The Legacy of the House of Alba

Posted on 24 January, 2013 by María López Linares

On Friday afternoon I went to visit the “El Legado Casa de Alba” (The Legacy of the House of Alba) Exhibition. We were lucky enough to enjoy a private visit with Maria of Cuenca. A real luxury to be able to have the experience of listening to her exclusively and an absolute delight to wander through the exhibition rooms with her.

The exhibition has reunited about 150 works from the Liria Palace. Many of them are being exhibited to the public for the first time in history in what we could call the most important cultural exhibition of the year.

By opening this exhibition the House of Alba Foundation has wanted to make known the extremely important work that it carries out in order to maintain and conserve one of our country’s most important private collections.

If I must choose only one piece from the exhibition it would be the “White Duchess” by Francisco de Goya. This painting fascinates me, I had been wanting and hoping for the chance to see it in real life.

It was months ago that I requested a visit to the Liria Palace and I am still awaiting a reply. Amongst my greatest desires is that of being able to enjoy this painting in its original location; to wake up in the morning, enter one of the living rooms of your house and admire this work by Goya, it must be something difficult to describe.

The painting is magnificent. Doña Maria del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silvia and Alvarez of Toledo, the XIII Duchess of Alba, was one of the most attractive women of the Enlightenment in Madrid. Her beauty has been sung about by poets and musicians; it was said of her that she was so beautiful that when she walked down the street the whole world looked out at her from their windows and even the children left their toys and games in order to admire her.

Doña Cayetana had a strong temperament and was well known throughout the Madrid suburbs for dressing as a ‘maja’ (xviii and xix century inhabitants from certain areas in Madrid who dressed in resplendent costumes) in order to participate in traditional festivals. She was a strong defender of actresses, poets, painters and bullfighters, she even managed to cause dispute over the favours of handsome young men with other courtesans, including the Queen herself. She was a real character of her time, an assertive and restless woman with whom Goya fell in love with from the very first moment he met her.

Goya knew how to capture her assertive, restless and daring personality that she possessed for the time she lived in. An elegant dress of white gauze was chosen with a red ribbon around the waist, a coral collar and various ribbons of the same colour over her chest and in her hair. The bows reminded me of those flowers that the Duchess of Alba used to wear for all her public outings, I think this was a gesture towards her ancestors. Her hair is loose and curly, something that would have been unthinkable for a high bourgeoisie Lady like her, something perhaps more appropriate for the courtesans of the period. To her right is her lapdog with a coquettish little red ribbon around his paw as a symbol of fidelity. Possibly the same fidelity that the painter professed.

Other works of art worthy of mentioning are “The Virgin of Granada”, a unique painting belonging exclusively to the hands of Fra Angelico, never before exhibited in public. Or well known documents such as Christopher Columbus’ autograph letter collection, the most extensive one we know, just like the first edition of Don Quixote.

Other pieces that really caught my attention were those related to Maria Eugenia of Montijo. One was a marble bust of which I attach a photo in bronze (I haven’t found any of those belonging to the House of Alba). What particularly grabbed my attention about this work of art was the broach worn on the neckline, as seen as I have two very similar models in the shop.

As a summary of the exhibition I leave you with the words of D. Carlos Fitz-James Stuart and Martínez of Irujo, Duke of Huéscar: “Our intention is to share the works and pieces that make up the Casa de Alba Foundation’s collection with an audience that is increasingly familiar with and interested in culture and history. This exhibition enables us to present various works and documents that have survived the ups and downs of history and that form the greatest treasure of our family’s legacy. “

The exhibition is an authentic journey through Spain’s history, guided by the hands of one of the most noble and title-holding families of the world, I don’t recommend you miss it.

It is open until the 31st of March

Video: The Legacy of the House of Alba

Those little things…

Posted on 16 January, 2013 by María López Linares

Those little things… Small details that are capable of brightening my day and topping up my excitement.

Stories that coincidentally reach my hands. Stories unknown and unrevealed until this moment that make me think, remember certain moments and fill me with tenderness. Stories that I will never forget.

I bought this wedding dress in an auction in England. I had spent years looking for a 20’s wedding dress and I was fascinated by this one as soon as I saw it hanging. I bidded for it immediately and managed to buy it. The wait for it to arrive in my arms seemed eternal… It was delivered to me in Madrid in a simple old cardboard box. However my greatest surprise was when I opened the box to find a photograph of a bride and groom from the 20’s. I don’t have the slightest doubt that it is the bride showing off the dress that I had just received. A studio photograph made soon after the wedding, as was traditional in this period.

