Vogue, September 1916. Price: One shilling. Vogue, December 2006 Price: 3.60 pounds
The Bag Snob girls have friends in chic places and one of them, the "Party Snob", was at Vogue's 90th anniversary party in London last week and reports on the fab fete of the year:
The cream of fashionista London was at the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park last Wednesday night sipping Moet et Chandon and some amazing cocktails for the 90th birthday of Vogue magazine. Kate Moss and her paramour Pete Doherty came and went in a flash (they breezed in, went to the terrace for a cigarette and left). Alexandra Shulman, the editor, greeted in a short gold Sixties dress while Nigella Lawson, as ever, was in all black. Other guests included Thandie Newton, Yasmin LeBon, Lily Cole, Emilia Fox, Jemma Kidd, Jasper Conran, Giles Deacon, Matthew Williamson, Zandra Rhodes, Lord and Lady Rogers, Nicky Haslam, and the fashion tip of the night was Opaque Tights, even with cocktail dresses. So get down to Wolford and stock up now. (Wolford Velvet de luxe 66 provides maximum opaque-ness)
My fellow guest at the party made a telling observation about the London fashion crowd - how less groomed they were than Americans, there were fewer manicures, fewer professional blow-dries (though certainly we had been to hairdresser that day) and most of, all the absence of serious surgery. Sure there were nips and tucks and botox, but middle aged women looked like middle aged women, not wannabe bimbos. It was a room full of wonderfully fashionable people, with boobs and hips and wrinkles, and we drank our champagne from saucer-shaped glasses. How satisfyingly retro.
The first issue of Vogue was introduced in 1916 with the following: 'The time has come,' designers say, 'to talk of many things, - of shoes and furs and lingerie, and if one flares or clings, and where the waist-line ought to be, and whether hats have wings.' They have confided in Vogue all the most intimate things about autumn fashions. Really and truly, such amazing things are going to happen to you that you never would believe them, unless you saw them in Vogue."
Hum, seems like we worry about the same things now as women did a century ago, except the part about hats having wings, that I'm pretty sure is never in style anymore.
Kate Moss, our favorite style icon (even having loser Pete on her arm didn't diminish her fabulousness) in a gold dress with patent mary janes. Who else can work a gold dress with a fur coat without looking like they're working?
Actress Thandie Newton in a stunning black strapless dress and lots of flawless skin. I envy her sculpted shoulders, I am going to double up on my workouts next week! I think a strong shoulder is sexier than big fake boobs, don't you agree?
Check back often as our Party Snob reports from around the fashion globe!
This is a super cool story. Thanks for sharing!
Thandie is lovely and those shoulders are...heavenly.
Ahem. It's Alexandra Shulman, not Alexander. The editor is a woman.
Thanks for catching the typo, and yes, we know she's a woman and she's fabulous!
Thanks Party Snob, what a fantastic story! Hope we hear more stories of your party hoppin' adventures!
Thandie is the most stunning one ever. She's also extremely sweet and down to earth.
The Vogue party totally rocked.