Kara Young, Carré Otis, and Jennifer Noble in Vogue, January 1989. Photo: Patrick Demarchelier. Editor: Grace Coddington.
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.
Cathy Fedoruk in “Hot Prospects,” Vogue, November 1988. Photo: Patrick Demarchelier. Editor: Jenny Capitain.
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.”
Carré Otis in “Sheer Effects,” Vogue, December 1988. Photo: Arthur Elgort. Editor: Jenny Capitain.
Karen Mulder in Iceland, Vogue, November 1990. Photo: Hans Feurer. Editor: Grace Coddington.
Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park is one of the latest additions to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In 1990’s “Polar Effects,” the Vatnajökull glacier and Jökulsárlón glacial lake co-star with supermodels Karen Mulder and Kirsten Owen, and two Vogue patterns.
Karen Mulder in Vogue 7849, Vogue, November 1990. Photo: Hans Feurer. Editor: Grace Coddington.
Both patterns are Very Easy designs. In the opening image, Karen Mulder’s unitard is made from an unspecified “shiny” stretch knit from B&J Fabrics. Kirsten Owen’s double-width dirndl skirt is silk taffeta from Jerry Brown Fabrics.
Kirsten Owen in Vogue 9813, Vogue, November 1990. Photo: Hans Feurer. Editor: Grace Coddington.
Esther de Jong in Chanel haute couture by Karl Lagerfeld, Fall 1997. Photo: Karl Lagerfeld. Image: jalougallery.
Farewell to Karl Lagerfeld. Prolific, influential, and above all, iconic, the designer — who had a lifetime contract with Chanel — was working to the last.
Lady Gaga in Marc Jacobs’ grunge reissue, Elle, November 2018. Photo: Ruth Hogben and Andrea Gelardin. Editor: Nicola Formichetti. Image: Marc Jacobs via Twitter.
Grunge is back. Marc Jacobs has reissued looks from his Spring 1993 “grunge” collection for Perry Ellis as Redux Grunge.
Illustration by Gladys Perint Palmer in L’Officiel, February 1993. Image: editionsjalou.com.
Juergen Teller’s ad campaign shows Jacobs’ iconic grunge pieces, resurrected from vintage and available exclusively from the designer’s website.
Marc Jacobs Redux Grunge campaign by Juergen Teller. Image: Marc Jacobs.
I wrote about Vogue’s two grunge Perry Ellis patterns back in 2013, as part of my series on early Marc Jacobs.
Now that Vogue has posted the entire collection online, we can ID the other dress. The button-front slip dress was originally worn layered, Seattle-style.
Nadja Auermann in Perry Ellis Spring 1993 by Marc Jacobs. Image: Vogue Runway.Naomi Campbell in Perry Ellis Spring 1993 by Marc Jacobs. Image: Vogue Runway.
None of the three pattern looks is part of the reissue, but the short version of the maxi dress—worn by Carla Bruni in 1992—can be seen on Lili Sumner in Teller’s campaign. (There’s also a new, flower chain print version of the ’90s floral dress.) As the web store notes, the dress was inspired by 1930s nightgowns. Just shorten V1304 to sew the look.
Carla Bruni in Perry Ellis Spring 1993 by Marc Jacobs. Image: Vogue Runway.Lili Sumner in Marc Jacob’s Redux Grunge collection. Photo: Juergen Teller. Image: Marc Jacobs via Twitter.
Linda Evangelista in Ralph Lauren, Vogue, September 1991. Photo: Arthur Elgort. Editor: Grace Coddington. Image: TFS.
Tonight at New York Fashion Week, Ralph Lauren celebrates his company’s 50th anniversary. Here’s a look at highlights of Ralph Lauren patterns from the ’70s to the ’90s.
Ralph Lauren: 50 Years (Rizzoli, 2018) Image: Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren started out in menswear, and Vogue Patterns’ first licensing with the brand was for men’s designs. The company released its first Polo by Ralph Lauren patterns in the summer of 1975.
Vogue 1237 and 1238 by Polo Ralph Lauren in Vogue Patterns, May/June 1975. Photos: Steve Horn. Image: Make Mine Vogue.
That’s Polo Ralph Lauren on the right in Vogue Patterns’ American Bicentennial issue:
America the Beautifuls. Vogue Patterns, January/February 1976. Image: Etsy.
This Polo trench is classic for any gender:
Vogue 1581 by Polo by Ralph Lauren (ca. 1977)
Vogue’s licensing of Ralph Lauren women’s wear began in 1979. The earliest Ralph Lauren women’s patterns are for Annie Hall and Western looks like those shown in his Fall 1981 Santa Fe collection—prairie skirts, fringe, and serapes worn with cowboy boots and concho belts.
Clotilde in Ralph Lauren’s Fall 1981 ad campaign. Photo: Bruce Weber. Image: Ralph Lauren.
Vogue 2881 by Ralph Lauren (ca. 1981) Image: eBay.
Ralph Lauren’s Spring 1984 Safari collection is said to have been inspired by Out of Africa, perhaps with a dash of Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Clotilde in Ralph Lauren’s Spring 1984 ad campaign. Photo: Bruce Weber. Image: Pinterest.
Brooke Shields in Ralph Lauren / Ralph Lauren for Hat Attack, Vogue, May 1984. Photo: Richard Avedon. Image: Pinterest.
Vogue 1547 by Ralph Lauren (1985) Image: Etsy.
Ariane Koizumi in Vogue 1547 by Ralph Lauren, Vogue, May 1985. Photo: Elisabeth Novick. Image: TFS.
Late ’80s Vogue Career designs by Ralph Lauren feature British model Saffron Aldridge, then the face of the brand.
Vogue 2255 by Ralph Lauren (1989) Image: Etsy.
Tartan was one of the main takeaways from Ralph Lauren’s Fall 1991 collection. (As L’Officiel observed, “For Ralph Lauren, tartan isn’t a fashion, it’s a lifestyle.”) Vogue released two patterns from this collection, a dress and trouser ensemble.
Vogue 2780 by Ralph Lauren (1991)
Vogue 2782 by Ralph Lauren (1991) Image: eBay.
Although the envelope for the dress shows it in solid red, the tartan looks had pride of place on the holiday covers, both Vogue PatternsMagazine and the December catalogue.
Cathy Fedoruk in Ralph Lauren, Vogue Patterns, November/December 1991. Photo: Christopher Micaud. Image: Etsy.
Ralph Lauren dress on the cover of the Vogue Patterns catalogue, December 1991. Image: Etsy.
The tartan pieces had already been promoted that same season in the Fall ’91 advertising campaign and a Grace Coddington / Linda Evangelista cover and editorial (“A Shot of Scotch”) in Vogue’s September issue.
Ralph Lauren ad campaign, Fall 1991. Model: Kim Nye. Image: Pinterest.
“A Shot of Scotch,” September 1991. Photo: Arthur Elgort. Editor: Grace Coddington. Image: Pinterest.
Some later covers showing Ralph Lauren in a less WASP-y mode:
Eva Green in Ralph Lauren, L’Officiel, Dec/Jan 2011-2012. Photo: Satoshi Saïkusa. Editor: Monica Pillosio.
Rooney Mara in Ralph Lauren, Vogue, November 2011. Photo: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Editor: Tonne Goodman.
