Category: vintage
Bring Back Bjork!
(All photos Huffington Post)
Who could forget? Taken in 2001…when stars were prepared to be human and dress for themselves…and give us something to truly talk about..
1969 – Barbara Streisland
1999 – The wackiness that is Celine Dion
1996 – Our own Kate Winslet, still rough around the edges…
1990 – Kim Basinger..never really got the hang of Oscar night…
1989 – Demi Moore – striking out..sort of..
2003 – Hilary Swank..less swank..more net..
1986 – The indomitable Cher
We bow down to you – come back! All is forgiven!
Laters, Kate
The Wear-Anywhere-Coat x
Taste is shaped by an assortment of interconnected influences one of which has to be nostalgia and that warm, inner glow of special memories. Which was the burning catalyst that drove Alexander Stutterheim to design his first rain coat: He wanted to capture the essence of his Grandfather, an incredible man who not only managed a big theatre in Stockholm and wrote poetry in his spare time, but who would go to sea, defying the worst weather conditions mother nature could throw at him to catch fish (or life, as he said). When Alexander found one of his Grandfather’s old fishing coats in a out-building he was compelled to resurrect it as a personal homage to his memory.
Rainwear as an individual concept has long been swallowed up by giants of sportswear with most of the production now based at big factories far away. But that’s not what Alexander wanted, instead he took his prototype to the last standing textile factory in Sweden in the small town of Boras to Johan Kall, the manager and his seamstresses for their skill, craftsmanship and individual attention to detail.
The coats are a fabulous design – discreet, classic timeless cuts, the seams are all taped and sealed and each coat is signed and numbered by the seamstress who made it as a mark of honour and integrity.
They are coats to wear in the country, in stormy weather, at sea..or even in the City. And still be well dressed. Coats that are made to live and last a lifetime.
The hardest decision is choosing what colour..
It’s the husbands birthday coming up and I think it could be the perfect present: Made to stand both the test of time and weather all storms with passion, authenticity and love. Sometimes it’s not just about what you want to wear but also who you want to be.
And sometimes something comes along that ticks all the boxes. Just like him really.
Laters, Kate x
The Sapeurs.. xxx
Suave and sophisticated, the title Sapeur comes from la SAPE, an abbreviation of Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes – The Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. Over the past twenty five years it’s emerged as a brightly coloured African subculture inspired by the myth of Parisian elegance and Dandyism.
Mostly centred around Brazzaville and Kinshasa, the adjacent Capitals of the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo respectively, the Sapeurs cultivate their refined gentility amid their countries war-torn, extreme poverty.
But despite this nations history, Sapeurs are pacifists – for them style is about being respectful with a pure attitude and impeccable manners.
Creativity is paramount – although many will spend whatever they have on clothes, it’s not about the money, it’s about style and being flamboyant in oneself, despite the circumstances.
(All the pictures above by Baudouin Mouanda)
They are ordinary people, with ordinary jobs who break free by transforming their dusty pavements into fabulous fashion runways. But the truth is these characters are teachers, creatures of spirit with a powerful, requisite flair and passion.
(Photo by Hector Mediavilla)
Sharp and sly, like poetry in motion with their hearts turned to the sun, they demand that there can be great riches in small spaces..their irresistible sense of pride says you can be whatever you want to be…and sometimes we all need that fairytale.
(Photo by Hector Mediavilla)
A very short documentary – worth watching! x
To those that say their style is part of a legacy of cultural imperialism and a post-colonial carry-over they say:
‘White people invented the clothes..but we turned them into an art form’
Personally, I doff my bright yellow trilby to them.
Laters, Kate x
Anything Goes..
There’s no getting away from it – part of the breathless anticipation of any Fashion Week are the Street Style photos of the good, the bad and the fabulous pretending they’re unaware they’re the players in their own performance.
An unfortunate accident? Or the latest accessory?
Because ultimately, even with this small number of elite beings, they’ll only be a select few who can really tick the boxes and dress the way you want to feel.
But they still all know to carry themselves with extreme confidence, no matter what they feel like inside..and as perception becomes more important than truth it makes these some of the most interesting, schizophrenic moments to secretly observe.
We’re no longer in the land of princesses. What we wear, even to posh events is becoming more generalised, more ‘every day’. Which is why these flashes of inspiration are so important – they’re within our grasp.
