Saturday, February 27, 2016

Throwback Oscars

"No wire hangers......EVER!!!!"  In honor of tomorrow night's Academy Awards we are posting our favorite Oscars window from the old shop.  It was inspired by Joan Crawford, Faye Dunaway and the cult classic, "Mommie Dearest".  While both Joan Crawford and Faye Dunaway are Oscar winners, "Mommie Dearest", which was based on the expose written by Joan Crawford's adopted daughter Christina and starred Faye Dunaway, definitely didn't win any awards.  It was released in 1981 and Roger Ebert reviewed it as "a painful experience that drones on endlessly".  That being said, it had some great campy moments and lines, the best being "no wire hangers ever".  So, that was the initial inspiration when creating this window.  I realized when I started playing with them that wire hangers do some pretty cool things and become somewhat sculptural when you hang them.
The smear:  Joan Crawford was known for something called "the smear".  It was a strange lipstick application that involved rubbing lipstick above and beyond her outer lip line.  She hated her thin lips, so makeup artist Max Factor created fuller lips by drawing outside her natural lip contours or smearing it on.  In homage to her famous lips, we smeared our mirrored cabinet with the famous line from the movie in sultry red lipstick.
The flowers:  In 1940's Hollywood fashion, red carnations....real ones.  I think Joan would appreciate that.