March 31, 2015

EDWARD MANN FASHION

Fashion Spotlight: Edward Mann. From the V&A Museum, "Edward Mann was a London based millinery brand which produced high fashion hats. The company label featured the phrase 'Edward Mann- Always making Fashion' and included a line drawing of a little face under a flat diamond shaped hat. Edward Mann designed the hats for iconic 1960s television character Emma Peel of The Avengers played by Diana Rigg." In the first image below, Edward Mann's Spring Collection included a vinyl helmet with perspex earphone, entitled "Sea Diver", and a racing cap with sun visor called "Seaspray". It's interesting that such natural titles would have been chosen for such Space-Age inspired creations. Then again, "Seaspray" is a much more welcoming name than "Harmful Radiation". In the second image, Mann's collection of Cops and Robbers-inspired outfits are presented by three models. As we've seen in examples like the Harry Palmer films, Get Smart, and others, the trench coat really hung on as a wider symbol for spies and private eyes. I don't tend to associate the fashion with robbers or gangsters, do you? The hats may harken back to crime movies, but those Mod sunglasses scream secret agent to me. If the designer's intention was to capture a 1930s gangster vibe, the outfits in the third image finally hit the target! One of my favorites is the Space Helmet by Mann, photographed by John French in 1965. Perhaps the most familiar design from Edward Mann was the pair of "Capsule Line felt Helmets with Dots and Moons" modeled by Pattie Boyd and Celia Hammond, also photographed by French in 1965 (sometimes credited to Cardin on-line). See more at Spy Vibe's posts Mods to Moon Girls and Pattie Boyd. Enjoy!





Selected Spy Vibe posts: Leonard Nimoy TributeShatner at 84Bob Morane seriesNew Saint PublicationsThe Saint Complete box setGerry Anderson Box SetsBond LEGODeadlier Than the MaleSpectre ReportMusic For SpiesThai Bond DesignBrian Clemens RIPBond vs ModernismImitation GameNew Avengers BooksRoad to Hong KongInside Gerry AndersonRingo Does GoldfingerSixties Beat WearSPECTRE AnnouncedPopular SkulltureNew Gerry Anderson SetsNew SECRET AGENT setArt of ModestyAvengers Blu-ray updateTokyo Beat 1964Polaroid SpyModesty MondayFeraud Mod FashionFlint Scores!Bond DanishHome MoviesNew Richard Sala BookNew 007 ComicsDesigning Bond BooksGreen Hornet MangaMargaret Nolan ArtNo 6 FestivalBarbarella Returns007 Audio Books ReturnDesigner: Gene WinfieldAvengers Interview: Michael RichardsonIan Fleming: Wicked GrinJane Bond Hong Kong RecordsRyan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.Comics Week: ArchieComics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMANComics Week: Jimmy OlsenRare Avengers ScriptsMan From Uncle UK ComicsMattel X-15Thunderbirds ComicsShakespeare Spies: Diana RiggShakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers InterviewAvengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky BootsGeorge Lois Design & Mad MenRichard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny InterviewThe 10th Victim Japanese and KindleU.N.C.L.E. Japanese BooksThe 10th Victim German EditionThe Saint books returnTrina Robbins InterviewCatsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.