Americans have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day since the 1850’s. But if you’re knowledge of Irish history only goes as deep as a mug of green beer you might be surprised to learn that in Ireland this holiday is not celebrated as wildly as in the U.S. and that there is not a historic connection between green and St. Patrick.

It is only in modern times that green has become associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Blue, not green, is the color long associated with St. Patrick.

A green shamrock was a symbol that St. Patrick had used to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish and ‘the wearing of the green’ meant to wear a shamrock to display your faith.

It is widely believed that beginning in the mid-1700’s people mistook the phrase to mean wearing green garments and we all know the rest of the story…the wearing of green has become ubiquitous with St. Patrick’s Day.

In fact green has become so strongly attached not just to this holiday but to Ireland many believe that it is the ‘official’ color of the country. While there is no official color two hues of blue, St. Patrick’s Blue and Presidential Blue are widely used by the Government of Ireland.

Presidential Blue is darker than St. Patrick’s Blue and both can be seen the football (soccer) uniforms of Dublin County and the liveries of Aer Lingus. Presidential Blue appears in the Irish Crest and St. Patrick’s Blue can be seen behind the gold bardic harp on on the ancient Irish flag.

So while I’ll still be ‘wearing the green’ today my heart will be ‘true blue’ all the way down to my Irish roots.

PS- I can’t help but wonder if the green really came about when the first creative pub owner tried to make blue beer. Blue food color + yellow beer…oops! Hmm, how can we spin this? Can’t let all that good beer go to waste! ☺

Happy St. Paddy’s Day

If you lived back in 1856 the answer would be “why yes my good chap, for sure!  You see the man pictured above– proudly displaying his freshly ‘maulvine’ dyed wool– is non other than Henry William Perkins.  Perkins is known throughout the world of textile dyeing as “The Man Who Rocked It”.

You see, he discovered the first ever synthetic dye. Prior to Perkins, things were always done “au natural”.

And though this pix depicts the scientist as being a bit long in the beard- the actual discovery of his mauve colored dye from coal tar came when Perkins was 18 years old, home goofing around over Spring Break from college (apparently in 1856, Fort Lauderdale and Cancun had yet to be discovered).

source

Since then the technology behind color making-has certainly come a long way baby!  One of the coolest and most prestige sources to learn all about the process and history of textile coloring is The Society Of Dyers And Colourist in Bradford, England.

The society which celebrated its 125th Anniversary last year is a cornucopia of color knowledge and happenings.  Always on the lookout for the next great ‘dyer and designer”, the society holds a rather colorful competition each year.  I recently received this info and thought I would share it with LIFC readers:

Countdown continues as Society of Dyers and Colourists’ search for UK’s next top designer

The search is well underway to find the globe’s most creative young talent as the deadline nears for entries to the Society of Dyers and Colourists’ (SDC) annual International Design Competition.

As the leading educational charity dedicated to advancing the science of colour worldwide, the Bradford-based SDC, which celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, encourages the creative use of colour in fashion and textile design and is a committed supporter of the next generation of young designers.

The competition, which is sponsored by Clariant, the Clothworkers’ Company and the Dyers Company, is open to undergraduates registered on fashion/textile design courses and asks students to submit a piece which demonstrates the creative, imaginative and original use of colour in either fashion or textiles.

This year, the students have been asked to demonstrate socially responsible thinking in their approach to their original design or written statement which accompanies the submission and explains the designer’s inspiration or theme behind their piece.

The 2010 International Design Competition is expected to draw around 100 entries from 30 colleges and universities across the UK. The UK finalist will be announced on 7th May and will go on to compete against winners from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore and South Africa, at the grand final which will be held in London on 5th October 2010 at the historical Clothworkers’ hall.

Each of the finalists’ work will be exhibited at the event and judged by an industry panel including leading retail investor, entrepreneur and chair of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman.  The global winner will receive the SDC Colour Design Award 2010, with a cash prize of £1000, plus the Veronica Bell Trophy.

winner of the award in 2008- how cool is that trophy!

Comments Susie Hargreaves, Chief Executive of the SDC: “The Society has more than a century’s worth of knowledge and experience working within the fashion and textile industry and we are especially proud of our role working with young people on the science of colour. There have been huge changes in the industry during this time but the science and beauty of colour remains fascinating. This competition is a good way to explore the innovative ideas and new techniques used by some of the best student designers who really embrace the use of colour in their designs.

The Society has a long-standing relationship with educational institutions across the world and in addition to the International Design Competition; it awards bursaries and grants and sponsors various industry awards including the new CSI Colour Award 2010.  To introduce students to the technical world of colour and, in particular, to the practical issues involved in putting their creative skills to best use, the SDC runs a College Membership Scheme providing knowledge, information and insights to help students convert colour creativity into colour application.

