Oscar de la Renta: Vogue Patterns, Part 2
July 28, 2016 § 3 Comments
Sarah Mower, Oscar de la Renta (Assouline, 2nd ed. 2014) Photo: Peter Lindbergh. Editor: Grace Coddington. Image: my luscious life.
Oscar de la Renta was born in July 1932; he would have turned 84 last week. In honour of his birthday, I’ll be looking at Oscar de la Renta sewing patterns from the 1990s and 2000s. (See Part 1 here.)
1990s
Vogue 2460 by Oscar de la Renta on the cover of Vogue Patterns, March/April 1990. (Patricia Underwood hat.) Photo: Otto Stupakoff. Image: eBay.
The 1990s marked Oscar de la Renta’s fourth decade with Vogue Patterns. From 1990, Vogue 2500 is a dress with pleated overlay and asymmetrical bias collar, chic in a polka dot print. De la Renta was pictured with a model wearing this design in Vogue Patterns magazine (May/June issue); the photo also made the cover of the counter catalogue:
Vogue 2500 by Oscar de la Renta (1990) Image: Etsy.
Oscar de la Renta on the cover of the Vogue Patterns catalogue, June 1990. Image: Karsten Moran for the New York Times.
In 1992, de la Renta became the first American to take over a French couture house when he was appointed chief designer at Balmain. He had begun presenting his own collection in Paris the previous year. (See Suzy Menkes, “De la Renta Joins Balmain.”) The cover of the Assouline book pictured above shows Balmain haute couture; a similar tableau was created for the de Young retrospective.
Vogue 1638 is a brightly coloured skirt suit from Oscar de la Renta’s Spring 1995 collection (full video on YouTube here). Its tailored details, like the jacket’s back pleats and martingale belt, won it an Advanced skill rating. The design was featured in a Vogue Patterns suits article (see The Overflowing Stash) and on the cover of the counter catalogue:
Vogue 1638 Oscar de la Renta (1995) Image: eBay.
Vogue Patterns catalogue, October 1995. Image via Etsy.
This double-breasted skirt suit, shown on the runway in pink satin, must be from the Fall 1995 collection. The recommended fabrics are satin, damask, and gabardine:
Vogue 1863 by Oscar de la Renta (1996)
Ellen von Unwerth photographed Stella Tennant in a corseted lace Oscar de la Renta dress with flamenco dancer Joaquín Cortés for Vogue’s 1996 September issue:
Stella Tennant in Oscar de la Renta, with Joaquín Cortés, Vogue, September 1996. Photo: Ellen von Unwerth. Editor: Grace Coddington.
Two years later, Hillary Clinton wore Oscar de la Renta for her Vogue cover (more here):
Hillary Clinton in custom Oscar de la Renta, Vogue, December 1998. Photo: Annie Leibovitz. Editor: Paul Cavaco. Image: eBay.
Vogue 2361 is a formal dress from the Spring 1998 collection. The skirt is cut on the bias, the bodice and hemline flounces are finished with self fabric binding, and view A has an asymmetrical train. Kirsten Owen modelled the original on the runway:
Vogue 2361 by Oscar de la Renta (1999)
Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 1998. Model: Kirsten Owen. Image: firstVIEW.
Just for fun, here’s another editorial photo showing de la Renta’s couture work at Balmain. Ruven Afanador photographed this lace-embroidered gown with matching chihuahua:
Pierre Balmain haute couture by Oscar de la Renta, Vogue Paris, September 1999. Photo: Ruven Afanador. Image via The Fashion Spot.
2000s
This floral print evening dress is a design from de la Renta’s Spring 2000 collection. Piping defines the waist, and the bias train is trimmed with waist pleats and flounces. The original was modelled on the runway by Carmen Kass:
Vogue 2541 by Oscar de la Renta (2001)
Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 2000. Model: Carmen Kass. Image: vogue.com.
The Fall 2001 collection included two “decidedly gothic black opera coats,” and Vogue Patterns chose one of them for its customers. Vogue 2714 is a full-sleeved, floor-length opera coat trimmed with frog closures and pleated ruffles. The pattern is sometimes numbered “P935 – Best Seller”:
Vogue 2714 / P935 by Oscar de la Renta (2002) Image: Etsy.
Oscar de la Renta Fall/Winter 2001. Model: Natalia Semanova. Image via vogue.com.
