Katy Perry Wearing A Vintage Inspired Mandate of Heaven Romper At MTV Appearance

You may or may not know who Katy Perry is, but she’s the hot singer who, when not kissing girls wearing cherry Chapstick, is helping to bring back the vintage romper. Since authentic vintage fashions are difficult to come by, even in Katy’s smaller size, the pop star wouldn’t be able to sport nearly so much vintage glamour if it weren’t for new fashion house, Mandate Of Heaven, and it’s cool designer Carissa Ackerman.

I’ll admit it; Mandate Of Heaven vintage inspired rompers are so pretty, that I’d kiss a girl wearing them — no matter the flavor of her lip balm. Smitten, I decided to track down the designer to see just what inspired her…

Deanna: You have a number of rompers in your collections… Can you share what inspired them?

Carissa: I’ve been collecting vintage clothing with my mom for as long as I can remember. The matching 2 piece or, more prevalently, one piece outfits with shorts that my mom called “playsuits” were always among my favorite finds. Originally created for sports and playwear, playsuits were always adorable and rare to come by, perhaps in part because of their functional use. I’ve loved them ever since- I’m a feminine girl, but my klutzy tomboy side adores a pair of shorts. I guess I started making them myself as soon as I figured out how to do it properly.

Fashion Designer Carissa Ackerman In Her Own Vintage Inspired Creation

Deanna: How long have you been creating fashions?

Carissa: I’ve been into art and fashion for as long as I can remember. I started Mandate of Heaven with my former partner, Nick Olsen (also a collector of beautiful things), in January 2001.

Deanna: Did you notice that what, a year after your rompers appeared on the runway, Betsey Johnson and a few other designers had rompers (or onesies) in their collections?

Carissa: Playsuits have been around since the teens of the last century, although they have drifted in and out of fashion. While I’m very flattered by the comparison, I would hazard a guess that Betsey Johnson has made a few before in her 40 or so years in business

Nevertheless, they were certainly not in style in the least when I made my first version in 2004; and I do think that, particularly here in New York, Mandate of Heaven was among those that helped encourage their resurgence in popularity.

However, as with all trends, there were many factors involved. For one thing, a general trend in collecting vintage fashions had just hit the mainstream, adding considerably to the number of girls who, like me, were thrilling to the original versions. Moreover, a related, more general trend toward wearing dresses had just gained popularity, partially displacing the preference for mix and matching ones own separates that was so de rigeur throughout the nineties. Once people wrapped their heads back around the idea of wearing one garment as an entire outfit, playsuits were a natural progression.

Carissa Ackerman's Vintage Hat Collection

Deanna: Many of your designs have a vintage throw-back edge. Who/what/where/wear inspires you & these designs?

Carissa: My mom has amazing style, and was my original role model and inspiration. She introduced me to all things visual and artistic, and I think I took what she taught me and began pursuing additional visual inspiration independently at a pretty early age.

My style now is a summation of what I think is the best of everything I’ve come across, combined and tweaked to create the best items I can with the materials available.

Ackerman: "One of my favorite things - a red plaid metal vintage picnic set with matching thermoses - as it appeared in a recent photo shoot." (See above photo.)

Deanna: Do you collect anything?

Carissa: Vintage fabric. I used to collect vintage anything, but now all my cash goes into my line!

Most of my pieces are constructed partially or completely from vintage fabrics and/or recycled clothing; thus, the materials I use are both specifically limiting, and specifically vintage related. Not all of the recycled clothing I use is vintage, though; I work with anything I can find in a thrift store. However, I think the secondhand aspect gives a certain “vintage” feeling to a lot of my garments.

I don’t believe that creation happens in a vacuum. I think we are all a composite of the experiences and influences we’ve been exposed to. People have been making clothes for thousands of years; I think to ignore the existing wisdom of this tradition would be both arrogant and ultimately impossible. My aim is to use all of my favorite influences from the past and present to create my ideal wardrobe for the future.

Deanna: Will you continue to make rompers?

Carissa: Absolutely.

Deanna: Awesome; because I need some more time to get my behind romper-ready.

Because her creations are very limited, keep up with Carissa & Mandate of Heaven fashions at the official blog — so you don’t miss a thing. And don’t forget to buy her vintage inspired designs (you’re supporting a fellow collector, you know!). The studio/store is located at 406 Lorimer Street, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY; and you can shop online too.