A full design competition brief is available from the Society with a list of regional contacts to whom enquiries regarding country-specific briefs should be sent. Alternatively, the competition briefs and various related document can be downloaded from the SDC website.

Let the dyeing begin!!!!

When I switched on the Oscars Sunday night, the red carpet was already in full swing.  I swear these 3 dresses above were the first I saw.  All I could think was: OMG Hollywood has lost its mind!  I was very excited to say the least.

Jennifer and Charlize, I will get to in just a minute.  First up Zoe Saldana in Givency.  Now regardless of how you feel about this dress, I have to say colorwise she has the perfect coloring for it’s pale lavender hue, plus she is just spunky enough to pull off its couture- meets- cancan dancer style.  I actually liked her better in the gown than I did on the model walking in it on the Paris runway just a few weeks ago.

Her peep-toe heels have gotten slack for being too ‘clunky’- but as you can see she didn’t leave much to stylish chance, she simply borrowed them from the runway as well.

Much like Zoe’s gown– asymmetric hems, thigh-high slits, bejeweled bodices and chunky shoes were all trends that night.

Carey Mulligan’s own look was very similar to Zoe’s. When the two actresses presented together, they looked like little styled twins of each other.

I wasn’t all that blown away by Mulligan’s Black Prada dress- that is until I noticed its 3-D details.  Not just beading here mind you, but little metal knifes and forks sewn about her gown.  She gets 5 points for taking a fashion risk and 10 points for being the one best prepared for the buffet at the after party.

In fact 3-D, sculptural shapes were by far the most modern looks of the night.  These are not styles everyone will like, but you have to give kudos to anyone daring to be different.

I love the color of Vera Farmiga’s Marchesa gown.  And though it does sort of look like Bottecilli’s Birth of Venus meets fan dancer meets Raspberry truffle wrapper- if given the options to wear any dress of the evening for a photo shoot, this would be the one I would pick.  It just looks like it would be fun to wear.

Now having to walk around all night and sit for an extended period of time in it- well, that’s a whole other story.  I’m wondering if all that starched pleating was literally a pain in the butt to sit in.

Speaking of sculptural and challenging to sit in, do you suppose the Kodak Theater was kind enough to removed an arm chair for Jennifer’s Armani Prive number?

Again, you have to hand it to Jenny from the block.  She knows how to make a red carpet statement, whether its a plunging neckline to her belly button or a roll of bubble wrap tacked onto her left hip- she will not be ignored, dammit!

Hush-quiet colors like Jennifer’s has become a favorite at Award ceremonies.  These pale iridescences are not always so easy to pull off, thanks to Jennifer’s caramel coloring she masters the tricky color in true diva form.

I was thinking Jen must have felt pretty proud of her fashion-forward self and then I spotted actress Amanda Seyfried on the red carpet and thought-”uh, oh-someone at Armani has got some “splaining” to do!’

A gown from the very same collection- on the same night. What do you think? Did Amanda steal some of Jennifer’s thunder?

I would not want to be on JLo’s bad side (especially if its the side with all of that extra fabric).  Let’s just hope they cleared it with Ms. Lo and that she was ‘hip’ to the fact that the very dress that followed her gown on the runway would also follow it on the red carpet.

A few Red-hot mamas in Grecian draped gowns helped add a bit of spice to the evening.

And speaking of red gowns, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis for standing in for me, last minute as George Clooney’s date.

After weeks of badgering- I finally had to call over the weekend and let darling George down.  I tried, I really did but I just could not convince my husband that it would be good for both our marriage and for the blog if he would agree to let me jet off to Cali to be George’s date.

I know in my heart this is the real reason Clooney seemed a wee bit hammered on the carpet, paid no attention to his hair and seemed to wear such a sour puss all night. George can be such a drama king when he doesn’t get his way!

While George was singing the blues over me…other were wearing the cool hue.  The woman of Precious all picked brilliant blues with just a touch of feminine floral detailing.

Chromatic Synchronicity, perhaps?

Another lover of blue was Maggie Gyllenhaal, you can always count on her to go out on a fashion limb.

I love the bright colors and the painterly feel of her Dries Van Noten gown.  I especially love her choice of  bright pink lips and smokey lined lids.  With her very pale skin and light eyes, that extra boost of color on her face helped keep the busy print at bay.

My other favorite make-up choice was Sandra Bullock’s bright red pucker teamed with her deep side parted shiny, to-die-for locks.

Sandra, you did good.  The dress is a bit safe (loved that the Go-Fug Yourself girls referred to her Marchesa gown as a bit “Oscars on Ice”) but that’s okay.  Like my mother always says- ‘better safe then sorry”, esp. when there is a good chance the grand prize might go home with you.

