Not since Scarlett O’Hara upcycled those curtains to make a crazy green velveteen dress have we seen such industrious textile make-overs on the screen.

Yes, Anne Fontaine’s Coco Before Chanel is the quintessential tweed rags-to-riches saga, in which a poor but clever French girl and her sister climb the ladder from the orphanage to the chateau by making great contacts at a tavern where they sang a funny ditty, entitled Coco (hence the nickname for Gabrielle Chanel).

I took away much from Audrey Tautou’s brilliant portrayal of the iconic designer, mainly a …

Tags: Audrey Tautou , Chanel , CoCo , couture , fashion , France , handbags , Octoberfest , Paris , Project Runway , recycle , reduce , reuse , Scarlett O'Hara curtain dress

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My partner in Sixties vintage couture crime, artist Joan Davis, called me the other day and said I had to check out Torso Vintages, an ultra cool used couture outlet in San Francisco’s Union Square.

In town just a few days to pedal her flower-powered paintings, Joan had immediately sensed where to dig up archaeological relics of Pucci and Gucci – the way my pug can sniff a German Shepherd or hamburger a mile away.

I jotted down the name to this source for  shifts and clutches. Sure, there are ample …

Tags: bags , classics , clutches , couture , designer , fashion , Gucci , jewelry , leather , Pucci , retro , Sixties , sunglasses , vintage

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Eco-fashion has come a long way. There are more styles and fabrics to choose from than even this fashionista has time to covet. But The Battalion’s ultra cool and super sexy eco-conscious couture caught me by the bootstraps and hasn’t let go.

Maybe it’s their sophisticated and stylish silhouettes or their use of sustainable and versatile bamboo, organic cotton blends that make The Battalion so irresistible. No matter, their clothes drape and cling in just the right places. They’re form fitted for today’s smart, modern and active woman.

Designers (and sisters) …

Tags: Battalion , bohemian , Chrys Wong , couture , eco fashion , Linda Wong

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There’s “penny pinching” and “getting your money’s worth”, but what happened to “more for your money”? Where went the possibility of making a true investment and feeling secure and confident that yes, you spent your money well?

In these trying, financially frenzied times, the possibility of more of anything is very rare indeed. That’s why UK-based Vintage Academe is so significant. It’s much, much more than a fancy internet shop.

It all began last November 24th when the website launched with little more than a vintage frock or two …

Tags: couture , designer , fashion , shopping , Vintage Academe

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