fashion

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 paid 50 cents for this fragile old piece of paper mocking a woman for the way she dresses. (At first glance, I was certain it was mocking the man; but the ape proffers a red dress with white hearts.) I’m not sure why I had to have it; but I did.

Vintage Cross-Eyed Ape Fashion Joke

when you walk by
people GAPE –
who picks your clothes
a CROSS-EYED APE?

It’s funny, in that simple childlike rhyming playground mockery sort of a way. And I just love the illustration. Certainly someone saved it all these years — charmed by it for all the reasons I am. But I have no idea what this fragile piece of old paper is supposed to be…

Was it a page in a book? While there’s no printing on the reverse, it’s possible; sometimes illustrations (especially those with color) had single pages to themselves (these are called “plates”).

If it comes from a book, what was the book about? Just a silly joke book? Or was it a silly page illustrating one point in the text?

Were there more pages like this?

Did the original owner find the page loose and save it? Or did they tear it out themselves?

Or maybe it’s not from a book at all. Only the right edge of the paper seems to be without nibbles, cuts and other imperfections — suggesting this is not the original size. Maybe it was an advertising or promotional piece… Some sort of flyer, an advertising circular, whose product &/or company name have been cut away by an original owner who liked the joke &/or illustration.

Then again, there’s all those hearts… Was this some sort of Valentine’s Day themed thing?

Since there is nothing else on the paper to identify it, no artist credit, date or other copyright or publishing credit, I may never know what this paper was originally intended to do or where it comes from. But, like the heavy crease lines from folding which have begun to tear, it doesn’t decrease the value to me. Not just the 50 cents I paid or even the thrill of research to figure it all out (I am geeky like that), but the fun of looking at it. The joke still works, after all these years.

Over the past decade or so, the world of comics has been grudgingly granted some measures of legitimacy, as it fights hard to move beyond the common misconception that it’s all ‘muscles and fights’ and guys punching things and girls with ridiculous proportions and non-costumes (obviously drawn as such to attract the arrested arousal of adolescents and other men trapped on a adolescent state). The whole ‘comics are for kids and losers’ stigma is fading, so I’m a fan of anything that takes comic fantasy seriously as a significant cultural phenomenon. Even if you’re not a fan of comics, you can’t deny the impact they’ve had.

So, when an institution as important as The Met says ‘hey, we’ve got superheroes!‘, I listen. Using an array of well-known, super-heroic costumes as inspiration, a small gathering of ultra-famous designers and design studios were summoned to create their own versions of the costumes. The characters represented included Batman, Iron Man, Superman, The Incredible Hulk, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Mystique (and her mutant ilk), and Catwoman – movie versions all. Photography was not allowed, so please click around to see links to photos and videos elsewhere on the web, snapped by braver souls than I.

It was a little disappointing that the paper heart of comic culture was not tapped more heavily, and only the superficial movie costume designs were utilized. If the idea was to access the most popular aspects of the characters, the movie versions of them would be it – even if the ‘movie versions’ of all superhero costumes are much more practical and realistic than their truly fantastic comic counterparts. I can’t help but think that exploring the true depths of comic imagery would have yielded some even more wild and/or sexy results. Of course, the designers made it very apparent that the physical appearance of the costume was pretty much irrelevant – it was what the costume represents that they were exploring.

These weren’t redesigned superhero costumes at all, so don’t let the title of the show fool you into some false sense of familiarity. No one’s fighting anything in these, except for a possibly to-the-death battle with dignity. These ‘costumes’ were all super-manifestations of the essences of superpowers – from abstract, angular sports designs for the speed and aerodynamism of The Flash, to a simple, tremendously ugly brick-pattern-slash-football-outfit to symbolize the strength and endurance of the Hulk.

Being completely ignorant of the fashion world, I wasn’t exceptionally thrilled (or even conscious) of the fancy designer names, nor seeing original designs in the flesh. What I WAS excited about was seeing each original movie costume that the absurd ‘designer’ costumes were inspired by. These included Christopher Reeves’ screen-worn Superman costume (accompanied by an excellent hologram that switched it back and forth between his Clark Kent, civilian attire), the Iron Man Mark II armor, and the surprisingly tiny Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman costume. Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman costume remains in one piece, though it bears the fading and loose threads of a costume ten times its age. The Batman costume of choice wasn’t a classic Adam West getup, or the acceptable Michael Keaton gear, or even the tragically-nippled Schumacher versions, but the Batman outfit from the upcoming Dark Knight film. The Met was so topical that it was showcasing costumes that no one had even seen yet.

If they really wanted to see something, The Met would have tossed out some classic villain costumes to reinterpret. Those guys are crazy, and they don’t care if their helmets have 9-foot tall fins on them, or that purple really doesn’t go with green. While heroes are about unity and coordination, the bad guys survive on discord and discomfort – which are two things that would be really fun to see in a ‘fashion’ sense. As it was, making a spider-webby dress to express Spider-Man is a disappointingly obvious decision, and green, inflatable Hulk muscle vests were a clever juxtaposition of form and function – even if they had zero aesthetic appeal.

