These are the men and women who have and continue to shape the world with their style of dress, style of mind, and style of heart. Use them as a muse to conjure the spirit within you.
Alain Delon was one of our first ever {STYLE IDOL} posts on The Eye of Faith, and quickly became and remains one of our most popular delves into classic timeless cool vintage style. It’s not a surprise – this guy just oozes bad ass nonchalant elegance, sophistication, and beauty!
He is always portrayed as a dangerous type, a rebel, a bad boy, a beautiful bad ass . . . but still very clean cut and classic.
So this year when we found out that the French bad boy would be honoured (and justly so) at this year’s Cannes Film Festival we were thrilled!
For his “wonderful presence in the history of film” the award is definitely just, but delving back into his timeline of wicked looks over the past 50+ years it is impossible to deny his presence in the history of style, as well!
So, in honour of this God of Style we delved deeper into our archive of looks from an icon who is on the level of James Dean or Marilyn Monroe. We are fortunate enough to have him with us still today!
Not all the rebels die young…in fact, you can watch his acceptance speech here (it is in French):
We checked out this brilliant list of 12 of his best cult classics from DW to find some super vibes we hadn’t picked up on in our initial post 7 years ago (yikes!). From baroque to gangster, from dapper to scuba, modern playboy to Victorian dandy…he does it all!
One thing’s for sure …
No one rocks a cut on their face quite like him!
Bless his soul
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What’s your favourite Alain Delon look? Let us know in the COMMENTS below!
When it comes to artists like Kate Bush, they are truly few and far between, if not non-existent! Her music is a wild ride between pop, rock, experimental, and the ethereal sounds of another universe. Haunting, delicate, and slightly witchy… Bush’s music explores unusual themes that many other artists would dare no even attempt.
One of our favourite obscure references is featured in the video “Cloudbusting” which was conceived by iconic British director Terry Gilliam and Kate Bush, herself. Watching the video for the first time, you feel like you are watching a breathtaking sci-fi fantasy accompanied by Bush’s haunting music. However, this story is far from fiction, and is in fact based on the most incredible stranger than fiction true story of scientist Wilhelm Reich.
The video depicts Kate Bush as son, Peter Reich (whose memoir Book of Dreams was an immense inspiration for Bush), watching as his father (played by Donald Sutherland) develops an intricate machine the “Cloudbuster” before men in black come knocking on the door taking the father and destroying his laboratory, as well as taking many of his files for “safe keeping”. As their car drives off, the boy turns the cloud buster to the sky and unleashes a downpour of rain as his father drives off as a captive into the distance.
Strangely enough, this device was absolutely real, and even documented in local newspapers of the time. The basis of its functioning was the concept of “orgone” – an esoteric energy seen as a universal force that could be harvested. This energy was theorized to be an invisible mass of living energy that is omnipresent throughout the universe.
His research garnered a fairly strong following in the United States, with many students who congregated at the Organon Ranch Laboratory (now the Willhelm Reich Museum) located in Rangeley, Maine.
Interestingly Organon is also the formal name of Greek philosopher Aristotle’s works on logic given by his followers…
Being able to control this energy, Reich believed could help people be cured of various diseases or mental health issues (the Orgone Accumulator – a small room made from layers of metal and wood), as well as controlling the weather – hence the Cloudbuster!
The most famous incident would have to be The Maine Blueberry Experiment which took place in Bangor, Maine at 10am on July 6, 1953 after a devastating drought which was directly affecting the blueberry crops that summer. Reich and his assistants set up the cloud buster – a set of hollow tubes suspended over a small cylinder. Later that night
“Rain began to fall shortly after ten o’clock Monday evening, first as a drizzle and then by midnight as a gentle, steady rain. Rain continued throughout the night, and a rainfall of 0.24 inches was recorded in Ellsworth the following morning…The queerest looking clouds you ever saw began to form soon after they got the thing rolling.”
Eyewitness, Bangor Maine (1953)
Much like other great minds in our world, Reich was punished for his forbidden knowledge of the available resources of our universe, and was promptly punished. A salacious article written by Ms. Mildred Eddie Brady also helped to taint his reputation painting him as a sex crazed mad scientist. He was accused of being a communist (of course), and seen as a bit of a loon when he made comments about U.F.O.s (which we all know exist…).Eventually, the U.S. Food an Drug Administration obtained a federal injunction, and seized and destroyed all orgone-related material.
