Wedding Fever

Paula Yates marries Bob Geldof in 1986. Spot the rockers in the wedding party!

My sister, Banana meet-Cute is staying with me from Melbourne and is quite the royalist, so we are preparing for the royal wedding on Friday night. When I say prepare, I mean fully stocked with bubbly (I'm thinking Prosecco) and have requested wedding themed cup-cakes, as she is quite the baker. I'm not really into the royal family, was never interested in Diana (although did watch her wedding in 1982 - only because I was promised Charles & Di chocolates) - but lately I've been caught up in the "Who will Kate wear?" hoopla. My personal fave would be Alexander McQueen, but I'm thinking McQueen may be too edgy. Stella? I have a feeling Kate will accentuate those shoulders and go strapless, bias cut or drop waist in a fairly tailored design - mind you Bruce Oldfield has said that you can't go sleeveless in Westminster Abbey? "'It will have sleeves, it has to have sleeves. You can't walk down Westminster Abbey in a strapless dress. It just wouldn't happen. It has to suit the grandeur of that aisle, it's enormous." Oh well - time will tell! More importantly - who will KATE MOSS be wearing next month? Now that Galliano is vetoed....In the meantime, here are a few of my favourite wedding dresses of all time.

Unmarried Helena Bonham Carter & Tim Burton in a fantasy wedding shot,

from Vivienne Westwood's book 'Vivienne Westwood Opus'



Dita Von Teese marries Marilyn Manson Goth-style in electric violet Vivienne Westwood, 2005 (Milliner Stephen Jones is holding her train).



A classic. Bianca Jagger marries Mick Jagger in a YSL suit. The jacket (and lack of a shirt caused quite the stir back in 1971



Gwen Stefani in Avant Garde, pink dip-dyed Galliano. This dress blew me away, it is so Gwen, and I love the structure and the colour.

Rock star wedding! The inimitable Paula Yates marries Bob Geldof at 26 in a blo0d-red satin dress, a gift from Jasper Conran. I met her when I was working at Harrods - she seemed very shy, very sweet.

Carolyn Besette Kennedy marries JFK Jnr in Narcisco Rodriguez in 1996- a classic in bias cut cool. This was one of my favourites and captured the zeitgeist of 90's minimalism and fitted tailoring.

Carrie Bradshaw in Westwood for the long awaited wedding to Big. If only the makeup and hair was softer though. the red lips & scraped back hair look too harsh.



Another rock star wedding. I love Pearl Lowe. Here she is marrying Danny Goffey with gorgeous Daisy Lowe. look at that cake! Dark chocolate strewn with rose petals, mmm.



Pammy and Tommy get hitched in Cancun in 1995 within days of meeting, after Tommy stalked Pam and followed her to Cancun where she was working on a shoot. I'm sorry but I love that she got hitched in a white bikini - Rock & roll!

Oh, Galliano

A few weeks ago the fashion world was rocked by the shocking anti-Semitic rantings of John Galliano, now former head designer for the House of Dior in France. It is especially sad as being a minority himself as a gay man, you would have hoped Mr Galliano had a more open mind, wherewithal and sensitivity towards people who are persecuted enough already. I agree with the article Isaac posted - while we can celebrate his amazing achievements, justice had to be done - i.e. his dismissal from Dior. Here's the article, from The New Yorker which muses upon Galliano's spectacular fall from grace. Galliano was a close friend to many a celeb, including Kate Moss - and was widely rumored to be designing her wedding dress for her forthcoming nuptials to Jamie Hince from The Kills (other musical half of the divine Alison Mosshart).

Kate & John

I adored soooo many of Galliano's creations. His punk sensibility and wild haute couture flourishes were fashion gold. Here are a few of my favourite Galliano fashion moments:

Gwen Stefani's Wedding Dress, 2002 - to die! One of my faves celeb wedding dresses ever
(including Dita's Westwood)

Some Carrie moments, naturellement! Styled by Patricia Field. The newspaper dress
may in fact be my favorite Carrie outfit ever

Love Courtney circa the 90's and early 00's.This fabulous shredded midnight number is
at the Golden Globes, 2000. One of my fave Gallianos.

