Bow Ties

Good Wednesday, dear readers, and welcome to a new Wednesday Vintage. Today is all about the wonderful accessorie loved by nerds and hipsters alike: the bow tie!

For the history of the bow tie, let me quote shamelessly from Wikipedia: “The bow tie originated among Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century: the Croat mercenaries used a scarf around the neck to hold together the opening of their shirts. This was soon adopted (under the name cravat, derived from theFrench for “Croat”) by the upper classes in France, then a leader in fashion, and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries.” As we see, the great tie has a long, proud history. And they come in all sorts of patterns and colours!

Stripes and a Vili Flik favourite: polkadots!

Patriotic

Shiny party bows!

And, you knew it was coming: Tartan! Wheee!

In addition, some great people have worn a bow tie in their time:

The magnificent Oscar Wilde, sporting a rather large bow tie

Winston Churchill with polkadots (great dress sense, that man)

The lovely Stephen Fry, also with polkadots.

And, of course, the Mad Hatter.

Despite this being an accessorie typically associated with men, women can also pull this off, none better than Marlene Dietrich:

Bring the bow tie back, I say! However, I think the eleventh Doctor said it best:

“Bow ties are cool!”

Love, Mari

Ralph Lauren

Last week I promised you all a superfabulous designer for today, and so, Ladies and Gentlemen; I give you Ralph Lauren.

I have to admit that for a long time I was kind of prejudiced towards Mr. Lauren. My opinion of him and his design was that it was an arch-American kind of countryish style to which I was very skeptical. But I’m not afraid to admit my ignorance, cause boy, was I wrong! Check it out:

Here’s something cool and encouraging for us wannabe’s out and about: Ralph Lauren did not study fashion. His career started when he opened a necktie store, where he could sell his own design as well. And as we all know, the road from sweet little necktie store to fashion empire is quite short (although perhaps just a little steep).

Okay, there is something classical American about the Ralph Lauren style, but I like it. It’s romantic tradition mixed with new ideas, and he mixes the masculine and the feminine in quite a brilliant way. But that’s enough words – more pictures!

And just because this dress is so awesome, and since Mari in particular loves plaid,

Love, Hanna

Dave McKean

Another week is upon us and what better way to begin it than with the wonderful magical work of Dave McKean?

David McKean (1963) is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer and musician. His works include the cover of the Sandman-series, the graphic novel Cages and the animated film MirrorMask. He was also a conceptual artist on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). This man is awesome!

McKean has won several awards and accolades for his work, including a World Fantasy Award, an Alph-Art, a Harvey Awards and a BSFA Award. Yes, this man is truly a genious.

You can find all of his work here: http://www.mckean-art.co.uk/

Enjoy some more pictures:

Love, Elin

Shutter Island

Shutter Island (2010), starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsly and Mark Ruffalo, is about US Marshal Teddy Daniels who arrives at Shutter Island Mental Facility to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. The story is set in 1954 (which means that everyone looks fabulous) and Teddy, a former soldier, is haunted by memories of German concentration camps as well as the ghost of his dead wife. As the investigation unfolds he realizes that there is something not quite right with the information he is given. Due to a storm he finds himself trapped on the island, will he solve the mystery and rid himself of his demons before it is too late?

Shutter Island has an intriguing and exiting story with interesting twists and turns. It also has an ending that can be interpreted in different ways. It is a highly esthetic film as well, with beautiful imagery and style. I would classify it as a drama-thriller; heartbreaking and mysterious at the same time.

This can also be classified as a boyfriend-friendly film, so pop some pop corn and snuggle up on the couch with that significant other and enjoy!

Love, Elin

Tilda Swinton

This week’s hottie is both a brilliant actress and a style icon: Katherine Mathilda “Tilda” Swinton.

 

Not only is Tilda Swinton a highly intelligent woman (with a degree in Social and Political Sciences and two honorary Doctorates), she is also very creative: she acts, models, writes poetry and creates art.

And she won an Oscar for her performance in Michael Clayton.

