Tales by Moonlight

I have long been an admirer of Sarah Moon’s photographs, since I first saw her work (probably in British Vogue) many years ago. I love the moody shadows, the swaying movement of her subjects. You can almost hear their bangles clinking softly in the night. The darkness hints at mystery: stories of exotic lands, perhaps of strange fairytales read by candlelight from One Thousand and One Nights.

I like to experiment with the same blur of movement in my own photography. Before I bought my SLR, it was more difficult than you might imagine – forcing the little point-and-click to take fuzzy photos. It worked best at dusk. Indoors, when I took self-portraits, I had to synchronise my small movements with the ten-second timer. If a shot worked, it was a miracle. This is one of them.

Below are some of Sarah Moon’s photos for you to enjoy – and perhaps to lull you into sleep, to dream of beautiful, fantastical things. 

Read more about her here.

(Click on images for larger versions.)

A Nod to the Forties

Follow Me, Aug/Sep 1987. Ph: Martyn Thompson.

Peplums, polka dots, houndstooth checks and stripes and high waists; burgundy lipstick and polished chic: so many things to adore here. But what immediately struck me as I flicked through #10 of my tearsheet books was the photography and styling.

These pages are from FOLLOW me, a magazine of Australian publishing lore (I have waxed lyrical about it on previous occasions, here and here), and the pictures were shot in 1987, for the Aug/Sep issue of that year by one of my favourite Australian (although English-born) photographers, Martyn Thompson.

There is certainly a reference to the 1940s with such a fantastic selection of black and white garments, but the whole effect is modern – although these outfits would now be considered vintage themselves! The model has an air of Forties elegance about her, in her pose and the tilt of her head. Yet she is a little more relaxed, less stuffy than her decades-older counterparts. Perhaps it is also the fact that she is not wearing any confining undergarments – she actually looks like she could take a deep breath quite easily.

The desaturated colours of the images are beautiful too; the pale lemon and taupe backgrounds create that vintage look much more prettily than stark white would have.

Click on the images for larger versions.

Signalling a new silhouette, a body skim that moves to the rhythm of swing. Note fitted tops with full skirts, long-line jackets, tucked at the waist, empire-lined skirts, waisted high jackets that flounce and skirts that shorten to flip a pretty flirt. It all fits in with a femininity that fancies the classic curves.

Hurrah for the circus!

The circus has been the inspiration for countless fashion editorials for decades. And it’s no wonder: what a source of colourful imagery, from acrobats and animals, to bearded and beautiful ladies (sometimes both at once); from clowns to unicyclists, jugglers to juggernauts – it’s a stylist’s Shangri-La.

Here, feathers, rhinestones and greasepaint reign supreme, along with gasps of laughter and children’s wonder. Carnival stripes and tulle tutus; flaming hoops and magic tricks – all belong to this troupe of dreams.

My outfit took many months to pull together: purple ostrich plumes and a vintage rose made from baby pink feathers; a beaded, pale turquoise silk top; a pink mini-crini; silver lurex stockings and glittery red heels. I am only missing a performing pony.

Scroll down for a selection of fashion editorials gone by. Apologies: I don’t know the source of all the tearsheets, but they do all come from early 1990s fashion magazines. (Don’t forget to check out the Out-takes & Extras gallery for a few more pics.)

Click on images for larger versions.

From a US magazine, ph: Guzman, c1990s.

‘Cubist Guitar’ hat and tangerine tutu dressPolkadots and piggies!

Napoleon in striped breeches, and vintage postcardsFlipper footwear; strongman strikes a pose

French Glamour, ph: François Halard, c1990s.

Festooned in stripes and exotic Oriental pattern upon pattern.

British Vogue, ph: Steven Meisel, c1990s. Isabella’s YSL jacket is to die for.Another (Givenchy) jacket straight out of fantasy, and an utterly thrilling Steven Jones hat.

Rococo Romance

‘The Swing’ by Jean Honoré Fragonard is an image I have loved for as long as I can remember. Probably when I saw it first I had no idea of the full connotations implicit in the image; I simply thought how joyous it was; full of such life and frivolity!

The young woman with her impossible yet beautiful skirts, flirting so innocently with her lovelorn admirer – was not so innocent after all, I realised when I was a little older and wiser.

I would love to do a dress-up in homage but don’t know where on earth I would find such an outfit (costume hire is forbidden on SNAP), or such an opulent location.

Well, I wrote that at lunchtime today, and tonight chanced upon this 1930s dress on Etsy. It would be perfect – if it would fit me; my waist is not quite that small
darn it.

But the painting also reminded me of a fashion shoot by Grant Matthews from Vogue Australia many years ago (Nov 1992). Here it is for you to enjoy. (Note the garden swing.)

(Click on images for larger version.)

Hurrah! Burberry!

Click on image for larger version.Yay, I finally found the tearsheet of the gold Burberry rah-rah skirt! This came from British Vogue one or two years ago, and I was taken with it because of the resemblance of Stella Tennant’s skirt to my own (click here to see it).

I also saw the skirt in colour in a fashion spread somewhere, and recall it was more of a cool, greeny tone; I much prefer the warm hue of mine, rich like 24ct gold. The asymmetric cut of this skirt is interesting though, and I do love the micro-pleating.

Amusingly, the short, ugly vest I was forced to buy with the skirt was also quilted, just like the coat Kate Moss is wearing. I’m sure my skirt predates this duo by several years however, possibly even to the 80s when rah-rah skirts were all the rage. I was chuffed by the similarity though, and chuckled over the undoubted disparity in the price. I’m sure there’d be the several zeros I’d have to add to the $25 I paid for mine!