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The Fashion Year. 1983.

James’ Dad has a good habit of finding great old fashion books for me, and for my most recent Birthday he didn’t disappoint. I simply love old books on fashion. They are so perfectly representative of a time and movement, and this one on the fashion of 1983 is just ace. I have always really appreciated 80’s fashion, I like the fact that people either love or hate it, I like the eccentricity of it and to be honest, I think it’s a damn sexy look, it’s also really refreshing against the current overload of feminine ‘vintage’ 40’s and 50’s looks. ‘The Fashion Year’ was published in 1983 and is;

All the glamour and romance of one whole year in the International World of Fashion……A panorama of the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections from the Fashion capitals of the World-Paris, London, New York and Milan……interviews with the year’s most exciting and innovative Designers-Miyake, Lagerfeld, Armarni and Alaia…..

 

The book has loads of content; photos and writing, it looks kinda dated but also still really current, the big Designers are still all around today- Giorgio Armarni. Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Halston, Oscar De La Renta, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Missoni, Versace, Thierry Mugler, Sonia Rykiel, Gaultier, Kenzo……the book looks at dresses, hats, lace, sweats and swimwear as well as Models of the era and fashion icons such as Princess Diana. Original Fashion books reinstate how classic looks are timeless as well as how cyclical all fashion trends are….if you leave any look long enough, good or ‘bad’, it will ultimately be beck on trend again. It’s an amazing read and the pictures are just gorgeous, a great little original book!

The book will be kept at my shop Prim Vintage Fashion if any of you fancy a rummage through the pages!

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I SHALL go to the Ball

The exhibition has been on for almost half of this year…but I finally managed to fit in a visit to the Ballgowns exhibition at the V&A in London. Maybe I put off going because I knew I would kinda be overcome with amazement and glee at the mere sight of all those dresses in one place….oooooheeee, it was, as I expected, breathtaking.

‘Ballgowns; British Glamour Since 1950’ is a dream to view. Ballgowns are pretty much my favourite thing in fashion and Sonnet Stanfill who curated this exhibition, did so to utmost perfection. The ground floor of the exhibition showcases 30 ballgowns from the 1950’s up to the 1990’s, and on the upper area there are 30 dresses from recent seasons of the best British designers. Each and every gown is visually stunning, and the way they have been displayed is gorgeous. Grouped in colours on the ground floor, the sense of grandeur and vintage sophistication is ripe, the dresses all behind glass like an untouchable nostalgic memory. Upstairs is white and spacious with holograms on the ceiling and giant pearlescent baubles and modern white wooden chandeliers gathered around the mannequins. I adore the contrast between the two areas, each wholly elegant and magnificent but with totally different atmospheres. This exhibition shows British fashion designers off to their best. The textures, silhouettes, fabrics, colours, effects and glamour are indeed wondrous.

I loved both areas, but as a vintage loving gal, I was more in awe of the older gowns, my very favourite was the chartreuse coloured satin gown by Worth, London, 1960. Oh my….! And upstairs I loved the 2012 black and white silk tulle Marchesa gown. There were two other dresses in the upstairs area which I adored, the silver leathered dress by Gareth Pugh, 2011 with a great big high neck, I also rather loved the Atsuko Kudo lace printed lurex dress from 2011, amazing construction on both of these. Goodness me, all the dresses were spellbinding and I’m pretty pleased that I finally got to go and see them…be still my beating heart…..an utterly dreamy exhibition.

 

  The exhibition is on until 6th January 2013, for more information visit http://www.vam.ac.uk/

 

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