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COLLECTIONS: SHELL ART

June 1, 2017May 31, 2017nenasnotes7 Comments

By now you know I love all sorts of collectibles, some I have in my own collections others I enjoy looking at in friends homes and gardens and online on Instagram and Pinterest. In addition, I find it exciting to learn more about objects that peak my interest, in this instance, shell art. When I found the group below I knew I wanted to do a post about the many ways shells can be incorporated into our decorations both in our homes and on our bodies. Let’s explore some of these possibilities.

What got me thinking about shell art was this group of shell-encrusted boxes found outside at the May Randolph Street Market, http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com in Melissa Parks booth Megillicutti. megillicutti@gmail.com, follow on Instagram at Megillicutti. Melissa’s booth has all manner of extraordinary objects and she will be back at RSM for the June Show on Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25. My photo on my iPhone. Just a note…always buy what you like when you see it, most, if not all, the vendors are at RSM each month but they usually bring different and new pieces, that is what makes it exciting and why we keep coming back for more! In addition, ask the vendors if they have any other pieces of what you are admiring, they may have them with them or they can bring the next time they are at the Market. Get to know them, ask questions and educate yourself with pieces you are unfamiliar with….they do like to talk about their treasures and want you to like them as much as they do!

The top of a box from my friend, Virginia Heaven’s, collection. Virginia’s collections are very eclectic and inspired. I have shared some in past posts and will share more as we continue my journey. Photo courtesy of Virginia Heaven.

Two boxes I found on Pinterest, photo credit unknown. Aren’t they stunning!!!

A Sailors’ Valentine, exquisite, I particularly love the shading and the softness of the pastel shells. Sailors’ Valentines could be an entire post, there are so many and so many different stories about their origins, I would suggest the two books below if you wish to investigate this subject.

One of my favorite images…it is truly a work of art.

One of my Saks Fifth Avenue Store Managers and dear friend, Bob Pike, collected carved cameo shells. I found a couple for him at antique shows (long before Randolph Street Market was a glimmer in Sally Schwartz’ eye). Here are a couple of exquisite examples of this art….

And my favorite…

Isn’t she a beauty!! Many, many more images on Pinterest.

And when you Google this is what you can find…just a taste of what goes into cameo shells and cameos. Taken from a Google search.

A faux shell from the collection of Kevin G, whose booth The Red Leopard Crocodile, (found each month at RSM in the Ballroom) is always filled with magical objects concentrating on vintage handbags and jewelry. Photo taken by me with my iPhone.

I asked a couple of my friends if they collected anything with shells…Sally Schwartz, http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com, the guru behind the incredible Randolph Street Market (remember I did a profile on Sally and have featured some of her collections in previous posts) and Stephanie Lake, http://www.StephanieLakeDesign.com, the author of the magnificent, and only, book on Bonnie Cashin, Bonnie Cashin: Chic Is Where You Find It, and creator of fascinating jewelry. I did an entire week on Stephanie, beginning with an in-depth profile, followed by a book review and then posts on some of her collections and how she and her husband entertain. Neither have huge shell collections but each shared a nautilus shell piece for me to share with you.

Sally shared a watercolor of a nautilus shell that hangs in her home, stunning! Photo courtesy of Sally Schwartz.

Stephanie’s nautilus shells on brass branches, one of a pair.

The piece surrounded by Stephanie’s unique necklaces in her showroom. Both photos courtesy of Stephanie Lake.

I then asked Candace Jordon, http://www.candidcandace.com and http://www.chicagonow.com/Candid-Candace, about her thoughts on shells…she sent me three photos of her collection…again I did Candace’s profile weeks ago along with separate posts on her collections and have included her collections in other posts such as the one on paperweights. You can be sure I will include more in weeks to come. She and Chuck are avid collectors of a wonderful Cabinet of Curiosities!!! Her influence for her shell pieces, Tony Duquette, my design guru along with his successor and collaborator, Hutton Wilkenson…but that is another post, for sure. The pieces were purchased in Paris several years ago and are by a French artist, Thomas Boog, http://www.thomasboog.com, Candace said she thought they would all arrive in pieces but only the mirror had minor damage. She shared “I’ve always been in love with shells and coral after discovering and falling in love with the style of the late designer, Tony Duquette.”