Why would anyone rid themselves of such a jewel of a dress? Why send the wedding photograph to the dress’ buyer?

I look at the faces in the photo and imagine the illusion in their smiles that they had both felt at that moment. An illusion that I share today, having the dress in my possession so many years later, and the ability to know who it was that got to enjoy it before I did.

One thing clear to me is that I will never get rid of either of these trophies.

Right now the dress is being displayed in my shop window whilst I show its veil, photograph and old box (why not?) to anyone interested in it.

Would you also like to enjoy this historical legacy?

Images:

María Vintage

The Icon that inspired Marilyn.

Posted on 3 July, 2012 by María López Linares

Jean Harlow died on the 7th July 1937; the actress was born into the heart of a middle-class American family, daughter of a dentist and of a housewife, she was converted into American cinema’s first “Blonde Bombshell” of the Thirties and an authentic sex symbol, much before Marilyn acquired her world fame.

Jean’s mother was so protective that their mother-daughter relationship was nearly converted into something unhealthy. Following her parent’s divorce, her mother managed to obtain custody over Jean who would not see her father more than once more during her life.

Her mother used to call her “Baby” instead of by her forename. This ended up confusing the young girl so much that she didn’t know her real name until she started school.

Jean was famous for completely ignoring the strict American morals of the period.

Some of her most famous sayings:

• “I like to wake up each morning with a different man”

• “I find underwear uncomfortable and besides my female body parts need to breathe”.

• “I am not a born performer; nobody knows that better than I do. I may have hidden talent but I also have to work hard, listen carefully, repeat everything over and over again until I manage to get through a scene”

• “Men like me because I don’t wear bras. Men like me because I don’t seem like a girl who would steal their husband. At least not for long…”

19 curiosities about her short career:

At the height of her success, many of her female fans dyed their hair platinum blonde like her, even Howard Hughes organized a competition in which the hairdresser that got the closest to the actress’s tone of blonde would receive a prize of 10,000$.
At 21 years of ageHarlowsigned a contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer, after paying Hughes 30,000$. It was at this point thatHarlowbecame a superstar.
During the filming of “Red Dust” her second husband, Paul Bern, was found dead in their house, with rumours following that Jean Harlow had murdered him. The MGM executives didn’t take long to resolve the case of his death, assuring thatBern’s death had been a result of suicide, alleging that he had suffered from impotency as the motive. This didn’t harmHarlow’s career in any way, in fact she became even more popular than before.
She was idolised by Marilyn Monroe. Curiously, both of them played the lead roles in their respective last films (Saratogaand The Misfits) with Clark Gable.
The only colour sequence that exists of Jean Harlow is in her first film “Hell’s Angels”, a drama about the First World War in 1930. A rare and extremely expensive (for its time) eight minute sequence.
She was the first actress in cinema to appear on the front cover of “Life” magazine in May 1937, just a month before her sudden death.
She always carried two talismans: one chain on her left ankle, which you can see in many of her films, and a dressing table mirror in her dressing room. She would always check her reflection in it before filming.
She never wore underwear and always slept naked.
She followed a strict diet so as not to put any weight on, on a base of vegetables and salads.
She used to put ice on her nipples before filming a scene so that she would appear sexier.
She was known as the original “blonde bombshell” much before Marilyn.
In 1937 a few days before finishing the filming of “Saratoga” she died of a kidney infection derived from a scarlet fever from which she had suffered when she was a small child and that had nearly taken her life.
In order to finish the filming she was substituted by Mary Dees, who was exclusively filmed from behind. Her voice was dubbed by Paula Winslowe. This fact meant that “Saratoga” became the biggest box office success of 1937.
The film did not only suffer the calamity of the actress’s death; Lionel Barrymore tripped over a light cable and broke his hip for the second time; this confined him to a wheelchair for 10 years. Following a significant weight loss he was able to walk again, however with many difficulties.
Jean’s epitaph simply says “Our Baby”, just as her mother used to call her.
She was buried in the gown she wore in the film “Libeled Lady”.
The singer Gwen Stefani embodied Jean Harlow in a brief role in “The Aviator” by Martin Scorsese.
Following the legend the famous dog “Rin Tin Tin” died in her arms in 1932.
The American singer Madonna pays tribute to her, just as she did to other great stars of the time, in the song Vogue 1990.

At Vintage by López-Linares want to dedicate our June Icon to Jean Harlow.

She was Marilyn’s favourite actress, the true icon that inspired her, the one that she copied and admired throughout her likewise short cinematographic career.

