………………..BIG FACETED JEWELS were used to embroider these wool crepe skirts in the colors of the collection……………RED, HOT PINK and KELLY GREEN…..They were paired with sweater tops in matching colors………….These skirts were all about FUN, and yes….they were comfortable to sit in!!!….LOL
……………….I have always loved the look of sequin dresses from the very first time this 18 year old boy walked into the showroom of Norman Norell……I was ushered into the showroom by a man named Max Bernigner. He was a tall, blond, distinguished, perfectly dressed man….who ran the Norman Norell Company…..It was Mr. Berniger that my Uncle Paul had spoken to to get me this summer internship…..The very first thing I saw when I went into this beautiful showroom in 550 7th Ave on the 15th floor was a golden rack…On this rack, spaced out evenly , were six short dresses all of the same design. They had spaghetti straps and were chemise shaped. At the bottom was a flounce about 10 to 12 inches with a large flower….sort of “Flapper” dresses. Each dress was totally covered in different color sequins….flower and all. They were amazing. From that moment on I was dazzled by the look of sequins. Mr. Norell was famous for his hand sequined dresses, and to this day they are still copied. When ever you see a long chemise dress with a band collar totally sequined it was Norell inspired……..Above……SIMPLE SHAPES paved in the tinniest of hand sewn sequins. A RED Chemise and an ACID GREEN A-Line dress. The red dress, according to my look book, was approximately $2,595.00, and the acid green dress was approximately $3415.00, and that was 30 years ago!….Remember these were all hand sewn sequins on silk…..Jac wore both of these beauties to fabulous Black Tie Christmas parties, and Charity events…………..They were perfect for Jac’s style……elegantly simple.
………………….London……what a fantastic city! Jac and I had traveled all over the world, but we rarely went to London. 90% of our travel was business related. Jac’s modeling brought her all over Europe and the Far East, but she didn’t often do the shows in London. Armani, for years booked her to come to Italy to do the “looks” on her before his show, and that conflicted with the shows in London. So she went to Italy and then on to Paris. I really never had any reason to go to London other than to shop, but I did that in Italy and Paris when I was there working. All of my work brought me to Italy, Paris and Germany……..However, QVC London brought us both to London to do the show. We decided to go a few days earlier and stayed a few days afterward so we could see shows and be regular tourists…..The top 3 photos at the right are the models room and a work area at the QVC studio. It was very small…….We stayed at the Dorchester Hotel which is a beautiful hotel. Jac had know that this was Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s favorite hotel. She was in love with them since she was a young girl, and would go to the 5 & 10 store to see if they were on the cover of any magazines. Since it was the period of the making of Cleopatra, they were on every cover….The Dorchester, Hotel Eden, Principe di Savoia and the Beverly Hills Hotel were bought by the Brunei Investment Agency, a huge middle eastern company. They have redone many of the rooms. For me much of the charm was lost and a much flashier style has taken its’place……too bad……I loved everything about London. The fact the the buildings are relatively low and you can see the sky gave me the feeling of a town not a big city…..The combination of the modern and the historic buildings is a fantasy…….The theater in London is fabulous, and the variety of restaurants is simply wonderful. The stores are world renown, and we went to them all……..There was so much to see and do a week was not enough!
………………….We went to the museums the cathedrals, and spent a day at Hampton’s Court, one of Henry the 8ths domiciles. We took a boat ride on the River Thames to The Tower of London where the royal jewels are kept….This is a must see…….We went to see four shows…..Ghost….Hay Fever……39 Steps, and the long running Mousetrap….all of them wonderful……..It was a trip to remember………great memories.
……………….Sometimes COLOR is all you need to make a BOLD STATEMENT………To the left the RED CLOQUE suit with matching tights and pumps, and red drop earrings. To the right the RED and HOT PINK Silk Cady dress with the huge cluster jewel buttons which were made for me by my jewelry company. Again, with the matching red tights, pumps and cluster earrings.