Oh my, one can, most certainly, see the Tony Duquette influence in these elegantly created pieces. Photos courtesy of Candace Jordan.

One of the most beautiful books you can own if you don’t be sure to add it to your collection.

From the Hutton Wilkenson Collection. We haven’t even touched on Coral…that can be another time.

A chair from the genius of Tony Duquette.

And from the genius of Alexander McQueen, there are no words!!!!

Using shells like fabric petals.

Another Alexander McQueen creation.

And the back of the garment.

Perhaps the influence for the garments, a shell “painting” in the form of flower petals.

I think from Tony Duquette but am not sure of the source, just know I love the look.

And my shell piece, a mirror framed in shells that I painted in one of the shades of white I used in my all white bathroom.

Since Summer is here shall we all start our shell collections again and relive our childhoods and create our own masterworks, let’s!!!!

All photos unless otherwise credited are from Pinterest and photo credits are unknown.

FROM NENA’S RECIPE BOX

INDIVIDUAL LOBSTER POT PIES
(Get the connection….shells and shellfish!!!!)

I use frozen puff pastry for the “crust”

Filling-

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

18-20 pearl onions (I use frozen no need to peel! Defrosted)

1 cup diced celery root

3/4 cup diced fennel (use the outer stalks)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (I always use Spice Islands spices and dried herbs)

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

3/4 cup sherry (use either dry or sweet wherever your taste, I often use Bristol Cream Sherry, just be sure it is good and one you would drink)

2 1/2 cups cooked lobster meat (I always use the meat from broiled lobster tails, if your fishmonger has lobster meat use that, saves a step)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup crème fraîche

1 egg beaten

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat add onions, celery root, and fennel, cooking 5 minutes. Reduce heat and brown until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes more. Stir in salt and pepper. Add curry powder and mustard, lightly frying the spices for a minute. Deglaze pan with sherry and reduce until almost dry, about 1 minute. Fold in lobster, peas, and crème fraîche, heat until just warmed through. Divide among six 12-ounce souffle cups or ramekins (filling should be about 3/4 full) I usually do 4 ramekins.

Oven should be at 450º.

Cut puff pastry into rounds to cover and drape over sides of ramekins press to seal, make an X in the center of each piece of dough and brush with the beaten egg. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 17 to 19 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

I serve with a lightly dressed mixed green salad (I am loving the four lettuces in a container that you can find at Mariano’s) and either champagne, of course, or a dry fruity white wine. Dessert should be light perhaps a poached fruit such as pears or peaches and more champagne followed by a glass of sherry and homemade madeleines (I have a great recipe for them that I will post at another time).

The pot pies are VERY rich and everyone I have served them to literally scrape the bottom of the ramekins! I have served this many times and everyone adores it.

Adapted from a Chicago Tribune recipe.

FASHION FASHIONBACK: A VERY DIVERSE WEEK IN FASHION

May 26, 2017May 25, 2017nenasnotes4 Comments

Yet another off-kilter bit of fashion…a very diverse week in fashion from a beautiful wedding to an interesting award show to an annual celebrity festival all have offered an unusual look at the fascinating world of fashion I may or may not give you my comments and let you decide for yourself what works and what doesn’t My blog isn’t meant to be a “fashion blog” but rather my reflections on my experiences in this exciting, challenging, and always changing phenomenon called fashion! This week gave us lots and lots to look at and think about. I would love to hear your thoughts on what I am sharing and what you would have listed.

Here goes….Peppa looked glorious in her exquisite lace gown ( loved the heart back and the fit was flawless) by English designer, Giles Deacon* (who, by the way, hopes he won’t only be known for wedding gowns, don’t think that will happen his garments are truly Couture in feeling let’s watch as he progresses now that the world has heard his name), and Kate looked perfect in her face powder peach dress from Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (an excellent choice since Sarah did the Duchess’s wedding gown!) and hat, by Jane Taylor. And the adorable pageboys and bridesmaids were perfection, even if little Prince George got scolded!