From the Spring 2005 collection, strapless gown pattern Vogue 2889 evokes flamenco with its tiered skirt and draped, drop-waist bodice. The design was shown on the runway with length and bodice variations:
Vogue 2889 by Oscar de la Renta (2006)
Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 2005. Models: Caroline Ribeiro and Caroline Winberg. Image: vogue.com.
Vogue 2928 is a grand, off-the-shoulder ballgown complete with boned foundation, attached petticoat, and self fabric flowers and appliqués. The gown was the penultimate look in de la Renta’s Fall 2005 collection:
Vogue 2928 by Oscar de la Renta (2006) Image: ecrater.
Oscar de la Renta Fall/Winter 2005. Model: Nataliya Gotsii. Image: vogue.com.
For more on the late designer, see Vogue’s retrospective. Have you made any Oscar de la Renta patterns?
Kirsten Dunst in custom Oscar de la Renta, Vogue, September 2006. Photo: Annie Leibovitz. Editor: Grace Coddington. Image: vogue.com.
Arnold Scaasi: Vogue Patterns
July 1, 2016 § 3 Comments
A Scaasi design on the cover of Vogue, December 1955. Photo: Richard Rutledge. Model: Mary Jane Russell. Image via tumblr.
In celebration of Canada Day, this post is dedicated to the late Arnold Scaasi.
Scaasi earrings on the cover of Vogue, November 15, 1960. Photo: Bert Stern. Model: Deborah Dixon. Image: flickr.
Arnold Scaasi (1930-2015) was born in Montreal as Arnold Isaacs. (Scaasi is Isaacs backwards—depending who you ask, the designer changed his name either to sound more Italian or less Jewish.) His father was a furrier, his mother had studied opera, and his glamorous, Schiaparelli-loving Aunt Ida was an early inspiration. He studied in Montreal and Paris, at the Cotnoir-Capponi school and the Chambre Syndicale, then worked at Paquin and Charles James in New York before launching his own business in 1956.
Scaasi was best known for his opulent evening wear, custom-made for society and celebrity clients who appreciated the drama of his sculptural silhouettes, luxurious materials, and flamboyant use of colour. In 2002, the Museum at FIT mounted the retrospective Scaasi: Exuberant Fashion and, following his retirement in 2010, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston hosted Scaasi: American Couturier, an exhibition structured around his couture clients.
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Scaasi lost no time in pursuing pattern licensing. These Scaasi Spadea patterns date to 1956:
Scaasi evening skirt available as a Spadea pattern, Life, June 4, 1956. Photo: Sharland. Image via Google Books.
Scaasi jacket available as a Spadea pattern, Life, June 4, 1956. Photo: Sharland. Image via Google Books.
Scaasi housecoat available as a Spadea pattern, Life, June 4, 1956. Photo: Sharland. Image via Google Books.
A few decades later, Claire Shaeffer covered Scaasi’s couture techniques for Threads magazine:
A Scaasi gown on the cover of Threads 38 (December/January 1991-92) Photo: Yvonne Taylor. Image via vintage4me2.
It was only in the early 1990s that Scaasi licensed his work with Vogue Patterns. The designer was introduced in the November/December 1993 issue of Vogue Patterns with three patterns. The first, Vogue 1285, is a low-backed cocktail or evening dress with sheer contrast:
Vogue 1285 by Scaasi (1993) Image via Etsy.
This formal ensemble includes two-layer palazzo pants for chiffon or georgette and a top for scalloped lace:
Vogue 1286 by Scaasi (1993) Image via Etsy.
Vogue 1287 is a collarless skirt suit with caftan-style side slits:
Vogue 1287 by Scaasi (1993) Image via Etsy.
From spring, 1994, this dress is shaped by long darts in front and back and trimmed with a flounce:
Vogue 1357 by Scaasi (1994) Image via Pinterest.
Finally, Vogue 1377’s dress has a boned bodice and slightly off-the-shoulder neckline. The original’s striped fabric was cut on a creative layout:
Vogue 1377 by Scaasi (1994) Image via Etsy.
(Seldom seen, but there is a copy at Sew Exciting Needleworks.)
In 1991, Scaasi told The Canadian Press, “When I left Canada some 30 years ago, there was no room for creative talent in dress design. At that time, the only way to really make it was to go to the United States.” A New Yorker from 1951, he met his partner, Parker Ladd, on Central Park South in the early 1960s; they married in 2011.
For more on Scaasi, see the obituaries in The New York Times, the Montreal Gazette, and WWD.
