The Jazz Age

Dahlings! Rene Rosso here, welcome to the Jazz Age!

Defined by writers, performers and artists of the time such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker and Thomas Hart Benton, it was more than a Gatsby, Paris or New York moment. So let’s get the full string of beads from our glorious Art Director, Rebecca Budd.

Thank you, Rene! We know the Flapper dress was the cat’s meow and the Charleston was the hoofer’s delight. Still, we should acknowledge that Vionnet and Chanel were the first designers to get rid of the corset, defining the silhouette of the era. Palazzo pants made their debut, and the cloche hat was the keenest.

Here to show you what gowns were all about are the Art Gowns Models! First out on the catwalk is Gigi. Gigi wears a hand painted silk georgette dress, with asymmetric tiers, accentuated by hand rolled satin rattail. 

AGM Marina is a Deco Delight in her Gloria Swanson inspired fish tail gown. The fish tail is made completely of metallic gold diamonds, and spills gracefully out onto the floor.

I’d like to take a moment here to acknowledge the brilliant work of “The Beauty Team”. On loan from The Coop; hair, make-up and wardrobe have done an outstanding job.

© Georgiann Carlson

It was a tough job for Wiggy, to create all those Marcel Waves on the AGMs, who refused to have their hair cut. Nonetheless, between her skill and ingenuity, all the AGMs are finger waved.

© Georgiann Carlson

Jamie copied the smouldering eyes of the era. Thanks to Clara Bow, eyebrows were severely plucked and pencilled in thin. Of course none of the AGM’s could afford to have their eyebrows plucked due to upcoming runway dates, but Jamie managed a faux look.

© Georgiann Carlson

Judy did a masterful job making faux feathers out of scrap fabrics,  for any trims and boas. Instead of fur, she trimmed Miss Rosso’s velvet Opera Cape, with a lusher napped velvet.

Back on the runway, AGM Dale shows off hand embroidered trims with jewel insets, in this fun design. A cloche hat adds elegance.

Holly works poetry in this AGM must show black silk crepe gown. Its lines are defined  with the latest ribbon imports from Europe.

AGM Shey’s gown, made from a glorious silk jacquard, is reminiscent of the late 20’s as the drape flows into the bias cut of 30’s.

I now hand the stage back to Ms. Rosso!

Thank you, RB! I’m thrilled to present our guest performer of the evening. Here’s the bee’s knees, Lala LaSwirl. Lala has been touring the opera circuit under the name “Soprano Charlotte Hoather”! Tonight she will sing Quando M’en Vo from La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini.

Thank you, dahling Rene! I’m thrilled to be here. I could imagine the character, Musetta, wearing this Art Gowns outfit, as it is very glamorous. I could imagine a director selecting the dress if the setting for the performance was the 1920’s era.

After the show, Ms. Rosso was to attend to a Gatsby themed party in a bias cut dress & velvet opera wrap. In a fun mood, she sang along with her favourite entertainer of the era, Josephine Baker.

Out of the blue, RR’s 6th sense slapped her in the face! She stopped dead in her tracks.

She looked into her Tangle-Heart. My, my she thought, things look quite sweet and rosy. It’s, idyllic, so perfect. Something is wrong!

Dahlings, I know  look simply marvellous in this pic of my Ziegfeld Follies gown. Sad, but it was lost with all my luggage while on tour 3 years ago. Now, it is my thank you Art Gown.

Princess Blue Holly & Rene Rosso © Resa McConaghy & Holly Rene Hunter

Since May, 2019

🎺 💙 Thank you dear Holly for suggesting this era! 💙 🎺

Visit all or any of these beauties on their blogs. Holly – House of Heart, Gigi – Rethinking Life, Shey – Smexy Historical Romance, Marina – Art Towards a Happy Day, Dale – A Dalectable Life

Check out the land of the AGM’s magic tress and more on Tim’s blog – Off Center Not Even

Visit Rebecca

I adore the new cover for Shey’s book –The Viking and the Courtesan

Let it be known that Shey’s heroines possibly are: strong willed, hard headed, lie, cheat, steal, connive, duplicitous and able to hide a corpse in the cellar. Intrigued? Just click on the book cover and go to her Amazon page!

Visit Charlotte on her blog

Click on the thank you above, to buy her recordings!!

Cleopatra Capriccio

Did you ever want to go back in time?

Well, we can with Art Gowns and imagination. I choose the 1920’s! What a decade of influences to inspire an Art Gown! King Tut’s Tomb was discovered. Art Deco was the movement. Chanel and Vionnet eschewed the corset, flattening the chest and dropping the waistline.

In 1920 women’s right to vote was ratified in the U.S.A. – Cafe Society lead to the Jazz  Age, and the Fitzgeralds were all the rage. Flappers were making their mark, and Zelda Fitzgerald was the most famous flapper of them all.

Cleopatra Capriccio is dedicated to Elizabeth Gracen, a 21st century Flapper. Twenty some years ago, she was the star, and I was her designer. We have remained good friends, since.

As a matter of fact, she gave me the Mini-Me I dress up to go with the Art Gowns.

It began with the gift of a sequin fabric, a leftover from a TV series.

I paired the sequin fabric with a table runner I’d hung onto since my teen years, and yardage of: a soft grey, heavy weight, acetate satin curtain lining, purchased at a liquidation sale for $0.75/yd (120 ” wide).

The dark blue Dupioni silk table runner is embroidered with actual silver metal thread. It was already a vintage piece back when I was gifted it. I cut the diamond shapes and zig-zag bordeur out of the runner.

 Finally, some dark royal blue silk that had been stored for 25 years in musty storage, also gifted, rounded out the fabrics. I harvested sequins off of the scraps, and sewed them onto the silk.

OUTTAKES

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I pinned CleopatraCapriccio up, but she still wasn’t as short as a Flapper dress. Still, the sequins did a fun bit.

Elizabeth Gracen
Elizabeth Gracen arrived in NYC from a small town in Arkansas a year after traveling the world as Miss America 1982. She used her scholarship prize money to study acting at HB Studios and photography at the New School. She later moved to Los Angeles where she has worked as an actress for over twenty years, most notably as ‘Amanda’ on the long-running HIGHLANDER: THE SERIES and HIGHLANDER: THE RAVEN.

In 2012, Elizabeth formed FLAPPER FILMS, a production company devoted to developing inspiring, informational content for multi-generational men and women. Her films have met with great success on the international film festival circuit and on streaming media platforms.

In 2016, Elizabeth formed FLAPPER PRESS and published her first YA novel, Shalilly.

Visit Flapper Press

Cleopatra Capriccio designed by and © Resa McConaghy – 2020

Photos © Resa McConaghy – August, 2020

Jazz Age Cover of VOGUE Magazine – July, 1926

Artist: Benito