SUPER POWERS!

 

The Supers on the Gianni Versace catwalk

 

No one influenced the world of fashion and glamour like the supermodels of the 90's! Sure there were the girls before them like Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Marissa Berenson, and Iman, but what they lacked was the business savvy and presence of Linda, Naomi, Christy and Cindy. They weren't just booking major contracts they were able to capitalize on themselves as a product. While the girls of the past were working for a few hundred dollars a day the supers of the 90's were able to boast that they would not wake up for less than $10,000.00! These young women weren't just on the covers of fashion magazines, they were in music videos,  commercials, calenders, and work out videos. Their style off the runway was at times more interesting than what was on the runway itself. They were glamazons, consistently beautiful in and out of the magazines shining brighter than any Hollywood actress could ever dream. It was this generation of models that the actresses of today try to emulate. In fact the presence of an actress or singer on the cover of an issue of "Vogue" or "Harpers Bazaar" was something that was rarely seen at the time. Karl Lagerfeld was quoted in Time magazine as saying these girls were more glamorous than the movie stars themselves. For these young women had what industry insiders simply call "It". 

The trinity; Naomi, Linda , and Christy

 

Linda Evangelista, is the chameleon and has been featured on over 600 magazine covers. Evangelista is mostly known for being the longtime muse of photographer Steven Meisel, as well as coining the phrase "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day." She holds the record for her multiple appearances on the cover of Vogue Italia.

Naomi Campbell, also referred to as the black Bardot was discovered at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognizable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world.  Her personal life is widely reported, particularly her temperamental behavior.

 Christy Turlington is the modern day Audrey Hepburn  and is best known for representing Calvin Klein from 1987 to 2007. She has worked on dozens of modeling contracts with companies including Maybelline Cosmetics and Versace. Turlington starred in her fashion documentary Catwalk and Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped.

 

 

Cindy Crawford the all American girl known for her trademark mole just above her lip,  has adorned hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career. Her success at modeling made her an international celebrity that has led to roles in television as host of Music televisions "House of Style" , and to work as a spokesperson for Pepsi cola.

Although the 90's gave us greats such as Claudia, Kate, and Shalom, we owe it to these amazing women who paved the way and set the standard and made the world of fashion  super!!!

 

 

 

Rupaul "Supermodel of the World"

 

Marie Antoinette the Un-Official Patron Saint of the Fashionista

Marie Antoinette has always had a special place in my heart. For she is the un-official patron saint of the fashionista.  She was born in November 1755, an Archduchess of Austria and in April 1770 she married Louis XVI of France and became the Dauphine of France. Marie Antoinette then assumed the title of Queen of France upon the death of Louis XV.  She initially had charmed the people of France with her beauty and personality, but it seemed that poor Marie Antoinette was not able to charm the one person she needed to, her husband!
Her mother criticized her for her inability to "inspire passion" in her husband, who rarely slept with her and had no interest in doing so, being more interested in his hobbies such as lock-making and hunting as well as the occasional stable boy.  Her mother went so far as saying directly to Marie Antoinette that she was no longer pretty, and had lost all her grace.

Hat by milliner Philip Treacy





An early illustration of Marie Antoinette






So, to make up for the lack of affection from her husband and her mothers constant criticism, Marie Antoinette did what most of us do when we have a stressful situation or a bad day. She shopped! She was expected by tradition to outshine the other women at Court and did so by spending outrageous amounts of money on her attire, pomade, shoes, and rouge. After all she was the IT girl of Versailles!
Marie Antoinette finally gave birth to a daughter after seven years of marriage, and later on gave birth to a male heir to the throne. Unfortunately, because of her spending on clothes and gambling the French people generally came to dislike her, accusing her of being promiscuous and being sympathetic to Frances enemies, Austria in particular. She became known as Madame Deficit. Marie Antoinette was tried and convicted of treason,and was executed by guillotine on October 16th 1793.
Some academics have deemed her frivolous and superficial, and have attributed the start of the French Revolution to her; however, others have claimed that she was treated unjustly and that views of her should be more sympathetic.
Marie Antoinette did not have the easiest of lives, she was married at the age of fifteen, and then became queen at the age of 19. ( I know people in their thirties that still cant balance their bank accounts!) In her death Marie Antoinette became a legend, one that still inspires us today. For all that she was, may god bless the queen!!!  And for those that feel differently toward this amazing woman. well then , "Let them eat cake"

Kirsten Dunst as "Marie Antoinette" in Sofia Coppolas film of the same name

Madonna a'la Marie Antoinette

Jean Paul Gaultier

John Galliano

Sofia Coppolas film "Marie Antoinette"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gianni Versace, my greatest influence!

My very first image of Gianni Versace  is burned on my memory forever. It was 1992 and it was the vibrant potency of his vision of glamour that did it! What I remember so vividly is how with a stunning sense of time and drama, he sent the supermodels onto the runway all at once. There they stood, a tall and powerful tribe of modern goddesses wearing draped black dresses being held in place perfectly with his Medusa emblazoned safety pins. I don't think I've ever seen a spectacle like that before.  From that point onward I knew I had to watch out for this man.
I purchased every fashion magazine I could get my hands on, Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, etc..., anything to get a glimpse into the world this great man created. What Gianni understood most is that fashion should be fun. His sense of hedonism, his love of bright, rich color, his appreciation of the strength and sensuality and physicality of women and men came directly out of his southern Italian culture. Essentially his was a baroque sensibility.
What Versace  did best , and most recognizably , was to create clothes to cause a sensation in. Sex, glamour, and the power of feeling gorgeous - he visualized those qualities better than anyone.
 The Versace name will continue, but I will dreadfully miss the life enhancing spirit of the clothes that felt as though they did make the man.