*A brief Giles Deacon Bio:

After graduating from London’s Saint Martins in 1992, Giles Deacon worked with Jean Charles De Castelbajac in Paris for 2 years. From 1998 until 2002 he designed at Bottega Veneta and the Gucci Group. May 2010 Giles became Creative Design Director at Emanuel Ungaro in Paris. He is also an accomplished illustrator. His Couture Collection was launched in 2017. Such a short bio on a designer who has so many accolades to his credit.

The very next day The Billboard Music Awards happened…I have already discussed, in my Wednesday post, why I watched the show and talked about Cher but also mentioned Celine Dion. Two major talents and both have been around for what seems like forever…and I guess “Our Hearts Will Go On” with them!!!! Sorry, I had to do it!!!! Can it be 20 years since The Titanic movie came into our lives…seriously! Celine’s performance was quite dramatic as was her gown. My thoughts, a bit too much sleeve, were we trying to look angelic, very couture, or what. When you see the photo of the gown in the actual fashion presentation it seems to be a bit more subdued but no matter it certainly grabbed out attention. The gown is by French designer, Stéphane Rolland, most certainly not a newcomer but let’s see if this elevates him to the front of our list of designers that are mostly unknown to the general public and become superstars. He was the youngest person admitted to the Chambre Syndicale.

Stéphane Rolland Timeline

1966 – Born in Maisons-Alfort, France

1982 – Graduated from École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne

1986 – Appointed as Creative Director at Balenciaga

1990 – Under Balmain license, he created apparels

1997 – Appointed at Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture

2007 – Established House of Stéphane Rolland

2008 – Became a full member at Chambre Syndicale

2013 – Launched his ready-to-wear collection

The Gown

I just don’t get this outfit on Halsey….did she forget her top…the skirt and sandals I quite like but if we are going in our bra let’s make it an interesting one!!!!

And now on to The 2017 Cannes Film Festival. It is always THE place to see and be seen and I can’t even imagine how one packs for all the black-tie premieres and parties throughout the day and evening. If you are superstars your designers along with your stylists take care of the garments but still….. There were lots and lots of very high split gowns for lovely legs to shine and then there were some quite unusual ensembles….I have only chosen a couple to share with you, it could be pages and pages of photos, the Festival goes on for two weeks after all!

Let’s start with two that the girl of the moment, Kendall Jenner, wore on two different occasions….

I really liked this by Giambattista Valli (I did a show with him with him several years ago with his ready-to-wear collection, he was a delight to work with, very shy and OMG so very talented) The gown is young, very fashion forward and, in my opinion right on trend to attract a new Couture client or for that matter any fashionista. How one is going to handle the trains (lots of them on every red carpet this season) heaven only knows.

This one, not so much, looks like a fashion design student project gone wrong…I’m fine with the mix of taffeta (or peau de soie) with denim, actually love that combination, but in my opinion, this doesn’t quite work. From what I have read Kendall added the jean shorts with Swarovski crystal trim to the dramatic crop top which is from Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture.

Now let’s look at Elle Fanning and how this young amazingly talented actress chose to style herself for Cannes….

Pure movie star glamour by Gucci.

And wearing Vivianne Westwood’s handpainted “Unicorn” gown. We have seen Elle grow up on screen now we are seeing her make the red carpet her own with great aplomb!

I don’t know the actress nor the designer, but interesting none the less, obviously making a MAJOR statement, how does one sit in this!!!

And we end with this and why not…Fun or Freaky. I tend to Fun…from Maison Margiela and worn by Li Yuchun.

Well, that was quite a week to be a fashion voyeur wouldn’t you agree. You might not agree with the looks but you can’t say that fashion isn’t fascinating, fun and often frustrating!

A postcript….a major Balenciaga exhibition, Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion (of course there is a catalog!!) just opened at the V&A in London (though next April) and guess what our very own Costume Collection at the Chicago History Museum has two garments featured…how exciting is that…here they are…

Balenciaga evening dress with cape in silk gazar 1961 a gift of Mrs. George Connor, 1985.

An iconic piece, evening coat in wool gabardine and silk taffeta, 1950. Gift of Mrs. Kathleen Catlin (Fashion Director at Marshall Field’s) in 1985. Both photos above courtesy of the Chicago History Museum Costume Collection.

