Motherhood, 1971
May 14, 2017 § 3 Comments
Vogue 7952 in Vogue Pattern Book, August/September 1971. Photo: Art Barclay.
In honour of Mother’s Day, some maternity images from an early ’70s Vogue Pattern Book.
That’s Vogue 7952 by the red Volkswagen bug. (Shoes: Charles Jourdan.) The other maternity patterns are Vogue 7382 and Vogue 8079.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Vogue 7382 in Vogue Pattern Book, August/September 1971. Photo: Art Barclay.
Vogue 8079 in Vogue Pattern Book, August/September 1971. Photo: Art Barclay.
“Motherhood” in Vogue Pattern Book, August/September 1971. Photos: Art Barclay.
Patterns in Vogue: Winona Ryder by Ellen von Unwerth
April 17, 2017 § 1 Comment
Ellen von Unwerth – Heimat at the Taschen Gallery, Los Angeles, 2017. Image: Taschen.
If you’re in LA this month, you can catch Ellen von Unwerth’s new show, Heimat, at the Taschen Gallery (to May 1st, 2017). A catalogue is available in two limited editions.
Ellen von Unwerth, Heimat (Taschen, 2017) Image: Taschen.
In 1993, von Unwerth photographed Winona Ryder for a Vogue cover feature showcasing the season’s silver trend. One of the silver looks—shown twice—was made using a Vogue pattern.
Winona Ryder in Vogue, October 1993. Photo: Ellen von Unwerth. Editor: Camilla Nickerson.
Winona Ryder in V1446 silver leather coat, Vogue, October 1993. Photo: Ellen von Unwerth. Editor: Camilla Nickerson.
Winona Ryder in a Betsey Johnson silver lamé suit and Converse sneakers. Vogue, October 1993. Photo: Ellen von Unwerth. Editor: Camilla Nickerson.
Winona Ryder wears a silver leather coat made using Vogue 1446. Vogue, October 1993. Photo: Ellen von Unwerth. Editor: Camilla Nickerson.
Ryder’s duster is the long, view D version of Vogue 1446, made up in silver leather from Libra Leather.
Vogue 1446 (ca. 1984) Image: Sew Exciting Needleworks.
Mei Xiao Zhou for Guy Laroche: Vogue Patterns
March 14, 2017 § 6 Comments
Guy Laroche advertising campaign, Fall 2001.
Word is Guy Laroche patterns are set to return after a two-year hiatus. (The last Laroche, and last Paris Original, to be released was V1450 in Summer, 2015.) In anticipation, my ongoing Laroche series resumes with a look at the early 2000s designs of Mei Xiao Zhou.
Born in the Netherlands, Mei Xiao Zhou came to a career in fashion after working as a ballet dancer and video director in New York and Tokyo. He spent six years as an assistant to Thierry Mugler before he was hired as head designer at Guy Laroche. (See WWD, “Guy Laroche Taps Zhou.”)
Zhou designed two collections for Laroche, both presented in 2001.
1. Guy Laroche Prêt-à-porter Fall/Winter 2001 (shown March 2001)
Mei Xiao Zhou’s first collection for Laroche radiated energy, with vibrant colour and prints underlining the skillful cut. (See WWD, “Static State, Forties-Something, and the ‘Casino’ Factor.”) Here’s the collection image from L’Officiel 1000 modèles:
Guy Laroche Fall 2001 collection by Mei Xiao Zhou in L’Officiel 1000 modèles. Image: jalougallery.com.
The hardest to find of Zhou’s Laroche patterns, Vogue 2650 is a bias-cut, halter-neck wrap dress that can be made in cocktail and evening length (both size ranges available in the shop):
Vogue 2650 by Mei Xiao Zhou for Guy Laroche (2002) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Guy Laroche Fall 2001 runway. Images: firstVIEW.
Vogue 2668’s trouser suit includes a short jacket with three-quarter sleeves. On the runway, the revers on the red version revealed a flash of sequins:
Vogue 2668 by Mei Xiao Zhou for Guy Laroche (2002) Image: Etsy.
Guy Laroche Fall 2001 runway. Images: firstVIEW.
Vogue 2689 is a sleek skirt suit with concealed closure and clavicle-framing standing collar. The skirt has a zippered side slit:
Vogue 2689 by Mei Xiao Zhou for Guy Laroche (2002) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Guy Laroche Fall 2001 runway. Images: firstVIEW.
L’Officiel included one of Zhou’s op-art print pieces in the Sixties-inspired editorial “Mille neuf cent soixante-trois“:
Guy Laroche, L’Officiel, October 2001. Model: Mariacarla Boscono. Photo: Nicolas Hidiroglou. Editor: Jennifer Eymère. Image: jalougallery.com.
2. Guy Laroche Prêt-à-porter Spring/Summer 2002 (shown October 2001)
For his romantic second collection for Laroche, Zhou covered the runway in water, sending out looks with an Asian influence in a palette of white, yellow, ochre, chocolate brown, and black. (See L’Officiel 1000 modèles and AP, “Louis Vuitton Show Goes Creative.”) Here’s the collection image:
Guy Laroche Spring 2002 collection by Mei Xiao Zhou in L’Officiel 1000 modèles. Image: jalougallery.com.
