VFG Makes Top 10

CGBlog has named the Vintage Fashion Guild Blog in their Top 100 Fashion Blogs List! In addition, two of our members blogs - Vintage Style Files and Lizzie's Vintage Travel Journal were featured in the top ten of the Vintage and Thrift category! The CG Blog Top 100 Fashion Blogs List is a definite one for the bookmarks with a plethora of interesting and relevant blogs. Enjoy!

Vintage Chic in Des Moines

A congratulations goes out to VFG Member dorotheascloset for her magazine feature debut in Core Magazine which covers Des Moines lifestyle and culture.

View the beautiful layout of City Runway Vintage Chic with all items from Dorothea's Closet!

Coco Goes Eco

A bicycle built for who?

"As the debate on global warming rages, Chanel has chosen a timely launch for its newest covetable accessory: an ergonomically designed, eight-speed bicycle. The bike has been created as part of Chanel's spring/summer 2008 offering to celebrate the heritage of the house, which is steeped in Coco Chanel's love of sport."

"...next season's hand-finished Chanel bike, which is accented with the house's signature quilted leather and double-C logo. Add it to your Christmas list now (and start being very good indeed) - it will be available in Chanel boutiques from December."

Vera vs. Vera

Thanks to VFG member and author Claire Shaeffer for pointing out this interesting article to us today.

Designers Wang, Neumann in trademark fight over 'Vera' name

By EMILY FREDRIX
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(Original publication: October 17, 2007)

MILWAUKEE - Understated versus bold. Contemporary versus vintage. Composed versus carefree. These are forces at odds in a trademark fight over the use of the name "Vera."

At stake are millions of dollars and the branding of two fashion icons, modern urban designer Vera Wang and the late Vera Neumann, whose bright, floral scarves were favored by such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s and '60s.

Wang is suing The Vera Company, which owns the rights to Neumann's trademarks and designs and is relaunching the Vera Neumann brand.

The lawsuit seeks to protect pending trademarks for Wang's new line of clothing at Kohl's department stores, called "Simply Vera Vera Wang" but commonly referred to as "Simply Vera."

Wang's lawyers want a judge to rule the phrase does not interfere with the stylized, black "Vera" trademark held by The Vera Company. They want that mark canceled, saying it has not been used enough, and they want to bar The Vera Company from objecting to Wang's trademark applications.

The case was filed in January, well before the launch of Wang's line at Kohl's stores last month. It is set for a federal jury trial in New York starting Dec. 10.

The Vera Company has countersued, saying the phrase "Simply Vera" could confuse shoppers as the Neumann brand relaunches at boutiques and department stores across the country. They don't object, they say, when Wang's last name is included.

The Vera Company added Kohl's to the suit and estimates damages could exceed $20 million if Wang and Kohl's use the names, according to court filings. Kohl's Corp. is based in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

Wang holds a trademark to a simple form of "Vera," which her company applied for in 2004 and has not yet used, according to records from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. An earlier attempt by Wang's lawyers to trademark "Very Vera Vera Wang" was abandoned in July, according to records.

Neumann was known professionally as "Vera" since she started her business in the 1940s. Her designs were in 1,700 stores by 1977, when sales hit $100 million. She died in 1993 at the age of 84.

"They're trying to eliminate this Vera from history so that Vera Wang can be known as 'Vera,' " said Susan Seid, who bought the rights to Neumann's designs in 2005 and formed The Vera Company, based in Atlanta.

Wang's company in New York has not returned messages seeking comment. A lawyer representing the company, Beth Goldman, said she would not comment on pending litigation. Kohl's spokeswoman Vicki Shamion also declined to comment.

The terms of Wang's deal with Kohl's, announced in August 2006, have not been disclosed. But Wang's lawyers wrote in court papers that Wang and Kohl's have invested substantially in developing the names and products. Kohl's has not said what it expects the line's sales to be, and analysts haven't said either. But total sales at Kohl's last year were $15.5 billion.

If The Vera Company wins, it will ask that all uses of the Vera Wang trademarks in question be removed immediately from Kohl's stores and relabeled, said Rob Frohwein, a lawyer representing the company.

Kohl's President Kevin Mansell said in a recent interview that the line of jewelry, clothing, shoes and home linens has attracted new shoppers and is selling out of some products. He cited handbags and apparel, including shoes, as top sellers for the retailer, which has about 900 stores nationwide.

