LES ADIEUX À LA REINE | BENOÎT JACQUOT, 2012

Bon week~end! 

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Hello Lovlies, I hope you are all having a most beautiful 

weekend. I was just catching up on some reading and I ran

 across an article about the new Benoît Jacquot film about

 Marie Antoinette.

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 Based on the best-selling novel by Chantal Thomas,  Farewell

 

My Queen stars Léa Seydoux {Midnight in Paris} as one of

 Marie’s ladies-in-waiting and Diane Kruger as Marie

 Antoinette {Diane, by the way, is German, was born on July

 15th and her mother's name is Maria-Theresa}. 

{Photo Daily Briefing}

The story begins just in the days before the Revolution. To be

 exact the first four days of the French Revolution in July 1789.

 It is told from her servants perspective and seems to be a big

 departure from Sofia's modernized {but glorious} version. 

 {Photo Film Society}

 While some scenes explore Marie Antoinette's rumored affair

 with Gabrielle De Polignac, the movie is lavish and full of eye

 candy. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

~The Paris Flapper ~

Those intriguing ladies of the 20's....

 French actress Stacia Napierkowska

Outfitted in that oh so popular garçonne' look...

 Paris

With bobbed hair and cloche...

 Coco Chanel 

Lavin, Patou, Chanel, and Perugia...

Josephine Baker ~ Photo by Murray Korman

Oh, to be a Flapper in Paris!

Glamorous Hollywood

~~"Want to be an actor? Call Mr. Factor!" ~Original lyrics from the song Hooray for Hollywood~~

~This photo from the Hollywood Museum website *The lobby~

Hello! As usual, I have been missing you all! I am so excited about sharing this post with you. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to go to the Hollywood Museum with my Best Friend. I specifically wanted to go for a Jean Harlow exhibit that is on display there celebrating what would be her 100th birthday, little did I know what gold lies inside those doors. The museum is located in the historic Max Factor Building and I was awestruck from the moment I set foot in there! 

The Max factor building is a gem that sits right off of Hollywood Blvd.  just steps away from amazing places like the Roosevelt, El Capitan, and those famous footprints in the forecourt of Sid Grauman's Chinese theatre. Stepping through the heavily marbled entryway and into this historic building was like stepping back in time to the 1930's and that glorious Golden Age of Hollywood.

~The "Brownettes" Soft Peach colored room. Judy Garland is featured here~

The lobby is basically unchanged from those golden days. It is a polished Art Deco jewel, a rose colored oasis of endless lavish marble, crystal chandeliers, soft hues, and tropical palms. The Max Factor studio contains four special celebrity make-up rooms, each designed to bring out the best in women of a particular hair color: The first is marked "For Blondes Only" (and is done in shades of blue); another for redheads (in mint green), for brunettes (rose pink), and the brownettes (pale peach). These special rooms have been painstakingly preserved, and are complete with the original make-up chairs, lighting, furnishings, and  multi-angled mirrors. They are also outfitted with display cases full of notable clients personal make-up and personal belongings. Some of the legendary clients featured are Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Lucille Ball, Claudette Colbert, Norma Shearer, and Bette Davis. I was inches away from Joan Crawford's false eyelashes (used!) Marilyn Monroe's bustier, and Elizabeth Taylor's belongings. 

Sitting in the makeup chair

It is said that Jean Harlow's hair was first dyed platinum in these rooms and that the color was created specifically for her, as is the story with Marilyn's hair, Joan Crawford, and Claudette Colbert. 