Reich was put into prison where he would die at the age of 60 in 1957. Thankfully, his knowledge has not been forgotten…although you know they wish it were!!!
Reich was definitely a rebel figurehead; part of the second generation of psychoanalysts after Sigmund Freud. His most distinctive works included Character Analysis (1933), The Mass Psychology of Fascism (1933), and The Sexual Revolution (1936). We definitely always characterize the idea of a sexual revolution with the free love era of the 60s and 70s, but this guy was far beyond his times. During the 1968 student riots in Paris and Berlin, protesters even threw copies of The Mass Psychology of Fascism at the police!
He was quite the activist and fought for the abolition of laws against abortion and homosexuality, free birth control advice and contraceptives,health protection for women and children, day cares in factories, and the abolition of laws prohibiting sex education. And this was in the 1930s, and people are still fighting for the same things!
Interestingly enough, Kate Bush may not have even known about this story if she hadn’t stumbled upon A Book of Dreams (1973) – a memoir written by Reich’s son Peter Reich by coincidence in 1976.
“I was inspired by a book that I first found on a shelf nearly nine years ago. It was just calling me from the shelf, and when I read it I was very moved by the magic of it. It’s about a special relationship between a young son and his father. The book was written from a child’s point of view. His father is everything to him; he is the magic in his life, and he teaches him everything, teaching him to be open-minded and not to build up barriers… But there’s nothing he can do about his father being taken away, he is completely helpless. But it’s very much more to do with how the son does begin to cope with the whole loneliness and pain of being without his father. It is the magic moments of a relationship through a child’s eyes, but told by a sad adult.”
-Kate Bush
Thank god she did, because when we first stumbled upon this masterpiece we were taken away to another world that is as much fantasy as it is real life…
Funny enough, she isn’t the only rebel poet to be inspired by this story. Punk icon Patti Smith, was inspired by the book’s scene where Peter is convinced a fleet of flying saucers are skimming his boarding school’s lacrosse field to reunite him with his imprisoned father in her 9 minute epic “Birdland”…
Sad that much like Nikola Tesla, or our recent {STYLE IDOL} Jack Parsons, knowledge and powers that could greatly benefit our world as a whole have to be held captive by greedy forces…
However, if you have that rebel spirit within YOU ready to soar – let it free, and let it be!!!
Definitely if you found all this interesting, please look more into Orgone, Organon, and everything you can Wilhelm Reich!!!
Living in todays social media obsessed and tabloid fuelled society, often we forget being a star used to mean more than having a rugged beard and blue eyes (Bradley Cooper) or Magic Mike abs (Channing Tatum).
Unfortunately, we live in a modern climate where divisive tactics keep underdogs down as most studios hail the white movie star. We finally see a rise in black driven stories and characters but is it enough to truly change how the major studios cast roles?
Movies with diverse casts (Crazy Rich Asians, Black Panther, Get Out, and Us etc.) are selling tickets to movies globally, but there is still a lack of true diversity within how the screening system works. We will be taking time exploring some stars of yesteryear that made a splash being different in a time when being different wasn’t as widely accepted.
A prime example of this is the late, great, Omar Sharif!!!
I want to live every moment totally intensely.
-Omar Sharif
Here’s the back story on Omar Sharif, who went from a supporting character and evolved into being a icon in his own right. Born Michel Dimitri Chalhoub in 1932, this Egyptian actor of Lebanese origin began his career in his native country in the 1950s appearing in both English and American productions over the course of his career, landing large parts in such pictures as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Funny Girl (1968).
His break through to the mainstream was 1962. David Lean casting a lesser known and foreign actor in such a big budget film as Lawrence of Arabia was considered a risky move as the supporting role was ‘one of the most demanding supporting roles in Hollywood’.
This came off as a ‘authentic move’ for the studio, seeing how his ambiguous ethnicity allowed him to lean into playing many backgrounds it couldn’t be better casting. Sharif spoke English, French, Italian, Greek, Spanish and even Arabic. Admitting this himself, Sharif noted he could ‘play the role of a foreigner without anyone knowing exactly where I came from’.
Landing such a high profile supporting role came with it’s own hangups. Omar had to sign a seven-film contract with Columbia.
Not only did this worked out in Sharifs favour as he was received Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination; he also shared a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year proving he was a box office hit and critical sensation, as well as being a part of one of cinema’s most iconic entrances of a character.
While filming the wildly culturally inappropriate Genghis Khan, Sharif heard about a upcoming project of Doctor Zhivago, an adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s 1957 novel, which was a landmark in his career.
