If you were in South America yesterday {July 2, 2019}, you may have been blessed to observe the glory of a total eclipse of the Sun by the New Moon in Cancer. Even if you weren’t able to observe the moment the moon was able to cover the face of the Sun, its affects and energies permeated everyone, and will continue to do so.
Cancer is a cardinal sign of the zodiac – an initiator of action. Cancer being a water sign ruled by the moon (a bearer of shadows and introspection) will be sure to have waves of emotions crashing into the shores of our understanding.
It is a great moment to reflect on life, and let go of any frustrations or worries. If this is hard, maybe it is beneficial to ask yourself why you have these frustrations and worries and act accordingly.
This could lead to certain aspects of your life that aren’t serving you to be eclipsed. Death can only bring rebirths – so expect many new beginnings, and perhaps even old endings to resurface. Focus on the pieces of the puzzle that bring you emotional fulfilment like true friendships, love, family, creativity….major ME time.
Ancient people revered moments like this, and how could you not? What a glorious spectacle. So for the next few weeks leading up to the Lunar Eclipse (July 16-17) take time to reevaluate and make sure you are lined up with your path of destiny for the remainder of the year.
Remember to always have faith…
^BFrench solar eclipses of 1724 and 1912.^b Historical artwork of people watching the total solar eclipse of 22 May 1724 (upper left) and the annular solar eclipse of 17 April 1912 (lower right). Both eclipses were visible from Paris, France. In both cases, the observers are using darkened glass with which to view the eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, as seen from the Earth. When the Moon is slightly further from the Earth than normal, an annular eclipse takes place. Total solar eclipses usually occur less than once a year, and can only be seen from a small area of the Earth’s surface. Centuries can pass before another total solar eclipse is visible from the same location. Artwork published in 1912, in the Parisian daily newspaper ^ILe Petit Journal^i.
This song has always been up there, but for the first time it struck that this song is about a total solar eclipse…and if you listen to the words in this context you can gather so much more meaning from it.
I just assumed a Black Hole Sun was some sort of weird 90s grunge baseless aesthetic thing – like some cool term a bunch of stoner guys had come up with around a bong being like “thats rad”. But I should have been wiser seeing as the 90s were undeniably bringing esoterica to the forefront of the mainstream.
Enjoy this jam, and hope you are able to gain some insight and clarity into your own personal well-being.
Style is more than just what you wear. Its how you live…
Well it sure has been a minute since we’ve had the chance for another addition to our beloved {MUSIC MINUTE} corner of our blog. Things have been really hectic and full, which is great, but with summer officially in full swing we are hoping to take the opportunity to put up more content here to ensure treasures of the {PAST} can be upheld here in the {PRESENT} and hopefully continue shaping our {FUTURE}…
Here we have a wicked piece called “The Devil is Loose” by one of those icons that everyone should know (but doesn’t) – Asha Pulthi! This song is from her album by the same name, and was her third of eight recorded albums.
Asha was born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) February 4, 1945 and trained in classical Indian music and opera before falling for the devils of jazz which she infused into her traditional roots. After graduating from a public University in India, she received a scholarship to go to New York City and study with legendary choreographer Martha Graham (that aspect will make total sense when you see her moves in the video).
Her fate was setlled when her appearance on “Aint it Peculiar” by the Peter Ivers Band which was covered by major music magazines like Billboard and Rolling Stone. Her reckless abandon and joyful reverie was heard (and you can hear it too here– HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and soon she had avant-garde jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman knocking on her door, or calling her phone? We may never know…but she would make the most prophetic and signature vocals for his out-of-this-world improvisational jazz album Science Fiction, and the rest is history!
She was signed by John Hammond who most famously discovered Billie Holliday, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen – so very good company indeed!
Like I mentioned, this is from her third album of the same name (“The Devil is Loose”). Sadly not much is written about this album at all (at least in English) since it never saw its release in the US. But throughout, her vocals are sultry, soft, sweet, soulful and mysterious… her voice vaguely reminiscent of Diana Ross and then at other times as great and grand as Aretha Franklin.