So deep was her admiration for her that she was her inspiration during her whole life. I think that this fact helped Marilyn become and stand out as the icon from amongst the others icons.

Sequence from her last film “Saratoga”

In this sequence we can see how the actress Mary Dees substitutes Jean without letting her face be seen.

Images @doctormacro

Maria Eugenia of Montijo, a fine example of a Twenty-first Century Woman in the middle of the Nineteenth Century.

Posted on 3 July, 2012 by María López Linares

On the 5th May 1826: María Eugenia Palafox Portocarrero and Kirkpatrick, Countess of Teba and better known as Eugenia of Montijo was born in Granada, in the area of ‘la Magdalena’,. She is our “Vintage Icon” for May.

She is the daughter of Cipriano Palafox and Portocarrero, ‘Grande de España’, and of Maria Manuela Kirkpatrick and Grevigné, the granddaughter of the fourth Countess of Montijo, Maria Francisca of Sales Portocarrero.

An inheritance distances Eugenia from her natalGranadaand drives her into the world of wealth and privilege that her mother had always dreamed of for her daughters. It is in 1830 when her family inherits the Montijo title for which they are known, and move toMadrid.

Maria Eugenia was a beautiful, cosmopolitan and passionate young girl, being due to this thatSpain’s “best catches” fell at her feet. All apart from the only one she loved, the Duke of Alba, who preferred her sister Paca, who was nearly as beautiful as her but more sensible and mature, and managed to capture him ending in their marriage in 1845.

Maria Eugenia of Montijo and her sister Francisca

Hurt by her own love, Eugenia sets herself up to conquest the proud Napoleon III and capture the Imperial crown ofFrance. In order to do this she moves to France with her mother, a tremendously ambitious woman.

They say that she managed to conquest the Emperor in her bid to conserve her virginity, and his desire to be the first to take it. The Emperor asked Maria Eugenia “the way to her bedroom” she answered decidedly: “By passing through the chapel, sire”. This was how she managed to capture the Empress’ Crown and become one of the most influential women of her time.

The chronicles say that the Emperor was already unfaithful to her during the honeymoon; however it seems that it didn’t really matter to her. She wasn’t all that in love with him; she married him in order to gain the power and status that would convert her into the Empress of France.

Maria Eugenia didn’t waste any time during her days inFrance, she contributed greatly in convertingParisinto the City ofLight. Amongst other things she also promoted the city’s drainage works. She was an amazingly advanced woman for her time, she fought for women’s rights, succeeding in the Legion of Honour being rewarded for the first time to a woman and she advocated for women’s suffrage. She financed the opening of theSuez Canalat an international level and supported Luis Pasteur’s investigations, those which would lead to the discovery of the vaccine against rabies…In other words, a fine example of a Twenty-first century woman found in the mid Nineteenth century.

A tremendously coquettish and vain woman, she discovered the Genius fashion designer Worth and dictated the fashion during decades. She designed the crinoline, the perfume, the ‘Chatone’ necklaces and the make-up.

In 1870 following the collapse of the Second Empire she moved toEngland, this was where her husband would pass away three years later. After his death, the Empress did not keep up her efforts to create a political party or gain sufficient support for her son to get the French throne back. Her labours were in vain. In 1879 the Prince died fighting forEngland. The Empress was broken hearted but would still outlive her son by 40 years, dying finally inMadridin 1920 at 94 years of age.

Maria Eugenia of Montijo is buried in the Imperial crypt together with her husband and son.

In her will she named her inheritor to be Hernando Stuart Fizt James and Falcó, the brother of the Duke of Alba, Count of Montijo and Duke of Peñaranda.

Currently thecountyofMontijois found in the possession of Jacobo Hernando Fitz-James Stuart and Gómez, the grandson of an uncle to the current Duchess of Alba.

There are two interesting books written about the Empress’ life:

“La pasión Imperial” by Pilar Eyre, and “Eugenia de Montijo” by Genevieve Chauvel.

Finally I will leave you a link to a stunning report about Maria Eugenia’s palaces, who the French call “The Marie Antoinette of the Third Empire”. It is in French but the images are so pretty that it is worth watching.

Giovanna Tornabuoni

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by María López Linares

To know of all the misadventures and paths that a portrait has passed through during the last 525 years is not by any means simple, but in the case of this extraordinary work by Ghirlandaio we are more fortunate. We know of all the journeys that this masterpiece has made due to the fact that they are all perfectly documented. I assure you that it has been more than exciting for me to follow his clues all over the world.

