Poodle Time!-Poodles In Fashion-Inspired by Fashion Week

Today's Poodle Time is inspired by Fashion Week in New York (going on at this minute). Designers and fashion photographers have understood that Poodles complement good design. Poodles have shown up in fashion since the 19th century. Today's post will have fairly modern overview. Here are a few. 

I am starting out with the most recent. Isaac Mizrahi has again featured a Poodle with his designs. This time around, in promotion of his newest fragrance Fabulous. The campaign was photographed by Terry Richardson.

Ad campaign for Isaac Mizrazi's Fabulous. This was released just this Summer.  Isaac doesn't own a Poodle but seems to use them a lot in his work. 

Model Coco Rocca. Vogue 2008

Model Audrey Marnay in white Dior with a white Poodle. Vogue, 1999

Natalia Semanova, Arthur Elgort, 1999. Vogue UK,  2009

Vogue Brasil

Model Natalia Vodianova.  July Vogue, 2007

So, until next week-Fashionably Yours, Sophia

"threaded"-Sharing One of My Favorite Blogs

One of my favorite blogs is Smithsonian Institution's Threaded. American's are so lucky to have such a resource as the Smithsonian.

Threaded is a fashion blog, but not the usual fashion blog that you see today. It is based on history and social context. You can read everything from the evolution of the swimsuit, the beginning of nylon stockings, and the influence of the 1969 moon landing  on the fashion industry. 

Here are a few pictures to show just a small variety of what a reader can find on Threaded. My link will take you to the latest installment. The photo captions are the posts that each photo is from. 

From the latest installment, 

New York Fashion Week, Past and Present

Top 10 Chanelisms: Coco’s Wise Words to Mark Her Birthday

Stocking Series, Part 1: Wartime Rationing and Nylon Riots

The Indelible Mister Rogers

What Did Playtex Have to Do With Neil Armstrong?

Well, I just wanted to share. I hope you check out this blog and the Smithsonian website.

Poodle Time!-La Gimblette

Today's post is a bit different than what I usually do. I previously mentioned that I am a newly retired teacher. To be specific, an art teacher.  For many years I had "Art History Wednesday". Today's post feels like those Wednesdays.

One of my earlier research items for my Pinterest Poodle! Board was a painting entitled Young Girl with Poodle (La Gimblette). The painting was created by François Boucher (September 29, 1703 – May 30,1770), one of the foremost painters of the French Rococo period. He is known for his rich and atmospheric works portraying the French upper class. Boucher also painted several portraits of his very famous patroness, Madame de Pompadour.

I thought at the time that I would eventually find a color version of the painting, but research found the sad truth. The Nazis stole La Gimblette for Adolph Hitler during World War II. The work originally belonged to the Jacques Stern Collection in Paris. Hitler, a failed artist himself, had dreams of creating an art museum in his hometown of Litz, Austria. He was going to use his stolen art to do this.

The Nazis looted 20% of the art of Europe. As they plundered, they would photograph and catalogue each item in an album for their Fürer. It is said that about 100 albums of photographs of art were created. Forty-five were recovered at the end of the war by the allies. Occasionally a new album turns up. An album with a photo of La Gimblette was donated to the National Archives in 2007. 

One hundred thousand pieces of original art are still missing from the art pillage during World War II. At this point, La Gimblette is still among the missing. One can only guess what beautiful colors Boucher used because all we have is this small black and white photo.  Maybe someday the beautiful girl and her dancing Poodle will find their way back home.  

In my research last winter, I was able to find a 300 dpi download of this work of art. This time around, I could not locate it, but have it on my computer. It would make a nice print. If anyone wants the larger version, email me and I will send it to you.  

The organization that has been active since World War II in stolen art recovery is the Monuments Men Foundation. Their website has up to the minute information of the efforts being made to recover still missing work.  

Until Next Week--Sophia and Niko