Designer Spotlight – Investment Piece

Designer to Know: Pierre Cardin

Investment Piece: Pierra Cardin
Investment Piece: Pierre Cardin

A few weeks ago I got lucky with a vintage find. I stumbled across this darling Pierre Cardin and snapped it up, ironically the day before we lost the great designer. Fate? Luck? Good Vintage Shopping? Maybe a combo of all three. And while I love the whimsy in the pattern of this dress, the way it moves, and the neck tie- from now on I’ll always think about how lucky I was to find it, right when Pierre Cardin (a towering designer before) became an icon past.

Investment Piece: Pierre Cardin

Pierre Cardin , born Pietro Costante Cardin[a] (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical. He founded his fashion house in 1950 and introduced the “bubble dress” in 1954.

Cardin is responsible for many of the trends that were popular both in the 50s-70s, as well as today. As Wikipedia tells us:

Cardin’s fashion career began in the 1940s, after WW2. Cardin moved to Paris in 1945. There, he studied architecture and worked with the fashion house of Paquin after World War II. He worked with Elsa Schiaparelli until he became head of Christian Dior’s tailleure atelier in 1947, but was denied work at Balenciaga.
Cardin founded his own fashion house in 1950. His career was launched when he designed about 30 of the costumes for a masquerade ball in Venice, hosted by Carlos de Beistegui in 1951. Cardin inaugurated his haute couture output in 1953 with his first collection of women’s clothing and became a member of the Chambre Syndicale, a French association of haute couture designers. The following year he opened his first boutique Eve, and introduced the “bubble dress”, which is a short-skirted, bubble-shaped dress made by bias-cutting over a stiffened base. He was the first couturier to turn to Japan as a high fashion market when he travelled there in 1957.

As haute couture began to decline, ready-to-wear (‘prêt-à-porter’) soared as well as Cardin’s designs. He was the first to combine the “mini” and the “maxi” skirts of the 1970s by introducing a new hemline that had long pom-pom panels or fringes.

Beginning in the 1970s, Cardin set another new trend: “mod chic”. This trend holds true for the form or for a combination of forms, which did not exist at the time. He was the first to combine extremely short and ankle-length pieces. He made dresses with slits and batwing sleeves with novel dimensions, and mixed circular movement and gypsy skirts with structured tops. These creations allowed for the geometric shapes that captivated him to be contrasted, with both circular and straight lines. Cardin became an icon for starting this popular fashion movement of the early 1970s.

Investment Piece: Pierre Cardin

Inspired by space travel and exploration, Cardin visited NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in 1970, where he tried on the original spacesuit worn by the first human to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Cardin designed spacesuits for NASA in 1970.

Cardin resigned from the Chambre Syndicale in 1966 and began showing his collections in his own venue. He also designed uniforms for Pakistan International Airlines, which were introduced from 1966 to 1971 and became an instant hit.

In 1971, Cardin redesigned the Barong Tagalog, a national costume of the Philippines, by opening the front, removing the cuffs that needed cufflinks, flaring the sleeves, and minimizing the embroidery. It was also tapered to the body, in contrast with the traditional loose-fitting design, and it also had a thicker collar with sharp and pointed cuffs. A straight-cut design was favored by President Ferdinand Marcos.

In 1975, Cardin opened his first furniture boutique on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. In 1977, 1979, and 1983, he was awarded the Cartier Golden Thimble by French haute couture for the most creative collection of the season. He was a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter from 1953 to 1993.

Like many other designers today, Cardin decided in 1994 to show his collection only to a small circle of selected clients and journalists. After a break of 15 years, he showed a new collection to a group of 150 journalists at his bubble home in Cannes.

Pierre Cardin designed everything from swim to bags to clothes. He sought to sell his brand in the late 1990s, but no sale ever went through. You can still shop his designs in vintage stores, and you can read more about his iconic career (and see his designs!) here, here, here, and here.

Investment Piece: Pierre Cardin

I don’t need all the history to know that I love this dress. But I love getting to know designers, recognizing their works, seeing how much of what I wear has been inspired by and affected by those who came before me. On Etsy (and other vintage sellers) you can find so many Pierre Cardin pieces- from very mod skirts with cutouts to swim to bags to dresses like this one. I’ve linked some of my faves below.

I’d love to know: are you a Pierre Cardin fan? Love knowing about designers?
Xo RA

Note: this post does contain affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Investment Piece: Pierre Cardin

Designer SpotLight: Kate Spade

with yet another high profile suicide in the news I can’t help but be reminded by this. I won’t tell us to check on our friends- because sometimes our friends will also put up a front for us. I will say life is tough. And sometimes our feelings are bigger than us. So here’s my tribute to Kate Spade. Let us fill our life with color and playfulness and joy! And yes- check on your friends. But also be ok with your friends maybe keep that part of them secret?

Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Kate Spade

In the past week there has been a lot written about Kate Spade. About how her iconic handbag, bright and preppy aesthetic, and affordable pieces made women feel grown up. About her battles, and how she worried that her issues would negatively affect her brand. About how much she was loved.

