NY Times article about costume designer for Marvelous Mrs Maisel

[MagsRags]

This Amazon series is set in late 1950s New York - several VFG trade members have sold to them. It sounds like Donna Zakowska, the costume designer for the series (she's nominated for an Emmy) grew up loving vintage fashion.

On Sundays growing up in that... house, my grandma would lug home satchels full of Victorian capes and purses from Lower East Side flea markets. They’d be falling apart, and she’d say, “Oh, but look at the beautiful buttons on this.”

Hopefully not blocked by a paywall.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Thank you, that was a fun and interesting read. I hope she wins. Because she loves hats! But seriously, didn't she win last year? I cannot get the show on my TV but would love to.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Thank you, that was a fun and interesting read. I hope she wins. Because she loves hats! But seriously, didn't she win last year? I cannot get the show on my TV but would love to.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Nice reading about her!

 

[anothertimevintageapparel]

I unfortunately dont have amazon prime, soI have never seen this series.

A fun article

 

[denisebrain]

I recently sold two great autumn print sheath dresses to the show and am SO stoked to see these...fingers crossed! I LOVE the show.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

We are in Canada too, Linda. We had joined Amazon and paid to be prime members as we do order quite a bit online through Amazon...household items mainly...so we have prime TV with that.

Love the show and we have sold to the costume department in the past it was a thrill to see our fabric being used in a factory scene.

 

[pinky-a-gogo]

I sold 2 blouses to them a couple weeks back—the buyer was very nice. I’ve never seen the show, sounds like a lot of people enjoy it.

 

[catseyevintage]

I've sold then an angora sweater, a pink chiffon slip, and a dress. I am thrilled that the program uses authentic vintage and buys from online shops.

 

[Better Dresses Vintage]

I am just going to rant. I didn't know I had to join the Nazi Party or be part of the Politburo to watch a tv program in North America. I don't have television in my home. Mostly, I watch DVDs from the library. Every other entertainment channel allows their shows to go to DVD. Not Amazon.

That's capitalism (run amok or otherwise), not fascism. I suspect that more and more outfits will stop offering DVDs (not true that they all do now, btw), which are already outmoded, and offer only streaming options. FYI, you don't have to subscribe to Amazon Prime or join any political party to watch the show. All you need is a smartphone/tablet/computer (or, if you have an Internet-connected TV, that sort of TV with streaming capability).

No, that's not free, but I suspect nearly all will be, eventually. Sometimes, you have to wait. These works are not public property and we have no inherent or constitutional "right" to have access to them immediately and free of charge. As someone who works in the film industry here in Atlanta (and am currently working on two different upcoming Amazon series), there is a lot of money at stake -- none of it yours or mine.

For now, until it's available at the library, you can rent or buy whatever show or series you want to see, just as you would a DVD. You can rent one episode to try it out, then rent or buy the whole series if you like it. If you rent, you get a few days to watch it as many times as you'd like. If you buy, it's yours to keep. It's the modern equivalent of going to Blockbuster or buying it at a record store on DVD (or VHS), but you don't have to find a place to store it or buy any special racks : ).

For the record, I still listen to cassette tapes, so I'm no early adopter of technology (who among us vintage lovers is?)... but one reason Amazon is as successful as it is (aside from exploitation of elderly seasonal workers, another discussion entirely) is its ability to predict and, as the corporate folk say, "leverage," current trends.

As for Mrs. Maisel -- I have mixed opinions. Mostly I'm just envious of Rachel Brosnahan's figure, which is so absolutely perfect for the clothes of the era. Look for my "giant pearl brooch" in Season 3, which is going to be a parade of VFG items!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

. You are selling items to the show so you feel compelled to support the practices of Amazon.

Linda, I am sure most of us here are definitely not thrilled with amazon's practices, but I do have to admit we do buy some practical items from them.

I will read the link to your New Yorker article.

I would not say because we sold some items to Mrs. Maisel's costume department we are heavy supporters of Amazon...these days major capitalist conglomerates have taken over so much. I can definitely state that I miss the small owned businesses greatly andI am happy that I can still do my own little thing and sell vintage online...we have been doing that now for 20 years and have seen many changes. most not for the better. Unfortunately these days the corporate giants and the government are coming more and more into play and will more than likely stomp out the little sellers online as well give it another 10 years.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

I am sure Birkenstock would completely agree with you

I read what this man who had worked for them was saying and it is disgusting how counterfeit sales have come into play.
So sickening! I am glad to hear about the measures he took and sorry to hear about how everything these days seems to be turning into such
an uncaring greedy mess!

 

[Better Dresses Vintage]

Does the link to the New Yorker article not work?

Edit. I get it. You are selling items to the show so you feel compelled to support the practices of Amazon.

Actually, you don't seem to get it, no. I didn't sell anything to Amazon. I sold to a production company. To the wardrobe department. The production company
is not a charitable organization and does not owe us anything. Their not immediately offering their product free of charge does not make them Nazis or fascists, nor complicit in the activities of the corporation that owns the company that owns the company that owns the company.

They are not trying to eradicate Jews or other groups, and no one is compelled, on threat of death, to participate in their enterprise. The comparison is hurtful. And its flippant use is unkind.

If someone wants to see the program, they can pay to see it on Amazon (no Prime membership required) or wait until it's available at the library.

Did you call HBO a fascist enterprise, 20 years ago, when they did not let us watch The Sopranos or Sex and the City free of charge? No. It was just a paid service. And eventually, those productions were made available, as this one will be.

 

[Jonathan]

I am just going to rant. I didn't know I had to join the Nazi Party or be part of the Politburo to watch a tv program in North America. I don't have television in my home. Mostly, I watch DVDs from the library. Every other entertainment channel allows their shows to go to DVD. Not Amazon.

