Immigrating With Savoir Faire

As regular Savoir Faires are aware I am an ocean liner buff and posted several times on the interiors of the luxury transatlantic liner the S.S. France. This time it is time for the British to make an entry with the Orient Line's Oriana of 1961.Although both ships were born of the same era and respectively were the flagships of their respective companies, the Oriana were vastly different from the France. The France was primarily constructed for the luxury North Atlantic trade, while the Oriana was built for the immigrant trade down under. With this in mind the interior decoration of the British Liner differed vastly from that of the France. Similarly the France displayed the best the French could offer and was a ship of state, while the Oriana displayed the best of British design in the early sixties. However one would be forgiven for thinking that the Brits had taken a few notes from the Scandinavians when it came to the Oriana's interiors

Few ships managed to so well combine the trend setting and traditional. Oriana was the first British ocean liner with a bulbous bow, the first ocean liner with bow thrusters and a television system. She dispensed entirely with masts and booms for cargo handling in favour of cranes and sideporters. More than 1000 tons of aluminium were used in her superstructure, the weight saving permitting an entire extra deck. Yet she was true to many Orient Line hallmarks: the cowled funnel, the concentration of funnel and bridge structure amidships introduced in Orcades, the galleried after decks and the distinctive corn coloured hull. Her décor was coordinated by the renowned Brian O’Rorke, who had pioneered contemporary interiors in British tropical ocean liners with the Orion in 1935.

The Oriana entered service in 1961 for the Orient line on the down under Australian service. While not as streamlined as her eventual running mate the Canberra she was still an attractive ship. Her interiors were strikingly modern taking on an almost clinical effect with the large use of plastics, Formica, glass and natural woods mixed in for good measure. This must have come as a rude shock to the wealthy Australians returning to the mother country for an extended vacation, who were more used to the chintzy kitsch of other liners doing the same run. If the wealthy passengers were in for a shock then the majority of immigrants travelling in Tourist Class must have had a coronary attack! The interiors were probably unlike anything they had ever seen before.

The interiors were light and breezy full of light and space. Artistic decoration seemed to be added as an afterthought to these spaces as there is very little of it. The designers relied on the form and line of the furniture to create comfortable spaces that would become home for the 6 weeks of the voyage.

Even though stark and incredibly practical the interiors were a tour de force in modern design. Everything was stripped down to its bare minimum as can be seen in the picture of the ship’s Tourist Class Stern Gallery. The room has a soft industrial edge to it which makes a beautiful space that perfectly suits the passenger’s needs.

The designers were not afraid to use colour, and the colours that they used were bold and striking which suited the form of the furniture beautifully.

The ship was primarily an outdoor ship with large lidos and swimming pools to suit the warmer climates which she would be travelling in. Windows could be opened allowing fresh sea breezes in.

I would think that if you were a young child, exposed to the wonderful wooden forms in the children’s play room for 6 weeks, that you would automatically grow up to appreciate form and function.

With the Oriana good design and practicality was not a right, but available to all, whether returning squatter or new immigrant. You too while travelling on assisted passage to a new life in Australia, had some savoir faire.

The Other No. 5!

Did you know that there was another perfume named No 5 apart from the now famous and somewhat cheapened Chanel No 5? There was a common trend for the couturiers of the day to affix a numeral to their perfumes in lieu of an actual name which still continues to this day. Funny thing is both Chanel’s No 5 and Molyneux’s No 5 (or Numero Cinq as it was known as in France) were in eerily similar bottles, so there could be some credence in the story related below.

There are two mutually exclusive stories about Numéro Cinq. Apparently Molyneux had befriended Chanel, and together they hatched the idea of each bringing out a perfume called No 5 the same day in 1921, to see whose perfume would be more popular. The outcome of that contest is no longer in doubt, but this version of the story says that Molyneux’ Cinq was far ahead of Chanel’s for several years. The other (recorded in Nigel Groom’s excellent Perfume Handbook) is that Molyneux brought out several perfumes at once in 1925 named after different addresses of the firm: 3, 14 and Numéro Cinq. Molyneux’s Numero Cinq was also referred to as “Le Parfum Connu” (The Known Perfume) to avoid troubles with Chanel. Either way, fashion designers clearly had more of a sense of humor then than now.

Unfortunately for Le Numero Cinq the perfume languished until the early 70’s until it just faded away. Molyneux had retired so the name was not as well known, unlike Chanel who had regained her market share from the mid 50’s after her comeback. As to what the perfume smelt like I have absolutely no idea, which is a shame.

The Molyneux trademark is owned by French company, Parfums Berdoues, and though the fashion component of the firm remains dormant, the firm still produces scents, such as Captain (1975), Quartz (1978), Le Chic, Vivre, I Love You and Quartz Pure Red (2008).

Age Doesn't Matter at JPG

Long regarded the enfant terrible of pret a porter and haute couture I finally think that Jean Paul Gaultier has finally made it. A beautiful highly refined in line and look was his latest presentation for Fall/Winter 2011. Usually we relied on Gaultier for shock tactics, not knowing what he was going to send down the runway next. Collections usually targeted a fairly niche market with not everybody being able to wear his clothes.

The fall 2011 collection had models donning gray beehives with retro wear inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, seductively walking down the long runway. At the end of the runway, the girls took off layers and threw them to the end of the catwalk–perhaps symbolizing the freedom of fashion or maybe just to have a bit of fun as Gaultier is known for. Either way, the smart suits, puffer jackets and bold patterns seemed to celebrate maturity and sophistication.