I can relate to all of that. Like Kate Spade, I want my fashion and shopping to inspire you and make you feel like your best self. And, like Kate Spade, I worry that any personal issues I have might negatively affect my brand. Knowing how much to admit about what you struggle with is difficult in any setting, but especially so when you worry about how it might affect your business. This is the part where I let you know that I’m no expert. There has been so much written about how to reach out if you’re struggling, that you should reach out if someone you love is struggling, and how we should all be a little more compassionate. I wholeheartedly agree with all of that. And know it’s complicated. So, my take is that we all suffer a bit. We should all love each other a little bit harder, and maybe be a little more honest. And, maybe most important, maybe we should do a lot more of what brings us joy-be it having a bag that makes you feel like a grown up or something else.

Kate Spade was so much more than a bag designer and there have been wonderful pieces written about her brand, attention to detail, and how her bag changed “the game”. I hope you’ve read them and come to admire Kate for all that she was. Below is a short recap of Kate Spade’s career:

Investment Piece: Designer to know: Kate Spade

Katherine Noel Brosnahan (December 24, 1962 – June 5, 2018), known professionally as Kate Spade and Kate Valentine,was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. She was the founder and former co-owner of the designer brand Kate Spade New York.

After working in the accessories department at the fashion magazine Mademoiselle, Brosnahan and her husband Andy Spade founded the business in 1993, identifying a market for quality stylish handbags. The handbags that she designed and produced quickly became popular due to their sophistication and affordability; they have been described as a symbol of 1990s New York City.

The company expanded into other product lines. In 1999, she sold a 56 percent stake in Kate Spade New York to Neiman Marcus Group; in 2006 she sold the rest of her shares.[4] In 2016, she and partners launched a new fashion brand called Frances Valentine.

Early Life
Spade was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of June (Mullen) and Earl Francis Brosnahan,[5] who owned a road construction company.Her ancestry was mostly Irish. After graduating from St. Teresa’s Academy, an all-girl Catholic high school, she attended the University of Kansas. Later she transferred to Arizona State University, where she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma, and graduated with a journalism degree in 1985.

Fashion was a love, she recalled later, but not an obsession. Her original goal was to become a television producer, and she cited the example of Holly Hunter’s character in the 1987 film Broadcast News as her inspiration.

Mademoiselle
In 1986, Spade worked in the accessories department at Mademoiselle magainze in Manhattan, where she was credited by her maiden name, Katy Brosnahan. While at Mademoiselle, she started living with Andy Spade, a native of Scottsdale, Arizona. The two had worked side-by-side as salespeople in a men’s clothing store, Carter’s Men Shop, back when Spade was still in Phoenix.

She left Mademoiselle in 1991, with the title of Senior Fashion Editor/Head of Accessories. While working for Mademoiselle, she had noticed that the market lacked stylish and sensible handbags, and decided to create her own.

Kate Spade NewYork
Kate and Andy Spade launched the New York–based design company “kate spade handbags” in January 1993. “I wanted a functional bag that was sophisticated and had some style,” Spade would later recall. She made six prototypes with Scotch Tape and paper, and found a manufacturer in East New York willing to work with a startup to turn them into actual bags. To finance the company, Andy, who had worked as a copywriter, withdrew his 401(k) pension plan, and sometimes paid employees with personal checks. The couple spent their shipping season living at friends’ apartments, since their own was filled with boxed handbags.

Kate was undecided as to what name to give the company, because she and Spade had not yet married, and “Kate Brosnahan” did not sound like an ideal name for a fashion label. She considered a number of names, but agreed when Andy suggested “Kate Spade” — a combination of their names that he found euphonious. After an early show at the Javits Center at which the department-store chain Barneys ordered a few bags, Kate decided to put the bag’s labels on the outside, a change that took her all night to make, but established the brand.

The bags, priced in the $150 to $450 range, quickly became popular, particularly in New York. Teenage girls with disposable income appreciated that the bags at the lower end of the price range were affordable. That was “a real shift” in fashion, said Fern Mallis, director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) during the 1990s. “Everybody had Kate Spade bags. You could afford them, and happily buy more than one.”

Young American women at the time also liked the sophisticated look. One woman recalled to Sarah Maslin Nir in The New York Times later that the Kate Spade bags looked mature, without being too adult for a teenager as a Burberry bag would have been seen. “At the turn of the last century,” Nir wrote, “her bag came to encapsulate a decidedly Manhattan moment in time”, a moment when Vogue editor Anna Wintour recalled that it was impossible to walk a block in the city without seeing one.

The company sold mainly handbags at first, but soon extended to clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, eyewear, baby items, fragrances, tabletop, bedding and gifts. In 1996, the Kate Spade brand opened its first boutique, a 400-square-foot shop located in Manhattan’s trendy SoHo district, and moved its headquarters into a 10,000-square-foot space in West 25th Street.

In 2004, “Kate Spade at home” was launched as a home collection brand. It featured bedding, bath items, china, wallpaper and various items for the home. Later in 2004, Spade also published three books on the subjects of etiquette, entertainment, and fashion—Manners, Occasions, and Style. That same year, a Kate Spade store was opened in Aoyama, Tokyo in Japan.

Neiman Marcus Group purchased 56 percent of the Kate Spade brand in 1999, and the remaining 44 percent in 2006. The Group sold the label in 2006 to Liz Claiborne Inc., for $124 million; it was later renamed Fifth & Pacific. The company was purchased by Coach, Inc. in May 2017; both Coach and Kate Spade are now part of Tapestry, Inc.