A look from Mei Xiao Zhou’s Spring 2002 collection for Guy Laroche. Model: Raquel Zimmerman. Image: livingly.
The Spring 2002 campaign echoed the runway’s aquatic motif:
Guy Laroche advertising campaign, Spring 2002.
Because this collection is not well documented online, it’s difficult to identify corresponding sewing patterns. Vogue 2752 looks to be one of the canary yellow suits, with flared kimono sleeves and rounded lapels that match descriptions of the show:
Vogue 2752 by Mei Xiao Zhou for Guy Laroche (2002) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Although I can’t confirm it, Vogue 2736 may also be a Spring 2002 design. The jacket has a bustier-effect bias inset, and the pants have high slits in the back seams:
Vogue 2736 by Guy Laroche (2003) Image: Etsy.
Mei Xiao Zhou brought the verve of Mugler to his runway shows for Laroche. Although his first collection was well received, the house was sold to a new parent company, which hired a new designer for Fall 2002 (Laetitia Hecht). Like other designer patterns of this period, Zhou’s Laroche patterns highlight the widening gulf between catwalk and sewing-editorial styling—which is ultimately the gulf between the fashion and home sewing industries.
Previous Laroche posts:
Marisa Berenson
February 15, 2017 § Leave a comment
Marisa Berenson on the cover of Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970. Photo: Otto Storch.
Marisa Berenson (b. 1947) turns 70 today. Though best known for her work as a film actor in movies like Visconti’s Death in Venice (1971), Cabaret (1972), and Barry Lyndon (1975), Berenson grew up wanting to be a fashion model. Her career was launched when she met Diana Vreeland at a society ball, and she became one of the most successful models of the ’60s and ’70s. For more, see the visual biography Marisa Berenson: A Life in Pictures (Rizzoli, 2011).
Marisa Berenson as the Countess of Lyndon on the cover of Andy Warhol’s Interview, January 1975. Image: eBay.
As far as I know, Berenson appears on only one pattern envelope: Vogue 2369 by Oscar de la Renta. Taken in a New York interior, the photo was also published in a 1970 Vogue Pattern Book feature on the designer:
Vogue 2369 by Oscar de la Renta (1970) Image: Etsy.
Berenson can also be seen in Vreeland-era pattern editorials in Vogue magazine, like this shoot by Guy Bourdin (see my earlier post):
Marisa Berenson in Vogue, August 15, 1966. Photos: Guy Bourdin.
Irving Penn’s “Look Marvellous” editorial, showcasing clothes in American fabrics, included Berenson in Vogue 7017 and Vogue 7022 (via Youthquakers):
“Look Marvellous”: Marisa Berenson in Vogue, January 15, 1967. Photos: Irving Penn. Image: Youthquakers.
This Gianni Penati editorial shows two Vogue Paris Originals by Marc Bohan for Dior, Vogue 1787 and Vogue 1792:
“Hit Knits: the geometric jerseys.” Marisa Berenson in Vogue, June 1967. Photos: Gianni Penati.
The issue of Vogue Pattern Book with the Berenson cover (shown above) includes more of her editorial work. In “New Evening Splendour,” she wears the cover look, caftan Vogue 7827, as well as Vogue 7834 and Vogue 7836:
Vogue 7836 caftan, Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970. Photo: Otto Storch.
Vogue 7827 caftan, Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970. Photo: Otto Storch.
Vogue 7834 poncho and pants, Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970. Photo: Otto Storch.
Berenson also models some jumpsuits in a summer portfolio—Vogue 7697 in a groovy print:
Vogue 7697 in Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970.
High-waisted jumpsuit Vogue 7818:
Vogue 7818 in Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970.
And short jumpsuit and wrap skirt Vogue 7812:
Vogue 7812 in Vogue Pattern Book, June/July 1970.
Happy birthday, Ms. Berenson!
Marisa Berenson on the runway for Tom Ford’s Spring 2011 collection. Photo: Terry Richardson. Image: Harper’s Bazaar.
Patterns in Vogue: The Insiders (Galentine’s Day Edition)
February 13, 2017 § Leave a comment
Detail, Vogue, November 1974. Photo: Chris von Wangenheim. Image: The Fashion Spot.
Galentine’s Day calls for slumber party-worthy loungewear. “The Insiders,” a mid-1970s Chris von Wangenheim editorial photographed in interior designer Angelo Donghia’s New York townhouse, includes three Vogue patterns made up in gleaming satin.
“The insiders… make their own gleam”: loungewear patterns in Vogue, November 1974. Photos: Chris von Wangenheim. Image: The Fashion Spot.
On the left, Regina Jaffrey wears robe Vogue 8888 and trousers Vogue 1127; the model on the right is wearing jacket and drawstring pants Vogue 8855. Both ensembles were made in Qiana nylon, from American Silk Mills and Jules Moskowitz. (Hair by Maury Hopson; jewels: Van Cleef & Arpels.)