Opening image Scaasi ID thanks to Kickshaw Productions.
Evening ensemble by Arnold Scaasi for Arlene Francis, 1958. Image via the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Carmen Dell’Orefice
June 3, 2016 § 5 Comments
Carmen Dell’ Orefice in Ceil Chapman, Vogue, 1949. Photo: Norman Parkinson. Image via Norman Parkinson Archive.
Carmen Dell’Orefice turns eighty-five today.
Vogue, October 15, 1947. Photo: Erwin Blumenfeld. Image via Pinterest.
Often called the world’s oldest working model, Carmen Dell’Orefice (b. 1931) was discovered at thirteen on a New York City bus; at sixteen she had her first Vogue cover. In 2011, the London College of Fashion devoted an exhibition to her modelling work, Carmen: A Life In Fashion.
Vogue, May 1, 1951. Photo: Norman Parkinson. Via Pinterest
Vogue, May 1955. Photo: John Rawlings. Image via Pinterest.
Harper’s Bazaar, May 1958. Photo: Gleb Derujinsky. Image via Pinterest.
Dell’Orefice’s work with New York pattern companies may be seen in postwar publications from Vogue, McCall’s, and Simplicity, as well as more recent Vogue patterns.
A Richard Rutledge editorial for Vogue Pattern Book features the young Dell’Orefice in new patterns for spring, 1949 (jacket Vogue 6716 and blouses Vogue 6065 and Vogue 6707, all with skirt Vogue 6708):
Vogue 6716 and 6708 in Vogue Pattern Book, April/May 1949. Photo: Richard Rutledge.
Vogue 6065 and 6708 in Vogue Pattern Book, April/May 1949. Photo: Richard Rutledge.
Vogue 6707 and 6708 in Vogue Pattern Book, April/May 1949. Photo: Richard Rutledge.
On this McCall Pattern Book cover from Summer, 1957, she models McCall’s 4095 and 4097:
McCall’s Pattern Book, Summer 1957. Image: eBay.
Here, Dell’Orefice poses in an all-red ensemble for the cover of Simplicity magazine, Fall 1958:
Simplicity magazine, Fall-Winter 1958. Image: eBay.
Here she wears gown Vogue 9827 on the cover of Vogue Pattern Book’s holiday issue:
Vogue 9827 on the cover of Vogue Pattern Book, December/January 1959-1960. Image via Make Mine Vogue.
1980s
After a break, Dell’Orefice returned to modelling in the late 1970s. On these two patterns from the ’80s, she wears Vogue 8195, a caftan-style dress, and Arlene Dahl gown Vogue 8521 in gold lamé:
Vogue 8195 (ca. 1982) Image via the Vintage Pattern Wiki.
Vogue 8521 by Arlene Dahl (ca. 1980s) Image via Etsy.
1990s
In the later 1990s, Dell’Orefice posed for many patterns in The Vogue Woman line. Vogue 1972 is a seasonless wardrobe pattern, while Vogue 9821 is a dress and tunic suitable for petites:
Vogue 1972 (1997) Image via Etsy.
Vogue 9821 (1998) Image via eBay.
Happy birthday, Ms. Dell’Orefice!
Alberta Ferretti fashion show, Florence, 2011. Image: Getty / Vogue Italia.
Season of the Witch: Gothic Patterns
April 30, 2016 § 3 Comments
Dracula’s brides (Dorothy Tree, Geraldine Dvorak, and Cornelia Thaw) in Tod Browning’s Dracula (1931) Image: tumblr.
Happy Walpurgisnacht! On the eve of the feast of St. Walpurga, here’s a look at gothic sewing patterns.
Recent fashion exhibits have placed the gothic under increasing scrutiny. In 2008, the Museum at FIT presented Gothic: Dark Glamour. In 2014, the Costume Institute had Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire. Now there’s Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion and Its Legacy, an exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, accompanied by a catalogue by curator Lynne Z. Bassett and a talk by Valerie Steele. For more on the show, see Susan Hodara, “The (Forever) New Romantics.”
Lynne Zacek Bassett, Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy (Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 2016) Image: the Wadsworth.