As a woman incorporating both style, IQ and talent, Tilda is the perfect hottie. Besides, she looks so wonderfully weird.

Love Elin

Psychedelic Sixties

Hey everyone! I’m so sorry that I missed yesterday’s Designer Day – our internet died. I promise you a fantabulous Designer Day next week though.

However, today for Vintage: Psychedelic sixties – crazy patterns, crazy colors. What’s not to love and worship and adore?

The psychedelic sixties were all about the rulebreaking (which we applaud and encourage) in every way from music to fashion. Boundaries were jumped over in literature and art – and thus ensuring greatness that we can still enjoy. Lovely.

Enough talk. It’s picture time.

Now this is what I call a car! I want one… and Janis Joplin really doesn’t need hers anymore…

Fantastically fantastic, don’t you think? Pattern and color – that’s what we need.

Love, Hanna

Fashion Week Update

Have you had the chance to check out Friday’s Pink Tartan show yet? Awesome! I am beyond convinced, and am now more than ready to skip summer and go straight to fall, so I can enjoy these clothes.

A vintagy feel of preppyness with fancy details and patterns, lots of awesome dresses and coats, lots of purple (a Vili Flik must have).

Here’s one of my favorites:

Today, I’m paying special attention to the showings of Diane von Furstenberg. Enjoy fashion week! All the lovely, lovely little photos of the lovely clothes.

Love, Hanna

Splash of Greatness

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum

Let there not be too much talk about blood here, since only necessary differences in level are to be regarded as inevitable; we would therefore direct the reader to television and the movies and the appropriate musicals  and gruesicals; if there is to be something fluid here, let it not be blood. Perhaps attention should merely be drawn to certain color effects: the murdered Totkes was wearing an improvised sheik costume concocted from a rather worn sheet, and the effect of a lot of blood on a lot of white is well known; a pistol is the sure to act almost like a spray gun, and since in this instance the costume was made out of a large square of white cotton, modern painting or stage effects would seem to be more appropriate here than drainage. So be it.

I apologize for the longish quotation, Flikers, but I just think Heinrich Boll has a brilliant style, and I wanted you to have a taste of it. Actually, I want you to have more than a tiny taste – I want you to read the book, this week’s Flik: The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, Or: how Violence Develops and Where it can Lead. Quite a title, yeah? Intrigued? You should be.

This brilliant little novel was written by German author Heinrich Boll and first published in 1974. It’s about the innocent little housekeeper Katharina Blum who incidently falls for a guy wanted by the police (We’ve all been there, haven’t we?). Being involved with this man leads to Katharina Blum being investigated by the police, and suddenly the tabloid media is all over her.

Basically, Boll attacks the tabloid media, and how it in the 1970s Germany worked itself up in a frenzy with lies, and thus destroyed the lives of ordinary, innocent people (Ah, Henry James would so have loved this book). It’s a book of just 140 little pages and it is an amazing and provoking read. It’s absolutely fabulous and if you haven’t read it yet, do it now. Now, I tell you! If you have read it before, read it again. That’s what I’m gonna do.

Love, Hanna

Dr. Strangelove

This week’s film recommendation is Stanley Kubrick’s classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

The film is an amazing black and white war-drama-comedy, starring the incredible Peter Sellers in several roles, including the title character, former Nazi scientist Dr. Strangelove.

Now, even if you have no (or a bad) experience with black and white films, don’t let that stop you! I promise that whatever your film-historical experience is, you will enjoy this one. It is absurd, hilarious and thought-provoking, and the acting, directing and script are all superb. I’m not sure I want to give away too much (as the first time I watched this film I knew very little about it and enjoyed it immensely, I have a strange superstition or something that everyone else should also watch it without knowing too much about it), I just really recommend setting aside an evening to watch this classic. It is one of those rare things you can watch and rewatch indefinitely and get the same wonderful experience every time.

So, instead of telling you the plot, I will simply share the trailer with you

and I’ll leave you with this famous quote from the film:

– Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!

Enjoy!

Love, Mari