Elle Macpherson, Vogue Australia, March 1995. Photo: Andrew Macpherson. Image: Vogue Australia.
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.
Fernanda Ly, Akiima, Charlee Fraser, and Andreja Pejić on the cover of Vogue Australia, April 2018. Photo: Patrick Demarchelier. Editor: Christine Centenara. Image: Vogue Australia.
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.)
Tania Mallet on the cover of the inaugural issue of Vogue Australia, Spring/Summer 1959. Photo: Norman Parkinson. Image: Vogue Australia.
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.
Cate Blanchett on the cover of Vogue Australia, January 2006. Photo: Richard Bailey. Image: Vogue Australia.
Vogue Patterns counts two Australians among its current designers: Rebecca Vallance and Nicola Finetti.
A Rebecca Vallance design on the cover of Vogue Patterns lookbook, Winter 2016. Image: Issuu.A Nicola Finetti design on the cover of the Vogue Patterns lookbook, Summer 2018. Image: Issuu.
Vogue Australia was still in its first decade when Butterick introduced two Aussies—Norma Tullo and Prue Acton—to its Young Designers line.
Butterick 5126 by Norma Tullo (ca. 1968) Image: Etsy.Butterick 5617 by Prue Acton (1969) Image: Etsy.
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.
Style 4438 by Carla Zampatti (1986) Image: Etsy.Style 1249 by Frederick Fox (1987)
In the 1990s, Richard Tyler briefly designed for Anne Klein. It’s possible that an Anne Klein pattern or two showcases Tyler’s work.
Nadja Auermann in Richard Tyler for Anne Klein, Vogue, February 1995. Photo: Juergen Teller. Editor: Camilla Nickerson.Australian model Gemma Ward in Junya Watanabe, 2005. Photo: Nick Knight. Image: SHOWstudio.Vogue coverup (Adolfo hat), Wanda Beach, Australia. Photo: Helmut Newton. Vogue, May 1, 1964.
A look from Cynthia Rowley Fall 2017. Photo: William Eadon. Image: Vogue Runway.
The new designer patterns for Winter/Holiday 2018 amp up the drama with sparkle and embellishment.
Vogue’s designer cover looks are by Badgley Mischka. Gracing both catalogue and magazine covers is Nadja Giramata, a Rwandan-French model represented by Elite New York.
Here and on the retail catalogue cover, she wears Badgley Mischka’s strapless popover gown with back detail. The original is stretch crepe with velvet ribbon.
Vogue 1604 by Badgley Mischka (2018) Image: McCall’s.
The popover gown is from Badgley Mischka’s Fall 2017 collection, which was inspired by the women of the interwar period.
A look from Badgley Mischka’s Fall 2017 collection. Image: Vogue Runway.
Other versions of the gown omit the grommets and embellish the flounce with lace or appliqué. The white dress is cocktail length:
Guipure lace and appliqué details on two dresses from Badgley Mischka. Images: The Outnet.
The second Badgley Mischka pattern is a top and skirt ensemble with pearl-embellished cuffs.
Nadja Giramata in V1605 by Badgley Mischka, Vogue Patterns, December/January 2018-19. Photo: Jack Deutsch. Image: McCall’s.
The designers used stretch velvet for the top and a lustrous satin for the draped evening skirt with bow accent.
Vogue 1605 by Badgley Mischka (2018) Image: McCall’s.
Photographer Jack Deutsch shared another shot of the ensemble on Instagram.
Ana Kondratjeva in Vogue 1605 by Badgley Mischka, 2018. Photo: Jack Deutsch via Instagram.
Combine the two looks and you get this current-season design:
New from Paco Peralta: a three-quarter sleeved top and high-waisted skirt, shown in brown, sequinned tweed. The sculpted shapes reference early Pierre Cardin.
Vogue 1602 by Paco Peralta (2018) Image: McCall’s.
Look closely and you’ll see that all the side seams line up. This drawing shows an earlier version, without the princess seams:
From Sharon Lombardo for Anne Klein, an open-front tuxedo jacket and skinny stretch pants. The originals were crepe and ponte knit.
Vogue 1606 by Anne Klein (2018) Image: McCall’s.
The minimalist jacket was available in colours including claret, bright red, and basic black. Here’s a similar stitched shawl collar as seen in the Spring 2016 campaign.
Vivien Solari in Anne Klein’s Spring 2016 ad campaign. Photo: Nathaniel Goldberg. Editor: Laura Ferrara. Image: Instagram.
Simplicity’s latest Cynthia Rowley design is a bell-sleeved dress with whimsical appliqués. The pattern also includes a top.
Simplicity 8733 by Cynthia Rowley (2018) Image: Simplicity.
