February 3, 2005

• Here's the first of what I think will become a more or less regular Eye Candy feature - Pearlbamboo's vintage finds.  

  Today's features a mid-70's outfit from the British boutique designer, Gina Fratini. 

  Here's a link to her bio.

  www.designerhistory.com/historyofashion/fratini.html

  It's fashioned from rich ivory silk, with a silk lining, and covered with ruffled antique lace.  I love the satin ribbons on the cuff - the way they hang breaks up the lines of the outfit just enough to keep it interesting,. My friend Daniel thinks this is from her wedding dress line.

  There are some problems with it - the antique lace developed tiny holes when it was drycleaned, but they are right were the lace goes into the fabric and there is sooo much lace that they are hard to see. 

  There are a couple of cues to dating this. The first is the color of the writing on the label - mid to late 70's.  The other gigantic cue is the shape of the collar - an exaggerated version of a man's shirt collar.  You'll find this over and over again on  70's garments.  It's like a big neon sign flashing the date. 

  Fratini came to design through dance.  Her clothes are fluid, romantic, a little haute bohemian, and remind me of a very upmarket version of what Jessica McClintock was doing with Gunne Sax which every women over 50 must have met up with on one occasion or another. 

  Fratini, however, remained a boutique designer and didn't work towards high production levels of Gunne Sax.  This marvelous creation was sold in the US by Neimans.  It was a surprise to find anything by Fratini.  Thrilling, even.   

  She was a favorite of the late Princess Diana and at least one of her gowns appeared in Diana's charity auction of her gowns.  In fact, the very first dress was a wrap-around white silk chiffon evening dress by Fratini and it was knocked down for $75,000.  

  Other designers from the British boutique movement are Ossie Clark, Thea Porter, Zandra Rhodes, Jean Muir, Alice Pollack and Mary Quant.  

  Daniel loves this group of designers, as do I.   He has some nifty examples in his personal collection, part of which you can see on his ebay ME page  http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=mabverick 

  A little googling for "gina fratini"  will bring up a few more of her designs, including this marvel, which sold for some $4259 or so  www.pettipond.com/crin1987.jpg c.1987

  and this one, which really, really pleases girly die-hard romantic Pearlbamboo

  http://www.c20vintagefashion.co.uk/shopfront/item_06.html

  _06.htmlrses 

   Now, I'm off to work a little magic myself and see if I can't sell some clothes.

   

  pearlbamboo

  © including images  2005

  • 1:15 pm
  • 3 Comments