1980s
With the advent of goth—or the New Romantics—in the late 1970s, fashion in a gothic mode began to show the influence of both romanticism and contemporary subculture. Nina Ricci’s romanticism turned dark in the early 1980s. I like to picture Vogue 2582 with granny boots and Siouxsie Sioux hair:
Detail, Vogue 2582 by Nina Ricci (1980) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Vogue 2562 by Nina Ricci (1980) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Vogue 2604, a floor-length strapless gown with attached sleeves, has a more Countess Bathory feel. The ruffle-trimmed version of Vogue 2604 was featured on the cover of Vogue Patterns’ holiday issue:
Vogue 2604 by Nina Ricci (1980) Image: eBay.
Vogue 2604 by Nina Ricci on the cover of Vogue Patterns, November/December 1980. Image: eBay.
These early ’80s editorial photos convey the dark romantic mood:
“Fascination du Noir”: Nina Ricci couture in L’Officiel, September 1980. Photo: Chris Simpson. Image: jalougallery.com.
Nina Ricci Boutique and Balenciaga in L’Officiel, August 1982. Photo: Deborah Turbeville. Image: jalougallery.com.
Later in the decade, the fashionable oversized silhouette and low hemlines could express a moody romanticism. From Esprit, Simplicity 6978 is a loose jacket and long, full skirt. Shown in black, the ensemble is very Lydia from Beetlejuice:
Simplicity 6978 by Esprit (1985) Image: Etsy.
Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) Image: Goth Cupcake.
1990s
Judging from Vogue’s September issues for 1993, Fall ’93 marked a return to the lusher side of romanticism.
Vogue Paris, American Vogue, and British Vogue covers, September 1993. Photos: Max Vadukul, Steven Meisel, and Mario Testino. Models: Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. Images: Shrimpton Couture and The Fashion Spot.
Donna Karan’s Fall collection (presented just days after Eiko Ishioka won the costume design Oscar for Bram Stoker’s Dracula) featured lace accents, choker and cross accessories, and lots of black. Vogue 1293 is a long dress consisting of a body with attached, high-waisted skirt:
Vogue 1293 by Donna Karan (1993)
Similar Donna Karan dresses opened a British Vogue editorial shot by Mario Testino at Bolton Abbey, Derbyshire (headpieces by Slim Barrett):
Nadja Auermann and Cecilia Chancellor wear Donna Karan in “Courtly Gestures,” British Vogue, December 1993. Photo: Mario Testino. Editor: Jayne Pickering. Image: The Fashion Spot.
This cold-shoulder gown must be from the same collection:
Poppy Lloyd wears Donna Karan (Yves Saint Laurent feathers), L’Officiel, December 1993. Photo: Nancy Le Vine. Image: jalougallery.com.
In the later 1990s, Anna Sui showed a fall collection inspired by goth subculture. From Fall 1997, Vogue 2072 combines a historicizing, Vivienne Westwood-style mini-crini with club-kid accessories. The dress was worn by the young Sofia Coppola (previously seen in my Anna Sui series and ’90s goth post):
Vogue 2072 by Anna Sui (1997) Dress, top and gloves.
Anna Sui FW 1997 collection. Models: Karen Elson, Tasha Tilberg. Images: Bolton, Anna Sui and firstVIEW.
Sofia Coppola in Spur, October 1997. Photo: Satoshi Saikusa. Image: Bolton, Anna Sui.
Another element in the romantic/gothic repertoire is tzigane or ‘gypsy’ looks. From Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche for Spring 1999, Vogue 2330 is a long, flowing, off-the-shoulder dress. The envelope shows a mourning-appropriate mauve, but it was also shown in sheer black:
Vogue 2330 by Yves Saint Laurent (1999)
Model: Astrid Muñoz. Image: firstVIEW.
Spring 1999 was Yves Saint Laurent’s last collection for Rive Gauche, and Mario Sorrenti’s valedictory advertising campaign for that season references great European paintings. Here the archetypically enigmatic Mona Lisa, dressed in black Rive Gauche, poses with a male model with Asian tattoos:
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ad campaign, Spring 1999. Photo: Mario Sorrenti. Model: Noot Seear. Image: Oystermag.
Finally, in the late 1990s, Simplicity licensed designs from Begotten, a historically-inspired clothing line designed by Dilek Atasu. The patterns included a cape (S8987) and men’s poet shirt (S8615). Simplicity 8619, an empire gown with optional lower sleeve flounce, channels Mary Shelley:
Simplicity 8619 by Begotten (1999) Image via Etsy.