Unfortunately for Asha, the money men at CBS London found an easy way out of hoisting her up and getting paid her proper dues when she became pregnant which effectively brought an end to her escalating royalties.
But before they could stiff her completely, performances on British television would ensure her the right to negotiate royalties that only major acts such as The Beatles were able to obtain at the time- 14%!!! This and coupled with her pregnancy, Asha was shipped off to Germany much the same way The Beatles had been shipped to Hamburg.
However, unlike The Beatles, this choice by CBS London essentially hindered her career much more into obscurity and allowed for artists like Donna Summer to build their brand off what Asha had rightfully developed.
She herself claims that Donna Summer, alleged Queen of Space Disco, copped her style- not only vocally, but literally too!
According to Asha, during one of her performances in Germany in the early 1970s she was approached by Ms. Summer herself.
Donna was in this moment “belting out songs” according to Pulthi, rather than the subdued dreamy vocals of Asha, inspired by her Hinduistic classical training, which gave that otherworldly style that would become the virtual sound of any major Munich disco…and would soon be adapted by the now famous Disco Queen that EVERYONE has heard of.
Not only that, Donna Summer allegedly approached Ms. Puthli backstage asking where she could find Asha’s custom made dress, to which Puthli would not oblige.
Donna, unbeknownst to Asha, went ahead and asked designer Bill Gibb to which he refused. Them’s the breaks, I guess.
“A lot of people say that this album [The Devil Is Loose] and the other album are templates that later on Donna Summer, Pete Bellotte, Georgio Moroder all ripped off from my sound. Now, remember I’ve mentioned to you that I was suspended because I was pregnant. So at that time was when they jumped on the bandwagon, apparently. This is what I’m told by people in Germany, in the industry. Because when they called me up they said, ‘We want to work with the real McCoy,”
Nonetheless, she is more and more recognized in importance and relevance for her ethno-fusion cosmic disco avant-garde synthy soul vibes, her out of the world stage presence (her moves have also been centred out as a major influence to Kate Bush), and undeniable individuality. A rebel spirit through and through.
Her first album “Asha Pulthri” was shot by Mick Rock who was David Bowie’s official photographer (she would also go on to hire Pierre LaRoche, Bowie’s iconic makeup artist), and was admired by art influencers such as Richard Avedon, Manolo Blahnik Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Diane Vreeland, and even headlined at Studio 54.
Her style was always changing and was always an eclectic mash up of her heritage, the {present} day (for her, {past} for us), and the unknown frontiers of space and time….So, how about that Donna Summer?
She most notably also made an appearance in the obscure Merchant-Ivory art film “Savages”, as one of the three wild women leaving very little to the imagination.
Her music was even literally blasted into space in 2009 from the Goonhilly British Satellite Earth Station on the 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing. Why, you ask? Well
“{her music is} a form of free-floating, ultra-sexualized intergalactic disco that matched hyperventilating time with erotic electronics and surreal sonic environments. Puthli has gone so far out that she has space walked into inner space.”
As well, she has been sampled by the likes of P. Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Redman, 50 Cent, and Dilated Peoples. She even owns writing credits to “The World is Filled” by Biggie Ft. Too Short and Puff Daddy…so yeah!
SHE’S A BOSS
Nowadays the notion of a globalized pop star like Asha isn’t too uncommon. Artists like BTS get millions of fans around the world; or take for instance, K-Pop Girl Band BLACKPINK who just performed at Coachella…even the song ‘Jai-Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire went on to win both an Academy Award and a Grammy!
That is NOW…but back THEN, artists to cross-over these racial boundaries were even rarer which is why still today, we can look back in awe on the incredible artistry, bravery and honesty Asha put forth to just be who she is!
I was not encouraged to do my own songs. They wanted me glam, more Shirley Bassey than Joan Baez. I insisted upon including at least one of my own songs, just one. They (the CBS record producers) already thought I was difficult because I wouldn’t change my name. There is a cognitive dissonance when you have a name like mine….They gave me suggestions like Ann Peters, Ann Powers. I said no as I had already won the Down Beat at that time and had a fan base in India. As Asha Puthli!”
