We recently acquired some really sick classic 90s mens shirts that are perfect for a classic cool vibe this Spring / Summer! And weirdly enough, they all fell into this awesome blue palette which is super timeless and versatile.
We always gravitate towards that preppy ivy style but with a bit of a twist, and these shirts do that trick to give you that dapper playboy who still loves a little rock n roll!
Grab more details on these shirts, and more of our latest time traveled pieces! Also if you are in the Hamilton, ON area, we will be bringing some new pieces to our booth at the Hamilton Antique Mall {3RD FLOOR- 33E} this coming week, so definitely check it out.
Remember XIXIXI gets you 25% at the CHECKOUT, and we offer FREE SHIPPING in Canada and the U.S. – so don’t miss out!
In this image made available on Tuesday April 16, 2019 flames and smoke rise from the blaze at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. An inferno that raged through Notre Dame Cathedral for more than 12 hours destroyed its spire and its roof but spared its twin medieval bell towers, and a frantic rescue effort saved the monument’s “most precious treasures,” including the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Jesus, officials said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Thierry Mallet)
To say it was a shock to glance at the breaking news on April 15 to see Notre Dame engulfed in blazing hellfire. With the world already feeling so hopelessly derelict, seeing this sight was a surreal feeling…what is happening in this world?!
Oddly enough, this event has occurred at the beginning of Holy Week leading to Easter – the most important week for the Christian church, without a doubt. Interestingly, we also have Venus and Lilith meeting at the 23rd mark of Pisces on this day…Venus, the goddess of love, and Lilith, the rebellious first wife of Adam; who refused to be subservient and was cast out of the Garden of Eden.
Notre Dame quite literally means “Our Lady”, and its impossible to ignore the rise of female power in our society- in arts, politics, business, and with the Church imposing its patriarchal grip of society for thousands of years, perhaps this could be some fateful symbol we all may never understand fully.
On the flip side, it didn’t take long for France’s three richest families to raise money for its restoration post-fire; a whopping $700 million in total.
The three dynasties (LVMH, L’Oreal, and Kering) have an impressive portfolio of high end luxury brans that they own- being pretty much every high end fashion brand you can think of. For instance, LVMH headed by CEO Bernard Arnault has put forward $226 million! For the owner of an endless list of brands such as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Fendy, Dior, Hennessy, and even Fenty Beauty by Rihanna to name a few, so it surely seems almost like it would be pocket change.
The other large donors were the Betterncourt Meyers family who control L’Oreal, and the Pinaut family who own Kering which control iconic luxury brands such as Gucci, Saint-Laurent, Balenziaga, and Alexander McQueen to name a few…
Surely, they are toasting over a glass of Veuve Cliquot over their charitable efforts, but this kind of thing is exactly what gives fashion a bad name, and doesn’t really help to battle the idea that fashion isn’t vapid, vain, and wasteful.
Granted, Notre Dame wasn’t just a treasure of France, but also the entire world. Paris is the number one tourist destination in the world, and the beautiful Gothic Cathedral with is iconic towers, and flying buttresses reaching out into the Seine, it is (or was) a marvel of human endeavour, engineering, and creativity, no doubt. 856 years, and a bit damage, sure, but its still standing.
With our world in the state of crisis (climate change, increasing poverty, always an imminent war) there couldn’t be more available resources to help those truly in need? A medieval church is one thing, but the fact that certain people in this world have every mean necessary to truly make a difference to people, is shocking and disappointing to say the least. Especially, that these brands uphold and sell a lifestyle that 99% of us could never afford, and only fantasize about being a part of – you begin to realize the illusion of luxury, and the many people whose backs these brands have been built on.
This is all a bit of what led us into what we do. Outrageous prices, bad quality, and who even knows what goes on BTS…for what? Just a knock-off a vintage style or design, when billions of pounds of textiles and clothing are put into landfills every year! If we can’t universally accept the concept of reducing, reusing, and recycling what we already have, the future could be grim.
Amazingly, 16 year old environmental activist, and recent Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, made a poignant statement regarding the fire, and the pledges that are being made to rebuild the monument whilst no changes are being pledged to save our own planet. Greta Thunberg’s thoughts on “cathedral thinking” are truly inspiring…
It seems like this is an event that may have opened up all our eyes a bit, and definitely encourages us to continue our own crusade! If fashion can save Notre Dame, could they switch gears to save the world?
Are you feeling intrigued?! We just added some cool new pieces to the {SHOP} and our booth at the Hamilton Antique Mall {233 Ottawa ST. N – THIRD FLOOR- Booth 33E in Hamilton, ON} so definitely check that out if you are local!
amAlso, for our Etsy shop…remember code XIXIXI always gets you 25% OFF at the checkout, and we offer FREE SHIPPING in Canada and the U.S.
