Whilst we’re on a cycling theme, thought I’d show you these images that I found. I’m afraid that I can’t provide any information about them though, except to say that they were probably posted to various Livejournal communities and were saved without details. If you know anything, please let me know.

Hope you like them too.

Many people had to miss out on last month’s Salon Show so they’ve decided to do it all again - Thursday evening next week, June 11th at 7pm. Here are the details:

The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) is very excited to announce a second Robert Fritzlaff Salon Show thanks to popular demand.

Price includes salon show, light supper, designer talk and exhibition admission. Prices: Adults - $70; Concession/Child - $65; National Trust Members - $65; Members Concession - $60.
Bookings essential – 9827 2500

If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, here are some photos taken at the last Salon Show by Keith Glennan.

When I was fifteen I had that poster of you on my bedroom wall - along with many others of my favourite, Marilyn Monroe.

Since then I’ve read hundreds of books on you (and boy are there a lot). I think I own about fifty or so including the fabulous catalogue of your private possessions, auctioned at Christie’s in 1999. Pity I couldn’t have been there, but it must have been a sad day when people eagerly bid for every small piece of your life from the book you read (and scribbled on) as a five year old to your dog licence (which, I recall, went for an awfully high price).

The clothes of course are my favourites - the glittery red heels you wore in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, the long blue gown you gaffer-taped up so the troops in Korea could see your legs better. The silk souffle piece of nothing you were sewn into, to sing for a President.

Still the greatest - happy birthday wonderful, golden lady. You’ll always be in my heart (and my bookshelf).

This week we’ve been busy at Circa, getting ready for Thursday’s Robert Fritzlaff fashion parade at Como House - Shaping Elegance Salon Show. Circa is styling and providing accessories to accompany the beautiful couture gowns.

Photo courtesy Keith Glennan.

There are two professional models who will be parading - here is Candice DeVille, a.k.a. Super Kawaii Mama doing a little pre-Salon modelling for the press.

Both photos courtesy Jeff Paine.

Especially interesting for students of fashion, is this great video of Mr Fritzlaff designing and making some of the gowns we’ll be seeing.

Tickets are still available, although selling fast - book now on 9827 2500.

In case you haven’t been to see the exhibition of Robert Fritzlaff’s beautiful couture from the ’50s - ’70s yet (or if you enjoyed it so much you’d like to see more), I can recommend a special event coming up at Como House.

What: Shaping Elegance Salon Show - “see a spectacular salon show in Como’s beautiful ballroom. Experience the fabulous fashion whilst enjoying a delicious morning tea. Meet the designer Robert Fritzlaff and see the exhibition that celebrates his life and style.”

When: Thursday 7th May at 11am
Where: Como House, Corner Williams Road and Lechlade Ave South Yarra
Price: Adults - $70; Concession/Child - $65; National Trust Members - $65; Members Concession - $60. Bookings essential - call 9827 2500

I’m a proud member of the National Trust and was pleased that Circa was able to contribute a small part to the salon parade by accessorising all eighteen ensembles with suitable gloves, hats, handbags and costume jewellery.

Ladies and gentlemen, this will be the closest we get these days to viewing a fashion show as it was back in the glory days of couture, the 1950s - whilst sitting comfortably, sipping tea and nibbling on a sweet morsel. Hope to see some of you there!

It’s been a busy time - as well as the Craft Show (now finished - the mannequins are safely back at Circa sans tulle and ribbon), there has also been the French Film Festival, where we dressed six people in 1930s outfits for the opening night (hopefully photos are on their way) and the opening of the Robert Fritzlaff exhibition at Como House last Thursday.

Today, whilst the shop was shut we took some photos for the next edition of Carter’s “Everything Vintage” Guide. In between the proper, professional shots I took some snaps - these garments are all in stock now and available for your selection. Eras are from the 1930s to the 1960s. Click on an image to see it in full. The book will be out later this year.

Just in case you don’t have enough to do the weekend of Feb 28, here is another one:

Film costumers Julie Nixon and Anna Borghesi are having a stall at the Maldon Antiques Fair and will be selling lots of 1950s dresses, mens and ladies wear. Details as follows:

When: Saturday Feb 28 - Sunday Mar 1
Where: Maldon Football Ground and all around the town (you’ll find Julie and Anna in the Community Centre around the corner from the Motor Vehicle Museum (across the road from the post office).
What: Over 200 stalls featuring vintage clothing, antiques and collectables.

I can’t find any information about the opening times so I’m taking a punt on 10am to 5pm. In any case, Maldon is a lovely town, a nice drive from Melbourne - and you could pick up some lovely clothes as well.

Two of the lovely ladies who help me at Circa are Victoria and Anna, who managed recently to dress in a particularly complimentary fashion.

How could one not take a photo?

Finally I got a chance to see the long awaited exhibition The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 at the Bendigo Art Gallery. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve looked forward to this - and expect to go at least once or twice more before it finishes on March 22nd.

Firstly: some shoes to whet your appetite and then a mix of vintage photos and garments from the exhibition.

All images borrowed from the fabulous Victoria and Albert’s site on the exhibition. Don’t be fooled by the monochromes: there are lots of lovely colours and prints too.

My dates for the day were the very glamourous (and much more suitably frocked) Vintage Verve and Lisa. That will teach me to dress down on a Sunday. Anyway: onto the exhibition.

In brief - the exhibition exceeded my expectations; five or six rooms full of what can only be considered the best vintage clothing on the planet, displayed to great effect under subtle lighting. The first room has several wonderful pieces, and explains the back story of how the masterful Christian Dior (my favourite designer) released his “flower” designs for women in 1947 and gave the fashion world a bit of a well mannered shake.

Over the past 29 years I have read and written a great deal about this period and these gowns, as well as viewing, repairing, cleaning and reconstructing many thousands of the little darlings and their poorer cousins. So what I was looking for were the things that I didn’t know or hadn’t noticed - and here’s what they were:

- The heady Victorian influence - I’ve seen couture gowns with built in corsetry but hadn’t seen how much the haute couture shared with the previous century.

- The softening of the work of Balenciaga - I haven’t seen many of his garments in the flesh so hadn’t realised how much his style changed as the 1950s progressed, from high style to something much softer.

- The scale of the French fashion houses - the large contribution they played in the economy and the numbers of skilled workers required to produce such creations.

- How effectively these garments would have created the desire in the younger generation for something free and easy - high fashion without taking out a second mortgage and so setting the stage for the clothing revolution of the 1960s.

- It was surprising to see that in modern day terms, the couture garments were relatively affordable and good value for money - certainly more so that certain mass-produced made in China designer items are now. I think it was $2,000 for a Balenciaga haute couture suit, and remember that Balenciaga was perhaps the most exclusive of all the fashion houses.

Wonderful! Do go and see it if you get the chance - there are all sorts of associated events too, including a talk by Lynn Savery on March 18, about her collection of wearable vintage.

We had a quiet day in the shop today, so Betty and I decided to play dress ups with some of the new frocks.

Eras date from the ’40s to the ’60s, with one from the early 1970s - to make up for posting an image of polyester dresses last time, these are all made of natural fibres: silk, cotton or rayon (technically a man made natural fibre).

Betty is a typical mannequin of the 1940s: aloof and disinterested. Despite her fabulous colouring (which seems to show every garment to best effect) she always looks like she has something more important to do…I wonder what?