Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

"Sometimes I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I found it fed me more."

I'm having a Carrie Bradshaw kinda week.

No sooner did I post that little diddy yesterday with a photo of Carrie and Big looking earnestly at each other, than I spied this neat invitation in my inbox.  Vogue is coming to Austin:





(Click to enlarge).

Did you know that Joan Didion, Patron Saint of My Laptop, used to write for Vogue?

Her very first job when she moved to New York was being a promotional copywriter for the magazine.  But eventually, she became ... effing Joan Didion.

Anyway, today is another gray day in Austin -- c'mon, weather!  Enough already! -- so I thought I'd have some fun with this Vogue post.  Here are some vintage Vogue covers, and the intriguing little stories they tell about us.




October 1943.  Isn't this interesting?  Not a cover model in sight.  But a telling caption nonetheless: "8 New Ways to Double Your Clothes Money."  Ahh early 1940s ... American ladies tentatively opening their pocketbooks back up after the Great Depression.



April 1950.  Lady Gaga would dig the face netting, no?

The early 1950s were a cool time in graphic design:  Artists, fed up with patriotic and overly sentimental US images borne from their country's wars, started getting a bit edgier.  Jasper Johns came of age in the 1950s, as did the Beats, writing on topics and in formats the reading public had never seen before.

For a decade with tend to think of as utterly conformist, you really can see the artistic experimentation everywhere -- including Vogue.




January 1950.   Don't you love this wild cover art?



August 1954, British Vogue.  Again with the cool, concept-y cover art!  I wish today's women's magazines embraced this bolder, experimental cover style.

And finally, just for kicks.  This has little to do with Vogue but everything to do with awesome, a photo shoot my fashion designer buddy Rene and I did recently at her boutique which involved her dog, Jack.



That's Jack looking up at me; what you can't see is a live rabbit in my arms!  (Also Rene's).  

If Jack's sweet doggy face looks a little perplexed, that is probably why.  "What is that creature she's holding?"

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the 1950's covers for Vogue and for $.50...times have changed.

Could you please wave a magic wand and make the sun come back? I'm tired of being bitchy...yes, it's the weathers fault.

Rachel from Love a la Mode said...

Sounds fun! I did some serious damage at the LOFT store in the domain the day after christmas. Very cute stuff :)
Bisous,
Rachel
http://lovealamode.wordpress.com

That Chelsea Girl™ said...

I miss pretty cover art. I used to go through my grandmother's old Vogues as a kid, they were like picture books! Great post. You should convince Anna Wintour to do more art, less celebrity.

amy said...

I just got this invite as well! Not sure if I'll be able to make it, though, because we may end up meeting a client that afternoon.... but I digress. ADORE these old Vogue covers. They are fabulous!

bsimms8907 said...

I heard about this... Her Campus is promoting the event too because we're having a special partnership with Loft right now! I'm going to try and come, but I may be in Dallas visting my fiance's mom (she just had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery this past Friday).

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Katie -- Apparently, next week is supposed to be sunny (FINALLY). I'm getting a bit tired of this Transylvania-like haze over Austin, too.

@Rachel -- I've actually never been to Loft! Haha. If I go, hopefully that Vogue stylist can help me out. ;)

@Chelsea -- I know, I an in love with this art too.

@Amy -- If you go will you let me know? I will probably be getting there late if I can make it, 2 - 2:30.

@Bsimms8907 -- Oh my goodness! I hope she's recovering alright. Very cool about Her Campus's partnership with Loft ... and hey! Has your tea party happened yet?

Trevor said...

If fashion magazines were more like what I imagine those old issues to be, I might read fashion magazines.

bsimms8907 said...

My tea party... do you mean the tea party themed art show?

morgan said...

love this post. and your blog. fantastic.

amy said...

Hey woman-- Just DMed you. (and to think, a decade ago, that would've sounded like gibberish.)