Omar was a fan of the novel and pitched himself for one of the supporting roles, but in a strange twist of fate was casted as the lead, Yuri Zhivago, a poet and physician.
Like his adopted surname, meaning ‘noble’, it had been remarked that Sharif’s eyes reflected reality, which then became the ‘mirror of reality we ourselves see’.
Undeniably handsome with his dark features he had qualities of the ideal leading man, but also a certain exotic quality which made him sought after for a string of roles throughout his rise to stardom and icon status.
Our readers may know we have a love for a rebel; his looks alone made him suited to pull off an array of high end ornate costumes but in the end always sustained a dark bad-boy image. It is even alleged that he smoked 100 cigarettes a day!
I don’t know what sex appeal is.
-Omar Sharif
Another stand out role for Sharif was his portrayal of Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl, along side Barbara Streisand in her first film role. But in true bad boy style, this decision to take part in this production angered the Egyptian Government as Streisand was Jewish . The country condemned the film.
It also was ‘immediately banned’ in numerous Arab nations. Streisand herself joked “You think Cairo was upset? You should’ve seen the letter I got from my Aunt Rose”. Maybe the heightened social tensions added to the chemistry between the two actors as they became romantically involved during filming.
Sharif admitted later that he did not find Streisand attractive at first, but her appeal soon overwhelmed him: “About a week from the moment I met her”, he recalled, “I was madly in love with her. I thought she was the most gorgeous girl I’d ever seen in my life…I found her physically beautiful, and I started lusting after this woman.”.
As the years went on Sharif staked his claim in an otherwise white washed leading man landscape of the industry. As time would go on, his career veered into television in the 1970s, and even had his own clothing line!!!
This icon is definitely worth the mentioning on The Eye of Faith, as he was a pioneer in the industry at a time when segregation and racial discrimination was very real, and just having dark features alone could alienate you amongst your peers and society.
Plus, like we said, we always have a soft spot for the rebel who marches to the beat of his own drum!
Using the power of diversity for good, and breaking the mould in an otherwise unbreakable industry, we thank you Omar Sharif.
Scientists often go unrecognized in the realm of style, and there’s definitely no one more deserving to be added to our roster of Idols & Divinities to worship than the original rocket man- Jack Parsons.
Like we always say, style is more than the clothes you wear, its how you carry on your life with purpose and integrity, and Mr. Parsons definitely didn’t hold back! Devilishly handsome, in tuned with his own special brand of spirituality, and ridiculously intelligent – he is definitely an idol worth worshiping.
His story is a strange one that verges on being absolutely unbelievable. Often referred to as the ultimate mad scientist, Parson’s research in the field of rocketry basically gave birth to NASA, and allowed for mankind to release itself from the atmosphere and deep into space.
A true Hollywood boy, Parsons was born on Oct 2, 1914 in Los Angeles and quickly became fascinated by rockets inspired by the many pulp sci-fi magazines he would read as a young boy. It is also said that as a child he would perform rituals to manifest the devil in his bedroom…
This obsession grew and grew over time, and after graduating High School, the young man alongside his best friend Ed Forman linked up with Frank Malina, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology- forming what they would call “The Suicide Squad”…
Whilst the idea of rockets were perceived as nothing more than sci-fi fantasy, him and his peers moved forward with their experiments and research, proving that Parsons was a natural genius when it came to developing chemicals and mixing them in exactly the right amounts that these reactions could be explosive, but controllable. This knowledge was later used by NASA….
Of course, with this knowledge, came questions and queries of who exactly was Jack Parsons, and what the man had uncovered was shocking beyond belief.
While Parsons was pioneering rocket science, he was also an avid follower of occult circles in Hollywood. He was an attendant of the Ordo Templi Orients, and took part in meetings led by the father of modern day occultism – Aleister Crowley. He was even appointed West Coast leader of the OTO by Crowley himself.
Through the money he was making in his rocket business, he bought a mansion in Pasadena which became a party house to facilitate occult rituals and orgies.
Frank Malina’s wife said that the mansion was “like walking into a Fellini movie. Women were walking around in diaphanous togas and weird make-up, some dressed up like animals, like a costume party.” Malina shrugged off his partner’s eccentricities, telling his wife, “Jack is into all kinds of things.”
These stories led to Parsons being a bit of liability to the government, and he was paid out his shares of Aerojet, and was cast out from the field he had himself developed!
