All in Celebrity: favourites

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Caraco and petticoat ca. 1770-1780

"This young woman's jacket (called a caraco in the 18th century) and matching petticoat are made of painted and dyed cotton fabric (chintz) produced in south-east India's Coromandel Coast for export to Europe in about 1770. The design is entirely hand-drawn, not printed. The red and blue colour scheme is achieved using the complex processes of resist-dyeing (for the blue) and mordant-dyeing (for the red), which also involve repeated stages of bleaching and rinsing. This fabric would have been brought to England by the East India Company as part of the immense trade in Indian textiles that was taking place. It was evidently made up into this stylish ensemble in about the 1770s.The caraco is ingeniously constructed. One T-shaped piece of cloth forms the back and the sleeves, which fold over the arm, forming a raglan sleeve in the front. The back is shaped using tucks rather than the more usual pleats or seams."Source: VAM

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Finger Waving

Ginger Rogers

Finger waving involves pinching the hair between the fingers and combing the hair in alternating directions to make a wave shape. The end result can be quite similar to Marcel waves which are created using a heated iron.

There are some how-to pages here, here, here, here, here, here and here. If you want a book, I recommend looking at a reprint from Dakota Prairie Treasures on Ebay, Etsy, or dakotaprairietreasures.com.

For more ideas check out these video tutorials:
How to Fingerwave Part 1 and Part 2 - a clear demonstration of how to make s-shape waves using fingers and a rat-tail comb.
Vintage Hair Styles for Women - 1930's by WildilocksTreats Part 1 and Part 2 - a demonstration of how to create waves using a straightening iron to curl the hair in rows of alternating curls and then styling.
Finger Wave Tutorial Part 1 and Part 2 - A finger-waving tutorial using wave clips.
Trend: Dior 1920s AW 09/10 - a modern interpretation of 1920s hair and make up.
Hotter Than Fire - a 1920s fingerwave created using combs incorporated into a modern punk hairstyle.

Mary Astor

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Elie Saab 2011

Fall RTW Collection

Spring Couture Collection

Spring RTW Collection

Celebrities in Ellie Saab

Mila Kunis

Angelina Jolie

Halle Berry

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Louis Vuitton Fall 2010

This is one of my favourite recent advertising campaigns. It was a while ago now, but I thought it was worth featuring anyway. Marc Jacobs' collection is reminiscent of the fifties and sixties with pumps trimmed with flat bows, wasp waists and circle skirts. Though cleavage was on full display, the look was kept classy with a classic, feminine silhouette; polished hair; and clean make-up. There is little variation in the silhouette, which puts the focus on the details and fabrics such as fur buttons and leather skirts. You can view the Paris Fashion Week RTW show here and here.