Rowing Blazers Book and Book Party at Polo Ralph Lauren

The cover of Rowing Blazers, the new book by Jack Carlson, and the living version, top, at the book party. 
It turns out that my friend George Carr knows Jack Carlson, the author of the new book from Vendome Press called Rowing Blazers, and so I was invited to the recent party to celebrate the book at the new Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street.
Also, I am now working at Ralph Lauren! Yes dear reader, I was offered a job as senior writer, special projects, in the internal creative agency at Ralph Lauren, and I most happily accepted. So I am very familiar with the gleaming new Polo store which offers the Polo brand for women that has just been introduced, as well as Ralph's Coffee, a charming coffee shop on the second floor. Check it out.
Rowing Blazers, with photographs by F. E. Castleberry, thoroughly explores the dapper blazers which boating teams have worn since the nineteenth century. The author Jack Carlson himself has rowed for Georgetown and Oxford, and his friends came out in droves for the book party which was already packed with rowers and their admirers by the time my friend Paul from work and I arrived. Sporting mates gathered together and moved throughout the party so there were crowds of color, like the fellows in red above, wherever you looked. It brought to mind the recent Ivy Style exhibit at F.I.T.
A display at the front door of the Polo Ralph Lauren store set the scene –

Gents in navy and white –

Gold and blue and white stripes – 

At the party George Carr introduced me to Jack Carlson who told me that he is now studying for a Ph.D in archeology at Oxford. When I asked him what about the rowing blazer interested him, he said, "It's a combination of all the things I love – rowing and style and pageantry and history and heritage."
In his book, he explores the boating jacket which first came about at the end of the nineteenth century in distinctive contrasting colors so that spectators could identify the different teams as they rowed past. Rowing teams still wear their signature colors today, as illustrated in the book.
Pale blue with white trim at Eton College –

Will Satch of the Shiplake College Boat Club in Henley-on-Thames, England, in a boldly striped blazer –

The Georgetown Univeristy Boat Club in blue with grey trim –

I'm a big fan of these blazers which have a distinctly Edwardian feel; they look like they're right out of Downton Abbey. Once, at a vintage store in Montreal, when I was at college at McGill University, I bought a navy blue Bill Blass blazer with white piping. I wore that jacket all the time, with jeans and everything. The rowing jacket combines good health and exercise with a sophisticated, elegant line. In one garment, the boating blazer captures the spirit of the sporting gentleman.

The Elegant 30s at F.I.T.

Last week TD and I attended the opening night party for the new exhibition at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology which celebrates the glamorous, luxurious clothes of the 1930s. This show includes both women's and men's fashion, and was co-curated by Patricia Mears, deputy director of the Museum at F.I.T, and G. Bruce Boyer, the menswear writer and editor. You may remember Patricia, who gave us a private tour of Ivy Style about a year ago.
Here is yours truly with Bruce and Patricia at the opening –

Entitled Elegance in an Age of Crisis: Fashions of the 1930s, the show explores fashion between the Great Depression and the impending doom of World War II. The era is renowned for its timeless, refined designs which transcend fashion and could still be worn today. Lodged between the stick-straight, up-and-down flapper styles of the 20s and the exaggerated shapes and over-sized shoulder pads of the 40s, 30s design struck the perfect balance by following and flattering the lines of the body. Lighter fabrics and textiles woven on wider looms enabled manufacturers to drape and shape clothes in graceful new ways. "There is a sense of naturalism," Patricia Mears said to me, noting the lack of corseting or padding. "The construction looks simple but it's very complicated and creates an elegance and sophistication."

Menswear too is displayed with the women's clothes, and shows how the handsome style of the 30s continues to be an influence. "Men's tailoring still today derives from either the English draped model or the Italian deconstructed model of the 30s," said Bruce Boyer.

High-wattage costumes from Hollywood movies also dazzled during the era, and there are some glittering examples on display.

The gallery is decorated with muted, sheer curtains of light chiffon which Patrica said were inspired by the Normandie, the famous 1930s French luxury ocean liner.

This show offers a hushed trip to a more refined time. The 30s hit an ideal which will never go out of style and continues to inspire. Its theme of simple elegance is the very essence of chic style which looks effortless but is in fact rigorously thought out. The exhibit is up until April 19th and admission is free.

Ivy Style at F.I.T.

I am a big fan of the exhibits at the Museum at F.I.T. and so I thought it would be fun to organize a guided tour through the current exhibition for my department at work. In the fashion marketing department, we are always looking for creative inspiration so what better place to visit than the Museum at F.I.T.  I contacted some friends there and soon enough we had a tour arranged with Patricia Mears, the deputy director of the museum and the curator of the current exhibit called "Ivy Style" which celebrates the handsome, timeless, Ivy League college menswear look.

