It’s Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

Posted by dramaofexile in Inspiration, Shopping, Uncategorized and tagged with 1920's Christmas, Anita Page, Christmas, Christmas wish list, Drama of Exile, FabGabs, Gabrielle Delacour, Lady of the Flowers, Norma Shearer, vintage blogger australia, Vintage Christmas images, vintage christmas photos, vintage shoppinf December 20, 2012

Anita Page

Clarence Cole Phillips for Life Magazine, 1900s.

Louise Brooks

Christmas costume, 1920′s

Carole Lombard

Grace Bradley

Norma Shearer

It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around here! The tree is looking festive, lunch plans are being nutted out, Mariah Carey’s Christmas album is on repeat, presents are nearly all bought, posted and wrapped and I am looking forward to a relaxing day with friends (I’m having an orphan Christmas as my family is up in Brisbane). Also this is the first year in 7 years I haven’t had to work Boxing Day in retail! Amazing!

Jesse and I both get reeeeeeeeally into Chrissie and always go the traditional, tasteful red, green and gold. Also is it just me or is there an abundance of horrible wrapping paper around this year???? We went ye ole’ faithful brown paper packages tied up with string, a humble winner every time. Here are some shots of our tree, featuring Chairman Meow.

I’m getting so warm inside just thinking about Christmas! The one thing I really get into is gift giving. I lovvvve searching and planning and making the perfect gifts for those most special to me. It’s rare that I stop to think about what I would love to recieve, I never expect much back and giving really is the joy for me, but I’ve been thinking about what my wishlist is this year and I hope Santa read’s my letter.

Gabrielle’s Ultimate Chic Chrissie Wish List

1. This amazzzze 1920′s dress with batwing capelet from FabGabs Etsy store. I feel like it would improve my life quality by at least 180%.

2. Some beautiful perfume oil blends from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I have my eye on so many scents, I get overwhelmed everytime I go on the site! What’s tickling my nose though is Siren, Ave Maria Gratia Plena, Salome, Endymion, Antique Lace, The Forest Reverie, Seraphim etc etc etc….with names like that how can you go wrong?

3. Grace Coddington’s memoir, ‘Grace’. I bought this for my mother for Christmas and it almost didn’t make it in the post to Brisbane. I need my own copy!

4. The perfect 40′s tweed jacket. So elusive.

5. A piece from Julia DeVille’s Taxidermy art.

6. This Tarot Deck scented candle. Turkish rose, dry musk of labdanum and a hint of incense smoke. Yes pleeeeeease!

7. An antique cigarette holder, so I can at least pretend like I’m a lady.

8. A bog box of macaroons from La Belle Miette

9. A dried floral headpiece from Harriet of Bright Young Twin’s project, Lady Of The Flowers

10. A gift voucher to The Junk Company. I have paid my favourite haunt so many visits lately and there is always something that catches my eye and my heart. At the moment i’m coveting the natural history cabinet, a 1930′s velvet cap, the wonderful selection of globes and this lady, who I am determined to make my own.

To be honest I’m the type pf gal who’d be happy with a bag of lollies and a smooch under the mistletoe. What’s on your Christmas wish list?

Art Smart

Posted by dramaofexile in Uncategorized and tagged with 20th century furniture, Art, Art Gallery Melbourne, Gabrielle Delacour, Jesse, Melbourne, Melbourne Art, National Gallery of Victoria, NGV September 20, 2012

In search of a well-needed breath of fresh inspiration, Jesse and I visited the National Gallery of Victoria yesterday. Founded in 1861, the National Gallery of Victoria is Australia’s oldest public art gallery and the best place to spend an afternoon surrounded by beautiful works.

We abandoned the current Naploeon exhibition that was showing in the main part and opted instead to check of lots of early 18 – 20th Century works. I spent a great deal of time at NGV when I first moved to Melbourne, and hadn’t been in so long that I got reeeeeeal excited!

The fashion and textiles gallery was closed for preparation unfortunatley, however there was this stunning outfit by Mariano Fortunay on display. A drool worthy 1920′s coat with a 1915 belt. The dark green velvet of the coat is actually stencilled with gold and silver pigments in serpentine trails and floriated motifs of pomegranates, pinecones, oak leaves and pinks.

A beautful Art Noveau depiction of St Elizabeth of Hungary by Alfred Gilbert

We spent most of our time checking out some really amazing 20th century furniture. Exclamation upon exclamation of “Oh my god oh my god looooook!” as we turned every corner!

I fell in love with some sweet ladies in the Impressionist room, as expected.

But this stunner entitled ‘The Japanese Gown’ by Philip Wilson Steer (1896) really stole my heart!

I actually got told to ‘step away please’ as I was getting to up close and personal with the painting!

Jesse hanging out with some sirens

This Spanish babe was dreamy

There are rooms and rooms of the most amazing artefacts, ceramics, textiles and jewelry it broke us down hard. I want everything in my house! There was also a really great ceramic cabbage tureen that I forgot to take a photo of, but was so funny/amazing and I am now super into novelty kitchenware.

Yves Saint Laurent…need I say more…

Jesse with his alter ego

There were some fantastic photographs and portraits by Brassai that made me swoon…

I’ll leave it at that for now, my poor little camera was filled to the brim!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week
.

The First Hurrah

Posted by dramaofexile in Inspiration, Personal, Uncategorized and tagged with inspiration, personal, welcome May 26, 2012

Welcome to Drama of Exile, the homefront of my insprations & admirations, thoughts & musings on all things old-fashioned.

A vintage enthusiast since a young girl, I left the humid days of Brisbane behind and moved to the much more fur-friendly city of Melbourne in 2010. I am an avid fan of the 1930′s, but my vintage collecting spans from early Edwardian through to the New Look era of the late 60′s.

I’m currently endeavouring to culminate all my loves into a treasure trove of a little store of my own in the near distant future, and plan to use this web land as a platform for this idea to grow. I will be selling items from here soon, so stay tuned!

In the meantime I thought I would begin with a visual representation of everything that’s shaking me up lately…

Gabrielle xx