France Valentine
After selling the remaining portion of her ownership stake in the Kate Spade brand in 2006, Spade took time off to raise her daughter. In 2016, she and her business partners launched a new collection of luxury footwear and handbags under the brand name Frances Valentine. The name Frances is a family name on Spade’s paternal side; her daughter is named Frances, as were her grandfather, father, and brother. “Valentine” came from Spade’s maternal side; it was her grandfather’s middle name, given because he was born on Valentine’s Day. In 2016, Spade legally changed her surname to Valentine.

There are so many personal details -her husband, her daughter, and we know more about details of her death than maybe we should. My heart breaks for the loved ones she leaves. But, as much as I believe in love and honesty, I think that there are some stories that are only your families to tell. So,I’m not addressing her personal life. Her creations brough me joy, I understand her struggles, and so I’m chosing to love hard and wear great shoes as my homage to Kate Spade.

What is your favorite Kate Spade bag?
XO RA

Designer to Know: Mary McFadden

Mary McFadden, infomous for her pleated creations- but also an Editor at Vogue, working in PR for Dior, art collector and writer, left us recently. It is always shocking when someone who shaped so much of our fashion world passes; I can’t help but going through their lives and their creations, and wonder how I can honor them through fashion. Mary McFadden (to me) is the 1980s glam, that still looks sophisticated (and fun).

Above, where I am wearing one of my favorite Mary McFadden- a purple pleated number that’s seen me from cocktails to holidays and everything in between.

Mary McFadden was a native New Yorker, who worked in PR for Dior in the early 1960s, until she married her first husband. They moved to South Africa- where he worked for De Beers and Mary became the editor for Vogue South Africa. She opened her label in 1976, creating distinctive apparel that was inspired by the art of China, Africa, Greece, and South America as well as cultures she encountered during her travels. She collected a distinguished array of objects in varied substances, particularly gold. Acclaimed for her use of African and Asian prints intricately quilted jackets, as well as for her pure, timeless designs using “Marii” pleating that was enhanced by beaded cuffs and collars, jewel encrusted trim and panels, as well as gold embroidery, “zardozi.” McFadden also designed bold sculptural jewelry.

McFadden’s clothes, though clean-lined, were conceived to combine, textures, graphic designs and art of many cultures. They referenced faraway (from New York) cultures and long-ago times. Her work was described as having the quality of “romantic abstraction” by Vogue journalist Jill Robinson in 1977. “I’m not a draping artist. My construction is simple, flat, one-dimensional. I’m interested in limiting bulk, in a total spareness of finishing,” said the designer at the time.

Vogue credits the designer with transforming the way women dressed for evening in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This was a time of soft dressing, and her longline dresses celebrated the natural body. Though not hippie-ish in the least, they tapped into the prevalent fantasy of other places and other times. Free of constraints, McFadden’s clothes were polished but comfortable, allowing for movement. And women’s lives were changing apace, both in boardrooms and in bedrooms. A McFadden dress was as sensual as it was timeless. As easy-on, easy-off for the evening as Diane von Furstenberg’s wraps were for the day.

Mary McFadden the brand closed in 2002. People will tell you that it’s because the customer and style changed- and yes, the early ’00s were not as chic. However, these dresses, the pleating, the draping, the embellishments are all still favorites of mine. I am also of the opinion that if you don’t have a place to wear something fantastic you create it!

Mary McFadden’s many honors include the President’s Fellows Award of the Rhode Island School of Design. She was elected president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her collections have been shown on runways in New York, London, Russia, India, South and Central America, and Tokyo. Miss McFadden received a Coty Award in 1976; she entered the Coty Hall of Fame in 1979, the same year she received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award. Her collections have also been exhibited at Allentown Museum, PA; The Dixon Museum, Memphis Tennessee; The Women’s Museum, Washington D.D. and More College of Art, Philadelphia, PA.

You can read more about Mary McFadden here, here, and here. I have also linked some of my favorite Mary McFadden’s that are available for purchase below.

Here’s to pleats and art and the dresses that combine them all! XO RA

Please note: This post does contain affiliate links. While this does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Designer to Know: Rudy Gernreich

Investment Piece: Rudy Gernreich

Years ago I posted a knit dress that I couldn’t help but feel was perfect for the end of summer/beginning of fall, or the end of winter and beginning of spring:

Investment Piece: End of summer

See the full post here

This dress was a Rudy Gernreich. He was one of the first designers to use cutouts, vinyl, and plastic in clothing. He’s infamous for his monokini. And yet, as I think about fashion and using that as a weapon against fascism, I can’t help but think of Rudy!

Investment Piece: Rudy Gernreich

I fell in love with these knit dresses (once loved by Goldie Hawn!) through a vintage friend who loved the recent museum showing she saw of his work. Rudy was considered unconventional and trendsetting in his day, and while he may not be the name you think of when you think of 1960s fashion, Gernreich was a driving force in many ways and a designer you should know.

Investment Piece: Rudy Gernreich

Rudy Gernreich (originally spelled Rudi) was born in Vienna, Austria to a manufacturing family (an only child, his father died by suicide when Rudy was 8); but Rudy “stayed” in the family business and learned high end fashion and fabrics at his aunt’s dress shop. He did all the sketches for her clients, and was even offered a fashion apprenticeship in London at 12, which he turned down as his mom thought he was too young to leave home.

In 1938, Hilter and the Nazis took over Austria and Rudy and his mother fled for the safety of America. They settled in Los Angeles, where Rudy sold his mother’s pastries door to door, worked at the morgue, and after attending both Los Angeles City College and Los Angeles Art Center School returned to his first love, clothes.