Even though many described the collection as granny chic, it was highly wearable and suited women of all ages. A purity of line was highly evident, with silhouettes being highly refined and fabrics luxurious. Trailing minks behind her like she has just killed it and is now bringing it home to her mate, she is bold.

Pussy bow blouses in patterned satin along with sparkly tweed pantsuits were hidden under fur trimmed coats, only to be revealed minutes later as each model took off their stuffy overcoats, scarves, and gloves, to discard them at the end of the runway. The only thing was, I was cringing at the thought of so many beautiful clothes being thrown down on the floor!

The song playing whispered, “toutes les femmes sont exceptionelles,” (all women are exceptional) to underscore that old age doesn’t always have to mean dowdy–it can be sexy, too.

To drive the point home, veteran French actress Valérie Lemercier opened and closed the show, doing an alluring striptease with each step. The Gaultier woman has grown up and lives with abandon. She is at least middle age and displays a sassiness that had the audience swooning.

French women just do not age like American women – it’s in the attitude, not the cellulite.

Summer Holiday

Many thanks all for your guesses! The main man can be a bit impetuous sometimes and as you do know we have really just got back from China, which I am still recovering from! Summer vacation is not until end of June, however it is booked!

We have booked to go on a cruise of the Baltic. Now cruising is not really my thing, however as I try and be frugal, the main man came across a wonderful deal.

This will be my first cruise, and knowing how much I love Ocean Liners I cannot wait.

So we are cruising via Holland America to Copenhagen, Germany, Tallin,St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm, with 3 days in London.

We are Going on a Summer Holiday!

Can you guess where?

Hint, several cities in the Northern Hemisphere!

To New York with the Finns!

On May 15, 1969, Finnair the Finnish national airline inaugurated service to New York with the Douglas DC-8 jet aircraft. Space travel was the theme of the age and. Finnair’s new aircraft type, the Douglas DC-8, represented the height of aviation technology at the time.

By the late 1960’s Finnair after years of European operations, decided to make the leap and spread its wings to become a true Intercontinental airline and expand its service to New York via Copenhagen and Amsterdam using their brand new DC-8s. In an all passenger configuration the Finnair DC-8 was configured to 16 First Class & 124 Economy seating.

The launch of the new route was preceded by monumental preparation. The company wanted to arrive in style and to make a lasting impression. Finnair wanted to show the world that Finnish design was among the best in the world. All foremost Finnish designers were recruited to put on a show of Savoir Faire that has not been seen since, except maybe for the launch of the A380. Something unparalleled in the airline world had begun.

Finland’s top talent was consulted in designing the interior of the aircraft and an expansive service upgrade was implemented. The crew’s uniforms were designed in the spirit of the Space Age, the interior colour scheme was transformed, bars and social spaces were introduced into First Class, and dining services were Finnish design at its very best.

Design upgrades even extended to the airline’s New York office, which had a space age theme reminiscent of Kubrick’s “2001 a Space Odyssey’.

In the days of first-class affluence, no corners were cut in the catering program. Everything from service to settings was top of the line. Black Beluga caviar and chilled Finlandia Vodka kick-started transatlantic luncheons.

Designer Tapio Wirkkala was entrusted with the comprehensive planning of the dining service, giving glass, porcelain and metal new forms, which have become classics in the field of design.

Wirkkala’s glassware, the now classic Ultima Thule, was produced by Iittala and introduced on Finnair’s New York route. It became so popular, that it was soon available in department stores and has remained a classic item of Finnish design.

Wirkkala’s porcelain made by Arabia is still in use at Finnair, displaying a blue decorative motif circling the plate brim, with bevies of Finnair logos taking wing.

Wirkkala designed novel cutlery for the flights, with knives that resembled quill pens. But due to their very beauty they were destined to disappear. The pieces were so admired that they began to vanish by the thousands, a volume impossible to replace and a switch to more mundane models was made.

Customer service was taken care of by Finn Hostesses, who were specifically trained for the flights to North America, and looked quite distinctive in their designer uniforms.
While other crew members were responsible for service, their job was to offer individual service, to offer information on Finland to foreign visitors, to entertain and converse with customers. The uniforms were designed by Anna-Luisa Nieminen with the colour being formulated by Anna Suni.

On their long dresses they wore the first in Björn Weckström’s series of outer-space silver accessories exemplifying the spirit of the age and describing people searching for other people in a foreign environment.

For the Copenhagen – Amsterdam leg of the flight these hostesses changed into a brown uniform featuring a long maxi skirt made out of leather.

Designer Kari Lepistö designed the uniforms for the ‘working crew’. This included a silver outfit, displaying the space travel theme. Uniforms were topped off with winter head wear of sapphire mink. Finnair wanted to arrive in style, and no effort was spared to achieve that effect.

Among the first passengers on the route was Finnish President Urho Kekkonen. The route was new, the DC-8 Finnair’s pride, and buns the favoured hair style. The president sported a trade-mark bald pate. According to stories, the president made his way to the First Class bar. To the horror of the cabin crew, he found a hair pin on the bar, scrutinized it and remarked: “Well, this certainly did not fall from my head.”

Now this certainly was flying with savoir faire!