As photographed by Irving Penn for Vogue. Be sure to see the Irving Penn Exhibition to celebrate his Centennial at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York through July 30 (you can visit it and the Rei Kawakubo Exhibition at the same time….you will definitely need wine and a sit down after!!! And, of course, get books on both exhibitions, you know I will!!!)

All photos, unless otherwise noted, from Pinterest and photo credit unknown.

http://www.chicagohistory.org

http://www.vam.ac.uk

http://www.MetMuseum.org

http://www.festival-cannes.com

http://www.BillboardMusicAwards.com

WEDNESDAY MUSINGS: WE CAN TURN BACK TIME

May 24, 2017May 22, 2017nenasnotes16 Comments

I decided to watch the Billboard Awards Sunday evening, actually forgoing other programs that held more interest to me but I did what I tell my students to do “expose and educate yourself about things you that you don’t know too much about”…in this case current musical performers. So there I was watching people perform and receive awards that I had really never heard about. yes, I know John Legend, Lorde, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, The Weekend, etc. but many I didn’t know nor will I be adding them to my playlist. I can, in fact, tell you I would sit through the evening many times over just to see Celine Dion and most importantly the one, the only Cher!!!! Amazing performance and look, I am all about not discussing age but seriously to look and sound like that at 71…no words!!!

Okay, you know I’m going to have a story to tell you about the first time I saw and heard Sonny and Cher…it was in the fall of 1964, no one had ever heard of them. Let me start at the beginning of this story, each summer, for many years, all the major stores in Chicago had College Boards. I was in charge of the department (at the beginning I was younger than most of the girls on the Board, they never knew that!) and I personally would interview the young ladies (we didn’t have any young men on the Boards) and would choose six to eight to work in our Debutante Sportswear Collections (now Contemporary Sportswear or whatever it is called today) on the Fifth Floor of Saks Fifth Avenue at the 669 North Michigan Avenue location. I did a mix of schools, some local, some small, some large, an Ivy League or two, etc. and the young ladies worked as sales associates to assist their peers in selecting their college wardrobes. Often the colleges gave incoming students a list of what they needed to have as they began their college adventures much like going off to camp! They wore very chic (and pricey) “uniforms” to identify them from the other sales associates and to be easily spotted on the selling floor. We set up a special boutique on the floor and pulled merchandise from all over the store, along with accessories, shoes, etc. (there was actually a lower price and younger shoe department on the floor as well). Each store had its own group and many had much larger groups, such as Marshall Field’s and Carson Pirie Scott and Company, Chas A. Stevens, The Fair and on and on.

You are thinking, okay Nena has finally gone mad what in the world does this have to do with Sonny and Cher…well I’m getting to that…at the end of the summer, just before everyone was heading back to school The Chicago Tribune hosted a huge party, as I recall at the Sherman House (long gone), in a large banquet hall on the lower level of the Hotel. Each store lined up and their Boards were introduced as they paraded into the hall in their uniforms. Field’s had dozens of girls and in we came with our six or eight, I must say we always looked extremely fashion forward! The Tribune always had entertainment, lovely refreshments and brief remarks to send everyone off to their various campuses.

When the entertainment was announced out came a unique looking couple, I can’t really say Hippies more like two waifs that had been living in a cabin in the woods. Totally covered in fur, patterned shirts, and jeans. The female with luxurious long black hair and gleaming eyes and the male almost elf-like in his manner. The room was unprepared for them and became quite still. They approached the stage and began to sing I’ve Got You Babe, needless to say, the crowd erupted, it was magic. 50 some years later it still gives me a chill to think about it. If I Could Turn Back Time……would I, I’ll let you be the judge of that!!!! With Cher still dazzling us who needs to!

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: RARE OBJECTS

May 23, 2017May 22, 2017nenasnotes2 Comments

I had this book on my to be read list for a year,( it was published in 2016) don’t quite know why I hadn’t read it nor why I decided to read it now, never mind, I did read it and here are my thoughts….