It wasn’t unexpected that most of the the fashions were fairly pretentious (using one’s own initials instead of Superman’s trademark ‘S’), and had very little to do with superheroes. Every ‘fashion’ expressed very human qualities – things that heroes happen to occasionally represent when they’re not punching things. Sure, the show addressed the complexity of fictional heroism, but it could have very easily excluded the idea of heroes entirely and focused on the spectrum of human emotions. It might have made it feel a lot more coherent, but also far less appealing to a population that’s ready to embrace superheroes. And I wouldn’t have been able to see Rebecca Romijn’s mutant appliqués in person.

As a small bonus at the end of the show for real hardcore geeks, The Met assembled a collection of the most valuable comics in all of geekdom. We’re talkin’ Action Comics #1 with the first appearance of Superman, the first appearance of Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #39, and some astonishingly early Batman appearances, all in one place and under plexiglass. For people to tap on, apparently. Why one would tap on the glass in front of an inanimate object as if it were a sleepy kitten, I’m not entirely sure, but it was done. For the record, none of the comics seemed to notice.

The gift shop included some alarmingly (but appropriately) gaudy, $30 t-shirts, a super-glossy show catalogue paperback for $30, or a handsome tin-covered version for $50, among other more common items. The cost prevented me from partaking in the acquisition of new superhero items, as much as I like to extend my tangential superhero book collection.

The show is worth seeing, if only for the original super-costumes. While I came away with a new understanding of exactly what ‘fashion’ is and stands to represent, I’ll leave it to the experts, while I ponder how Wolverine gets his face-pointies to stand so straight. I’m willing to bet that it’s simple cardboard inserts. The show will be open through September 1st, 2008.

If identifying my vintage Mattel fashion doll heads was intimidating, trying to estimate the damages and decide if the dolls are worthy of repairs and restoration was even more confusing. Thankfully, we have Krista of Krista’s Doll Restoration to help us.

Now that I know what dolls I have, there are all the condition issues… What’s ‘normal wear’ and what’s horrible? What’s worth fixing? (Aside from your own personal doll, when sentimental value makes restoration mandatory.)

New collectors may not realize that a doll may not be worth the cost of repair. (Unless of course it is their childhood doll!). For example: It is NOT worth re-rooting a bubblecut as a bubblecut.

Also, if a doll has been a meal to a mouse or rat and its face has been chewed and nibbled away, there is really nothing that can be done. If the doll has multiple flaws such as a bad neck split, a missing nose and green ears, it is better to invest in a replacement rather than a restoration.

On the other hand I have saved some beautiful ponytails.

One blonde ponytail had been burned on the top of its head by a light in a display cabinet. I was able to re-root this one with brunette hair (to cover the charred scalp) and she turned out beautifully.

Another had been eaten by a mouse only on the top of the head, under the hair. The face paint was perfect! Again, I was able to re-root this lovely doll and save her as well. The hole was completely covered by the new hair.

Cosmetic issues (like dirt, rubbed paint) can all be fixed. Even a nose nip or small neck split can be repaired. I can remove green ear as well. But if the doll has multiple vinyl flaws on the face (or an extensive vinyl flaw on the face) it is better to spend the money on a replacement head instead.

The PJ head has a slight green tint to her ear, but no holes for earrings. So what causes that? Is it a horrible thing for a doll?

The Mod (pink skin) dolls self destruct over time and begin to get fade spots that often turn to a greenish hue. It is also possible that the doll head was stored against some type of metal, like a metal stand, and the metal oxidized, leaving a green stain on the doll.

The brunette bubblecut has a ‘dimple’ or dent on her chin. Is that something which could be repaired? Would it be meaningful to do so? And her torso also has some dents. As that’s not vinyl, can that be repaired at all? (This torso also has one of those infamous pin-holes in the boob. What was up with those? Such a large number of dolls have them!)

I could at least improve the look of the small dent or gash on her face. The repair would probably be visible,though.

I can sometimes improve dents that are in the breasts (I remove the arms, soften the breast area with hot water, and use a chop stick through the arm hole to gently push the dent back out).

Nicks, holes and scratches on the torsos are not repairable and are better left alone (or one can replace the torso or entire body).

As for the pin-holes in the breasts, it’s funny you mentioned this! I just received a doll today that I had purchased on eBay and she has little pin hole ‘nipples.’ Long ago the doll’s original owner must have wanted to make her doll more anatomically correct! I find pin holes in other areas as well, if you know what I mean! I find it funny and charming.

I love the dolls because of the history they each have. If only they could speak, I am sure they could tell a lot of stories.