"Ivy Style” explores this uniquely American invention from its beginnings at the turn of the last century up until today with the designs of Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. The show’s impressive installation includes settings that recreate a college quad, classrooms and a retail university shop. On the insightful tour for the marketing department, Patricia noted that Ivy League style is a signature American creation that mixes up a wealthy, moneyed look with a sporty, casual attitude – for example wearing a bow tie with madras shorts or a tuxedo with no socks. Ivy style takes dressy men's clothes down a notch with a relaxed nonchalance. She also pointed out that although the Ivy League look is now thought of as classic and conservative, it was considered leading edge in the 1920’s and 30’s when magazines eagerly reported on the latest fashion trends that young college men were wearing.

“Ivy Style” is up until January 5th at the Museum at the corner of 7th Avenue and 27th Street, and admission is free. Check it out if you can, and learn more about American men's style and the themes that shaped it. Thank you to F.I.T. and Patricia Mears for the great tour!  

Unclehood

A friend recently emailed to say, "I need a Jane hit on the blog," and I replied, "Me too." It is always fun for me to see my niece and my nephews. Jane is now almost 14; when I started this blog she was 10 so she is growing up in photos. Jane likes art and fashion too so I met her at the Daphne Guinness show at F.I.T. at West 27th Street. I really enjoyed being there again. What struck me on this visit is the styling of the show; I think almost every outfit is accessorized with a bit of velvet ribbon, an old heirloom"diamond" brooch. Daphne wears very modern clothes but the way she styles them with her ribbons and diamonds make the clothes look romantic and timeless. In the dandy tailored section of the show, I noticed Daphne's quote, "There is a lot of cross-dressing in Shakespeare. I'm inspired by that." At the press preview, she had said she is most inspired by literature, and what the characters would be wearing.

Jane and I stopped for a bagel and then proceeded on to the Flea Market Garage on West 25th Street.

We strolled around the two floors of flea market vendors. One vendor was selling an old rotary telephone. Jane picked it up and said, "How does this work?" As we were leaving the second floor, Jane spotted some suede zip-up moccasins with fringe around the ankles. They fit her perfectly

so I bought them for her birthday. She has a good eye.
Then we schlepped down to West 17th Street to some more of my vintage store haunts – Pippin Vintage Home, Angel Street Thrift Shop, and Housing Works. At Pippin Vintage Home I ran into some friends, and also ran into a friend at F.I.T. It reminded me of when I was young and my uncle Brian, my mother's brother, took me on trips and excursions. He always ran into someone he knew, which was fun, whether it was at the Albany museum or on a bus in a snow storm or at the Utica Club Brewery. Brian, who is an attorney in the Albany area, often took my brother Thom and I on adventures – there were outings to the local fire department in Ridgewood, New Jersey, the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and the offices of the Albany newspaper. He was the first person to take me on an airplane trip. A great uncle. He is my model in this department.

Daphne Guinness Press Preview at F.I.T.

Daphne Guinness book cover, photo by Kevin Davies. Book available from Yale University Press in November.

I had the pleasure on Friday of attending the press preview for the Daphne Guinness exhibit which opened that day at the Fashion Institute of Technology at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street. You know Daphne Guinness – she is the fantastically creative style icon who inspires designers and brings their clothes to life, and also has forged her own signature look which is completely original. Daphne Guinness is an artist and her medium is clothes. This exhibition of her personal wardrobe was co-curated by Ms. Guinness and Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, and includes 100 garments and accessories from the icon's personal collection, plus films, videos and images of and by her. It's up until January 7, 2012 and admission is free.

Daphne Guinness was born in 1967 to Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne, and his second wife Suzanne Lisney. Jonathan himself is the son of Bryan Guinness and...wait for it...Diana Mitford of the renowned Mitford sisters. The Guinness family of Ireland of course is known for its accomplishments in banking, politics, and dark beer brewing. Daphne married Spyros Niarchos, son of Greek shipping billionaire Stavros Niarchos who was famously the business rival of Aristotle Onassis. Daphne and Spyros had three children and were divorced in 1999.

Since then she has become renowned in the world of fashion for her personal style and knowledge of fashion. She was great friends with English talents Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow, who both have tragically committed suicide. Her extremely romantic and imaginative style is a joy to see and I was looking forward to the exhibition at FIT.

When I am attending a press preview, I tend to rush in and circle around to try to take in the whole thing at once. Gradually though I slow down and the clothes begin to speak. The museum gallery space down in the basement level was designed by Ken Nintzel and divided into sections and rooms inspired by Daphne's New York City apartment so this show looks very different from exhibitions in the past like the Ralph Rucci one, where the gallery was open and expansive.

The show is organized by themes. The fantastic feather cape is part of the "Sparkle" group.

I loved these very precise jackets inspired by the tailoring of Savile Row in London.

