Mistress of swing

French born American designer Pauline Trigère (1909-2002)

Inside Fashion: Pauline Trigere, 1984

Patricia Neal dressed by Trigère in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Pauline Trigère was famous for her coat designs, especially for her swing coats. This notable example shows how she has adapted her swing silhouette for use with leopard skin. The dolman sleeves are an interesting touch that allows for an attractive display of this handsome fur. Designed by Trigère, this coat, according to accession information, was made by Jerry Sorbana in 1962.

  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Now playing:  Ella Fitzgerald - It Don't Mean A Thing (1974)

Vintage

Miss Jones

Mid-century modern

A Mid-Century Eye: The Collection of Colleen Sullivan

Now playing: The Beauty Room - Visions of Joy

photo synthesis

Nick Leary's tribal inspired shoot for Australia's Next Top Model

Now playing: Yma Sumac - Tumpa

Who is she?

Who was she?

Who did she hope to be?

Hibiscus

Now playing: America - Sister Golden Hair

the figurative abstract

Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003)

Now playing: David Byrne - This Must Be The Place

Inspired

Alexander Rodchenko

Prototype 576 table light, 1971 

Made by Arteluce, 1971

Based on an idea of Germano Celant. Lights in the style of the Russian avant-garde of the 1920s, particularly after works by Alexander Rodchenko. Having acquired consent from the artist's widow, lights 576 and 577 were realised in very limited editions in the early 1970s.

One has to take several different shots of a subject,  from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again - Alexander Rodchenko

Now playing: Arthur-Vincent Lourié - Synthesis for piano op. 16

Almodovar's women

Luz Casal - Un año de amor

La Lupe - Puro teatro

Chavela Vargas - En el ultimo trago

Lola Beltran - Soy infeliz

Mina - Esperame en el cielo

November came early

 Almodovar's  The Skin I Live In is in the cinemas.

Part of the Almodovar magic has always been his choice of extraordinary singers.
And Concha Buika is no exception.

Here she performs Oro Santo with her artistic producer Javier Limón.

... un lamento como preludio de las horas muertas
horas que pasan con la agonía de una muerte lenta
vuelve el silencio a vestirme de oro mi santo...

Meanwhile...

Upstairs, Louis is gone...

replaced by  George.

A quick snap after installing the artwork.

Now playing: Adele - Rolling In The Deep

September issue

And it's back to school.

From the ground up.

The basement kitchen of the house that I originally, and rather wantonly, described as a very poor mix of neo Georgian, Arts and Crafts, and contemporary Scandinavian elements. With an absolutely hideous reproduction Louis XV chimney thrown in for good measure.  Whilst the assessment may have indeed been accurate, it failed to acknowledge that this was in fact once someone's house. And they undoubtedly thought it perfect. For them, it more than likely was.

However, to this jaundiced eye,  the house was lacking. 

Beginning with the kitchen and its adjacent rooms. The cherry wood cabinetry (replete with its quasi-Shaker details) and granite work surfaces looked dated and commonplace. And the overly bright colour scheme throughout seemed desperately cheerful.

Luckily the cabinets were beautifully made. And contrary to the current vogue of ripping out for ripping out's sake it was unilaterally decided to restyle the existing kitchen. Which, incidentally, had the most beautiful copper clad baseboards that would inspire the colour palette and the kitchen's details.

On the way to completion.

The kitchen walls were painted a dark green that was further deepened by 20%. The adjacent spaces were painted different shades of verdigris. With the space farthest away from the kitchen painted in the same dark green used as a tent stripe.

The morning room's rather innocuous cast iron Art Nouveau  chimneypiece was replaced

 with a larger ceramic Arts and Crafts example.

Now playing:  amp fiddler - Faith

For the course

Thomas Simon Parr

1930 - 2011

Now playing: Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is?

Corey TuT - Hangman

Minny don't burn chicken

Let them eat kibble

Stylish British made ceramic bowls

from

oneBluedog

Now playing: Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

State of the nation

A dress.

A wig.

 A look.

Now playing: Linda Ronstadt - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Jelly Melba

A bastardisation of two perfectly good recipes.

Steps 1 and 2 from this Raspberry & mint jelly

And using this Champagne jelly  (substituting sliced peaches)
 for the mint part of the first recipe.






Some people just can't leave well enough alone.

Now playing: Peaches & Herb - Reunited

Allegedly...

Rupert Murdoch 

is said to be deeply moved and touched 

by all the messages of condolence and support 

left by friends and family...

on Amy Winehouse's mobile phone.

Now playing: Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger

November is a long way away II

100 YEARS: The imagination of Robert Crowder, Vralati, and Shoji Kuroda

  

The three faces of an artist that lived for a century

A special exhibition to mark Robert Crowder's centenary

November 13, 2011 - January 8, 2012

9:30 am—6:00 pm (Monday—Saturday. Sunday by appointment)

Shumei Hall Gallery

Pasadena, California

1960s folding screens which typify Crowder's work

Crowder (1921-2010) was an American-born painter who learned the technique of Nihonga while living in pre-war Japan. He took the artist name of Shoji Kuroda after having studied under the master painter Mochizuki Shunko (1893-1979). With the outbreak of World War II, Crowder was interned as an enemy alien and subsequently deported from Japan in 1943.

His profound affection for the country, however, remained intact, and to this day he shows not a trace of bitterness or regret. He would have stayed forever, he says, had it not been for the circumstances. As it was, he returned to the United States, and the beautiful things that had captivated him in Asia — ikebana flower arrangement and painted byobu, as well as fabrics purchased from the mountain “aborigines” on his visits to Taiwan from Japan — formed the basis for establishing a studio of handpainted murals and folding screens used in decorating the Hollywood homes of the rich and famous. - April, 2007 issue Cultural News

Imperial City  by Robert Crowder & Company

The last incarnation of Mame's Beekman Place apartment

Now playing:  Ryuichi Sakamoto - Solitude 

Back to black

Amy Winehouse 

1983 - 2011