Dior / YSL

              photos from the NGV via gala darling

      Christian Dior 1954 Zelie cocktail dress and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche c.1972 Le Smoking.

lichen

From Ernst Haeckel's ''Kunstformen der Natur," 1904.

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a fungus and an algae, living together in a symbiotic relationship. The algae is the photosynthetic partner, while the fungus provides physical protection and the chemical products that provide a vast array of colorants. 

Historically, lichens were important dyestuffs, the two most important being orchil and crottle lichens.

Orchils produce violet dyes and were used in ancient Rome to dye silk and wool as an imitator of Tyrian purple, as well as, used in combination with indigo and woad to economize the valuable and scarce Tyrian purple.

Crottles produce russet, brown and orange dyes and are colorfast. They are found on the rocks in the costal areas of Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides. Historically, they have been used in the production of Irish and Scottish tweeds and up until the 1970s were still being used in Donegal and Connemara.

Pretty Greta. 

trapunto

Images from the  Victoria & Albert Museum

Trapunto is a 15th century Sicilian raised quilting technique. Above is the most amazing use of it E-V-E-R. 

The Skeleton Dress by Elsa Schiaparelli, designed with Salvador Dali, from her 1938 Circus Collection.

**I'm really looking forward to the Schiaparelli and Prada exhibition at the Met opening tomorrow May 10th.**

autumn

Japanese woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Love her kasuri yukata.