Fear of Pink

Easy to do, considering pink's traditional provenance: Pepto-Bismal, bubblegum, young girls' bedrooms, princess ball gowns, toilet paper, Angelyne, Paris Hilton, Miami Vice, supermarket bouquets, and splayed road kill. To use pink without conjuring any of the above requires certain skill.

In the right hands, though, pink can be a new frontier.




Pink is best when it comes to us as a surprise.





As it veers toward the hotter end of the scale, pink is a color with both hot and cool properties.

Below, something we don't usually associate with pink: Subtlety. It floats lightly over a green jacket and yellowed hair like a cloud at sunset.





Just a lampshade's worth in a white room. Imagine the scene with the colors reversed: A color with the power to go from graceful to Graceland in a stroke.





Below, a pink dream world reflected back in the mirror's image. A physicist might explain this as the optics of mismatched vibrational frequencies, reflected energies, color transmissions or the like. Then again, maybe it's just a radiating hot pink pillowcase. Whatever, the effect is stunning.





The reflected light of the above is recreated to similar effect below through a painting and chair cushions. Bluish shadows on the walls and floor subdue the animal from going alpha.





Below, pink adds drama to a dark palette. Suddenly, there's more Feng Shui and less Pepto-Bismal.







Photo from the David Hicks Archive

Upon returning from a trip to India Gloria Vanderbilt may or may not have said "Pink is the new black."

This, on the other hand, is from Vogue editor Diana Vreeland's 1984 memoir, D.V., weighing in on pink this way:

Actually, pale-pink salmon is the only color I cannot abide.
Although, naturally, I adore PINK. I love the pale Persian pinks of the little carnations of Provence, and Schiaparelli's pink, the pink of the Incas.
And, though it's so vieux jeu I can hardly bear to repeat it, pink is the navy blue of India.

It appears the culture of India has braved pink for centuries.




Above, in the work of great designer David Hicks (ca. 1970s) pink and bright green joust for the eye.



Above, pink and gray continue their longstanding relationship. Though, here, the pink may be a little hotter and the gray a little warmer.

Textile Museum

Located above the Museu de Arts Decoratives in the Palau Reial de Padralbes is the Barcelona Textile Museum.

Not where you would probably expect me to be spending time, but honestly, we had some time to kill! What a pleasant surprise I had in store.

The amazing collection traces the evolution of fashion: providing interesting 'how tos' such as how the 'new look' bust was created, seen above, and contrasting elements of different styles.

The patterns of these victorian skirts below were contrasted to a much later 20th century version.

And just how are those hoop skirts held high? Well, here's how! Seeing the clothing in person and relatively close up was much better than reading about them in a book or magazine.The workmanship and details on some of the pieces were amazing, especially loved this flapper look. Notice the white suit in the background, so Gatsby'esque!

Examples such as these mid 19th century Empire styled dresses were in such immaculate condition with such vivid colors you would have thought they were just sewn yesterday.Seeing this fairly recent dress compared with an Edwardian train was another example of a great pairing.And just how are those bustles kept up (throughout different periods)?The layout of this exhibit really is impeccable. I always say the right presentation can make the most mundane exhibit interesting (I recently saw a fascinating exhibit on parking garages at the NBM. Come on, I mean...they made parking structures interesting!).These bodices were in such beautiful colors.More amazing beading work.This is a whole lot of look, but in the right situation, pretty fabulous!Spain's own Balenciaga is of course represented. I loved all of his clothing they showed. Some more bizarre pairings showing yet again how things never change; they just come in and out of fashion, nothing is ever 'new'. These body conscious dresses below come from all different styles and time periods.Not everything is so beautiful, will these ever be back in style? That red men's polyester number really made my skin itch!Make sure to stop by this amazing museum, right on the metro line. You can't beat 3 museums in 1: Textile, Ceramics and decorative arts.

"The clearest way to the universe is through a forest..."

"I've never seen a discontented tree... Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves. No wonder the hills and groves were God's first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself."











“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”


All quotes from John Muir.

Brilliant Orange

A storefront on a London street: There's a legendary story of American painter James Whistler testifying in court against British art critic John Ruskin. The artist sued for libel following a review in which Ruskin charged the painter for his casual and thoughtless use of paint in a particular work. (Actually, the word Ruskin used was "splattering.") Asked how long it'd taken him to complete the painting Whistler replied, "two days." The question implying that 200 guineas for such a work was entirely too generous. But it wasn't for his labor that Whistler had asked such a price. Said he, "I ask it for the knowledge of a lifetime."

