Is this the death of electro-swing?

Electro Velvet – one part unsuccessful talent show contestant and one part lead singer of a Rolling Stones tribute band – a sure-fire recipe for disaster at Saturday’s Eurovision grand finale in Vinenna. Their song, ‘I’m Still In Love With You’, is pretty much everything wrong with this genre, beloved by fans of the whole vintage aesthetic: it’s twee, on paper the lyrics are like a reject from Cole Porter’s notebook, and it reduces the genre to an embarrassing gimmick.

The saddest part is, after the UK’s inevitably poor performance in the results tomorrow, how are European record labels going to see this niche genre as commercially viable? Aren’t up-and-coming producers going to shy away from sampling the glorious big band sound?

Perhaps electro-swing has had its day in the sun. The first time I caught wind of electro-swing on the UK airwaves was Serbian DJ Gramophonedzie’s faithful reworking of Peggy Lee’s ‘Why Don’t You Do Right?’ which peaked at number one on the dance chart in 2010. In the same month we had ‘We No Speak Americano’ from Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool, which was played to hell all over Europe (I remember being in a remote part of France and hearing the melody drifting on the wind through the valley from a distant town.) Here is a rundown of Europe’s greatest electro-swing artists, presented in classic Eurovision style:

12 points go to France

Caravan Palace claim influence from both French artists Django Rainhardt and Daft Punk and it shows. CP toured the festival circuit extensively towards the end of the last decade with their gypsy jazz-flavoured single ‘Jolie Coquine’. Their second album, Panic (2012), which received shamefully little press coverage, is my de facto greatest electro-swing album. They are notable for creating entirely original music, essentially remixing themselves (although jazz fans will be treated to scraps of the jazz canon, like Stuff Smith’s ‘It Ain’t Right’ on ‘Rock It ForMe’.)

10 points go to the UK

Mr Scruff is the earliest DJ on our list and was notable for his creative use of samples, pasting together some strange and wonderful music, which more or less comprised the soundtrack to epoch-defining sitcom Spaced. You could argue his 1999 album Keep It Unreal kickstarted the genre. It contained the single ‘Get a Move On!’ which sampled Moondog’s ‘Bird’s Lament’.

8 points go to Austria

Parov Stelar’s music is perhaps the most quintessential electro-swing sound and there is no doubt he has played the biggest hand in popularising the genre. A decade ago the BBC named him one of the most promising DJs in Europe; subsequently he has worked with some of the biggest names in pop music.

Finally, it’s “nil points” for Electro Velvet. Although there is no doubt I will have a few drinks and cheer for the UK just like I cheered for Molly last year with a song less inspiring than a high school assembly, I will try my best not to grieve for electro-swing. It will survive, I’m sure, in certain parts of Birmingham.

/Frederick

Meet the exec team!

We thought a small presentation of the exec team was long over-due! And to make it more fun, I nagged everyone into answering a set of silly questions to portray the diversity of our team. So without further ado, here they are, the people working to enrich your life with vintage-y goodness and constantly explaining just what the heck upcycling is!

I asked the following questions:
1. If you got to be someone else for one day, who would it be?
2. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
3. If you had one last meal on Earth, what would it be?
4. Describe your sense of style at 13.

President: Pija Ona Indriunaite, 19 years old, Lithuania 

1. MARLA SINGERS!

2. Time-travel. Because I would get to meet all the coolest people in the world!

3. Coffee and ice-cream.

4. "What is style?"

Vice-President: Diana Chen, 19 years old, Portugal

1. Is it weird but I would like to be a man? Just to experience what it would be like to have a different gender and the different interactions I would have.

2. I would be able to teleport so I would get to lectures faster in the morning so I can sleep more!

3.Sushi. Because I'm obsessed.

4. Probably some random girly style that I thought was super cool at the time but would never wear nowadays.

Treasurer: Toms Svens Skopins, 20 years old, Latvia

1. LebronJames.

2. Reality Warping, cause it sounds cool haha.

3. Kotletes, would have something Latvian!

4. Baller all the way (looked like a basketball player).

Publicity Officer: Frederick Bratley, 19 years old, England

1. Me. Just old and retired.

2. Teleportation, because I am so sick of taking the U1 everyday.

3. Steak, cause I love steak, but it has to be proper.

4. Anything purple.

Secretary: Angela Gui, 20 years old, Chinese parents but born and raised in Sweden

1. If time-travelling is allowed I’d be Audrey Hepburn in the 60s or Myrna Loy in the 30s! As for contemporary people I’d really like to know what it’s like to be a ballerina, so any random ballet performer would be cool, haha.

