Victoria Beckham Beckons

 
Tucked inside my subscription copy of April Vogue was a stand-alone magazine. I caught the words Spring and Vogue but didn't connect the title to Victoria Beckham and/or Target. Loved the shirtdress on the cover. The table of contents features shots of Victoria in a cute little black cap with ears. A figure on the inside cover wears a black dress with a pretty scalloped neckline. But wait a minute— something is off. This is not Victoria; she's definitely a plus-sized model. Scrolling down to info on the cover dress, I see it is $35. What??????? Are we missing a few 00s? Then it hits me. The tasteful black and white bulls eye next to her name signifies this is Victoria Beckham's collaboration with Target, available April 9.

 
News to me! But if I had known, I might have yawned. Target's collaborations have been less than thrilling lately, and Victoria Beckham is not a name that thrills. I've questioned her credentials as a designer. She looks good in everything, though who wouldn't weighing 94 pounds and on the arm of one of the planet's most handsome athletes? She also never smiles.

There is, however, something charming and fun about this collection. There are 200 pieces, ranging in size from XS to 3X, including styles for babies, toddlers and girls in five themed collections:
 

The vibe is playful and fun, with a nod to pop art, swinging London of the Mary Quant era and re-imagined English florals and paisleys.  “It just goes to show how fun the whole collaboration has been. This is about empowering women, empowering young girls, and making everybody feel like the best version of themselves, and having fun at the same time," explained Beckham. She was also inspired by motherhood and doing things with her six-year-old daughter Harper. In fact the many related designs may even bring back mother-daughter dressing.

Harper and Daddy

  
Nothing is over $70 with most pieces in the $20 to $40 range. Some of the collection will only be sold online, though for the first time plus sizes will be available in store. And I predict all of it will sell out soon.

Here are a few of my favorites. The romper may not come home with me, but I applaud its cheeky chic. Fortunately I can wiggle into a child's extra large, so the rain jacket might.

$35

$35

$28

$35

$30

$40

Best of all, there is also a coloring book, a sticker book and this:

How Do You Know When...

... you are a little too obsessed by Fashion? Perhaps that would be today, when I spied this lovely hand-dyed and fringed indigo scarf hanging on a post in a parking lot.

How sad, I thought. Someone has left behind a lovely scarf. And how thoughtful for someone else to have picked it up. I sure hope that person comes back for it...

Then of course I saw this:

 

Something Fishy about "Funny Face"

Mon Dieu!  March Harper's Bazaar has abducted stills from the 1957 film "Funny Face". They've been rejiggered to show off the season's new looks with some (purposely I assume) crude collageing and colorizing. It looks terrible, and what's the point?

Bazaar often mines its trove of Audreyiana. She was a favorite of one-time fashion editor Diana Vreeeland (who later became editor-in-chief of Vogue). Photographer Richard Avedon loved her (and vice versa). Diana loved Richard. And so it goes.

Not long ago Bazaar featured Audrey's granddaughter in photographs by Avedon's grandson. Nice attempt at an homage to the originals at least.

I think they tried too hard on this one. The drawings by Bernard Seindler superimposed on the photos are (purposely I assume) crude collages and colorized overlays. One dress even has paper doll tabs. Tiny photos of shoes, handbags and jewelry are strewn about. The quality of the stills is poor. Unless you were a fan of the movie you won't understand the context.

The film was in glorious Technicolor. All the lobby stills I found, unfortunately, were not.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might say I should lighten up. I might mention that "Funny Face" has been a perfect candy box confection of a treat for 60 years and needs no updates. It also shouldn't be high-jacked in the name of Fashion. Below, evidence that Bazaar may have been extracting their revenge for this:

Dovima and Audrey reading on the set

Ah, Yes, I Remember it Well...

FIORUCCI. The name still thrills with anticipation. The store was on 59th Street and Lexington, half a block from Bloomingdale's. It might be more scenic to shop on Fifth Avenue. Goods on Madison may be more swoon-worthy, but that little pocket of Manhattan was Trend Central. In the late '70s Bloomingdale's was still the It Gal of department stores. She was surrounded by little chain boutiques, cheap shoe stores and Alexander's, a giant discount retailer. North of Bloomingdale's Lexington turned more residential. The famed Barbizon Hotel for Women was at the corner of 64th. But I digress...

Fiorucci landed in New York in 1976. Studio 54. Disco Fever. NYC. While outlandish garb could be found in the Village or lower east side, Fiorucci was different. It was Uptown Gal meets Euro Trash—affordable, bountiful, fun, and it felt like a trip to Europe.

A young Elio Fiorucci

The Fiorucci in Fiorucci was Elio Fiorucci, who founded the chain in 1967 to bring swinging London and American classics to Milan. By the time Fiorucci opened in Manhattan (1976) it was carrying coals to Newcastle— offering disco style to the likes of Andy Warhol and Cher.

Fiorucci can be credited with the globalization of affordable fashion. Elio gathered Afghan coats, Brazilian thongs and Chinese velvet slippers in one place. In addition he pioneered skin tights jeans by putting the stretch in denim. Camouflage prints and leopard anything were always part of the mix. I would not be surprised to learn if the young Madonna were a salesclerk there. Fiorucci surely influenced her style.

The stores were brightly lit and basically all white walls and fixtures. There was so much color, pattern, music and human traffic it was like being inside a kaleidoscope. The graphics— posters, ads, shopping bags— were outstanding and constantly changing.  

As is the case with most of my shopping excursions, I looked often but bought rarely, only after much contemplation. One of my favorite pieces was an ivory crinkle tunic blouse— slightly A-line with a pilgrim collar and wide, long trumpet sleeves. It was extremely impractical for anything like working or eating, but looked great standing there. I wore it to death and only gave it away years later because I figured it was "time". Never a good reason to get rid of anything you love. I miss it still.

Mine was even more impractical

Fiorucci imploded in 1989 due to mismanagement and over-expansion and has been fighting legal battles since while trying many times to re-launch. Janie and Stephen Schaffer, industry pros, bought the brand shortly before Elio's death in 2015.

Today's Fiorucci jeans

The first to be revived again are the infamous stretch jeans ($250), selling at Barney's. A full-range Fiorucci is due to open in London this year, followed by stores in Milan and Los Angeles. Will it fly? By the looks of the fantasy coming down the runways these current Fashion Weeks, I would say we're all ready for a little make believe.

Long may they watch over

Calling Dr. Frankenstein

 

This is what you call a mash-up. My first thought was, "Wow! I like that!" My second: "Why didn't I think of it first?"

I have a camo jacket and a multi-hued (rabbit) fur scarf. Why didn't I put them together? They really don't "go", but together they could go a lot of places. At $1295, as priced by Harvey Faircloth for this, one a lot of your money would go too.

I like to have fun with fashion. I'll sometimes be asked where I get my ideas. Most of the time I'm able to say I just make them up. I may have been influenced by something but never outright copy.  There are women you might think I mimic. Iris Apfel is one. We both have short hair, are petite and like big necklaces (though she has a few more years and necklaces). I'm not unhappy if you think that, but it's just a happy coincidence. Wish Iris and I had met when I lived in New York.

Mr. Faircloth has some other neat ideas for your surplus workwear and spare fur:

Got any?