Diffusion Ted Lapidus in L'Officiel n.595, 1972; Lapidus Vintage F/W 2011-12
French designer Ted Lapidus' rise in the ranks of high fashion paralleled the rise of women in the workplace, with his assertive tailoring and practical sportswear separates proving popular additions to the proverbial professional wardrobe from the 60s-80s. An obsession with marine style-- notably naval and military-inspired outerwear-- yielded a
...
Read more >
Azzedine Alaïa's 21st century efforts are the subject of a 10-year retrospective at the Groninger Museum in Groningen, The Netherlands, covering the designer's oeuvre from 2001 - 2011: Azzedine Alaïa in the 21st Century. Still going strong after some 30+ years in business, the enigmatic and assertive Tunisian designer- who famously refused the Légion d'Honneur in 2011 and once accused
...
Read more >
From L to R: Heures d'Absence, Eau de Voyage, and Je Tu Il, LV fragrances circa 1920-30s
Louis Vuitton's conspicuous absence from the perfume industry looks to come to an end soon, as the LVMH-owned brand announced earlier this week its foray into the olfactory side of fashion. Vuitton perfumes enjoyed success in the 20s and 30s, only to be discontinued
...
Read more >
A short jaunt from Paris, history unfolds at Le Château de Fontainebleau, home to French royalty for eight centuries and a veritable treasure trove of visual inspiration for the creatively inclined. Perhaps less famous than the Sun King's Château de Versailles (and thus, thankfully, less crowded), Fontainebleau is hardly less ostentatious, acting as a historical and cultural barometer of the decorative
...
Read more >
Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year's to all Vault readers! Here's hoping there's a vintage treasure or two under the christmas tree (and a handsome fella or lady under the mistletoe). Looking forward to 2012 while looking back (of course), enjoy a selection of christmas photos from throughout the 20th century.
Yes! A guitar! circa late 1970s
circa 1960s
Awkward Christmas Date, circa 1940s
Sorority
...
Read more >
The Pink Clouds for Grey Days homepage.
As online retail continues to diversify and expand, so has the market for vintage vendors selling highly-curated collections online. Enter Pink Clouds for Grey Days, a website dedicated to bringing some of the best vintage out there to a wider audience. Following in the footsteps of online success stories like Net-a-Porter, Pink Clouds for
...
Read more >
A signed lithograph by Andy Warhol, dated 1964; realized price: $662,500
Elizabeth Taylor may have been more celebrated for her jewels than her clothing, but public enthusiasm for the latter sartorial slice of the late actress' estate set records at auction at Christie's New York this week, bringing in a grand total of USD $2,600,750. The eclectic range of haute couture
...
Read more >
Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum entrance
The highly-anticipated Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum has finally opened its 'doors' in a landmark move that may very well revolutionize the way we view and interact with cultural artifacts and ephemera in the 21st century and beyond. While the user experience could be more intuitive (surely they'll work out certain quirks related to navigation in due
...
Read more >
Artwork by Clint Peterson
Stylesight favorite What Goes Around Comes Around hosted a fundraising event at their Los Angeles outpost this past week, uniting forces with the Goodform Salon and artist/skateboarder Clint Peterson to raise money for Stoked, a nonprofit organization that promotes 'personal development, academic achievement, and healthy living to under-served youth through action sports culture.' Peterson's carved skate decks
...
Read more >
Pantone has declared Tangerine Tango the color of 2012, moving from 2011's honeysuckle pink into an orange frame of mind, calling it a 'spirited reddish orange' that will 'continue to provide the energy boost we need to take charge and move forward.' For all its forward energy, Tangine Tango *also* invites us to move backward, evoking the melon-citrus tones
...
Read more >
A curated selection of vendors' wares by author Rose Apodaca.
Pop-up vintage show A Current Affair proved a seductive shopping destination in downtown Los Angeles this past weekend, with over 30 vendors from around the U.S. hawking prime apparel and accessories from throughout the 20th century. Perched in the penthouse of the stylish Cooper building (home to numerous contemporary apparel showrooms),
...
Read more >
As any fan of vintage fashion magazines can attest, textile advertisements were a constant presence through the 1950s, when the average woman still sewed clothing and home goods for herself and family and mills were keen to pocket her yardage dollars. These vestiges of a bygone era not only recall the depth of knowledge and fabric awareness possessed by the
...
Read more >
London's 2011 Tweed Run went down this past weekend, and Stylesight was there to capture the enviable street style of the brave cyclists up bright and early for the Saturday morning kickoff. Below, a series of *dapper and dashing* Vault favorites...
Read more >
Earlier this year, London welcomed a new player on the city's thriving vintage scene: Blitz, the world's first ever Vintage Department store. Now open since early September, the store is doing well and Stylesight had the opportunity to swing by and capture the store's expansive environs and bountiful stock for an extended feature coming soon. Below, a sneak peek
...
Read more >
A fascinating new exhibit at the National Archives of France focuses on the history and evolution of police photography and the advent of identification cards from the Second Empire to the 1960s. Police files and ID cards on everyone from anonymous drug convicts to leading artists and public figures from Josephine Baker to Adolph Hitler weave an intriguing thread through
...
Read more >
