Bastille day
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~Odd du Jour!~The Victorian Age
11:06 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe
I love the odd, for what we deem today as creepy, use to be the norm more than 100 years or so ago. Some traditions & practices still exist today, and are part of our history.
So, as I spent my perfect Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, browsing the brilliant & imaginative Paris on Ponce, I refreshed my memory, also learning a few new things about the history of the Victorian era.
My favorite stop at Paris on Ponce is Absinthe, a gorgeous vignette of odd Victorian-age finds that include animals that have long left this life. Diana, the owner, walked me through & pointed out a few of her most interesting pieces. {See pics below!}
If you didn't know already, the Victorians, like the Egyptians & various other cultures were fascinated with the dead. Animals, people, insects were dissected & studied after death, the preservation techniques that we use today, actually came from that period in time! So what to do when natural selection decides to take your favorite pet? Call a taxidermist!
Back in the Victorian age, this was part of everyday life. Well-loved pets were skinned after death, stuffed and frozen in time. Many animals that are now preserved in museums are due to this quirky practice, that became a skilled art & required having license to perform.
Interesting enough, when a {human} loved one died, the family would actually bring the deceased home & receive friends before the burial. They would also 'stage' the dead & take photographs with them. Just everyday life in the late 1800s, early 1900s!
If you haven't been to Paris on Ponce, you should really check it out. If it's been awhile since your last visit, you should really go, it's an updated visual & historical wonderland!

#Fashion
#giorgio armani
#Style
~Prepare to 'Get Scattered' in Atlanta this weekend!~
9:26 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe
#Yves Saint Laurent
1970s
Christian Dior
~Marie Helvin Style, a 1970s fashion icon!~A Retrospect of disco, haute couture, and beauty!
8:49 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe
In the 1970s, a style evolution took place that would rival up & coming fashion icons for years to come. Even today a remarkable presence still exist, and continues to make a come back, whether one notices or not.
This time bubble produced one of the most photographed non-celebrity celebrities, Marie Helvin, who was known for her impeccable taste & fresh beauty. She was the face of everything then, in fact, she was almost in EVERY issue of American, British, and Italian Vogue for a full year plus!
The 1970s was also a visionary time for many designers whom we love today. Ms. Helvin worked & became close friends with such amazing industry greats such as Yves Saint Laurent & Valentino.
She was also a muse of sorts for well-known photographers, Helmut Newton & David Bailey. In fact, she later married Bailey.
This 'think tank' of greats was about originality, creativity, quirky personalities, disco, and love.
Below is a fantastic interview with Ms. Helvin, it is one of my favorites.
I can only imagine the life then!
Do Enjoy!
Melanie
This time bubble produced one of the most photographed non-celebrity celebrities, Marie Helvin, who was known for her impeccable taste & fresh beauty. She was the face of everything then, in fact, she was almost in EVERY issue of American, British, and Italian Vogue for a full year plus!
The 1970s was also a visionary time for many designers whom we love today. Ms. Helvin worked & became close friends with such amazing industry greats such as Yves Saint Laurent & Valentino.
She was also a muse of sorts for well-known photographers, Helmut Newton & David Bailey. In fact, she later married Bailey.
This 'think tank' of greats was about originality, creativity, quirky personalities, disco, and love.
Below is a fantastic interview with Ms. Helvin, it is one of my favorites.
I can only imagine the life then!
Do Enjoy!
Melanie
















