Shipboard Savoir Faire

When travelling these days not a lot of us attach any serious importance to the means that we get there, be it by aeroplane, ocean liner or train. To see these modes of transport as symbols of state or showcases of art is a thing of the past, especially where ocean liner and cruise ship design is involved. Today modern day cruising has been reduced to a travelling sideshow of tacky glitz and glamour, to entice the travelling public. Liners were used by various companies and countries to showcase the best in art and design for the age in which they were created. Famous artists and designers were used to create overall concepts that just reeked of savoir faire. I have often looked at interior shots of these older liners and have been left salivating over the plethora of fixtures, furniture and artwork which once graced these beautiful interiors, and have wished to own virtual pieces of history.

Through the dedication and passion of one man, this is no longer a pipe dream, and we can all own a bit of savoir faire from a past liner and era. Midship Century (www.midshipcentury.com) was founded in 2005 by ocean liner historian and journalist Peter Knego as a logical outlet for the container loads of materials he salvaged from a long procession of celebrated vessels scrapped on the beach of Alang, India in recent years. His site is well worth a visit even if just to dream of a bygone era.

A few of the items which I am seriously coveting are as follows. These are important works and I am glad that Peter has managed to save them.

"Chariots" Silver Leaf Painting by Emanuele Luzzati from the Stella Solaris is at the top of my list. This once graced the dining room as a backdrop for the Captain’s Table and what a backdrop it is! The painting epitomises much of Luzzati’s work and is an important piece, not only in its execution but also in its beauty. Now if I had it where would I put it? Mmm not sure on that one, however want it I do!

The magnificent 27 piece ceramic bas relief with symbols of ancient Rome and the ancients by Luzzati once again, is a serious piece of ceramic art that once graced the MV Victoria. In a modern day setting this would be a great focal point in any grand modern building. Personally I would like it as a feature wall in a completely over the top bathroom.

If your budget or space constrictions are a little stretched for the whole 27 pieces, individual ceramics such as the one below might suit you better.

The fabulous little tables below are from the Windsor Castle and are brass, mahogany and melamine. The melamine top almost looks like porcelain. To say that I want one is an understatement! They seem a bit out of place in their original setting, however on their own or with the right chair they would be fabulous.

So visit www.midshipcentury.com and have a look at what Peter has to offer.

*Many thanks to Peter for allowing me to use his photos.

Plagues and Savoir Faire???

On Saturday while dodging torrential downpours in the morning in Toronto, I made a beeline for the Annual Outdoor Art Exhibition at City Hall. It can be a bit too much with well over 500 artists represented in all mediums, from painting, sculpture, ceramics and photography.

I came across a young woman photographer whose work (particularly one series of photos) which I have not been able to get out my mind. Over the centuries we have become used to artists portraying every possible scene and character out of the bible. From the high renaissance to surrealism, everyone has had a go. Toronto photographer Talia Shipman chose as her inspiration Moses and the ten plagues of Egypt, to create an incredible series of 10 photographs, that compare the plagues with problems facing a 21st century society. These photographs draw you in, and I was immediately captivated by them. The body of work is aptly named “EXODUS: The Ten Plagues”

The works are listed as follows;

Blood/Oil

Frogs/Overpopulation

Lice/Surveillance

Beasts/Gun Proliferation

Cattle Disease/ Hormone, GMO’s

Boils/Aids

Hail /Climate Change

Locusts/Urban Sprawl

Darkness/media Filter

Slaying of the Firstborn/Loss of Childhood Innocence

Although they are dense with themes, and connotations that question the dark side of the human condition, they are incredibly simplistic in their approach. After initially viewing the photos we start questioning their themes and also the style itself. The two men are brothers (in real life) and represent Moses and Cain, however personally I think that there is a fine line between whether they are perpetrators or victims. They seem almost malevolent and carry with themselves a sense of foreboding, while seeming increasingly innocent. This adds to man’s vulnerability in our modern day and age, and questions us to take responsibility for our own actions. Like Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt we have a choice and depending on the choice we make, we take the consequences. “By re-interpreting the ‘Old Testament into a contemporary framework Shipman presents us with a doctrine we can relate to and perhaps abide by”

I know that plagues and savoir faire don’t really go together however here is a body of work I would love to have hanging on my walls!