This led to a further delve into the occult. In 1946, he would host a series of ritual rites which he called the ‘Babalon Working’ which he performed alongside Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The ritual was performed from January to March in effort to manifest a incarnation of Babalon- a divine feminine spirit described by Aleister Crowley in this 1917 novel Moonchild.
After the first series of these rituals, Parsons was introduced to Marjorie Cameron who he regarded as the manifestation they were attempting to summon. An unsuccessful attempt was made to conceive a child through sex magic (which Aleister Crowley himself regarded as foolish), but nevertheless Cameron was regarded now as the Scarlet Woman / Babylon and the two quickly married.
You can spot Marjorie in Curtis Harrington’s “The Wormwood Star” and “Night Tide” starring Dennis Hopper. She also plays a pivotal role in Kenneth Anger’s 1954 art short “The Inaugaration of the Pleasure Dome” and is renowned as an influential and groundbreaking artist of her day.
His alienation from the world of rocket science, led him to work on explosives for the film industry, while the FBI still paid close attention to his movements.
On June 1952, Parsons was killed by an unplanned detonation in his home laboratory. He was 37.
Cameron and others who knew the man doubt that this genius would ever have made such a fatal mistake. A U.F.O. sighting above Washington D.C. just after his death, led her to believe this was Parsons making communication. Unfortunately her mental state began to deteriorate, and in 1952 she gathered a small clique of practitioners to create a cult called “The Children” whose aim was to create a mixed-race society of “moon children” who would be devoted to the Egyptian god Horus.
A new series on CBS All Access called Strange Angel starring Jack Reynor was just released last year, and attempts to bring this fascinating story to the world. We haven’t had a chance to delve into the series, but it looks like it captures Parson’s dapper charms, the mysterious underworld he treaded through, and the science he developed that changed the world!
I find it very interesting that this story is coming so strongly out of the woodwork, and being explored by a major mainstream network like CBS. Perhaps they are telling us something . . .
Parson’s work in science and the occult are fascinating because they are usually regarded as in opposition of each other. However, it seems like Parsons was able to tread the line between the two, and realize the two are related, if not the same.
Parsons will be known for being a true rebel, a playboy, a genius, and one of a kind of spirit that still permeates today. If there was anyone who represented Hollywood Babylon, it is most definitely him!
Check out these pieces from our {SHOP} to conjure the dapper and mysterious vibe of Jack Parson: the original rocket man!!!
Click here if you like what you see, and browse our other time traveled pieces!!!
1. an attractive, passionate male seducer or lover.
There’s nothing so timeless as a Romeo . . . its amazing after hundreds of years, a fictional character could still be so prevalent in our culture. I guess, not so surprising, considering he was created by the genius that is William Shakespeare.
He is a wonderful archetypal character of a beautiful boy, young and naive, but full of vigour, and somewhat tragic in the end….so, like many young men, which is what most certainly resonates. We recently acquired a really cool vintage theatre costume with some Shakespearean swag which got us thinking on the topic.
I don’t think many men can deny they have a bit of Romeo in them. I know for certain many men cannot deny they wish they were as bad ass as say Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 90s pop culture cult classic “Romeo + Juliet” which brought the tale to the beach and the streets and mansions of Los Angeles for a hyper technicolor MTV version that still resonates today, especially when it comes to style.
Do you remember the first time you watched the “Love at First Sight Scene” in the film with that glorious neon aquarium and that haunting “Kissing You” song playing…shit! I mean, come on!!! Claire Danes is especially gorgeous, and her sensitive acting abilities really shine through.
People would kill me for actually saying this, but they were robbed of Academy Award nominations, truly.
I’m not going to lie, we were pushing the tropical shirts long before every major fashion house started picking up the trend (see: +THE CASE FOR HAWAIIAN SHIRTS+), and we’re not upset about it…in fact, its so wonderful to see more guys take risks with their style because of inspirations like this!
While, Dicaprio’s gang chic Romeo is uber cool, we wanted to look back on some previous Romeos – most especially Leonard Whiting from Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romeo & Juliet”, which is hands down our favourite.
Quick shout out to Douglas Booth in the 2013 version – very handsome guy, but the film is redundant AF – so here’s a quick pic should suffice.
Zeffirelli’s film is unique, as it was the first time two unknown teenage actors were cast in the lead of such a massive Shakespeare production, and a world-wide search brought the world the ethereal youthful beauty of Olivia Hussey (she ain’t no hussy, but she did also star in the cult Canadian horror flick “Black Christmas” – you can’t miss those eyes) who was only 15 at the time, and the handsome Leonard Whiting (17) , who lets face it, really does look like Zac Efron.