In the 2000s, gothic sewing patterns shift away from mainstream fashion toward subcultural costume for—as Laura Jacobs puts it—“our own Romantic Revivals: Goth, that pas de deux with death, and Steampunk, a mating of Queen Victoria and Thomas Edison” (Jacobs, Gothic to Goth exhibition review). Hammer Horror fans have “gothic costumes” McCall’s 3372 and McCall’s 3380; cybergoths can make dusters based on the costumes in The Matrix (1999) (Simplicity 5386, etc.); and Arkivestry and its offshoots cover everything from old-school gothic heroine to Loli to Steampunk.
Meanwhile, a gothic trend is predicted for Fall 2016. Are you ready?
Red Carpet Fashion: Evening Pantsuits
February 23, 2016 § 5 Comments
Amy Poehler in Stella McCartney at the Golden Globes, January 2013. Image via bustle.com.
Will you be watching the Oscars on Sunday? In past years I’ve posted about goddess gowns and caftans. This year, a look at red carpet-worthy pantsuits.
Milena Canonero at the 87th Academy Awards, February 2015. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty.
The Best Actress winners who have accepted their award in trousers can be counted on one hand: Barbra Streisand (1969, in Arnold Scaasi); Jane Fonda (1972, in Yves Saint Laurent); Sissy Spacek (1981); Jessica Tandy (1990, in Armani); and Jodie Foster (1992, also in Armani). But then, Katharine Hepburn never attended.
Jane Fonda in Yves Saint Laurent at the 44th Academy Awards, April 1972. Image via tumblr.
Celebrity style icons Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Kate Moss started appearing on the red carpet in pantsuits in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Gucci by Tom Ford at the MTV Video Music Awards, September 1996. Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc.
Angelina Jolie in Dolce & Gabbana at the 73rd Academy Awards, March 2001. Image via Glamour.
Kate Moss, in Burberry, with Mario Testino at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, May 2006. Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty.
Recently, more and more female celebrities have been choosing tuxedos and jumpsuits for formal events.
Kirsten Dunst in Patrik Ervell, CFDA awards, June 2011. Image via elle.com.
Lupita Nyong’o in Veronica Beard at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 2013. Image via Fashion Bomb Daily.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in Saint Laurent at the EE British Academy Film Awards, February 2014. Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage.
Anna Kendrick in Band of Outsiders at the Grammy Awards, February 2015. Image via elle.com.
Here are some patterns—now available in the shop—that would be perfect for your next gala appearance.
The year Jane Fonda won an Oscar for her performance in Klute, Vogue Patterns released this Valentino design for an evening jumpsuit and jacket:
Vogue 2775 by Valentino (1972) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
Calvin Klein had the Annie Hall look nailed before Woody Allen’s movie started filming (in spring, 1976). Vogue 1369, a designer wardrobe pattern, highlights the three-piece pantsuit:
Vogue 1369 by Calvin Klein (1976) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
Fast forward to 1999, when Alexander McQueen presented a futuristic millennium collection for Givenchy (Fall 1999 prêt-à-porter; post here). The long, detailed jacket was designed for shimmery fabric:
Vogue 2478 by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy (2000) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
This tunic and pants ensemble is from Donna Karan’s Fall 2007 collection (as worn by Jessica Stam on the runway). The strapless tunic has outside darts, pockets, and foundation with padded bra and boning:
Vogue 1076 by Donna Karan (2008) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
For more red-carpet pantsuits, see Elle magazine’s slideshow here or this People article. Or see that handy viral infographic here.
Byron Lars: Vogue Patterns
January 19, 2016 § 4 Comments
Vibe magazine, September 1993. Model: Lois Samuels. Photo: Ruven Afanador. Image via Google Books.
Today is Byron Lars’ birthday. In lieu of cake, here’s a look at his work with Vogue Patterns.
Women’s Wear Daily, April 1991. Image via Byron Lars on Instagram.
Born in California, Byron Lars (b. 1965) studied at the Brooks Fashion Institute and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology before dropping out to pursue freelance work; he was already an award-winning fashion illustrator when he launched his own label in 1991. His playful yet beautifully cut designs were an instant success—twists on American sportswear shown with cheeky accessories like duck-decoy purses. In a 1993 interview, Lars cites Patrick Kelly and Jean Paul Gaultier as inspirations for his approach. (See Greg Tate, “Byron Large.”)
Byron Lars illustrations in L’Officiel, August 1991. Image via jalougallery.com.
Two Byron Lars runway looks in Vogue, September 1992.
