Monday, November 29, 2010

Visually Vintage

Queen Alexandra (1890) with the fringe & choker she made fashionable

A lovely lady who I had the pleasure of working with brought in an amazing book to share a few months ago entitled 20th Century Fashion written by Ernestine Carter, a former editor of Harper's Bazaar magazine and tour de force as a writer of the history of fashion. What a treat it was! 

Sarah Bernhardt wearing a pre cursor of the tea gown, 1876

It was laid out in a kind of scrapbook style, brimming full of images and outfits of bygone times with a concise overview of different eras;  from 1876 to the 1980's. 

I whipped down to the nerest photocopier and got as many copies of the pages as time would allow to share with you, and I will continue to post snippets of it over the next wee while, so keep checking back! 

Today begins with a few pre 1900 images, when Kings and Queens were the trend setters.  There was a correct outfit for every hour and every activity; with luxury and elaboration being the order of the day. I hope you enjoy!


Sunday, November 28, 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Brassieres, Buys & Design

A fine example of the long standing obsession at Hawke Headquarters  

November has been a month filled with planning and fun projects in the world of Hawke.  Isn't this month just flying by?  I have purchased some great Menswear over the last month for The Big Band, as well as some stunning vintage furs for The Soiree collection which I will preview soon.   It will be worth the wait for vintagehawke.com to be up and running ready for your perusal; that's a promise!

Getting ready for the fur shoot!

In other news I have been collaborating on a project with my friend Sarah,  a talented seamstress and owner of Wellington based clothing label Pulka.  We have been designing & creating a vintage inspired 5 outfit lingerie collection in the hope of having it ready to present at a fashion show in a few weeks time.  It has been such a treat to actually put to use the bank of terms and details you come across as a vintage lingerie enthusiast.  Excitement all round! 

Killer Vintage - Hollywood Vassarette

As an Interior Designer by training, it has been a learning curve for me to get my head around the construction and making of bras & knickers, but it has been the best challenge ever & I hope to brush up on my sewing skills with some night classes in the near future.  We loved the idea of using vintage and recycled materials to create our pieces, and I can't wait to show you what we dreamed up.  In the mean time here are some beautiful authentic lingerie images I have stumbled across on the internet.   

Below is an image of a 500 piece vintage collection someone was selling; it was just incredible & I can't even begin to imagine how amazing it would be in real life.  Nothing beats the originator authentic real deal when it comes to pretty much anything right? Apart from Home Alone perhaps; when number 2, Lost In New York topped number 1  :)    

A snippet of the instant jaw drop / 500 strong vintage lingerie collection

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Decade of The Daguerrotype


Daguerrotypes were the first form of photography as we know it today, they have such a special and historic quality like everything from the 18th century has; complex and articulate in a very manual way.  The process to create a daguerrotype was long and arduous, and was superceded by more accessible and cost effective methods within 10 years of its discovery.  They were typically small and beautifully framed; the subjects often nonchalant and expressionless, leaving so many questions asked about who they really were...




The first photo of Abraham Lincoln (above) was a daguerrotype

Pretty as a Picture

Another Vintage Dior Dream

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Mischevious Mick

 Mick Jagger in his retro bests -  have a look at that tie! 

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Silent Film Siren - Colleen Moore


Colleen Moore (1899-1988) is one of my all time favourite silent film stars.  She had one blue eye and one brown and had to pass a "test" to ensure it would not be a distraction in films! 


Miss Moore had a fascination with dollhouses, and in 1928 her position as a very popular actress enabled her to build a doll house of amazing proportions with the help of her dad and set designer Horace Jackson.   It is now on display in Chicago.  What a fun project that must have been! 


Interior photos of Colleen Moore's Dollhouse



Friday, November 5, 2010

Dear Gentlemen - Meticulous Movember


Here are some antique and vintage predecessors of the humble mo for Movember.  It is a facial characteristic which can really make you look like you just stepped out of a time machine right?  Especially a full blown handlebar or Daliesque distinguished points!





A friend has a little moustache tattooed on the inside of one of his fingers which he can hold up to above his lip for mo on demand moments, the best Movember party trick around surely! 

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Hello Again From Hawke


Taxidermed Hawke with an e Herbie

I am so very apologetic for a lack of information and inspiration of all things vintage as of late;  It will be made up for with an eclectic mix of adventurous tales & beautiful vintage themed treats which will be regularly updated over the coming weeks, as well as a giveaway! 

Another month has flown by and busy bee things have been happening in anticipation of finally being able to share what Vintage Hawke is all about. I simply cannot wait to offer you The Soiree and The Big Band collections, and share a love of vintage clothing with you which is special and unique from another era.  I have been carefully selecting pieces for the store which will integrate into a modern wardrobe, yet have that special charm about them which can only come from vintage....


Keep checking back as launch time approaches! 

Fur Is Always Appropriate...

Vintage Dior Ad