Certified, he did it first!
Their chemistry is unpalpable, and the entire production is lush and dripping sophistication- Roger Ebert even went as far to say it is the best film of Shakespeare ever made. Respectfully it was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, and Director, and won for its gorgeous cinematography, and Danilo Donati’s sumptuous costumes.
It even inspired the fashion scene at the time with the two stars appearing in various fashion magazines rocking mod styles with a medieval flare. The two teens were definitely a big IT couple of the moment. So, if you haven’t seen this classic, do yourself a favour already!
Another Romeo might be the OG of movie star Romeos – Leslie Howard who starred opposite of Norma Shearer in George Cukor’s 1936 film. Neither of them really exude that youthful innocence, seeing as they are grown ass adults!
But, the vibe is full-on Hollywood glamour with a dazzle and flare that is just so fabulously extra, and sadly missed today!!! Also, very inspired by Leslie Howard’s perfectly coiffed hair!
We all know the story, so let’s just take a look at a few snaps to spark and inspire the Romeo vibe.
Pretty wicked! So, if you’re looking to channel your inner Romeo, we have some picks for you from the {SHOP}!
Remember, XIXIXI gets you 25% OFF of these, and all our hand-picked curated vintage finds! FREE SHIPPING in CANADA, also. Don’t be shy to message us for any details.
To learn more about these pieces, browse our {SHOP}
We’re also huge fans of HBO’s ‘WESTWORLD’ so what a delight to find one of our favorite quotes originated from this fine inspiration…
Fresh off our VMP DRAG FASHION FLAUNT at this year’s Vintage Marketplace, we can’t stop thinking about how incredible drag queens are, especially those of the {PAST} who paved the way for the {PRESENT} culture and creativity and will continue to invoke its {FUTURE}.
We know everyone who is anyone keeps up with RuPaul’s Drag Race, and the past season’s ALL STARS edition featured a wickedly hilarious Snatch Game that had Brooklyn babe AJA take on one of Herstory’s most legendary queens – founder of the House of LaBeija, and star of the cult 1968 documentary “The Queen”, Crystal LaBeija!
And she took her on with gusto and glamour, and also delivered this beautiful spirit back into the forum of the mainstream…much in the way Jinx Monsoon brought us Little Edie of “Grey Gardens”, and Sasha Velour took on Marlene Dietrich; keeping these divinities alive for younger generations is absolutely key!
How sad it is when you hear a young man or woman denote they have no idea who these iconic legends are . . . stay educated, kids!
“The Queen” is a fabulous film directed by Frank Simon, and provides an up close and candid look at the behind of the scenes of the 1967 All-America Camp Beauty Contest in New York City. It is a wonderful portrait of a time gone by. . . New York City is rough and tough, and men from all around America shack up in tiny hotel rooms in anticipation of the pageant discussing the difficulties of being gay in America. They are all fabulous, and its wonderful to see their final transformations from the male versions of them you see in rehearsals. This transformation truly proves the power of style and image to invoke strength from within.
Illustrated herstory by Laurel Lynn-Leake
By far, the most fabulous moment has to be Crystal’s freak out when she is named fourth place storms out and then rips everyone a new one backstage. Absolutely ICONIC…you are going to have to see it to believe it! And if you are a fan of Drag Race, you will really appreciate what Aja brought to the table even more.
We stumbled upon a full version of the film on Youtube, so check it out below and enjoy!
+Look out for Andy Warhol’s cameo (he was a judge in the pageant)+
We love moments like this in pop culture where the {PAST} races into the {PRESENT} and ultimately shapes our {FUTURE}. . . rebel queens like Crystal LaBeija will live on far past those who chose not to be the truest, most incredible versions of themselves.
I don’t need you to tell me I’m beautiful! I KNOW I’M BEAUTIFUL!!!
And really, we should all fell this way! Screw the haters- you rock!
Listen to that spirit within you, and let it free…
That’s right kiddos…everyone’s favourite mystery solving duo is back today with all new episodes! So happy they brought this back. It was awesome to get the revamp last year, but the season was rather short (only 6 episodes), so this 11th season will undoubtedly add something special to the X-Files canon.
[ SIDENOTE: X-FILES Promo Shots are legit THE BEST]
11 is our lucky number so we have FAITH that Chris Carter and his team will be creating something for fans to remember with this one. . .