It remained in the Palazzo Tornabuoni in Florence, its first home, until it passed into the hands of the Pandolfini family. Later it formed part of Princess Sagan and Baron Achille Seillière’s Collection in France. We know that in 1878 it was found in Brighton in Henry Willet’s collection, and that at the beginning of the twentieth century it was in the hands of Rudolf Kann. However it didn’t last very long with Kann as seen as in 1907 the American millionaire J. Pierpont Morgan, the founder of the J.P. Morgan bank and one of the most important art collectors in history, obtained the masterpiece. It is said that his desire to possess this art work was due to the memory of his first wife’s youth and beauty that the painting inspired, she died of tuberculosis at a very young age when they had been married for just under four months.

The image that is shown by the painting is from this period, here we can appreciate the painting exhibited on an easel in the entrance of a grand living room and surrounded by other great works of art. The room is the “West room” of 219 Madison Avenue, the Morgan family’s home in New York. Following J.P Morgan’s death, his son sold the painting in 1935 together with the other pieces from Baron Tyson’s collection, the father of Carmen Cervera’s husbands.

Baron Tyson brought it back to Europe where it remained in his favourite villa for many years, one of the Baron’s residencies in the city of Lugano (Switzerland). I can’t even imagine the sensation that you would have to feel on entering the living room of your house to find yourself face to face with a similar marvel…

But who was Giovanna? Her unmarried name: Giovanna degli Albizzi, the eighth daughter of a Florentine trader who, madly in love, married Lorenzo Tornabuoni on the 15th June in 1486. This was something relatively unusual for the period, in which marriages were made for convenience and not for love. Her wedding lasted for three days, full of parties, dances and banquets, being one of the most documented of the time. We know that Giovanna was married in white showing off a splendid hairstyle with costly adornments. She arrived at Palazzo Tornabuoni accompanied by her father where she was received by her father in law. The guests were made up of the Florentine cream of the crop. The guest of honor was: Dn. Iñigo López of Mendoza, Ambassador of Spain.

After the banquet all the guests moved to the Square that was in front of the San Michele church, and there, upon a stage richly decorated for the occasion, the dance took place. The bride and groom would pass the wedding night in a room in the Palazzo Tornabueoni, elegantly decorated for the occasion. The celebrations lasted for two more days and on the second day Lorenzo de Médici, cousin of Lorenzo Tornabuoni and one of the most influential men of the time, joined the banquet. To follow there were jousts and tournaments that Naldo Naldi narrated with the luxury of all of the history’s details.

Giovanna and Lorenzo had a son straight away. However, the joy in the house would not last long. Giovanna died scarcely a year and a half later than the wedding, when she became pregnant with her second son. The loss of his beautiful wife and the son that he was awaiting left Lorenzo in desolation, it was soon after that he commissioned the posthumous portrait. This was something very usual in this period.

Giovanna’s portrait is spectacular. It doesn’t surprise me that its previous owners fell in love with her as soon as they saw her. To have the privilege to enjoy this masterpiece in your own house must be something unimaginable…

Giovanna is beautifully portrayed, maintaining an upright and confident posture and transmitting a noble pose of serenity. Her firm gaze losing itself into infinity makes us imagine that it could be directed towards a window through which the light penetrates, a light that illuminates her face, her breast and her rich clothes but that leave her hands in a soft shadow.

The great contrast of colours obtained by Ghirlandaio is impressive: the blacks with the yellows, golds, reds and oranges. At first the work was framed in gold, or at least it was indicated to be so in an inventory of the Palace Tornabuoni in 1498. It speaks of a portrait of Giovanna, hung in Lorenzo’s bedroom in a golden frame. However, the mould that currently frames it is almost black, greatly highlighting her golden hair and the red tones of her clothes.

The portrait possesses a hypnotic power… I can assure you that it is hard to take the gaze away from her. Her gaze empowers her.

As it was to be imagined, my eyes went straight towards her broach: A beautiful piece of jewellery that Ghirlandaio knew how to draw with delicacy and care, hanging it over her breast by an extremely thin silk thread.

Whilst looking at her I wished that she would turn around so that I could contemplate her full beauty…

I Left the Tyson with a firm purpose to reproduce this beautiful piece that hung from her neck. This is precisely what makes me bring Giovanna Tornabuoni’s necklace to our Vintage space today.

If you live in Madrid or you are thinking about coming, make sure you set aside a moment to visit this magnificent portrait, considered to be the Tyson collection’s “Jewel of the Jewels” and one of the most emblematic masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

Finally I attached a video of the great conference that Guillermo de Solana gave about this piece

[iframe width=”450″ height=”274″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/gUVzgJQTxos”]

Will the Tradition for Veiled Brides Return?

