Category: Haute Couture

Icons: Marchesa Luisa Casati

6/28/2016

Luisa Casati in 1912.
(Image courtesy of courtesy of Ryersson & Yaccarino / The Casati Archives)

It may be 120 degrees in Phoenix, but in the world of fashion, Summer 2016 has already begun to give way to Fall. Disparate though the specifics of Fall’s fashions may be, the take-away from each collection remains the same: high drama. Upon even closer inspection the seemingly incongruous designs appear to share a common muse: the Marchesa Luisa Casati.

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The auction of a lifetime, Part II

7/22/2015

A Madame Grès asymmetrical gown circa 1971

The object of my affection: a pristine Madame Grès from 1971.
(Photo courtesy of Sothebys.com.)

Though the auction included garments dating back to the 1920s, I had fallen in love with a floor-length gown made by Madame Grès in 1971. Trained as a sculptor, Grès was best known for expertly draped and meticulously pleated Grecian gowns that showcased her love of classical sculpture. The gown I coveted was one of them.

The auction of a lifetime, Part I

7/14/2015

A view of the pre-sale exhibition inside the Galerie Charpentier, Sotheby's Paris.
(Photo courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions.)

Last weekend’s article in the New York Times Magazine, “How to Conduct an Auction,” could not have come at a more appropriate time given that I had just participated in the auction of a lifetime only days earlier.

Claudine in her mother's European travel suit circa 1962

The Little Black Book thoughts about life, luxury and the pursuit of vintage fashion.

The author

Claudine Villardito is a vintage fashion historian, collector, conservator and cat whisperer living in Tucson, Arizona. Her archive of over 3,000 fully restored vintage items from the 1850s to the early 2000s is sold online at blackcatvintage.com.

She began this blog because she got sick of people commenting that she should really write a book.

Her work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Matchbook Magazine, Tokyo-based En Vie magazine, on AMC's Mad Men, and in theatrical productions and museum exhibits worldwide. She also contributed a monthly editorial column to the award-winning online periodical 3 Story Magazine.

Icons: Marchesa Luisa Casati

The auction of a lifetime, Part II

The auction of a lifetime, Part I

The Little Black Book thoughts about life, luxury and the pursuit of vintage fashion.

The author

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