Paige Wood Wearing A Vintage Inspired Two-Piece Set By Mandate Of Heaven

I adore Cliff Aliperti. I ought to be jealous; he does what most of us dream of — making a full-time living off doing what he loves, dealing with collectibles. But in this case, my envy over such a lifestyle is overcome by my feelings of camaraderie with Cliff who identifies himself as a obsessed, addicted, collector-historian with definite hoarder tendencies.

#1 How did you get interested in collecting and what do you collect?

I started collecting baseball cards like a lot of kids when I was about 7 years old. My dad had collected cards as a kid (and some of his survived), then comic books, and was seriously into stamps and eventually came back to baseball cards himself. My Uncle has been a baseball card dealer since 1979. Beyond baseball cards, growing up I had spurts of collecting stamps, coins, newspapers, and more and in adulthood have gone the sports collectible route, rediscovered comic books, collected modern first editions for a bit. I like clutter. I mean I have collections that I barely put effort into but somehow amount to enough items to create a collection — pens and book ends come to mind. I like having it all, by this I mean, if I’ve got something, I want more of it then all of it. I tend to take my interests to extremes.

Now I think of myself mostly as a dealer — I tend to think of my collection as the items I archive on my web sites as I sell them. So in that general sense I collect Movie Cards and Collectibles from the Silent Age through the Golden Age and General Magazine Back Issues from the Nineteenth Century to present. More specifically, I do have a small but varied collection of items featuring the 1930s and 40s actor Warren William — those aren’t for sale. My collections tend to be the tiniest slice of a niche. I’m not active at it now, but I was collecting information, articles, ephemera and trinkets related to President James K. Polk at one time too. I also have my DVD collection, though I tend to only think of vintage items as those I’ve collected.

Warren William Film Poster

#2 What is the ‘crown jewel’ of your collection?

Tough question. My dealer mentality says everything is for sale… But I guess my favorites right now are a couple of movie posters featuring Warren William that I’m trying to figure out how to frame at a reasonable cost. Actually I know how, but have been putting off getting the materials for a long time.

#3 What’s your criteria for selling vs. keeping? Is it difficult to make such decisions?

It’s pretty much all for sale. I don’t buy anything, even items for my little Warren William or James K. Polk collections, without knowing I can flip it for more than I paid. If you’re working on a budget you’ve got to have rules, that’s mine.

#4 What two characteristics or personal traits you feel are essential to being a collector?

No wrong answer here, though lots of different ones. I think it’s going to come down to what the person you ask believes about themselves, and so I’ll say 1) Attention to detail. What’s the use of putting a collection together if you aren’t taking a deep interest in the subject of the collection. You want to know it all and you’re hunting down any loose info in your spare hours. 2) Storage space.

#5 As a collector/dealer, what’s the one thing you cannot live without?

Nowadays, I’d say my internet connection. It blows my mind that back when I did baseball card shows I used to rely on a couple of magazine & trade paper subscriptions and attending shows where I’d either see the same buyers (or sellers, depending on which side of the table I was on). If my internet goes down for any length of time, I’m probably out of business.

Kromo Gravure Trading Card of Mary Pickford c.1917

#6 How many hours a week do you think you spend collecting? (This includes, but is not limited to: shopping for items to purchase, admiring or talking about your collection, blogging/writing about your collection, attending shows/events, researching, dusting. Feel free to give breakdowns &/or rationalizations if you’d like.)

Hah, basically you want my work week. Well, it’s pretty crazy, but it’s filled with passion and I love it. Every waking hour is close to the correct answer here, but I’d say an accurate count would be about 12-16 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week. I prepare sales listings during the afternoon, which also consists of researching items. I tackle blog posts, at Vintage Meld & Profiles & Premiums & for example, and my column at the Examiner.com at night. I do most of the work on my static web sites over the weekends. I keep very busy, and again, it’s great!

#7 We’ve all heard that eBay killed the mom & pop antiques store/mall… Do you agree? Disagree?

Killed it? No. Antiques and Collectibles dealers have never had so much opportunity in history. I can recall before I ever did anything online going into a rare book shop in the neighborhood and being excited when I saw the elderly proprietor entering items for sale into his computer as I browsed. My Uncle, the card show dealer, he’s the one who first showed me eBay sometime in ‘99 and I was completely blown away. If the mom & pop antique mall is dead or dying chalk it up to progress. We can lament the death of the VHS tape too, or we can buy a DVD, Blu-Ray or just download the damn thing. Take advantage of the available resources and more possibilities can open up than ever before.

#8 We all have our usual collector haunts online (websites, communities, blogs etc.), places we regularly read &/or ‘talk’ at. Please list your top three for us.