Investment Piece: Rudy Gernreich

Even though Gernreich loved clothes, he took a round about way to designing his own looks. He started as a dancer and costume designer, when his dreams of becoming a choreographer was dashed he was a fabric salesman for a while, then finally began designing clothes. In the 1940s and 50s fashion was dominated by Paris and the looks that Dior, Balenciaga, etc were producing-Gernreich hated these looks and felt very pressured to stay close to these styles. (Fun Fact! Gernreich refused to show in Paris throughout his long career!) Gernreich began designing his own clothes (avant-garde) and signed a deal with William Bass, INc and JAX boutiques. (He also began designing swimwear for Genesco Corp).

Rudy founded his own firm in 1960. Some things Rudi Gernreich, INC is known for? The first fashion video (Basic Black in 1966), knit wear (from dresses to more experimental garments to unisex clothes), one of the first brands to sell directly to chain stores (a contract with Montgomery Ward), seasonless fashion, the first swimsuits with built in bras (and the removing of boning and a more clinging fabric), the non-sexualization of clothes (as an old dancer, Rudy believed in function and movement, not the sexulization of the body), the first thong bathing suit, and innovative design.

From topless swimsuits to knit dresses that stand the test of time, you may not know Gernreich or own one of his pieces, but his work has influenced everything you put on.

Investment Piece: Rudy Gernreich

During his life, Rudy was inducted into the Coty American Fashion Hall of Fame, won multiple design awards from Sports Illustrated, Coty American Fashion Critics, Council of Fashion Designers of America, and more. He was admired by his peers as being innovative, avant-garde, and putting the clothes first. Since his death, his works have been featured in exhibits in multiple museums and books.

Gernreich died in 1985 of lung cancer, surrounded by his life partner, Oreste Puccinani. (Gernreich never made his religion or his sexuality a focus point as he felt that both were obvious)

You can read more about Rudy Gernriech (and I hope you come to admire him like I do!)
here
here
here

And you can search his works at museums from the Met to the Skirball.
You can also visit his website here

Xo RA

Investment Piece: End of Summer

Designer to Know: Mary Quant

This week was Mary Quant’s “would have been” Birthday- and as the queen of miniskirts we can’t help but celebrate her!

a woman in a mini dress kneels on the floor in front of pictures
As you may have heard, legendary UK designer Mary Quant passed last week at 93 years young. Quant was known (predominantly in the 1960s) for her use of color blocking, championing the mini skirt, and styling with patterned tights. Mary Quant dressed Twiggy and other “mod” models and stars- as well as everyone in the 1960s and beyond that were ready for “new” and “modern”!

models in mini skirts and knee high boots in bright colors

Every time there is a designer who has affected how I dress (and I have been known to rock color blocking and mini skirts!) I love knowing about them-so here is all about Mary Quant, and how she still inspires how we dress today.

Dame Barbara Mary Quant (11 February 1930 – 13 April 2023) was a British fashion designer and fashion icon. She became an instrumental figure in the 1960s London-based Mod and youth fashion movements, and played a prominent role in London’s Swinging Sixties culture. She was one of the designers who took credit for the miniskirt and hotpants. Ernestine Carter wrote: “It is given to a fortunate few to be born at the right time, in the right place, with the right talents. In recent fashion there are three: Chanel, Dior, and Mary Quant.”

Mary Quant was born to school teachers, who originally dissuaded her love of fashion and pursuing that career. Quant studied illustration and art education at Goldsmiths College for which she received a degree in 1953. In pursuit of her love for fashion, after finishing her degree, she was apprenticed to Erik Braagaard, a high-class Mayfair milliner on Brook Street next door to Claridge’s hotel. “Good taste is death,” Mary Quant once famously said. “Vulgarity is life.”

Quant did not like clothes as they were in the 1950s. She saw the tight, corseted silhouettes popularized by high fashion houses like Dior as too limiting. They didn’t make sense for young women coming of age in the second wave of feminism. Instead, Quant wanted clothes that reflected the pleasure of being alive. When she couldn’t find that in stores, she decided to make it herself with fabrics bought from Harrods.

Quant initially sold clothing sourced from wholesalers in her new boutique in the Kings Road named Bazaar. The bolder pieces in her collection started garnering more attention from media like Harper’s Bazaar, and an American manufacturer purchased some of her dress designs. Because of this attention and her personal love for these bolder styles, she decided to take designs into her own hands. Initially working solo, she was soon employing a handful of machinists; by 1966 she was working with a total of 18 manufacturers. A self-taught designer inspired by the culture-forward “Chelsea Set” of artists and socialites, Quant’s designs were riskier than standard styles of the time. Quant’s designs revolutionised fashion from the utilitarian wartime standard of the late 1940s to the energy of the 1950s and 1960s’ cultural shifts. She stocked her own original items in an array of colours and patterns, such as colourful tights.

Quant’s impact did not just come from her unique designs; in her boutique she created a special environment, including music, drinks, and long hours that appealed to young adults. This environment was unique for the industry, as it differentiated from the stale department stores and inaccessible high-class designer store environments that had a hold of the fashion market. Her window displays with models in quirky poses brought a lot of attention to her boutique, where people would often stop to stare at the eccentric displays. She stated that “Within 10 days, we hardly had a piece of the original merchandise left.”