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by María López Linares

The tradition of the bride entering her wedding ceremony with a veil covering her face, so habitual in the Fifties and Sixties, disappeared little by little, until today when we find it extremely rare to see a veiled bride at a wedding.

When this tradition came into fashion it became popular to see the brides entering into church wearing veils. They excitedly walked down the aisle on the arm of their godfather, whilst all the guests contemplated their entry in admiration. Waiting at the altar, you would find the impatient and nervous groom. However, just before handing the bride over to her future husband, the godfather would reveal the bride’s face. The bride, now without veil, would dazzle in her abundant happiness during the rest of the ceremony, the groom being the first to admire her in all her splendour.

At the beginning, the brides kept the veil on until the priest pronounced the two most waited for words to the groom: “You may kiss the Bride”. In this moment, the now-husband would lift the veil covering his bride; he would place it carefully over her shoulders and kiss her. What a transcendental moment for a woman! Can you imagine the amount of times that the groom would have had to be explained how to arrange the veil in order for it to be placed favourably for the bride?

With the passing of the years the tradition changed slightly, as seen as it wasn’t very becoming for the bride to remain veiled during practically the entire ceremony. Her face remained covered and the photographs taken weren’t very flattering.

The wedding photos that delight me, yet at the same time seem to me to be flattering for the bride, are those in which you see the veiled bride stepping out of her wedding car. This star-studded moment, in which the bride places her foot on the ground as she steps out of the wedding car, unveiling the best kept secret of the occasion: the wedding dress. The moment in which so much dedication and so many illusions and efforts are publicly shown is full of emotion and sensations for all women. In this moment all the brides are brimming with happiness. The photographs leave a record of all the hard work for later, in order to achieve the most dazzling day possible. This is why I love to see the brides entering whilst covered by a veil, for me, this adds a halo of mystery and glamour to the moment.

I would love to see this tradition come back. On some occasions I have mentioned it to some of the brides that have approached out Vintage space, in search of some special and different piece for such a significant day. I must say that I have had the pleasant surprise in having one of the brides agree with me that it would be beautiful to see the return of this tradition.

What about you, would you like to enter wearing a veil on your wedding day?

Coro, the “Duet’s” Master

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by María López Linares

Coro & Corocraft was born from the hands of Emanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger, establishing itself in Broadway,New Yorkas a boutique in 1901 by the name of Coro & Rosenberger.

Soon after, and thanks to the success obtained from their exclusive jewellery line, they became so famous that they decided to open their own factory. It was here that they started their brand’s expansion and, in its time of greatest splendour, its employees reached 3500.

With Adolf Katz’ arrival as design manager in 1924,Coro’s Golden period began. His demanding style and exceptional talent were decisive at the hour of launching the brand at an international level. During the more than forty years that he occupied the post of the company’s manager, Katz was an icon of design and innovation.

The top-quality line, Vendôme, created by him in 1944 was his most exclusive brand and was distributed in luxury shops in all the big capitals of the world. Its success was so resounding that it became a subsidiary brand in 1953, and its pieces were sported by the majority ofHollywood’s greatest stars of the time. During this period Vendôme’s pieces were highly demanded by collectors.

Adolf Katz was a genius regarding his design and innovation. Delicate broaches and flowers with movement were created by his hands, a great innovation for the time, such as his famous enamels and his legendary “duets”, pairs of broaches that you could wear together or dismount them to wear separately. Due to these types of broaches and because of the type of fastener used,Corohad a lawsuit with Trifari. Katz had registered the patent of his fastener in 1931; however the similarity to the ‘clipsmate’ by Trifari meant that this company would begin a legal campaign againstCoro, trying to establish an artwork copyright for the jewellery design. Trifari won the case in 1954.

Between 1930 and 1950 the “Jelly Bellies” caused a huge impact. The impact was due to some little animal broaches with tummies made a colourful stone, a crystal in the shape of a cabochon, or a new plastic material called ‘Lucite’ (discovered by Dupont in 1937 and that gave way to a great revolution in the world of jewellery, as it easily substituted stones such as chalcedony and moonstone).

Another designer that contributed greatly toCoro’s fame was Gene Verecchio who started to work in 1930 and remained in the company for thirty three years. It is also worth noting his highly personal “duets” of camellias and owls. The pieces from the Thirties and Forties are the most valued by collectors.

