The Big Chill

In any discussion of movie trivia, if you say The Big Chill, everyone will say 'that's the movie where Kevin Costner is listed in the credits, and he's the lynchpin of the movie, but all of his speaking parts are edited out, and his only appearances on screen are as a faceless body at a funeral home.'

Imagine getting a plum role in a great movie, and doing all that work only to have your friends say afterward 'Hey, I thought you said you were in that.'

That's kind of how we felt this week when we were told our March photo shoot for a new mobile app had been shelved, probably for good.

But we didn't know that then, and had a great time the day of our adventure. Here, Jean made her entrance with her bag of tricks. We each brought a bunch of goodies with us so we'd be prepared for everything, just like the boy scouts.

First things first. As soon as you walked in the door, there was food. And really tasty, healthy food! No dried out chicken sandwiches here!

In the vast loft space, nothing was walled off. This was the wardrobe section. The ad for the mobile app (which we were told would probably be shown only on the internet), was designed to prove that all types of people could use the new app. We were hired as the 'fashionista' type, so we picked from among our own favorite clothes, and Wardrobe pronounced us ready to go as we were.

Wardrobe was prepared for everything. On this table was a wide array of accessories.

Here you see a rose and a pair of wings, which will show up later.

Here's the photography section. To the left was the seamless white paper for the shoot; to the right, the lighting umbrella, and in the center a computer display of the latest shots.

These are the two techies who handled everything and helped make the shoot run smoothly.























Valerie posed with stylist Tamara Cepeda and another of the crack crew. Tamara also had blue-green hair under her green hat. Everyone -- staff and models alike -- was nice and calm, and lovely to work with. And everything ran like clockwork.































Hair artist Wesley O'Meara, hair assistant Kristian Bankston, makeup artist Sara Glick and makeup assistant Ai Yokomizo comprised the beauty staff which made everyone look glamorous. They took one look at us and pronounced that we didn't need anything. We chose to take that as a compliment, implying we looked fabulous -- rather than that we were beyond help!




In one corner a ping pong table had been set up so people could amuse themselves while waiting to play their parts.

Producer Kalena Yiaueki and wardrobe stylist Tamara Cepeda flank the man in the burnoose, one of the many 'types'. Later, make-up would add a mustache.






















This woman played the 'dominatrix' type. She had a spiked collar, black garter belt, fishnet stockings and leather whip. Valerie helped her get into the spirit of her role.

This woman was the 'athletic' type. Obviously!

Doesn't this young model have a definite "Natalie Portman in braids" vibe? She played the hipster chick.





This model nailed the sweet young thing look.


































This cherubic angel of love had little red feathered wings (see?  we told you you'd see them again!) and a tiny red velvet bow and arrow. He gripped a long stemmed red rose between his teeth.


































We got to talk with some of the other models while waiting our turn. Mike told us that he got this job because a scout had approached him on the street and asked if he would like to participate in the shoot. So maybe it's true about Lana Turner being discovered at Schwab's Drug Store!






















Penny the puppy was also on the official list of types. Jean makes a new friend as Penny luxuriates in the arms of her companion person, Kalena.

And the role of Baby was played by -- this adorable infant!


































We were surprised to discover that we were to be paired with the baby (whose dad is the app's inventor). The heater, which would have been cropped out of the final photo, was to keep the baby warm, since he was only in his diaper. We were photographed all sorts of ways - standing, sitting, crouching, facing the camera, facing the baby, holding the baby. He was a natural, and smiled or laughed the whole time.

Our turn to show up on the computer. Main shot in the center, detail top left, a selection of other shots along the right.

And that was it! We'd been signed for five hours, but were called early on in the process, so we were probably only at the studio for about two hours, and were allowed to leave. What a great assignment!

After we finished the shoot, we hit the subway platform where we spotted Lily walking just in front of us, and were awestruck. We gathered the courage to ask to photograph her. Then we got to talking, and discovered that beautiful Lily is a fellow blogger - she writes Le Report - and that she recognized us. She also asked to take our picture. A wonderfully accommodating (and highly amused) gent on the platform gladly obliged, taking this picture of all three of us.








We first saw Lily's stunning ensemble from behind, as she overtook us in the subway. Here's a recreation of what we saw. It's all Comme des Garcons, she told us. Lily was shortly on her way to Beijing, where her husband will be working for the next few years. Meeting her made a fabulous ending to the fabulous day.

So we ended up on the cutting room floor, just like Kevin Costner in The Big Chill. (To be clear, everyone was cut - the whole project was shelved.) But director Lawrence Kasden made it up to Kevin by giving him the starring role in Silverado. Costner went on to star in  Bull Durham and The Untouchables and Dances with Wolves, and win two Academy Awards. So, ever the optimists, we're taking this as a really good omen.

