Well, the weather outside is crummy, and Baby, it’s cold outside!
So, with the help of two Spanish beauties – one dressed in black, and one dressed in white, we are taken away to a tropical paradise in this next addition to our ever growing {MUSIC MINUTE} series:
Presenting “DARLING” by Bacarra
{circa. 1977}
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Hope this entry takes you away to somewhere warm and sunny . . .
Until we meet again,
{theEye}
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{SHOP NOW}
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+++ Kirsten Owen by Alex Katz + + +
{July, 1997}
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There’s a mysterious tone to this photograph.
Despite its crisp resolution, the composition and palette have given the photograph a painterly quality. Captured by a painter, that is not very surprising.
The photograph features Kirsten Owen, Canadian model, and after nearly 20 years a burgeoning icon in the modelling industry. Her unique look catapulted her to the pages and covers of every major editorial magazine in the 90s, and now nearly 20 years later her career is seeing an influx of work in the high fashion industry; much like Kristen McMenamy (another 90s Model Queen) who graces runways and editorials with a fierce mature edge.
Just a little summertime sadness to kick off the day….
Until we meet again,
+++{theEye}+++
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This is a short clip from Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” which never ceases to inspire and engage the mind and soul with its thoughtful narration and invigorating visuals that take the viewer through the complex voyage of a soldier to war hidden by the beauty of “paradise“. . .
It really must have been something to find yourself in a strange new world, another Earth far away from the hometown you left months before. You might never want to leave. You might hope to be left on a deserted island for the rest of your days; left alone by the complications of society.
Malick does a great job at creating this world, and you can get an even cooler glimpse into this world by digging into the world of vintage vernacular.
Ask your grandparents and they probably have vintage snapshots to share with you, or dig through the bins of them at your local Flea Market or antique store. There are treasures to find. These memories of some lost paradise always seem to be like faded remnants of some beautiful black and white dream. . .
Here’s a few to quench your thirst! Soak it up, and bring this lost paradise with you wherever you go.
Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you. If I go first, I’ll wait for you there. On the other side of the dark waters.
Be with me now.-BELL, “The Thin Red Line” by Terrence Malick {based on the novel by James Jones}
What’s this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power but two?
-TRAIN, “The Thin Red Line” by Terrence Malick {based on the novel by James Jones}
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{theEye}
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Wow, what a fashion high!!!
As you know, we were amped for Supercrawl 2015, and the festivities did not dissapoint! Granted, we were two very busy fellows both days, but Saturday (our +HOLLYWOOD BABYLON+ debut designer collection {more to come on that end}) was fairly tame compared to the grandiose task of collecting, organizing, and executing nearly 100 looks, vintage head to toe from three collections (our own, and our friends of Lost & Found Vintage, and Vintage Soul Geek where we now sell a curated selection of our vintage menswear), and making it all on time!! What a whirlwind . . .
But, what a fun one at that!
The show was split into {FIVE PARTS} during which models were running from the tent back to the green room to change into their next looks before all heading out together in what had to be our favourite segment of the show…+BEYOND+
It just wouldn’t be The Eye of Faith without the inclusion of the {past}, {present}, and {future}, and this segment allowed us all to flex our styling muscles a little harder than we usually get to on any normal given day. There was a lot of discussion about the fact that the colour green was predominant in our +BEYOND+ segment, and while it was wholly coincidental, taking a look back, I think it’s a testament to the GREEN powers that be when living a vintage lifestyle. As I’ve said a hundred times over; every year millions of pounds of textiles are sent to landfills, and every year millions of pounds of textiles are produced to add to this gross disposable society that they have conceived for us, and it’s just not cool.
So many remarkable gems are out there if you just take the time to look! Styles and ideas are recycled non-stop by big box corporations and mall shops and even high end designers these days, so why not just go straight to the source and get the real thing! I don’t get it . . . it also allows for a high level of creativity to your everyday life, and who the hell wants to look like everyone else anyway? Surely not us. . .
