Ireland Lends Poetry to Fashion

1970s, Anders Holmquist, baccarat, bill gibb, chelsea cobbler, cherry twiss, christian dior, Deliss, Diorling, Gina Fratini, Inspirational Images, Mexicana, Nettie Vogues, telegraph magazine, The Sunday Telegraph Magazine, Vintage Editorials, Worth
A white cotton lace dress by Mexicana, seen in the tranquil green surroundings of Mount Kennedy in Co. Wicklow.

Many designers look increasingly to the past for their inspiration, and, to find suitable backgrounds for modern clothes. Fashion Editor Cherry Twiss took a selection to Ireland where, with the help of the Irish Georgian Society, she discovered magical, timeless settings for the newest fashions.

“Upgathering Feather-like frills, they step demure as nuns, Nor heed the menacing eyes on every side, Dead set unceasingly like levelled guns. Truly I think each woman is a bird.” Seamus O’Sullivan, Birds.

As always, no shouting at the me for the furs please. Pretend they’re fake. Enjoy the pretty clothes and landscapes instead…

Plaits by Tovar Tresses at Miss Selfridge.

Hair by Roger at Vidal Sassoon.

Make-up by Estee Lauder.

Photographed by Anders Holmquist.

Scanned from The Telegraph Magazine, August 21st 1970.

Lofty ancestral staircase at Mount Ievers, Co. Clare makes a beautiful, subdued setting for Baccarat’s pleated skirt and printed suede tunic. The laced boots are by Deliss.
Recalling former glories at Dollardstown, a drifting Ascher silk giselle dress, all frills and flounces, designed by Gina Fratini and worn with a beaded choker. Taffeta boots from The Chelsea Cobbler.
Mount Ievers, reflected in its own pool, speaks for the brooding timelessness of old Ireland. The black velvet Diorling midi suit is worn with a winged, onyx clip. The black silk boots are made by Deliss.
Feather like frills in the tangled splendour of the grounds of Dollardstown, Co. Meath. Black pleated organza cape and dress by Nettie Vogues. Boots by Deliss.
At the gates of Mount Ievers, a swirling tweed cape, fringed in black wool, by the House of Worth. Leather boots by Deliss.

Get-Up-at-Eight and Live-on-Air Dressing

1970s, bill gibb, charles jourdan, chelsea cobbler, david bailey, Gina Fratini, Jane Goddard, jean varon, john bates, Vintage Editorials, Vogue, zandra rhodes
Silk chiffon with shadow lilies in white and iced green, washed over with a few pearly shells. Big full skirt over petticoat, a sash of Edwardian peach satin. Zandra Rhodes , £160, petticoat, £26, at Fortnum & Mason. Opal choker, £210, N. Bloom. Long opaline rope, £12, drop mother-of-pearl earrings, £15, from range, The Purple Shop. Opal/diamond ring, £550, at Andrew Grima. Snakeskin sandals, £29.50, Charles Jourdan. Scent, Vivre by Molyneux. Hair by Michael at Michaeljohn.

Model is Jane Goddard.

Photographed by David Bailey.

Scanned from Vogue, April 1st 1974.

Quatrefoil layers of silk chiffon in melon, apricot, candy pink, frilling over the arms. By Gina Fratini, £244 , at Selfridges ; Lucienne Phillips ; Diagonal, Guildford and Lucinda Byre, Liverpool. Carnelian and silver gilt ring, £30, silver and gunstone ring, £18.50, Bakelite drop earrings, £3, all from range at The Purple Shop.
Crossover bodice of black silk crepe framed in lipstick red a full Liberty print silk skirt and enormous gathered pockets edged in stripes. By Bill Gibb, about £140, at ZigZag ; Chic of Hampstead ; Vicki, Cobham ; Julie Fitzmaurice, Harrogate. Scarlet high heels, £28 to order, at The Chelsea Cobbler. Pale sheer tights, Charnos. Scent, Audace by Marcel Rochas.
Polyamide georgette rainbow gathered from small brassiere top, one strap going straight over shoulder, the other angled to centre. By John Bates at Jean Varon, £49.95, Fenwick ; Earkers ; Kendal Milne, Manchester ; Campus, Oxford. Green hoop earrings, £2, from range at The Purple Shop. Scent, Fidji by Laroche.

Softly Draping

1970s, bill gibb, Gina Fratini, Inspirational Images, lingerie, loungewear, norman parkinson, Vogue
Softly draping nighwear, dressed up for the boudoir. Cream Quiana jersey nightgown with lace halter and edges, the bib embroidered with coffee ‘leaves’. By Bill Gibb.

