January 31, 2012
Madeleine Vionnet was a French fashion designer nicknamed the "queen of the bias cut". Her designs were very much inspired by Grecian draping and influenced by the dancer Isadora Duncan. She dominated the haute couture world in the 1930s and her designs were worn by the likes of Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, and Marlene Dietrich.

Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet
A portrait of Madeleine Vionnet | source


Her process for designing was a lengthy one often draping and constructing miniature dresses on small wooden dolls. Madeleine was also known to have helped revolutionize fashion by introducing ready to wear mass produced clothing.

Get ready to "Ooh and Ahh" ladies.

Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet

Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet


And one last photo of Madeleine working in her French atelier in the 1930s...
Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet

// Vintage Fashion Designer: Madeleine Vionnet
image sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
January 25, 2012
Oh good golly! I look through a lot of wedding photos, mostly because they're just pretty... and a few months ago I had repinned this photo without ever bothering to check the source for the other images. And today I did and I'm just gobsmacked by how absolutely wonderful these moments captured are!

Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain

Can we say OH MY GOD? The bride's dress is stunning and not to mention a stunning bride! I love the netted fascinator veil she opted for, short and sweet with gold floral details in the back.

Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain

These photos make me smile and also make me wish I got invited to this wedding on top of a mountain in Colorado. The Seattle based photographer Sean Flanigan has an amazing eye for those perfect little moments. He truly is an editorial photographer, absolutely wonderful!

Vintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A MountainVintage Inspired Wedding: On Top Of A Mountain

This last photo gives me goosebumps, I can't quite put a finger on it, but it is such a beautiful photo. Like a favorite memory thought of over and over again into your wee old years and it's fading. Lovely, but fading.
January 23, 2012
"This is our reaction to vulgarity. We imagined a modern Victorian woman, discreet, moody, rich, and luxurious."- Rolf Snoeren

It has been awhile since anything on the runways has really made my heart strings play a pretty little tune. At first glance, these vampiric inspired images from the Viktor & Rolf Pre-Fall 2012 collection made me hesitate, but some of their silhouettes caught my eye and eventually I took a closer look... and thank goodness I did!

I am so completely in love with all of these pieces. Completely. Head to toe, want everything. The 1930s shapes are just stunning, I love the Victorian accents like the high necked blouses, the ruffles! Oh God those ruffles! The colors, the fabrics, the draping... perhaps I could do without the full moon backdrop, but it definitely lends a mythical and dark appeal to the collection.

Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique Viktor & Rolf: The 1930s Mystique


Oh my goodness, every time I look at these clothes I just die a little inside because I could never afford these pieces without putting a huge dent in my bank account. I have never with any designer even considered plunking hundreds upon hundreds for one garment (for vintage, sure, for modern day designs...eh, not really).

I am dying over the brown dress with polka dot sheer panel in the front and the bow. Dying over it. Such an amazing collection!

image credits: style.com
January 22, 2012
Hello chickens! Last week was a whirlwind and I have a feeling this upcoming week will be no different. There are more changes up ahead for me and my little vintage shop and at the moment all I can do is try to keep as patient as possible, but it's so difficult to!

I've slowly become more and more familiar with the likes of Etsy and I've made the decision to stick around on it. Not to worry, I'll be running my main vintage shop as well (for those of you new to the blog, it's over at Adorevintage). I've been storing up so many beautiful things for a relaunch, that I'm running out of room in my vintage studio.

In case you've missed the vintage shop updates on Etsy... here are some of my favorites of the bunch! See more at Adorevintage on Etsy.


Playing Favorites: My favorite picks in the vintage shop
Playing Favorites: My favorite picks in the vintage shop
Playing Favorites: My favorite picks in the vintage shop
Playing Favorites: My favorite picks in the vintage shop
Playing Favorites: My favorite picks in the vintage shop
Playing Favorites: My favorite picks in the vintage shop

Shop vintage clothing + accessories at ADORE VINTAGE.
She was known as the "Flapper-par-Excellence" or the "The Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman of sex, who always gets her man"... so here are more fun facts about the 1920s silent film star, Clara Bow.

