8.16.2011

Boom! Fashion Flashback.

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who left positive feedback about my opposition to personal style posts! Y'all are the best, and I may have conquered my fear through your encouragement. Now, moving on...

I have a fancy for old newspaper clippings. The older the paper, the better.

This infatuation started when I was child: during elementary school, for several years I lived in a house that was built in the 1920s. After checking for hornet nests, my dad would let me explore the attic. Whoever lived there before, quite possibly the original homeowners, left a slew of old veterinarian encyclopedias and newspapers. Having interest in a period of time I could never experience myself, I spent hours poring over the newspapers. Most of the clippings were probably meant to preserve someone's engagement/wedding/birth announcement. On the other side of such preservations was (mostly) early World War II coverage.

It gave me goosebumps.

I would think of the people, strangers to me, who had cut out the clipping. I also wondered the reason behind why they would keep such information.

I still don't have a reason for why people keep objects for pure sentimental value. I'll blame my grandmother for my own sentimentality, as she is who gave me this clipping:
My grandmother gave me this Daily Democrat clipping two years ago while I was on spring break in Davis, CA. My grandmother's house, which had been her home for over 40 years, was in escrow. I spent a good chunk of my visit helping her pack. My grandmother assigned me the task of sorting through photos and other keepsakes, throwing away what no longer was of interest. I put the newspaper clipping in a book, and only rediscovered it after a thorough cleaning of my apartment.

And this time, instead of just reading the clip and shutting the book closed, I decided to do a little research.

Through my research, I learned about fashion designer Tiziani. Originally from Jacksboro, TX, and named Evan Richards, Tiziani found himself in Italy as an opera singer. With a genuine interest in costume design, in 1963, Tiziani opened a shop in Rome. That same year, Karl Lagerfeld began working with Tiziani. After sketching 90 outfits with Lagerfeld, according to a 1969 article in the Shenectady Gazette, Tiziani borrowed Catherine the Great's jewels from Harry Winston and threw a three-night shindig to open his couture salon.

Elizabeth Taylor became a client of Tiziani in 1966, and "Tiziani of Rome" costumes were featured in Taylor's films Boom! and The Comedians. According to Vicky Tiel in her book It's All About the Dress, upon being asked, Ms. Taylor did not offer backing for Tiziani's company.
Liz Taylor, in Tiziani, and Noel Coward in Boom! (That headdress!)

Lagerfeld left the company in 1969, and was replaced by Guy Douvier. Shortly after, Tiziani began offering ready-to-wear garments.

Tiziani's flared evening dress on the cover of Vogue in 1968.

I can't find anything on the Internet about what happened to Tiziani in the 1970s and beyond, but I did learn through a Google search that Evan (Buddy) Richards died in November of 1994. He was 70.

Have you ever found a newspaper clipping that made you curious enough to Google?

You can view the Schenectady Gazette article here; it is in PDF format.
If you love vintage Vogue magazines, you can peruse and purchase them here.
Boom! image credit: Universal Pictures, via IMDB.

20 comments:

  1. I love vintage covers!

    http://www.ohmydior.org/

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  2. Wow these old newspaper posts are absolutely fascinating!! I love such vintage treasures...

    xo
    Rachel

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  3. Hadn't even heard of him ... I haven't been intrigued by something so much to google it ... Yet! :)

    ♡ from © tanvii.com

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  4. That old clipping is wonderful - what a cool treasure!

    xoxo ~ Courtney
    http://sartorialsidelines.com

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  5. A really interesting post, which I enjoyed reading. I used to collect Vogue magazines in the 70s and have now passed them to my elder daughter. I just loved to gaze at those designer clothes and to be inspired to make my own.

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  6. Awesome post!
    Love these vintage pics!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  7. really inspirational post! thanks for the comment!

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  8. Amazin old fashioned covers!
    Your post is so interesting, a very good job!
    xoxo
    S
    http://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com

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  9. wow, I love to read about fashion history! thanks for putting this on here. and I can't get enough of those authentic vintage fashion photos. thanks for your comment!


    The House of Shoes

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  10. I love blog posts where I learn something. I can honestly say that I have learned something from reading your blog today.
    P.S. That magazine cover is gorgeous!

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

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  11. Wow, such a beautiful pictures.. I also love old newspapers, but unfortunately, I don't have an old attic to explore :)

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  12. I too adore old newspaper clippings - they always bring such glamour into the present! :)

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  13. I totally love the eyelashes amazing!

    http://www.ohmydior.org/

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  14. this is all so gorgeous! that's weird, i was born nov 1994 :/

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  15. I kind of know what you mean about saving things like newspaper clippings. Often they are banished in a box never to be seen again but for a stranger to come across something like that, it makes you so curious doesn't it?

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  16. oh man, that's so very cool! i did save a newspaper from the day my eldest daughter was born. would love to read one from the year i was born too! but history interests me so i can see why you were motivated to google stuff!

    spinning-threads.blogspot.com

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  17. Yes -- all the time! It can be so much fun and a great way to learn new information. You never know where research will take you! xo style, she wrote

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  18. Hope you have a wonderful week!

    http://www.ohmydior.org/

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  19. That Vogue cover is just beautiful. So, too is Liz Taylor. :)SArahD

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  20. Hey, Chelsea, you've just contributed some research to my PhD dissertation on the films of Joseph Losey. Thank you!

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