Originally published in Vogue, 1973.

Photographed by Norman Parkinson.

Scanned from Lingerie in Vogue, 1981.

Frill on frill of chiffon make a soft, dressy nightgown in forget-me-not blue and palest cream. By Gina Fratini.

Gingham Checks In

1970s, Acme Attractions, anello and davide, Crocodile, Dora Reisser, elisabeth novick, Gamba, Gina Fratini, hard rock cafe, jean junction, Lucienne Phillips, Over 21, quorum, radley, Rose Bradford, Vintage Editorials, Vivienne Lynn
White blouse and pantaloons, gingham pinafore and skirt, all by Gina Fratini, to order from Lucienne’s, 89 Knightsbridge SW1. Shoes by Anello and Davide.

Brigitte Bardot first glamorised gingham, mixing it with sex and broderie anglaise to set a devastating new trend. It’s back, showing every sign of being the big summer ’76 story, versatile enough to go from ingenue to sophisticate.

Always incredible to see Gina Fratini clothes being worn to their full effect, this time by lovely Vivienne Lynn, and also to see the Hard Rock Cafe in its earlier, less gimmicky life.

Hair by Kerry at Molton Brown.

Photographed by Elisabeth Novick.

Scanned from Over 21, April 1976.

Gingham dress by Rose Bradford at Radley and net petticoats from Quorum, 52 Radnor Walk. Scarf from Acme Attractions, patent pumps by Gamba. Photographed at the Hard Rock Cafe, Piccadilly, London W1.

For the final stage in our gingham story we photographed a “real” woman rather than just a model: actress Ruth Rosen. Ruth has recently been edifying and diverting us with her performances at major art exhibitions where she virtually brings the artist to life, presenting a one-woman show based on his life and works. Recent subjects have been Turner at the Tate Gallery and Burne-Jones at the Hayward. The next one will be Constable at the Tate. Look out for it…

Ruth wears Dora Reisser’s gingham waistcoat and culottes and pique blouse, all from Crocodile. Shoes by Chelsea Cobbler, scarf from Medina Arts. Ruth’s daughter, Doraly, wears a check shirt and dungarees from Jean Junction and cardigan by Jump for Jamie from Harrods. Hair by Nicky at Leonard.

What pinafores did next

1970s, anello and davide, Angela at London Town, duc, Gina Fratini, Ginger Group, Herbert Johnson, Inspirational Images, kensington market, kurt geiger, Marielle, mary quant, miss selfridge, Moya Bowler, Titfers, Vintage Editorials, Vogue
Cotton print pinafore over a sweet flowered dress. Deep ruffles on shoulders and a big beautiful bonnet to match. By Titfers at Miss Selfridge. Red button shoes at Anello & Davide.

Long dresses and skirts in crepe and cotton prints – related to others just as small, fresh, sharp or soft, on pinafore smocks and aprons. These are not so much to keep you clean, more to make you look prettier; and you can be dairy maids, kitchen maids, Kate Greenaway girls all through summer.

And so began the kickback against all things clean, crisp and space age…

Photographed by Duc.

Scanned from Vogue, April 1971.

Fine floppy fluted crepe de chine dress by Marielle. Liberty lawn pinafore by Angela at London Town. Brown boots by Moya Bowler for Edouard Jerrold at Kurt Geiger.
Dairy cream cotton smock dress. Leg o’mutton sleeves, buttons up the back, print of wild pale roses and primrose ribbons. Gauzy white pinafore, lace and rose pink ribbons. Both by Gina Fratini. Shoes at Anello & Davide. Lacy pink silk bonnet at Sharon’s Shoppe, Kensington Market.
Cotton and rayon wrap, two sizes of polka dot, white on cherry red patches. By Mary Quant Ginger Group. Cherry and red stripe cotton apron by In Pressler. Natural straw hat at Herbert Johnson.

The Seven Faces of Beauty

1970s, barry lategan, beauty, Gina Fratini, Hair and make-up, Herbert Johnson, Inspirational Images, Make-up, Sujon, Vintage Adverts, Vivienne Lynn, Vogue
Monday’s Child is Fair of Face. Blue flowers from Novelty Imports. Blue silk blouse by Sujon.

A stunningly styled and photographed advertisement feature for Boots No7 cosmetics, based around the ‘Monday’s Child’ nursery rhyme (although they’ve muddled up Friday and Saturday as far as I remember it). As a Tuesday’s child, I’m pretty happy with my lot although never sure how graceful I am. Which one are you? I particularly love Vivienne Lynn’s mournful Wednesday’s Child.

