Full Moon

The moon tonight is full and spectacular. I am fortunate to have a view of the San Francisco Bay out my kitchen window. I was gazing out with a cup of rose petal tea, watching the moon reflect on the rippling water, I noticed my neighbor walking to her car in a mini skirt and high boots. Just as she reached car, she tripped, and threw out her hand to the car for support. For some reason, I thought of Sarah Moon.
Sarah Moon, born Marielle Hadengue in London around 1940 is world famous from her work for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. I imagine she chose Sarah, the biblical matriarch, wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac, and Moon for the lunar qualities that she soon began to reflect in her photography.

She started as a fashion model, but her passion was always behind the camera. She prefers to work in black and white, and sepia but often shoots in color film for commercial assignments. Her photos capture moments of intense emotion. Not unlike the one I had just witnessed, but was not equipped to capture.

Hello Swankies!

Welcome to SwankVintage’s blog.

It always amazes me how many people are interested in my business. If you don’t know SwankVintage.com, I am a purveyor of fine vintage clothing. It always seems when I am at a party or in a large group of people, I tend to gather a crowd with my thoughts and stories about vintage couture. These conversations generally end up with someone saying “you really should have a blog.”

I always thought about blogging, but I resisted. Then I found this advertisement, and bing! I was inspired.

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It was in a magazine from 1956. ” A superb creation for salads in the continental style”. Somehow, I can’t see Madam Schiaparelli getting that excited about Kraft Italian, but really, it makes total sense. A couturier who dressed the best “admiring” a bottle of salad dressing is absurd, but a smart business woman taking advantage of a chance to promote her fashions, and herself is quite understandable. I see this less as her way of saying, I like pre-made food, and more that she was showing the world she was into innovation and modern living. Would Elsa have blogged? I think she would have, so I figure, why not. It could be fun for me, and perhaps entertaining for some readers out there too.