Seid said she respects Wang but doesn't want her using the name "Vera" by itself, because it would impede her efforts to rebuild Neumann's brand. Some of Neumann's scarves and apparel are now available in more than 120 stores, including some Bloomingdale's branches.

Her signature silk scarves retail for about $78, while cashmere wraps sell for $300. All bear a tag that reads "Vera" in a dark script with a ladybug, also one of her signatures. The Vera Company will have sales of up to $4 million this year, Seid said. That could double next year with the introduction of new products and more distribution, she said.

The two Veras were and are influential, but they couldn't be more opposite, said Pamela Klein, chairwoman of the associate in fashion studies program at Parsons the New School for Design in New York.

Wang uses purples, tans and grays and has feminine, elegant clothing, she said, while Neumann's bright scarves were more carefree, and spoke to the colorful opportunities of life in the 1950s.

"Imagine people sitting on a patio drinking gin and tonics and loud music and palm trees and laughing with Vera Neumann," Klein said. "And Vera Wang, you're drinking martinis in a very elegant, quiet way."

Klein said Neumann's "Vera scarves" are known to women who were born before the 1960s. She added she never thinks of Vera Wang as "Vera" but always with her first and last name.

"This is an icon. This is eviscerating an icon, taking her out of the history books," Seid said. "This is putting this company out of business, for no reason. This is all over one word."

Check out some 'original' Vera vintage ladybug signature scarves - like this pink orange and purple geometric 60's print one from Morning Glorious Collectibles (pictured).

Or Vera signature linens - like this super cute red linen kitchen towel printed with adorable kittens from Posh Pig Vintage.

And also, be sure to read fuzzylizzie.com's blog post on the Vera vs. Vera issue here.

Ralph Lauren - 40 Year Anniversary

Ralph Lauren marks 40 years in fashion

Sun Sep 9, 2007 1:27AM EDT

By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Designer Ralph Lauren, who has helped create a classic American style, celebrated 40 years in fashion on Saturday with a collection of his trademark looks that have made him one of the industry's most successful and influential figures.

His elegant show in Manhattan's Central Park, complete with champagne and caviar for guests, evoked images of "My Fair Lady" and an afternoon at Britain's Ascot Racecourse, with models wearing designs from racing silks and jodhpurs to floral party dresses and silk tuxedos.

The 67-year-old Lauren, who was born Ralph Lifshitz in New York and began selling neckties in 1967, has long fused traditional equestrian style with influences from the American West, society tea parties, old school plaids, the yachting set and the comfort of tweeds and cable-knit sweaters.

His mesh shirt with the polo player logo is a staple in many wardrobes, and Lauren has marketed lines of clothing, home decor and furnishings to appeal to the affluent and those who want to look that way. Lauren is chairman and chief executive officer of Polo Ralph Lauren.

"He's the leader. His imprimatur is on everything that he wants it to be," said Stan Herman, former head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

"You just know it's Ralph, and how few designers can do that. His 40 years in fashion have definitely changed the way people think about a fashion designer," Herman said.

In Saturday's show, models sported riding coats and fitted, high-necked jackets in cream and black or in bright pink and emerald racing silks.

Glittery jodhpurs were paired with beaded vests. Models in jaunty houndstooth jackets and pants wore silk jockey caps, top hats, bowlers or wide-brimmed straw hats with fanciful feathers by milliner Philip Treacy.

Evening gowns were slender, trimmed with flounces at the hem, puffed sleeves and large double-ruff collars. In the final of the 72 looks -- twice as many as are typically found at a New York fashion show -- Lauren's model wore slinky, silver chain beaded floor-length gown with an open back.

Ralph Lauren celebrates 40 years with early century elegance

Ralph Lauren: 40 Years In The Biz

September 4, 2007

Valentino to Quit as Fashion Designer

By SUZY MENKES

LONDON
In a dramatic gesture on the eve of the international fashion collections, Valentino, with his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, announced Tuesday that both would resign from the Valentino company in early 2008.
The news ended speculation that has buzzed around the fashion house since a star-studded gala in Rome in July celebrating the iconic Italian couturier's 45 years in the business.
Valentino, 75, said he would leave the company he founded with Giammetti in the early 1960s after his ready-to-wear show in Paris in October and his couture collection next January.