We are so lucky to live in a city full of so many great vintage stores, and I wish that more people would take the time, and use their resources to shop at them. Other than our own brand, Lost & Found Vintage and Vintage Soul Geek who we worked with curating the show, there are upwards of a dozen that could have joined us including Girl on the Wing, 11:11 Vintage, Shop the Edit, New Olds , Modify Your Closet , and of course, Out of the Past ! So while the world still waits for a true renaissance of our old habits and ways, we can count our lucky stars that we live in a community that truly embraces these concepts.
I made a remark before the beginning of the 40s/50s segment of the show stating how amazing it is that shopping vintage actually allows you to time travel in your everyday to day, so how amazing is that?!
Well, prepare to do some time travelling yourself if you check out some of these amazing highlights from the show that were featured kindly on Vanessa Divers’ personal blog !!
If you like what you see, and can’t live without it, email us at the.eye.of.faith@gmail.com and we can most likely hook you up (that is if someone hasn’t snapped it up already).
Overall, it was a very special day, and so cool to be given the opportunity to have such a mainstream platform for our collection, our friends’ collections, and to share our passion for bring the past back to present, and in doing so, hopefully shaping the future. . .
Special thanks to our amazing models on the day who gave all their essence over to the clothes, brought their own unique being, and really rocked the runway for us! We could not have done it without you.
Hopefully there will be videos to come, but thought we could share these pics while we wait!
Until we meet again,
{theEye}
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There once was a mysterious band of knights who roamed and raved their days and nights along the banks of the cool dark waters. Young and wild, they howled at the moon like the wolves, and on the clear days when the sun seemed to sparkle like diamonds on their faces, they stood sullen like statues of antiquity before cawing and cooing outrageously to their peers.
They sat watching the crowd waves roar; the boardwalk full of walking visitors, strange and new from far away places, that would all turn away in disdain from the boys of summer, sensing somehow their mighty position above it all . . .
They weren’t there for the sights and sounds, instead vying for an order of things far from the distressing quarrels of everyday society.
Simple positions shared amongst them all. One assigned to watch, another to distribute, another to discover, and the rest to play by the rules. No one over stepped a turn at the bottle, for each one knew that their last could be any day. Neville, one of the leaders, would say, ‘Never shy from your true colours’ and these they would display with unbroken pride.
Your honour was earned by the friendships you garnered and gathered.
Some say they had magic on their sides; magic powers taken from the ages, used to ensure their place along the sand dunes. Others say they made friends easily, but were actually ghosts playing games on the common folk.
Only one place in the world for them. A sacred fellowship that haunts us all to this day . . .
I like to imagine seeing them there every time I go back to the seaside. Guarding their little corner of the Earth, and protecting the small sliver of paradise they managed to claim as their own.
Sometimes I can hear them sing their favourite tune; a memory that wavers from faded dream to brilliant exuberance.
It was a familiar one made their own by one of their musically gifted initiates –
“Going down to Stoney End.
I never wanted to go down to Stoney End.
Momma let me start all over!
Cradle me Momma!
Cradle me Again . . . “
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The Knights of the Sandcastle need your help reviving their unique spirit that has been suppressed by the ages.
With their help, you too can be free. We have lots of wicked vintage apparel in the {SHOP} today so make sure you take a look, and invite a friend while you’re at it!
Our {SHOP} on ETSY is stocked full of goodies, so take a peak before they’re gone. . .
XIXIXI
Unti next time,
{theEye}
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“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”.
Sincerely,
{theEye}
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A new film entitled “Love & Mercy” has just been released starring Paul Dano as Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson. And today on “The View”, Brian Wilson admitted he has never once been surfing in his entire life!
Indeed, it was his bad ass boy brother Dennis who served as the true muse behind the vibe that would make The Beach Boys sore to meteoric heights, and ultimate icon status. But little do most people know that Dennis Wilson was a righteous pioneer of music in his own right!
In 1977 he released “Pacific Ocean Blue” which featured this – an all-time ultimate summer song entitled “River Song”, which showcases Dennis’ unique musical stylings and unending talent.
Sadly, Dennis Wilson would be found dead in the Marina Del Rey on December 28, 1983. To read more on this idol of style and life be sure to read our E.O.F. STYLE IDOL: Dennis Wilson {THE BAD BEACH BOY} for tons of content to muse and conjure the spirit!