Some people might even blame THE DEVIL…which I’m sure is why she created this cosmic disco masterpiece.
See for yourself below:
HOW EPIC WAS THAT?!
{the dress, the moves, that audience, the song…EVERYTHING}
Luckily, so much of her music is resurfacing so we hope this post will help in the manifestation of her glory. Please enjoy “The Devil is Loose” and let us know what you think in the COMMENTS.
If you are intrigued, Red Bull Music Academy has a wonderful interview with this legend published just this last February, 2019.
We barely scraped the tip of the iceberg with this one, so don’t let us down! Go check her out, channel her spirit, and play those funky cosmic disco sounds hard into the night…
For our first post of 2019, we thought we’d do a classic vintage post about this most bizarre and unusual moment in time: The Miss American Vampire competition of 1970!
Move over Miss Universe (as amazing as that Lava walk was, Ms Catriona Gray), these ladies came to slay in their most imaginative Vampire-esque looks, coupled with their charm, poise, and stage presence, as well as their videogenic quality; contestants were all hoping to take the grand prize of a role in House of Dark Shadows!
There aren’t many photos of the competition, or archival imagery available but these are some photos from the New Jersey regional competition in which Ms. Christine Domaniecki was crowned by Barnabas Collins himself (played by actor Jonathan Frid; who is also definitely deserved of a {STYLE IDOL} moment)!
The competition was held in several cities including Miami, Dallas, Philadelphia, with the finalists competing for the title in Los Angeles on September 10, 1970.
According to one of the judges:
“It was fun for the first five minutes. After that it got terribly depressing. Some of the girls came in bikinis. Some of them came dressed as witches or vampires or dead bodies. One girl stood in front of me and just stared.”
In a strange turn of events, the eventual winner of the National Competition actually never followed through with any of the rewards of her title choosing instead to stay in Los Angeles (House of Dark Shadows was shot in New York).
The full reasons are unclear, however, you may recognize the original Miss American Vampire, actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather {AKA Marie Louise Cruz), from her perhaps her most famous role: accepting Marlon Brando’s Academy Award for “The Godfather” in 1973!
Brando was boycotting the Academy Awards in reaction to Hollywood’s portrayal of Indigenous Americans in the movies, as well as the recent incidents at Wounded Knee, and so Ms. Littlefeather took the stage to speak on behalf of the legendary actor.
Whilst her message was powerful, it was not so well received, garnering boos and jeers from the audience. Also, two days after the ceremony, while visiting Mr. Brando at his house bullets were fired into his front door. Scrupulous media slander also followed, and she claims that this also led to her being blacklisted in Hollywood.
So, in the end, the title of Miss American Vampire and the prize of appearing on House of Dark Shadows eventually went to New Jersey Regional Winner, Christine Domaniecki, who appeared on the show in the highly coveted role of . . . Bar Maid.
I guess, any opportunity is an opportunity!
Funny enough, even with all the dramas and confusion, the Dark Shadows crew was ready to do it again with new pageant: Miss Ghost America in promotion of their new show Night of Dark Shadows!
Granted, the prize was not as exciting as a cameo appearance (Dark Shadows was technically off the air), however, the winner did receive an appearance on The Dating Game , as well as a $250 savings bond. The winner was 18 year old Kate Sarchet.
I’d kill to find some video footage of either pageant, so if you know a source, please let us know!!!
So what do you think? Should we be bringing back these ghouly pageants??? Tell us in the comments sections below!
Since the beginning of time (or at least, the beginning of our blog) we have been saying there is a definitive relationship our collective {PAST} plays into the {PRESENT} – always influencing and helping create what inevitably will be known as the {FUTURE}!
Well here we have a case of {PAST}, {PRESENT}, {FUTURE} featuring the notoriously infamous billionairess Kylie Jenner and her new man, Crown Prince of Rap, Mr. Travis Scott on the latest cover of GQ causing controversy for being a “cheap rip-off” of a now forty year old photo shoot of iconic French couple of cool Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin shot by Helmut Newton.
