A blog about vintage fashion, vintage jewels and art.....

Monday, February 28, 2011

Dori Csengeri in Paris

If you're in Paris during the coming days, you might be interested to attend the Dori Csengeri Fall-Winter 2011/2012 Preview
at
Première Classe Tuileries
Accessory Designers Trade Show
Jardin des Tuileries
Paris
The Show will be held between March 4 - 7, 2011.
View Dori Csengeri's newest designs on Stand A162.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Pink Rhinestones

Pink Rhinestones and goldtone form this staggering pin which is especially interesting for its original shape and design. It's presently looking for a new owner.......


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Mucha in Malta

 

I am so very excited.
Mucha,   is visiting my island in the Med and staying on exhibit from next Saturday February 26 up until May 15.
In Quest of Beauty is the title of this exclusive ehxibition which will be held at the Grand Salon of the National Museum of Archaeology in the capital city of Malta, Valletta.

You might perhaps still remember the four seasons hanging in your grandparent’s house, depicted as women draped in the most stylish of dresses and colours. The author of those works, Czech Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha, is widely known and appreciated by many as one of the world’s greatest decorative artists of his times. Paul Gaugin befriended him and stayed at his Parisian home, Auguste Rodin travelled with him and his creations for the famed actress Sarah Bernhardt transformed him into an overnight sensation in Paris.



Heritage Malta and the Mucha Foundation shall introduce this famed Czech artist to the Maltese public through a major exhibition featuring over 100 works. These include key pieces such as his first ever poster produced for Sarah Bernhardt and subsequent theatrical performances. Examples of applied artwork to go on display shall range from jewellery items to cigarette cards and packaging. The exhibition shall also include works featuring his female representations for which he is best known and a work by the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin presented to Mucha by the artist himself.

Born in a peripheral town of today’s Czech Republic, Mucha initially trained in Vienna as a theatre scene painter but his formal artistic training happened in Munich and Paris. During the early 1890s, Mucha enjoyed modest success as a book illustrator, but his first poster design in 1894 took Paris by storm. He instantly became one of the most sought after designers and his works representative of the new style; Art Nouveau. He worked mainly in Paris and the United States but was later to return to his homeland where he died in 1939 shortly after being interrogated by the Nazi occupying forces of Czechoslovakia.

Mucha’s style places a focus on the female figure in all its sensuality. She is oftentimes richly decorated with flowers and other motifs from nature; his sensual females became aesthetic pleasure. Indeed Mucha’s art communicates with wider audiences and beyond connoisseurs. His style changed in later years, mainly after returning to his homeland, and his pursuit of beauty evolved into a political quest best represented by The Slav Epic (1911-28) - a cycle of twenty large canvases depicting the history of the Czechs and the Slavs in general. Mucha also designed bank notes and other symbolic images for the new Czech Republic formed in 1918 after the end of World War I.
All information & images have been supplied by Heritage Malta.


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Frothy Pink

Frothy, pink, this nylon beauty straight out of the 1960s is a brand new, still with tag vintage beauty. It you're tempted, if you'd like to make it your own......
Check it out here

Monday, February 21, 2011

Pearls and pearly wisdom

I was recently asked to review one of Antoinette Matlins' latest books -
The Pearl Book - The Definitive Buying Guide, 4th Edition.
It was an especially interesting read, especially as Matlins takes readers through the history of the pearl and describes how and why it became such an important element in jewellery.
The book also includes chapters dedicated to expert advice on how to choose pearls, how to get the best value for your money, how to store pearls and how to care for them properly.
I especially enjoyed reading the chapter dedicated to what varied pearl experts have to say about their own experiences with pearls - how they got involved in dealing with pearls, or which was the most extraordinary pearl they ever saw.
The book includes several full colour images with exceptional pictures of some of the world's most beautiful pearls and some especially exciting jewellery designs including pearls of varied shapes, sizes and colours.
The Pearl Book by Antoinette Matlins, PG, is published by Gemstone Press.
For more information visit http://www.gemstonepress.com/

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Retro Love


Exactly one hour after this polka dot bangle went into my Etsy shop, somebody noticed it and it landed in a Treasury. Thanks Lanova Creations!.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Cupcakes and Jewels

Thought you might fancy a visit to this pretty new shop on Etsy - get in the mood for making cupcakes this weekend.....or simply choose to display your jewels in an original way.....



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Raindrops on Roses

My vintage buttons on Etsy are featured on this lovely new Etsy Treasury by ThreeChicksVintage. Check it out here...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Heavenly Dress

Over the past months I have been creating numerous Treasuries on Etsy and have had much fun discovering several new exciting sellers there. One of the FairyFiligree vintage dresses available in my Etsy shop made it into... wait for it.... some 6 Treasuries created by other Etsy sellers over a matter of days. The dress is surprisingly still available. Don't you think it's simply heavenly?




Sunday, February 13, 2011

I'm Back

'At the Sculpture Exhibition' - Lucien Metivet 1863-1930

FairyFiligree is officially back after a 3-month 'sabbatical'. I needed the break. The lack of feedback and response from followers had been getting me down but when I disappeared from the scene I repeatedly go the same question - why have you given it up? So many people encouraged me to take up this blog again that I decided to come back and start sharing beautiful stuff with you all once more.

So much has been going on. At the moment I am curating a collective exhibition of 63 artists here on the Mediterranean island where I live. The exhibition is welcoming 63 different works - one work from each artist and includes paintings, sculptures, mixed media artwork, jewellery..... This is the second of a series of exhibitons which I hold on an annual basis - the scope is to encourage new artists to exhibit their work alongside that of seasoned artists. All work is very low to moderately priced and this is an added challenge to artists - to produce art that does not cost a bomb to produce, but which is still exciting for somebody to take back home or to give away as a gift.

What do you think of the poster I am featuring with this post - incidentally my first post for 2011? It shows a front cover of the celebrated Parisian magazine called 'Le Rire', meaning laughter in French. The magazine was a humour magazine, much sought and therefore extremely successful between 1894 and the 1950s. The satire on this magazine was backed by drawings from some of the best artists of the era - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, one of my favourite artists is one of them.