Hah, most definitely twitter, @moviecollector and @andotherstuff. I comment as often as is relevant on Marty Weil’s ephemera blog. And NewspaperArchive.com.

Vintage Look Magazine With Marilyn Monroe Cover

#9 Do you have collecting ‘bibles’?

A The Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide made me a good deal of money when it came out, pointing out key magazine issues often overlooked by online sellers. Now I just found Dr. Steven Lomazow’s American Periodicals: A Collector’s Manual and Reference Guide through a post on Marty Weil’s blog — hoping that’s the next great resource for me.

B Sports Collectors Digest Standard Catalog of Sports Memorabilia — Love the detailed sections on sports magazines.

C A little spiral bound self-published guide titled Dixie Premiums Checklist by Tom Popelka which I purchased from the author himself on eBay. Extremely niche subject but provides instant identification of any Dixie Premium I handle, which is important to me.

#10 Did you ever get an item so cheaply that you felt like a thief? Ever stumble into such a great find that your fingers shook when you picked it up?

Oh, this is kind of commonplace for me, I’m looking for the big mark-up, and yes, I can get a little shaky or light-headed when I really score. I don’t have the pics, but I’ll tell a similar story from the old days. I was doing one of the bigger card shows in the area and these guys from St. Louis were also doing the show. They were very interested in a 1965 Topps Steve Carlton rookie card I had for sale (Carlton began with the Cardinals). After being asked about the possibility of a trade I went over to their table and they had the oddball type stuff I liked. This was the early 90s, so I was deliriously happy to deal the card, which I’d graded in the EX to EX+ range for a boxful of 60-70 St. Louis Cardinals programs from the 1940s and 50s. I was so happy I left a friend at the table and took a walk to calm myself down.

I came back and my friend tells me, “Those guys you traded with just came over and called you a crook!” What! “They said the card was trimmed.” So I went over, they showed me the measurements, I apologized profusely, and insisted we reverse the trade. I just handled too many cards to measure them all and had never really been exposed to any fraud such as that. So I took back my Carlton rookie card, which I just thought scored myself the motherlode of vintage baseball programs, and wound up cutting it’s price to a tenth of what it had been marked. Elation to frustration all in a few minutes.

#11 We all love our collections, but how much… If you were stranded on a deserted island, would you selfishly want your items with you, or would you prefer they were safely protected back at home?

Give me movies and I’ll be happy. Lock down my stock and protect my eBay feedback!

#12 What is the most ‘over the top’ item in your collection? Something you paid the most for, is the most mocked by others, an item you went to great lengths to get, was once greatly desired by you but now seems silly, or, somehow, is otherwise outrageous or has an outrageous story behind it…

I try not to make buying mistakes, so let me think… Okay, let me preface this by saying autographs scare me to death. I don’t trust them unless I get them in person. In fact I can barely understand the desire to acquire them when not acquired in person — well, I do get it, part of the collecting bug, but with the inherit danger of fraud and the lack of personal contact I just never really got why autograph collecting was so big. Anyway, I mentioned I collect items of the actor Warren William, right? I don’t know if I should really circulate this info, but what the heck — there’s a price I’ll pay for Warren William autographs, and he died in 1948, so they’re not terribly common, and I pay up to my price just assuming I’m buying a fake.

A Real Warren William Autograph?

I can never be disappointed that way, right? Even I think that’s kind of silly. Maybe someone can tell me if this one is a fake or not

#13 What ‘holy grail’ are you currently seeking for your collection?

I hate to dodge this, but really, from my perspective my holy grail is just the next cool item I need to have — I don’t know what it is yet. It might be an item for myself, more likely it’ll be an item for resale that I haven’t seen before and want to research. It goes back to your question when I talked about taking a deep interest in your collection. My passion is identifying and researching items that I don’t know about and can’t find any info about. So to answer this one, I’d say “the unknown.”

“The unknown,” that has to be my favorite answer of all time. Amen, Cliff, amen.

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While most of us will not be filling our double wides with the likes of what I wanted to see, and while wifes’ purchases were very modest, it’s the thrill of seeing these incredible objects and learning all that I can about the findings these dealers were able to bring together.

Friday was the first of the three day Delefield Antique Show that I had wanted to attend for several years but just never seemed to find the time. This year it was put on our priority list. Friday evening was the kick off and I was there with pen and camera in hand to see what all the hub-bub was about. The location was in the historic Delafield Hotel in historic Downtown Delafield, WI. The perfect setting to view and learn more about Early American and English antiques from the more than seventy dealers assembled with their wonderful array of true antiques. The name plates in each booth provided the attendee’s business name and their home location. While many were from Wisconsin and the surrounding states, others traveled from Missouri, Connecticut, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virgina, and Ohio to present their unique wares in this fashionable setting. From the looks of the early crowd, lots of interest was generated and sold tags were seen on many items, too large to hand carry out the door.