The Rowley original is wool with metallic leather appliqués. William Eadon photographed it against a giant satin bow for the seasonal lookbook (at top of post).
Cynthia Rowley dress with appliqué detail, Fall 2017. Images: Moda Operandi.
The rose appliqués made other appearances in the collection: on a jumper and wide-leg trousers.
Cynthia Rowley Fall 2017. Photo: William Eadon. Image: vogue.com.
Bonus: From Vogue’s Fall release, a version of Alberta Ferretti’s Venetian coat:
Very Easy Vogue 9340 after Alberta Ferretti (2018) Image: McCall’s.
The version shown in Milan was midi length (view C) in unlined, mustard cashmere.
Yoon Young Bae in Alberta Ferretti FW 2017. Image: Vogue Runway.
The pattern’s centre-seam hood is adapted from the original.
Alberta Ferretti hooded bow tie coat, Fall 2017. Images: Moda Operandi.
The coat features in Tim Walker’s ad campaign, which was styled by none other than Carine Roitfeld, the former editor of Vogue Paris.
Lexi Boling in Alberta Ferretti’s Fall 2017 ad campaign. Photo: Tim Walker. Editor: Carine Roitfeld. Image: Alberta Ferretti.
Hack the pattern for a hooded cape—in opulent velvet for festive soirées:
Lineisy Montero, Lexi Boling, and Kiki Willems in Alberta Ferretti’s Fall 2017 ad campaign. Photo: Tim Walker. Editor: Carine Roitfeld. Image: Alberta Ferretti.
Vivien Solari in Anne Klein’s Fall 2015 ad campaign. Photo: Nathaniel Goldberg. Editor: Laura Ferrara. Image: Instagram.
Have you seen the new Fall patterns?
Scarlett Schoeffling in Vogue 1597 by Anne Klein, Vogue Patterns lookbook Fall 2018. Image: Issuu.
Vogue’s cover look is a cropped trench jacket by Sharon Lombardo for Anne Klein. Trousers also included:
Vogue 1597 by Sharon Lombardo for Anne Klein (2018) Image: McCall’s.
The cropped trench is a signature Anne Klein piece, seen in the Fall ’15 (above) and Fall ’16 campaigns. (See my post on Vogue’s Winter/Holiday release.)
Anne Klein Fall 2016 ad campaign. Photo: Annemarieke van Drimmelen. Model: Guinevere Van Seenus. Image: Behance.
From Badgley Mischka, a day-to-evening sheath dress, with cuffed sleeves cut in one with the bodice:
Vogue 1595 by Badgley Mischka (2018) Image: McCall’s.
The original is a navy poly-spandex crepe.
Navy crepe dress by Badgley Mischka. Image: Rent the Runway.
Brocade with a rose gold sparkle is the star of this Badgley Mischka cocktail dress with pleated sleeve flounces.
Vogue 1596 by Badgley Mischka (2018) Image: McCall’s.
A closeup view on the designers’ site, with a different pattern placement:
Detail, bell sleeve brocade cocktail dress. Image: Badgley Mischka.
The flounce sleeve featured prominently in Badgley Mischka’s Fall 2017 collection—in black lace for the opening look.
Two looks from Badgley Mischka Fall 2017. Photos: Umberto Fratini / Vogue Runway.
Paco Peralta’s new design is an edgy LBD with two-way separating zipper.
Vogue 1593 by Paco Peralta (2018) Image: McCall’s.
Plus, a men’s shirt from the team at Koos van den Akker. Make in a single fabric if print mixing isn’t your thing.
Vogue 1599 by Koos van den Akker (2018) Image: McCall’s.
A look from Adam Andrascik’s Fall 2015 collection for Laroche. Photo: Yannis Vlamos. Image: Vogue.com.
From Guy Laroche to Paco Peralta, Vogue’s designer patterns for Winter/Holiday 2017 offer a range of festive looks for the coming season.
The new Guy Laroche is a skinny jean and party top, recommended for lamé:
Vogue 1573 by Adam Andrascik for Guy Laroche (2017) Image: McCall’s
The ensemble is the first pattern to be drawn from Adam Andrascik’s debut collection for Laroche.
V1573 by Adam Andrascik for Guy Laroche on the Fall 2015 runway. Photo: Yannis Vlamos. Image: Vogue.com.
Gleaming tartan jacquard is the star of this ensemble from Anne Klein, now designed by Sharon Lombardo:
Vogue 1571 by Sharon Lombardo for Anne Klein (2017) Image: McCall’s.
Guinevere Van Seenus wore a similar look for the Fall 2016 campaign, photographed by Annemarieke van Drimmelen:
Anne Klein Fall 2016 ad campaign. Photo: Annemarieke van Drimmelen. Model: Guinevere Van Seenus. Image: Behance.