So don’t miss out on your chance to own these unique finds, and let that special style spirit soar.
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!!!
2018 was such an exciting year for us in fashion, and our collection “The Visitors” was the perfect way to cap it off, at the annual Supercrawl festival here in Hamilton, ON.
This collection was our most encompassing yet, with 13 looks on 13 models, rocking the runway in the hot September sun! We really wanted to go for a more eclectic party vibe this time around, and I think we really captured the essence of what we were looking to achieve!
The collection was inspired by the ABBA song “The Visitors” – a wicked disco jam, about the anxiety of having guests showing up at your home for a party! Strangers surrounded by your books, paintings, and furniture…it can leave you in a quite a tizzy.
Disco glamour, divas, glitter, and rock n roll definitely played a hand, and we really wanted to play off the idea of visitors – who perhaps could be from a different dimension; so, there’s also a bit of space and sci-fi moments happening throughout.
Each piece is one of a kind, handmade, and uses vintage fabrics and materials.
Styled by The Eye of Faith
Makeup Up by Janet Granados & Claudia Alaimo
Hair by Hexe Noire & Poison IV
Best of all, we got to end the show with our girl Amanda Lear’s “Fashion Pack”, who was another inspiration for this collection!
For more information on any of these pieces, feel free to email us:
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!
November 22, 2018 marked the record for the coldest Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade of all time, and all around the U.S.A. record lows were recorded, but it didn’t stop Lady Diana Ross from looking glamorous and fabulous as ever!
When I think of cold Thanksgivings, I can’t help but think of one of our favourite films – “The Ice Storm” (1997) directed by Academy Award winning director Ang Lee. With an all-star cast that includes Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Allison Janney, Christina Ricci, Katie Holmes, Tobey Maguire, and Elijah Wood; this is a must-see film for an cinema aficionado, but most especially any lover of vintage style!
Taking place on a Thanksgiving weekend in 1973 in the upper middle class suburbs of New Canaan, Connecticut – this film is a poignant look at the American Family, and its demise to substance abuse and casual sex. There are so many iconic moments throughout this film- some include Christina Ricci boldly shoplifting from the local drugstore, Joan Allen being hit on by a bohemian pastor, a strange make out session involved a Nixon mask, a 1970s key party, and of course….the grand finale (which I shall not reveal).
Production designer Mark Friedberg (The Life Aquatic, Far From Heaven, Across the Universe) and costume designer Carol Odit worked closely with director Ang Lee to bring meticulous period detail to the film. Sourcing inspiration from catalogues, magazines, and photographs from the period.
Most notably is the beautiful earthy 70s palette, and the remarkable use of textures and graphics to create looks. The film itself is a feast for the eyes for knitwear, classic american sportswear, and an ice storm just wouldn’t be an ice storm without – incredible 70s outerwear!
We have been wanting to do a post on this film for a while, so very excited to get this up, finally. Here’s some {style-wise} screenshots for some classic vintage inspiration as well as your viewing pleasure.
?? Copyright 1997 – Twentieth Century Fox – All rights reserved. Titles: The Ice Storm Names: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen Characters: Elena Hood, Ben Hood Still of Kevin Kline and Joan Allen in The Ice Storm (1997)
Lets pray to the Gods that we aren’t hit with anything so strange and devastating, but with how the weather has been over the past few years – who knows what we could be in store for!
We couldn’t help but use this meme from another one of the film’s iconic moments!
Please enjoy, and don’t forget to visit our {SHOP} and use XIXIXI for 25% OFF.
We had the honour of shooting with Style Group for The City of Hamilton in a feature focusing on Hamilton’s burgeoning fashion scene.
Hamilton has always been known as a city of grit and steel, which is often why it ends up the backdrop for so many Hollywood flicks ( ie. Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar winning picture The Shape of Water is literally littered in Hamilton, and there are so many more!), so its not exactly the first city you think of in Canada when it comes to fashion.
But, according to Statistics Canada, Hamilton is in fact in the top 5 hubs of fashion in Canada – so that’s pretty “eye” opening! We are lucky enough to be one of the city’s featured designers in a short video featuring some of Hamilton’s top designers including yours truly, The Eye of Faith!
Here’s a clip they made of especially for our designs! We were really inspired by a 90s Romeo & Juliet essence with this one and wanted to showcase two head turning looks that were from different worlds, but intrinsically connected. Our models Geoffrey William and Danielle Brandino capture the mood gloriously!