For a while in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Quant was one of only two London-based high-class designers consistently offering youthful clothes for young people. The other was Kiki Byrne, who opened her boutique on the King’s Road in direct competition with Quant.

In 1966, Quant was named one of the “fashion revolutionaries” in New York by Women’s Wear Daily, alongside Edie Sedgwick, Tiger Morse, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, Rudi Gernreich, André Courrèges, Emanuel Ungaro, Yves Saint Laurent and Baby Jane Holzer.

a woman in a mini dress and white knee high boots fitting a mini dress on another woman

Quant can be seen as an early example of turning a fashion label into a brand. She designed her logo, a black and white daisy, in the 1950s, which went on to appear on packaging for her clothes. A cheaper line, the Ginger Group, launched in 1963, as well as tights and a successful makeup line. Mary Quant Cosmetics, launched in 1966, was her calling card even as attention on her clothes waned. The cosmetics line remains in existence.

In recent years, the designer has appeared on the radar of a younger generation. A 2019 exhibition at the V&A was the first in 50 years and included 35 pieces sourced from a public call-out. This was followed in 2021 with a documentary, Quant, directed by Sadie Frost, featuring names including Vivienne Westwood, Kate Moss and Edward Enninful. Her friend Jasper Conran summed up her legacy best: “Mary Quant is, without a doubt, one of the most important British designers ever.”

a line of mini dresses on mannequins

When learning about her death, several stars of the 19060s had this to say about Mary Quant:
1960s fashion icon Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Lawson posted on Instagram: “Mary Quant was such an influence on young girls in the late 50s early 60s. She revolutionised fashion and was a brilliant female entrepreneur.
“The 1960s would have never been the same without her.
Fellow fashion designer Sir Paul Smith said she was a “brave innovator who was constantly modern, willing to shock and blessed with a business and personal partner [Greene] who could help turn her ideas into reality.”
Photographer and model Pattie Boyd tweeted that Dame Mary had made her and her first husband George Harrison’s coats when they wed in 1966. “A true icon,” she said as she shared a photo of the wedding day.

I can look at my closet and see the mini skirts, the patterned tights, and color blocking. And upon reading about Mary Quant (not just knowing about her fashion), and seeing how her philosophy and attitudes towards fashion are so similar to my own, and it made me love her.

One of my favorite quotes? In the 1985 Thames TV interview, Quant also mused, “Fashion is about life. It’s about everything…I think fashion anticipates. It seems to get there first and everything unravels behind it.” Quant was also there first, and the viral mini skirts of today certainly wouldn’t have been possible without her.

Here’s to mini skirts, to loving what you’re wearing and marking your own path! And to Mary Quant!

More reading can be done here, here, and here.

When any designer I loves passes, I have a (I refuse to feel guilty for my pleasures) pleasure of looking up their designs that I can buy. Below I’ve linked a few Mary Quant pieces that I love- from tights to outfits. You can find so so many more on the GEM app (I get no commission from that, it’s just a great resource for any and all vintage shopping!). I would love to know about your Mary Quant fashion stories!
XO RA

Note: The following are affiliate links. That does not increase the price for you, but I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

a woman in a brown leather mini skirt, a brown suede jacket and knee high boots in front of a brick wall

Designer Spotlight: Rei Kawakubo

Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Rei Kawakubo

By now the Met Gala, theme of Rei Kawakubo, has come and long gone–you probably had an opinion about the red carpet, and may agree with me that Rhianna won it (just because she stuck to the theme). Or it may be a faint memory (in all of the Met Galas since). While we could chat Met Gala, themes, red carpets and Rhianna’s style, you may have a great grasp on those. What you may not have is a wide understanding of Rei Kawakubo, her designs, and her label Comme des Garçons. Loves, you should know. Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons are fashion in its highest form, and I don’t mean that you’ll find the perfect LBD; but in the sense that clothing will be playful, fantastical, experiment with shape, form, and gender roles, push boundaries, and be a calling to something higher.

Comme des Garçons and Kawakubo are known for original designs, big shapes, non-genderconforming designs, and mixing tailored pieces with corsets. The first few collections were done in only black, white and gray; and the runway shows to this day are more performance art than collection presentation. Comme des Garçons were the first to present designs that seem conventional now: unfinished hems, asymmetry, black, overblown and deconstructed silhouettes; what we wear today holds a debt of gratitude to these collections that read more like poetry than a standard runway. Kawakubo is known for playing with these themes:
-absence/presence
-design/not design
-fashion/anti-fashion
-model/multiple
-high/low
-then/now
-self/other
-object/subject
-clothes/not clothes
These these run through every collection and are on view in the 150 outfits on view at the Met.
Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Rei Kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo was born in Tokyo in 1942, the oldest of 3 and the only girl.After college she took a job in advertising/textiles, but also worked as a freelance stylist. With no design background, Kawakubo started her line in 1973, opening her first boutique in Toyko in 75. Comme des Garçons grew, adding a men’s line in 78, presenting in Paris in 81, and opening a Paris boutique in 82. Kawakubo now splits time between Paris and Toyko. Known for powerful and directional design that’s been called “radical abandonment of conventions” and “stunningly audacious”. Kawakubo not only dares to rework the relationship of clothes to the body, she involves herself in all business aspects from graphic design to advertising to shop interiors. However, Rei Kawakubo is till thought of as a recluse, an extreme introvert who keeps to herself; even though she is a fashion icon, she doesn’t think of herself that way.
Investment Piece: Designer Spoltight: Rei Kawakubo

Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons have inspired all aspects of fashion, as well as sub labels such as Junya Watanbe, Tao Kurihara, and Comme des Garçons Tricot. There are also several collaborations Comme des Garçons participated in including ones with :Fred Perry, Converse, Speedo, Nike, Moncler, Lacoste, Cutler and Gross, Chrome Hearts, Louis Vuitton, H&M, and Supreme (all of which might be found on a luxury resale site or eBay). Much of what we wear or think is cool is owed to Kawakubo.