Do you have any information or ballpark percentages etc on the increase in value of a properly restored doll? For example, any restored doll increases by X % or re-rooting hair adds X to the value etc.

This is a very good question, but unfortunately I don’t have any exact figures/percentages since there are too many variables involved.

For example, restoring a Skipper or Midge is not going to be as cost-effective (re-sale wise) as restoring a ponytail #1. The restoration may cost the same, but the return will be much less on a Midge or Skipper compared to a Ponytail.

Meanwhile one could say that a professional restoration on one’s childhood doll (whether it is a ponytail #1 or a Ken) is ‘priceless’ since the monetary value is not a factor. Rather I am helping someone restore their dolls’ emotional value along with their own childhood memories.

Another variable as far as resale is concerned is who did the restoration? Not only is the quality of the work important, but if it was done by a well-known restorer with a good reputation, then the resale value of the doll will increase. The doll has become a sort of one-of-a-kind (OOAK) at the hands of the restorer.

And finally, resale price depends on where the person is trying to sell the (restored) doll. These days this usually means eBay. As we all know, eBay can be very unpredictable. Prices change daily (even hourly). One day a person may realize $180 for a titian bubblecut. The next day, an identical bubblecut may only sell for $60.

Therefore your question does not have a simple answer and these types of statistics would be hard to calculate as you can see.

How does one know that a doll is being properly restored, so that repairs are, if not increasing the value, at least not decreasing it?

Take a look at my site here: Dolls with previous restoration attempts. Pictures are worth a thousand words! You will see how the doll looked when it arrived, how it looked after I cleaned up the mess, and how it looked after it was restored correctly.

Really, the only restorations I won’t do is re-root a bubblecut as a bubblecut (better to re-root as a ponytail or a swirl!) and I won’t even bother with heads that were once lunch for a rodent.

If it is a ponytail doll with nice hair but she has a missing right cheek or a missing chin, then let’s salvage her hair for another project, buy a replacement head, and throw this head away.

On the other hand, take a look at dolls I’ve restored which had very bad flaws on the tops of their heads but I was able to cover them up with re-roots.

This doll had a huge rodent hole in the top of her head but perfect face paint (I did not take a before photo! I can’t believe I forgot to do that). She was originally a blonde but when re-rooted as a titian the big hole was no longer visible.

How long does it take to do things like paint restoration, rerooting etc.?

Re-rooting is extremely time consuming, and re-rooting a full head often takes me a few weeks to complete! While it is not difficult to do, it takes patience to root one plug of hair at a time. Each plug of hair is hand-knotted so it can be brushed and styled. The hair I use is very smooth and fine (beautiful, new saran hair), and I must take care not to tangle the skien as I work.

I find the most enjoyable part of restoration is the face re-painting. I enjoy mixing the colors to get an exact match of the original colors, and I am now (after all of these years) able to paint the features correctly the first attempt.

It has taken lots and lots of practice over the years. I really love it. I love watching the dolls come alive, and my goal is to always make them look completely original (correct colors, smooth paint, and correct lip and brow shapes).

That’s a huge investment of time! And the detail work… Just trying to decipher and read the markings on the dolls, inside the head openings, that stuff is tiny and hard to read! Your eyes must go crazy with all the detail work!

Yes, I must wear magnifying binoculars! I even have a pair with battery operated lights on each side.

Well, after struggling with the other markings I was so exhausted I didn’t dare take the heads off the other Barbie doll bodies — I also didn’t want to risk damaging them.

You can! It won’t hurt them if you are careful! I have instructions for removing the heads on my site. My website just keeps on growing as I add new information weekly.

Weekly? That’s a lot of information… No wonder I am confused trying to absorb this all!

Yes, this is why I created my site — To help educate the collector.

Gone are the days when collectors relied only on dealers to supply their Barbies. Now eBay is available to everyone. The problem with eBay, however, is that there is a lot of mis-information in many of the listings (either intentionally or unintentionally). Hopefully my site will help the collector make better informed decisions.

And while I don’t think the confusion stops people from collecting, it definitely brings to light the need to focus on an era or type of doll. My site is designed to help collectors who have chosen to focus on the vintage Barbies.

Are there any clues for buyers to look for to see if a doll has been repaired/restored rather than is ‘all original’ etc.

With a correctly done repaint it should be very hard to tell — but the new paint will be a bit shiner than original paint. It may be necessary to view the doll through a loop or magnifying binoculars.

If the re-paint was not done correctly, one may see globs and texture on the paint (see the links above for extreme examples), and the shapes and colors may not look right (brows too dark, lips too large, etc.).

If one is unsure and does not mind taking a chance on ruining a nice restoration, then there is the ‘alcohol test’ (rubbing alcohol will remove any new acrylic paint).