The decision to paint the storefront in brilliant orange may've come to the designer in a lark. But the ability to initiate such a lark, well, that could only result from an artist's long and arduous journey.

Brilliant orange, indeed.

The Allure of Blunt Forces

It's where dark meets light, hard meets soft, and density meets sparsity; that place where oppositional forces create an alluring energy. Blame human consciousness: In our non-zenlike moments our minds tend toward a continuous whorl of tension. Such is creature life on earth. This may explain why we're so often drawn to blunt polar forces, whether in fashion, in a room, a chair, or a jungle.









































Humans crave order and yet we don't trust it. This could explain why great design is often found to be that which pushes order closer to the edge.























The graceful chair, edged in lace, standing before the industrial-like rivets and stainless wall cover. The dark-stained matte hardwood floor snuggles easily with billowing drapes and a lamp shade's dangling appendages.





















The libertine chaos of the rain forest is smoothed with the minimalist geometry of modern Shangri-La.












Sweet dreams to be found beneath a cave's coarse canopy. A rage of raw stone is softened with forced right angles and the sweep of white linen. All around the delicate aroma of aged Mother Earth and the quietude of her belly: Bliss.

Dior, 1948

What was Christian Dior up to in 1948? Well, for one thing -he was designing 'Abandon' for autumn & winter . Why don't clothes or houses have names anymore? I think a name can add so much! You wouldn't have a pet or child without one obviously! This dress of silk and cotton was noted for its plunging neckline. Supposedly, for more modest women, you could adjust the silk to cover up more......I'm not buying that. Still -it's a beautiful dress! Below is a more modern version of the dress -recognize it?

Pics courtesy of the Met

When ugly things happen to pretty people

Lets talk, Nicole Kidman. You're one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Why are you doing this to yourself? While pregnant, you stopped your 'treatments' and you were back to your old self; you even gained a few much-needed pounds. So why?? I'm one of your biggest supporters but if this is the train wreck we're headed towards - I'M OUT!
PS if you don't know what I'm talking about -look towards the mouth region.

Dior, the talent

While I can barely do him justice, especially in such a short post, I would like to just talk briefly about Christian Dior as I'm currently reading his autobiography from 1957. Dior believed that accessories MADE the outfit. After coming up with the initial sketches of a dress, he would then go on to chose the accessories right away, even before seeing the finalized dress! He worked with Roger Vivier often for shoes, such as this cheetah printed silk show above. Notice the beautiful details such as the rhinestone button and beautiful catch.

This is a detail photograph from 1954 of his dress called ' Moulin Rouge'. He wrote that he wanted to make women happy and gave his dresses fun, exotic and happy names.

This sketch by Gruau shows Ispahan from 1947 for the magazine 'Adam'. From the start of the Dior salon, it was a huge success. He wrote that after 1 year of business, it was such an established brand that he would hear people talking about it as if it had been around since the turn of the century! All he ever wanted was a tiny, small exclusive salon -he never expected or wanted all of the publicity and growth of his company.

Entry to the boutique. Housed in a grand but sedate mansion /townhouse at 30 Avenue Montaigne - he wanted it to be a simple take on tradition ala the style of 1910: Everything in shades of gray and white.

Cachotier from 1951 - I love this very architectural dress with the ruched gloves. It must be so uncomfortable though!

A dress from Fall / Winter 1954 -this shows the finished product on the right and the process on the left. Primarily known for his evening gowns, Dior was in the group of the moneyed classes who were throwing grand balls after WWII to forget the horrors and atrocities they witnessed -society wanted fun! Dior provided the dresses.

An ad from 1960 for shoes by Vivier for Dior. Drawn by Gruau of course.

Dior made the cover of Time magazine in 1957 -the year of his autobiographyThe models of the house of Dior from 1957. I love the model with alabaster skin and red lips in the black dress! So chic. Her name was Lucky! A sketch by Dior for the 1951 collections. Such expressive lines, evocative of Gruau.

All images from the book 'Dior' by Universe of Fashion by Marie-France Pochna; forward by Grace Mirabella. You can find this great little book online HERE very inexpensively used.