FASHION HISTORY with Liz Taylor

watch that, H&M: a "Versace Vogue magazine voluminous silk blouse"
from 1991, 200 - 400 USD

... whereas a lot is being written these days (and in a very appreciative manner, too; well, would you be surprised?) about the auctions of Dame Elizabeth Taylor's infamous jewellery collection by Christie's on December 13 and 14, I would like to draw your attention to parts III and IV of said auction that will focus on her Haute Couture and ready-to-wear fashion as well as some of her accessories. Some really nice pieces will come under the hammer, and all of them genuinely "vintage" ...

Barbie's delight: a Valentino velvet and satin ball gown with
scarlet and beaded evening bag" from the 90s, 3000 - 5000 USD

... tandis qu'un grand nombre de commentateurs s'est déjà empressé pour parler de la légendaire collection de joaillerie établie par Elizabeth Taylor, laquelle va être vendue aux enchères chez Christie's le 13 et 14 décembre, je voudrais diriger votre attention sur le fait que, dans ce même contexte, le 14 et 15 décembre vont passer sous le marteau quelques unes de ses robes de Haute Couture et de prêt-à-porter acquises au cours des six dernières décennies - du vintage à l'état le plus pur, voilà tout ...

period pieces: an Ungaro couture dress (1967), 700-900 USD (left)
and an Emilio Pucci silk ensemble with two beaded sautoirs (1959),
800-1200 USD

... when I did research for an article that was published in the spring of 2010, I realised that the entire myth surrounding the vintage terminology seems to be blown up at times. What matters most - these pieces are part of fashion history, and they are meant to be worn. Now, with Elizabeth Taylor's suits and coats and dresses and evening gowns, I think there are some really marvellous opportunities to go back in time, to wonder at the very daring colour and fabric combinations from times past, and to remember the legendary actress and her violet eyes of course ...

working woman: an Yves Saint Laurent houndstooth
two-piece ensemble from the 60s/70s, 600 - 800 USD (left) and a
Valentino wool plaid suit from the 70s/80s, 600 - 800 USD

... lorsque j'ai fait des recherches pour un article paru en mars 2010, je me suis rendu compte que, s'il existe tout un ensemble de règles établies et suivies par les férus de la robe mythique, il s'agit donc surtout de découvrir des pièces (devenues !) uniques appartenant peut-être même, et dans le meilleur des cas, à une personne célèbre telle l'actrice aux yeux violets, Elizabeth Taylor, pour la mettre et lui permettre de continuer à être un objet destiné à l'usage dans la vraie vie ...

a Torero fantasy from the house of Givenchy, jumpsuit and jacket
from the 80s, 1000 - 2000 USD

... last thing I'd like to add: when clicking through the auction lots I couldn't help being reminded of so many of the Barbie dresses that were around when I grew up - as if the Mattel costume design team had drawn immediate inspiration from Mrs Taylor's shopping preferences ...

almost cheaper than in the shop:
a Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse Alma bag for 700 - 1000 USD

... dernière remarque : quand j'ai fait le tour virtuel des robes qui seront vendues, il y avait un certain effet nostalgique pour moi car pas mal de modèles de la fin des années 70 et du début des années 80 m'ont rappelé des robes de Barbie qui me sont familières de mon enfance - l'armoire de Liz, une source d'inspiration pour l'équipe de Mattel ? ...

PUCCI alla tirolese

... always interesting to see how so-called "INTERNATIONAL" designers (basically that's supposed to mean anyone outside Austria I guess) approach the motif of AUSTRIAN fashion or rather, TRADITIONAL COSTUME. While the great majority of Vienna-based avantgarde designers (and that's mostly what Vienna fashion is all about, at least at university level, where gallery presentations and art installations seem to be considered of greater value than hard facts and skills...) shy away from using elements of DIRNDL and the likes, others don't. A nice example, and the most recent one that comes to my mind: Peter Dundas' Tyrolean fantasies in Emilio Pucci's fall 2011 collection. This has got nothing whatsoever to do with traditional costume (which has its own rules, and ways, and manners), but still. Into the TRAPP FAMILY? Well, you'll sure enough like this collection. Peter Dundas living up to (high) expectations, there ...


... je trouve intéressant la façon de s'approprier des éléments du costume folklorique classique que l'on peut, saison après saison, observer dans les collections de quelques créateurs particulièrement doués et dotés d'un esprit suffisamment ouvert pour aller chercher leurs références où il les trouvent. Prenons le cas du très talentueux PETER DUNDAS comme exemple, car il vient de présenter pour la griffe EMILIO PUCCI dont il est responsable depuis plusieurs saisons (après avoir travaillé pour Lacroix, Cavalli et Ungaro auparavant) une collection TYROLIENNE, qu'il ne faut peut-être pas prendre trop au sérieux, mais en même temps, le MARCHESE DI PUCCI, il n'était pas toujours très sérieux non plus, n'est-ce pas ? ...


... mi sono rimaste in mente le creazioni di PETER DUNDAS per la maison EMILIO PUCCI che sono appena state presentate a Milano e che saranno disponibili a partire di settembre (un po' di pazienza, vi prego, signore...) perchè mi pare notevole (oppure semplicemente: MI PIACE, perchè no...) l'approccio dell'americano-norvegese che s'era ispirato ai paesaggi, alle montagne, all'atmosfera del TIROLO. Chi mai, tra gli stilisti austriaci, farebbe una cosa del genere. In un certo modo si capisce anche il perchè di questo ritegno, visto la storia del '900 e il peso ideologico che trasporta in un certo senso il costume tradizionale E COMUNQUE si vede che numerosi designer internazionali, ad esempio la molto eccentrica VIVIENNE WESTWOOD o anche il signor WILLHELM non hanno nessun problema a trasformare degli elementi del DIRNDL ...