First, let me tell you about the plot… our protagonist, Maeve Fanning, a first generation Irish immigrant, is born and raised in Boston, in a poor Italian neighborhood by a single mother. She takes secretarial courses and moves to New York City to “better” herself. It is in 1931 and she becomes enamored with the wrong men and bootleg gin and ends up in a psychiatric hospital (you need to read the novel to find out why she is there) where she meets and befriends a strange young woman. When she gets out she returns to Boston to start over. She bluffs her way into a position at an upscale Antiques Shop by changing her name to May and dying her naturally red hair platinum blond (she is told by her former secretarial school teacher, who also runs a placement agency, that she won’t get a job not only because it is the Depression but also because she is Irish!) The owner of the shop has her deliver an extremely important purchase made by a nouveau riche family to their home, upon her arrival she discovers the daughter, Diana Van der Laar, is the young woman she met at the hospital and the story goes from there, throwing “May” into a world of extreme money and the excess it can buy and the lifestyle she thinks she can live. There are many twists and turns as we take the journey with her.

What is my take away from the novel…actually many things. Obviously, no matter how much money one has it doesn’t give peace of mind, happiness, nor freedom. But to May these are the out of reach goals she seeks and feels she will find by being “accepted” into Diana’s circle. May’s mother works in the alterations department at R. H. Stearns in Boston (it became a Federated Store and one that, like Marshall Field’s, lost its name and became Macy’s) and longs to become a salesclerk, that is a position she never gets. Her work is exemplary (probably why she isn’t moved into a selling position) and she remakes many items for May to present herself properly at work and socially. It is extremely important to her mother that she always be “correct” in looks and manners. The book takes us to the world of antiques and how the owners of the shop educate May, (who, by the way, is not only smart but a very quick study and eager to learn about the items she works with as well as the culture the world has to offer) it takes us into the world of buying art and antiques as a way of making a name for oneself in society (the purchase that May delivers to the Van der Laar family is donated to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and put in pride of place in the hall of antiquities!) certainly nothing new there, but interesting to have it outlined in such a detailed and informative manner. She learns that she doesn’t quite fit into the life she left behind when she left Boston for New York and in the end, most certainly not with the damaged Diana and her “friends” and family!

It is told in the first person narrative, which I think worked well and, to my mind’s eye, it is a coming of age story (although she is in her mid-twenties) filled with an almost Dickens flavor, poor girl strives to better herself, fails, meets wealth hopes to succeed, fails, finds love, fails, seeks friendship, is betrayed, and in the end is transformed into a more understanding, and most certainly, a more informed participant in the way of the world…in other words an independent woman. I did enjoy the book and would suggest you read it for yourself. I would love to hear your thoughts after you read it. I enjoyed Kathleen Tessaro’s thoughtful and insightful look at a time quite different from today (or is it!!!) I must, however, admit I preferred Ms. Tessaro’s The Perfume Collector. I have not read any of her other books but definitely will put them on my TBR pile, The Debutante looks particularly interesting.

http://www.kathleentessaro.com

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: BEYOND THE LABEL

May 16, 2017May 15, 2017nenasnotesLeave a comment

I have read so many how to “reinvent” yourself business books over the years, beginning with The Tipping Point, that was required reading for a meeting at Saks Fifth Avenue when it was published, that I thought I really don’t want to read yet another one…but when I read a review of Beyond the Label and made note of its author I became intrigued and put it on my to be read list. Written by someone who had really come through the ranks of the fashion world from L’Oréal, The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and finally, as Global CEO of Chanel I thought this would be the book for me since I am in the process of reinventing myself through http://www.nenasnotes.com and it’s major learning curve. I had actually put the book on the TBR list and didn’t think more about it when I received an email from a friend/business associate asking me if I would be interested in interviewing the author, Maureen Chiquet, at a program at the Union League Club in Chicago. How could I say no? Well, I didn’t….and I can’t wait to meet this dynamic, insanely talented person and hopefully ask her the questions you would want to have answered (I will do another post after the interview and, fingers crossed, have her answer my profile questionnaire, she would be amazing!)