Like fall’s V1561 jacket, the two Zandra Rhodes offerings are from the Fall 2016 collection, which was sponsored by Kraftangan Malaysia. (Kraftangan is Malay for ‘handicraft.’) As always with Rhodes’ work, the focus is on textiles, here on a double-sided fabric such as metallic jacquard:
Vogue 1566 by Zandra Rhodes (2017) Image: McCall’s.
Vogue chose three of Rhodes’ Songket pieces—a dress, peplum top, and trousers—for the Winter/Holiday collection. Songket is a traditional metallic brocade produced in Southeast Asia.
Paco Peralta’s latest design for Vogue is a dolman-sleeved knit top and handkerchief skirt. Festive and versatile, the skirt even has pockets:
Vogue 1567 by Paco Peralta (2017) Image: McCall’s.
I have some Lurex in my stash, don’t you?
If you’re fresh out of shiny fabric, you might be interested in Gorgeous Fabrics’ farewell sale. Last weekend, owner Ann Steeves announced that she is closing shop after 11 years in business.
Amanda Murphy wears Laroche by Adam Andrascik, Miss Vogue supplement, Vogue Paris, September 2015. Photo: Lachlan Bailey. Editor: Géraldine Saglio. Image: Guy Laroche.
McCall’s 7138 by Bob Mackie on the cover of McCall’s news, July 1980.
It’s been another hot summer here in Toronto. One of my earliest blog posts, Heat Wave!, surveys vintage beachwear patterns. This summer, let’s take a look at a more elusive beast: designer swimwear patterns.
1950s
The earliest pattern I’ve seen for designer swimwear is Pucci’s strapless one-piece, McCall’s 3977. This pattern was available in Junior sizes only. The suit was lined in jersey, and could be made with or without the brightly coloured appliqués:
McCall’s 3977 by Emilio Pucci (1956) Image: eBay.
1960s
From another Italian designer, Irene Galitzine, Vogue 1288 is a pattern for a bikini, dress, and hat. The bikini consists of a cropped, cowl-neck blouse and bikini pants with side ties:
Vogue 1288 by Irene Galitzine (ca. 1963) Image: eBay.
1970s
The 1970s were the heyday of designer swimwear patterns, often with a coordinating coverup, and always for stretch knits. Vogue 1416 is an early design by Donna Karan; from Anne Klein’s collaboration with Penfold, the pattern includes both a maillot and a halter bikini:
Vogue 1416 by Donna Karan at Anne Klein for Penfold (1976) Image: Etsy.
From Bill Blass, Vogue 1455 includes a two-piece swimsuit with bra top and bikini briefs:
Vogue 1455 by Bill Blass (1976)
John Kloss licensed a number of swimwear designs with Butterick. This ad promotes his patterns with a poolside photo of Butterick 4808:
Butterick 4808 by John Kloss, Butterick advertisement, 1976. Image: eBay.
Another Butterick designer, Gil Aimbez, designed this one-piece bathing suit. Contrast bias binding outlines the cut-away sides and bodice seaming detail:
Butterick 5449 by Gil Aimbez (ca. 1977) Image: Etsy.
Like the Anne Klein Penfold pattern above, this Penfold pattern includes both one-piece and halter bikini bathing suits. The one-piece and bikini top are cut on the bias:
Vogue 1655 by Penfold (ca. 1977) Image: Vintage Patterns Wiki.
Both Penfold patterns can be seen in a Vogue Patterns editorial photographed in Antigua:
Beach beauty: halter bikini Vogue 1416 by Donna Karan at Anne Klein for Penfold, Vogue Patterns, May/June 1977. Model: Clotilde. Photo: Albert Watson. Image: TFS.Vogue 1655 by Penfold with Vogue 9808, Vogue Patterns, May/June 1977. Models: Lisa Cooper and Clotilde. Photos: Albert Watson. Image: TFS.
From spring, 1978, Vogue 1893 seems to have been the only Catalina pattern. Instead of a coverup, it includes three styles of bathing suit: low-backed view A, strapless view B with built-in boning, and blouson view C is a two-piece:
Vogue 1893 by Catalina (1978) Image: Etsy.
The magazine recommended making the Catalina suits in Thompson of California’s “second skin Tic Toc warp knit polyester crepes” in various prints:
From 1980, McCall’s 7109 includes three one-piece swimsuits by the Italian label Basile: a mock wrap, belted halter-neck and variations on the strapless suit with gathered bust (available in the shop):
McCall’s 7109 by Basile (1980) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
Jerry Hall (right) seems to be wearing the view A style in this Basile ad photographed by Irving Penn:
Basile advertisement in Vogue Italia, 1980. Photo: Irving Penn. Models: Michelle Stevens and Jerry Hall. Image: TFS.