Also, check out the {SHOP} from some sweet vintage digs to get the feelings flowing this summer!
Don’t forget, friends – XIXIXI gets you 25 % OFF on anything, so don’t wait!
Until we meet again,
{theEye}
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“They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either. But the memories will.”
-Dennis Wilson
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This spring and summer we are all about Dennis Wilson, the infamous bad boy and drummer of The Beach Boys. The band brought the beach lifestyle to the forefront of popular culture in the 1960s , creating a romantic notion that still resides in the populous today. But without Dennis, the iconic boy band would have been lost.
It’s hard to think of that era without the The Beach Boys and their iconic sound, a mix of harmony, rhythm, soul, and blues all dedicated to Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and girls.
Hits such as Surfin USA, California Girls, and Good Vibrations, encapsulated the image we still associate with the notion of surf and beach living to this day.
Their music certainly came to define the dreams and musings of many who longed for the coasts and beaches of California, and the utopian recluse this magical land of surf and sun could provide (Don’t tell me it’s just us!)
Though his eldest brother Brian Wilson is accredited with much of the band’s creative and technical genius, it was the rebel bad boy drummer Dennis who lived and breathed the California that inspired the band in the first place.
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“I don’t do much surfin’, no I don’t. Actually, I don’t even know how to surf, but one guy in the group is a real good surfer, he’s a lot better than any of us, actually, all of us put together. His name is Dennis Wilson, of course, he’s our drummer, and he’s actually the inspiration behind this whole sort of surfing image for the Beach Boys. He encouraged me to write a surfing song a couple, 2, 3 years ago which started the whole thing moving.”
Brian Wilson, St. Louis 1964
Perhaps you noticed, but Dennis certainly had a different presence and a certain swag, as they say, compared to the rest of the band. Even his eldest brother Brian, who created most of the music during The Beach Boys’ hit making days, knew that Dennis and his SoCal rebel lifestyle was the clue to the puzzle of making a name for themselves.
Dennis always seems a mystery, a part of his embodiment of the surfing rock n’ roll image, you could say. Definitely an archetype of rebellion, desire, and thirst for danger. Behind his eyes there are stories and thoughts completely untold.
There are not many rock stars today who truly live the fantasies they suggest in their music. Dennis was not only a surfer, but also a pro drag racer, sailor, movie star, and notorious womanizer. These are the stories and tales written into almost every hit breaking, chart smashing song produced by the band.
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++”I wrest the waters, fight Neptune’s waters, sail through the sorrows of life’s marauders. Unrelenting, often empty, sail on, sail on, sailor.”++
-Sail on Sailors by The Beach Boys from “Holland”
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As much a piece of the puzzle to The Beach Boys’ success, Dennis never seemed to be able to stay far from trouble. As early back as childhood, Dennis was known for getting in fights, and failing classes. He married four times, and had developed a heavy habit for drugs and alcohol.
Most can definitely agree he had some demons.
Free-spirited Dennis would hit the ultimate heights of his notoriety when it was found out that he had housed Charles Manson and his cult for a time. Viewing the group as just a bunch of cosmically inclined free loving spirits with a itching for music, Dennis welcomed the “family” into his home, and housed them for several months.
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During this time Charles Manson and his groupies were hoping to become the next great music act with the help of Dennis. Dennis would indeed get some of their songs out there, but reworked for The Beach Boys, and in 1968 they would release the single “Never Learn Not To Love” written by Dennis, a reworking of a Charles Manson original.
Morbid, considering the message, and later the acts committed by the Manson Family in the Hollywood Hills…This attachment to the Manson family would always stain Dennis’ reputation, and only further instill his bad boy image in the public mind.
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His 1977 solo debut album “Pacific Ocean Blue” was a huge critical hit for the artist, which allowed him to demonstrate his very own unique and progressive point-of-view. Many fans and critics agree it is Dennis’ fearlessness, drama, and deep soul that almost eclipse The Beach Boys altogether.