Paintings were prevalent, furniture abundant and metal objects of silver and brass, brilliantly polished.

As I toured the show, I was very impressed with the great variety of items, and played a guessing game of “the price is right” with myself, trying to determine an object’s value before looking at the price tag. (I’m not very good at this game.) And when it comes to paintings, I have no clue, guessing low on high priced masterpieces and way high on eighteenth century paint by numbers with a subject only the artist and I would think was worthy of using a good canvas and paint.

Asking questions of the dealers always brings a detailed response and I consider these events as my chance to learn from experts. I was fortunate enough to visit with a several that allowed me to photograph their booths and discuss some details beyond their inventory. Often these interviews were interrupted with questions from customers, so I try to observe more than quiz a busy person.

Several common themes arise from this show’s participants: an early interest in old things, years of collecting and later selling what they like, good contacts for locating rare antiques, and constant education. The benefits most enjoy are the returning customer base, foreign travel and camaraderie with like minded individuals.

My first chat was with Nancy Andrich of Nancy Andrich Antiques, who along with her daughter, travel to the UK on buying trips, and had lots of small decorative gems. Nancy said she had been doing the Delafield show for at least ten years and also was a participant at the Northern Illinois Antique Dealers Association Shows, and the Wisconsin Antique Dealers shows, where I remembered seeing her before.

The Harley Davidson sign in Tom and Marcia Brown’s booth caught my eye. Living in Wisconsin, we celebrate all things Harley. Marcia mentioned Willie G. had stopped to admire the sign. Made of sheet metal this fine old display piece was tempting, and I hope it found a home in our state.

This couple from Indiana live in an 1800s home and show about twelve times a year around the Mid-west. Tom has worked as a full time dealer for about twelve years, and we had a nice chat on our common interest in old homes, even if mine is but a pup compared to theirs.

Harold Cole (Antiques) of Woodbury, Connecticut has forty-five years of antique experience, featuring Early American and American folk art with a special interest in weather vanes. Harold sells through the Wales Antique Center in Wales, Wisconsin and had shops in Wiscasett, Maine and Woodbury, Connecticut.

The last interview, again shortened by paying customers, was with Randall Hopkins (Art and Antiques) with a shop in Madison, Wisconsin. His specialty of English and American period furnitures, oil paintings and decorative accessories. I was enthralled by the English silver pieces he had to offer.

Did I learn enough to join the ranks of these dealers? An emphatic NO. But we keep learning and that’s what makes for a happy collector, one that learns and understands as much as we can about our collections, so that when an item of value is offered we’ll have the insight to purchase and figure out later how to cover the check. Good Hunting my collecting community friends, hope to see you at my next shopping stop.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you collect stuff and that you possibly have a fair amount of your living spaces overtaken with objects that inspire or act as tokens of reminiscence. Sure, the situation might be marginally impractical – but I’d guess that it’s not nearly as impractical as unexpectedly winning a working, full-scale custom Agusta Batman motorcycle from Hershey’s worth approximately $35,000. No one wins those huge prize giveaways, right? It’s all dummy prizes and about a million 25-cents-off-your-next-purchase-of-some-lotion-you-don’t-even-use coupons.

Not so for 54 year old Sidney Dugas and his wife, who have been  sweepstakes hobbyists for over 20 years. As it turns out, the Dugas family aren’t really motorcycle enthusiasts and live in a 1400 square foot abode, sans garage in which to even keep their new, colossal Bat Bike. While Mr. Dugas happily admits that this is the best thing he’s ever won, the maintenance of an accidental collectible of this scale can prove to be overwhelming. So, how do you accidentally win the Batcycle?

“I sent in a few entries to this promo and won”, says Mr. Dugas. It’s not more complicated than that – almost disappointingly. I’d expect a face-off with The Joker, or a trivia contest or something to prove the worthiness of the Bike’s victor beyond having legible penmanship and a stamp. Still, the unexpected addition of a new, two-wheeled member of the family has been a cumbersome thing.

“It has been a lot to do just trying to get insurance on the bike, and [figuring out] how to pay the taxes on the bike. Putting all that aside, it’s been kind of fun also. I learned a lot about the MV Agusta motorcycle and the people who ride them, and how great they are. I also learned a lot about Batman collectors and how awesome [they are]”. We are.