A strict black tailored jacket is decorated with lace, a velvet ribbon and sparkling jewelry for a wonderful combination of structure and a touch of whimsy.

In contrast to that black tailoring are these white ensembles decorated with glittering stones. On the left is a silk chiffon dress by Alexander McQueen with rhinestones, and on the right is an ivory silk faile Chanel jacket with embroidered stone trim.

There were some futuristic, avant garde, sculptural silver dresses but my favorite piece was this narrow black sheath decorated with jewels around the neck and fur around the armholes by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. I love the simplicity of the line embellished with a little extravagance.

A P.R. woman came around and said that Daphne was arriving upstairs with Valerie Steele to speak and answer questions. I went upstairs just in time to see Valerie and Daphne crossing the building lobby to a microphone. Daphne was wearing a black tailored jacket and a white shirt with the white cuffs extended and the collar turned up. Around the collar was tied a burgundy velvet ribbon which trailed down her shoulder, and a pin decorated the ribbon. She had on black tights and the high black shoes with no heel; I think those are by Alexander McQueen. So the top was very romantic and the bottom was very modern.

The first question she got was "Who inspires you?" and without a beat she said, "Diana Vreeland." She spoke with a lovely English accent with a little bit of an Irish accent at the end of a sentence. She said that Diana Vreeland really "inhabited her clothes." Daphne's inspiration also comes from reading a lot by books, as she imagines what the heroine would be wearing. She said, to laughter, that her own sense of style was "a series of mistakes."

I raised my hand with others and Valerie Steele pointed and said, "White hair." That was me. I said, "Daphne, your grandmother was Diana Mitford and I wonder if you could talk about her and how she influenced you." "My grandmother had very strict style," she replied. "She was tall and had a vertical line. She was a writer and not very into fashion. My great-aunts Nancy and Debo went to the fashion shows and that is how I met Mr. Givenchy. But I am always happy to return to the simple, neat, vertical style of my grandmother." I thought her answer was so interesting because that is exactly what I had admired in her black Givenchy gown downstairs.

Someone asked her if she was inspired by contemporary artists and she said she was more inspired by the Old Masters like the seventeenth century Spanish painter Zuburán, who Carolyne Roehm had also named as a favorite artist. "I go back in time," said Daphne.

When asked to name what she was wearing, she stated that it was an "old McQueen jacket" and a white shirt and leggings which she makes. "I always wanted to wear men's suits," she said. "When the cut is right, it's a default position." She talked about the role of clothing. "You can use it as a defense. Growing up you know your group by the way you dress. I was the anti-Sloane Ranger. Instead of a little skirt and a little sweater, I had leather studded belts and leggings and was very grumpy so no one would come near me."

"My style used to be a protective tool and now it's not," she said to more laughter since now her style is a subject of great interest. "Chic is a kind of armor that protects you against the world."

A big reason she agreed to do the show was so that students at FIT and others could view the clothes and look at how they are made. "It was the right thing to do," she said, "so that people would be able to see this." Don't miss this show. It's an inspiration and I plan to return.

American Beauty at F.I.T.

I visited recently the "American Beauty" costume exhibition up currently at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology at 7th Avenue and 27th Street. This show explores innovative clothing construction in American fashion, and argues that the work of American designers goes beyond the casual, functional clothes that are typically thought of as "American," like denim jeans and sportswear pieces. It's up through April 10, 2010; admission is free.

I was drawn to a section of the show that focused on ornamentation. I'm like a magpie; show me something sparkly and I can't take my eyes off it. This red dress by Adrian which Joan Crawford wore in the 1937 movie The Bride Wore Red was on display; it's completely covered in bugle beads.

Also on display were some "mermaid" dresses from the Sixties by Norman Norell, the great American designer who hailed from Indiana, as did those other leaders of American fashion, Halston and Bill Blass. One dress was red and one was salmon; I couldn't take photos of those dresses, but found these photos of similar Norell mermaid dresses on the website of Decades, the renowned store in L.A. which sells vintage couture. Visit the Decades blog here and see what treasures can be yours.

Norell's mermaid dresses, in different styles and designs, were covered in hand-stitched sequins which were sewn on twice so they would lie flat and not catch on one another. Sleek and chic to show off a trim American figure, the mermaids' clean lines almost evoke the simplicity of a scuba-diving suit.

The opulent fabric on a simple silhouette is glamorous and nonchalant at the same time. It's sexy too, as the sequins glimmer and shine with the body's movements. A turtle neck shape or a tee shirt shape layered with sequins in a delicious, rich, saturated color is elegant and luxe – not complicated or tricky or fussy. Just zip it up and you're dressed. No need for any jewelry; the dress itself is like one big jewel. "I simply take the most straightforward approach . . . without any extra, fancy trimmings. I don't like over-designed anything," said Norman Norell in 1952. That to me truly is American Beauty.