Any info on costume designer Jon Shannon?

[morninglemon]

I recently purchased a Jon Shannon maxi-dress, and am trying to find out more information about the designer and the period of the dress. I don't have the dress in hand at the moment but it is similar to the Asian-inspired Jon Shannon dresses that Swank Vintage has listed in the past, which makes me think he was active in the 1970s only. The only information I've found was from Swank Vintage, and in IMDB archives that listed him as a costume designer for a handful of B-movies that came out in 1970. Has anyone here come across a Jon Shannon item or seen any historical blurbs?

 

[lkranieri]

I don't have too much additional information, but I found a little more about Jon Shannon:

-- a 1962 San Fernando CA directory records: "Shannon, Jon (Joyce) Designer, 13249 Kismet, EM 7-7440" (NOTE: I don't know if that is the same man--and his wife)

-- an article about a 1968 Los Angeles fashion show noted: "Jon Shannon wearing a shirt he calls "Early American Bedspread" and Ray Ross in a silk shirt all big ruffles down the front (got it at a shop called "Grandpa Takes a Trip").

-- a 1968 Los Angeles article about boutiques reported: "Grandpa Takes a Trip was started by Raymond Ross and Jon Shannon as a tiny shirt shop for men. It has burgeoned into a 'his and hers' boutique on Melrose."

-- a 1969 article noted: "Grandpa Takes a Trip is a boutique dealing in apparel and antiques..."

-- I found the 1970 references to movies for which Shannon was the costume designer, including one called Blood of Dracula's Castle.

-- an April 1970 article about movies noted: "Ann-Margret's most feminine-looking (are you listening?) gown was designed by Jon Shannon, a young California designer who will create her elegant wardrobe for the movie, in which she plays a high fashion writer and coordinator..."

-- a 1970 Los Angeles article on style reported: "The new names to watch in California include...a boutique line from Jon Shannon..."

-- a 1970 Los Angeles article about owner-designer labels reported: "Jon Shannon (formerly Grandpa Takes a Trip) 8590 Melrose Avenue. Beautiful After-5 clothes and customized men's shirts in an organically decorated boutique. Owner Jon Shannon designs everything under his own label. Last season patchwork was the big look. This spring it's a Shannon interpretation which he calls "Edwardian 30's" -- long, soft and feminine. Fabrics are very important...Other goodies include caftans and burnooses, a newsy line of men's shirts, and a selection of antique jewelry and Liberty scarves. Most clothes are made to order from samples. Long dresses are priced from $95 to $300, pant outfits from $95 to $165, long skirts from $45 to $125, and men's shirts from $20 to $35 (or is that $85?)."

-- a 1971 Los Angeles article on fashion shopping reported on the Jan Roth shop in Beverly Hills: "Jon Shannon, who designs exclusively for us, is the only label we feature." says Roth..."

I found nothing about Shannon after that, so I have no idea what happened to him after the early 1970's.

 

[morninglemon]

Thanks so much for your sleuthing! What a mystery - I'm now trying to find out more info on the Jan Roth boutique to see what his other work looked like, but that's a running into a wall too. And production photos from C.C. & Company, which was the Ann-Margret movie referenced in that blurb, and not finding any photos of this "feminine looking gown." Grandpa Takes a Trip appears to have existed in the space currently taken by Kitson on Melrose Ave. The description of his designs also strikes me - the maxi-dress (red, shiny polyester, embroidered with a gold flower) I purchased has the same Asian designs as others listed by Swank, but none of them fit the "Edwardian 30s" vibe that he described as his style (nor would caftans and burnooses, actually). But those seem to be pretty spendy dress prices for the 1970s?

 

[lkranieri]

Thanks so much for your sleuthing! What a mystery - I'm now trying to find out more info on the Jan Roth boutique to see what his other work looked like, but that's a running into a wall, too.

My citation about the Jan Roth boutique is misleading, as it implies that they sold only Jon Shannon's things. In fact, the next sentence says: "But we have fashions from Phyllis Sues, Fern Violette, Joanna Nelson, Calderon, Geno, Oscar de La Renta, Chester Weinberg, Geoffrey Beene, Calvin Klein."

 

[morninglemon]

Interesting! In 1970 he had a boutique but by 1971 he was selling his designs exclusively to a boutique? That makes me think he closed shop sometime between 1970 and 1971.