I see listings on ebay where a bidder has asked a seller if s/he has performed ‘the alcohol test’ to determine if the face paint is original or not. Many sellers don’t want to risk ruining a beautiful restoration by smearing the paint with alcohol.

Therefore it is best to look at the doll through a loop and check the smoothness and shine of the paint. That will normally tell you if there has been a paint touch up or not.

Are the Mattel reproductions of the classic Barbie dolls clearly marked somehow? Or do novice collectors run the risk of making mistakes with them?

Yes, Mattel has done a good job marking the dolls and outfits so that it is clear they are not the original vintage. One must always be careful with the smaller accessories (gloves and hats and things) but Mattel has done the best they could with this.

Do you know anything about other fashion doll accessory repairs, such as vinyl cases, clothes etc.?

No, I stick to the dolls only and want them to arrive fully nude.

I don’t repair the boxes or cases (though I do have a new way to preserve the graphics on the old cases if someone has one they want to transform).

The fashions are often better left unwashed. Most of the old dyes are not colorfast, and the fabrics used were often real silk and very delicate brocades. I always recommend that people consult a good dry cleaner when it comes to the clothing. I recommend people call an antique store to get a referral to a dry cleaner that specializes in vintage/antique garments.

***

For more information, please see Krista’s site where you’ll find tips on care for Barbie and Ken doll hair, general care and display tips for your collection, and more.

Krista works on an appointment system to limit restoration projects to only what she can realistically handle. If you’re interested, contact Krista at her website to get more information and to make your doll’s spa appointment.

You might want to contact her soon, as she returns each Fall to Italy for the Italian Collectors’ Fashion Doll Convention in Calenzano (just outside of Florence). There she not only demonstrates restoration but takes in international dolls for spa treatments.

All photo copyrights belong to Krista and Krista’s Doll Restoration — except for the photo of Krista which is copyright, De Agostini, 2003.

Lady head vases first appeared just before World War II, but it wasn’t until the 1950’s that they reached their peak in popularity with many florists using the primarily porcelain or ceramic vases to promote flower sales. By the end of the 1960’s nearly every home had these little beauties.

Collector books estimate that while more than 10,000 lady head vase designs were created, due to their market saturation and their fragile nature not nearly enough have survived — making these original lady head vases highly collectible. Some vases, like the most prized celebrity or character likenesses, can bring in over $1,000.

Most lady head vase collectors will tell you they are drawn to these pretty ladies because they appreciate the feminine qualities of poise, fashion and beauty which these vases depicted. But fans of femininity need not hold their breath for such rare elusive ladies — they can begin collecting these timeless treasures right now, with the new lady head vases.

One such hot collectible is the Cameo Girls™ Lady Head Vase series.

Inspired by the legacy of the original head vases the The Cameo Girls® Lady Vases Collection from United Design™ are individually created and accessorized to have the same charm and appeal as the vintage head vases.

Like Gene Dolls, each head vase is based on a specific lady — and each has her own story. Collectors follow six feminine and fascinating women as they might have appeared over two centuries of American fashion, beginning in 1809.

Each lady is created from an original sculpture made by their talented design staff which is hand cast in bonded porcelain, then meticulously hand painted. These pretty ladies differ from their vintage counterparts in several ways:

* They are not at all like the fragile old porcelain heads, as bonded porcelain is like resin making these lady heads very heavy and solid.

* On each head of a Cameo Girls® vase there is a very narrow “hole” with a removeable glass tube in it. This design is used so as not to damage the piece by holding water for fresh flowers.

* Each of these lady head vases is designed to be collectible. They are created in limited numbers &/or have a retired date. Several of the Cameo Girls® are numbered and come with a certificates to ensure their status as collectibles.

So, for the past six years that Cameo Girls® have been made, they’ve enjoyed quite a run. However, there have been some changes at the company which have thrown retailers and collectors into a spin.

Originally, the ladies were designed by Debby Kaspari. But Kaspari is no longer designing Cameo Girls®. Kaspari’s last designs were released in January and June 2006 (and all her designs are now retired).

Those who have seen the more recent designs are less than thrilled, which has apparently lead Encore (who now owns United Designs and the Cameo line) to say that the designs for the January 2007 releases are being re-worked and re-sculpted. This will mean a delay before retailers and then collectors themselves will be able to see the new designs. As they say, “Stay Tuned”.

If the resin-type of lady head vases do not appeal to you, or you are waiting to see what Encore will do with the new releases, there are other modern head vase creations to consider.

There are the reproductions in ceramic, which may not seem to have much value at the moment, but are cute and practical (and if they are not valued much now, they may a huge value later — like the original head vases, little of them left may make them hot years later!)

And there are other modern lady head vases — some much more modernized than others:

Let’s Face It Girls! vases

Bella Casa by Ellen Williams

Tropical Ladies of terra cotta

Party Girls to get crafty with