We love you for your girl-next-door charm and for the fact that you showed up in person to receive your Razzie Award for “Worst Actress of the Year” the night before you took home your Oscar for “Best”.

The fit, the hair, the confidence- you are Oscar perfection.

A mineral hue was picked by another “beacon of inspiration for us everday-gals”, our as I like to now call her: our new Queen.

All Hail Kathyrn Bigelow!  At 58, she rocked all of Hollywood-while wearing a pretty rock colored Yves Saint Laurent gown. Now her’s is a story worthy of a Hollywood screenplay, don’t you think!

Other silver foxes:

Helen I love you- as I do you Ms. Meryl Streep.  First you grabbed my heart in all 3 films this year and then you showed up in a modern white dress designed by Project Runway’s Chris March (you know the one whose portfolio, prior to filming, included pretty much just drag queen clothes) and let’s just say you had me at “Hello”.

In my fantasy, Tim Gunn was at the fitting slightly concerned and urging Meryl “To make it work!” before he sending her off to the Tresemme room to get her hair and makeup done.

Cameron Diaz who was stunning in a beautiful golden Oscar De La Renta gown,  gets the “Reese Witherspoon Style Award”. Don’t get me wrong I thought she looked super pretty, it’s just that the sweet style and brushed hair were just not expected.  I really did think at first glance that she was Reese.

(That’s Reese from the 2006 Oscars btw)

While many got it so right on Oscar night- a few were lost in television translation.

I know that Diane Kruger’s Chanel gown is perfection for editorial, but on the red carpet- I think it looking a bit more French maid than French chic. (Pictured next to her is my style suggestion for Quentin, the next time she decides to wear the dress).

Sometimes the expressions of the crowd says it all.  Like this woman (next to SJP below) who seems to be in a hypnotic trance at the sight of her  gi-normous Princess Lea/cinnabon hairdo the actress was sporting to top off her vintage Chanel.

Or this woman in the strange peacock motif gown giving Charlize Theron’s dress  the “up and down, stink eye”.

OH come on, you know you were thinking it too!

And last but not least, I didn’t really mention the men.  I think everyone looked great (except you Judd Nelson- I can not tell you how very much you let me down during the tribute to John Hughes!).  Colin Firth was sexy in Tom Ford, Tom Ford was sexy in Tom Ford.  Ryan Reynolds was sexy in Tom Ford…okay and George, even though I don’t approve of your childish behavior- you too were stunning in your Armani tux.

But I have one thing to say to Neil Patrick Harris- who by the way is always very dapper at these shindigs.

When they ask you to appear in the opening song and dance number you must heed Rob Lowe’s warning and just say “NO!”.  No matter how funny it seems in rehearsal you must know we are all slightly cringing at home. Neil you are just too good for such Hollywood abuse.

And now thanks to You Tube, you will never be able to escape the memory…just ask Rob, 20 years later- he and Snow White still can’t live their ill fated razzle-dazzle Hollywood version of  “Proud Mary” down.

Click here to view the embedded video.

all images from Getty/Wire/Oscar.com, runway images from Elle.com

Exciting, inspiring, warm and fuzzy and- oh… who am I kidding?  I was screaming at my screen like a banshee– jacked up that the good old USA would squash our Northern Neighbors like an icy grape. But, alas.  No such luck.

But truly there is no shame in being 2nd.  In some ways, Silver is sort of hipper than Gold anyway. Last week when April, Kim and my favorite little Black Eyed Peas fan went to see the band perform live at Madison Square Gardens (thanks again April!)- the band was awash in Silver throughout the entire show.

In person- Fergie is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen

When you factor in the fact that the Gold medal is actually a Silver medal covered with about 6 grams of 24 karat gold- well basically if you scratched off the surface, we’d be equals anyway.

The NY Times featured an interesting article about the history of the Olympic Medal tradition back in 2008.  Seems that ancient jocks were awarded Olive Branch wreaths in the winning circle, hum…probably wouldn’t play out so well today.

But in honor of the closing ceremonies of my own personal Olympic Fever the idea of Olive Green and Silver together, seems oh-so-quite inspiring!

source

Abso-love it for a kitchen!  Good enough for Traditional Home magazine like in the one above or completely “home sweet home” as a color combo in my own kitchen, as shown below!

My own little Budda Bar

Every morning I worship my Rohl faucet, like working sculpture I always say (now if only I could actually teach it to do the dinner dishes!)

Tres chic, oui?

Peace branch out.

Olympic image from Getty, Fergie Pix by Ms. April Clark and collage images from House Beautiful and Elle

In celebration of America’s love affair with the color Blue, the mag and some of our favorite furniture companies have teamed up to create a kind of “Where’s Waldo-meets-scavenger hunt-meets….do I dare say it: Blues Clues.”