Valentino and Giametti at Valentino headquarters in Paris

Calling the anniversary celebrations "a moment of infinite magic and tremendous joy," Valentino said that this seemed "the perfect moment to say adieu to the world of fashion."
"My future will be filled with new interests and challenges," he said in a statement. "Some may be linked to fashion, as I have a strong desire to create and support institutions to promote the study of fashion design, and to preserve the history of the art of fashion."
In a briefer statement that underscored his role as Valentino's facilitator, Giammetti said: "I feel honored and infinitely grateful to have been working with such a powerful creative force in the making of a prestigious international brand."
That brand has been controlled since earlier this year by Permira, the private equity group based in London. Permira is in the process of completing the €2.6 billion, or $3.5 billion, buyout - which includes the more lucrative Hugo Boss brand - from the Marzotto Group, which bought it in 2002.
Although Valentino had repeatedly declined to comment on his presumed departure, it was generally assumed that Permira would look for younger talent, perhaps with Valentino as a consultant.
The fact the announcement was not made jointly with Permira suggested that there could have been some conflict. But it could equally be because no successor has yet been found. Permira had no immediate comment.
Speculation has recently centered on Alessandra Facchinetti, 35, an Italian former designer at Gucci, and on the design duo behind the American label Proenza Schouler. The Valentino Fashion Group took a 45 percent stake in that company in July, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, both 29, who are behind Proenza Schouler, appear to be waiting in the wings.
Valentino Garavani, who was trained in Paris, ultimately rose to the dizzying heights of Italian haute couture and has become a fashion legend.
He dressed the famous, from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Sophia Loren, and a slew of young European and Hollywood stars. It was Marzotto, however, that made the company, known for its red ink as well as the red carpet, profitable.
The Valentino group is just the latest among brands searching for new blood as famous designers reach their 70s and beyond. Yves Saint Laurent made his high-profile exit in 2002 and the current YSL designer, the Italian Stefano Pilati, has also been suggested as a possible replacement for Valentino.
Private equity investment in branded companies is currently the height of fashion. The British shoe maker Jimmy Choo, Samsonite and the American sportswear designer Betsy Johnson are prime examples of fashion brands bought by private equity firms.
Although Prada is supposedly considering finally going ahead with its much-delayed initial public offering, and Ferragamo has announced that it plans to go public next year, investors are currently offering such big numbers that they may ultimately be more attractive to family-owned brands than going to the market.

Zandra Returns

The 1970s fashion diva Zandra Rhodes is back

By Ruth La Ferla

Monday, August 20, 2007

NEW YORK: When she breezed into Manhattan last week, Zandra Rhodes had shed some elements of her operatic style. Her fuchsia hair, which she tends to wear upswept in a chopstick-anchored bun, was straight and fastidiously groomed. Her eyebrows, crazy semaphores that she sometimes pencils in like arrows, were conventionally shaped. And her eye shadow, which she applies in a rainbow-colored medley, was confined to two or three tints of blue. "The first thing I said to her," recalled Ed Burstell, an executive at Bergdorf Goodman, where Rhodes had paid a sales call, "was, 'Zandra, you've calmed it down.' "

If so, it is just as well. At 66, Rhodes, the doyenne of British haute punk, has surfaced in yet another incarnation - not a tame one for sure, but surprisingly accessible. A style-world rara avis as famous for her personal eccentricity as for the clashing colors and vividly exotic prints she has shown on the runway since the 1970s, she is emerging as a commercial force, with several new projects in the works.

Rhodes is aware of the irony, having once confided, "Whenever I've tried to make myself a bit more mass, it never worked." Now it seems she has reversed herself. She has introduced a flamboyant makeup collection for M.A.C., furs for Pologeorgis and a jewelry line. In New York last week she fluttered about in a squiggle-patterned jumpsuit with butterfly sleeves, a look from her spring collection for Topshop, the fast-fashion chain based in London. She was here to talk up her latest venture: a line of lambskin handbags patterned with her exuberant prints.

They represent a distillation of Rhodes's design identity, a zany fusion of the ethereal and the raw. Her chiffons have unfinished seams. They are typically embellished with motifs inspired by Native American, Egyptian or Chinese culture. Some are incongruously festooned with chains. Safety pins, a hallmark of her punk collection of the late '70s, have resurfaced on her bags, a brash emblem of Rhodesian chic.

Rhodes is the first to acknowledge that she is riding the crest of "a Zandra moment."

Her vintage designs - origami-folded coats and elaborately layered caftans that fetch $1,200 to $6,000 - are catnip to collectors, and have turned up at red-carpet events on personalities as disparate as Helen Mirren and Kate Moss.

In recent seasons, interpretations of Rhodes' prints have surfaced on the runways of Dior, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Fendi. This month interpretations of her looks found their way into Fashion Rocks, the fashion and music magazine from the publishers of Vogue.