LOOK

We can't wait to get our copies of LOOK magazine in the mail because we're in it!






















And so are our friends Judith Boyd (also known as The Style Crone), Lynn Dell (the Countess of Glamour) and Tziporah Salamon. The only person we haven't yet met is Linda Rodin, and we hope to rectify that before too long. In addition to coverage in LOOK ("Britain's Best Selling Fashion Magazine"), the other thing we all have in common is our various appearances in Ari Seth Cohen's Advanced Style, which LOOK celebrates for spotlighting the eclectic styles of older women everywhere.






















We had to laugh at the variety of clever names LOOK came up with to describe our group. (We know from experience that this is hard to do.) The article itself is called Meet the Pensionistas. We're also referred to as senior stylistas and chic grannies. We were stumped when we read expertly dressed OAPs, though. We know to say 'boot' instead of 'trunk', 'flat' instead of 'apartment', and 'fizzy drink' instead of 'soda', but we had to look up OAP, which it turns out, is short for Old Age Pensioner. How times have changed. If Sunset Boulevard were going to be filmed today, Gloria Swanson would be considered much too young for the part at 50.

(And what we really want to find out when we get our hard copy, although we're too embarrassed to say it, is whether the Duchess of Cambridge is also in this issue. It's the print version of Six Degrees of Separation!) Click on the photos to enlarge.  Don't have glasses strong enough for this fine print?  Here's the full text of the article:

Street-style snapper Ari Seth Cohen’s been snapping chic silver-haired and red-rinsed older ladies since 2008 for his 50,000-hits-a-day blog, Advancedstyle.blogspot.com. His subjects – chic grannies and expertly dressed OAPs – are all part of a new movement of senior stylistas that’s storming NYC.

“My project isn’t just about being beautiful or fashionable,” Cohen says. “It’s about spirit. I wanted to create something positive and inspiring and to show younger women that they don’t have to be afraid of getting older.”

Fast-forward five years and these advanced stylistas have become minor fashion celebrities, topping best-dressed lists and showing off their frequently repinned outfits all over Pinterest. All now have their own street-style blogs dedicated to older women, like Stylecrone.com, run by 70-year-old Judith Boyd.

“Ari was part of the reason I launched my blog,” she says. “I was inspired by his photos and stories of magnificent older women who express themselves through style. Ari has started a movement encouraging older people to remain visible, contrary to cultural norms. I now have role models who are vibrant, self-confident and creative and live their lives to the fullest, even

at the age of 100. This facilitates a sense of freedom and decreases the fear of ageing, which I believe improves health and the quality of life.”

And who’s taking the photographs  for her? “My husband Nelson was my photographer until his death two years ago. Since then, my daughter Camille and, for the past year, my dear friend Diana, who I’ve known since the ’70s! My ultimate style advice? Have fun and express yourself. It’s not life or death and you can always change your outfit if it doesn’t please you. Creativity is life enhancing!”

Alongside Judith, there’s the poodle-walking New Yorker Linda Rodin, 65, a former fashion editor, boutique owner and now founder of beauty line Rodin Olio Lusso. Linda syas: “When I was 18, I moved to Rome, modelled there and met Twiggy. My clothes were wonderful – micro mini-skirts, very high over-the-knee flat leather boots and maxi coats! So much fun! My style staple now is a great handbag. My latest is a small Marni one.”

The turban-topped Lynn Dell, 80, a fabulous Manhattanite and owner of Upper East Side boutique Off Broadway, is so popular she’s known as the “Countess Of Glam”. Her motto? “Dress for yourself. If you are happy, you will make the world happy.”

Then there’s the outrageous Valerie and Jean (ages undisclosed!), dressing in their coordinating ensembles. At first glance you’d think they’re sisters, but they’re just good pals. They met when Valerie saw Jean wearing a fabulous hat and invited her to her museum show, then started blogging when people started stopping them and telling them how great they looked. “We’re not the old ladies, or the old bags, or the frumpies,” they say, hence the name of their blog, Idiosyncraticfashionistas. blogspot.com. “We embrace our grey hair while sharing the playground nicely with our younger siblings.”

Tziporah Salamon, 63, a former stylist, fashion consultant and performance artist, landed the best fashion gig going following her Advancedstyleblogspot.com debut, when Lanvin approached her for a campaign. “In my twenties, I’d never have realised I could do something like this,” she says. “It wasn’t until my forties that I began to see my beauty. How ironic that I’m having my big break as a model in my sixties?” Named one of the 50 Most Stylish New Yorkers by Time Out, the outfits on her site Tziporahsalamon.com are always well worth a drool!

