The Blue Gardenia

Meet the designer: Molyneux and the iconic hourglass suit. February 6, 2014 16:47

VoguePO-1096–molyneux

This Molyneux suit is one of my favorites. Ever. It is the very definition of hourglass. And it is glamorous yet simple.

A few factoids about Molyneux:

* He was born in London.

* He opened his first salon in 1919 in Paris.

* He was known for his "never too rich or too thin", "refined at the edge of outrageous" designs.

* Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich were fans.

* He counted Noel Coward among his pals.

So. Now you know. That is, if you didn't before.

This gorgeous and rare pattern is available at The Blue Gardenia. Stop by and shop our newly designed website. I think you'll like it. I do.

 


Meet the designer: Wilson Folmar and his alluring cocktail dress December 17, 2013 14:36

ProminentDesigner M406

This cocktail dress, Prominent Designer M406, is one of the most beautiful of the early Sixties, in this blogger's most humble opinion. It's not designed by one of the biggies, but it is devastating in its cool sexiness. Here's a bit of info about the creator, Wilson Folmar, courtesy of the Vintage Fashion Guild:

• He was the head designer of the custom department at exclusive department store Jay – Thorpe from 1936 – 1956

• He designed for Ben Gam and Maurice Rentner in the 1950s.

• He became the designer for Edward Abbott in 1957.

• In 1964, he formed Wilson Folmar, Inc., which he owned. This company, which closed in 1972, made medium-to-high-priced cocktail and evening clothes.

So. There you have it. A little info, not a lot. And the debut of a new feature at The Blue Gardenia. Hope you enjoy it.

Don't miss our fabulous End-of-an-Era Sale. It's a great opportunity to snap up this amazing pattern at a discount.