One of Judy Garlands pairs of Ruby Red Slippers  from the Wizard of Oz

I cannot even begin to scratch the surface of what this incredible museum contains and the history behind Mr. Factor and his empire. There are endless incredible pieces of Hollywood history here. The Marilyn Monroe collection alone is worth it. I am going to do a separate post just on her memorabilia at the museum tomorrow. They have a Mae West collection, Elvis items, Lucy and Desi, Shirley Temple, Clara Bow, Carey Grants Rolls Royce....Really it is endless! So, instead of boring you with more photos and my rambling I will leave you photo from the Jean Harlow exhibit I originally went to see. Until tomorrow! XOXO!

~~~All photos taken by me and property of Paris Atelier unless otherwise noted~~~

Old Hollywood Glamour

Ditas collection of pointe shoes used in her performances

Bonjour! I had so much fun with the last post filled with corsets and feminine frills that I decided to post about the Queen of corsets and femininity...Dita Von Teese.

 An outfit used in her carousel horse act as displayed in her home

I thoroughly enjoyed the Dita feature in February's In Style showcasing her home. I love the way she lives and enjoys all of her vintage treasures daily. She really is a throwback to that glamorous age in Hollywood. She is rarely without her pinup Red lips and stockings.

The article was fascinating and the photos were glorious! If you have not seen it I highly encourage you to check out the pictures. They just ooze glamour, vintage swank, and retro beauty.

A small portion of Ditas vintage hat collection. She owns more than 300!

After that Jean Harlow~esque spread in In Style I searched for more photos of her "Old Hollywood" home. Unfortunately, these were all of the photos I could find.

Ditavonteesefan.net

I recently purchased her Burlesque book on Amazon and I have to tell you, it's gorgeous. The photos are over the top glamour and luxury. The content is well written and had me enthralled.

Confectionery Delights

     ~Cherry Blue Corset~

Maya Hansen Corsetry has won my heart! What girl (or guy) wouldn't love these confections?

      ~Calippo Corset~

Madrid born Maya Hansen dreamt up this incredible cake collection. Cakes and candies inspired this frivolous and whimsical collection. Colorful brocades and supple suede combine to make an incredible statement. A colorful bang of trimmings and patterns that evoke the fantastical and lavish court of Versailles.   

~The Marie Antoinette~

I dream of a Lingerie closet full of the most decadent and beautiful pieces...Just like these. A little piece of heaven!

~Mint & Chocolate Corset~

HappyValentine's Day!

All images via Maya Hansen Corsetry

Art, Fashion, and The Resnick

"As our lives become even more virtual and fleeting, it's imperative that we have art as an anchor, and after the daily electronic recounting of the real-time horrors of people doing terrible things to one another, we can renew our faith in mankind while viewing man's highest achievements on display at a museum like LACMA." ~Lynda Resnick

Image via Sarahreports.com

The much anticipated and much talked about Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion opens to the public on Oct. 2. It is the second gallery building on the LACMA campus and designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, one of the world's most sought-after museum architects. Funded by billionaire philanthropists Lynda and Stewart  Resnick (they own POM juice drink and Fiji Water), this $54 million exhibiion hall will serve as a stunning place to showcase rotating and traveling art exhibits.

Image from the NY Times

The grand opening will feature three exhibits: Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico, Eye for the Sensual: Selections from the Resnick Collection, and Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915.

I am, of course, most excited to see Eye for the Sensual which includes eighty-five European paintings and sculptures from the personal collection of Stewart and Lynda Resnick (I could dedicate an entire post to this amazing woman, she is fabulous and so remarkable). I am so anxious to see its important eighteenth-century French paintings—including works by François Boucher, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun (she has the portrait of Marie~Antoinette with the Rose, Versailles houses a later version of this portrait), Jean-Honoré Fragonard (my fave), Nicolas Lancret, and Hubert Robert. I am also looking forward to seeing the fashion exhibit.

"The exhibition will tell the story of fashion's aesthetic and technical development from the Age of Enlightenment to World War I. It will examine the sweeping changes that occurred in fashionable dress spanning a period of over two hundred years, with a fascinating look at the details of luxurious textiles, exacting tailoring techniques, and lush trimmings. Highlights will include an eighteenth-century man's vest intricately embroidered with powerful symbolic messages relevant to the French Revolution; an evening mantle with silk embroidery, glass beads, and ostrich feathers designed by French couturier Émile Pingat (active 1860-96); and spectacular three-piece suits and gowns worn at the royal courts of Europe." LACMA

I feel so honored and lucky to have aquired tickets to the opening weekend andI am so looking forward to going and being part of a historic moment for art in Los Angeles. My husband and I are taking the little Prince and the countdown begins!

If you are interested in going LACMA is hosting community days where you can get free tickets online.



Halloween...Old Hollywood Style

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow at Truman Capote's famous Black and White Masked Ball

Image via Berkley Library

Hello Friends!!! With Halloween (it is one of my very favorite holidays) swiftly approaching I thought it would be fitting to do a post on some of the glamorous stars of Hollywood dressed up in costume.