 

 

 

 

Gianni Versace's final Couture Show

Re-Invention

my personal evolution

In my life I've encountered many people who are afraid of change. I for one am not one of those people. Sure, I may have my daily rituals that consist of my morning coffee, an hour of lifting weights, several hours of cardio (I'm a cardio junkie), and meditation. When it comes to my personal style and my life in general change is consistent.  I look forward to learning more, and growing more every day. Who doesn't want to be a better version of themselves? You only have one life to live so you should live it to the fullest.
 Dare to wear what you want and be creative! How do you know whether or not something will work for you unless you try it. That's how trends start and legends are made. Its not just about hair, clothes and make-up either. Re-invent your lifestyle!  Make it a point to smile, you don't have to say a word and it means the same thing in every language. Exercise and be a healthier, happier you! Donate to charities, and not just your money, but your time as well.  The most stylish thing you can do in my opinion is to treat everyone with the same kindness, compassion and respect you'd like in return.
Change is good!

Chez Chez La Femme

The Queen of Re-invention

My Halston Moment..........

Everyone has a favorite decade that they would have liked to experience. Some people would have loved to live in the days of Marie Antoinette or Cesar and Cleopatra. NOT ME!!! I've always longed for the days of Studio 54.  I was born in 1976, so by the time I was old enough to have developed my own individual taste in music and fashion the 80's had just kicked into high gear with the innovation of Music Television and the music video. Gone but not forgotten were the sounds of disco and the over the top fashion of the 70's.

  My obsession with this decade started in the early 90's when bands like Deee-Lite and the B-52s started to revive the style of the seventies with their bouffant hair and platform shoes. I had picked up a copy of the Andy Warhol Diaries my freshman year of high school and did not put it down for a second reliving this fabulous time in history. Andy's diary entries were filled with tales of his life in the late seventies with his "Halston family" which consisted of Andy, Bianca Jagger, Victor Hugo, and Halston himself with occasional cameos from Liza Minnelli, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Martha Graham.  Who was this man Halston? I had to learn more!

 Halston  wasn't the only great designer of the decade, but in a time where most people turned to the French fashion houses for the newest looks Halston was changing the face of fashion in America with his minimalist jersey dresses and ultra suede fabric which he not only used for his clothing but also to decorate his luxurious apartment located above his Olympic Tower showroom. Andy's diaries were just the tip of the iceberg.

 I started listening to old disco records I found  in thrift stores and there once again was the name of the man I had read so much about, "Halston".

He wears the finest clothes
The best designers, heaven knows
Ooh, from his head down to his toes
Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci
He looks like a still
That man is dressed to kill
"Hes the Greatest Dancer" lyrics by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards

 

Halston created more than just a look he created a lifestyle that was both luxurious and classic.
Roy Halston Frowick was born on April 23, 1932. Roy developed an interest in sewing from his mother, and he began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister as a child.  In 1952, Halston moved to Chicago where he went to school and worked as a window dresser.
Halston's first big break came when the newspaper wrote  a brief story on his fashionable hats. In 1957, he opened his first shop, the Boulevard Salon. It was at this point that he began to use his middle name as his professional moniker. During his childhood he had been referred to as Halston to distinguish between himself and his uncle Roy.
Halston moved to New York City in 1957 and worked as a milliner. Within a year, he had been named co-designer at Daché, became acquainted with several fashion editors and publishers, and left Daché's studio to become head milliner for department store Bergdorf Goodman.
Halston achieved great fame after designing the pillbox hat for Jackie O,  and when he moved to designing women's wear, Newsweek  dubbed him "the premier fashion designer of all America."His designs were worn by Bianca Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli and Lauren Hutton.
 
 Halston changed the face of fashion in the 70's and he continued his success into the early eighties but due to a few bad personal and business decisions he left the spotlight.  On March 26, 1990, with his family by his side  Halston, 57, succumbed to AIDS.

 I never had the pleasure of wearing a Halston original but the hunt is not over. So I  patiently wait for my "Halston Moment" .

Putting on the Ritts!

There is one man responsible for not only opening my eyes to the beauty of black and white photography using natural light, but the eyes of millions. That man is the late Herb Ritts. My first exposure to his work was in the pages of "Vogue" and "Rolling Stone" where he not only brought out the beauty in the models and celebrities that he photographed but he also showed them in a way that was a far cry from the highly stylized studio pictures they were accustomed to. Although he is gone he has changed the world of photography forever. With all that's old being new again I feel it is the perfect time to reconnect with Herb  in a way that is not  hampered by the limitations of physicality in a way that will never come to an end. Through his art we will continue to feel him in our lives.

"Please allow me to introduce myself......."

Hello darlinks, welcome to my blog!  I invite you to join me as I put together the fall collection for the re-launch of my store Gypsies, Tramps, and Tees. I'm not sure if anyone has already attempted to document  something like this, but I've never really cared about what everyone else is doing. I'd much rather march to the beat of my own drum.  I've been obsessed with fashion since I was a seven  year old trying on my mothers and fathers clothes mixing both trying to create a look that I thought was tres chic.  People always ask me where do you get your inspiration and where do you find such amazing vintage pieces that look so modern?  Well, now is your chance to see first hand! Until next time I must bid you adieu!

Chez Chez La Femme

 

In order to head toward the future we must learn from the past!!!