That 60s mood you cannot recreate

Yes, there is something about those early-to-mid 60s editorials. Some dewy fresh promise of things to come, an innocence and playful nature that we cannot seem to recreate. What gives this first model that wistful, sad yet powerful look. How does she do it? By the help of the photographer who remains, sadly, unidentified... A lovely editorial from French Elle 1963. Starting with some Dior.

Thought of you as my mountain top

Lovely illustration of Halston by Antonio Lopez which captures the intensity of Halston's gaze. Before Tom Ford's ascent on Gucci in the 90s, there seemed to be little left of the Halston influence on fashion. Of course the man himself died in 1990, but someone once so influential - well you could say that he was the man who made American fashion relevant - it was surprising to see his influence so entirely depleted. Now, in my opinion, the Tom Ford version of Halston does not feature the best of it - that casual, carefree yet preppy look.

This month it is about 27 years ago since Halston was kicked out from the Olympic Towers by the corporate managers. He could no longer design under his own name. In fact, he never did.



Marisa Berenson dressed in Cream of Quorum chiffon at the set of Barry Lyndon. The year after this photo was shot, Tatum O'Neal (at her side) became the youngest ever Academy Award winner.


Angelica Huston in a Yves Saint Laurent fur.


The actress Zouzou la Twisteuse in 1963 in the lap of Greek composer Michaelis Maniatis.

The heart of the 60s

A wonderfully sincere set of looks distinctive of the early 60s.









Jean Shrimpton in Guy Laroche.

1963: A watershed year in fashion photography

1963, the year all these images come from, is in many ways a watershed year in fashion photography. Some of the first more modern looking images come from that year, and not only those produced by the brits. To put it simply, the images and the clothes started to loosen up significantly.

A hyperfocused stare in a beauty ad.


Snejana look-alike in chinchilla scarf by Ben Kahn.



Sweater dress by David Crystal, scarf by Vera.



Clogs galore with the best that Bonwit Teller had to offer from Gus Mayer, Joseph Magnin and Herbert Levine.

And the mist will wrap around us

Holding a candle for love, 1961.


Catherine Deneuve in 1964.


Jean Shrimpton in 1974.


Jean in 1963.

Françoise Hardy is a pre-punk rocker

Looking like a real Ramone, Françoise Hardy was photographed by Helmut Newton in 1963 in a lengthy editorial featuring this photo among others.



A very catty Elizabeth Arden ad from the same magazine (the source of all images in this post). Not sure who the owner of the patrician nose is.


This is Suzy Parker, right? The perfect hour glass figure says so.


Egyptian the 60s way, not a bad combo. I should know who this is, but I don't...


Verushka...

The war of the Add-ons

Queen magazine, of which I only have a few brittle issues, had been around since the mid 1800s. And Harper's Bazaar was of course the first American fashion magazine, but its UK flavor was first published in 1929 (no less). In late 1970, Queen and British Bazaar joined forces to form Harper's and Queen, a fashion and socialite magazine that has been of varying quality over the decades.

In September 2007, the British Bazaar hybrid took the name Harper's Bazaar and is, for convenience sake, referred to as British Bazaar or UK Bazaar in the fashion community. Under the guidance of EIC Lucy Yeomans, the magazine has steadily produced high quality magazines and the March 2010 issue is a respectable 370 oversized pages.

Now, in fact, the standing of British Bazaar has become in just a few short years, on par with that of British Vogue itself. It's almost as if we're back to the stand off of the mid 60s.

The drama? UK Vogue claims that UK Bazaar is helping their ever increasing sales by the help of cheap add-ons.


Grace Coddington, then model, now editrix of American Vogue, shot for the cover in 1962.



Earlier from 1962,


1964 shot by Dormer.


1963 by David Hurn.