It is absolutely undeniable, and I don’t think they were trying to be chill about the inspiration, or rather recreation, but who is to judge her for that. If anything, I find it strange that Paola Kudacki, the photographer, would feel comfortable putting her name on such a mainstream copy of the work of a great artist like Helmut Newton! Now the controversy has flooded the internet, but then again, for the right paycheck these days, a little backlash isn’t the worst if it pays the rent.
Obviously, inspiration from the past is one of the cornerstones of our beliefs, but being 2018, it might be nice to have a fresher interpretation of the past than just a flat out copy. Where’s the fun in that?
Take the past, and turn it on its head. Blend one influence with another. Go on a ride through the past and bring me forward into the future…
And if you take a look at the original photo series shot way back in 1978, the rawness, sexiness, and coolness really shines through! How can you be a rebel if you’re trying….Serge and Jane are just so relaxed, irreverent, and thereby: BAD ASS!
Needless to say, Jane and Serge will always be on top in most versus situations, so….sorry Travis and Kylie- maybe next time. And maybe next time, just be yourself!!!
I know Travis and Kylie have turned a few looks, but Jane and Serge really TURNED LOOKS! Just a few below!
FRANCE – AUGUST 28: Premiere : “Slogan” by Pierre Grimblat in Paris, France on August 28, 1969-(16555) Serge Gainsourg, Jane Birkin and Pierre Grimblat. (Photo by Yves LE ROUX/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
We need more originality these daze . . . be inspired, but make it your own! That’s half the fun of life.
Not the most creative choice, but different strokes for different folks! Definitely appreciate her bringing to a whole new generation the beauty and boldness of Serge & Jane (who are definitely due for a {STYLE IDOL & DIVINITY} post or a {VINTAGE RED CARPET ROMANCES} story) … that is a really cool thing.
We know this story is all over the internet right now, but still wanted to give our E.O.F. P.O.V. on the whole situation.
So, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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…
Back in 1999 a quirky cool show came out called ZENON: Girl of the 21st Century and now that we are actually in the 21st century its cool to see they weren’t so far off!
We always say the past informs our future, so when speaking on this idea of retro-futurism its so fun to notice visions of the future from the past, and usually in this context we speak often of a retro-future from the 40s, 50s, even 60s . . .but now we are seeing retro-future ideas taken from the 90s.
Jeremy Scott really took it there 100% with this vibe in his Autumn-Winter 2018 collection from the pastel millenial metallic palette with strokes of neon… to some really quirky weird sci-fi silhouettes.
The wigs brought me back to another 90s sci-fi gem which may be a bit more obscure unless you lived in Canada than guaranteed you watched this show if you grew up in the 90s: SPACE CASES!!!
The show first aired back in 1996, and has since stuck in our minds as a really rad adventure series featuring some cool talent. I think the plot was best summed up by Bethany on IMDB:
One day at an academy, 7 people sneak aboard a mysterious spaceship. The people consist of 5 students, who are Harlan, the athletic leader from earth; Catalina, the Saturnian rainbow-head with a sonic scream; Bova, the negative sour-pus Uranian who can generate electricity; Rosie, the happy Mercurian who radiates heat; and Radu, the Andromedan with super strength and hearing; the other two people are Mrs. T.J. Davenport, the principal at the academy and Commander Seth Goddard, who is their teacher/commander. While on-board they meet an android named Thelma who informs them that they are on a spaceship that is half living and called the Christa. Just when they meet up they become aware that they are approaching a hole that if they get sucked into, they will be stuck in space for 7 years. They eventually do and along their journey they encounter many hardships and enemies that they work together to overcome. They also meet some new people like Suzee (Catalina’s imaginary friend from another dimension who gets pulled into this dimension during a warp, putting Catalina in her dimension; she can read minds and has gills), Elmira (Sponge daughter of Warlard Shank), Warlard Shank (the arch enemy of them), etc.