Following the death of the two founders, Rosenberger’s son, Gerald, inherited the company, he died in 1967. His descendants sold 51% of the company to Richton International Corp. In 1979 the company fell into bankruptcy and only maintained the production inCanadauntil 1992, the year in which the last factory was definitively closed.

For all these years the name of Coro & Craft signified a milestone of quality and design, reflecting the latest fashion trends during nearly six decades.

Don’t you think it would be exciting to wear a piece designed byCoro?

They seem incredible to me, combined with a resounding black suit or with a night blue dress for a special occasion.

I assure you that it is worth passing by the shop if only to hold one of our collection’s delightful pieces in your hands. When you have one of these duets in your hands, I assure you that you will realize why the women from the Forties were so crazy about these pieces. They are of a masterful beauty.

We are waiting for you!

A Tiara designed by Miriam Haskell from 1930

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by María López Linares

When we choose a piece of jewellery for our shop, it is because it transmits something special and magical to one of the three of us. It seems incredible, yet we usually coincide in our choices. It is curious that being so different we always coincide at the hour of choosing the pieces that are to enter in our space.

Although there are some pieces that we fall in love with more than others, each one has its fetish piece that will never be sold and that captivates us at first sight.

Today I want to talk to you about one of my favourite pieces. It is a bride’s tiara by Miriam Haskell. It inspired me as soon as I saw it; it appeared to be of such a sublime delicacy and exquisiteness. When I held it for the first time, the first thing I thought was, why would somebody want to rid themselves of such a proud and delicate piece? It was surely a special commission for some youth in the Thirties. I am sure that she would have fallen in love with the jewel at first sight, just as I did.

For those of you that do not know Miriam Haskell, I will tell you that this design and business visionary was born in 1899 under the wing of a family of Jewish immigrants fromRussia. Her family managed to reach a rather well-off position for the time. Miriam studied at theChicagoUniversityfor 3 years before moving toNew Yorkwith 500 dollars in her pocket, most probably lent to her by her family.

Soon after arriving she managed to establish herself at the Mc Alplin Hotel, which in these times was the biggest hotel in the world, holding a capacity for 2500 people. The hotel was situated right in the heart ofNew York City. There she opened a small shop where she sold jewellery from the famous designers of the period.

Miriam immediately decided to launch her own firm and contracted the services of Frank Hess, a young window dresser with an unusual aesthetic sense and taste for the time. Frank would rapidly become the brand’s Creative Director. He had a rather complex personality and his shyness made him feel more comfortable working in the workshop between sketches and stones, than attending the uncountable clients that visited his shop desiring to be attended by him personally. He was a very peculiar character, known for his tall top hats and his silver handled cane. He was very demanding with his employees.

On the other hand, Miriam was a vey attractive, elegant and intelligent woman and when she was in the role of the brand’s public relations, she was in her element. In this way they complemented each other perfectly.

They managed to become a great success in a very short time. In 1930 they were already rubbing shoulders with the most select and influential people in the artistic and social circles, so much in Europe as in Hollywood and New York. Women of the scale and influence of Joan Crawford, Lucille Ball or the Duchess of Windsor wore Miriam Haskell’s designs at these great parties.

In the Fifties Miriam fell into a deep depression, her state meant that the company fell into her brother’s hands. She never went back to work and retired soon after the end of the war, it is said that she was influenced by the horrors of the war itself and didn’t manage to overcome the disasters that she had lived. Frank continued to work in the company until he retired in 1960.

Currently, it is rather difficult to find pieces from the brand’s first period and the prices tend to be rather high.

Although the company continues making marvellous pieces of jewellery, many of them inspired by Miriam and Franks great collections, for me, they do not match up to the delicacy and sensitivity of the pieces made by them in those golden years. They made a magnificent “tandem” and knew how to transmit their enthusiasm and illusion to all the women of the time.

I will leave you a link to the brand’s current page so that you can judge for yourselves: www.miriamhaskell.com

The following photographs that I have attached for you are hand coloured prints by the artist Larry Austin. They are illustrations made between 1930 and 1940 and were used to promote the brand in shops and jewellers from all over the world. In them we are able to appreciate the beauty of some of the most sophisticated pieces.

Had you ever heard anyone speak of Miriam Haskell before?

Elizabeth Taylor and Avon, an Almost Unknown Collaboration in Spain

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by María López Linares

Hollywood’s legendary star, Elizabeth Taylor, passed away a few weeks ago. The star’s life was most known for all her films, her Oscars, her scandals and her eight marriages that took up thousands of pages in the tabloids all over the world.

