ESTEREL FASHION 1966

Happy Sunday, Spy Vibers! It's a long holiday weekend here in the States and the Spy Vibe lair is filled with sunshine and the sound of records spinning on the Hi-Fi. I was exploring some vintage 1960s news footage about fashion shows- as one does- and thought I'd share this great time capsule from 1966. The Space-Fashion era during the mid-sixties was dominated by new ideas that sought to feature geometric designs and accentuate those Twiggy-like figures. Although the narrator in this short Pathe clip suggests we forget Dior and Courreges and concentrate on the "forward look", the collection is indeed a wonderful amalgam of those playful trends of the period such as Op Art, cut-outs, customizable glasses and hemlines, Mini dresses, and Pop Art. The outfits here were designed by Jacques Esterel (Charles Martin), who was an entertainer and designer famous for bringing theatricality and novelties to his designs. His whimsical approach apparently did not impress the fashion press, but he did enjoy wide promotion- even behind the Iron Curtain- and he patented a number of innovations for garment construction. One detail that stood out to me in his bio is that Esterel experimented with built-in lights- a notion that would be right at home in today's "Makers" culture. More about the designer here. Additional photos below of Esterel's Op-inspired work, cut-outs, and his "Dalmatian Show." Want to see more? Check on-line for cool images of Esterel with Bardot, as well as the designer's French LP record covers. Enjoy!

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