint Laurent black silk chiffon haute couture gown with large silk ribbon that sits seductively below the behind. The lower part of the dress ends in a gauzy transparency. Nan Kempner's style has been celebrated at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the de Young Museum and at the Fondation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent. In fact, Yves Saint Laurent called Nan Kempner, "la plus chic du monde"!

If this dress looks familiar it is because Kate Beckinsale wore this in February to the De Grisogno Domino Party. So, if you are feeling a bit like a fashion icon, like Nan Kempner, and as hot as Kate Beckinsale, here is the perfect opportunity! Size 4.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Coup de Foudre (Nan Kempner Personal Collection)

Coup de foudre is love at first sight which is how we felt when we saw these 1970s Ungaro Parallele suede pants with a red lightening bolt running down the sides. The boot cut pant is very rock and roll and sexy. It is a bit of a surprise that these pants are from style icon Nan Kempner's closet but we fell in love with them so why couldn't she? Size 4.

We have more pieces that we will be posting from Nan Kempners's personal collection but we are on our way to Paris and will be posting again on April 1st. Paris always means new pieces for RARE!!

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Direct from Paris circa 1978 couture

The fall 2007 couture shows are going on right now in Paris and here in New York we have our own vintage Paris haute couture. We will be posting more couture pieces over the next few days. Including a Yves Saint Laurent from Nan Kempner's personal wardrobe.

Our first is a Chanel circa 1978. This gorgeous gown is brilliantly simple in design but the simplicity is perfection. We only wish that everyone reading this could just feel the fabric on this dress. There is a reason why women pay tens of thousands of dollars on couture. The color is a creamy pearl on the outside and the inside is a deep black. There is a peep of black when the gown is on. And we can not forget the beautiful black patent camellia on the front. Size 4/6

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273