Her passion for jewels is what most struck me about her life. She has owned some of the most impressive jewel collections of all times, and some of history’s most emblematic pieces of the world’s jewellery.

From all her Collection, the most written about jewel is probably “La Peregrina” (“The Pilgrim”). This precious pearl was found by a black slave in the sixteenth century in theGulf of Panama; due to this incredible find the slave was granted his freedom as a reward. The pearl was given to Felipe II (Phillip II) by Don Pedro Témez, administrator of the Spanish Colony. The King presented the pearl to his fiancée, Queen Mary I ofEngland, as a gift, she displayed the pearl on many an occasion.La Peregrinadidn’t return toSpainuntil Mary Tudor’s death.

The jewel was later sported by the Spanish Queens at many political events and in numerous portraits during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We can enjoy its beauty in the famous portraits accomplished by Vélazquez de Isabel de Borbón and Mariana of Austria, both of whom were wives of Phillip IV.

La Peregrinaremained as part of the Royal Spanish Treasure until the nineteenth century. It was then that Joseph Bonaparte, after finalising his reign onSpain, took the pearl with him toFrance.

The pearl remained inFranceuntil Emperor Napoleon III took it with him toEnglandduring his exile, where he managed to sell it to the Duke of Abercon. Years later King Alfonso XIII tried, unsuccessfully, to get his hands on it.La Peregrinaremained in the Abercon family’s power until it was auctioned off in London by Sotheby’s in 1969, where Richard Burton acquired it for 37000$ in order to present it as a Valentine’s Day gift to Elizabeth.

However, inSpainthe actress’ side that is truly unknown is her role as a jewellery designer. In the Nineties the actress designed various collections for the Avon Costume Jewellery.

Avonwas founded by a young door-to-door bookseller in 1886, called McConnell. He started by selling books and giving away perfume samples to clients, yet he immediately realised that the perfumes were much more successful than the books and decided to change business and start to sell perfumes.Avonalways maintained its direct sale strategy with representatives all over the world.

In 1920 the company produced a few talcum powders, and little by little started its global expansion and direct sales of cosmetic products. I am sure that all the Spanish, apart from the youngest, will remember the famous slogan: “Dong, dong,Avoncalling”.

Avon wanted to go even further; in 1979 it brought out its first collection of costume jewellery. It consisted of three pieces: a broach, a ring and a necklace.Avonnever directly made it, as it had various factories subcontracted. Its products always followed a strict quality control and this, together with the collaborations that it carried out with the most famous designers of the time, made this company the biggest distributor of costume jewellery in the world.

It was in the Nineties when Elizabeth Taylor entered to form a part of the Avonteam. Between 1993 and 1997 she designed various collections; however the most successful were the ones that were based on the films Cleopatra, Elephant Walk and The Taming of the Shrew.

Elizabethwas famous for being meticulous and demanding, and we know that she supervised every detail of the design and fabrication of all the pieces that bore her name. All the pieces that the actress designed for Avon bore an “E”.

In 2005 Elizabeth founded her very own costume jewellery company: “The House of Taylor”, opening shop inBeverly Hillsand opening shares in the Nasdaq market.

All the pieces designed byElizabethatAvonare currently considered to be collection pieces, and their value in the American auctions that specialize in this kind of jewellery has duplicated since the actress’ death.

Were you aware of Elizabeth’s side as a jewellery designer forAvon?

You can enjoy all of her jewellery collections in this beautiful book with photographs by John Bigelow: “My Love Affair with Jewelry”.

Cecilia Gallerani, Ludovico il Moro’s Adolescent Lover

Posted on 18 April, 2012 by María López Linares

“Lady with an Ermine” arrived to me in a most unexpected way. All of a sudden my Twitter’s entire Time Line filled with news about the arrival of this portrait, by Leonardo da Vinci, toMadrid. They said it wasPoland’s most valuable jewel.

I was inspired by the portrait from the very beginning. The hairstyle and the type of veil that covered her face almost until her eyebrows powerfully called my attention. I wanted to know everything about her… What strange animal did she hold in her arms? The reason for her lost gaze and enigmatic smile, and her necklace… were they pearls or jets? I wanted to have this necklace on our space. I love those long necklaces that were worn so much later in the Twenties. They are one of my favourite accessories, I use them nearly everyday.

I didn’t hesitate for a moment in my decision that I had to write a post about her.

My first idea was to go and see her and then start writing. However, I immediately decided that I preferred to get to know her before, investigate her life, and try to understand what she was like when Leonardo painted her. After, I would go to see her and tell you my impressions.