Heralding in The Jet Age

A while ago I wrote about Braniff’s corporate makeover in the late 1960’s with particular emphasis on their Love Field terminal in Dallas that changed the drab way America was flying in the late 1960’s.

Pan Am’s new terminal at JFK in the 1960’s was at the forefront of modern terminal design and heralded in the Jet Age with appropriate savoir faire. The terminal was built as a showcase for international jet travel and became part of a larger campaign to present Pan Am as the most sophisticated and technological progressive airline in the world. Up until 1971 the terminal was know simply as the Pan Am terminal, however after 1971 was renamed “Pan Am Worldport”


The terminal was constructed in 1960 by Pan Am and designed by Ives, Turano & Gardner Associated Architects and Walter Prokosch of Tippets-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton. The most notable feature of the terminal was the large elliptical “flying saucer” roof which gave the impression that it was floating in air, and providing a cover for crystallized passenger spaces below.

Another feature of the terminal was the large overhanging roof that used a design feature of Templehopf Airport Berlin (built in 1936) that allowed aircraft to be parked partially covered under the roof, thus protecting passengers from the elements as they boarded their aircraft. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Guide to New York City called the terminal a "genuine architectural attempt to answer the problem of all-weather connections to the planes" but derided the overall concept as "compromised by an overabundance of distracting detail."

Another stunning feature of the terminal was a 200-foot long and 24-foot high windscreen in front of the terminal's entrance which was adorned with bas relief representations of the 12 signs of the zodiac, created by Milton Hebald, visible from both outside and inside the terminal building. When it was created, it was the largest such work in the world. As part of renovations, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey removed the sculptures, which now sit unused in a hangar at the airport.

Sadly with Pan Am’s demise the terminal was taken over by Delta, and subsequent renovations and expansion have left it virtually unrecognisable.

Lacroix Savoir Faire

With some homage to the late great Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix presented his latest Haute Couture collection in Paris this week. Poor Lacroix has been dodged with financial woes with his house teetering on the edge of bankruptcy several times over the last couple of years.


I have always had a soft spot for Lacroix. He is a genius with colour, textures and fabric, creating bold and eclectic creations, which have instant luxe.

The wonderful “sack” like dresses below, pay homage to Balenciaga in their simplicity and their cut, being rather sombre for Lacroix. Instantly wearable, they don’t need a lot of accessorising, as they rely on their form to carry them through. And the hats! If that isn’t in homage to the Balenciaga style of the fifties, I don’t know what is!


The backless evening dress is just stunning! Again relying on the lack of usual Lacroix trademarks to carry it through. The added bright red bow at the side oozes instant paired down glamour!

The tulle and sequined cocktail dress, draws on past couture of the fifties and updates it with a little more flesh for instant sex appeal, again the hat! Love it.

Savoir Fath!

Fashion is such a fickle thing, especially in the world of couture. One day you are in and riding the crest of raging sales, and increased awareness of your label, the next day you are out, due to falling sales, only to fall into obscurity. This doesn’t reflect on your talent as a designer, but basically how good the marketing is behind you and the size of the bankroll your backers are prepared to put up. Then if you die, well most of the time that is it, your house might continue for a few seasons, only to quietly close and your name regulated to a bottle of perfume or an entry on Wikipedia. There have been some genius’ who while they were alive influenced fashion more than what we are aware of today, that have died and their names have passed into obscurity, such as Madame Gres, Madeleine Vionnet and Jacques Fath.

Fath, a contemporary of Dior, Balenciaga and Balmain, did a lot more for couture in the 1950’s than what we are aware of, only to die in 1954 of leukemia. He was a genius to rival Dior and dressed similar clients, in glamour that dripped in savoir faire. Some of the young designers he had hired for his house went on to greater things on their own, such as Laroche, Givenchy and Valentino. Fath was a popular and innovative designer who was known for dressing “the chic young Parisienne”

If Dior and Balenciaga were the architects of fashion, Fath was couture’s star of glamour and vivacity. Long before the word sexy came to describe fashion; Fath’s clothes were sexy, emphasising narrow waists, curvaceous bosoms and hips.

