Speakeasy issue 0

S Issue 0

PEAKEASY! 1920s and 30s Fashion and Lifestyle

Golden Age of Hairdressing

the vintage hair lounge at Goodwood Revival 2013

1920s Paris Take a trip to

How to throw a Speakeasy Soirée

Coco Chanel

Fashion’s First Lady

o! l l e H Welcome to Speakeasy! magazine.

Issue No. 0 Autumn 2013 Editor Rita Rose Design & Layout Rita Rose Richard Colley Cover Photo Scott Chalmers Photography Vintage Hair Lounge Contact e: info@ritarose.co.uk t: 07889 508379 www.speakeasymagazine.co.uk Š Aspirations Media 2013 Every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented in the features is as accurate as possible. We cannot be held responsible for any errors in articles or advertisements or for any loss or damage to any persons acting on information within the magazine. Unless expressly permitted by law, no part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the prior written authority of Aspirations Media. All rights reserved.

Our aim is to celebrate the glamour and excitement of the 1920s and 30s. The period was bookended by two world wars, not to mention the Great Depression, and yet the innovations, elegance and appreciation for life that existed over those two decades were incredible. Fashion and lifestyles underwent dramatic changes as people embraced new ideas whilst huge technological advances, political issues and social changes took place. It is an era that, I believe, deserves to be remembered.

Our first issue of Speakeasy! is packed full with a wide variety of features so hopefully you will find something that is of interest to you! When I was still in the process of planning the magazine and trying to organise my ideas, I struggled to choose which aspects of the interwar period to concentrate on so I made the decision simply to create the magazine that I, as a 20s and 30s enthusiast, would like to read.

We are keen for our readers to get in touch with any thoughts or feedback. If you wish to advertise in the magazine or to contribute an article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! I can be contacted directly at info@ritarose.co.uk or alternatively I can be reached via facebook (www.facebook. com/ritarosevintage) Finally, I would like to say a massive thank you to all of my contributors and to everybody who has shown enthusiasm and support towards the magazine.

I look forward to sharing my love of the 1920s and 30s with you!

With love,

Rita Rose x

Editor

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Contents Features

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4

Golden Age of Hairdressing

6

1930s Summertime Style

8

Searching for Vintage

10

F. Scott Fitzgerald

13

Take a trip to 1920s Paris

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1920s inspired Make Up

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Downton Abbey

31

Coco Chanel

40

Bexi Owen

46

Glittering Gatsby

49

House of Isis

53

The Pin-Up Girl

Regulars 18

For the 1930s Housewife...

20

For the Gentlemen...

34

The Perfect Hostess...

44

History of Social Dancing

51

Competition

56

The Silver Screen

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Next Issue...

If you wish to advertise in Speakeasy! or to contribute an article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@ritarose.co.uk 3

Hairdressing A Golden Age of

By Sharon Holloway Co. Founder and Creative Director of Vintage Hair Lounge

T

he revolution that took place in fashions and hairstyling for women in the 1920s continued into the 1930s as the dominance of Hollywood icons in women’s inspirations put even more pressure on women to “dress right” and look glamorously groomed.

Marcel waving, invented in the 19th century but popularised in the 1920s as short hair cuts for women swept society, remained in vogue into the 1930s, as hair lengths began to creep down to the shoulders. Although perming began to be used commercially, traditional setting techniques - fingerwaving, pincurling - were still being used.

Makeup ranges established in the 1920s grew and became big sellers in an ever increasing market, fuelled by the boom in advertising and mass production. The film industry led the way in new developments as black and white tuned to colour on screen and new products were created to respond. The overall “look” became softer than the 1920s, but pencil thin arched eyebrows marked the era, made popular by film stars including Marlene Dietrich and Jean Harlow.

The 1930s have a unique elegance, caught between the rush to embrace the new and the daring of the 1920s, and the imposed austerity of war time in the late thirties and forties. For the wealthy, the 1930s meant plenty of leisure time, sports and sunbathing, and women’s fashions began to be more revealing such as the fashionable backless dress and revolutions in fabrics for swimming costumes. To match the pursuits and fashions of the era, women were presented with an “ultimate” glamorous look that necessitated investing time and money in hair and makeup (as well as nails). It was still a time where looking good was entwined in the social advances women were making in society and set the culture for wartime working women a decade later, to pursue glamour as an issue of morale rather than

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an irrelevance to the politics of the time.

It’s always been a fascination of mine, how the beauty industry was later perceived as damaging for women’s liberation, but the history of the hair and makeup industry shows us that the 1930s, perhaps one of its most glamorous eras, was actually a time when women flooded into the workplace and began knocking down the barriers to careers and pursuits previously dominated by men. That apparent contradiction for me, makes the 1930s a fascinating era, and the hair and makeup looks are without a doubt, exquisite.

Scott Chalmers Photography

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Style

with the Vintage Hair Lounge at Goodwood Revival 2013

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outhampton-based vintage hair and makeup specialists, Vintage Hair Lounge, are celebrating their golden roots by presenting a 1930s holiday themed salon at Goodwood Revival. The classic motor racing event takes place in Chichester from 13th - 15th September 2013. Every year the festival attracts thousands of car and vintage enthusiasts alike to step back in time to the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s. The event is a celebration of the glamour that the motor racing culture brought to a bygone era. Many visitors dress to impress in their best vintage daywear for the spectacular occasion, with the gentlemen sporting suits and hats, or uniforms, and many ladies opting for pretty dresses, headwear and Marilyn Monroe-inspired makeup.

For visitors who want to perfect their look with an authentic vintage hairstyle, the Vintage Hair Lounge salon is a must see destination. Inspired by the excitement that Billy Butlin’s new holiday camps instilled in stylish travellers of the time, the Art Deco style salon offers clients the chance to

relax and soak up its holiday atmosphere whilst being preened and pampered by the Vintage Hair Lounge staff.

Sharon Holloway, the Creative Director behind this year’s exciting concept, explains why the hairstyling of the 1930s remains so influential.

“Modern hairdressing really gets going in the 1920s and 1930s, with new styles and hallmark waves gracing the heads of every strata of society.

Everything that followed in the hairdressing industry owes a debt to the innovative stylists and technicians of those eras, and we wanted the opportunity to celebrate that at such a prestigious event. It doesn’t get any better than Revival for showing an international audience vintage hairstyling that respects its origins.”

With film industry standards promoted by Vintage Hair Lounge, modern techniques have not been sidelined. This is especially true with the makeup, as the pioneering team are bringing airbrush makeup to Goodwood Revival for the very first

Bookings for hair and makeup at Vintage Hair Lounge at Goodwood Revival can be made by contacting Sharon Holloway at enquiries@vintagehairlounge.com

time with the expert assistance and sponsorship of the Professional Makeup Academy. The airbrush makeup will enable them to create a flawless Hollywood icon look that would be fitting on any red carpet. International vintage makeup brand, Besame Cosmetics, who have supplied makeup to silver screen hits such as The Artist, are another key sponsor of the salon along with The Make-up Brush Company, the brainchild of three times BAFTA nominated Hair and Makeup Designer, Christine Allsopp, who will also be joining the Vintage Hair Lounge team for the occasion.

Hairdressing brands Davines, Babyliss and Easydry are sponsoring the salon and will ensure that the very best on-location hairstyling can be achieved by the 30 strong team of Vintage Hair Lounge hair stylists and makeup artists.

Additional sponsors handpickedvintage.com and Scott Chalmers Photography will also be on hand throughout the weekend to style the team and capture as many golden memories as possible.

