Spotlight on Vintage: Trifari Jewellery

If you collect vintage jewellery then you'll most likely have heard of the label Trifari. It's one of the most coveted designers of costume jewellery available.

Trifari was established in 1910 and after several reicarnations it's popularity really exploded in the 1930's after Alfred Phillipe was appointed as the head designer.

He had designed for many fine jewellery houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels and he brought his knowledge and craftmanship to the world of costume jewellery. 

Trifari's diamante and rhinestone jewellery was hugely desired because of it's resemblance to diamonds and fine jewels.

You can see some of the stunning examples of Trifari's jewels in the 1940's and 50's adverts below. Even the colour tones of these advertisements ooze a refined sophistication!

We currently have these impossibly elegant 1960's Trifari earrings in stock. They really would go with anything!

€60

Charles James: The Sculptor and Architect of Couture

 Charles James? It can't be...surely it's Dior? I bet you're thinking of this iconic image instead:

It was taken by Loomis Dean in 1957 of Dior's collection whereas the previous picture of Charles James gowns was shot by the great Cecil Beaton in 1948, nearly 10 years earlier. Like Dior, Charles James was a master couturier. Born in England but after moving to New York at an early stage, he was as far as anyone is concerned, an American.

I was already a huge fan of James but after doing a bit more research into the designer and his work I'm just astounded by his genius. If his dresses sauntered down the catwalk today they'd still be considered cutting edge. It's easy to see his influence in modern designers such as the late Alexander McQueen and Zac Posen who have both focused of the architecture of a gown. 

 It was Charles James vision to enhance the female shape. To create dresses that gave his clients better, more pronounced figures. He achieved this through the use of contrasting fabrics, complicated pleats and seams.

It's astounding that this outfit is from the 1940's, it's just so fashion forward. I can just imagine someone like Emma Stone rocking up to the red carpet in this.

This top, designed by Charles in the 1950's has touches of sports luxe that's featured on every hot trend list . I adore this, it would make a fabulous addition to my wardrobe!!!

If you've ever worn a puffa jacket, strapless dress or wrap dress then you are wearing a piece of fashion innovation that stemmed from Charles's designs. The dress pictured above is known as the "Taxi dress" and it's construction meant that it was so easy to get on and off that a women could put it on in a taxi!

The construction of his gowns are a thing of beauty in themselves.

Charles James considered himself an artist who's medium was fabric as opposed to a designer. His love of wearable sculpture was developed when he began work as a milliner. His ability to mold head wear into fantastical shapes enabled him to transition into women's clothing.

Wouldn't this pleated 1940's gown have made a beautiful wedding dress!

ARGHHH to-die-for!!!!

Any celebrity wearing this dress would surely have won best dressed!

This is the Clover Dress and it's formation meant that the hem never touched the ground but rather sashayed as the wearer walked.

Imagine the thrill of seeing these hot pink tulle layers peaking out as you move...utterly gorgeous!

The "Butterfly" was another stunning work of art created by Charles James. I'm not sure how this lady sat down (the dress weighed about 14lbs) but she certainly looked fabulous standing!!!

Another dreamy 1950's dress, this time in sorbet silks.

Charles James's finest work spanned from the 1930's to the 1950's. There are few true geniuses in the fashion world, they can be described with other adjectives such as pioneers and revolutionists.  The Metropolitan Museum in New York honoured him last year with an exhibition in the newly renovated costume institute. The Met gala ball also encouraged patrons to wear gowns inspired by Charles James's creations. Oooh how I would have loved to have attended both of those. You can see so many more of James work on the Mets archive, the images above are just a tiny selection.

The Met also have some fantastic video's charting the exhibition and his career. Sit back and relax and learn about a true fashion master...I dare you not to fall in love with his work!

Adrian... Hollywood Designer Extraordinaire!

You may not have heard of him, but believe me you know his designs!

Gilbert Adrian was a major Hollywood costume designer from the 1920's to 40's.

He designed costumes for Rudolph Valentino and Cecil B. Demille, eventually moving to the mega Hollywood Mecca that was MGM.

It was here that he became know as one of the greatest film designers having designed costumes for over 230 films.

Courtesy of Fashion Encylopedia

Fully beaded gown worn by Joan Crawford in The Bride Wore Red

Jean Harlow in Dinner At Eight

Katherine Hepburn in Philadelphia Story

Greta Garbo in Inspiration

Hedy Lamarr in Ziegfeld Girl

Courtesy of Pretty Clever Films

Lana Turner in Ziegfeld Girl

The Wizard of Oz

Adrian became a favourite collaborator of icons such as Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Jean Harlow and Lana Turner to name but a few.

He is the man responsible for giving Joan Crawford her legendary strong shouldered silhouette in the 1939 movie The Women.

I recently watched this movie and was blown away by the costumes and in particular the technicolour fashion show in the middle.

He was also the designer on The Wizard of Oz and Philadelphia Story. (Two more personal fav's!)

Unfortunately he never won an Oscar for his work but that was because "costumes" weren't added as a category until after 1948.

Hi costumes were extravagant from angular, crisp, tailored suits to Ostrich plume and crystal embellished gowns. They were just what the depression era audiences were craving. Full-on indulgent glamour!

