My friend Stef alerted me to this post by Watchismo with pictures of an elaborate skull watch that was made for Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th century. You must take a look! The site also has great pictures of an 1810 skull pocket watch and a 1610 skull clock. Stef lives in Los…
"New Order Singer"
Since the movie Control came out, about 100 people have come to my blog by searching for “New Order singer.” I am intrigued by this because Control is about Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. Embed from Getty Images After Ian killed himself, the band was renamed New Order and Bernard Sumner took…
I Am Not a Puritan
As I mentioned in this post, I am not now nor have I ever been a Puritan, despite my appearance in this 1994 photo (short hair, no-dancing policy). I am a Sex-ay Pilgrim! I call this vintage Donald Brooks gown the Sex-ay Pilgrim Dress because of the combination of severely tailored black wool and plunging…
Thursday Book Club: Anne of Cleves
I am going to prove to you that Anne of Cleves was a damn genius. Anne was the fourth wife of Henry VIII, or Henry teh 8, as we’ve come to know him. Did you know that in the ’60s, the English group Herman’s Hermits had a hit song called, “I’m Henry the 8th, I…
The Old In-Out In-Out*
Juana Peekaboo Skull Ring © Wendy Brandes 2007-2008 Photo by John Muggenborg Imagine my delight when a magazine called L.A. Confidential used my Juana ring to illustrate that skulls were a “Do” in their Late Spring issue. Imagine my annoyance when they credited the photographer for the photo and not me for the ring! Now…
’60s-Style Patent Boots
Shopbop has lots of stylish patent leather accessories. I love patent. In my experience it holds up really well. My 12-year-old Prada Mary Janes are black patent. On Shopbop, these white patent boots caught my eye. Paul & Joe Patent “Flea” Stretch Boot If you’ve ever gone shopping for original ’60s go-go boots, you’ll know…
Eat It, Huckers!
If you’re looking for thinspiration, skip this post. My gorgeous client Tina is the co-author of The Ski House Cookbook, which, as the cover cutely explains, is a collection of “Warm Winter Dishes for Cold Weather Fun.” Even cuter: each recipe has a difficulty rating just like ski runs do. Beware of the black diamond-rated…
Send in the Fabulous Clowns
I’m madly in love with this over-the-top vintage Clovis Ruffin sweater, available for $275 on eBay. This is one of those pieces where I thought, “Oh my God! No!” swiftly followed by “I love it, I need it, I want to marry it!” So Isabella Blow-meets-Minnie Mouse! If you can rock this, you have achieved…
Wise Move?
After thinking about it for a while, I broke down and ordered this little owl face made of rock crystal and onyx. I’m going to make a necklace out of him. Crystal owl face While I was still wondering whether this was a wise investment, teh Interweb offered me some positive reinforcement. These were the…
I’m Working on It
Just to prove that the long-promised rebranding of my company is really happening, I thought I’d share my new logo. I’m wondering what color my new packaging should be. Here are the choices for background color for my suede boxes. Any thoughts? My Gigi Caron packaging has been a gold logo on a burgundy box….