Taylor chancels Courtney in 2010 for Galliano's fragrance Parlez moi d'amour
- still a cute punky pic though. Check out the vid here - I do like her voice.

The beautiful Carla Bruni in her hey-day, one of my favourite Supers of the 90's -
and now Mrs Sarkozy. Pic is from 1995

I love Ms Moore. Here she is at the Globes, 2010. I love Demi in this sublime nude, frothy
confection.Well done Rachel Zoe (Demi's long time stylist until she was usurped by her protege,
Brad Goreski in earlier this year - fashion scandal!)

Nicole's Oscars Chartreuse Chinoiserie gown was the talk of the town .
This 1997 moment helped make NK a fashion leader. and remains a red carpet favourite

I preferred this gold Galliano from 2000. Divine.

Riri

Not loving the top but adore the turquoise skirt! However, she should have been wearing these...

I adore Galliano's silk, suede, feather, wood and lambskin Dior heels!

After weeks of speculation, Dior are still zip-lipped about Galliano's replacement, with designers Richard Tischi (Givenchy), Albert Elbaz (Lanvin), Hedi Slimane (ex Dior Homme) and Aussie's Akira Isogawa being bandied about. Time will tell whether anyone has the chops to step into the shoes one of fashion's true greats.

A bit of a frill - Burlesque!

Burlesque first came into my consciousness in the mid 90s when Carmen Electra started performing with the Pussycat Dolls, a troupe who performed a lot at Johnny Depp’s club, The Viper room in LA. I’d see pics in the local rags of Carmen all dolled up in amazing outfits dancing with these amazing looking women call the Pussycat Dolls.
I knew that Burlesque had something to do with 18th century circus/vaudeville acts and involved risqué dance and comedy. Infact, the term dates back to the 15 Century when relating to Chaucer’s bawdy Canterbury Tales (that I had to study at Uni!) Pretty much what we’d call ‘toilet humour’, akin to Benny Hill! Double entendres, women with big boobs, dirty jokes & saucy tales, bordering on the vulgar. In the late 19th Century the Moulin Rouge in Paris became part of some Burlesque Troupes throughout Europe and became popular within music halls and the Vaudeville scene.
Burlesque dancers performed alongside other types of acts including musicians, comedians, trained animals, magicians, female and male impersonators, acrobats and jugglers. Burlesque dancers dressed up in elaborate, over the top outfits and their risqué numbers which involved stripping down to tantalize the audience, but not appear fully nude. Music and lighting is typically saucy and dramatic and props such as fan, feather boas and hats are strategically used as props in the routines. The goal was to tease and titillate, in a showy, artistic manner.

The Great Depression in the US had seen a rise in Burlesque punters who wanted to be entertained, but not have to pay for expensive Broadway shows. Inspired by the Folies Bergère and Moulin Rouge in France, Billy Minsky and his brother Abe opened Minsky’s Burlesque in New York which ran from 1912 to 1937, including the celebrated Gypsy Rose lee. Other Burlesque stars continued to emerge – Fanni Brice, Mae West, Josephine Baker, Sally Rand, Blaze Starr and Lili St. Cyr.

Gypsy Rose Lee (19911-1970)

Natalie Wood as Gypsy Rose Lee
Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975)
Sally Rand (1904 - 1979)
Lili St. Cyr (1918 - 1999)

In the late 90’s and the 2000s, Burlesque had a renaissance. This was largely spearheaded and launched into pop culture by the Pussycat Dolls and Miss Dita Von Teese. The Dolls were founded in 1995 in LA by dancer & choreographer, Robin Antin and her friend, actress Christina Applegate.

The Pussycat Dolls appeared in Charlie’s Angels – Full Throttle in 2003 and in the same year, the singing group The Pussycat Dolls was launched.