Vintage Hair Lounge was launched in 2010 by mother and daughter Gloria and Sharon Holloway. Gloria is a former Head of Hairdressing & Beauty at The Isle of Wight College and Sharon is a hair and makeup artist for film and television, as well as an award winning film-maker. Both mother and daughter specialise in professional vintage hair and makeup training throughout the UK, vintage events and photoshoots. They also regularly feature as media experts in vintage hair and makeup, including the recent BBC Wartime Farm television series.

Vintage Searching for

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hen complimented on a specific item of clothing, a sense of pride seems to come with the reply, “Thanks, it’s vintage”. The 1950s was the decade that the trend for vintage clothing really began, and collecting souvenirs from a different era continues to become more and more popular. As times grow hard in the present day, a sense of nostalgia exists for these glamorised eras of the past when our modern worries would not have existed.

History generally remembers only the exciting episodes and with each antique item comes a story and, therefore, a piece of this excitement.

Generally, the term ‘vintage’ is defined as being pre-1960 and ‘retro’ as being post-1960.

Costume historian, James Laver, illustrated the fashionable design lifecycle.

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Laver’s Law:

10 years before – indecent 5 years before – shameless 1 year before – daring In fashion – smart 1 year after – dowdy 10 years after – hideous 20 years after – ridiculous 30 years after – amusing 50 years after – quaint 70 years after – charming 100 years after – romantic 150 years after – beautiful

even thousands of pounds, many items that remain in excellent quality can be relatively cheap to buy. The trick is knowing what to look for and where to look. The internet is probably the place that springs to most people’s minds and quite rightly so. A whole vintage world appears with the click of a button. Antique shops, flea markets, auctions and vintage festivals/fairs are great places to find items, particularly accessories, at a reasonable price. Vintage clothing boutiques obviously provide the customer with the opportunity to try a garment on and to have a proper look at it before purchasing it, but can often be overpriced. Charity shops can be a treasure trove when it comes to vintage pieces, especially if nobody else is aware of the value of an item.

Style is considered to be a form of self-expression and should not be limited to whatever is currently in vogue. Today’s fashion will be cast aside tomorrow to make room for the next must-have garment so why shouldn’t we dress for ourselves rather than for everybody else? Vintage clothing will never go out of style and it allows for so much more freedom and creativity when searching for a new outfit. An original 1920s/1930s dress may be old but it will never date and the person lucky enough to be wearing it will find it almost impossible to find someone else with an identical design.

A common misconception is that clothing from the 1920s and 1930s is extremely expensive.

Whilst an original flapper dress embellished with glass beads may be worth hundreds or

Dating vintage clothing is like learning a foreign language. The more it is spoken, the easier it becomes. Generally, the type of button and the shape of the collar are the simplest clues to the age of the piece.

Before the 1950s, zips were made of metal and clothing was normally fastened using poppers, hooks and eyes. Labels were embroidered with an elaborate font and had folded down corners. Hems were stitched by hand and shoulder pads were inconspicuous. Commonly used materials of the 1920s and ‘30s were velvets, satins, furs, silks, chiffons, wools and cottons.

However, the most obvious signs to look for are the overall look and feel of the garment.

It is essential to remember that only the real purists compile their entire outfits with antique clothing from a specific year.

Most vintage enthusiasts mix original pieces with reproduction garments and high street purchases to create a look that suits their taste and budget. The most important thing to remember when creating your vintage style is to have fun with it!

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F. Scott

Fitzgerald F

rancis Scott Fitzgerald was born on 24 September 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The early years of his childhood were spent moving between Buffalo and New York as a result of his father’s job as a salesman. The family later returned to St. Paul to live on his Irish mother’s inheritance.

At the age of 17, Fitzgerald began his studies at Princeton but, distracted by his love of writing, he withdrew from the university in 1917 and went on to enter the armed forces. Whilst based in Montgomery, Alabama, Fitzgerald met 18 year old Zelda Sayre, also a hopeful writer, whose father was Alabama Supreme Court judge. The First World War ended before he had the chance to be deployed and he left military service, moving to New York to work in advertising with the purpose in mind of proposing to Zelda. However, he left after only a few months and moved back to St. Paul to pursue a career in writing.

Fitzgerald’s first novel The Side of Paradise was published in 1920 to rave reviews and was inspired by his life at university and his time spent in New York working for an advertising agency.

Following the success of the book, he became famous overnight and promptly wed Zelda in New York. The acclaimed author began to write short fiction for prominent magazines to fund his new indulgent lifestyle which was filled with excessive luxury and earned him a reputation as a playboy.

Zelda gave birth to their daughter, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, in 1921.

In 1922, Fitzgerald’s second novel The Beautiful and the Damned was published. It discussed the extravagance, consumerism and carefree attitude of the era. The Fitzgeralds relocated to France in 1924, in search of inspiration at the glamorous centre of the creative universe. They lived a turbulent, exciting lifestyle and it was here that Fitzgerald penned his pièce de résistance in 1925, The Great Gatsby. During the 1920s, Fitzgerald added to his success by writing a number of short fiction collections, Flappers and Philosophers (1920), Tales of the Jazz Age (1922) and All The Sad Young Men (1926). However, his career plummeted following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 as he suffered from writer’s block and failed to publish another novel until 1934 (Tender is the Night.) By this point, Zelda was spending time in health clinics, suffering from mental instability.

Following another short story collection, Taps at Reveille, published in 1935, Fitzgerald achieved moderate success working as a screenwriter for MGM, enabling him to pay off his numerous debts.

Fitzgerald died aged 44 from a heart attack in December 1940. Whilst alive, he had not been taken particularly seriously as a writer of meaningful literature, instead being labelled as a symbol of the extravagance and frivolity of the Jazz Age. However, he has posthumously come to be considered one of America’s most talented and influential literary figures.

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“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”

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Take a trip to

s

1920

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast� - Ernest Hemingway

D

uring the Jazz Age, Paris existed at the centre of the cultural universe, the capital of art and creativity. Some of the most influential literary, musical and artistic figures moved to the city to immerse themselves in the fashion and excitement that was 1920s Paris. These included Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Coco Chanel, Cole Porter, Josephine Baker, Salvador Dali, T.S. Eliot and many more.

The French people named the decade the 'AnnĂŠes Folles' and it was a period of celebration and debauchery following the devastation of the First World War. The Parisian life involved evenings spent at restaurants, theatres, operettas, music halls and the cinema. Jazz music was popular, particularly at the parties hosted by society's elite. Surrealism and Art Deco were the most prominent literary and artistic movements, the latter of which had a significant impact on the fashion of the era.

Laduree

Top Ten Parisian

Jazz Age Destinations 1. Shakespeare & Company is the name that

has been given to two independent Parisian bookstores, both situated on the city’s Left Bank.

Sylvia Beach opened the first on 17 November 1919. The shop was originally at 8 Rue Dupuytren but moved to bigger premises at 12 Rue de l’Odeon in the 6th arrondissement in 1922.

During the 1920s, the bookstore was a meeting place for the literary elite of the world, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce. In 1940, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, the shop closed for good. The second Shakespeare & Co. bookstore is at 37 Rue de la Bûcherie in the 5th arrondissement and was opened by George Whitman in 1951. Its original name was Le Mistral but Whitman renamed it in 1964 in tribute to Sylvia Beach’s shop. The bookstore has 13 beds and regularly hosts Sunday tea, poetry readings and writers’ meetings. The original shop features in Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, his memoirs of his life in Paris during the 1920s.

famous in 1930 when the founder’s grandson, Pierre Desfontaines, came up with the idea of glueing two macaron shells together using a creamy ganache filling, creating the doubledecker macaron.