Shocked that someone who is a self admitted shy girl can design clothes that make such loud statements? I’m not. Isn’t that part of the fun of fashion? It speaks for us, when we can’t? In fact my favorite quote about Kawakubo comes from Paul Gaultier, who said:
“I believe that Kawakubo is a woman with extreme courage. She is a person with exceptional strength. Moreover, she has a poetic spirit. When I see her creations, I feel the spirit of a young girl. A young girl who still has innocence and is a bit romantic. Yet she also has an aspect of a fighting woman, one who fears nothing as she thrusts forward.”
If your clothes can say all that, what else is left to say?

I’d love to know: what are your thoughts on Rei Kawakubo and the Met Gala?

Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Rei Kawakubo

Designer Spotlight: Galanos

Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Galanos

James Galanos, who’s amazing designs were a favorite of prominent women such as Nancy Reagan is known for many things: dressing famous women, working magic with chiffon, and believing in beauty.

This is usually the part where there’s a twist, or I share new information. There’s no twist. There’s nothing shocking, just us, chatting about a great designer and amazing clothes. I still like where this is going!

James Galanos was born in 1924 to Greek immigrants (his father was a frustrated artist), in Pennsylvania. He has the average childhood, spent with his 3 sisters. James might have been far from fashion centers, though he was in awe of the beautiful women he saw at the restaurant his father managed in Southern New Jersey, he dreamed of Paris and New York. Galanos never sewed, even for his sisters, but he began sketching at a young age. He attended the Traphagen School of Design in NY, but dropped out after 8 mths (only completing General Design and Draping/Construction) as he felt like he needed practical experience, and not classes.

Galanos began his fashion career at Hattie Carnegie Emporium in NY, but as his job was more clerical, he left quickly to find a more creative position. He sold his sketches to manufactors for $10/each; until textile magnate Lawrence Lesavoy hired Galanos to help his wife launch a Ready-To-Wear line. Lesavoy and his wife divorced, causing the line to fall through, but Lesavory paid for Galanos to go to Paris where he found a position as an assistant to Robert Piguet (where Pierre Balmain and Hubert de Givenchy also started). At Piguet’s house, Galanos was resposible for sketching, draping, and working with suppiliers. After leaving Paris, Galanos returned to NY where he worked briefly for the dress making firm Davidvow, before moving to LA in 1951 to start his own line, Galanos Orginals. The rest is history.

Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Galanos

Galanos sold his first collection to Saks, and then while his works were on display in a NY showroom, Galanos was discovered by a Neiman Marcus buyer. Stanley Marcus would become a huge fan and supporter of Galanos. Other influential fans? Diana Vreeland, Eleanor Lambert, and Eugenia Sheppard. Galanos quickly became well known and successful. He designed movie costumes for a time, adding Rosalind Russell and Judy Garland to his circle of supporters.

What makes Galanos different than some of the high end designers was that he never did couture, his line was always Ready-To-Wear, though his “factory” was run like a Couture house. The team of sewers and designers were true artisans; though the clothes were somewhat machine made, the sequins and chiffon edges were all done by hand. Galanos was very involved, picking out fabric and paying attention to the hidden details of his creations. While the price point (5 figures) of his dresses made Galanos out of reach for some people, his creations were timeless and classic, making them amazing vintage finds!

Galanos was know for high quality pieces, details, and being a master of chiffon. He draped chiffon, pleated it, hand rolled it, used flower prints and metallics, and even gilded chiffon. His designs were timeless, classic, and meant to make the wearer more beautiful. The women that Galanos dressed include: Nancy Reagan, Marliyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Grace Kelly, Diana Ross, Betsy Bloomingdale, Rosalind Russell, Marlene Dietrich, Dorothy Lamar, Judy Garland, Loretta Lynn, Ali McGraw, Ivana Trump, Carolyne Roehm, Kim Bassinger, and Arianna Huffington.

Galanos retired from fashion in 1998, though he still attend his friend’s shows. He said that he was not happy with the direction that fashion was going: that the fashion at the time was only meant for young people and had lost its elegance. Galanos reinvented himself as an abstract photographer. James Galanos passed away in Los Angeles in 2016.

Galanos designs remain gorgeous, timeless, and in demand. They balance the line of modern and classic, and the details alone are stunning. If you’re hoping to add a Galanos to your collection, you can try 1stdibs, Etsy, or any high end vintage store.

To beauty!

XO RA

I did find the following Galanos pieces at TheREALREAL for you, including one of his stunning furs!

Designer Spotlight: Janice Wainwright

Investment Piece: Designer Spotlight: Janice Wainwright

There are certain designers whose work is a definition of a time, whose work is amazing, and yet who still aren’t as well known as some of their peers. Janice Wainwright is one of these designers, but loves, let me tell you: her work is well worth a designer spotlight, and this appearing slight actually makes these stunning vintage pieces more affordable to own.