Fath was increasingly regarded as the "heir apparent to Dior's throne." As Life Magazine said in 1949: "Dior is still generally acknowledged to be the head man, so to speak, of the fashion world, but Fath has recently had a spectacular rise in prestige, and it now seems likely that the next look to confront and impoverish the U.S. male will be the Fath look." Carmel Snow, editor of Harper's Bazaar, revised her earlier opinion of Fath, declaring, "He makes you look like you have sex appeal—and believe me, that's important."

The man himself had infinite personal appeal, with an impish quality, and was very much a social personality, throwing lavish parties with his wife, which had the added boost of much needed publicity. "An atmosphere of glitter, chic, and perfumed excitement permeates both his personal and business affairs," observed Life magazine in October 1949. Yet behind the scenes, Fath was struggling with illness. Only a year before his death in 1954, the American press had hailed him as the "fabulous young French designer who…is out to make every woman look like a great beauty." This promise was tragically cut short; Fath died of leukemia at the age of 42.

Of course with any old name these days there have been several attempts at a relaunch, however these have not come to much.
Fath himself was less than generous towards the female gender as a whole. He had notably declared, “Women are bad fashion designers. The only role a woman should have in fashion is wearing clothes,” and “Fashion is an art and men are the artists.”

Helena Rubinstein & David Hicks, a Match Made in Heaven

What would a blog about savoir faire be without the meeting of two of my most favourite style icons? Helena Rubinstein, one who had enough savoir faire for 10 of us and David Hicks, interior designer extraordinaire who showed us what living with savoir faire was all about. So put these two together and what do you have? A match made in heaven whose offspring showcased how brilliant each was. Both were headstrong and had their own ideas on how things should be accomplished.

David Hicks has been considered to be at the forefront of interior designers in the 20th century. However after his marriage in 1960 to Lord Mountbatten’s daughter his career was on the wane. However fortunes changed with a commission from Madame Rubinstein to decorate her new Knightsbridge apartment in London. The result showed that Hicks was at the top of his game and put him back in the limelight. Most major newspapers and magazines ran features of the result, unleashing on an unsuspecting public a masterpiece of bold colour schemes and savoir faire. Hicks managed to incorporate Madame’s compulsive acquisition of objects and art into an intelligent mix of old and new. Vitrines inset into silk coloured walls held Madame’s collections. Radiators were covered in gold mesh that looked like Faberge. Old Portuguese carved wooden doors were used as bedheads, and Victorian furniture was painted white and recoverd in daring colours.

With true savoir faire when Hicks inquired as to what colour she would like the walls of her new drawing room painted, she called for a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut a swatch of purple silk from the lining of the Balenciaga she was wearing. And like a true gentleman, Mr Hicks carried out her wishes, the result being a pink, scarlet and magenta room that Hicks referred to as “one of the most dramatic, and daring colour schemes I have ever assembled”. I don’t have any photos of the finished result, however below are two examples of what the end product would have been like.

Decorating Savoir Faire

Shabby Chic. MMmm, a movement of interior decoration that conjures to mind lots of frills, flounces, white distressed furniture, and increasingly feminine schemes. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it can reach overkill very quickly. However just a few of the right pieces in the right setting and you can create interiors that are both eclectic, and stunning at the same time. I say buy the furniture then accessorise with things that are not necessarily in the shabby chic vein.

Here are some of the pieces I have already or are coveting. I have also teemed some design classics which are poles away from the ‘shabby chic’ style such as the Wassily Chairs and the cowhide rug with the glass fronted cabinet. To look at each piece individually they are in totally different design ranges, but together they seem to work.

I am currently coveting the two chairs below and am just looking for ways to make them work with what I already have. The obelisks currently sit on a cream lacquered Chinese sideboard, and I am looking for the perfect piece of art to hang in between them.

So whatever your decorating style is, have fun with it and mix and match for some savoir faire.