The wigs immediately gave me some serious Jewel Staite as Catalina vibes; although, hers is just that much more with the multi-colored rings representing her home planet Saturn. Am I wrong?
Oh, and sorry about the strange captions in the two photos there. They are entertaining, nonetheless. Since it is a more obscure show, it was hard to find some great images, but I think you get the vibe, and especially with a few of the looks from Jeremy Scott’s AW 2018 show sandwiched between- I think the inspirations are undeniable!
Boy, Canadian television in the 90s was wicked…and man, Jeremy Scott’s interns must have been binge watching some serious shit, because you can’t deny that the painted ladies of Jeremy Scott’s Moschino Autumn-Winter 2018 show really give me crazy Rosie comparisons!
Granted, Jeremy Scott’s inspiration for this collection was Jackie-O, Aliens, and Conspiracy Theories so its not that far off…
Some other designers you can’t deny took a very similar route were Prada:
And, Maison Margiela Couture Autmn-Winter 2018 which was a symphony of hologram! Our jaws were dropethed watching one look after another walk down the runway.
If you have a chance, watch the actual show so you can see how magically these fabrics react to light- its magnificent and really shows the art of textile design and the incredible things being engineered today.
Since we are on this topic, I wanted to throw in some pics of a few more Canadian 90s aliens from the cult show ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? – episode: “The Thirteenth Floor”!!!
Two kids get lured by stylish 90s aliens to a strange toy company that just happened to open on the 13th floor of their apartment complex where they usually play floor hockey…moral of the story is, if you think its weird a toy company opened overnight on the 13th floor of your apartment complex then just stay away!!! Especially when they’re dressed like that!
Never would I have imagined in 20 years I’d be talking about Are You Afraid of the Dark or Space Cases in the context of fashion and style…its actually kind of shocking how many designers landed on this vibe, but nevertheless its really interesting to have this kind of nostalgia prevalent in the scene, and no doubt we will be seeing more and more of this as time goes on.
The {past} repeats itself, even if that {past} is imitating the {future}!
Something about this vibe has always been in us, and we have been tending to lean towards this style many times – from metallic foil shirts, to PVC jackets, and definitely anything hologram! I guess, we like to be ahead of the curve, and it really goes to show the power in staying relevant with the past.
Here are a few pieces in our {SHOP} right now that epitomize the 90s Back to the Future vibe that is taking over!
Had a lot of fun posting “Shy-Guy” yesterday, so thought we’d continue showcasing some of these awesome and entertaining vintage educational films. They sure were worried about the self-esteem of teenagers.
This one shows how feelings of self-consciousness keep a high school boy from doing his classwork well or making friends easily. Poor dude feels so out of whack ALL THE TIME, until he realizes everyone else feels self-conscious too and if you learn to remind yourself of this, you will be fine!
And when he realizes this watching his buddy totally goof at ping pong after just being so dashing in a tuxedo, he should have realized that of course he felt better wearing a tux! Who doesn’t feel bad ass in a tux?!
Again, a great collection of classic American style from the early 1950s which still has that timeless 40s vibe lingering. This is a look that seems to be really permeating in the fashion world more and more lately. . .
Especially couldn’t take my eye off a wicked panther graphic sweater one of the featured students wears while yacking on the phone with confidence…check it out! The panther motif is a super bad ass graphic that was quite popular, and today, a very rare vintage find.
Love anyone bringing vintage styles to the masses, but its always good to know your shit and see the influences in the world around us. This is how the {PAST} helps inspire the {PRESENT} and shape our {FUTURE}.
Well enough ado. Thanks OLD TIME TV for uploading this and all the other wicked vintage content you post on your channel!
Please enjoy and let us know what you thought in the COMMENTS BELOW!
Take a look at some of the pieces waiting in our {SHOP} to be brought back to life on the streets that channel the “Self-Conscious Guy” vibe!
