Harry Gordon's Paper Poster Dresses

The POP! DESIGN CULTURE FASHION exhibition at The Fashion and Textile Museum finishes later this month. I took these photographs when I visited a while back and kept meaning to post them.

Dating from 1968, these paper dresses were designed by the American Graphic Designer Harry Gordon and sold at the time for about three dollars each.

The first is 'Hand', the second 'Mystic Eye' - a close up of Audrey Hepburn's eye, and the third 'Rose'.

Harry Gordon's idea was to produce a new dress with an image of a different pop star each week. 

He was scuppered from the beginning. Apparently, Bob Dylan, his choice for the first dress, objected so strongly he had to withdraw the offending articles from sale.

There are a couple of dresses still in their original packaging for sale on etsy now - for just a bit more than three dollars. 

Barbara Hulanicki

I have a few bits of Biba, mostly ephemera, and a rather nice early waistcoat that's tucked away somewhere in one of my many bags of things to sort. 

I know what Barbara Hulanicki did in the beginning and I know what she's doing now, but not that much about about what she did in between, after the demise of Biba. The designing in South America and Europe. 

I'd like to find out more about this very sparkly number that I found long ago in a charity shop. The lurex thread running through it reveals a lovely floral design as you move. It's really very pretty.

Hopefully I'll discover more about it all when I get down to Brighton for the
Biba and Beyond exhibition that opened today ... and runs until 14 April 2013.

Christian Dior

So... my sorting, recording, blogging and selling idea has not gone quite to plan. I'll get there. I just didn't realise there would be so much ironing involved.

I have lots of posts on draft, one I'm particularly excited about, but in the meantime here's a photograph taken at the Christian Dior Museum in Granville, Normandy, which I visited last month. 

The 'Stars in Dior' temporary exhibition finishes on the 23rd September.

Balz Baechi

Here's a detail from another scarf. A 1970's silk square designed by the painter Balz Baechi. Born in Switzerland in 1937 he originally trained as a graphic designer and worked as a designer and illustrator in Europe and New York.

Since 2000 he and his wife Isabel have been involved in a foundation they set up to protect and restore ancient wallpaintings around the world. 

A Favourite Scarf

A scarf is a wonderful thing. But i probably have too many. 

They are just so easy to collect, and cost next to nothing. I've been making piles to go and piles to stay, and these few are definitely keepers.

They are all silk squares, with the exception of the third and fourth ones down which are rayon, and all unsigned except for the last which is by Jacques Fath.

It became apparent by the size of the piles that the painterly scarves were much preferred over the more graphic designs. 

The Jacques Fath is very special but if I had to choose another favourite favourite, it would have to be either the Kitchen Sink School jug and cups, or the bottles. 

Plenty more to come...

Hot Pants

ahh, the memories... it's 1971 and i'm ten years old. My mum and dad have dropped me off at Tiffany's nightclub for the Saturday morning pre-teen disco and i'm wearing these, my favourite hot pants. The Delfonics 'Didn't I ( Blow Your Mind This Time )is playing and I'm standing under the ultra violet light in my luminous outfit desperately hoping someone, anyone, will ask me to dance.  

Anyway... I've just read the most brilliant article 'Hot Pants: A Short, Happy and Musical Career' which includes a playlist, and a pretty great one at that. So of course I remembered and was prompted to dig these out of a suitcase. They are Made in England by Ian Peters and almost entirely synthetic. 

I can still get them on ( with someone on standby in case I need resuscitating ).

A Cypriote Boy

I was completely mesmerised by this photograph displayed in a little local history museum I visited recently in the village of Steni in Cyprus.

One of a series taken by the photographer John Thomson in 1878 and originally published in a book called 'Through Cyprus with the Camera'.

Sadly, there appears to be very few examples of these lovely hand woven garments left in Cyprus now. 

There is a bit of a resurgence of weaving in some villages but very much geared towards producing goods for tourists. Nothing anywhere near as beautiful as this. 

More Miss Mouse

It was so nice to see these two early 1970's 'newsprint and roses' and 'marilyn' screen printed dresses in the 'Pop Design Culture Fashion' exhibition at The Fashion and Textile Museum last week. Even though they were rather tucked away in a dark spot. 

The exhibition went quite a way in satisfying my love of all things bright and sparkly. There are some wonderful Mr Freedom and Wonder Workshop designs on show. Real feel good clothes.                                             

Colin Glascoe

I've had this fine wool Colin Glascoe maxi dress for about 15 years. I take it off the hanger from time to time, admire it, try it on, then put it back on the hanger again, wishing I was at least a foot taller so I could do it justice.

It really does have the most amazingly beautiful print. Vibrant and intense colours, with gorgeous friendly pink dragons peeping out at you about half way down. The more I look, the more I find and the more I love it.

Unfortunately, apart from reading somewhere that he designed a collection of prints for Liberty's, I've managed to find out next to nothing about Colin Glascoe. Maybe someone can help...

Miss Mouse

There is a new exhibition opening this Friday at The Fashion and Textile Museum. POP! DESIGN CULTURE FASHION

I'm looking forward to it already, especially as I hear they are going to have some Miss Mouse clothes on display. Rae Spencer-Cullen was the designer of all things Miss Mouse. Not an awful lot has been written about her, or her amazing designs which is such a pity. Somebody really needs to put it all in a book.

I love this photograph of her. She looks beautiful and full of fun. Just like her clothes.

The Women's League of Health and Beauty

If 'active wear' was still as glamorous as this there's an outside chance I might be a little bit more enthusiastic about exercising.

I can't be sure about the date of this rayon satin top, the name tag sewn into it has thrown me, but the 1930's detailing is all there. A sweet peter pan collar and pin tucks from the shoulder. 

The top slips over your head and has a long tail coming from the back that threads through an opening at the front to keep it all together.

I spent quite a time wondering how you might leap about in this while still protecting your modesty. A bit of research and I soon discovered there were also big black satin knickers designed to wear over it. Very sensible. Maybe I'll come across a pair one day.

The badge has a makers mark stamped on the back. H.W. Miller Ltd Birmingham. 

The Women's League of Health and Beauty  was founded by Mary Bagot-Stack in 1930 and still exists today as The Fitness League.  

And there's a wonderful bit of vintage footage to look at  here.

Unknown Textile Number 1

Here is another slightly faded and unpicked post war curtain, re-made into cushion covers and unpicked again. I do love things that have lived a little...

Sadly there is no selvedge marking to help me out with the name of the designer. Something that is always nice to know.

Mary White's Cottage Garden

There were a few different colour ways of Mary White's Cottage Garden furnishing fabric at the Designing Women exhibition, including this one with pink trees. The length I have is a partly unpicked curtain, and looks like it's been laundered a few times. Still very lovely though.

A roller-printed cotton fabric, it was designed in 1955 and also sold in Heal's.