Of course, nothing is ever free, and winning a $35,000 prize comes with about $10,000 in taxes – because joy and delight are taxable, now. The air and blood taxes won’t be too far behind, folks, so start selling your blood on eBay now.

Mr. Dugas has been attempting to sell the bike since October of 2008, only days after winning it, because of this incredible amount of taxes. He hasn’t had any luck just yet, which is hopefully where Collectors’ Quest readers will come in. Do you know a wealthy Bat-fan? Do you have a direct line to Jay Leno? Are you just a little crazy and rich at the same time? Drop Sidney a line at the e-mail address at the end of this article!

Fortunately, Mr. Dugas hasn’t yet been forced to also pay for storage for the bike, as Hershey’s has pushed back the actual arrival date for the bike back to May of this year. Unfortunately, however, because he doesn’t have the bike in hand, he’s also been unable to make a dedicated, concerted effort to sell the bike through the usual avenues like eBay. So, why does someone take on such a cumbersome responsibility, and did the winner actually maintain the option of refusing the grand prize?

“I had the option of refusing the bike, but I was hoping to sell the bike and make a little money. My wife and I spend a lot of time taking care of our handicapped grandson, [so] we could use the money.” It’s not as if Mr. Dugas is opposed to the idea of collecting, as he’s been a coin collector himself – but the allure of a few bucks for a unique collectible, especially to cover medical bills for his family, is a necessity. He’s not trying to profit from the bike – he’s converting a sought-after collectible into something far more practical for his family.

If you have any leads of ideas about how to properly get rid of this colossal thing appropriately, drop Sidney a line at sdugas54@cox.net. He’ll be happy to hear from you, and I’m sure he’d love to have a plan for the bike before it arrives.

Me, I’d love a Batcycle, but I am cursed with practicality. Huge or unexpected collectibles can be a huge burden and very time-consuming, so take the months-long plight of Sidney into account before you accept any huge prizes.

My last blog detailed a ‘chance meeting’ with a fellow antiquer named Lea and some of her fabulous collections. 

She loves whimsy too, and has some of the most charming dog pictures I’ve seen. This lonely little pup draws an “awww” whenever viewed, and the picture with the grouping of dogs actually has a slate back to it. It’s very old but in great shape.

I’ve heard that “Victoriana” has lost popularity with collectors, but not Lea who recognizes the charm of this period. One of her favorite pieces is a framed bride and groom. All original, probably resting on the wedding cake of the lovely couple, well over 100 years ago.

Her favorite of ‘all time’ is her Sleepy Eye Pitchers. For those who are not familiar with the Sleepy Eye items, they bear the image of a 19^th century Indian chief with a “drooping eyelid.” The Sleepy Eye Milling co. of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota used his portrait in advertising from 1883 to 1921, offering premiums such as stoneware and pottery crocks, bowls, mugs and pitchers. After 1921, the Mill was out of business and companies such as Western Stoneware began production. These are very hard to find and Lea has been slowly adding to her collection. She shops mostly yard sales, sometimes a flea market, and continues her search for more. The most she has paid for one was $100 and it is valued at well over $700 today.

It was difficult to focus on one area of her collecting, it is very diverse. But when I saw this fabulous purse, I was truly in awe. Having seen numerous beaded handbags by such makers as Whiting & Davis, I was not prepared for this one! The frame of the purse is celluloid with a vibrant coloring, and beading is incredible. The bonus is that it is in pristine condition. Lea had purchased some items from this lady, mostly jewelry, and had seen this purse. The lady declined to sell it but agreed to take Lea’s phone number and when and if she was ready, would give her a call. She waited well over a year, then the call came and the lady sold it to her. She displays it beautifully too.

One of her collections are these buttons. Some are metal, but the majority are bakelite! Very colorful and getting hard to find. She has a fantastic assortment including some animals, a small bowl of cherries and quite a few called ‘waffle’ buttons. The jars are a super way to show them off.

As I prepared to leave her lovely home, I noticed a bench with wrought iron sides. Often called a “radio bench.” This one has cats in play on each side. Lea told me that these were given out at theatres years back and kids could win them to take home! I know I’d never seen one before and found it to be utterly delightful.

Lea has learned how to profit from her hunting trips and proudly admits to being an antique dealer. But she has used her talents to creatively decorate her house with the treasures she chooses to keep, making it a warm and inviting HOME. I thanked her for sharing her collection with me and the CQ readers. While I enjoy her company, I recognize her to be a worthy competitor and know I have to get up pretty early in the morning to win the prize!