These are the traits we admire in the man. The adventurer in all aspects. His music. His life. His soul. And the whole time, he wasn’t even trying. He just simply was the most pure form of himself at all times. He just was.
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His style is almost the same. It is not pent up in being cool, it just is…sounds silly, but most of the time Dennis Wilson was just chucking clothes on. His wardrobe is simple, always comfortable, and fitted just right. Classic, but he shakes it up with his rough and messy sort of way about him.
Aaron Eckhart is set to star in a film entitled “The Drummer” documenting the last six tragic years of Dennis Wilson’s life that included losing his yacht “Harmony”, the loss of The Beach Boys recording studios, being kicked out of The Beach Boys, and the subsequent abuse of alcohol and drugs to the bitter end.
Wilson’s body was found curled up in a fetal position at the corner of the dock that once harbored his yacht, Harmony – one of his greatest joys, as well as the scene for many dramas in his life. He had spent the afternoon drinking and diving into the waters finding objects he had thrown over his boat and into the water.
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After nearly an hour of searching, they were able to drag his body out of the 13 feet of bone chilling water at the Marina Del Rey boat slip just three days after Christmas, 1983.
At 39, Dennis Wilson was already a legend in every right. He had inspired his band to create an entire persona around him, and with that they became America’s most famous and beloved band in history.
His devilish grin, and candid charm kept him a favorite of the group, and with a wicked ability to adapt and change, Dennis kept the band going during the band’s hardest times. Sadly, no one would be able to help carry him through his own.
Dennis Wilson was given a burial to sea, his favorite place on Earth, and an honor reserved only to members of the military. The perfect resting place for a restless, wandering, and beautiful soul.
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We love you Pacific Ocean blue
Yeah we love you Pacific Ocean Blue
Oh we love you Pacific Ocean Blue
Oh I we love you Pacific Ocean Blue
It’s no wonder the Pacific Ocean is blue-Dennis Wilson, “Pacific Ocean Blue”.
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Experience it all yourself.
All it takes is a little guts and glory…bold, bad, and beautiful.
Here are some of the items at that can help inspire the look!
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Sincerely,
{theEye}
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While not all the gentlemen seen in this series have surf boards in their hands, they all undeniably possess that wicked spirit of the surf.
Spontaneous, effervescent, and wild like the waves, these are men of the past who have found sanctuary in the beauty of the ocean, and have used its energy to conjure an unbeatable swag, and undeniable attitude.
We love looking through what people wore, and especially with swimwear, not much has changed. Whether shorts or speedos, the look and style of these basics can still be found today.
And while we don’t wear the one-piece suits anymore, or have to swim with tank tops; these looks are more and more interesting and intriguing. There is some unique stuff there that just needs to come back (striped one-piece, graphic swim tanks) into play!
Especially with today’s climate, always drifting back to the past for inspiration, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of these influences in the mix in coming years. If not, we’ll just have to take it on ourselves. Either way – it’s happening.
Check out the amazing pictures we’ve found for you all to get in the swing of Surf, and the attitude that makes it timeless beyond the bleached blonde hair and tubular moods we automatically associate with this lifestyle.
So what do you think? Have things changed that much? There’s no time value on fun in the sun, that’s for sure.
Share you favourite pics with your friends or post to your own blog
and help showcase {vintage} summer style!!!
Hope you’re keeping cool.
It’s hot.
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WICKED AMAZING VINTAGE FINDS ONLY FROM THE EYE OF FAITH
25 % OFF with CODE XIXIXI
Escape . . .
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{theEye}
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[image: fashion.grunge.style.]
Summer is at its peak, and its time to embrace the ultimate piece for the summer. . . .the Hawaiian Shirt. For some reason, this idea makes some people cringe, but over the course of this post you will see the innate beauty and wonder that is the Hawaiian Shirt.
The Case for Hawaiian Shirts really began when I was 8 years old and my mother brought home a Hawaiian shirt for me from her trip to Hawaii. I had begged her to grab me one while she was touring the islands for work. Seemed to me like the coolest thing!
It was a wicked print, nothing too crazy, pretty much an example of a classic Hawaiian shirt.
