Fashion history through DIY culture
From Weldons’ wartime So-Easy line, an air raid suit for toddlers. One child appears to be carrying a gas mask case.
Other siren suit patterns were available for children, girls, and women, plus a “ten-second” siren wrap.
More on Weldons’ So-Easy patterns: There’s a War On | What to Wear in an Emergency
Happy birthday to Anna Wintour, who turns 70 today.
Wintour included Vogue patterns in U.S. Vogue from her first issue as editor. Above, the models’ white cotton kimonos were made with a unisex robe pattern (Vogue 8155). Below, in Wintour’s first issue, Cathy Fedoruk wears a Very Easy dress (Vogue 7146) in cotton piqué.
In Wintour’s first Holiday issue, “Skirts are layered for a romantic ballerina look.” Carré Otis’ skirts (Vogue 7267) are cream polyester chiffon from Symphony Fabric Corp and blue Stehli Seiden silk-polyamid georgette; the Chanel-style jacket is a Vogue Career design (Vogue 7316) in linen from Hamilton Adams, worn with a Very Easy top (Vogue 7128) in Jasco matte rayon jersey. “Sewing tips: eliminate cuff and finish sleeve… Cut skirt to desired length.”
This week, a look at official Addams Family patterns.
Ruth Myers’ costumes won her her first Academy Award nomination. (The second was for Emma.)
The 1991 Addams Family was a Thanksgiving movie, so the costume licensing came the following year, in time for Halloween 1992.
Simplicity had two costume patterns, for children and adults. The adults’ pattern was for adorable couple Morticia and Gomez.
The children’s pattern adds Uncle Fester and Cousin It (with “optional face cut-out”). We can only speculate as to why there’s no Wednesday.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
It’s spring in the southern hemisphere, and Australian Vogue is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The festivities kicked off in Canberra last week with the opening of Women in Vogue: Celebrating 60 years in Australia (at the National Portrait Gallery to November 24, 2019). A special anniversary issue of the magazine will hit newsstands in December.
The late Tania Mallet graced the cover of Vogue Australia’s first issue in spring, 1959. (Click the image for a history published for the magazine’s 55th anniversary.)
Vogue Australia editor Edwina McCann sits on the board of directors of the new Australian Fashion Council, and the magazine’s cover archive is a gallery of famous faces, especially Australians like Cate Blanchett.
Vogue Patterns counts two Australians among its current designers: Rebecca Vallance and Nicola Finetti.
Vogue Australia was still in its first decade when Butterick introduced two Aussies—Norma Tullo and Prue Acton—to its Young Designers line.
In the 1980s, Carla Zampatti and Frederick Fox both signed licensing deals with Style Patterns. The milliner to the Queen contributed more than one bridal design in classic Eighties style.
In the 1990s, Richard Tyler briefly designed for Anne Klein. It’s possible that an Anne Klein pattern or two showcases Tyler’s work.
Last week, it was announced that Demna Gvasalia is leaving Vetements, the label he founded in 2014. Vetements will continue under his brother, CEO Guram Gvasalia; the Georgian designer remains creative director of Balenciaga.
Left out of my Fall Vogues report were two Balenciaga adaptations.
The godet draped skirt is a permanent design, seen variously in different wool checks with a partial raw edge, and in current-season stretch wool twill.
As the check reveals, the godet is true bias at the inner edges. (Also at Farfetch.)
Here’s a fuchsia version from Pre-Fall 2019:
The stretch wool iteration was shown with a fluid silk blouse. (Also at Farfetch and net-a-porter.)
Vogue’s second Balenciaga-inspired design can be shortened from dress to top. (View A, not photographed.)
This one’s adapted from Balenciaga Fall 2018.
According to the Balenciaga webstore, the original was inspired by ice-skating. For knit fabrics with a lot of stretch.
Peter Lindbergh died yesterday. He was 74. (Read the WWD obituary.) The German photographer was a frequent collaborator of Grace Coddington’s. In these images, the duo captured Naomi Campbell and Anna Getaneh in silk pyjamas made from Vogue Patterns.
The patterns are Vogue 7054 and 7079.