There is another station that doesn't let anything go to DVD - I think its FX - they did Feud about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and it seems you can only see it through them...

 

[retro ruth]

There is another station that doesn't let anything go to DVD - I think its FX - they did Feud about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and it seems you can only see it through them...

I saw that on the BBC, I thought it was excellent.

 

[Elsewhere]

I saw that on the BBC, I thought it was excellent.

Ohhh we sold quite a lot to that show! The costume designer, Lou Eyrich, is super nice. She's better known for her work on American Horror Story (which we also worked on several seasons of) and Glee, among others. We actually only get thru half the series and then lost all our DVR'd shows... I still need to finish it! It was actually really hard to watch because we sold them SO MUCH stuff that I kept forgetting to pay attention to the actual plot while I was looking for our clothes
I think we actually provided some items for Ms Maisel, as well. We get quite a lot of Hollywood peeps here... so I've forgotten many of the production names. And sometimes they won't TELL us what the production is lol.
Here's one (the pink & white beaded 2pc gown) I specifically know we provided - Lou was so excited about it!! And it spent some time at the FIDM display, which is where this pic was taken... We actually also sold them the black & white dotted dress Hedda is wearing in the 2nd pic - and I think also Hedda's hat and I"m pretty sure also the blue dress, but not positive on that one. Like I said - we sold a LOT for this show!

 

[Midge]

I saw Feud (on BBC as well) - well-made! And I enjoyed the costuming. Nice to know that a VFG member contributed to that.

I pay for my "normal" TV as I have to pay anyway and pay a little extra to get all the UK channels like BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and so on, as that is what I watch mostly. I find that a lot of things end up being shown there at some point. Just takes a little patience.

I agree - VFG members sell to a production company. And in the end that film/series may be shown somewhere else too. One can choose to pay to see it or not. I don't do Netflix, Amazon TV etc. etc. - "normal TV" keeps me occupied enough. The only thing I do is that I pay for an app so that I can watch the BBC iPlayer (in case I've missed something), even though that shouldn't work outside the UK.

I am not a fan of Amazon for all sorts of reasons, but I have a Kindle and couldn't do without it for some things... So I am tied to them for now. There's a German online fashion dealer called Zalando, and if you saw how many return parcels to Zalando I see every time I go to the post office, and read about some of their employment practices, you know why I don't like them either. They have overtaken Europe like mad. Definitely to be avoided. I don't know what's worse - them or Amazon...

 

[Elsewhere]

There's a German online fashion dealer called Zalando, and if you saw how many return parcels to Zalando I see every time I go to the post office, and read about some of their employment practices, you know why I don't like them either. They have overtaken Europe like mad. Definitely to be avoided. I don't know what's worse - them or Amazon...

How interesting - I don't think I've ever even *heard* of zalando here in the US.
I always have mixed feelings about Amazon, which is obviously super easy and usually crazy fast - when I do use them (which is really too often) I try to buy from individual sellers (instead of the ones "fulfilled by amazon"), and also only items that I'd normally buy from another big box store - not something I could buy (even if it would cost a smidge more) from a local small business.
I try to always put my money where my mouth is and support small / local businesses whenever possible. I wish more people would.
Quite honestly, with a new grandbaby, it's depressing that I can't even see a future where this does even the slightest bit of good. That's the problem with the "free market" - it's not free at all. It's bought and paid for from beginning to end. Having a lot of money takes the freedom out of the equation - too much of it can BUY public opinion. The old adage to "vote with your pocketbook" only works if you actually have all the facts. This was easy to do back in the "old days" where everyone KNEW the people that owned the local businesses. These days, the only thing people know about most of the businesses they deal with regularly are what those businesses pay big bucks to image producers (what's the actual title I'm thinking of??) is what they WANT you to know/think about them. And they're disturbingly good at it.
That's not a free market at all - just like in much of our society today, the playing field is slanted so far towards whoever has the most money that the rest of us are scrambling like crazy just to keep from sliding off the field completely! And so few people even notice any of it at all - even when it affects them directly... like when their parent's shipping company goes under because they couldn't compete with a nationwide provider - all they seem to notice is the .36c they saved on their favorite shampoo (in a 8oz smaller, redesigned bottle... made by Johnson & johnson... sold at Wal-mart... made from cancer-causing chemicals & bottled by underpaid 3rd world workers in terrible working conditions and likely tested on animals or inmates and made desirable on TV and in magazines by high paid models/actors & even higher paid advertising companies) - yeah... I'm getting a bit despondent and really don't see things changing unless something *major* changes, which is extremely unlikely. Heck - we can't even get money out of our politics... which *should* be a no-brainer!
SO - all we can do is what we CAN do - and try to enjoy our own lives & take pride in our own actions. At least... that's what I keep telling myself lol shoot me emoti

 

[Jonathan]

I don't know if it is because they are older but there seem to be all kinds of both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford DVDs (official release) available on Ebay.

I only see a very expensive boxed set of FX 2017 films in which it's included, and one screener copy, which is more affordable but still $50 with shipping is too much (and technically screener copies are illegal to resell - they are the property of the distributor). Amazon has the book, and an audio CD but no film. I don't think it has been really released.

 

[Midge]

Well said, Kristine!

 

[Jonathan]

I think the movies were released previous to FX owning them. As for Maisel, there are only illegal copies available and they are expensive. Since Amazon is involved with their own copying (see New Yorker article), possibly some form of justice.

Edit. I have a all-in-one television/VHS player. A reason to watch old movies???!!! Quick search 13 Bette movies with opening bid of $12.99!

I see where the confusion is... I am talking about a specific movie that was done in 2017 with Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon who played Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in an FX production called Feud about the filming of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.