I adore this image of Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, Countess de Frasso, and Trullio Carminati at the Vendome Cafe in Hollywood for a costume party

Image via Corbis Images

I would imagine that after dressing in costume all day long for a movie the last thing I would want to do is dress up for a party, well not these fabulous stars! Here are some great images of some of Hollywood's brightest stars in disguise, enjoy!

Clark Gable, Carol Lombard, and WR Hearst

Image via Friends of 415

It seems as though Marion Davies (lover to WR Hearst, that is another post altogether!) threw some of Hollywood's most lavish and exquisite parties! Oh to be a fly on the wall at one of those extravaganzas! Only the most elite and powerful in Hollywood and the publishing business were allowed access to these amazing (often costume) events.

Gloria Swanson, Marion Davies, Constance Bennett, and Jean Harlow at a party at the Marion Davies Beach House in the early 1930's

Image via Robin Chapman News

They say that Marion threw over 100 of these lavish parties over the course of her famous relationship with the newspaper magnate.

Janet Gaynor decked out at a costume fete
Image via Give me the Good Old Days




One of my faves, Lucille Ball at a costume gala
Source unknown

The adorable Claudette Colbert dressed as Scarlett O'Hara!

Image via Classic Movie Favorites



Could you just imagine getting a gorgeous invitation to a fabulous Hollywood costume party and then prancing over to your favorite wardrobe department to request an outfit! Heaven!

My all time favorite "Tramp" Charlie Chaplin dressed as Napoleon for a WR Hearst party
Via Wikipedia



I am so in the mood for Halloween now! I can't wait to don my 40's glamour girl costume (seriously that's my costume this year) and paint the town Red, after I take my little Prince Trick-or-Treating that is. I have my vintage jewelry, vintage shoes, a satin evening gown, vintage opera gloves, and instructions for a fabulous hair do ready to go!

Joan Crawford all gussied up for a party

Source Unknown

For those of you celebrating Halloween this year Be safe and Be Glamorous!

Thank you so much for the always too sweet comments, and support, you are the best!!!!

XOXO

Judith~

The Dressing Room

Alleycatscratch.com Publicity stills for the King Kong Movie

Hello Friends!

I've been catching up on all of your blog posts and I am overwhelmed with the creativity and beauty you bring into my life!

Joan Crawford preparing for a scene

I have been so inspired and I am now obsessing over glamorous dressing rooms and the fabulous backstage life in theatre, Opera, Ballet, and movies.

I stumbled upon a picture of Marilyn Monroe getting ready in her dressing room, and I fell into the rabbit hole searching for more backstage images. So here are some of my favorites to share with you...Enjoy!

Penelope Cruz in part of an incredible photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz. I will do a post on the entire Film Noir shoot tomorrow...stay tuned!

The beautiful Betty Grable and her famous legs Backstage in her dressing room photographed by LIFE magazine.

A ballerina in her dressing room by William K Daby. Just breath taking!

Artisticcostumes.com

Backstage at the Phantom

New Glamour! the dressing room of Kylie Minogue on her world tour. Fabulous!!!

TheWinger.com

A gorgeous ballerina backstage on the final night of the Nutcracker Ballet.

That's all for today! I want to set my powder room up to look like a glamorous Old Hollywood dressing room now! I can't wait for tomorrow's film Noir post. Have a fantastic day and a great week!!!

I Miss You!

Photo from Faerieenchantment.blogspot

Bonjour My Dear Friends! I have been absent for so long and I miss you! Life has been a bit of whirlwind lately. Life made me prioritize my responsibilities and blogging had to take a back seat. However, I'm back!!!! I've missed you dearly and I've missed posting so much. I realize it is so therapeutic for me. I can't wait to catch up with all of you. I've been incognito reading your glorious posts and trying to stay up to date. So as I try to catch up I will leave you with some of the things I'm loving right now....

Photo from ReeseandMarie.blogspot


I am obsessing over anything apothecary right now! I love it all and I think I need to start collecting some beautiful vintage apothecary jars. I love the above image. It's just the inspiration I need :)




Gorgeous little cherubs frolicking in the fountains of Versailles via Flickr

I adore this indescribable French Aqua (?) color. What is it called anyway!?! I love it. All shades of it! From the Laduree signature color to the stunning patina on the fountains in Paris. I'm in love!

Photo via Flickr

I am on the hunt for a beautiful antique Absinthe Fountain. Ever since seeing a post that Lisa from Lisa Golightly's blog with her Absinthe fountain in her bathroom, I can't stop thinking of finding one. Incidentally Lisa has the most incredible items on her website Lisa Golightly. Her creations are spun from wishes and dreams!!!

Top hat from an auction

I found a gorgeous Victorian Beaver Top Hat at the flea market with the original leather case and I adore it.

Mary Poppins!!!! We are going to see the musical in November and I can't wait!!! I think I'll pop in the DVD tomorrow night and enjoy a bit of nostalgia from my childhood. My Mom and I used to love watching this movie together. Great memories.

Photo Via Flickr

I am still really into the vintage circus theme and I'm thinking that my son's birthday party needs to be this theme. If you have any idea or suggestions I would love to hear them!

French Military Shako


I ADORE military and band Shako right now. The pomp, the feathers, the decorations! I'm in heaven!

That's all for tonight but I will be back to my blogging now. I so appreciate all of your lovely comments and all of my blogging buddies. It all means so much to me. You have been such a great source of support and escape for me...Thank you!!!

XOXO
Judith~