On top of this wicked video, photographer Derrick Van Der Kolk took so many awesome shots that capture the vibrancy of downtown Hamilton, and the unique energy we hope to exude with our designs!
I would die for you
I would die for you
I’ve been dying just to feel you by my side
To know that you’re mine
– Garbage, “#1 Crush”
Here’s a taste . . .
“My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.”
-William Shakespeare, “Romeo & Juliet”
Thanks for watching!
Until next time,
{theEye}
+
NOTE: We will be getting up some of our original, one of a kind, handmade pieces from vintage textiles online for sale soon, so stay tuned!
Remember, to check out our selection of time traveled vintage styles in our {SHOP}. Use XIXIXI to get 25% OFF.
Can you believe that 7 years ago on this day, the fateful evening of 11/11/11, The Eye of Faith was born!!! I think it’s hard for us to believe it, and there’s definitely no way we ever could have dreamed of where it would have led us today, so feel eternally blessed!
Through thick and thin, we have always persevered and made sure to keep our passions alive. When they say, never give up – it really is true. And that has always been the founding voice of The Eye of Faith; which is an age old symbol of destiny, believing in your dreams, knowing that there is that symbolic eye in the sky watching out for your best interest, just so long you are in tuned with your own special energy.
We began as a fashion blog fusing our interests in vintage style, nostalgia, rebels, pop culture, the occult, esoterica, cinema, art, culture …our blog had once been described as falling down the rabbit hole, which pleased us beyond belief!!! From our very first blog post we never could have imagined that we would be featured on Refinery29 (alongside news of Lady Gaga & Beyonce!), and feature interviews with Patti Quatro and NIRVANA’s original drummer, Chad Channing!
From there, we began curating a modest collection of vintage clothes that we sold online, which led to our first ever real life Pop Up at the Junction Flea!!! Its insane to think that was our very first, and we felt so much excitement to get our vibe out there, and the excitement hasn’t ceased and we have since done so many pop-ups its hard to keep count!
{googling THE EYE OF FAITH VINTAGE!!!}
Then came our foray into fashion design which was encouraged by our friends at Blackbird Studios who had seen our vintage collection and style and pointed out that we should get our hands dirty and create our own pieces!
We took that encouragement and premiered our first handmade collection at Supercrawl 2015 with +HOLLYWOOD BABYLON+ , and have since shown collections +TAROT+, +NEW KINGDOM+, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, and our most recent THE VISITORS (which we will posting photos of soon!). This has been an awesome endeavour that allows for a new avenue of creativity that blends our passions for vintage styles, storytelling, theatre, art, music, and design. Using vintage textiles has also allowed us to continue our invocation of the {PAST} , {PRESENT}, and {FUTURE} and their symbiotic flow.
Now, on this fortuitous day, we embark on a new endeavour with a physical location for all our local friends and fashion lovers to visit and purchase some unique, E.O.F. approved, vintage finds as well as some of our handmade one of a kind pieces!
From now on, find our collection at the HAMILTON ANTIQUE MALL{233 Ottawa St. N – Hamilton, Ontario} in booth 33E on the THIRD FLOOR. And in case you didn’t consider it, how crazy is it that we established our brand 11/11/11 which coincidently adds up to 33! Also, the highest level you can make as a mason, and since we always had a bit of a secret society inspiration, it seemed beyond fitting.
COME CHECK US OUT!!!
So in the end, we are so grateful and thankful for everyone who has supported us, and encouraged us over the years, and especially to our readers and followers who help keep our passion stewing!
We wouldn’t be doing anything if this if it weren’t for that, so THANK YOU for 7 amazing years, and to many more!
Until next time,
{theEye}
+
We will still be posting and selling online, so be sure to check out the {SHOP} for some wicked vintage finds!
As you might know, we host a Karaoke Cabaret every second and fourth Tuesday at The Casbah here in Hamilton, ON. It’s always important for us to give tribute to the Gods of Karaoke and this Halloween we are so excited to announce that we will be hosting a special Halloween Costume Karaoke at Sous Bas {145 Main St. E}!!!
NO COVER, FREE CANDY, and all the songs you can sing! Bring us a carved jack-o-lantern and you get a FREE DRINK!
Since its Halloween, we encourage you to dress up as the artist you want to sing!!! Here is a little gallery for inspiration of some pop culture icons and their best music inspired Halloween get-ups!!!
Of course, we always encourage everyone to be themselves, so do you!!! Come as you are . . .
Can’t wait for this night, so do come out if you’re looking to howl at the moon this Halloween!!!