Photographed by Barry Lategan.

Scanned from Vogue, June 1972.

Tuesday’s Child is Full of Grace. Pink voile blouse by Plainclothes. Hat by Herbert Johnson.
Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe.
Thursday’s Child has Far to Go
Friday’s Child works hard for her living.
Saturday’s Child is Loving and Giving.
And the child that is born on the Sabbath Day is Bonny and Blithe, Good and Gay. White smock top by Gina Fratini.

Autumn’s Prettiest Silhouettes

19 magazine, 1970s, Colin Glascoe, frederick starke, Gina Fratini, Ginger Group, Inspirational Images, liberty, liberty's, mary quant, polly peck, Vintage Adverts, wallis

wool advert sept 70 b

Left to right: Berkertex, Mary Quant for Ginger Group, Clothes at Colin Glascoe, Gina Fratini, Frederick Starke, Polly Peck.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, September 1970.

 

wool advert sept 70 a

All clothes by Wallis.

Romantic Summer

1970s, David Wolfe, fortnum and mason, Gina Fratini, Illustrations, Vintage Adverts, Vogue

gina fratini

Miss Fortnum swings into a romantic summer with Gina Fratini’s Impressionist prints. Rust midi dress, £37.50. Grey-blue medieval gown, £49.

Illustrated by David Wolfe

Scanned from Vogue, May 1971.

A Moonlight Flit

19 magazine, 1960s, Al Vandenburg, biba, Derek Roe, Dolcis, Elliott, Foale and Tuffin, Gina Fratini, Inspirational Images, Isadora Duncan, Ronald Keith, Shelana, Vintage Editorials

a moonlight flit 1

Floppy Treebark crepe trouser suit with wide straight trousers, waist sash and large frilled collar, by Foale and Tuffin.

Run barefoot through the grass or dance under the stars. Shades of Isadora Duncan* and free, flowing movement. Long, lithe limbs leaping through loose chiffon. Wild intensity in dramatic falls of fabric. The romance of long dresses, of floating frills in transparent fabrics is yours for the asking. Come, do a moonlight flit with us…. *Isadora Duncan. who moved in high society, and whose dancing shook Edwardian England, initiated free dance movement clad in clothes which emphasised her point. We can still thank her for the romantic-looking, drifting dresses inspired by the film revival of her life story — on release in the Autumn, starring Vanessa Redgrave.

Photographed by Al Vandenburg. Hairstyles by Derek Roe.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, August 1968.

a moonlight flit 5

Dress in yellow embroidered voile by Biba.

a moonlight flit

Transparent black and white spotted dress from Biba. Shoes by Ronald Keith.

a moonlight flit 2

Tight waist-skimming jacket and knee length skirt in yellow crepe by Foale and Tuffin. Orange shoes by Elliotts.

a moonlight flit 3

Flocked yellow full-skirted Dacron dress by Shelana.

a moonlight flit 4

Romantic white lawn dress by Gina Fratini.  Silver shoes by Dolcis.

April Flower Evenings

1970s, belinda bellville, bill gibb, Gina Fratini, Inspirational Images, john bates, oliviero toscani, Rayne, Richard Sharah, Sue & Helen, thea porter, Toscani, Uncategorized, Vintage Editorials, Vogue, yves saint laurent, zandra rhodes

April Flower Evenings 6

Primrose silk georgette camisole top and handpainted satin jacket by Bellville-Sassoon.

Delicate flower evening dresses, in silks and chiffons… Beauty far beyond the English flower garden…

Photographed by Toscani. Make-up by Richard Sharah.

Scanned from Vogue, April 1975.

April Flower Evenings 1

Honey coloured silk dress by John Bates. Sandals by Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

April Flower Evenings 2

Silk chiffon by Zandra Rhodes. Pink sandals by Rayne.

April Flower Evenings 5

Banana silk georgette printed with apricot flowers by Yuki.

April Flower Evenings 4

Pale peach silk chiffon with sheer sleeves by Thea Porter.

April Flower Evenings 3

Snow orchid chiffon by Sue & Helen. White sandals by Rayne.

April Flower Evenings 7

Drift of frilled white silk organza printed with snowdrops by Gina Fratini. Sandals by Rayne.

April Flower Evenings 8

Blackberry printed organza by Gina Fratini.

April Flower Evenings 9

Cream lace jacket and skirt by Bill Gibb.

April Flower Evenings 10

Palest pink silk chiffon by Bill Gibb.