3. The infamous Café de Flore is a true reminder

of a bygone era and is situated on the corner of Boulevard Saint Germain and Rue St. Benoitand in Paris’ 6th arrondissement. Opened in 1885, it is one of the oldest and most celebrated coffeehouses in Paris, renowned for its clientele of celebrities and intellectuals. In fact, its Art Deco interior has changed little since the Second World War. The French café culture has existed for centuries. Coffeehouses have long been considered the perfect place to meet and debate with intellectuals, for artists to display their work, for romantic couples to rendezvous and for writers to discuss their ideas. During World War Two, the

2. Ladurée is a beautifully decorated shop

situated on the infamous Champs-Élysées, specialising in the creation of luxurious sweet treats. The company is world-famous for its macarons, with the Paris shop selling 15,000 daily, along with a variety of delicious cakes and pastries. Louis-Ernest Ladurée, a writer, founded the bakery on Paris’ Rue Royale in 1862. However, the premises were burnt to the ground during the 1871 Paris Commune uprising. A pastry shop was later built on the same spot. Ladurée became

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Shakespeare & Co.

French Resistance would regularly plot their next movements in such cafés.

4. Hemingway’s favourite destination in Paris,

Jardin du Luxembourg, offers 60 acres of peace and quiet. Located in the 6th arrondissement, it is the city’s second largest public park. The beautiful garden is of the French Senate, which is housed within the Luxembourg Palace. When Hemingway was an aspiring writer and struggling to make ends meet, rumour has it he would walk to the park from his apartment to strangle pigeons to eat for lunch.

He would also come to the park with his wife and son to escape their home, during his time spent working in a number of cafés, including the Closerie des Lilas.

Cafe de Flore

5. Café de la Rotonde is located in the

Montparnasse Quarter of Paris in the 19th arrondissement on the Carrefore Vavin at the the corner of Boulevard du Montparnasse and Boulevard Raspail. Founded in 1911, it was frequented by prominent intellectuals, artists and writers of the Jazz Age. The founder, Libion, would allow struggling artists to sit for hours in his café and eat the ends of baguettes. If they could not pay, he would simply hold onto one of their paintings until they could afford to settle the bill. Picasso was famously inspired by the café for his painting In the café de la Rotande.

La Rotonde

6. Les Deux Magots can be found in the beautiful

St. Germain area of Paris at 6 Place Saint-Germaindes-Prés. During the 1920s, the café was a place of rendezvous for the literary and artistic elite of the city. Picasso and Hemingway were regular customers, as were Gertrude Stein and Jean-Paul Sartre. Lex Deux Magots remains a classic French

Les Deux Magots

Jardins du Luxembourg

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café and the perfect place to sip café-crème whilst watching the world go by, exactly as customers during the 1920s would have done.

7. The Ritz, situated at 38 Rue Cambon/15 Place

Vendôme, is widely considered to be the best hotel in the French capital. Its elegance and beauty attracted Coco Chanel, the most iconic designer of the Jazz Age, who lived there from 1934 for over 30 years. Many writers of the Lost Generation also admired the classical architecture and decadence of the hotel, and featured it in their works. Hemingway’s typewriter sits on view in the building and the hotel’s Hemingway Bar pays tribute to the author who was a regular guest. The Ritz is the home of fine dining,

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glittering parties and elegant afternoon teas. A palace of luxury and opulence, it also happens to be a popular venue to hold the fashion shows of top Parisian designers, attended by celebrities and socialites alike.

8. Montmartre is a hilltop village-like area in

the north of Paris and was the home of many artists and bohemians at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors can enjoy an exciting evening at the infamous Moulin Rouge, beginning with a delicious meal and followed by a captivating show filled with music, elaborate costumes and, of course, the Cancan! Also in the area is the Vigne de Montmartre, Paris’ most famous vineyard, and the Montmarte cemetery, where dozens of great

The Ritz

Josephine Baker

Montmartre

artists have been laid to rest.

9. Folies Bergère, a music hall established in

1869, was at the height of its success from the Belle Époque of the 1890s through to the 1920s Années Folles. In 1926, Josephine Baker became an overnight sensation following her erotic Danse Sauvage performance in the venue, where she wore only a skirt fashioned from artificial bananas.

The hall really catered for the Parisian fascination with exotic erotica of the 1920s. The hall has also played host to huge names such as Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra and Ginger Rogers.

10. Le Select is one of the most popular Parisian

pavement cafés. Located at 99 Boulevard de

Le Select

Montparnasse, it was a regular rendezvous spot for artisans living in the city during the Jazz Age and has barely altered since it was founded during the 1920s. It echoes the charm of the era with traditional wooden tables, large mirrors and indoor/outdoor seating areas, as well as offering a wide variety of alcoholic drinks. The centuriesold café culture in France dictates that wine and liquor are to be consumed in moderation and accompanied by food. It was in the 19th century that the influential cultural figures who spent their time in coffeehouses became known as the Café Society and then as a group of ‘beautiful people’.

Stopping off at a café was considered to be the height of fashion by the turn of the century.

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For the

1930s Housewife

Fudge Vanilla

Method Ingredients

300ml Milk 12oz Caster Sugar 3 1/2oz Unsalted Butter 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 18

1. Grease a small cake tin with a dab of butter 2. Put the milk, butter and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil slowly and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. When the mixture thickens and turns a light golden brown colour, drop a small amount into a glass of cold water. If it forms a soft ball, take the saucepan off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and leave to cool for a few minutes.

4. Beat the mixture with a spoon until it thickens and the gloss disappears.

6. The fudge can then be cut into small squares and is ready to be enjoyed!

5. Spoon the mixture into the tin and leave to set. Do not cool it in the refridgerator.

For those of you with a real sweet tooth, why not melt some chocolate, dip the pieces of fudge in and leave to set on a piece of tin foil?

1930s Household Hints Iced tea with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top makes a splendid summer drink!

Lemons will keep for longer if they are kept in a bowl of cold water. The water does need to be changed daily though.

When decanting wine, place a light behind the neck of the bottle. This will enable one to see the first sign of sediment and to stop pouring before it enters the decanter.

Almond meringues make a delightful party sweet. They can be made by adding 2oz of ground almonds to every 2 egg whites of an ordinary meringue mixture. Fold the mixture lightly prior to cooking.

Candied peel that has become hardened through storage can be softened if it is heated in the oven before use.

Pastry will stay crisp for longer if mixed with milk rather than water.

One can replace apple sauce with orange slices as an accompaniment for roast pork. Slice the fruit thinly, and soak in lemon juice with a sprinkle of sugar, salt and pepper for half an hour. Place the orange slices on the pork and garnish with parsley.

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1924

TULIPWOOD

For the Gentlemen...

HISPANO-SUIZA

T

he Great War had been a massive wake-up call, sweeping away much of the stuffiness of Edwardian times and catapulting the world, whether it was ready or not, into the “modern� age.

There was a democratising of culture, expectation and technology. Records brought Jazz music and the Charleston, radio broadcasting began, and the silver screen displayed images of a sleek Art Deco modernity that most people could only dream of.

It was only natural that, driven by this Bauhausinspired fusion of craft and fine art, the burgeoning car industry should adopt the flowing elegance of an era that changed the world more than any other in history. Nowhere is the zeitgeist of this modernism more clearly embodied than in the Tulipwood Hispano Suiza of 1924.

Founded in 1904, Hispano (Spanish company) - Suiza (founded by a Swiss engineer) really

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Words by Jeff Lewis

made their name during the First World War building aero engines for the French Spad fighter, where they pioneered the lightweight, aluminium engine blocks so familiar in cars of today. After the war, they returned to vehicle manufacturing, with many of their patents being licenced to prestigious manufacturers world-wide. The best known of these being their mechanical brake servo used by Rolls Royce for many years.