"Someone congratulated me," she said diffidently, "but those clothes weren't mine."

Seeing her designs routinely knocked off appears not to faze her.

"I quite like people talking to me and saying, 'Your look is coming round again,' " she declared, her working-class accent intact. "It's like the Beatles coming round again."

In an era of pallid conformity, her periodic resurrections seem to feed a gnawing hunger. "Her influence returns in cycles, but when it comes back, its essence comes back clearly," said Burstell, who commissioned a collection of zestfully patterned shawls and patchwork designs for Bergdorf. "It's original. It had a clear identity from the start."

Cesar Padilla, an owner of Cherry, an influential vintage clothing boutique in New York, carries a selection of her designs. "In America she is still a bit under the radar," Padilla said. "But in the fashion crowd, even the youngest people know what she's about."

For all her resurgent popularity, Rhodes has not lounged on the sideline, letting others cash in on her past hits. A gypsy in more ways than one, she shuttles between her studio and home near San Diego (she lives with Salah Hassanein, a retired Warner Brothers executive) and London, where she also has an apartment and work space. Last year she showed a runway collection, her first in 20 years.

In 2003 she opened the Fashion and Textile Museum, a hot-pink and orange rectangle in South London that houses her archive as well as the works of her own fashion heroes, including Giorgio Armani, Issey Miyake and Thierry Mugler, and those of influential textile designers.

"The textile people never seem to get enough credit," said Rhodes, who began her career designing fabrics. Today the museum, disparaged at first as a vanity project, is part of Newham College of Further Education, housing textile and fashion designs from the 1950s onward.

In New York she still turns heads. "Looking at me, people think, 'Oh, she must be somebody.' " They do, indeed, sometimes addressing her as Ms. Johnson (as in Betsey) or Ms. Westwood (as in Vivienne), madcaps who have likewise sustained famously long-running careers. "I don't correct them," she said with a shrug.

Her own trajectory, which peaked in the mid-'80s, hit something of a low point in 2000, when Rhodes was issued a standing-room ticket to a Matthew Williamson fashion show. Even the ticket-taker, a fellow Londoner, did not recognize her.

But then, Rhodes has never lived for the spotlight, having mostly sidestepped the London club scene of her high-profile contemporaries, designers like Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell. "I tended to end up working," she said.

She rises before dawn to send faxes around the world, then withdraws to her studio. Her stringent work ethic leaves little room for frivolity. She has said she sleeps in her makeup, because, "to put it on every day would simply take too much time." Her nails, lacquered in a searing pink, were peeling at the edges.

"When I'm busy I find they get chipped," she said. "But I'm learning to move my hands quickly, so you won't see."

Shop for original Zandra Rhodes designs with VFG members Couture Allure's 80's silvery purple print velvet dress and Vintage-a-Peel's gorgeous and rare early piece dress from 1971 (pictured).

And of course you can read more on the designer on the VFG Label Resource.

Vintage Clothing Scam

Now it's really sad that something like this exists but it shows that it's important to buy from reputable dealers in every aspect of shopping.



The Vintage Fashion Guild is an excellent place to start to educate yourself on buying vintage and the forums are a wonderful place to learn and discuss vintage. Not to mention the sellers are held to the highest standards so you can be sure to trust the quality and authenticity of the members shops.

YSL Hospitalized

Yves Saint Laurent hospitalised

Thu Jul 12 2007

Laurent is widely regarded as the godfather of the ready-to-wear collection and in 1966 introduced le smoking, his legendary smoking suit, which became a symbol of the growing empowerment of women

Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent is convalescing at the American Hospital in Paris after suffering acute health problems.

Pierre Bergé, the couturier's partner, said Laurent was "not doing well" and that he was beset with respiratory trouble. Saint Laurent also is having difficulty walking.

Laurent, who began his career at Christian Dior is widely regarded as the godfather of the ready-to-wear collection and in 1966 introduced le smoking, his legendary smoking suit, which became a symbol for the growing empowerment of women.

The designer bowed out from the world of fashion in 2002 because he was disillusioned with the state of the industry which had become ruled more by commercial gain than art.

He said: "I have nothing in common with this new world of fashion, which has been reduced to mere window-dressing. Elegance and beauty have been banished."

Gianfranco Ferre

Fashion designer Gianfranco Ferre dies at age 62
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MILAN, Italy -- Gianfranco Ferre, the Italian designer known as the "architect of fashion" for his structured, sculpted shapes and for his groundbreaking tenure at Christian Dior, died Sunday, a hospital said. He was 62.