10 Vintage Facts About: Clara Bow
A photo of a young Clara Bow, probably around the time she won the beauty contest that would change the course of her life | source


10 Vintage Facts About: Clara Bow

1.] Her idols included Mae Murray, Gloria Swanson, and Theda Bara

2.] Clara Bow arrived in Hollywood in 1923

3.] She went to Hollywood by way of winning a Beauty Contest while she was still in high school

4.] She failed in the talkies mostly because of her thick Brooklyn accent

10 Vintage Facts About: Clara Bow
right | left


5.] From 1927 to 1930 she was one of the top five Hollywood box-office attractions

6.] Clara Bow had a horrible childhood and grew up poor. She was sexually abused by her father and neglected by her emotionally unbalanced mother.

7.] Her last name "Bow" is short for her actual last name "Bowtinelli"

8.] Young Gary Cooper had a crush on Clara Bow

9.] Despite her films' successes and more money, Clara Bow opted to live humbly in a bungalow instead of a mansion

10.] She married cowboy actor and rancher, Rex Bell, in Las Vegas. They lived in Nevada where Rex Bell eventually became lieutenant governor.

10 Vintage Facts About: Clara Bow
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To find out more about the 1920s film star Clara Bow, please read: Biography: Clara Bow and The Unknown Clara Bow. For more Clara Bow pictures, I highly recommend the Clara Bow Archive
January 18, 2012
I adore cats so very much but unfortunately for me I am allergic to them so sadly I do not own a feline friend. But, I found all of these vintage photographs of cats and their proud owners and wanted to share these images with you.

Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
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And this last one isn't of a cat, but I couldn't resist including this hilarious photo!

Vintage Photo Collection: Cats + Their Owners
source


January 14, 2012
So, a couple months ago I had a wonderful chance offered to me by my friend,Esther Jean. And that was to share a studio space with her in the FIDM Mercantile Building in the fashion district in LA. Of course I jumped at the chance!

It's a small space, but it's the first step to someday soon getting my own live/work studio. But for now, our little space works, although at times it's a bit cramped in there. I haven't taken any official photos of the vintage studio space, just Instagram... so *drum roll please*... welcome to the Adorevintage Studio!

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
This is the exterior of our building, very Art Deco, don't you think? We are on the 5th floor and there are 12 floors I believe. The other tenants all work in fashion as well. Some are designers, some are small ecommerce shops, others are pattern makers or accessory designers.

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
My work table is against the windows so I have a pretty lovely view. I usually keep the windows open while I'm working (day or night) to let in fresh air (is there such a thing as fresh air in Los Angeles?). At night I get a lovely view into the lofts across the street. LOL. But they can see me just as clearly. I should wave to them once in awhile.

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
My studio mate makes these gorgeous headbands and wreaths from vintage millinery flowers and dried blossoms. Aren't they gorgeous? We share supplies, so once in awhile I'll use her scissors, needles, thread...and she utilizes my vintage dress forms and hat blocks.

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
Ashley and I have a lot of fun in the studio. On one particular Saturday I came in and she had bought A TON of flowers from the Flower Market a few blocks away. Our entire studio was filled with the scent of roses! I was busy photographing vintage dresses that day and she had to jet off, but I snapped this photo of the pretty mess that is our studio and sent it to her...in which she replied "Ahh Home Sweet Away From Home"

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
The view while inside the loading elevator. I love that you can see all the way up!

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
Behind the studio. Some of these vacant spaces look so cool and industrial, but unfortunately I can't afford the rent *le sigh*

The vintage work studio in downtown Los Angeles
A 1930s slip and an Edwardian gown fitted on dress forms and inspiration boards...

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Well, there's the Adorevintage/Esther Jean studio! It's small, but for now it works for me and what I need it for. I dream of having an actual live work studio where there's a specific area to photograph vintage, an area for mending/cleaning, and a merchandised area and women can come by and browse/shop. Sort of like an atelier I suppose. I know I'm one step closer to that... so it's really exciting for me to have taken this move.