Da General Fashion, Heroes

Fashion Preview 1980’s

You are looking at one of the most amazing things ever.   The “Fashion Preview 1980’s” you see above is from an issue of US magazine dated January 8,1980 and features an interview with our hero, designer Larry LeGaspi, pictured here flanked with models wearing his glorious space-age creations.  I’m gagging about discovering that he also made wedding gowns and I imagine that any bride wearing a LeGaspi down the aisle was the most gorgeously galactic woman on the planet.   I also love that he “called it” back in then, saying that the children of that time would someday be living in outer space– and as we know, it’s not that far away Soldiers!

A big glittering “thank you'” goes out to Jane, a very special Sparkle Soldier, who knew that this would be a dazzling addition to my archives- THANK YOU SO MUCH JANE!
This should also serve as a reminder of how important it is for the Sparkle Army to look out for one another.  And by “look out for one another”,  I mean that any information, photos or other material having to do with Larry LeGaspi (especially any of his priceless vintage creations!) be sent my way immediately.

Da General APPROVED!, Fashion

Mirrorman of L.A.: APPROVED!

photo credit: silver sky

 

According to his website, artist Gustav Troger aka Mirrorman, is a living sculpture and who’s mission is for “people to question reality by looking at him and seeing themselves instead”. His amazing suit is made from hundreds of mirror pieces that are attached in layers instead of glued flatly down on the fabric. This allows for greater flexibility in movement and a smashing “theme track” when he walks.  He’s also created a dazzling Mirrorcar with the same geometric-style cuts of glass, which must be quite a spectacular sight when he’s driving it!  I think what I love most about his suit is that it’s the closest any human has ever come to achieving “invisibility” and for that- he is APPROVED!

Now all he needs is some lasers!

 

 

Da General Fashion

Fashion Darling

Another Fashion Week is winding down here in NYC and while the past few days have been filled with gobs of endless glamor, one show dazzles above them all.  The Blonds are Sparkle Army favorites because they take the idea of “More is More” and shove it in your pretty face.  This creative and fabulous duo would never dream of “toning it down” for any reason and all I have to say to that is “HOLLA!”  I especially love their undersea galactica theme (I just made that up!) this season which made all the girls into hot blonds embellished with glimmering stars, deep sea jewels and strategically placed plexiglass lipstick tubes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another reason to love The Blonds is that they also design for our favorite fashion doll.  Officially named “The Blonds Blond Diamond™ Barbie®, she has never looked more sparkle-tastic than in this rhinestone encrusted number with matching sparkle shoes, sexy side swept hair and dramatically long (and thankfully not real) fur coat.  All together now… KABLAM!

Da General Fashion

Heels Dot Com

SOLDIERS: I have found the One-Stop-Shop for sparkle shoes!   Whether you’re a Disco Queen, Glam Rock Star or Magical Princess, you’re sure to find a pair (or twenty!) of dazzlers you simply must have at heels.com.   I did searches for all my favorite colors- “glitter”, “sequins” and “crystals”, and each time more and more fabulous styles came up.  Also to my delight, they have many styles in glorious Multi-Sparkle and so amazingly affordable, I can treat myself to a few or maybe even all of them!   To give you an idea, these are just a few selections from their website- which I now call “The Multi-Sparkle Motherload”.   I wonder if they’d consider changing their name?

Da General Disco Commercials, Fashion

Great Moments in Disco Fashion History: The Disco Commercial

By 1978, Disco Fashion had moved out from the nightclubs and across mainstream America with the blinding speed of flashing lights and laser beams and right into our television sets.  There were all kinds of dance related TV shows but now, companies of all types also wanted to connect with this dazzling lifestyle and let consumers know that their products were cool and thus, the Disco Commercial was born!  These fabulously fun spots pushed everything from beer, soda, clothing, cosmetics and even discos themselves and since it’s not possible to feature them all today, I’m announcing that this will be a whole new sparkling category for Sparkle Army Soldiers to enjoy.  Today- we start with one of the best.

Pabst Blue Ribbon is still what the cool kids drink today, but this is from 1979- THE year of Disco!  A young Patrick Swayze with super-fab hair is taking his lovely lady dressed in the finest disco chic for a night of dancing and thanks to PBR, they are owning that dancefloor.

VIEWER IMPRESSION:  I’d buy it!

Da General Fashion

Leopard Sparkle Shoes, part 1

 

I love leopard and when it’s mixed that with sparkle you have a fabulosity that cannot be ignored- just like these dazzlers from Laboutin.  I’m gagging with covetous desire at the sight of them, but alas Soldiers, I will not own them because I would never cut so deep into my “disco money” for one pair of shoes.  However, they have me given the best idea for how to fix my hot pink pumps that have somehow come up with mystery spots.  I’m going to turn them into a showstopping treat for the masses by taking their idea and making it better.  How is that possible, you ask?  First, my shoes are pointy with lots of toe cleavage which spells “Rock n’ Roll!”  and Second, by making the leopard pattern out of Swarovski crystals using their super cool “ooky” color choices.  That’s right, I’m going to create a totally Cramp-tastic shoe that looks like something Poison Ivy herself would have worn and possibly even our late, beloved Lux Interior (RIP).

Pictured below is how my shoes look now, but check back for part 2.. coming soon!