Ferre was taken to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan on Friday after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. The hospital, in a statement authorized by Ferre's family, said he died Sunday night.

Ferre started his career as an accessories and jewelry designer, and then moved on to clothes. His unofficial title as Italy's architect of fashion came thanks to the degree in architecture he obtained in 1969 from Milan's Polytechnic Institute that inspired his designs.

He started his own company in the mid-1970s, but his major leap came in 1989, when he was tapped by Bernard Arnault to be the top designer for Christian Dior. At the time, it was almost unheard of for a non-French designer to lead the venerable Parisian house.

Ferre stayed on at Dior until the fall of 1996, when he returned to Milan to tend to his
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own men's and women's collections.

Ferre's style was based on simple and structured lines, and the white blouse became one of his trademarks. His suits were used by businesswomen around the world looking for a sophisticated look.

For the evening, Ferre often made important dresses with ample skirts supported by layers of crinolines.

In 2002, Ferre sold Gianfranco Ferre to It Holding, but he stayed on as creative director. His spring-summer 2008 menswear collection is scheduled to be presented next week in Milan.

Born Aug. 15, 1944 in Legnano, in northern Italy, Ferre worked and lived in India for several years. His passion for travel and world cultures was often reflected in his collections.

He is survived by a brother and sister-in-law.

Read the VFG Labels bio on Gianfranco Ferre here.

Prints, Please

70's City-scape print dress from fast_eddies_retro_rags
In the mood for some funky prints? Seems everyone is! Prints are a hot trend this year.

After a very dark fall season, prints are making a comeback in a big way. Three you'll see this upcoming season are: 70s style, animal and floral. Rebecca Taylor is known for her “cool girl” designs and this season was no exception. I love her printed top and 70s style jean. And there is nothing sexier than an animal print done right.

Florals range this season from 60s mod to sophisticated and refined. All of these prints are appropriate for any age group. What's important is that the print should match the stature of the woman. Very petite woman will look dwarfed by an oversized print and woman with a bigger frame can dwarf a print if it's too small or cutesy. Look for styles that play up the shape of your body to use prints to their best advantage.

Also, if prints scare you, start small. Do a printed accessory like a scarf or a shoe or bag and slowly work in separate pieces first, like a blouse or skirt and then take the plunge into dresses or printed coats. Read the rest of the msn.com article here.

The VFG has also called out Prints as a super hot trend in vintage this year. Vintage Inspirations focused on prints both charming & valiant for Spring.

And over on the VFG Forums - pinky-a-gogo asked posters to show their favorites. Come by and show us yours or oogle the goodies featured (like this pictured stunner by Alfred Shaheen from pinky-a-gogo).

The Rage for Page

 New store caters to the rage for Page BY SARA CURETON A pinup legend's first-ever official boutique, Bettie Page Las Vegas, has made a home in the newly renamed Miracle Mile mall, inside the Aladdin Casino & Resort. The store caters to vintage-fashion and fine-art appetites alike. Fifties fashion on the sales rack acts as a mere sidekick to the decor: The boutique also serves as an exclusive gallery of paintings by renowned pinup artist Olivia DeBerardinis, who has painted Bettie Page since 1977. "I belong in Vegas," DeBerardinis said. Her Bettie-inspired paintings, popularized by monthly publication in Playboy magazine, were a natural addition, she opines. "The boutique stands out. It has an exotic-ness to it." Tatyana Khomyakova is co-owner, general manager, and lead designer of the dress and lingerie line of Bettie Page clothing inside the first Bettie Page boutique, located in the newly renamed Miracle Mile mall. "I was a model all my life but I never designed," Khomyakova said. "Now I am older, some things you don't have to 'learn,' it just comes from the heart." Since the doors opened last month, sales have far surpassed the mall's average. "It's one of the few stores that has fashion and art, and both are doing extremely well," said co-owner Jan Glaser. Due to the ongoing popularity of Bettie Page's style, there is no shortage of good help, she adds. "It's the easiest job in the world to hire for," Glaser said. "The people that work here want to be here."