It has come to my attention that there may be people out there who have no idea about Sunset Boulevard – only one of the best films of all time by iconic director Billy Wilder. This disturbs me slightly, so here’s a glimmer of that inspiration in guise of one of our classic {MUSIC MINUTE}s.
Scored by legendary Hollywood composer Franz Waxman, the moody jazzy score provides the perfect sultry and mysterious backdrop for this strange tale. If I had a dime for every time I said “they don’t make them like they used to” . . . but this film is the epitome of that sentiment.
The film opens as a murder investigation, but delves into the twisted depths of an aging silent movie starlet who coerced a handsome screenwriter to be her live-in gigolo. When he decides its time to leave, things get very . . . dramatic.
Gloria Swanson who was an aging silent movie star herself brings such complexity, vulnerability, and diva strength – you are sure to be shook. On top of that, the film is a gorgeous display of midcentury Hollywood style and glamour; from the grandeur of the mansion (which was also used in Rebel Without a Cause) littered with gold leaf, exotic mouldings, tapestries, and furs to some seriously chic loungewear – there really is inspiration at every turn.
So watch these Main Titles, take in that awesome score, and get yourself a copy of Sunset Boulevard!
You wont regret it.
Just doing our duty of bring the {past} to the {present} to shape the {future}.
Helmut Berger is what I consider a perfect artist – very serious in his craft, intelligent in his thoughts, without any time or patience for “bullshit” or empty phrases that litter many people’s everyday lives, conversations and relationships.
Helmut Berger doesn’t give a fuck what you think about him.
A icon of beauty, sex, and hedonism – the actor experienced great attention through the late 60s and 1970s for his work in film, most particularly with iconic Italian film maker Luchino Visconti whom took Berger under his wing as a muse in art and love.
How couldn’t he? When Visconti first cast the young and rebellious Austrian actor in his film Le Streghe (The Witches) in 1967, it was clear this was a rare star coming closer into orbit, and soon he was doing one iconic role after another playing Martin Von Essenback in The Damned (dressing in Dietrich drag in one of the film’s pivotal moments), King Ludwig II of Bavaria (earning him a David Di Donatello Award for Best Actor), and the title role in the flashy mod remake of Oscar Wilde’s classic – Dorian Gray.
He was also the first man to ever grace the cover of VOGUE alongside girlfriend Marisa Berenson – not surprising considering his classic beauty.
Those smouldering eyes, that golden blonde hair, his brooding masculinity mixed with a distinct dandy elegance – its a combination we don’t see in celebrities today.
On screen and off screen, Helmut Berger is definitely an idol of style we need to praise! So, here’s a classic {STYLE IDOL} collection of wicked photos of this bad ass legend of cinema to muse over and inspire your personal sense of style!
Helmut Berger
Yes, I am tainted by the beautiful things in life. But to all those who only want to see me as an agent provocateur and an eccentric I can only say: With every day of my life the number of people I don’t give a damn about grows and grows.
-Helmut Berger
As portrayed in the intensely provocative documentary by Andreas Horvath, Helmut Berger is a rebel without a cause – full of spunk, a lust for life, and a certain je na sais quois that really make a star ignite.
Not many people have the balls to to live as loud as this guy, so major props to him for that; and despite his seemingly reckless antics, we can’t deny the beautiful tapestry of work this man has created with his art and contributions to the legacy of cinema and of course, classic bad ass style!
For the most part, off duty, he’s a very classic jeans and oxford shirt kind of guy, but I love the extravagance and opulence he is able to pull of in many of his film roles, that I believe many other actors would have had a hard time making believable.
Tres chic and a bit of a rebel- Helmut Berger should definitely be at the top of your list for all-time style icons if you are into that kind of thing. We started this blog to help promote the beauty of the {past}, so hopefully we’ll be seeing a little more Helmut Berger realness in the near {future}.
What frightens you, what you see or what you don’t?
-Helmut Berger in Salon Kitty
Hope this was a good one for you! We love compiling these {STYLE IDOLS & DIVINITIES} for you guys, so let us know what you thought in the comments below!
Also, let us know if you have some interesting ideas!
