Friday 29 January 2010

(Closet) Fashionista? ! Moi?

In the dim recesses of my mind, I remember making very lame attempts at 'Designing' stuff in my mis-spent youth.  Dresses (Wedding, mostly) army-style culottes (?!)  and ethereal floaty things a la Queen Guinevere. And I've always had a thing about 'folds', or is it called 'drape'?
And  I did  a "Fashion Through Time" project at school where I discovered a love of the Thirties and Forties with their waspie-waists  and full-on petticoats. Now where did all that go I wonder?
How come at school I only ever managed to knock up a larger-than-life yellow and white checked duck (much to the consternation of my mother who couldn't see the point, much less be able to afford the princely sum of £12.50 for the material - funny how these things stick in the mind, isn't it?) oh, a cushion cover and a swing bag - which I think was  made using a loom we built ourselves too.  What happened to my designs?  What happened to the creations I drew and painted and secretly dreamed I would one day watch glide down a catwalk at the Paris Fashion Show?

No idea.

But it all came back to me last night as I was channel hopping.  And spotted the adorable Leonora Critchlow (she's the ghost, Nina, in "Being Human" and we have secretly adopted her because she's so lovely) with a mouthful of pins and chatting to a very believably disenchanted supermodel who's also her best friend.  Throw into the equation a brilliant Cruella de Ville performance from Dervla Kirwan (no sign of her nicey-niceness anywhere and Glenn Close should watch her back)  a few other cliched-but-perfectly drawn characters, and the whole thing, called "MATERIAL GIRL"* is an absolute MUST-SEE.  And as last night was the 3rd episode, I've just caught up with the first two and I have never been less disappointed in my entire life.  It's great.  it's pure excapism on a real-deal front and it's British, people - British!!!  It's 'Glee-meets-The Rag Trade' and there's even a perfectly-cast Polish/Czech chain-smoking-seamstress which probably infringes most health & safety regulations - but it works!

And I'm not a "shoe" person, but there are shoes, ladies - SHOES!  Up front - very beautiful - and in your face.  I seem to recall that during the Dallas heyday, our Joannie was reported to have even worn slippers during some scenes because it was all about the shoulder pads and make-up and not the footwear.
Please give it a go *first episode here. It's a lovely, believable other world.  It'll warm your cockles.

3 comments:

Jacqueline Christodoulou-Ward said...

The depth of my diversion into 'fashion' was when I cross stitched something to my skirt at scool.

But I'll give this prog a go seeing as you recommend it!

Debs Riccio said...

Woo hoo! Hope you like it, Jacqui x

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