The boutique owes success to a cultural icon who seems to become more popular with time. Each generation yields fans of Bettie Page style, from her blunt bangs to the big belts. The continuing fascination with Page recently yielded a Hollywood biopic, too: 2005's "The Notorious Bettie Page." "She is famous but she is also kind of mysterious," Khomyakova said, summarizing the Page mystique. "She is an angel and she is a little evil. It's appealing." scureton@lvbusiness.com | 871-3298 x394

Vintage Trends In Poland

Second-hand clothes fly off Polish shelves Vintage clothing, or used designer garments, is currently experiencing a revival in Poland The word 'vintage' is originally derived from wine terminology, referring to the year in which a wine was bottled and thus its quality in age. Vintage fashion itself came from America. 'Great finds and great prices in eighties New York meant that second-hand clothes were really in demand from Europe. You could buy a pair of linen pants for 20 dollars, and a lamp from the fifties for ten dollars,' reported Polish author and artist Hanna Bakula in a 1999 issue of Playboy. Second hand rebirth Polish shops are currently undergoing a rebirth. The huge popularity of nineties second-hand clothing was down to affordable prices rather than the quality of the clothing. In today's metropoles, you can find second-hand shops on almost every street corner. Customers silently vie amongst each other to grab the hottest bargains and coolest original items. And it's not only hoardes of women – crowds of men of all ages are in on the action too. 'Every generation of my family buys from second-hand clothes shops,' says 75-year-old Barbara. 'The clothes are cool and have a bit of soul, even those from the highest racks,' adds Anne, an imaginatively-attired art academy student. Despite the huge popularity of second-hand shops, most people prefer to keep their distance. Some even go so far as to find the idea disgusting. 'I don't shop in second-hand places myself, because I think they smell funny and the things are too old!' says English teacher Radek. 'But I wear things that my mum has bought me from there. Sometimes the quality is good and the garments don't look so bad.' Steep rents, big chains Used clothing is a lucrative business, but only providing the shop is in a great location, or if the owner has more shops. 'Unfortunately my business made me bankrupt,' complains 50-year-old Urszula. 'The rent was incredibly steep and the location wasn't so appealing for people on the street to come in. Big business have it so much easier. They can afford to buy more things and change their clothing range often.' Small-time businesses usually buy their used clothing in bigger stores, where the prices range from 5 to 100 Polish Zloty for one kilo or item, whatever its quality, condition, label or country of manufacture. Most of these big fish own their own businesses too, so that they are free to change the place of sale. This tends to put pressure on small companies. But not everyone is able to import clothes from western Europe or America to Poland due to special sanitation restrictions. For example, most shopowners have to put up signs warning that their items have been sterilised to avoid landing fines. Supporting documents are also usually a requirement. 'Sew' original The second-hand boom is also taking place in other post-Communist countries. 'I like second-hand shops not only for their economic value, but also because of their atmosphere,' says Judit Jaradi, cafebabel.com's Budapest correspondent. 'You can find excellent quality items which you wouldn't necessarily find in other trendy designer stores. I usually get my sewing machine out to make the clothes even more original.' However it's not the case for newest EU members Romania, one of the most important European textile producers, and Bulgaria, where second-hand clothes were in fashion five years ago. They get even cheaper clothes imported from Asia and Turkey. Vintage in your own four walls Fans of typical second-hand shops can also visit online sites from the comfort of their armchairs, such as the Polish site www.glam.pl. 'I've been wearing second-hand clothes from Poland and abroad for years,' says founder Joanna Draus. 'I think it's one of the best ways to dress originally without having to fork out a shedload.' Online second-hand shopping is also a fantastic way for people who don't want to compromise their originality but who otherwise have no time to browse the shopfloors themselves. 'My customers are mostly women who either work a lot or have children, and simply don't find the time to hunt for bargains.' Be it low prices, originality or the chance to find hidden designer treasures, vintage clothing still has a place in the fashion market. Inga Pietrusińska - Warsaw - 12.4.2007 | Translation : Nabeelah Shabbir

She's a Betty

VFG ♥'s She's a Betty!

She's A Betty is a blog magazine for women. We focus on vintage & DIY fashion, indie & budget style.

The site is an awesome daily dish on what's cool for the lovers of vintage style. They find the coolest stuff and bring it all wrapped up neatly in a simple post so you don't even have to do the hunting. Consistently reliable and with the best taste, She's a Betty is a bookmark must!