From the outset, Hispano-Suiza positioned themselves at the top end of of the market, exhibiting their massively refined and sophistcated vehicles at the most prestigious motor shows. Their H6 model (launched in 1919) was at least 20 years ahead of its time, offering speed, power,

handling, refinement and reliabilty which other but exceptionally light body out of Tulip wood. prestige manufacturers could not rival until Fastened together by thousands of copper rivets, around 1930, and “mass� manufacturers until the whole thing weighing in at an incredibly light after WW2.

160lbs (72.6Kg).

Cars of this period needed huge, powerful The strategy worked. Dubonnet finished 6th in engines and tough running gear because, at the Targa Florio, and 5th in the Coppa Florio. After this time, most vehicles were sold as chassis only, completing these events, the car was retired from and you then employed your coachbuilder of racing and converted for road use, with the copper choice to body them. Cars like this usually ended trim being added at this time. up being fitted with luxurious, and extremely Needless to say, the car now resides in the US, heavy, saloon bodywork, making them where it makes occasional outings. somewhat leisurely and ponderous to drive.

This convention had its upside however; leave the body off, and the car would go like a scalded cat! Brilliant for the emerging hobby of Motorsport.

The sporting potential and toughness of the H6 was not lost on a certain Andre Dubonnet, the massively wealthy heir to the drinks empire, who wanted a new car to compete in the 1924 Targa Florio - a particularly gruelling mountain road race in Sicily.

Dubonnet was well aware that competition bodywork needed to be functional, streamlined, tough and above all, very light, but of course, reflecting his own individual style. An accomplished pilot, Dubonnet turned to the aircraft Photographs courtesy of Blackhawk Museum, Danville, California manufacturer Nieuport to create this stylish

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For the technically minded, this is the H6 under the bonnet:-

Engine: Aluminium block & head Straight 6 8 Litre Bore/Stroke 110.0 mm (4.3 in) / 140.0 mm (5.5 in) 2 Valves per cylinder driven by SOHC Ignition by twin magneto BHP 200/ 25BHP/Litre (202.8PS - 149.1KW) Single twin choke Solex carburettor

Chassis/Drivetrain: Chassis: Ladder construction

Suspension: Beam axle front Live axle rear Semi elliptical leaf springs

Gearbox: 3 speed manual (sliding pinion) Drum brakes all round (mechanical servo)

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Makeup 1920s inspired

the fabulous flapper look

W

ithout a doubt, the ultimate symbol of the Roaring Twenties was the flapper! The French name given to the flapper girl was garçonne as the risqué, streamlined dresses of the era weren’t the only aspects of fashion to become less feminine. Women’s hair underwent a drastic change with the appearance of bobbed styles. These could be curly or straight and would often be accessorised with a headband or a feather. The makeup was dramatic with dark smoky eyes, thin black eyebrows, rouged cheeks and blood-red lips being the order of the day. During the flapper era, it became very fashionable to whip out a compact mirror and apply one’s makeup in public.

1. from any makeup. Begin by covering your Make sure that your face is clean and free

face with a light layer of foundation and then powder. If applying eyeshadow, it can be a good idea to do your base makeup last so it is not ruined by any smudges.

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2. pink, doll-like cheeks. Apply blush to the

During the 1920s, it was fashionable to have apples of your cheeks using a circular brush movement.

3.

Using a black kohl pencil, line both the top and the bottom of your eyes. You can also apply the eyeliner to the water line if you wish.

4. your eyelids, up to the socket and the corners Apply black or dark grey eyeshadow all over

using an eyeshadow brush. Start off lightly and gradually build the colour up.

5. top and bottom lashes to help open up your eyes. 6. lipstick. A pencil can be used to line them to Apply a couple of layers of mascara to both the

1920s lips were emphasised by a dark red

create extra definition. For that extra 20s feel, why not add a beauty spot to either your cheek or upper lip? This fun and flirty addition to your makeup can be achieved using a kohl pencil.

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26 Photos: ITV/Carnival/Nick Briggs

Downton Abbey

D

Season 4

ownton Abbey is about to return with its fourth series! Set in 1922, the series takes place six months after the death of Downton heir Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens). Needless to say, killing off Matthew during the 2012 Christmas special just moments after his wife Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) had given birth to their son shocked millions of viewers.

This was particularly so due to the fact that only a few episodes earlier, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) had died during childbirth. Surely the loss of two such prominent family members will cast Downton Abbey into a black pit of despair and make for depressing viewing? But apparently not.

So what can we expect from the new series of the most popular period drama of all time? The answer is an insight into English Country life for both the aristocracy and the lower classes during one of the most exciting and changeable decades in history. If there is one thing that Downton Abbey does well it is displaying the extreme changes occurring during the period and the effects they had on every walk of life. The very first episode was set in 1912 with the family learning that the heir to the estate and his only son had drowned on the Titanic. Since then, we have watched both the upstairs and downstairs inhabitants of the great house attempt to cope with the effects of the First World War, along with scandal, the risk of financial ruin, death and a murder trial. As the Dowager Countess (Dame Maggie Smith) says, ‘When I think about what the last ten years have brought, who knows what we are in for now’.

Downton Abbey’s strength lies in its attention to detail and this series promises to be no different. There is a constant stream of subtle changes to costumes and set decoration as the months and years go by. Some of the show’s most humorous moments occur when a character must get to grips with a new and innovative piece of technology, whether it be Daisy the kitchen maid (Sophie McShera) questioning why electricity would be needed in the kitchen, Downton butler Mr Carson (Jim Carter) shouting down the telephone or the Dowager Countess almost falling off a swivel chair. There has been a significant evolution in terms of costume over the third series.

The outfits of the servants have been modernised and made a little more practical (with the exception of Mr. Carson’s), therefore reflecting the general attitude towards fashion following the First World War. Upstairs, dinner

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jackets are creeping in and hemlines inching up.

However more practical the outfits now are, they still retain the splendour and quality of previous decades. The daughters, in particular, welcome the new streamlined designs. However, nobody is more outrageous with their choice of dress than Lady Grantham’s (Elizabeth McGovern) wealthy American mother, Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine). Much more liberal-thinking and opposed to tradition than her English relatives, she can afford to buy new fashions and loves to parade her wealth with her elaborate, glittering ensembles. Violet, the Dowager Countess is her complete opposite. Her outfits appear not to have changed for several decades with their Edwardian necklines and the S-bend corset. Violet is a creature of tradition and, fiercely protective of her family and the estate, is more than a match for Martha.

Judging by the images of the cast and crew filming the new episodes, we are to be treated to an insight into the glamour of Roaring Twenties London, which will be a complete contrast to the sweeping shots of the calm Yorkshire countryside.

The 1910s and 20s was a period of extreme social change. Women were getting the vote and starting to gain more independence, and were therefore one step closer to equality. Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) is a perfect example of this.

Having always been the ‘overlooked’ daughter and suffering on numerous occasions from the

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humiliation that comes with a broken heart, she strives to be her own woman and accepts a position writing a column for a magazine, discussing subjects not normally associated with the daughter of an Earl. Her newfound confidence and sense of self-worth is reflected by the fact that she embraces the new 1920s fashions with bolder clothing choices than when she was younger and a strong marcel-waved bob.

The gap between the aristocracy and the poor, though still considerably wide, was gradually narrowing. This was particularly the case once the war had ended as careless management led to wealthy families having to sell their estates and opt for a more modest way of living. In the late 1890s Robert, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) married American heiress Cora Levinson for her money (although he does now love her desperately). After the war, he loses all of his wife’s money in an unwise investment and faces losing the estate. He is lucky that Matthew is willing to invest in the house and the family’s future.