Janice Wainwright was born in Chesterfield in 1940. She studied at the Wimbledon School of Art, Kingston School of Art, and the Royal School of Art in London. From 1965-69 she worked for the “Simon Massey” Label, where Wainwright defined her work as “youthful, bright, and feminine”. Wainwright went on to open her own label, “Janice Wainwrightat Forty Seven Poland Street”, in 1970; in 1974 the label became “Janice Wainwright”. Her work was a definition of the late 60s/70s.

Investment Piece: Deisgner Spotlight: Janice Wainwright

While Wainwright honed her signature style at her own labels, she is collectively known for:
*the use of fine jerseys and chiffons
*Bias cut dresses
*tailored suits
*tops and skirt sets
*extensive use of embroidery, including Art Deco motifs and birds/flowers
*Long and lean shapes

Investment Piece: Seeing Stars
The above is the Janice Wainwright that’s in my collection. Long, lean, and amazing details and embroidery? I couldn’t resist it when I got it from my love RecessLa, though (funny story), I didn’t realize it was a Wainwright when I fell in love with it! (You can get all the details and pics from this amazing shoot here)

Janice Wainwright was a contemporary of Ossie Clark, a designer that he respected greatly, and the only designer besides Ossie allowed to use Celia Birtwell’s textiles. (Need a refresher on Ossie Clark? I got you covered here). And while there are obvious parallels between the two designers, Wainwright’s cult following is a bit smaller than Clark’s. However, loves, this is not a bad thing. What this means is that the amazing pieces with a Wainwright label are a bit more affordable to collect! With any vintage designer, it’s never really promised to be available, but if you’re interested in shopping Wainwright a great place to start is your local, high end vintage shop. And online: 1stdibs, Shrimpton Couture, and Etsy.

Happy Shopping! XO RA

Designer to Know: Ted Tinling

Cuthbert Collingwood “Ted” Tinling (23 June 1910 – 23 May 1990), sometimes known as Teddy Tinling, was an English fashion designer, spy and author. He was a firm fixture on the professional tennis tour for over 60 years and is considered the foremost designer of tennis dresses of the 20th century

It’s a month where not everything is as it seems- from bumps in the night to ghosts who end up being shadows. So a designer who was also a spy who was also a tennis champion? I can’t resist! Ted Tinling first came to my attention in the movie Battle of the Sexes (about that infamous tennis match with Billie King!) but I completely forgot about him till in passing I read about the tennis designer who was a spy. Fashion and spies being 2 of my most favorite things I had to know more. So, Designer to Know: Ted Tinling!

Ted Tinling in a low cut purple shirt and white pants stands between two women in tennis dresses

Tinling was born in Eastbourne, on the south coast of England, the son of James Alexander Tinling, a chartered accountant. In 1923, suffering from bronchial asthma, his parents sent him to the French Riviera on doctor’s orders. It was there he began playing tennis, particularly at the Nice Tennis Club where Suzanne Lenglen practiced.

Despite Tinling’s youth, Lenglen’s father asked him if he would umpire one of her upcoming matches. He became her personal umpire for two years in between a short career as a player himself. This friendship with Lenglen led him to his first Wimbledon Championships in 1927, where he became player liaison until 1949. Ted kept a relationship with Wimbledon for years. Tinling’s status at Wimbledon was ever-present, serving as Master of Ceremonies and escorting players onto court for their matches.

Tinling was a brilliant tennis historian, umpire, consultant, confidant, and chief of protocol. He had as distinguished and all-encompassing career as anyone in history. Tinling also became the revered Chief of Protocol for the International Tennis Federation and a Director of International Liaison for the women’s pro tour.

Interesting here? World War II brought a brief career interruption. During the Second World War, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Intelligence Corps in Algiers and Germany. After his death in 1990, it was revealed that Ted Tinling was a spy for the Allies. I’ll be honest I did search after search for details and came up with nothing! I’ll keep looking for all of us!

2 women in tennis dresses stand by a mad in tennis shorts and sweater with a boy on a bench in the background

Though he was a tennis champion, design and fashion were always in Ted Tinling’s blood. Ted began sketching designs as a child, and before WWII was working in custom gowns, most famously designing a wedding gown for fellow tennis champ Dorothy Round in 1937. But as the 30s gave way to the 40s Tinling left behind dresses to focus on women’s sportswear, especially Tennis, and he completely changed the way we dress for tennis.

Tinling’s first tennis design was created for Joy Gannon’s 1947 appearance at Wimbledon, for which he incorporated a pink-and-blue hem that sent the All England Club into a state of shock since its rules were — and remain — that a player’s outfit must be predominantly white.

His breakout moment came at 1949’s Wimbledon, for which Tinling added lace trim to the hem of Gussie Moran’s undershorts — creating a scandalous moment that has become tennis legend.This also led to Tinling being banned from Wimbledon for years!
Tinling designed dresses for a slew of the greatest tennis players in history, including Maureen Connolly, Maria Bueno, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, and Martina Navratilova, to name a few. His tennis apparel adorned female players throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and his dresses were worn by the Wimbledon ladies’ champion in 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1979. Perhaps his most famous outfit was displayed by King in her famous Battle of the Sexes tennis match against Bobby Riggs in 1973. It was a menthol-green and sky blue dress with a color scheme that was a tribute to the Virginia Slims women’s tour. “It felt absolutely perfect when I put it on,” King said.