Goodwill Girls

America's Next Top Model Cycle 8 started last night and it was refreshing to see vintage clothing incorporated into the show. The 13 models were given a mere three minutes to put together an outfit at the Los Angeles Goodwill's Los Feliz store and then pop right out to model it on the runway for charity. I kind of wish they would have given them a little more time so that their choices would have been that much more interesting. The 80's looks were definitely prevalent in the runway with the winner Jael Strauss (left) sporting the look the best and winning the challenge. So who was your favorite? Bid to Add Fashions From Reality Show's Season Premiere to Your Wardrobe LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 01, 2007 -- Calling all fans of "America's Next Top Model": Items from the show's February 28 season premiere are now for sale on shopgoodwill.com. For five days only you can purchase clothing and accessories from one of America's most popular reality shows on Goodwill's Internet auction site. The auction will run from March 1-5. Proceeds will help fund job training programs offered by Goodwill Industries of Southern California (Los Angeles). "Your purchases on shopgoodwill.com bring hope to people who want to work and support their families," says George W. Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues into job training and career programs for people with disabilities, welfare recipients, dislocated workers and others looking for jobs. "America's Next Top Model" filmed its season premiere at the Los Angeles Goodwill's popular Los Feliz store. Fans who tuned into the season premiere saw the models use their creative talents to put together outfits that would turn heads on the catwalk. Beginning today, they can log on to shopgoodwill.com to bid on the very items modeled in the episode. The show's producers donated the clothing and accessories to help Goodwill earn additional funds for its programs, and give fans the chance to make the reality show even more 'real' by adding the items to their personal wardrobes. "We are grateful to The CW and 'America's Next Top Model' for their generosity," says Kessinger. "Viewers of the show will see the models demonstrate the fabulous fashion potential of the finds at Goodwill stores, and shoppers at our stores and online auction site help build the potential of people who want to go to work." Since its launch in 1999, shopgoodwill.com -- the nation's first and only Internet auction site created, owned and operated by a nonprofit organization -- has earned more than $38 million for Goodwill programs in the United States and Canada. Some 17,000 items, selected from the millions of pounds of goods donated to the organization each year, are for sale on the site at any given time.

Anyone Care to Help a Disinherited Heiress Out?

Thanks to VFG member cosmiccowgirl for letting us in on this once in a lifetime (at least we hope for Tori's sake) celebrity yard sale!

Tori Spelling is holding a “Dazzling Estate Sale” at her home this Saturday and Sunday. Here’s the details in case you want to own a pair of Donna Martin’s panties:

Tori invites you into her house to shop her dazzling valley home, jewelry & closets contents sale. This represents much of her last 15 years of buying & collecting. Included are antique & vintage items from the 19th, 20th, & 21st centuries! French, Italian, Continental, American white wicker, shabby chic, and traditional furniture, crystal chandeliers & sconces, pictures & paintings, lamps, vanity, Tori’s personal jewelry, bric-a-brac, memorabilia, garden & patio, designer & casual clothes, shoes, accessories, photos, etc.

Friday & Saturday, December 8th & 9th — 9AM to 5PM
Monday, December 11th — 9AM to 5PM
Monday is sales & pick-up day

11369 Dona Lisa Dr., Studio City 91604
Off of Laurel Canyon and Dona Pegita Dr.
Thomas Guide: 562-J7

We expect crowds and a long line.
Parking is good but expect to walk.

Definitely Not Your Parents' Auction

Definitely not your parents' auction Vintage items from Chanel and Dior to Versace and Vuitton for younger buyers Sep. 25, 2006. 11:37 AM RITA ZEKAS Matt Damon auctioned off himself, Brad Pitt and George Clooney for charity during the One X One gala at the recent Toronto International Film Festival. One lucky woman gets to walk up the red carpet for Ocean's Thirteen with the trio but she doesn't get to take them home. Auctions aren't normally associated with such glitz. They are the bastions of the blue-rinse set, inevitably conjuring up visions of a staid old wrinkly gent in bespoke suit sitting grandly in the back bidding gazillions for some important piece of artwork for collectors like the late Ken Thomson. Ritchies Auctioneers is determined to change all that, starting tonight. This is not your parents' auction. Ritchies is aiming for a younger demographic, 29 to 45, buyers with strong heartbeats. They are lowering prices to under $5,000 and offering auction items that don't reek of Miss Havisham. For the first time, Ritchies has long-limbed, lissome young models in its showroom. They are so young, their idea of vintage is '90s, yet they will be modelling vintage frocks from the Paper Bag Princess at Ritchies' inaugural Vintage Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories auction this evening. The auction features more that 180 lots. The clothes span from the '20s to the '90s, ranging from '20s flapper dresses to a Gianni Versace sleeveless blouse printed with Andy Warhol's iconic Marilyn Monroe. There are scads of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent and a smattering of Adrian (the Hollywood costume designer who worked with Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow and was responsible for Joan Crawford's huge shoulder pads) and even some Norma Kamali. The price points aren't prohibitive. The estimated price for the Versace Warhol blouse is $75 to $150. A white sheared beaver coat is listed between $300 and $400 but a Versace couture cocktail dress is estimated to go for between $800 and $1,000. The jewellery is impressive: everything from the family rhinestones ($100 to $150) to a rare Schiaparelli-style Bakelite and celluloid necklace in the form of a cluster of grapes that is expected to fetch more than $1,000. Elizabeth Mason, owner of the Paper Bag Princess, was hooked on vintage from her early teens. Her first score was a Lanvin dress. Read the rest here.

