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| Sari Maritza, circa 1930's. Photo courtesy Sheris-Musings. |
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
What Will the Stars Wear...
to those New Year's Eve festivities? Whether celebrating at home or out on the town, you can be sure our favorite stars will be attired in glamorous style!
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| Claudette Colbert, circa 1939. Photo courtesy Vintage Everyday |
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| Madra Lord, circa 1940's. The jacket & halter from Ashton Drake's "Song of Spain" ensemble is layered over the under-dress from Integrity's "Dream Sequence" costume. Jewels are from Ashton Drake. |
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| Irene Dunne, circa 1940's. Photo courtesy whosdatedwho.com |
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| Eva Peron, circa 1940's. Photo courtesy cometoverhollywood.com |
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| Rita Hayworth, circa 1940's. |
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| Susan Hayward, circa 1940's. Photo courtesy film-classics.com |
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| Jane Wyman, circa 1940's. Photo courtesy acertaincinema.com |
Let the New Year's Festivities begin!
Monday, December 21, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Pincushion Dolls
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| Hertwig Art Deco half-doll pincushion. Photo courtesy thedollworks.net |
China half-dolls, also referred to as pincushion dolls, are not really dolls at all. These delightfully coquettish figures often adorned dressing tables as merely decorative objects of desire as early as the 1900's through the 1930's. The best quality came from Germany and were intended to top utilitarian objects such as powder boxes, perfume bottles, and of course pincushions. Glazed china legs with painted gold slippers were sold separately to be sewn onto a pincushion underneath the dolls skirt.
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| Spectacular Art Deco half-doll with attached legs courtesy indulgy.com |
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| A wonderful German 1920's flapper pincushion doll.. Photo courtesy dollshopsunited.com |
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| A Dressel & Kister porcelain half-doll based on a portrait of Mme. Mole Raymond by Vigee-Lebrun, which hangs in the Louvre, Paris. Photo courtesy prices4antiques.com |
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| An Art Deco half-doll from my personal collection. Her original skirt was replaced utilizing a satin dress from Integrity. |
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| A German porcelain "Pierrot" half-doll. Photo courtesy theriaults.com |
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| A fabulous Marie Antoinette German half-doll. Photo courtesy wanelo.com |
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| Phoenix Gene Marshall looks perfectly divine as a half-doll. Don't worry, her legs are still attached, hidden beneath the vintage fur muff. Top and hat were borrowed from Madra's "So Evil My Love" ensemble. |
Bibliography: China Half-Figures called Pincushion Dolls by Frieda Marion, J. Palmer Publishers.
Phoenix Gene Marshall doll is from Mel Odom and JamieShow.
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| 1920's Japanese porcelain pincushion doll. Photo courtesy rubylane.com |
Thursday, December 3, 2015
An Inspired Holiday: Vintage Window Displays
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| From a mannequins perspective. 1940's Life photo of a NYC Fifth Avenue fashion store window display. Courtesy Greg Beam/inuwindows & blog.johannaost.com |
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| A fabulous Christmas window from Wertheim Department Store, Berlin, circa 1925. Photo courtesy iheartberlin.de |
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| A delightfully cozy Holiday window from Sibley Department Store in Rochester, NY, circa 1940. Photo courtesy rochestersubway.com |
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| Simple yet elegant window from Daytons in Minneapolis, circa 1959. Photo courtesy collectorsweekly.com |
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| A festive idea for decorating your mannequin for the Holidays. Oscar de la Renta window photo courtesy blog.mannequinmadness.com |
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| A marvelous millinery shop window in Newcastle, England, circa 1947. Hollywood Fashion Limited Milliners photo courtesy newcastlephotos.blogspot.com |
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Happy Holidays
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| Window shopping in Washington DC, circa 1930's. Photo courtesy cntraveler.com |
May all your Holiday wishes come true.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Gene Marshall: Star Extraordinaire
"But Don't Give Madra the Cold Shoulder"
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| "Monaco" Gene Marshall |
"Close your eyes. A dream is about to come true." And with those words, a beautifully sculpted, miniature mannequin with stunning features and meticulous period hairstyles captivated my heart. And of course there was her enviable wardrobe, firmly rooted in Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1940's and 50's, that appealed to my love of vintage fashion. "In a place called Hollywood, a magical star was born." Gene Marshall made her first appearance in 1995. Twenty years later, she is still a Star Extraordinaire!
Miss Marshall, newly coiffed in a chic curly style, wears a stunning cocktail dress circa 1950's. "Blue Heaven" was designed by Lynne Day exclusively for Ashton Drake's 2001 Gene Marshall Collection. Fur is from Integrity.
Inspired by the Hollywood stars of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's, Miss Lord burst upon the scene in 2000 as Gene's rival. Fabulous 1940's Victory rolls updates "Cold Shoulder" Madra Lord's bombshell evening look. Her lavender sheath was borrowed from Integrity's "Fringe Festival" Ivy Jordan, fur from Hunter-Goldblatt, and jewelry from StrayCat.
Credits:
"Monaco" Gene Marshall (1995) and "Cold Shoulder" Madra Lord (2001) are from Mel Odom and Ashton Drake.
Quotes are excerpts from Ashton Drake's first direct mail campaign in 1995.
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| Gene Marshall |
Miss Marshall, newly coiffed in a chic curly style, wears a stunning cocktail dress circa 1950's. "Blue Heaven" was designed by Lynne Day exclusively for Ashton Drake's 2001 Gene Marshall Collection. Fur is from Integrity.
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| Madra Lord |
Inspired by the Hollywood stars of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's, Miss Lord burst upon the scene in 2000 as Gene's rival. Fabulous 1940's Victory rolls updates "Cold Shoulder" Madra Lord's bombshell evening look. Her lavender sheath was borrowed from Integrity's "Fringe Festival" Ivy Jordan, fur from Hunter-Goldblatt, and jewelry from StrayCat.
Credits:
"Monaco" Gene Marshall (1995) and "Cold Shoulder" Madra Lord (2001) are from Mel Odom and Ashton Drake.
Quotes are excerpts from Ashton Drake's first direct mail campaign in 1995.
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