Her name is Cecilia Gallerani, born in Sienna in the heart of a family with no noble title but a very good economic situation, due to the fact that her father wasFlorence’s ambassador. Her father knew how to transmit his great passion for the arts to her. She loved literature, music and was able to speak Latin perfectly. She wrote beautiful poetry in Italian. All this made her into an unusually educated woman for her time.

She arrived inMilanat 16 years of age and with an elegant introductory letter and her graceful beauty, she didn’t take long to enter and form part of Ludovico Sforza’s (Ludovico il Moro) court.

Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan and one of the most powerful and influential men in all of the Italian Renaissance, it isn’t surprising that he fell in love with her nearly instantly and that he would make her his concubine, his official lover, when she was barely 17 years old. Cecilia provided him with a son and Ludovico would donate to him Saronno’s fief in recognition of his love.

Cecilia converted him into one of the protagonists of the numerous social gatherings and cultural activities inMilan’s court. She was compared to fascinating women from the early ages such as Aspia of Miletus (Pericles’ wife) or Asiotea (Plato’s student).

During these years Leonardo worked under Ludovico’s orders as master of ceremonies and the ducal kitchens, by which case Cecilia and he would coincide on various occasions in the Sforzesco Palace of Milan, being logical that Ludovico would commission a portrait of his lover from Leonardo.

Will Leonardo manage to transmit Cecilia’s whole personality? I need to go and see her, and this is exactly what I am going to do tomorrow. Later I will continue telling the story…

Following my visit to the exhibition on the 28th June in the Royal Palace of Madrid:

Years have passed since I last entered theRoyalPalaceand the truth is that its Parade Ground impresses me every time I step into it… The rooms on the west wing’s ground floor have been the setting chosen bySpain’s National Heritage and Krakow’sNationalMuseumto host “Lady with an Ermine” in its visit toMadrid.

Following the visit to various rooms containing paintings, arms, armour, coins, sacred art… the uncontainable emotion of feeling close to my desired object started to make me feel impatient. Suddenly, as soon as I entered the room dedicated to western paintings in the Polish nineteenth century collections, between the works of art of King Stanislaw II Augustus Poniatowski’s collection, I ran into “Girl in a frame” as if she wanted to step out of the painting, it is the impressive work of the brilliant Dutch master Rembrandt, about whom I would like to tell you all something one day.

Finally as if it were the Golden broach of this magnificent Collection, with no other piece of art in the room to distract my attention, I found myself face to face with her.

What had so called my attention previously, through the illustrations, was the transparent gossamer, finished off with a golden thread that subtly covered her head until just above her eyebrows. Across her, one may perceive her black straight hair falling over both sides of her face and gathered up in a plait. She wears a pearl necklace. The pearls have a special dark toned iridescent shine.

It is improbable that the strange animal that is held over her breast is an ermine. This mustelid is too wild to pose docilely for a portrait over a lady’s arms. It seems that Leonardo used a ferret or an albino polecat, much more easily domesticated and very similar in size and corpulence to the ermine. Perhaps Leonardo used this animal to allude to the name by which Ludovico was known: Ermellino (ermine), or to the fact that Cecilia’s surname coincided partially with this animal’s Greek name (gale).

Leonardo definitely achieves it… Cecilia speaks to me as she peers at me. She transmits goodness, serenity and intelligence to me. Her gaze is both serene and enigmatic at the same time. She is the powerful Ludovico Sforza’s lover, yet her face expresses sweetness, distinction and security. I think she is a self confident lover. She is the concubine of one of the most powerful men of the Italian Renaissance and she shows herself to be proud of this.

I reflect over the differences between today’s youngsters and the contemporaries of Cecilia. Today, a 17 year old is only an adolescent, at the most studying for a high school degree and only worried about clothes, friends and parties.

In the Renaissance a youngster of this age would already be married, probably with a man double her age, which she would hardly know and not love. She would be the mother of more than one child or, even worse and against her will, the lover of some influential and mature man.

Does it not seem incredible to think how these girls lived during the Renaissance?

“Lady with an Ermine” has survived two World Wars, the pilferage of the Nazis, various robbery attempts and now, for the first time since its creation by the hand of the ingenious Leonardo, it finds itself inMadrid. I sincerely think that it is worth the effort to go and see this magnificent piece of work. It is very rare that it has leftPoland where it was adopted in 1800 and I don’t think it will be possible to see it again inSpain now for many years.

Vintage by López Linares

Pure vintage Blog

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Cecilia Gallerani, Ludovico il Moro’s Adolescent Lover