Do you remember the first time you watched a Classic Hollywood film? Or perhaps it was the first time you stumbled upon a picture of your grandmother wearing the most amazing gown on her way to a party in the 50s? I remember both. My first encounter with the Glory Days of Hollywood was through Otto Preminger’s Laura, a 1944 film noir starring the absolutely stunning Gene Tierney. I was perhaps 12 or 13 at the time and I remember the day I saw it so vividly. It was about this time of the year, I was done with school for the Summer and as I hunted for a little cool I ended up in a tiny repertory cinema by the Champs Elysées. Laura was showing and I left head over heels in love with Gene Tierney’s wardrobe. After that, I would spend entire afternoons in vintage shops (there weren’t that many good ones in Paris at that time – at least none that the 13 yo me knew of) trying to find dresses that would help me own a little bit of that silver screen magic.
Then there was my grandmother, who seemed to have mastered the perfect balance between tomboy by day and femme fatale by night. Her outfits from the 50s were beyond my wildest dreams, in every photo, she looks like a movie star. These are the things that triggered my interest for vintage fashion. I wanted to be transported back to these times where dresses were works of art, mountains of silk and taffetas, sculpted around the female form and designed to make women feel like princesses.
When I visited the gorgeous WilliamVintage Pop-Up Store in Selfridges yesterday, I had this feeling again. I was both a little girl dreaming of princesses and a fashion lover humbled by the beauty of cuts and fabrics. The collection includes some of the finest vintage couture pieces from Balanciaga, Madame Grès, Givenchy, Lanvin, Dior and more. The WilliamVintage space is nestled between Chanel and Lanvin on the second floor of the department store.
Traduction – WilliamVintage présente sa collection de robes de haute couture dans son espace temporaire au coeur de Selfridges.