But innovative and desirable is still the holy grail.
(All photos by Tommy Ton from Style.com)
The pictures tell us: To change our spots, all we need to do is change our skins. Essentially, they give us hope.
Laters, Kate x
Salvage Yard x
A few months ago Caitlyn Moran, writer for the Sunday Times, wrote an article on the deficits of money. She decided that once she had money she always chose the easy option..got an Event, need a dress? Buy it. But without it she was forced to be creative – rumble through wardrobe, find something, get sewing machine out. Go to Event as the new Lady Godiva. Her conclusion was that her brain was far better and more inventive in her desperate youth than it is today…and that the ability to adapt and alter is something we need to treasure and nurture.
New bedside tables perhaps?
A rather dramatic floor lamp?
A unique piece of Art…
Just because..
Fur coat, no knickers in the downstairs toilet?
Stunning.
A kitchen..or a new industrial office?
A new headboard?
Life is really what you want to see.
Laters, Kate x
Rachel Comey x
Rachel Comey is a Master in the art of adding loose without adding weight.
So maybe it’s not surprising that she originally started out by designing Menswear. She swapped to Womenswear inspired by the number of women sneaking into the Menswear section to buy her clothes. She’s never looked back.
She looks to the past and is inspired by vintage with little sips of rebellion.
It’s not about showily declaring yourself.
But rather great riches in small spaces.
Laters, Kate x
Mexican wonders..
Anyone else having problems with WordPress or is it just me? This wasn’t the post intended for today..but amongst other things I’ve lost the ability to upload pictures..to edit..to go into ‘Help’ which sort of sums up frustration..and Live Support is currently closed. Ho hum. Anyways – I originally collected these pictures as they never fail to remind me of the summer sun; It doesn’t matter what the fashion world is dictating, each year I always love the bohemian effortlessness of a peasant style shirt. Most of these are vintage from Mexico, a country which still embraces the beauty of embroidery but whether you’re a lover of colour or prefer the simplicity of a single colour, there’s something for everyone. Thinking of good times ahead..
Laters, Kate x
Jumpers of Desire..
There’s something very special about the jumpers of the 1930s – 40s.
There’s an eye-sharing presence that’s graciously engaging.
Something softer than the mainstream with emphasis on shoulders and form.
Where the wool takes centre stage and starts the dialogue.
Of course there’s always a danger with nostalgia that is stops ideas moving forward.
But it can also be a huge source of inspiration and these jumpers and their motifs have my heart…..
(All pictures from Etsy)
So if anyone knows of anyone making modern equivalents, pray tell, otherwise I may just have to learn to knit…and then you can only pity the poor sheep that give up their wool for such an unworthy cause…
Laters, Kate x
Erik Madigan Heck x
All photos from his website. Make a cup of tea and go and indulge in cocaine for the eyes.
A pure visual feast – Erik Madigan Heck is an award winning Photographer who’s developed his own uniquely beguilingly and surprisingly tender technique, blurring the lines between photography and the painted Arts.
In our minimalist world he’s looked to the past and found forgotten, curiously exotic textures to weave and layer into his creations.
Drawing inspiration from painters such as Matisse and Monet he revels in colour, clash and pattern with almost brutal thematic clarity.
Unconventional yet timeless with total emotional clout that hits you in the heart, I love him.
Laters, Kate x
Room Service x
How so very very. Sigh. The fundamental beauty of vintage linen will always have a special place in my heart (particularly anything with a monogram)..skill, design, crisp cotton and stunning needlework all wrapped up in the bliss of sleep…
But some modern bedlinen also has a touch of magic –
and because of it’s expense, it’s something I try and buy in the sales.
One of my favourite shops is Cologne and Cotton, where all these delights came from, they produce the type of quality that make them the heritage items of the future.
(They also managed to persuade me that white is not the only colour)
However, I do have a gripe about bedlinen in general…
Why is it so user unfriendly?
Wouldn’t life be so much simpler if there was a perfect run of say, beige stitches, that marked the top of an eiderdown, duvet cover or fitted sheet? Even a style of stitches..or a ribbon?
So easy then to line up eiderdown and duvet, particularly on doubles..and imagine never having to re-do a fitted sheet again because you put it on wrong the first time?…
So simple, so never done…time for a revolution?!
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 