It\'s not often I get so excited...... But when this Jean Varon arrived this morning, I was doing the happy dance..... <img src="http://ddr.theavengers.tv/redvaron.jpg"> Apart from being fabulous....... <img src="http://ddr.theavengers.tv/Untitled-Grayscale-01.jpg"> It was advertised in Vogue in 1973. I've never had contemporary evidence of a specific Varon I own, before now. Woo woo!!! I just wanted to share my delight!!
Very cool! I just love it when someone has not only a great vintage piece, but some sort of documentation from the time to go with it. That's fantastic! -Melanie
It looks better in your pictures then in theirs! How fabulous, I live for things like this... finding an item that is documented! How wonderful! Wooooooohoooooo and look at the original price! MIchelle
i have the opposite dilemma...have some great ads...still searchin for their real life counterpart : ) what a great find!
Gorgeous piece! Love the dramatic volume of it! And so very cool that you have actual documentation of the dress from the period. Great find, Emma ~Tiff~
Oh, that IS exciting! And Michelle's right - your photos have it all over the ones in the ad Thanks for sharing - this is truly worthy of some major bragging! Carolyn
Liz, I know you must have been singing and dancing! I think the ad is great, but what is really interesting is how Bates' name is in the ad but not on the label! And didn't he pretty much design everything labeled Jean Varon?? It's a sweet dress, and SOOOO 1973 (the year I graduated high school!) Love it! Lizzie
Hi Lizzy, yes indeed - I think his relative obscurity stems from the fact that most of his work is only labelled Jean Varon. He was MD of the company, and sole designer until he left in the late 70s/early 80s. Sometime in the mid 70s he seems to have started producing some under his own name - but I've not seen any in person. I'm fairly sure these ran concurrently for a while. I have an issue of Vogue from 1976, featuring an interview with him about his new collection. There are some very distinctive design elements featured - and there is no mention of Jean Varon. Every dress is 'By John Bates'. The very same day I received this magazine, I found a dress which has got to be from the exact same collection - labelled Jean Varon. Even the Avengers-wear was only 'Jean Varon'!
Wow, that really is the ultimate... a vintage outfit by one of your favourite designers with matching Vogue fashion spread! You must still be floating on air!!!! Well done! And it's such a beautiful one.. and it actually looks better on your model than the Vogue spread! LOL! I too have endless great ads where I'm still searching for the outfit to match... the hunt goes on.
I think the only thing that would better this, would be an Avengers-wear piece......one day, one day! I thought of you earlier today while I flicked through a 60s fashion book. Do you have this photo? They're modelling Tuffin and Foale dresses. <img src="http://ddr.theavengers.tv/pattie.jpg">
Gosh yes... but a Diana Rigg one as they were the grooviest... the Honor Blackman outfits were a little too plain and boyish for me, and Linda Thorson looked very twee after the groovy Mrs Peel. I don't get why they didn't issue a *proper* Avengers range in the 60s... but I guess they weren't as commercial with TV shows back then. :-( You'll get a proper Avengers outfit one day. I'm a big believer in the fact that if you want something badly enough, you'll get it. ...which one would you like to have the most? The photo of the Boyd sisters is <b>fabulous</B>, what book was it in?! I have a couple of alternative shots of them in those dresses but not this particular picture, wow! love, moons and starrs, Senti.*
They did produce at least three commercial Avengers-wear ranges, although I suspect that the numbers produced were fairly limited. The first was for the Cathy Gale seasons, primarily leather pieces and some plain shift dresses. Then John Bates produced his Avengerswear collection, sold through his Jean Varon label - I have a copy of Vogue with Jean Shrimpton modelling the exact catsuit I want (I think it looks better on Diana though!! ). Then Alun Hughes' colour season Avengerswear - which I also have some photos of Diana modelling. I don't like the colour wardrobe as much - but there are still some amazing outfits I would kill for! I think he may have produced a similar line of clothes for the Tara episodes, but I doubt they were as successful. The photo was from Fashion in the 60s by Barbara Bernard. I thought it might be a nice image for your site! I think I might have seen another one somewhere - I'll let you know if I find any more!