Judith of Stylecrone.com concludes: “I consider the women of Advancedstyleblogspot.com my friends.  I find them interesting, courageous, creative, bright, kind, witty, empathetic and talented.  It’s fun and inspiring to spend time with women who have similar interests and enjoy life and all of its gifts.”

Hear, hear.  Now, what we want to know is where the heck is our very own British sisterhood of Pensionistas?

Punk: Chaos to Couture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Last week we had a rare treat and privilege when we attended the press preview of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new blockbuster show: Punk: Chaos to Couture. For an hour, members of the press, dazzled, delighted, and sometimes puzzled, wandered through the exhibition taking pictures of the mannequins and each other. After we'd whetted our appetites with the visual feast, we gathered in the sunny atrium on the first floor for a reception and press conference.
















Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue magazine was front and center in the first row. Her honey-colored bob was unmistakable. Both she personally and her employer Conde Nast are major supporters of the Costume Institute and are instrumental in the success of this fundraising effort.
































In the 1970s, Punk was so much more than a fashion statement. In Britain, it was a reaction to sky-high unemployment, to the Thatcher administration's closing of the mines, and to the pervasive feeling of hopelessness. Andrew Bolton, the British curator of the show, talked about how that political tinderbox could never be recreated today, although the fashions could be referenced and reworked.






















An event of this size attracts everyone in the fashion world. (Eagle-eyed readers may already have spotted Rose Hartman in the opening photo. We frame her face between us, totally by accident. In case you don't know who Rose Hartman is, you should take a look at her website. The home page features the iconic photo of Bianca Jagger astride a white horse in Studio 54. Yes, Rose took that.) Among many others, we saw Suzy Menkes, head fashion reporter and editor of the International Herald Tribune, a fixture at these events. Her hairdo is her signature.
























We were amazed to see Mauricio and Roger Padhilha again, whom we'd met at FIT at their presentation on their book about fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez. They thanked us for our blog posting about the event. They have loaned a Stephen Sprouse outfit to the show (scroll down for that) and were excited about viewing the display.

































We ran into our friend Sandy Long and her friend, a reporter from Palm Beach.


































At the end of the reception, Anna Wintour and Riccardo Tisci, designer for House of Givenchy and co-chair of the gala, walked up the aisle past us. Although she was moving too quickly for us to get a good shot, she did say "Hi" to us. (She had to be speaking to us. Since we were in the last row, there wasn't anyone behind us.)






















Riccardo Ticci returned to the atrium for press interviews and greeted style icon Zandra Rhodes. Ms. Rhodes was honored at the exhibition because she was the first designer to incorporate the punk aesthetic into a couture collection. Two of her pieces from that show were in the exhibition.






















Besides trading thoughts on the show, Jean and Zandra chatted about Advanced Style (all three of us have been featured), about the positive qualities of black nails, and about how hard it is to wear high heels. When we admired her red, peep-toed skyscraper shoes, Zandra confessed that she carried a big bag in which to stow her heels after she switched into flats.


































Here's a closeup of her necklaces. We figure she handpainted at least the one with her signature squiggles on it.











When Jean asked to photograph her rings and manicure, Zandra grabbed Jean's coat to provide a black background for the shot. The mark of a professional is thinking of everything, down to the smallest details.


















We also met Donna Dove, a very stylish FIT alumna.


































And we were introduced to Hanne, originally from the Netherlands, who was sporting a wonderful pair of leather trousers and a veiled hat.























We had some time to spare, so we went back to have a second look at the exhibition. The rooms thronged with people the full three hours we were there. We took a lot of pictures, but first we thought you might enjoy some of the photos from the press kit, taken when there was nobody there - before the labels had even been installed - so you could get a better feel for the rooms and the layout.

Here's the entryway. The video on the wall depicts a Sex Pistols video.








Because New York's CBGB's is so inextricably tied to the punk movement, the Metropolitan rigged up this faithful recreation of the club's men's bathroom, decorated in deepest punk.

In the same vein but on the other side of the pond, the London shop Seditionaries, brainchild of Vivienne Westwood and the late Malcolm McLaren (also manager of the Sex Pistols) is recreated here in what the Museum calls, tongue-in-cheek, The King's Road Period Room.











This long hallway, lined with a variety of designers' interpretations of punk and presided over here by Sid Vicious, begins with the punk dress seen round the world at front left. This Gianni Versace creation, worn by Elizabeth Hurley when she accompanied Hugh Grant to the opening of Four Weddings and a Funeral, is said to have launched Hurley's modeling career.


















These paint-spattered gowns are Dolce & Gabbana designs.















The blackened walls look like a cross between a church and a blast furnace.


