Robert struggles to find his place in the new world where everybody else around him seems to have such a sense of purpose. His sense of duty and responsibility to the estate is his priority but, like his mother, he is reluctant to accept change and would prefer to sit tight until the money comes flowing back in. He is particularly close Lady Mary and, to some extent, to Carson (Jim Carter) as they each share the same traditionalist views and like

to see the old methods maintained. Cora is much less weighed down by tradition, perhaps because she is American. During the war, she throws herself into her duties, managing the running of the house as a convalescent home for injured officers and unknowingly neglecting her husband.

When Lady Sybil marries Irish revolutionary chauffeur-turned-journalist Tom Branson (Allen Leech), whilst Cora isn’t happy about the match to begin with, she does understand the importance of a happy marriage and, unlike Robert, welcomes Tom into the family. Matthew, in particular, is a friend to Tom as he can relate to his feelings of being an outsider and having to cross a huge divide into an alien world of strict etiquette, dressing for dinner and snobbery. It proves extremely difficult for Tom to leave behind his native Ireland (if he returns he faces prison) and his political views to live in the kind of world that he used to oppose. He eventually finds his place in it when, after Lady Sybil’s death, he and Matthew outline plans for the future of Downton Abbey, and he eventually agrees to work as the agent of the estate and bring up his daughter in the comfort of the house.

be a dull moment around. It seems that romance is on the cards for Lady Edith with the married magazine editor, and possibly even for Tom or Lady Mary. There is certain to be plenty of drama downstairs between the maids and footmen, not to mention Thomas’ (Rob James-Collier) knack for stirring trouble. As for Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), whilst they currently seem blissfully happy, surely it is only a matter of time before the spell is broken.

One thing is for certain though, we are bound to be treated to some more of Violet’s impeccablytimed, shockingly blunt one-liners which, for most viewers, are the highlight of the show!

Photos: ITV/Carnival/Nick Briggs

Out of all of the servants, Carson takes the most pride in his job and likes to see everything done properly. He views the Crawleys as his family and is a firm supporter of social order and the class system. Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) the housekeeper is a pragmatist and often opposes Carson’s views. She does not dislike them but the family are her employers. She often shows a little more sympathy to the younger servants than Carson, particularly to Daisy who, as the kitchen maid, is the lowest of the low. In terms of social standing, the gap between Carson and Daisy is great than the gap between Carson and Lord Grantham.

The new series of the hit show promises to be slower paced then its predecessors, during which we were accelerated through the First World War and the years following it. Julian Fellowes, the show’s writer and creator, has hinted that this series will allow for much more character development, making it similar to the first series.

No doubt we will see the family come to terms with the death of Matthew, along with Lady Mary’s heartbreak as she raises their son alone. However, there looks to be plenty of excitement in the way of new characters, not to mention the flighty and rebellious Rose (Lily James) who is coming to live with her relatives and who there never seems to

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COCO

CHANEL The incredible life and work of Fashion’s First Lady

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same”

G

abrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was born in Saumur, France in 1883 and died in 1971 in her apartment in The Ritz. During her lifetime, she was responsible for some of the most innovative fashion designs of the century, many of which inspire the clothing that we wear today.

Following the death of her mother when she was just twelve years old, Chanel had a strict upbringing in an orphanage whilst her father worked as a peddler. The nuns who raised her taught her how to sew, marking the start of her passion for designing clothing. During her early years of adulthood, she found work as a seamstress and earned the nickname “Coco” during her short performing career.

During her early twenties, Chanel spent three years as the mistress of wealthy French textile heir Etienne Balsan, an ex-cavalry officer. They lived a lifestyle of luxury and decadence, with Balsan lavishing his lover with extravagant gifts.

In 1908 she began an affair with Arthur “Boy” Capel, an English aristocrat. He bought Chanel her apartment in Paris and encouraged her aspirations for her millinery business by paying for her first shops. Their affair lasted for almost a decade and Chanel was devastated when he died in a car accident in 1919.

Chanel opened her first shop on Rue Cambon in the French Capital in 1910. The millinery business soon expanded with shops opening in Deauville and Biarritz. Chanel began making clothing and experienced her first taste of success when she transformed a jersey into a simple dress on a cold day and received immediate attention from countless admirers. By 1919, Chanel was an established couturiere with her fashion house at 31 Rue Cambon, Paris.

During the 1920s, business was booming for Chanel. In 1921, she launched her first perfume, Chanel No. 5, which was the first to be named after its designer. She once described perfume as “the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion... that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure”. The Chanel No. 5 perfume remains the best-selling in the world.

Chanel really led the fashion revolution of the 1920s with her bobbed hair, bright red lips and bold designs. Her fashion forward outfits of the Jazz Age paved the way for women’s clothing styles of the era, not mention the rest of the

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century. 1925 saw the launch of the classic Chanel suit, one of her most popular creations, consisting of a collarless jacket and fitted skirt.

Chanel’s most iconic design of her career was the 1920s little black dress. Up until that point, black had been the colour of mourning but suddenly it was considered to be the height of fashion. In 1926, American Vogue described it as garçonne (a youthful, boyish look) and predicted it would “become sort of a uniform for all women of taste”.

From 1923 Chanel was involved with the Duke of Westminster. Their affair lasted a decade and during this time, Chanel was pursued by none other than Edward, Prince of Wales. When asked why she and the Duke of Westminster never married, Chanel simply stated: “There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel.”

The Great Depression led to Chanel’s company suffering, and during the Second World War it closed, resulting in 3,000 female employees losing their jobs. Chanel kept her apartment above the couture house but resided at The Ritz. The hotel was known for being the preferred choice of places to stay for top German military staff.

However, Chanel’s affair with German officer Hans Gunther von Dincklage permitted her to stay there. During the war, Chanel was alleged to have collaborated with German forces and was accused of espionage. Lack of evidence prevented Chanel from being prosecuted and she claimed that it was her friendship with Winston Churchill that saved her.

After the war, Chanel was viewed as a controversial figure with a tarnished reputation, resulting in her first collection in 15 years, launched in 1954, not being popular among her Parisian customers. However, the British and Americans welcomed her back into the world of Haute Couture and became her primary clientele.

Chanel was 87 years old and still designing when she died in bed on 10th January 1971. Her grave is situated in the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery, Lausanne, Switzerland. A decade after the designer’s death, Karl Lagerfeld took control of the company to carry on the Chanel legacy. 31 Rue Cambon remains the home of Chanel, with the shop on the ground floor and Lagerfeld basing his study above. In the designer work rooms in the attic, 100 seamstresses continue to work entirely by hand.

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How to throw the perfect Prohibition Party!

“There was dancing now in the canvas garden, old men pushing young girls backward in eternal graceless circles, superior couples holding each other tortuously, fashionably and keeping in the corners - and a great number of single girls dancing individualistically or relieving the orchestra for a moment of the burden of the banjo or the traps. By midnight the hilarity had increased. A celebrated tenor had sung in Italian and a notorious contralto had sung in jazz and between the numbers people were doing stunts all over the garden, while happy vacuous bursts of laughter rose toward the summer sky. A pair of stage twins - who turned out to be the girls in yellow - did a baby act in costume and champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger bowls.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

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D

uring the Prohibition era (1920-1933), the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol was illegal in the United States, in a bid by the U.S Government to reduce crime. However, the ban had the opposite effect. As the demand for alcohol grew, so did the number of criminal organizations. Corruption among politicians and the police was also rife. Gangsters, notably the notorious Al Capone, made millions by smuggling alcoholic beverages into secret bars known as ‘speakeasies’. These underground joints were filled with drinking, gambling, flappers and jazz music.

Throwing a 1920s themed party is great fun and does not have to cost a lot. Taking just a few of the ideas presented below should ensure you have a night to remember!

The first thing to consider in terms of decoration is the colour scheme. Black and white is a classic colour combination that will bring timeless style to the look of your party. White with a hint of colour is also elegant, as is black combined with red.