Also from 1980, Bob Mackie’s strapless, colour-blocked swimsuit, McCall’s 7138, was photographed for the July counter catalogue and news leaflet (seen at the top of this post):
McCall’s 7138 by Bob Mackie (1980) Image: Etsy.
1990s
Finally, this early ’90s DKNY pattern, Vogue 2897, is labelled ‘dress and bodysuit,’ but was photographed as beachwear:
Vogue 2897 by DKNY (1992) Image: Etsy.
After a long swimwear pattern drought, the big pattern companies seem to have noticed the renewed popularity of sewing your own, custom bathing suit. For this summer, Simplicity reissued a 1950s bathing suit pattern, Simplicity 4307 / S8139, and The McCall Pattern Company has released a number of new swimwear designs, including one Vogue and two Lisette swimwear patterns.
Two designers with existing pattern licensing, Cynthia Rowley and Rachel Comey, both have swimwear lines. If we voice our support, perhaps we could soon see patterns for Cynthia Rowley surf wear and Rachel Comey Swim…
Wetsuit by Cynthia Rowley for Roxy, 2010. Image: Pinterest.Willy Somma self-portrait for Rachel Comey Swim, T Magazine, May 2013. Image: nytimes.com.
This week the Pan Am Games continue in Toronto. In honour of the Games, here’s a look at vintage patterns and illustrations showing women’s sports.
First up: Pan Am sports that have already concluded for 2015.
Archery. From a 1933 issue of McCall’s magazine, this archery scene was illustrated by Jean des Vignes:
“Taking Aim,” McCall’s magazine, March 1933. Illustration: Jean des Vignes.
Golf. Ben-Hur Baz (later known for his pin-ups) illustrated this golf scene for McCall’s magazine, circa 1930:
McCall 6078 and 6074 in McCall’s magazine, April 1930. Illustration: Ben Hur Baz.
Donna Karan designed these mid-1970s golf separates, hat included, when she was at Anne Klein. You can buy it for your own golfing needs from the PatternVault shop.
Vogue 1415 by Donna Karan for Anne Klein x Penfold (ca. 1976) Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
Roller skating. Simplicity 3890, a World War 2-era skating pattern, includes this roller skating illustration:
Simplicity 3890 (ca. 1941) Image via Etsy.
Sailing. This 1930s sailor dress has a contrast collar and big buttons at the side-front closure:
New York 217 (ca. 1930s)
Swimming. This chic, cuffed swimsuit (previously featured in my Heat Wave! beachwear post) dates to the late 1940s:
Vogue 6709 (1949) Image via Oodles and oodles.
The swimsuit was photographed by Richard Rutledge for Vogue Pattern Book:
Vogue 6709 in Vogue Pattern Book, April/May 1949. Photo: Richard Rutledge.
Tennis. The cover of the McCall Quarterly for Spring 1932 has this tennis-themed illustration featuring two dresses by Bruyère:
Bruyère patterns McCall 6804 and 6819 on the cover of McCall Quarterly, Spring 1932. Illustration: Blanche Rothschild.
Olivia Williams (Phina Oruche) in “Hush” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 4)
“Hush,” one of the strongest and spookiest episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, stars a model-turned-actor who appeared on Vogue patterns in the mid-1990s. Giles’ girlfriend Olivia is played by Phina Oruche (b. 1972). Born in Toxteth, Liverpool to Nigerian parents, Oruche was a successful model in London and New York before she won her first role in Sydney Pollack’s remake of Sabrina (1995).
Phina Oruche on the cover of Essence magazine, September 1992. Image via Phina Oruche.
Here Oruche models Vogue 1328, Issey Miyake’s jacket, top, and hammer pants:
Vogue 1328 by Issey Miyake (1994) Image via Etsy.
Vogue 1344 is an ensemble consisting of a top, high-waisted pants, and jacket with custom closures from Anne Klein II:
Vogue 1344 by Anne Klein II (1994) Image via Etsy.
Here Oruche shows off the lace-up back of Vogue 1353, a summer dress by Betty Jackson:
Vogue 1353 by Betty Jackson (1994) Image via Etsy.
Ornate trim highlights the seam detail on Vogue 1354, a top and skirt by Geoffrey Beene:
Vogue 1354 by Geoffrey Beene (1994) Image via Etsy.
Just for fun, here’s a recent portrait of Oruche by Paul Jones:
Phina Oruche. Imaage via Paul Jones.
The Gentlemen are coming…
Phina Oruche in “Hush” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 4)