Da General Fashion

Great Moments in Disco Fashion History: Designer Jeans

 

 

Before the late 70’s and early 80’s, jeans were mainly worn by blue collar workers and rebellious outsider types who went against the norm of fashion standards.  Enter disco music and Designer Jeans which transformed denim from casual and easy into very tight and ultra fabulous thus giving rise to one of the most famous expressions of all time: “painted on jeans”.  While some of the labels had actual known designers behind them like Gloria Vanderbilt and Calvin Klein, many of them were unheard of names that, through the magic of advertising, became fantastically successful and amazingly unforgettable.

Some of the legendary tag lines forever etched in our brains are “Oh La La Sasson!”, ” Uh, Oh Sergio!” and my personal favorite, “I Beg Your Chardon”.  Equally enduring is the Jordache song, “You’ve got the look I want to know better…You’ve got the look that’s all together…” which is still one of the most recognized jingles in TV commercial history.  How dazzling that they all implied that anyone who wore these jeans enjoyed a lifestyle of dancing, sex, parties and gobs popularity with the “in” crowd.  In fact, Designer Jeans and their ad campaigns lead the way in another category we hold near and dear to our hearts, The Disco Commercial.

To be continued…

 

 

Da General Fashion

Great Moments in Disco Fashion History: The BeDazzler

This vintage commercial says it all “Don’t be dull, be DAZZLING” (and a special shout out for the disco-tastic red nails!).  One of the most fabulous inventions ever made, the BeDazzler, changed fashion forever  because now, after watching The MIdnight Special , Musikladen and other late night music shows, people at home could finally recreate the sparkling fashions of their favorite Superstars.  This little machine single-handedly took “dazzling on the dancefloor” to a new and exciting level and for that, deserves a brilliant Sparkle Army Salute!

 

 

 

Da General Beauty, Fashion

Japanese Manicures: KABLAM!

Once again, the Japanese have taken fashion and beauty to a whole ‘nother level.  While here in America, women are “oohing and ahhing” over nail polish strips with decorative patterns on them, this is what Gyaru models Sakurina and Cocona are featuring.

KABLAM-BITY-BLAM-BLAM!

These ladies are my kind of girls because they take “More is More” and add lots More on top.   This glittering fabulosity has taken my life long fascination with Press-On-Nails and turned it into a whole new jewel encrusted obsession.  I simply must have my talons dripping with diamonds, swarovskis, dangling chains and a few bedazzled skulls here and there.  Of course, I won’t be able to do much aside from hang out and sparkle- but really, what else is there?

 

Da General Fashion

Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Museum

As a devoted music lover, it’s always been my dream to go to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Museum and, thanks to Hurricane Irene and an unexpected stop through Cleveland, I finally got my wish.  There is so much to see that you really do need at least one whole day to experience all the fabulousness.  Some points of interest include learning about the early musicians who influenced and shaped what was to become Rock n’ Roll, the history of sound and audio and, of course my favorite and clearly the most dazzling part, the exhibit of artifacts and OUTFITS!   As you can imagine, there was no shortage of sequins and rhinestones in the building as people from all genres seem to know that sparkling on stage is a must for any good performance.  I was able to snap a few photos which is technically forbidden, but why on earth would I pick this moment in time to start following rules, especially when it’s my duty to share my glittering experiences?  Sadly, I was only able to sneak a few shots before my battery wore out (and also due to museum staff lurking about), but here are some of what I was able to capture.


What you don’t see here are gobs of garb from other heavy hitters like Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson (including “The Glove”!), Jimi Hendrix, Elvis and so many more.  Timing was also on my side as a special exhibit titled “Women Who Rock” was showing and this was even more sparkle-tastic and included some of my favorite ladies in music including Cher, Heart, The Runaways, Debbie Harry and The Supremes.

The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Museum is also the place to go if you want to see many of the top designers to the Superstars under one roof and some of the most legendary are there including Nudie Cohn, Ossie Clark, Bob Mackie, Stephen Sprouse, Micheal Schmidt and Kansai Yamamoto.  Now, let me ask you Soldiers- do you happen to notice anyone’s name in particular missing from this list?  The answer is Larry LeGaspi, who is not only my idol, but one of the most prolific costume designers in music history.  I was perplexed that I didn’t see his name anywhere and then… it hit me.  While looking at some George Clinton pieces from the Atomic Dog era,  I looked up at the sign and was blindsided because the outfit was credited to “designer Larry Lagatsby“!  I was truly in a state of shock and wasn’t sure how to react because after all, I was overjoyed that he actually was included in the exhibit, but such a grave mistake was not tolerable on my part.  Should I alert an employee nearby?  Do I whip out a Sharpie and fix it myself?  Perhaps I go with a classic move,  “the meltdown”, then create a scene and wait for an apology?  I couldn’t even bring myself to photograph the sign as evidence because it was truly heart wrenching.  In the end, I decided not to let this one moment ruin my amazing experience at the museum and that the best thing to do was to go home and write a letter to the curator and explain their mistake, in my most courteous Sparkle Speak of course, and kindly ask them to correct it.  While I’m at it, I’m also going to suggest that they change the name to the Rock n’ Roll AND DIsco Hall of Fame, because after all, we like both kinds of music!