Contrast the colour of your centrepiece with the colour of the tablecloth. Ten or so ostrich feathers in a vase or champagne glass, arranged to resemble a palm tree, really encapsulates that Art Deco feel.

Oriental latterns and fringed lampshades were also fashionable props during the 1920s. Roses also make beautiful table decorations, as do tealights which, when dotted around a venue can bring warmth and romance to the room. A room can be completely transformed simply by turning the lights down low and hanging drapes and fairy lights off the walls. Keep in touch with the cocktail theme by placing martini glasses containing chocolates on each table. You can also lay out crystal decanters and hipflasks. Remember, the 1920s was a a decade of decadence so be as extravagant with your decorations as possible. Photo frames with images of 1920s film stars such as Marlene Dietrich and Charlie Chaplin can also be a nice touch.

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Keep your guests hydrated by offering around glasses of champagne on a silver serving tray. Or better still, employ one of them as your butler for the evening, dress them in a suit and white gloves and get them to wait on your guests! Salted nuts, canapĂŠs and salads make authentic snacks, as do mini sandwiches.

Enforce a 1920s dress code but in case a guest ‘forgets’, lay out trilby hats and feather boas. If nobody needs to borrow them, they still make great decorations. To recreate the excitement of a 1920s speakeasy, give your guests a password beforehand to enable them to get in. Hang drapes over the door to the party room to create an air of mystery and place all of the alcohol in straw-filled wooden crates to achieve that Prohibition feel. Jazz and Charleston music will add to the atmosphere. If you are fortunate enough to be using a large room then why not get the guests doing some Charleston? It is a simple dance to learn and great fun! Playing poker and screening a silent film also make fun 1920s themed activities.

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Dancing the

Charleston Stroll The Charleston Stroll is a rotating line dance that uses Charleston moves 1. Line all of your guests up so everyone is facing the same direction.

2. Place your weight onto your left foot. Take your right foot and tap it in front of you. Using the same foot, take a step back, shifting your weight onto it.

3. The process is now reversed. Tap your left foot behind, take a step forward with the same foot and move your weight onto it.

4. These steps are now repeated. For those who are interested in some of the Charleston technique, foot swivels can be inserted on each step by pushing the heels out away from each other and then pulling them back in. This can take a bit of coordination so try practicing the swivels on the spot first!

5. This dance is designed to be a flamboyent celebration of life so swing those arms as you dance! Alternatively, for a less energetic dance, arms can be kept by your side with palms facing the floor.

6. After two sets of the basic steps, take your right foot and tap twice out to the side. Then you do what is known by dancers as a triple step.

Starting with your right foot, do three little steps on the spot. If you want a better-looking dance you can do a grapevine (step behind, to the side, and then in front). The triple step is fast, with the three steps happening over two beats of the music.

7. Now you can repeat the process on the left side. So using your left foot, tap to the side twice, and then triple step. On the final step of this triple step, turn 90 degrees clockwise and the dance will begin again.

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Cocktails Jazz Age

C

ocktails were popular during Prohibition and were consumed illegally in speakeasies. The low quality of the liquor available during the era led to syrups and fruit juices being used sweeten the drinks. Whiskey was replaced with gin which was much easier and quicker to produce.

French 75

Champagne Flute Cocktail Shaker 1 Lemon 40ml Gin 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp Syrup Ice Cubes 60ml Champagne Using a zester, slice a long spiral of peel off the lemon and set both the remainder of the lemon and the peel aside for later. In a cocktail shaker, mix the gin, lemon juice and syrup. Add the ice and shake. Strain into the chilled glass and top with champagne. Garnish the drink with the lemon twist.

Mint Julep Highball Glass 1 Tsp Sugar 10-15 Mint Leaves Crushed Ice 90ml Bourbon Sprig of Mint for Garnish

Dissolve the sugar in a splash of water in the glass.

Add the mint leaves and muddle lightly (the back of the spoon can be used). Add the bourbon and half-fill the glass with crushed ice. Stir thoroughly until the ingredients are mixed. Fill the rest of the glass with crushed ice and garnish with the sprig of mint.

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Gin Rickey Highball Glass Ice Cubes 1 Lime 60ml Gin Soda

Place the ice cubes into the glass and squeeze in the juice of half a lime. Pour in the gin and top up the glass with soda before dropping in the remainder of the lime.

The Bee’s Knees Cocktail Glass Cocktail Shaker 1 Tsp Honey 60ml Gin 15ml Fresh Lemon Juice Ice Cubes Lemon Twist to Garnish

In a cocktail shaker, dissolve the honey into a splash of water. Add the gin, lemon juice and ice.

Shake until the contents are mixed and then strain into the glass before garnishing with the lemon twist.

A Balancing Act

Making cocktails is about balancing the strong and weak, sour and sweet. The ‘strong’ is the main alcoholic component of the cocktail ie. gin, whiskey, rum or vodka. The ‘weak’ refers to the milder alcoholic ingredients such as liquors.

‘Sour’ means the citric fruit juices whereas ‘sweet’ refers to syrups and sugar. You can of course adapt any cocktail recipe to suit your taste.

Southside Highball Glass Cocktail Shaker 60ml Gin 30ml Fresh Lemon Juice 2 Tsp Sugar 4-5 Fresh Mint Leaves Ice Cubes Soda Sprig of Mint to Garnish In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, lemon juice, sugar and mint leaves, and shake to bruise the mint. Then pour the contents of the shaker into the ice-filled glass, top with soda and garnish with a mint sprig.

Between the Sheets

Cocktail Glass Cocktail Shaker 30ml Brandy 30ml Triple Sec 30ml White Rum 15ml Fresh Lemon Juice Ice Cubes Lemon Twist to Garnish Using a cocktail shaker, mix the brandy, triple sec, white rum and lemon juice with the ice cubes.

Strain the contents into the cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon twist.

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Bexi Owen Can you tell us a little bit about your life as a singer and pinup model?

Since I started singing professionally, I’ve been fortunate enough to perform at some amazing events and venues such as iconic cabaret clubs like Madam Jojo’s in London.

I also love singing at historic places such as the beautiful Haigh Hall in Wigan for Vintage Fairs organised by Vibrant Vintage by Victoria Clare, it’s such a lovely building and having a walk in the stunning gardens after I’ve sung is always lovely and a nice treat.

Through singing, I’ve become involved in pin-up modelling which has been really interesting as it was never something I aspired to but I love shooting and have made some great friends along the way and been involved in some fabulous projects such as The Vintage Beauty Parlour’s 2013 calender.

What inspired you to become a vintage performer?

I’ve always loved older styles of music and my voice has never really suited contemporary songs so I definitely feel I relate more to the music of the past!

I’ve always been drawn to past eras in films too, and when I was younger I used dress up as characters such as Scarlet O’Hara from Gone With The Wind. This grew into a more specific interest in the 1950s, which is the inspiration for my main performing style.

You recently turned professional with your singing. What advice would you give to an aspiring singer?

Don’t underestimate the work involved. So many people think the only way to be a working performer is to go through the talent show route but that won’t guarantee a long, sustainable career. It is hard work but great fun too!

Who are your beauty and style icons?

I have so many but one of my favourites is Diana Dors as she was always so glamorous and British too, proving we don’t always need to look straight to Hollywood for glamour.

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“don’t underestimate the work involved. So many people think the only way to be a working performer is to go through the talent show route”

Describe your getting-ready process prior to a performance.

Style wise I’ll pin curl my hair the morning of a show if possible so it has plenty of time to set. I like to leave my stage makeup until reaching the venue so I look as freshly made up as possible.

