Summer was made for trying new things. For us, of course, that means trying new old things. The paper mache duck boy in this week’s fresh to market vintage reminded us of making paper mache school projects. Volcanos were a classic motif, if we remember correctly. And then we realized that the current generation might be living lives void of the joy of paper mache.
Paper mache isn’t a new craft. The roots stretch back to 200 CE China. More recently, it was a popular art form during the Victorian era, and again in the 1960s and 70s because Pop artists started using it. “Cartoneria” decor pieces from Mexico were desireable bohemian decor during that era (and they are excellent vintage to source now). Paper mache was an unofficial rite of passage in schools during the 1970s. And it was again revived in the Y2k era as an eco-friendly craft, since it can be made with recycled paper.
We’re not suggesting that your first attempts will be as pretty and polished as the duck boy, but we are suggesting that you schedule in a little paper mache play this summer. It’s squishy and messy and very liberating. There are links at the bottom to get you started.
Now, on with this week’s fresh to market vintage lineup.
Rhinestone Bar Brooch
Bar brooches were popular in the Victorian and Edwardian periods. They are simple in design and not meant to be ostentatious, often featuring just a row of gemstones set on a clasp. This brooch features two larger emerald-cut center stones with four smaller stones on either side. Just enough bling to add to a summer floppy hat or lightweight scarf. As the weather cools down, it would look just as fetching on a jacket lapel.
Emerald Cut Rhinestone Bar Brooch, $15.95
Pam, Vintage Renude
Folk Art Paper Mache Nodder c 2002
Offering a charming piece of American folk art in the form of a hand-made papier-mache figurine of a gold-bodied duck boy wearing a billed cap and carrying a little sailboat flying an American flag. Arms are jointed to move and the head bobbles on a spring. Signed “BU on one foot and dated 2002.
Vintage Duck Boy and His Boat Figurine, $35
Lindae, Selective Salvage
1985 Super Bowl Program
There’s only so much World Cup futbol left, and there will not be any NFL football until Wednesday, September 9. This Super Bowl XX program would give off-season sustenance to anyone who collects New England Patriots or da Bears ephemera. But what really makes it awesome are the ads. Show a young Madden player who Madden was. And get down to a classic by the legendary world’s greated bar band, NRBQ, RC Cola and a Moon Pie.
Official 1985 Super Bowl XX Game Program, $20.
Laurie, NextStage Vintage
1970s Strapless Bill Blass Swimsuit
This vintage Bill Blass swimsuit will make a statement on the beach in Monaco or at the swimming pond in town.
Blass was a fashion design icon, famous for dressing three first ladies – Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Jacqueline Kennedy. It was a long climb to icon status, starting at age 15 when he sold his first evening gown sketches to a New York manufacturer. By 17, he had earned enough to move to New York and study fashion design.
Blass enlisted in the army in 1942, serving in Europe as part of the Ghost Army, a unit that used inflatable tanks, sound effects and other illusions to fake out the Nazis about troop positions.
Back in the New York post-war, he worked at several design houses, eventually rising to the top at Maurice Renter Ltd., which he bought and renamed Bill Blass Ltd. in 1970.
Blass was charismatic, and used that skill both to charm buyers and become an essential guest at Manhattan society parties. He was the first designer to star in his own ads, selling his persona as well as his designs. And, he was also one of the first designers to license his name. Estimates are that his brand licensing generated $800 million by the late 1990s.
Blass’s fashion design motto was “simplicity is the soul of modern elegance.” Sportswear made luxe was his specialty. He designed practical women’s sportswear, inspired by menswear, and elevated it with luxurious, feminine fabrics. His silhouettes were simple, clean and easy to move in. He also used traditional menswear fabrics, like pinstripes, tweeds and plaids in feminine ways. His evening pantsuit design, with flowing fabrics and elegant trims, was a revolution. But his most lasting contribution is the unexpected and startling at the time combinations he put together, like a cashmere sweater set paired with a formal evening skirt or a pea coat made of white mink. They went against traditional fashion rules, and it worked.
Back to the swimsuit, a gorgeous piece that sits at the junction of pin up glamour and clean minimal sportswear. The patterned bandeau top stands out brilliantly against the solid black torso. The best thing about the suit is that it is so wearable. The cut is a classic modest cut at the leg openings. It’s a glorious piece you can actually swim in.
1970s Bill Blass Strapless Black and White Swimsuit, Size S, $164.99
Available from this week’s guest Anne, Diamond Dust Life
As promised at the lede in to this post, here are some sites to get your started with paper mache. Projects and tutorials abound, so snoop around to find one that strikes your fancy.
Tutorial from Mr. Otter Art Studio for making a basic paper mache bowl, a classic first project.
Explainer of flour paste vs white glue paste and a balloon project from How to With Kristen, because options are good.
Making a paper mache animal with a newspaper armiture by Maggie Carberry Pasquan. Some people also use aluminum foil armitures.
We are not a straight up craft blog, but we’re pretty crafty about our posts. You never know what kind of idea about vintage we’ll spin or weave into a post. And that’s why joining our email newsletter subscription is an awesome idea. One email a week with links to all the posts from the previous week, plain and simple. You’ll never miss a post. And we’ll never share your info. Rest assured we would rather accidentally knock over a sibling’s popsicle stick castle while the glue is still wet than ever share your info.