In the mid-1990s, Vogue Patterns licensed a number of Byron Lars designs in the Vogue Attitudes line. Lars was introduced to readers in the July/August 1994 issue of Vogue Patterns magazine:
Louise Vyent wears Byron Lars on the cover of Vogue Patterns, July/August 1994. Photo: Torkil Gudnason. Image via Amazon.
The first two patterns, Vogue 1419 and 1420, were modelled by Louise Vyent and photographed by Torkil Gudnason (click to enlarge):
“Introducing Byron Lars: Shape and Spirit,” Vogue Patterns, July/August 1994. Model: Louise Vyent. Photos: Torkil Gudnason.
Vogue 1419 is a pattern for a skirt, high-waisted pants, and a jacket with exposed zippers and Lars’ signature, waist-defining tie-front:
Vogue 1419 by Byron Lars (1994) Image via eBay.
Vogue 1420 presents three versions of Lars’ take on the traditional men’s shirt:
Vogue 1420 by Byron Lars (1994) Image via Etsy.
Here the twist becomes an asymmetrical, pleated drape on a tailored dress:
Vogue 1506 by Byron Lars (1994) Image via eBay.
From 1995, Vogue 1529 includes leggings and a flared shirtdress with bustline tie detail. The silhouette is similar to that seen in the Ruven Afanador photo that opens this post:
Vogue 1529 by Byron Lars (1995) Image via Etsy.
Vogue 1620 provides three more variations on the Byron Lars shirt:
Vogue 1620 by Byron Lars (1995) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
Vogue 1621 includes two tie-front shirtdresses and a top for lightweight, dressier fabrics, as well as high-waisted pants:
Vogue 1621 by Byron Lars (1995) Image via Etsy.
In Vogue 1653, Lars pairs tapered pants with a fitted jacket with built-up neckline, exposed zippers, and dramatic back drape:
Vogue 1653 by Byron Lars (1995) Image via Etsy.
Vogue 1701’s fitted dress for stretch knits was photographed at the Strand’s Central Park kiosk. The pattern includes the contrast belt, which is angled to pass through the skirt’s front drape:
Vogue 1701 by Byron Lars (1995) Image via Etsy.
The jacket of this skirt suit has a surprise contrast back in synthetic suede or leather:
Vogue 1843 by Byron Lars (1996) Image via eBay.
You may have seen Erica Bunker’s version of Vogue 1846. This shirt can be made as a wrap-front with optional contrast cuffs and collar, or with a contrast dirndl bodice:
Vogue 1846 by Byron Lars (1996) Image via Etsy.
Finally, two more fashion photos: the closing shot from Ruven Afanador’s Byron Lars portfolio in the premiere issue of Vibe magazine, and a runway image from Lars’ Fall 1994 collection.
By request of Clare Nightingale.
Byron Lars in Fernando Sanchez, with Kumi in Byron Lars, Vibe magazine, September 1993. Photo: Ruven Afanador. Image via Google Books.
Another Guy Laroche Pattern by Alber Elbaz?
November 4, 2015 § 6 Comments
Last week the fashion world was shocked by the news that Alber Elbaz had been dismissed as creative director of Lanvin. (See British Vogue or Bridget Foley for WWD.)
Before his positions at Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Alber Elbaz designed four seasons for Guy Laroche. (Fall 1997 to Spring 1999; see my earlier post here.) The recent news got me thinking about a Guy Laroche pattern that could also be by Elbaz.
Vogue 2368 is so rare that I didn’t see it in time for my first post. It’s a simple, formal design: a sleeveless dress with a big flower at the tucked, asymmetrical neckline:
Vogue 2368 by Guy Laroche (1999) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
Technical drawing for Vogue 2368
Here’s the envelope description: Semi-fitted, straight, lined, sleeveless dress, below mid-knee or evening length, has neckline tucks, side zipper and back hemline slit. Purchased flower. Recommended fabrics are silk-like crepe, lightweight wool crepe, and satin-backed crepe.
Vogue 2368 was released in late 1999—earlier than Vogue 2497, a design from Elbaz’ Spring 1999 farewell collection for Laroche. It doesn’t match any of the runway looks from Elbaz’ four Laroche collections, but the palette, neckline detail, and especially the flower (an Elbaz signature at Laroche and Lanvin) seem persuasive. What do you think?
Guy Laroche SS 1999 © Thierry Orban/Sygma/Corbis.
Lanvin flower pin. Image via LuisaViaRoma.
Lanvin flower pin. Image via Mr Porter.