Here are just a few of my initial observations from the book, which I found not only to be a business manual (silly sounding, I know) but also a memoir and the story of a change of one’s thought of career, as a literature major, to the broad world of fashion. It has always been my feeling that our industry (fashion) requires a vast knowledge of the world around us with a heavy emphasis on The Arts. Yes, one needs to have a sense of current affairs, information on the history of the industry (I am fanatical about that!) and, of course, a sound background in business (particularly business math) and most importantly what the consumer wants. All of these principles are detailed in this well-written and engaging book. Yes, it is a basis for how to advance your career (in any industry), how to network, (crucial to any career), how to think like your boss before you become one, how to become a listening executive, how to be mentored and therefore, how to mentor. How to know when to make the right move to the next step (probably the hardest learning point of all). Whew, lots to cover. Ms. Chiquet has accomplished all of this (and now has reinvented herself again as a savvy author and guide to how to reinvent yourself as well) and much much more with insight, humor, realism as well as telling us how to do all this while being female (the topics discussed have no gender!). Sad that we still have to think that way, but it is true. I firmly believe our gender is looked on as more equal in the fashion world…am I being naive, I don’t think so!

Our industry moves at the speed of light and one has to not only go with the trends but make them, she has done it all and I am thrilled that she has shared them with us whether a long time professional or an up and coming novice. She is a role model to everyone no matter gender or age for that matter. Ms. Cliquet has inspired me to go with what I have always felt true, be true to yourself and the rest will follow. She has lived this philosophy. It is my pleasure to recommend this delightful book to you. I will be recommending it to my students at Columbia College Chicago as assigned reading.

The Union League Club event is open to the public, I hope you can join me in welcoming Ms. Cliquet to Chicago and learn more from this fascinating woman…see below for ticket details….

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/authors-group-presents-maureen-chiquet-tickets-31830023457

The book will be available for purchase on site from The Book Stall, our independent bookseller http://www.thebookstall.com

FASHION: NOW!

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017nenasnotes2 Comments

Andrew Gn

I have worked with the incredible Andrew Gn and his Fall 2017 Collection all week at a private club with individual appointments with his Chicago clientele. It is the second time I have worked with Andrew and each time I marvel at the genius of his talent. I wanted to share a few of the pieces that impressed me. Stay tuned for Andrew to respond to my questionnaire in the near future…until then enjoy the beauty of his Fall Collection conceived and made in Paris.

The cover of the lookbook sets the tone for the collection the inspiration for much of the collection is the art of the extraordinary Gustav Klimt.

Gustav Klimt

The inspiration

The gown Vogue.com

Andrew’s interpretation and my photo of the gown.

A close up of the sequin scroll beading, my photo. a

A beaded detail on the front of a dress of bronze cloque

A bronze cloque sculptured sleeve vest with embellishment

Pearl beaded detail on this jacket, always classic but with a 2017 twist

The pearl detail my photo

The front of a dress my photo

Isn’t this glorious….vogue.com

Two close-up looks at the velvet appliqued flowers on the satin gowns both my photos

I love this montage of the black, white and gray pattern garments…silk, knit, woven, animal and abstract prints…..my photo

Just a very small sampling of this superb collection by a true creator!

You can find the Andrew Gn collection at the following stores and online…

http://www.matchesfashion.com

http://www.neopolitanonline.com Winnetka, Illinois

http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com New York, New York

http://www.harrods.com London, England

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: PEACOCK & VINE

May 2, 2017May 1, 2017nenasnotes2 Comments

Remembrance

I have been a fan of A. S. Byatt for many years, I believe the first book I read was one that contained Angels & Insects and then Possession. Both extremely thought provoking, and in some instances disturbing, but brilliantly written none the less. When I read that she had written a book on William Morris and Mariano Fortuny I was intrigued. I guess I thought it was going to be a fictionalized account of their lives (you know those are my favorite books!), I was wrong. It is an interesting, engaging account of these two artists in different countries and in different times. Actually, a review in The Guardian felt as a novel it would have been a better telling of their stories. I don’t know that I agree with that. I did learn a lot about William Morris (someone I have admired but not really done any research on) and continued to learn more about Fortuny, who has long been a favorite of mine. Both, of course, are known for their creative textiles, inventions and the new art each inspired. It is a slim volume but has so much information, I need to reread it to get every drop of knowledge it gives the reader. The book is heavily illustrated and contains an extensive “further reading” list.

William Morris and Mariano Fortuny

William Morris lived in England just outside London and his house inspired his fascinating floral and geometric patterns.

