Our Collab with Morphew Concept

We were thrilled when morphewconcept.com approached us about curating our own Idiosyncratic Fashionistas collection of items from its vast selection of high end vintage clothing.  Click here to view the fascinating items of clothing we've selected, which appear under the MORPHERS section of ts website.  Read on to learn more about Morphew itself and about our amazing experience getting to go through racks and racks of clothing we've only dreamed about!

morphewconcept.com is a luxury online retail platform with a coterie of insiders from across the globe who source rare and inspired pieces from designs' past.  Previously available exclusively to fashion designers and stylists, Morphew is now sharing its amazing collection with the world.  For our far-flung readers, they have a terrific online shop which shows multiple shots of the same items from different angles with a closeup zoom in feature.

We wanted to give you a little backstory on the items we've chosen.

Channeling her inner Sue Kreitsman, Jean selected not one, but two vintage 1920s kimonos which would add a touch of glamour to any outfit. This is the shorter of the two. Click on the Morphew link above to see multiple views of each of our selections.

Valerie zeroed in on this Yves Saint Laurent yellow linen jacket with contrasting black linen tape that reminded her of pencil shavings and graffiti.  And you should see the tapered back!  (Have a look - it's on the website.)

Jean salivated at the chance to pick this wonderful 1970s Norma Kamali jumpsuit, only to learn that Valerie once owned one just like it in red suede. What can we say? When you've got taste, you've got ... taste! (No wonder we get along so well. We were probably each other in another incarnation.)

Stephen Burrows is hard to come by, so when Valerie saw this gorgeous red silk Burrows gown, she jumped at it.

If you've noticed a trend emerging in Jean's wardrobe involving jumpsuits, you are on the money.  Her preference spilled over big time into our curated selections. Check out this tailored black and charcoal striped wool 1980s jumpsuit by Issey Miyake!

Continuing on the theme of black, with contrast, Valerie chose this  black and white dress with dolman sleeves that looked sort of like someone had painted it, and sort of like someone had gone wild with a black crayon.

The beauty of Morphew's vast selection is that you can find so many variations on a theme. Take for example this white cotton minimalist jumpsuit which Jean thought looked very Japanese.

Another find was this Zandra Rhodes hand beaded silk chiffon dress.  Valerie has always wanted to own a Zandra Rhodes, so she grabbed this.  Zandra is famous for her surface details.  Take a close look at the wonderful designs on this dress.

Leave it to the French! Thierry Mugler's 1980s jumpsuit has a totally different vibe. Jean fantasized about wearing it out to dinner circa 1986 at her old hangouts like Cafe Seiyoken or The Odeon.

Morphew also has a large selection of clothing that (GASP!) predates us!  These were so easy to find when we were young, and now they're just about impossible, so Valerie loved finding this red silk dress with green velvet applique.  LOVE the very feminine floaty sleeves, and the way the yellow hue in the green plays so well with the yellow hue in the red.  You can imagine Carmen Miranda wearing this dress, with a marvelous turban in complementary colors.

In addition to rompers and jumpsuits, Jean did pick a few separates to round out her selections, focusing on items she'd like to buy and wear herself.  prime example is this black Marithe & Francois Girbaud skirt that would work nicely with a zillion pieces in her current wardrobe.

And maybe to go with that, this fabulous Comme des Garcons deconstructed jacket, which can be worn half a dozen different ways. Valerie loved the juxtaposition of the shades of gray.

Another of Jean's favorite silhouettes is that of the harem pant. She went a little outside her comfort zone in picking something with color! These 1970s print chiffon harem pants are a terrific look.

Here's another Issey Miyake (surprise!!).   LOTS of great detailing, with diagonal ruching, for the fitted look, and an asymmetrical hem.  Valerie was hooked when she read the caption for it: "a killer gown for the not so lady-like lady".

An unusual choice for Jean, this vintage print dress (in the same color family as the harem pants) just spoke to her. We think it would flatter women of any age and most body types.

Valerie loved this black Kenzo dress with floral designs.   (We do seem to be skewing toward a Japanese aesthetic, don't we?)  Look at the tapered waist and flaring hem of the top.  Swoooooon.  Very reminiscent of Saint Laurent's revival of the Ballet Russes look.  (And don't you just love the red sandals they paired it with?)

This Todd Oldham jacket has the most flattering cut-outs around the waist. Although he is no longer designing clothes, via the Todd Oldham Studio, Todd is now into product and furniture design.

So those are some of our choices!  Take a look at the Morphew Concept website yourself.  You might find the one that got away, the one that was a smash before you were born, or the one you didn't know even existed, and now can't live without!