I Like to Choose Dresses For Famous Celebrities

Since a lot of my time is spent sorting and listing vintage and out of print sewing patterns, I often like to play choose the dress for the celebrity. It's my version of playing fashion stylist. This one, I've selected for Kate Hudson. It's long, lean and elegant. The design is by Tom and Linda Platt whose design philosophy is “Life is complicated. Clothes should be simple.” Elemental line and form creates a simply stunning dress.

Jacques Tiffeau -- Master of Modernism

While reviewing the gowns worn to the Academy Awards I realized that there's nothing more attention getting than elegant simplicity. (Case in point, Angelina Jolie) Some designers just get it. According to Diana Vreeland, Jacques Tiffeau was "in tune" with designs that created heightened visual impact based on color, cut and design. Jacques Tiffeau (1927-1988) was one of the more popular designers in the heyday of the miniskirt. His design to the left (a vintage 1960's pattern from McCall's) is stunningly simple. It's constructed of six panels with a bias fold-over collar, pockets in the side seam line and a zipper in the back center seam line. Plain and simple, yet modern , easy and elegant. He said, "The secret of good clothes is to keep taking off, simplifying, trimming down—yet to capture the shape of the human body." As tastes changed in the 1970s Tiffeau was accused of merely "rehashing" his old styles and was never again able to regain the spotlight. He ended his days quietly as a fashion design instructor.

Christian Dior

Christian Dior ( 1905 – 1957), was an influential French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses. He was responsible for the "New Look" in fashion in the 1940s (volumous ballerina skirts) and dressed stars such as Marlene Dietrich and royalty such as the Duchess of Windsor.

This is a beautiful A-line dress from Christian Dior, late 1960's. The dress has cut-away armholes, a shaped bodice front and back with a v-neckline and back zipper

Oh So Fabulous Schiaparelli

The Italian designer, Elsa Schiaparelli 1890-1973, had a love of rich fabrics and her designs frequently had a surreal twist. ( Which means no staid flowers in her designs.) She mixed with the famous cubist and surrealist artists Man Ray, Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia. Fabric and accessories were often designed for her by Dali, Jean Cocteau and Christian Berard.

The scarf pictured is a beautiful twenty-three inch signature square scarf with sold rust border with brown, rust, cream, silver blue squares in the inset made in Japan by Glentex. Hand-rolled, 100% silk. The design is superb. The tiny squares are outlined in varying colors and make the scarf truly come to life with texture and depth.

Emilio Pucci

Emilio Pucci ~~ Heir to a Florentine family, Pucci was famous for his designs distinguished by marvelous cut and construction and his Pucci prints. Marilyn Monroe was buried with one of his dresses, and his designs were worn by everyone from Sophia Loren to Jackie Kennedy. After Emilio's death in 1992 his daughter, Laudomia Pucci, continued to design under the Pucci name. Other designers who have worked for the label include Stephan Janson and Julio Espada. This dress and coat combination is a wonderful example of his tailored, streamlined designs. The coat is set-off with large buttons and is cut to emphasize the neckline. A seven-eighth sleeve length serves to highlight the arm-line and make the figure seem longer and leaner than it really is. Up swept dart lines in the coat and dress add to this illusion. A beautiful design from a master designer.

Molyneux ~~ It's Just Apparent

Edward MOLYNEUX reached the height of his popularity in the 1930's when he took the fashion world by storm, by streamlining fashions. His coats and dresses had single unbroken lines with a gracefull fluidity. He dressed such stars as Greta Garbo and Vivien Leigh. Vogue Pattern 2872 very much follows the graceful lines that distinguished his fashion influence. This pattern is circa 1973. This is one of his last designs, in collaboration with his nephew. Edward Molyneux died in 1974.

This pattern is in stock at http://www.sandmarg.etsy.com/ in size 10.