A William Morris floral vine and trellis pattern. Done during Victorian times at the beginning of the Arts and Crafts movement.

A fact I was not aware of was his wife, Jane, had a long love affair with Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who was obsessed with her and used her in many of his famous paintings.

I love the flow of the leaves, he was fascinated by flora and also by the River Thames, and always lived near it. The leaves, to me, look like waves. He, like, Fortuny made his own dyes for his fabrics and, of course, mixed his own paints.

I found this on Pinterest (along with most of the images I am using in this post) and I must say I would love to have a remnant of this or a piece of the paper. It is stunningly beautiful!

Fortuny was a Spanish aristocrat and eventually moved to Venice. I think most people think of him as making the famous “Delphos” gown using a yet to be duplicated pleating technique and having the gown flow against the body ending in a “puddle” at the feet of the wearer. These gowns are highly collectible and are often found on exhibition (The Art Institute of Chicago had an exhibition of Fortuny gowns several years ago…it was brilliant to see these treasures up close and personal!) In addition to these glorious pieces, Fortuny did incredible prints, sometimes doing layers of pattern over pattern, ingenious as well as beautiful, to say the very least. He is the only designer mentioned by Marcel Proust in Remembrance of Things Past.

A “Delphos” gown. They were made to roll into themselves and not be hung. This from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Collection.

Tina Chow, a major collector of Fortuny as well as many Haute Couture designers, wearing one of Fortuny’s wraps with his hand painted motif. You can see more of the details of the embossed velvet pieces. When he was criticized for copying old vestments, he took out patents and issued disclaimers. All beautifully discussed, in great detail, in the book.

The pomegranate was prominent in both artists work, not necessarily in its color but rather in its shape and meaning.

Fortuny alongside some of his fabrics.

Even the labels were hand painted. Here you can see the intricacy of the pleating.

Byatt captures the essence of each of her subject, although they were born a generation apart she weaves their story together perfectly using Venice, its color, light, romance as the catalyst. One can only wonder what this story would have been as a novel! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and as I mentioned, I will need to reread it…it is written by a brilliant writer who draws you into the world she has totally researched and has examined and “paints” the story of these two geniuses, I think as they would want to be painted!

A.J. Byatt photo by Fabrizo Giraldi from the book.

PROFILE: MICHAEL RAMION

May 1, 2017November 18, 2022nenasnotes2 Comments

Michael in an early comp.

Michael today!!!

In my Model Monday Profiles, I have been featuring my “girls” with the exception of Marcellas Reynolds (go to the archives of nenasnotes for his profile)…I also worked with many fabulous “guys” who were professional, extremely nice, looked fantastic in the clothes, and were drop dead gorgeous!!!! And best of all, no egos were apparent which made them even more attractive. I started using the male models as “props” in many of my shows wearing a piece or two and always in black tie for the glamourous finales. If a designer did both women’s and men’s garments they usually didn’t show them in the same show (this is still the case with many of the designers although they are getting more integrated). When I first started using the gentlemen I would do a fitting (all men’s clothing had to be tailored, at least the hem of the trousers, we didn’t do major alterations, it is the model’s job to “fit” the clothes not only in size but in attitude), and I had to pull for each model since they were different shirt sizes, inseams, etc. Once I got to know them, just like the ladies, I would just pull and we would baste the hems. It always worked well. I had my “stable” of male models just like my females. I knew who wore what looks best and how they would project to the audience. I must admit that whenever I had male models in the shows the audience, mostly women, would go wild. It was like I was doing a show with the Chippendales! We did many, many all male shows for visiting designers and from stock both in and out of the Store. The comradery between both sexes was wonderful and we all had great times.

When I asked Michael Ramion to answer my model’s questionnaire he did so without hesitation….here are his words and some super photos from his portfolio.