Viva Vivienne

Nine West, in partnership with Macy's and Vogue will deliver three distinct limited edition capsule collections designed by fashion innovators Vivienne Westwood, Thakoon and Sophia Kokosalaki beginning this month. The Vivienne Westwood collection has already debuted.

These collaborations add a new, exciting element to the Nine West brand. The exclusive lines bring high-end designer fashion to the public at a more affordable cost. The designers were also given full creative control over their collection, which are comprised of eleven pieces each including shoes, handbags and ready-to-wear accessories.

"Many American celebrities wear Vivienne Westwood clothes, and while the name is well known in the States, few American women have had access to the clothes or accessories," Westwood explains. "Teaming up with Nine West gives the opportunity to many more American women to discover what it feels like to wear Vivienne Westwood."

Vivienne Westwood Vintage Fashion Guild Label Resource bio contributed by founding member Lizzie of fuzzylizzie.com:

(1941) Vivienne Westwood partnered with Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols, in 1969 to open their first shop, "Let It Rock," in London's Kings Road. Through the 1970s, their shop went through a number of name changes, but the focus was always on street culture, and as such was on the forefront of the punk movement. In 1974, their shop was called "Sex," and in 1976, "Seditonaries." By this time the punk movement was in full force, and although Westwood's designs were quite shocking, many of her ideas filtered down to mainstream fashion.

In 1981, Westwood began a new phase of her career. Her store was renamed World's End, a name it retains to this day. She had become increasingly interested in historical dress, and her first attempt at redefining an historical culture came with her acclaimed Pirate collection. This was followed by Savages, Hoboes and Witches. In 1985, she explored the Victorian crinoline in her Mini-Crini collection, and two years later she explored traditional British tailoring in Harris Tweed.

This interest in traditional British themes led her to the Anglomania collection of 1993, which included designs using a tartan that she designed. In the same year, the Red label was started as a younger, sassier version of her gold label. Today, Westwood continues to create clothes that are sexy, inventive and fresh.

You can also check out Ms. Westwood's current exhibit going on now through September 24, 2006 at TCDC - Thailand Creative & Design Center. The TCDC, in collaboration with London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, is organizing the “Vivienne Westwood” exhibition featuring the retrospective of Vivienne Westwood, one of the most influential fashion designers of the last 30 years.

Vintage Inspirations

The Fall 2006 issue of Vintage Inspirations is hot off the presses!

Compiled by Carolyn Schreiber aka bigchief173, this seasons installment focuses on cropped jackets, plaid, capes and oversized purses.

Items like this superb 60's Pauline Trigere silk gown from Memphis Vintage fit in perfectly with today's latest styles without looking like everyone else. You can be trendy and unique with vintage and that's what Vintage Inspirations showcases every season.

Eye Candy

Eye-popping colors for Spring are the trend this year. Pop-art inspired colors and shapes gracing skirts, sandals and dresses. Vintage clothing from the Mod era will mix and match with today's trends for a stylish but still unique look! For inspiration, check out designer Ralph Lauren's daughter's Dylan's Candy Shop.

New York socialite Dylan Lauren has successfully managed to transform candy into a chic lifestyle product with her Upper East Side landmark treatery, Dylan's Candy Bar. As the daughter of famed fashion designer, Ralph Lauren, Dylan grew up observing her father's flare for fashion and his business savvy, but opted not to go into the family business. She does, however, continue to incorporate style and fashion into the décor of Dylan's Candy Bar. Windows are dressed with the latest colors of the season, creating an ever expanding line of candy-inspired apparel and accessories, with detailing that looks good enough to eat. The Duke University graduate who majored in Art History has combined her love of both candy and pop art, pioneering a brand new concept: the artistically hip and fashion forward candy store. Candy is not just a sugary treat to Dylan, but an abstract concept representing fantasy, joy and irreplaceable childhood memories.

Read the rest of the article and interview here.