Plus if the gig is one with lots of other artists, it’s so much fun getting ready backstage with the other ladies! Finally just before I leave the dressing room to go on stage I’ll put on my red lipstick, there’s no point putting it on earlier as I drink so much water before hand it never stays put! Whilst doing this all I’ll be humming away to

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warm up my voice!

Have you ever had any costume malfunctions or memorable moments whilst on stage?

Some of my more uptempo songs include choreography and I’ve had plenty of costume slips where I’ve revealed more than I planned to!

What is your vintage wardrobe must-have?

I love all my vintage dresses. Reproduction clothing is great for affordability but I love wearing authentic dresses, especially on stage as I think it really adds to the overall scene of the performance.

And finally, what do you like most about the 1920s and 30s; the golden age of jazz and cabaret?

Some of my favourite songs to sing were written during the 20s and 30s including ‘Summertime’ and ‘The Man I Love’. It’s amazing that nearly 100 years later they still sound fresh and having meaning to them.

I also love that the 20s was such a massive change in culture compared to previous years, which is probably why we’re still so enthralled with the decade all this time later!

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g n i c n a D l Socia of y r o t s i AH

The Beginnings of Ballroom

T

he term Ballroom Dancing originates from the name given to the grand and beautifully decorated rooms often built specifically for elaborate parties centred around social dancing.

The word “ball” is derived from the Latin word “ballere”, meaning ‘to dance’. The ballroom styles are danced both competitively and socially around the world.

Ballroom Dancing not only encompasses the five traditional ballroom dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Ballroom Tango and Viennese Waltz) but also the five Latin American dances (Cha Cha,

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Ballroom Jive, Rumba, Paso Doble and Samba).

Salsa styles, Argentine Tango and Swing dancing also fall into the category, as well as sequence dancing. Although the ballroom dances each have their own style and rhythm, originating from different countries and eras, their one similarity is that they are danced as a couple in a ‘closed hold’.

The origin of social ballroom dancing is found in the 17th and 18th century European court dances, with many of the steps adapted from folk dances.

The dancers would move in circles and squares around the ballroom.

Characterised by its sweeping turns and music in 3/4 time, the Waltz is probably the most iconic and well-known of the ballroom dances, emerging in England in 1812. The oldest form of the Waltz is the Viennese Waltz, a rotary and extremely fast ballroom dance.The dance originated in Vienna in the late 1700s, before arriving in other European countries during the 19th century.

It is important to note that in other European countries, including Austria, France and Germany, the Viennese Waltz is simply known as the Waltz whereas the modern version of the Waltz is referred to as the Slow Waltz or English Waltz.

The Waltz was accepted as a form of music in its own right when, in 1819, Carl Maria von Weber wrote Invitation to the Dance. As the elegance and

romance of the dance led to a growth in its popularity, there was also a rise in Waltz music as composers wrote more and more pieces to accommodate the dance.

Initially the Waltz was considered scandalous and an example of impropriety due to the closeness of the hold. However, the grace and beauty of the dance soon earned people’s respect and the 1840s saw the introduction of several new ballroom dances, including the Polka, Mazurka and the Schottische.

During the 1800s, Europe’s royalty and social elite embraced the ballroom styles, dancing them at their lavish parties and balls. At this time, the lower classes were still only engaging in folk dancing at their assemblies. It was not until the late 19th century that the working class began to enjoy ballroom dancing.

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Glittering Gatsby

W

ithout a doubt, The Great Gatsby was a visual masterpiece, displaying the extravagent, luxurious lifestyle of wealthy Americans during the Roaring Twenties. The costumes were to die for, the sets exquisitely decorated and the parties more decadent and wild than we could have imagined. However, nothing symbolises wealth more than the sparkle and shimmer of of the numerous diamonds and pearls that Daisy decorates herself with. Director Baz Luhrmann and his production designer wife Catherine Martin collaborated with iconic jeweller Tiffany & co. to create some stunning Jazz Age-inspired pieces for The Great Gatsby.

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Tiffany & Co. was the jeweller of choice for wealthy ladies during the 1920s and therefore would enable Luhrmann and Martin to achieve the sense of authenticity they desired. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a client of Tiffany & Co., and Tom Buchanan would probably also have been one. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Louis Comfort Tiffany (the company’s designer at the the time) frequented the Long Island parties that Daisy would have attended so the connections between the jeweller and The Great Gatsby are evident. Jewellery plays a prominent part in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s infamous novel. The night before Daisy’s wedding to Tom Buchanan, she throws away the $350,000 (4 million dollars today) pearl necklace he gave her.

However, she has a change of heart, retrieves the necklace and decides against calling off the wedding.

During her extensive research, Martin looked through the Tiffany archives and was able to use the drawings she discovered as inspiriation for the Gatsby jewels. The finished pieces exude a sense of glamour, decadence and nostalgia whilst also displaying modernity, therefore reflecting the film itself. The process took two years with several versions of each piece being made completely from scratch and is Tiffany’s greatest film collaboration.

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Wendy Paterson

A Chat with

House of Isis from

You have had 20 years experience in the fashion industry. What inspired you to set up a vintage clothing business?

My fashion journey first started when I left school and was lucky enough to work for a bespoke knitwear designer. I got the chance to make jumpers for Prince Charles and a very young Prince William! I became disillusioned, in some respect, to the current fashion industry. Year after year the high street seems to copy last season’s fashions but just changing the cut or fabrics slightly, and the high street offers so little choice for creativity. The quality of mass-manufactured clothing is often so poor, not just in the stitching but also in the fabric sense. Designer clothes that are of a high quality are just not financially possible for most people. Vintage embraces better quality of fabrics, workmanship and also individuality. Mass-manufacturing didn’t really come into play on a large scale until the 60s and 70s; prior to that people made their own clothes or had them specifically made for them. The older the garment the more likely that the item was a one off, therefore allowing the wearer to embrace their individuality and be able to express some personality through the clothes. I see vintage as a form of art not just something that you throw on in the morning. Vintage has the advantge also of being more green and I am HUGE champion of the eco cause.

company. I got great moral support from them as well as business advice from their enterprise department. I was initally refered to them via the job centre through their New Enterprise scheme.

Livibility have now asked me to come back and join them as a business mentor to help disabled people set up their own businesses.

How did getting caught in a road accident last year affect your life and your ambitions for House of Isis?

The accident left me badly injured and it took me some time to get back on my feet - literally! It has left me with a minor brain injury resulting in memory loss and I am facing surgery on my back and hip. To be honest though, when you are selfemployed you have no option but to pick yourself back up and get on with everything to the best of your ability. I work from home using online selling platforms which is a great advantage and I certainly would not be able to continue if I had a physical shop or market stall. It just made me even more determind to succeed! I do intend to expand my business in the future to have my own stand alone online shop and eventually when I have recovered some more, I plan to open a physical shop that will also include antique and vintage furniture and homewares.

Can you tell us a little bit about the process of setting up House of Isis and the help you had from a charity?

You must have been incredibly proud when you won Livability Enterprise “Outstanding Achievement in Business” Award 2012. How did that come about?

I had great support from Livability - a national charity that is dedicated to supporting disabled people, whose patron is HRH Princess Anne. I had been unemployed for just over a year having previously worked in briefly in TV as well as valuing antiques and vintage items for an auction

Gosh yes I was! It was such a shock to me and I cried so much when I won. I thought there were people who deserved it far more than I did.

As a result, I was invited to a campaign launch in February in the House of Lords where I met HRH Princess Anne. I have also been invited to

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a Buckingham Palace garden party in July to represent Livability.

Where do you go for inspiration for your 1920s kimono designs?