2. Teleportation definitely; it’d save so much time and money!

3. Pasta carbonara, because it’s the one dish I never tire of. I make it all the time and could probably cook it asleep at this point.

4. Describe your style as a 13 year old. Haha. I went through a bit of an emo phase at 13 and wore loads of eyeliner, black skinny jeans and band T-shirts.

Social Secretary (1/2): Hiba Ahmad, 20 years old (going on 21), Iraqi-born, Iraq-Syria-Sweden-raised.

1. I would like to be Barack Obama so I can be powerful and also have a go at being a man. That would be cool.

2. I am going to have to be boring but definitely teleportation – I love travelling and I fly home quite often and it makes me feel incredibly guilty; my treehugger heart shrinks every time I step on an airplane. I also hate airports and everything about them so it would be a plus to have to not do the overpriced food, lack of comfort, the lack of outdoor spaces/ fresh air and the “random” checks they always put me through haha ;)

3.  A PERFECT Italian Spaghetti Pomodoro with lots and lots of cheese on top, garlic bread and tomato/ mozzarella/basil salad on the side and a nice red wine with it. A good way to go if you ask me.

4. I had a Lily-Allen-in-2006 -period at 13 where I wore various puffy princess dresses with ear hoops, thick chains on my neck and green and white Puma-sneakers. Could be worse if you ask me.

Social Secretary (2/2): Constanze Fetting, 20, Germany

1. Tough one. Maybe a guy, just to see what it's like.

2. Omnilinguism. I love languages and I love to travel, so being able to speak with everyone in the world in their own language would be awesome!

3. Spinach Lasagna. Because I'm weird.

4. Awkward. Trying to be cool, but never really getting it right, and not brave enough to try anything adventurous. I also remember cargo trousers.

That's all, folks! (Yes, that was a cheeky plug for our next Vintage Movie Night - and now that you know who we are then surely you must come and get a cookie and a good laugh ;) ).

Much love,

Hiba and the exec team xx

Vintage Cartoon Night Line-up

Here to offer you a little background information to the fantastic cartoons that will be screened next Wednesday! 7 films from 7 different studios. The running time will be approximately an hour, plus a short intermission for refreshments.

Puss Gets the Boot (1940) [MGM]

The Oscar-nominated first instalment in MGM’s original series of 161 Tom and Jerry shorts, then named Jasper and Jinx. This cartoon is presented unedited in its original historical context; famously, the series depicts racial stereotypes that are unacceptable today. You may notice the short has a more painterly quality and the character designs are more detailed than the rest of the series.

The Band Concert (1935) [Disney]

Always among film historians’ top picks for greatest ever cartoons, The Band Concert was the first Mickey Mouse film produced in colour. It notably features an early appearance of Donald Duck who didn’t get his own series until years later.

Bimbo’s Initiation (1931) [Fleischer Studios]

The earliest film on our list and the only one in monochrome, this anarchic short seems characteristic of the era. Surprisingly experimental, it marks the invention of cartoon tropes that return time and time again throughout animation history (such as the door behind door behind door trope). Look out for another early appearance of a popular cartoon character.

Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950) [UPA]

This Academy Award winning short based on a story by Dr Seuss was a deliberate breakaway from Disney-style cartoon realism. It has a very 50s look: gorgeously stylized and minimalistic. It changed the critical opinion of “limited animation” that would become the basis of the TV shows we grew up watching, proving the genre’s artistic merit.

Winny-Puh (1969) [Soyuzmultifilm, SOV]

This adorable soviet adaptation of A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories is as much-loved as the Disney adaptation is to western audiences. Based almost word-for-word on the Russian translation of the books, many critics have argued the characterization more faithfully resembles Milne’s original creations. A glimpse at the popular soviet drawing style that begs the question how such a heavy-handed regime can produce such loving-crafted animation.