Tinling’s creations were alluring and colorful and revolutionary. They ranged from the Technicolor outfits sported by Bueno to the glittery models worn by King to the black three pieces of Rosie Casals. “Confidence is probably what makes the difference between a victory and a defeat,” Tinling said. “If a woman feels that she is prettier or better dressed than her opponent, nothing can stop her.”

From there, Tinling enjoyed a steady stream of Grand Slam-bound ladies pining for his designs. In the Seventies, he was employed by the Virginia Slims Circuit (an early predecessor to today’s Women’s Tennis Association) to create designs for the tour’s players.

In his career’s later years, the lanky, outspoken and totally bald Tinling shared a close relationship with teenage sensation Tracy Austin, who wore Tinling designs to capture U.S. Open titles in 1979 and 1981.

The two first met in 1977, after Austin won a custom Tinling jacket as part of her prize package for a title in Philadelphia. The two became constant collaborators thereafter, with Tinling even bequeathing Austin his single pearl earring after his death in 1990.

“Ted was a character with stories galore — we had a great relationship,” Austin said. “I was always a very curious young lady, I would ask a million questions about the history, all the champions, and he loved to talk about his craft….He tried to make women understand that they were athletes but tried to make them feel beautiful on the court.”

Austin would commission up to seven dresses at a time, and unlike in today’s tennis world, would wear a different dress in each stage of a tournament. “I would never have thought of wearing the same outfit twice. It’s a different thought process now that they are selling product,” she said. “Now a player will get an outfit and they wear it for an entire tournament, they are getting paid millions of dollars. I paid for every one of those dresses. Not only was I not paid, I was paying for them.”

Side note- all of the players that Tinling dressed paid for his designs. There was no giveaways, no endorsements. Tinling made one of a kind couture for players- and they paid him. He in turn made the stars of the court a form of a fashion show.

a woman in tennis shorts and smock

Tinling authored two books on tennis, the most notable being, Love and Faults: Personalities Who Have Changed the History of Tennis. He was burdened with respiratory problems throughout the 1980s and passed away in May 1990.

Will we ever know all of his spy secrets? Will we ever wear couture for sport again?

I don’t know- but I’m grateful that Ted Tinling came along and showed us all it’s done.

This is just a brief overview of Ted Tinling’s life. So much more can be learned with a quick google search, by reading the books and articles about and by him, or by a dive into the Tennis Archives.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, will I’m not great at Tennis- I might be a fashion of fashion on the court!

A woman in a white corset top, a printed tennis skirt and nude heels on a tennis court

Designer to Know: Say it with Pins

Have you heard? Brooches are in- AGAIN! I love a great brooch, fun to put on a lapel, or a scarf. You could also- fasten your cardigan with it, put it on your purse, use it as a tie. There are so many ways to wear a brooch, and so many messages you can send with them. I love this reminder that what we wear tells a story, and when we are intentional with the stories we tell we can change the world!

Investment Piece: Designer to know: Say it with Pins

I’ve always been fascinated by those women who walk into a room and everyone notices. And I’m even more fascinated by the women who seem to get everything that they want, without having to over explain themselves. (Real talk? I’m wordy and would win a gold at over explaining myself.) So, when I had the chance to look at a way that one such powerful woman communicated, I jumped on it!

Investment Piece: Designer to Know: Say it with Pins
** Did you know that a spider represents patience and predatory behavior? I’m not the only one who suddenly wants to wear a spider on a night out, right?

***And you may have caught on, today isn’t a true “Desginer to Know”, but rather a way to wear a design. (Play on words? Maybe, but related)

Last winter at the LBJ Library in Austin, I got to go see the pin collection worn by Madeleine Albright during her time as Secretary of State. Fashion? Yes. But, Albright also used her collection of pins to communicate with other Global Leaders, and silently but clearly, make her positions and feelings known.

It’s all the best of everything I love about fashion. A personal way to say who you are, and what you’re feeling. It’s a bit cheeky. And pins are a way to stand out. Why don’t we all do this?

Some of my favorite pins from the collection:
Investment Piece: Desginer to Know: Say it with Pins

Investment Piece: Designer to Know: Say it With Pins
Investment Piece: Desginer to Know: Say it with Pins
Hear No Evil/See No Evil/Speak No Evil

Albright’s colleciton had flowers, butterflies, animals, and all sorts of patriotic symbols. She became known for her pins, and people became adept at interpreting what some of them meant. One of my favorite stories from the collection:
Investment Piece: Designer to Know: Say it with Pins

And I was thrilled to realize that a strong, powerful woman and I have similar tastes:

Investment Piece: Desginer to Know: Say it With Pins — Madeleine Albright’s leopard pin

I’m left with two questions: Should we bring back pins?

(Answer: I’m game. I loved that not all of Albright’s pins were designer. Which means-yes, if you can, start collecting Cartier and high end pins. But it also means, Etsy, any jewelry or vintage shop, and any market can provide you with a pin to say something with. )

Do you have to use pins to make a statement?

(Answer: No. Let’s use all of our fashion, accessories, and personality to say what we need to say.)

Which leaves the question: What are you communicating?

I’m off to make statements with my fashion. Join me?
XO RA

Investment Piece: Designer to Know: Say it with Pins