“I started my modeling career in late 1979, and I actually stumbled into it by accident. I was a hair stylist at that time, doing quite well at it and enjoying the lifestyle that the styling biz offered…a crazy bunch in that business and at that time it was a really diverse crowd to work with. I was at a party in Indiana and a beautiful woman and her husband approached me and asked if I would be interested in doing a photo ”test” with them…didn’t have the slightest idea what they were talking about, but they gave me their card and we traded info and I thought nothing would come of it but three weeks later Curtis Kulp did indeed call me and set up the test shoot! His wife was Debbie Gephardt, and she was with a new agency called Susanne Johnson that specialized in runway shows…again nothing I knew a thing about, but this whole situation was foreign to a small town boy from Indiana! We shot the pictures, and Debbie took me into the agency to meet with her agents…they signed me on the spot without seeing any pictures and my first booking was a bridal show for Carson Pirie Scott and Co. and that’s where I met the majority of the models I would end up working with for the next several years…Gayle, Tina, Elaine, Shelley and Shauna, Diane, Val…it goes on and on.

As far as a favorite Saks show I don’t think I could pick one to be honest…you always had the guys dressed to the 9’s and I always appreciated your taste in clothes, so it was always a sure thing when we got hired that we were going to look great! I remember having to go to the Saks store and audition for you and being extremely nervous because the agency placed such high expectations on working for Saks…obviously it ended up being one of the best working relationships I ever had in my career and it was always a joy to do those shows! (Nena’s note ditto, Michael!!!)

My favorite designer in those days was Armani, without a doubt…just that classic Italian style was right down my alley and the fit was right for me…he was ahead of the game when it came to making clothes for the more ”athletic” type body and I was always a bigger type than the regular 40R type that was prevalent in those days. To this day I have a box with at least 20 pairs of Armani dress slacks that I keep because they were so beautifully made and the fabric is still amazing…couldn’t bring myself to let them go!

As far as behind the scenes stuff goes I can’t pin any particular moment down…the crew that you always hired were people that became great friends to me and to this day I stay in touch with some of them…it was always a good time doing those shows and working with those people made ”work” way more fun than anything resembling what I was used to doing for a living!

I’ve done a variety of things over the years and actually have stayed in the modeling/commercial acting biz off and on all these years…and a few years back I actually took off from that business and decided to ”drop out” and went to school and acquired my Class A CDL license to drive 18 wheelers, and after that I drove fuel tankers in Pennsylvania for a bit then worked in the oil fields of North Dakota during the big oil/natural gas rush that was happening up there. The oil business was just about the most chaotic world you could work in because there was so much money to be made and basically not enough drivers willing to work the hours that they demanded from you, and basically there was no such thing as holidays or a normal schedule…my actual work schedule was 12 hours a day, 30 days on and a week off, but that was a joke because I usually worked at least 14/18 hours a day in Montana and ND delivering fuel to frack sites and oil rigs, and it was very physical work and I didn’t mind that at all, to be honest! That oil boom obviously fell apart and pretty much everyone lost their jobs or moved on after the money dried up…we got spoiled because of the amount of hours we worked added up to some big paycheck,s to say the least. That lifestyle in ND was basically all work, very little sleep and that’s about all we did…there was no free time and it was an extremely dangerous environment to be in…driving 5000 gallons of fuel that burns, on mostly roads that were made just to get you into wherever they could drill or frack for natural gas…crazy business!

On a motorcycle instead of a rig!!!!

I actually was home on my break when my agent called to see if I was in town because he had a client that wanted to use me in a commercial that was shooting while I was home…no audition, the client saw my stuff online and hired me from that…ended up that I basically did that job and a few other things came up and I was right back in the business…shot new headshots, did a bunch of updated pictures for a new composite and got right back in the game…it’s obviously a much smaller window of opportunity for guys my age but there’s still work for my age bracket out there…boomers still have disposable income and advertising knows it!

I, must once again, state that my models don’t age….I want what they are having!!!!

As far as learning anything from this career goes…I always approached it like it was any other job I had, and there were plenty of those over the span of my life…be on time time, be professional in your approach, have the necessities the job called for, be prepared as best you could be and just be kind and courteous to people no matter their station in life…I never considered myself to be special in any way, I considered myself lucky to have been fortunate to work in a business that paid us well for doing what we got to do, and for that I’m always going to be grateful…for what I thought would be a nice way to make some extra money I’m still at it 37 years later!”

Nena’s note…I would hire Michael in a split second…next time I do a “reunion” fashion show, I can guarantee that I will include both my male and female models…the “older” generation (what does that even mean!!!!) is definitely the news of the day! Yay!!!