Creature Comforts (1989) [Aardman, UK]

Nick Park’s seminal stop-motion short ingeniously creates lovable characters from real-life interviews. Bagging the Academy Award for best animated short, Aardman’s (thoroughly British) nuanced style would find further success with Wallace and Gromit, making Bristol the world-capital of stop-motion animation.

What’s Opera, Doc? (1957) [Warner Bros.]

This is the big one. We’re reserving judgment, but it is almost universally agreed by animation historians that this is the greatest cartoon ever produced. A Bugs Bunny parody of Wagner’s operas, it is definitely the epic magnum opus of Chuck Jones’ Looney Tunes career. You will almost certainly leave the screening shouting, “Kill the wabbit!”

/ Frederick

I Wear My Grandma's Clothes... Part I

It is not always easy to find authentic good quality clothes from the 50s, 60s or even 70s.. Not to mention that prices for real vintage clothes are not always the lowest… How do you find cool vintage clothes without spending money? - Go and raid your grandmother's wardrobe! Even though you may think that today your grandmother/grandfather/mum/dad does not have a fashion-magazine style, some things from their past that are hidden somewhere in the corner of a wardrobe (that they have probably forgotten about) are the most beautiful vintage pieces you wouldn't find in any boutique or thrift shop. Create your outfit without spending money and combine it with wearing something precious to you.

Here are my real-life examples (photos by Angela Gui):

 This black dress used to belong to my great-grandmother; and the white scarf from my grandmother

Originally the dress was too big for me - everything can be fixed with a belt around the waist!

My grandmother found this scarf while cleaning out her closet and immediately gave it to me  

Red dress made by my grandmother in the 70s

Belt I found in my mum's closet; apparently used to belong to my uncle when he was 8 years old

My grandmother wearing the red dress she made to go to my uncle's graduation 

Yellow dress made by my mum and embroidered by my grandmother (Photo by no photography)

My mum wearing the same dress in the 90s

Part II will be published soon; do you wear clothes handed down to you from your mum, grandmother, grandfather, dad or uncle? Comment below or email us to tell your story and we'll do a little photo shoot!

/ Pija x

Femme Fatale. Image and Appeal

Question: why does 40s style seem so empowering these days? Answer: film noir and the femme fatale.

A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive character archetype in classic and modern culture. Originating in ancient cultures (greek, chines mythologies and biblical contexts), today’s image of  the femme fatale flourished during 1940s and 1950s film-noir era. The classic femme fatale resorts to murder to free herself from an unbearable relationship with a man who would try to possess and control her, as if she were a piece of property or a pet.  Very manipulative and ordinarily hard-to-get, she uses her sexuality to get what she wants. The most famous and iconic femme fatales in 40s cinema are considered to be: 

The Killers poster (1946)

Ava Gardner as  Kitty Collins in the Killers (1946)

Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in the Double Indemnity (1944)

Gene Thiery as Ellen Berent in the Leave her to Heaven (1945)

Rita Hayworth as Gilda in Gilda (1946)

Gilda (1946) poster

Lizabeth Scott as Jane Palmer in Too Late for Tears (1949)

Mary Astroma as Brigid O’Shaughnessy in the Maltese Falcon (1941)

The image of these characters was contrived carefully. The femme fatale had to be sexy and glamorous but in no way vulgar. Make up and outfits were selected to create a sense of elegance and sophistication - long cocktail dresses, not a lot of naked body seen, clean red lips and seductive hair. 

In the late 90s till today, the concept of the femme fatale and her sexual appeal as an inspiration for style, fashion or even lifestyle became popular and important as never before because of its relation to concepts of Third-Wave Feminism and Post-Feminism. Woman as strong and independent, embracing her femininity and sexuality: the 40s image of the femme fatale had it all, and received huge symbolic following. The 1940s is cemented in modern fashion and culture today, owing to the memorable and complex characters of American cinema.

Femme fatal inspired image is popular in fashion industry 

Dita Von Teese perfume advertisement. 

femme fatal image as popular style inspiration

Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer in Fight Club (1999). Her image and style had a lot of femme fatale features

From the left: Emma Green at BAFTA awards 2011, Emma Stone at Paris premier of The Amaszing Spider-Man 2012, Angelina Jolie at 81st Academy Awards 2009

/ Pija x

The Trend-Setting Fashion Boutiques of Swinging London

The 60s was an explosive time for British fashion and culture. London's new boutiques had faith in the agency of their trendy young shoppers to experiment with style. Suddenly British fashion was taken out of the silk-gloved hands of Mayfair and into the hands of ordinary people.