I remember my locker neighbour saying: “Whats wrong with you?”
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!” is what I wanted to say, but I just shrugged and laughed her aside. She didn’t even have a sense about her as she was herself wearing something completely typical of the girls in my classes around these times…
She just couldn’t appreciate it the way I did. For me, it made me feel the most ahead of the game. I was different than the rest, and that’s always a good thing. For me, there’s just no doubting a really great Hawaiian Shirt.
{Donna Reed + Montgomery Clift, “From Here to Eternity” [1953]. }
{Michael Pitt for Prada S/S 2012 by David Sims}
Lately there’s been a huge influx of Hawaiian and tropical shirts in both runway shows and magazine editorials – it seems the world is finally catching on and getting a little more in tuned with not just my drift, but the truth of the whole matter. Open up any mens fashion magazine and you will find them littered in the colourful graphics.
The case for Hawaiian and Tropical print shirts is that they are as much a classic staple in ones wardrobe as other pieces heralded as being part of our sartorial lineage.
There is plenty of mythology revolving around the the true origin of the Aloha shirt (as they are also called) that range from birth in the Philipines to the islands of Samoa. Until the early 18th century, kapa was the main currency of many islands of the South Pacific. Kapa was a simple patterned cloth found in the South Pacific made from pounding and dyeing the bark of a mulberry tree. These prints later made a splash again in the 1950s. However, it is safe to accredit much of why we still sport and wear these styles to the craftsmanship and entrepreneurial efforts of one, Musa-Shiya the Shirtmaker. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Musa-Shiya was one of the top Japanese tailors in Honolulu, who profited from his made-to-order custom silk shirts made with colourful and bright Japanese fabrics with Western-style tailoring.
These shirts helped tourists visiting the island make that final transformation to truly being on vacation, taking it easy, and saying goodbye to the stresses of the mainland. Forget your troubles, come on be happy! 
Soon after other Japanese tailors were doing the same, and quickly the demand for these tailored tropical refuges only began to soar. The 1953 film, “From Here to Eternity” would pretty much seal the deal with stars such as Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and even Frank Sinatra sporting the casual cuts of florals and tropical sunsets.
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From here on out, it pretty much has become the go-to expression of ease. Picking the right pattern is about 90% of the magic. There must be literally thousands, if not millions of different Aloha prints floating around in this world, and not all of them good. The key is equal parts colour as it is pattern – make sure both are really slamming. Compromise on this and you could really fall flat. 
FIT would be another major point. So make sure it fits to your liking, or get it altered to fit your needs. Alteration is often the key to vintage, so if you haven’t already, be sure to check your local yellow pages for tailors or alterers in your neighbourhood. They will be happy to oblige, and you’d be surprised at how cheap it can be.
If you’re feeling a little more lax and party you may want to embrace some volume (think Sean Penn as Spicoli from Fast Times, or Johnny Depp in Fear & Loathing) or you can keep the cut classic and simple with a bit more of a tailored look to emulate classic stars like Clift, Sinatra, or Delon. Either way – you’re pretty much laughing …
And just in case you’re unsure, check out our pics of style stunning inspiration that ranges from the {PAST} to {PRESENT}. So take a look, and decide your {FUTURE}…it’s calling! All year round, these shirts takes you where you want to go! It’s time to declare the Hawaiian Shirt an equally valuable piece of everyone’s wardrobe.
It’s a defining piece with the magical ability to transport us from our everyday, and for those dedicated followers of fashion these pieces are definitely gaining visibility.
This is what I’m saying!
If you don’t look back, you can never go forward!
So hopefully you appreciate this menagerie of the exotic and wild! Check out The Vintage Hawaiian Shirt for more history, and a look at the web’s most impressive collection of them! Don’t be stuck staring at your everyday checks, plaids, and plain…carry on the {TRADITION} and accelerate the past!
{The Feedback and Support has been great! So thank you all!}
Also join us on FACEBOOK , TUMBLR, & TWITTER for more vintage musings from the one and only {EYE}!
Stay Style {WISE}, kids!
Sincerely,
{theEye}
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