These post-punk designs were placed in front of neon lighting with a punk rallying cry.





This "God Save The Queen" shirt is one of the singular examples of punk clothing. Designed by British designers Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, and Jamie Reid, the cotton muslin shirt has become iconic.
































In front of a recreation of her original shop, Vivienne Westwood's image in the "God Save The Queen" shirt flashed on the black and white television set.
















This "Tits" tee-shirt is an example from Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's Seditionaries collections from 1976-1980.































Mindful that we often forget to photograph ourselves, this time we imposed on a passerby and posed in front of a lineup of punk tee-shirts.



































Examples of the colorful plaid and knit clothing designed by Westwood and McLaren.


































Footage of Johnny Rotten of "The Sex Pistols" played on a big screen at one end of the main gallery.


































This House of Givenchy outfit by Riccardo Ticci from 2009-2010 definitely shows its punk, British influences. At the press conference, it was noted that punk has been the longest lasting and most widely dispersed fashion trend ever.




































A closeup of the ivory cashmere felt jacket with gold metal studs, silver crystals with gold metal studded chain, simultaneously highlighting and inverting punk principles.






















Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons' Spring/Summer 2013 collection.



































White platform oxfords from Comme des Garçons.
























Valerie is in silhouette in front of the image of Sid Vicious of "The Sex Pistols". (If you look closely, you can see the outline of her squid earrings.)


































Menswear designer Thom Browne, newly-famous famous for Michelle Obama's 2013 inaugural parade outfit, takes a turn at a punk look.


































Hamish Bowles from Vogue was interviewed in the main gallery of the exhibition.






















Perhaps one of our favorites was this safety pin dress and gloves from Moschino's Autumn/Winter 2009-20010 collection.

The dress featured black Swiss dot tulle embroidered with silver metal safety pins, crystal beds and faceted rings.






















The safety pins at the wrist and nails are wonderfully unexpected accents.























This Ann Demeulemeester dress from Spring/Summer 2000 is made of white cotton and silk knit with black silk tulle embroidered with lack seed-bead test from Patti Smith's "Woolgathering": "He did turn to wave as I ran and his open eyes caught mine."


















We love how the handles of the plastic bags are used on this body suit made of white plastic bags.


































This Stephen Sprouse circa 1983 dress was loaned for the show by Mauricio and Roger Padilha. The sheath dress is made of red silk organdy with black graffiti motifs embroidered with clear sequins. The stockings are red nylon knit printed with black graffiti.


































This Vivienne Westwood creation from her Spring/Summer 2006 collection is surprisingly topical. It features a white cotton teeshirt printed with a red heart and black text saying "I AM NOT A TERRORIST. Please don't arrest me."


































This Rodarte dress from a recent 2009-2010 collection harkens back to a punk vibe.


































This is the first full room after the CBGB re-creation grabs your attention.



Everybody gets into the act, even the designers you least expect. This is a recent Calvin Klein creation, in what appears to be industrial felt, and a close-up of the material.




We loved the Garth Pugh variety of trash bag dresses. In the background at the left are two Moschino trash bag dresses.



Here is a close-up of one of the Gareth Pugh dresses. This would have been very labor intensive, but the visual effect is wonderful.




Here is a close-up of one of the Moschino dresses. The message - or one of the messages - seems to be that any material can be made to be interesting and chic.



Three Alexander McQueen creations. Based on bubble wrap and trash bags, they are actually made of silk and synthetic fiber.




Vivienne Westwood does a wonderful gown in random fonts that calls to mind the Sex Pistols' album NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE'S THE SEX PISTOLS.



This Westwood creation is a textile version of graffiti.



As are these Westwood boots.



While Jean and Valerie go through their polka dot phase, it's impossible for us not to take an interest in this Yohji Yamamoto creation with the punk version of polka dots. Some are holes, some are leather add-ons.



We have to end the same way the exhibition ended, with this Margiela creation on a mannequin giving the punk salute. Don't be offended - we weren't!



Our advice: go! And dress for the occasion. Rip your shirt!

Valerie is wearing: red hat of woven paper by United Nude, beaded squid earrings by Nepinka (Etsy), unlabeled bolero jacket, faux graffiti, faux punk tee shirt by H&M, Comme des Garcons pants, Nicole shoes.

Jean is wearing: black cotton turban by Amy Downs; Eileen Fisher harem pants; Kyodan jacket; black and white creepers from Trash and Vaudeville; charm necklace; silver plated safety pin bracelet circa 1983; Creepsville skull bracelet from Trash and Vaudeville; skull earrings from street vendor; red leather cross-body bag; Junya Wantanabe for Comme des Garcons for Puma coat.