Pretty as a Picture

Dear Gentlemen... The Big Band Sneak

In the Trenches Coat

Here is a sneak peek at what vintage and retro clothing will be on offer for Gentlemen when the store launches.  This collection is based on The Big Band, a post WWI era music which was all about a big sound, lots of charm, and military influences.  While there is plenty of military looks in the collection, there is also a focus on dressing up with smart waistcoats, dinner jackets and tweeds, or the all out hands down favourite category... tuxedo dressing.

Military Muchacho Shirt

Big Band Show Waistcoat 

Penguin Tails Tuxedo Jacket

Military Monsieur Dinner Jacket

Monday's Mission

At Hawke Headquarters, this week is going to be all about good food, good music and work work work work work.  I look forward to making further progress to share with you and showcasing some of the shops collections to see what you think!  

The website has been designed, it now needs to be turned into a functional whizz click web machine so you can peruse the wares on offer with ease, exciting times.  I hope you have a lovely week that is prosperous and productive, and if you are in New Zealand are enjoying the cherry blossoms and magnolias, or further afield loving Autumn / Fall and all the beautiful colours it brings.  

Wednesday will be the day to check back for more previews of the shops collection, particularly Gentlemen's wear as Hawke's in house mannequin named Monsieur Muchacho can now show you how it would fit, shawee!  

Dear Ladies...Drycleaning Vintage

If you love vintage clothing,  you will know that often it is necessary when buying a special vintage piece that is particularly old, for it to be cleaned before wearing.  About 6 weeks ago I bought the most beautiful chiffon silk and lace dress, I think it was from the late 1940's and had been delivered all the way from Norway.  The top part of the dress has fabric covered buttons to do up the back & was made from the most detailed delicate tulle and coil lace.

Sometimes it seems like drycleaning must be worse in some cases for your clothes than handwashing with water because of the chemicals used right?   But I once washed a 50's debutante dress and spoiled the special backing the fabric had by mistake to make the skirt stay stiff, which is a process no longer done to fabrics and can not be redone once the chemical structure has been spoiled by water.  This dress had been worn and loved in its previous life, and not wanting to risk damage, I reluctantly took it to the drycleaners.

The silk chiffon skirt part came back brilliantly brand new from the waist down.  I then noticed that the delicate lace returned in tatters, with large holes through it and deterioration.  It had also shrunk, which was ok but could have been disastrous if it had fit properly to start with.  It was heartbreaking to say the least, more for the fact that it was a piece of rare history.  As someone else picked it up on my behalf, the drycleaner offered no apology or compromise, despite being a loyal customer for many years & trusting him with special, handmade & delicate pieces, he claimed he had warned me, which he had not.

As you can see from these photos this is a drycleaning nightmare & I wanted to let fellow lovers of lacey vintage know, if the lace is looking even remotely fragile or you have an item made from silk or chiffon silk, please handwash it!  It is not worth the risk of potentially damaging a piece of history, and it will definately not deteriorate the lace like harsh chemicals potentially can!  

The good news is that after 10 hours of carefully rebacking what remained of the lace with tulle and stitching parts by hand, it is now wearable again!

If you ever have a problem with any of your vintage pieces feel free to email and ask away and I will do my best to help you out with suggestions, there has been many lessons learned over the last few years from clothing from the past! 

Oh My Hat....

"Oh my hat!" with hand on heart and mouth open in shock is my nana's classic saying when something scandalous has just gone down.  This photo brings a whole new meaning to that tehehe

Got to go to... Berlin

Dear Eriny lives in Berlin, I can't wait to go and see her.  She speaks of war time bullet holes still strewn across walls, never repaired.  How could you not love a city that refuses to forget its history?

Stars of the 40's - Betty Grable

20th Century Fox's top star of the 40's, Betty took a completely new direction post 1930's in her career and came out on top.  An actress, singer and dancer, Miss Grable knew all too well how fun it is to dress up!

Simple Magic

 

More Mark Shaw from the 60's - so simple and swan like!

Retro Johnny

Johnny Depp - The late 80's / 90's kid through and through

Pretty as a Picture

A 1950's Dior ad, taken by Mark Shaw in the 17th century house owned at the time by the directrice of Dior in Paris Suzanne Luling.

Dear Gentlemen...Dandy Beau Gallants

I was having a chat with my lovely mother last week, and she used the word dandy to describe someone.  It made me laugh, so I had to find out what the true meaning of a dandy boy was, along with vintage variations of the modern version to share. 

It is a male who places particular importance on his appearance, leisurely hobbies and refined language in a bid to imitate the lives led by aristocrats.  They were gentlemen in every sense of the word, well rounded characters full of manners, charm and respect.  

I have kept these gentlemen in mind whilst finding outfits for the Big Band collection, and I will preview some of the treats I have found very soon!

Coloured Cats for Kicks

Tim Walker - Pastel Cats (1998)

Who actually must have thought...pigment powder mixed with talc plus patting of cats of the persian variety equals pastel cats and a seriously good day of photo taking. Touche Tim!

Pretty is Peggy

History of The Hawke I

Long long before Vintage Hawke was dreamed up over a love of vintage clothing & a desire to share it with others, in lands far away from New Zealand, there has been a long standing tradition in certain nationalities to practice hawking, also known as falconry.  It involves training Red Tailed, Harris Hawkes or Eagles to hunt for prey for humans. 

I saw the most wonderous documentary about an 86 year old man who hunted with his Hawk every day, it was just amazing to watch man and bird have such close affinity for each other! 

Until its a reality to live in remote continents with indigenous people and learn the art of hawking, taxidermed Hawke with an e named Herbie is the right hand Hawke and shop name inspiration.  Photos following of the bird who started it all in part II...

The Studd Brothers

Victorian cricket players the Studd Brothers

Vintage Virtuoso - Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage was a mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. All in a life's work right?

I really appreciate that these images capture him as so obviously bursting with ideas; and as a character so unique he could never be replicated. 

Pretty As a Picture

How can this photo not make you giggle?  I love that Waimaraners look  like  they  are made  from pure silk,  beautiful.  Another gem from the one and only Man Ray

Roll With It

Dancing is such a charmingly fun past time.  I hope you find time for dancing in your weekend whether it's at home, your favourite bar, dance class, on the street, at your pals place or with a bunch of besties wherever the evening takes you!

Taxidermy for Tuesday

Cai Quo Qiang's work Head On is part of an AMAZING solo exhibition from the Guggenheim in 2006 entitled "I Want to Believe" which used 90 taxidermed wolves suspended in an aerial arc colliding with a glass wall at the end.  I want to believe these wolves died of natural causes. 

Wunderkammer

                                  

Quite possibly my favourite word in the whole world, a Wunderkammer can describe the elusive collection of a cabinet of curiosities filled with treasures; which by nature is personal and full of wonderous things, on any scale.  

Butterflies and insects, taxidermy, sea creatures, wing backed chairs  and beautiful filigree panelled partitions together in a victorian room will one day be in the wonder chamber which houses Vintage Hawke's collection!

Here are photos of some favourite Wunderkammer collected over the years, it becomes blindingly obvious that the curiosity of choice around here is some sort of animal...