Biba

Abingdon Rd.

At the forefront of the popular styles of the 60s, Barbera Hulanicki’s famous boutique created clothes for skinny post-war babies, putting emphasis on the legs rather than the bust and hips. Biba began as a mail-order service; its breakthrough success came in May 1964 when Hulanicki offered a pink gingham dress to readers of the Daily Mirror, similar to one worn by Brigitte Bardot. The dress had over 4000 orders, leading to the creation of a shop proper later that year. Girls under 25 around the country took trains down to London just to visit the ornately decorated boutique, and sample Hulanicki’s dark “Auntie-coloured” mod clothes. Biba was responsible for putting the mini-skirt on the highstreet as well as some of the first maxi coats; its influence on British fashion is evident - and not just for vintage-lovers. Among its employees was a young Anna Wintour, later the editor of Vogue.

Bazaar

King’s Rd.

Mary Quant opened her boutique in 1955 at a time when “fashion wasn’t designed for young people”. She was part of a movement that tried to shirk London’s fashion traditions, fronted by Mayfair couturiers and their wealthy clientele. Her quirky and decidedly modern shop fit in with the Chelsea set: artists, beatniks, filmmakers and socialites that gravitated towards the King’s Road. She is one of the designers credited with inventing the mini skirt and hot pants.

I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet

Portobello Rd., Notting Hill.

This famous boutique promoted antique military uniforms as fashion items. The look became a defining feature of Jimi Henderix’ signature style. Among its other famous clientele were Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and John Lennon. The now-iconic 60s military look became so popular with the disenfranchised youth that a number of outlets were opened around Carnaby Street and other London fashion hubs.

Lord John (& Mates Boutique)

Carnaby St.

Lord John has an important place in pop-culture history. The boutique largely imitated the mod-style of John Stephen, the self-styled “creator of Carnaby St” and 50s retail innovator whose methods are still used on the high street today, deserving of the “Lord” moniker (and potentially a profile piece on this blog!) While Mary Quant and Biba owned the female fashion stage, these two boutiques, opened by brothers Warren and David Gold, were revolutionary in the field of male fashion. By the mid-sixties, nearly every London-based band were wearing John Stephen’s styles, popularising the mod look we know and love: The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who and The Small faces (who have remarked that their manager paid them in clothes from Lord John). Many see this as the moment that bands and fashion became bedfellows.

Kleptomania

Kingly St.

Another fashion-innovator deserving of his own article, Tommy Roberts opened his first shop Kleptomania in 1966, which was, essentially, a vintage curiosity shop. Like Lord Kitchener’s Valet, Roberts discovered the market for old military uniforms, then began bringing in new stock from upcoming designers and upcycling second-hand garments, which ultimately led to the foundation of their own label. In the years that followed, Kleptomania whole-heartedly embraced psychedelia: kaftans, incense, afghan coats, velvet flared trousers etc. Situated near the Bag O’ Nails nightclub frequented by the rock elite (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience), they would spill out into the street in the early morning, spot something they liked in the window and send someone round to get it the next day. After Kleptomania came the more famous Mr Freedom in the King’s Road and Roberts was established as fashion designer for the biggest names in music. Amazingly, after its closure in 1972, the shop was taken over by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren: here punk was born.

Granny Takes a Trip

King’s Rd.

The first psychedelic boutique in swinging London with perhaps the most iconic shop-front in British fashion, Granny Takes a Trip was the brainchild of journalist Nigel Waymouth and girlfriend Sheila Cohen, whose vintage clothing collection was becoming excessive. Savile Row-trained tailor John Pearse adjusted these garments into the preferred shapes of the time, even cutting up blouses or dresses and turning them into shirts for men. The flamboyant designs became a proponent of Pink Floyd’s early shows; allegedly Syd Barett took his dirty clothes to the boutique thinking it was a dry-cleaners. By the mid-sixties, the shop was world famous and had transformed the duller end of the King’s Road. Its influence was enormous on many of the boutiques already mentioned. Today, vintage shops as far afield as California and Sydney use the name Granny Takes a Trip.

/ Frederick and Pija x