Dress, Lanvin Spring/Summer 2010; nail polish, Chanel Nouvelle Vague
I was recently visiting my dear friend Jessea and she showed me her newest antiquarian treasure trove: a collection of early and first edition Oz books, with the original illustrations by John R. Neill. So transfixed was I as I breathed in that old book smell and pored over the poignant ink drawings of the Patchwork Girl and Polychrome, the daughter of the rainbow. Neill is one of my illustration heroes, having captured the whimsical and naïve beauty of Dorothy, Ozma and the rest with such an easy, fluid hand. Much of my passion for drawing the female human figure came directly as a result of his influence, along with that of Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, and Edmund Dulac, all of whom devoted their skills to the fabulous embellishment of children’s stories and fairy tales in the early part of the 20th century. Their work brought these tales to life-or rather, they made them larger than life- and my own world expanded exponentially under their influence.
My fascination with Oz as a child was complete and utter, and while other fancies have gripped me since, the power of this mythic land over me has not abated. L. Frank Baum created an electric universe so resplendent with invention, adventure and magic that it continues to shine like a gem.
Alber Elbaz approached that land of sparkling invention with his Lanvin Spring/Summer 2010 collection, a bejeweled affair that left many in wonder at his exquisite vision.
One of the standout looks- I would argue, perhaps, the standout look of the show- was this dazzling emerald number adorned with beadwork like a vine bearing ripe berries. It was pranced down the runway by Vlada Roslyakova, and is modeled by Jamie Bochert in the Lanvin S/S 10 ad campaign by Steven Meisel. Laced as the dress is with all of the emerald intrigue of Oz, I channeled my vision of the Princess Ozma for this illustration, complete with her crimson poppy headdress.