Detail, Vogue, November 1974. Photo: Chris von Wangenheim. Image: The Fashion Spot.
See Sighs and Whispers’ repost for the full editorial.
Pattern images: Roma’s Maison, Vintage Pattern Wiki.
Black Fashion Designers at FIT
February 5, 2017 § 2 Comments
Scott Barrie dress, ca. 1973, in MFIT’s exhibition Black Fashion Designers. Image: Museum at FIT.
The Museum at FIT’s current exhibition, Black Fashion Designers, showcases the often-overlooked work of more than 60 designers of African descent. (The show runs to May 16th, 2017). Monday’s symposium is sold out, but you can watch a livestream here.
Butterick 6680 by Willi Smith (ca. 1979) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Many of the designers featured in the FIT exhibit also licensed sewing patterns. Here are some highlights of patterns by designers of African descent, from the 1970s to now.
Sportswear designer Willi Smith (1948-1987) signed with Butterick’s Young Designer line in the 1970s; in the ’80s, he moved to McCall’s with his label Williwear. According to the exhibition notes, Smith branched into menswear in 1982, but this pattern is almost a decade earlier:
Butterick 3254 by Willi Smith (1973) Image: Vintage Pattern Wiki.
Stephen Burrows (b. 1943) licensed designs with McCall’s Carefree line in the mid-1970s. This pattern combines two of his signature elements, colour blocking and lettuce hems:
McCall’s 4091 by Stephen Burrows (1974) Image: Etsy.
Scott Barrie (1946-1993) began his career at Vogue Patterns, so his introduction to home sewers was also a welcome back. Chris von Wangenheim photographed Barrie with two models for a feature highlighting his work with matte jersey. The patterns are Vogue 1976 (on Gia Carangi) and Vogue 1994:
Scott Barrie in Vogue Patterns, September/October 1978. Photo: Chris von Wangenheim.
Best known for his formal wear, British designer Bruce Oldfield (b. 1950) licensed his work with Style Patterns in the mid-1980s. (See my earlier post here). This dolman-sleeved dress could be made in cocktail or evening length:
Style 4494 by Bruce Oldfield (1985) Image: Etsy.
Patrick Kelly (1954-1990) first appeared on the pattern scene in the late 1980s with this dramatic peplum suit. (Read my Patrick Kelly post here, or download the free one-seam coat pattern.)
Vogue 2077 by Patrick Kelly (1988) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Gordon Henderson (b. 1957) was among the first designers in the ’90s Vogue Attitudes line. (According to a 1990 profile, his mother—a psychologist and single parent—used Vogue patterns to economize.) This 1990 design shows his interest in colour and silhouette:
Vogue 2566 by Gordon Henderson (1990) Image: Etsy.
Also in the Vogue Attitudes line, patterns by Byron Lars (b. 1965) remain popular today. (See my earlier post.) This shirt dress and leggings ensemble was photographed on the street in New York City:
Vogue 1529 by Byron Lars (1995) Image: Etsy.
Tracy Reese (b. 1964) has licensed her main label with Vogue Patterns since 2009; McCall’s added bridge line Plenty by Tracy Reese in 2012. Vogue’s most recent offering, Vogue 1512, is a dress from Reese’s Fall 2015 collection.
McCall’s 6506 from Plenty by Tracy Reese (2012) Image: PatternVault on Etsy.
Vogue 1512 by Tracy Reese (2016) Image: eBay.
Tracy Reese, Fall 2015 collection. Image: Vogue Runway.
For more on the Black Fashion Designers exhibit, see the museum notes and Alexandra Jacobs’ article in The New York Times.
Patterns in Vogue: On the Move
January 19, 2017 § 1 Comment
Detail, Vogue, August 1986. Photo: Denis Piel.
“On the move” is the concept for a mid-’80s Denis Piel pattern editorial featuring designs from Geoffrey Beene’s career line.
Here, Vogue 1770, Beene’s wrap jacket and skirt, is shown in wool jersey from Jasco Fabrics, with dress Vogue 1771 in Horikoshi silk crepe (Bally briefcase; Donna Karan bags; Omega belt; bracelets by Eric Beamon):
Vogue 1770 and 1771 by Geoffrey Beene, Vogue, August 1986. Photos: Denis Piel.
On the left, Vogue 1771’s jacket is made reversible in red and black wool coating, with wool gabardine trousers and a silk charmeuse tank made using Vogue 1773 (wool from Anglo Fabrics; silk from Hi Fashion Fabrics). At right, Vogue 1773’s coat becomes a raincoat in cotton back polyurethane from Waldon Textiles, with a cotton corduroy contrast from Majestic Mills (Omega belt; bags, Maud Frizon and Prada):
Vogue 1771 and 1773 by Geoffrey Beene, Vogue, August 1986. Photos: Denis Piel.
In the back of the magazine, readers could find sewing tips for making the jacket reversible and giving the coat a contrast collar:
Details on Vogue 1770, 1771, and 1773 by Geoffrey Beene, Vogue, August 1986.
Pattern images: Vintage Pattern Wiki, Design Rewind Fashions.