Basically, I just love the 20s! It was a time of liberation for women socially and in a fashion sense. I’ve been buying kimonos for myself for 10 years now. The first one I bought came from LA and I still have I still have it and wear it on very special occasions. The V&A costume exhibition is also a source of inspiration for me. The kimonos that they have on display are so stunning and visually rich. They differ from the oriental styles in some respect as they are worn loose and free flowing which is a reflection of the modern attitudes of the 1920s. I have a huge passion for the oriental designs and used to have a business selling cheongsams (chinese dresses).

What advice would you give to an aspiring clothes designer?

For aspiring designers, I would say keep going and never give up. The industry is hard and brutal so expect to work very long hours on little wages.

The best route of all is to just start your business; it doesn’t have to cost much and can be done using selling platforms such as Etsy or Folksy, and then move towards having a market stall so you can “meet and greet” your customers. Take every single opportunity to network and never leave home without a pile of business cards as you never know who you will meet.

And finally, what is your vintage wardrobe musthave?

I would do anything to own an Ossie maxi dress or Dior ballgown. A good quality Ossie dress would cost at least £1,000 so I think I will need to get saving!

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Competition

Win a 1920s Kimono!

We have a couple of handmade 1920sinspired kimonos to give away to two lucky readers! These beautifully unique garments have kindly been donated by Wendy Paterson from House of Isis and are the perfect accessory to compliment a glamorous outfit.

To enter, simply answer the following question: During which year did the official launch of the Chanel No. 5 perfume take place?

Please send your answer along with your contact details to info@ritarose.co.uk Competition closes 1st November 2013

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Design and print ad

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The Pin-Up Girl

By Rachel Hale ‘ Pin-up’ comes from a term used by burlesque

and was known as Miss Ferndale (Ferndale Barrey).

performers back in the nineteenth century. They would have photographic cards which were pinned-up onto frames of mirrors or wedged in to the joints of gas burners to advertise themselves and gain popularity amongst their fans.

She left her native Picardy in France to move to Paris where she began earning a living as a prostitute. She served as a model for several artists

The world’s first official pin-up was back in WWI

and she apparently displayed full frontal nudity (ooh errr!!!!), making herself very popular with soldiers on both sides of the conflict!

Pin-up girls as we know them became very

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popular in the 1930’s with famous faces such as Betty Grable and Mae West being displayed on calendars and advertisements that were given to the American G.I.s during WW2.

Around the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, artists began to create the famous female caricatures of women doing ‘ordinary’ things. Unlike the images of famous faces being shown, these allowed the artist to use their imagination to create a much more erotic feel!

The pin-up girl continued to gain popularity through the 1950s with most of the movie actresses of the era becoming pin-ups before they became stars of the silver screen; Marilyn Monroe was such a girl.

By the 1960s, the pin-up girl’s popularity had started to plummet with the dawn of ‘free love.’

People became more fascinated with nudity rather than the tongue-in-cheek nature of the pin-up girl.

There has recently been a revival in pin-up/ vintage style photography where modern day photographers are now putting their own twist on things to keep this popular art form alive.

So why have a pin-up shoot? It gives you a chance to step back in time, experience a touch of Hollywood glamour and have a set of photographs where you look totally feminine and gorgeous! You can have a mix of the cheeky more traditional pin-up shots, burlesque style or just vintage boudoir. Gone are the days where photographers just offered makeover shoots which, over time, look dated. Vintage-inspired shots are timeless! Every woman should treat themselves and have a shoot whatever their age!

If you’re interested in a shoot please visit my website: Rachelhaleboudoir.co.uk

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Rachel Hale ad

boudoir/pinup specialist photographer

01978 353069 | 07859 908638 facebook.com/RachelHaleBoudoir www.rachelhaleboudoir.co.uk

The

The Hollywood Studio System

H

ollywood’s Golden Age was the era of some of cinema’s most celebrated films and performers. The period existed from the introduction of sound in 1927 until the collapse of the studio RKO in 1959, with its decline beginning following the passing of the Paramount Decree in 1948 (a lawsuit created to prevent major film studios from monopolising the industry). At the start of the 20th century, New York was the home of the filmmaking industry. However, by 1910, filmmakers had begun to relocate to Los Angeles. The warm climate and cheap real estate were the draws, as well as the fact that they could avoid paying equipment licensing fees to Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company. Before too long, Hollywood had established its reputation as the centre of the movie-making industry. The studio system was very profit-driven, with an ‘assembly line’ system being used to produce motion pictures. The major studios were vertically integrated, meaning that each owned its own means of production, distribution and exhibition.

Classical Hollywood was dominated by five major studios, nicknamed ‘The Big Five’. These

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were MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO and 20th Century Fox. Universal, United Artists and Columbia, ‘The Little Three’, also enjoyed moderate success. During the 1930s, the major studios were responsible for roughly 75% of films distributed in the U.S. and took 90% of the box office. Each studio had its own ‘house style’, defined by the stars they owned and the genres of film produced.

Cinema attendance was high during Hollywood’s Golden Age and audiences looked to movies as a form of escapism from the troubles of the era.

Founded in 1912, Paramount relied on its ownership of 1000 cinemas located all over the U.S. to retain its corporate power. In 1927, the studio won the very first Academy Award for Best Picture. Despite its financial success of the 1920s, Paramount struggled to meet the mortgage requirements of its huge chain of theaters following The Great Depression. However, by the 1940s, the studio was more powerful and financially successful than any other. Directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, D.W. Griffith and Alfred Hitchcock have directed for the studio, and numerous stars including Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby and Mae West have graced the screens showing films produced by Paramount.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, founded in 1924, was probably the most well-known Hollywood studio of the 1930s and was an entity within the vertically integrated movie conglomerate Loew’s, which also owned a distribution company and had a successful theater chain. The studio was said to have attracted “more stars than are in the heavens.” MGM distributed the imensely successful The Wizard of Oz along with the 1939 independent film Gone With The Wind, the most financially successful film of all time.

Twentieth Century-Fox was born in 1935 when Fox Film, founded in 1915, merged with Twentieth Century Pictures, founded in 1933, following the economic struggles of the post-Depression years.

Henry Fonda and Betty Grable were among the first stars to be signed up by the studio in a bid to secure Twentieth Century-Fox as one of the big players in Hollywood. During the 1930s and 1940s, the studio was the third most profitable after Paramount and Loew’s/MGM. Founded in 1923, Warner Bros. (the name is always abbreviated unless referring specifically to the brothers themselves) were hit particularly hard by the Great Depression and, as a result, struggled throughout the 1930s. Prior to that, the studio had produced the very first ‘talkie’, The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, marking the start of synchronised sound on feature length films and placing the studio at the forefront of the motion picture industry. Following the struggles of the post-Depression years, the 1940s brought prosperity to the company. By this point, the studio had stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and Errol Flynn under contract who brought in huge audiences.

Radio-Keith-Orpheum was created to promote RCA sound equipment and the KeithAlbee-Orpheum vaudeville theaters could be transformed into movie theaters. The studio was created in 1929 and had early success with its musicals starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

However, by the late 1930s RKO was suffering financially and was only classed as a major studio because of its large theater chain. The studio distributed Disney pictures from 1937 until 1954 and received unexpected success from the release of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ in 1938.

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S

PEAKEASY! Winter Issue FEATURING

Marianne Cheesecake

International Vintage Star

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1930s Winter Fashion Eveningwear for the Gentlemen Vintage Christmas Cookery Treats Coco Cola’s Christmas Adverts The Life of Josephine Baker 1920s Christmas Decorations

And much more!

OUT DECEMBER 1ST 2013 www.ritarosevintage.co.uk

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Elegant vintage eveningwear and accessories from the 1920s and 1930s. Carefully selected for their appearance, the condition they are in and their authenticity.

1920s & 30s

L i f e st y l e

Sp e c i a l i st

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