They actually went crazy for his looks, Macy's sold half a million reproductions of the frothy shouldered gown that Joan Crawford wore in Letty Lynton. A staggering number at that time...and what were all those ladies wearing that dress to???

Joan Crawford in Letty Lynton

As a designer he wasn't afraid to experiment. He used bold colour blocking, unusual prints, elaborate beading and he even showcased some Gothic themes!

 courtesy of My Vintage Vogue

Adrian's most famous legacy the "coat hanger" silhouette became a key look of the 1940's: padded shoulders, a slim jacket with details that emphasised the shoulders and a pencil skirt. Pretty much an inverted pyramid!

So now you know who Adrian was, or at least what he did.

He is one of the reasons we adore watching vintage movies:

Their jaw dropping and extravagant fashion; make us wish we lived in Old Hollywood, a land of make-believe glamour and opulence...

To see a few more instances of his work check out these YouTube videos:

Here

This one is particularly informative:

Adrian

The Strange Things We Do For Beauty

I thought I would share a few interesting adverts and articles things I have come across over time that surprised me.

There are constantly new ideas about what beauty is and how to attain it. From lotions and potions to diets and then the more extreme surgical procedures, everything from botox to elective facial reconstruction.

This obsession is nothing new! 

This one is really gross! They were selling jars of sanitised tapeworms in the 1900's which you swallowed, the idea being the tapeworms ate your insides and kept you thin! No Thank you!!! 

via link

This advert is from the 1890's
via link

A machine to give you dimples invented in 1936

via link

A machine designed by Max Factor (that's him in the photo) in 1935 to calibrate the symmetry of a woman's face so make up can be applied to contour and balance "imperfections".

This was the only machine made and was sold in 2011 at auction in the US for an undisclosed sum, it was estimated at $10,000 - $20,000!

via link

This was part of a face mask beauty treatment by Helena Rubenstein in the 1940's

via link

This is a tanning machine circa 1945! Looks very like a petrol pump.

via link

One of the most famous Hollywood transformations being..........

Margarita Carmen Cansino

""who? you say, Margarita Carmen Cansino, a Latino dancer who danced with her father in clubs.
via link

Margarita & her father Eduardo in 1934
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To.........................

Rita Hayworth

Flame haired screen siren of the 1940's
via link

This transformation was at the behest of Columbia studios, it seems insane now that they could coerce their young star into such drastic measures but it was no secret at the time. They wouldn't sign her until she had the following procedures done, which all in, took 3 years - 

She had extensive painful Hairline Electrolysis to raise her hairline. (this was during the 1930's so anaesthesia wasn't exactly part of the procedure!)

She bleached her skin, all over her body, an extremely dangerous practice, even now. 

She dyed her dark Latino hair red and to finish it all off they made her change her name. 

(Her story is quite shocking, definitely worth further reading if you are interested in biographies of the era.)

Damn Fine Broads

For your amusement and entertainment I have selected a bevy of vintage Hollywood leading ladies. Each woman has led a really fascinating life and I will probably return to them individually in future blog posts, it feels wrong to say so little about such larger than life characters in this post but I don't want to overwhelm you with information!
Instead I am giving you a taster menu, including some advice and observations they delivered and suggestions of movies to catch their fabulousness in!!
There's nothing better on a cold dark evening than to light the fire, open a bottle of red wine and settle in with a classic movie.

These are not ladies to mess with!

Let's begin with the sassiest broad of them all, my personal favourite, the one and only......

Mae West

“Love thy neighbor -- and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.” 

“Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.” 

"Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution."

Check her out in "I'm no Angel" 1933

Katherine Hepburn

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun"

Absolutely hilarious in "Bringing up Baby" with Cary Grant 1938

Bette Davis

"Everybody has a heart...except some people."

Please Santa, I would like Bette's outfit, I've been mostly good, mostly...

Watch her in "Dark Victory" 1939 

(starring alongside George Brent*, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald & Ronald Reagan!)

*George Brent hailed from Roscommon and fled Ireland with a bounty on his head having served in the IRA during the war of independence 1919 - 1922. He was highly regarded by Bette Davis and starred alongside her in 13 films.

Joan Crawford

"Love is a fire, But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell"

Watch her in "Letty Lynton" 1932

(The dress above, designed by Adrian for the movie "Letty Lynton", was copied by Macy's in 1932 and sold 500,000 replicas across America!)

Judy Garland

"Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of someone else."

Check out the fabulous gowns in full technicolor in "Meet me in St. Louis" 1944

Jean Harlow

"Must I always wear a low cut dress to be important?"

"When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas."

Lauren Bacall

"I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that"

"You don't always win your battles, but it's good to know you fought"

Watch her in " How to marry a millionaire" 1953

 in one of her more comedic roles, 

co starring Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable and some really awesome fashion!

Ingrid Bergman

"Be yourself. The world worships the original."

"Happiness is good health and a bad memory."

You can catch her in the classic "Casablanca" co starring with Humphrey Bogart
but if you have seen that already you should definitely watch her in the Hitchcock thriller "Notorious".


I hope you enjoyed this post and you manage to catch some of the movies I have suggested.
Pour yourself a glass of wine, switch off the laptop and your phone, get cozy on the sofa and relax,
you won't be disappointed!!

xxx Caroline xxx