Dita Von Teese, aka Heather Renée Sweet began life as a blonde from Michigan. She studied ballet, and found a job at a lingerie store, obsessed with the pretty lacy underwear. She became besotted with 50’s pin-up and fetish model Bettie Page, with her glamorous raven black hair and amazing lingerie. In 1990 at age 18, she started stripping but frustrated at the lack of originality and glamour she found, she who dyed her hair raven black and reincarnated herself as Burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese. Her corsets, stockings, suspenders and beehive proved a huge hit with the punters! Stripping segue-wayed into glamour and fetish modelling and in 1992, she became a Burlesque performer. Dita began dating goth rocker Marilyn Manson in 2001 and they married in 2004, Dita is a stunning ultra violet Vivienne Westwood gown. Her beautiful nuptials and appeared in this stunning editorial shot by Steven Klein in American Vogue in 2004.
She became a fashion icon, known for being able to merge looking sexy, classy and stylish without looking cheap and trashy. She is known for her 50’s style aesthetics and is invited to front row at Fashion Weeks throughout the world, Designers adore her, and women are fascinate by her.

Dita Von Teese by Steven Klein, Vogue Italia 2005

Her Martini Glass routine is world famous, and Cameron Diaz performed a tribute to the routine in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
Dita Von Teese in Agent Provocateur’s Lost Control video,

There is also UK’s answer to Dita, Immodesty Blaize doing her thing. Burlesque seems to be everywhere these days.
Many fashion labels are inspired by Burlesque, most obviously Wheels & Dollbaby, and Agent Provocateur.

Wheels & Dollbaby founder Melanie Greensmith in Australian Harpers Bazaar

My pic Agent Provocateur in Mercer St, Soho, New York

I must say, the Pussycat Dolls lingerie line by La Senza (called Shhh) is very cute!! The release of the new movie Burlesque will bring a renewed fervor into the fashion world. Can't wait to see this! Christina. Stanley Tucci. CHER! Glamorama!

I already have some of OPI's fabulous movie inspired range – 'Ali’s Big Break', an amazing deep iridescent red.
Personally, I’ve always liked a bit of Burlesque in my fashion from time to time - I've long been a Wheels & Dollbaby fan, whose brand combine 50's, Burlesque and a bit of Rockabilly to create beautiful, sexy clothes that stand out from the pack.
Dita is a fan, and has modeled for them - natch!
But there is a fine line between styley cool Burlesque, and falling into tacky & cheap looking. Or worse - mutton dressed as lamb! Eek. There needs to be, as they say on Project Runway, a level of "taste"! I think the right coverage, and tailoring is key – outfits that fit you like a glove and play up your curves. And I still adhere to the old mantra of showing either boobs or a lot of leg – but not both at the same time! Here are a few simple ways to bring Burlesque into your look:

Red lippie is the best and easiest way to add a bit of Burlesque glam to your look. Fair toned skins suits blue-based lippies like cherry or plum. Warmer, olivey complexions suit more brown or orange based reds like coral, or tomato. Dita champions Ruby Woo lippie by MAC.

A strong eye with black liquid liner and 'flicks' a la Dita is a sexy look. Check out my previous Blog here for tips on liquid liners.
A tight pencil skirt with a flash of a black lace bra under a tailored white shirt brings some of that naughty 50's style Varga girl sensibility into your look. Burlesque is all about naughty. Think Joan from Mad Men or the 'Sexy Secretary' look.

Secretary Chic by LoulouBlue

A leopard print accent looks cool - a scarf, bra or a cardy if you are not bold enough to go into a dress or coat!

Frills. And I don't mean shapeless meringue frou frous - more a bit of a frill on a deep neckline tee, shirt, or trim of a pencil skirts. Love the name of this 'Pink Trim Cake Ruffle Scoop Dress).
For more tips, check out Rachel Zoe’s practical advice about bringing a bit of Burlesque to your look!