The blue chairs were placed throughout Manhattan (one even made it across the bridge to Brooklyn) photographed and then taken away into safe hiding…but come March 1, 2010 they will magically appear back in their same spots and guess what?  The ultimate game of Finders Keepers will ensue.

You heard it right.  Figure out where these sky/sea hued perches are perched, bring your pick-up truck (or perhaps hail a cab) and add a bit of blue to your own abode.  Happy Hunting—here are your clues:

the “Avalon Child’s Chair” from Target

Palecek’s “Manhattan Hassock” in Cobalt Blue

The Container Store’s “Polo Desk Chair”

“Village Azzuro” Blue Side Chair from Crate & Barrel

Room & Board’s American-made “Cole” chair

The La-Z-Boy “Carlyle Reclining Chair” in Blue

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ “Wyatt” chair in Bevan-Sky

“Eames® Molded Plastic Armchair” from Design Within Reach

Lee Industries’ 1703-01 Chair in Majestic Blue Fabric with Natural Nailhead trim

Arhaus Furniture’s “Giles” in Ocean Blue

Oh, by the way this baby is mine. And yes I do in fact know right where it is and f.y.i even if you threatened to hold your breath till you turn ‘blue’…I’m not telling!!!

For pricing and links to buy any of these beauties visit HB’s Flickr page.

Then be sure to check out all the other ways that House Beautiful is helping you to GET BLUE!!!!

UP

Up was by far one of my favorite movies of the year.  The film’s 2 minute sequence showing the couples entire married life together is so beautifully done-pure genius.  The message of the movie- its never too late for a new adventure, priceless.

For this I would think bold color, retro style with a twist of ’scout/explorer spirit thrown in for good measure.  Winged and balloon inspired accessories take flight, while a cocktail dress –that appears to have actually been inspired by a female “Snipe” named Kevin—would be perfect once you hit solid ground at Paradise Falls.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Being a huge Wes Anderson fan, I couldn’t imagine how his style would translate into animation.  Anderson’s Mr. Fox did not disappoint.  All the quirky characters and dialogue stayed intact, as did his usual amazing art direction..he does ‘dingy’ colors better than anyone.

The movie which was bathed in shades of rusty orange and Earth tones, was a visual delight.  I would take that same color (foxy orange) and style it into a 70’s boho feel with an attitude of coy, self-confident and slightly flawed-just like The Fantastic Mr. Fox himself (p.s. how amazing is George Clooney’s performance in this!!!).

Avatar

Wow, that James Cameron is one talented guy…he sure knows how to make an epic movie that sells tickets.  Though there are real life fleshy actors in this film, its animation is the real star.

Cobalt blue and Eco-Greens would have to dominate.  Perfect for those moldy-futuristic prints that are showing up, they almost look like an eco-system is going to grow out of them.  The attitude would have to be just like all of Cameron’s lead female roles-fearless: kick-ass and sexy.

The Princess And The Frog

Its nice to know that even though technology is making animation more and more realistic, the art of the old-school gets an Oscar nod as well.  The beautifully drawn cartoon has all the same Disney magic-with a refreshing modern edge set against the colorful backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou.

I’m thinking a bit of southern NOLA flair mixed in with crisp white and of course frog green.  Switch out the tiara for a headband by day and wear a modern version of a southern belle gown for a night at the local juke joint.

Coraline

Like most people perhaps I thought Coraline was the work of Tim Burton, since the art direction was so similar to the Nightmare Before Christmas.  Low and behold it was not, instead the stop-animation film is the product of Henry Selick’s creative mind.  Selick did direct Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas…so obviously the two feed off of each others hip and macabre minds.

I’m thinking the styling would be somewhat downtown-not quite goth, but most surely slightly off.  I’d wish for a touch of Coraline’s blue hair, this season’s trendy vivid purple lids (better than button eyes, eh!) and edgy, modern shapes with just a touch of darkness…yet, I suppose I should-like the film’s spooky and philosophical warning: “be careful of what I wish for”!!!!

All movie images from Oscar.com, All fashion and beauty images from Elle.com

]]> http://www.sensationalcolor.com/liveinfullcolor/oscars-inspired-part-2/feed/ 2 http://www.sensationalcolor.com/liveinfullcolor/oscar-inspired-part-1/ http://www.sensationalcolor.com/liveinfullcolor/oscar-inspired-part-1/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:05:33 +0000 juliehoylen http://www.sensationalcolor.com/liveinfullcolor/?p=8526 I love the escapism of a good film.  I especially love when I leave the theater full of ideas and feeling inspired by the flick’s sets, costumes and mood.

Since the Oscars always seem to fall right on the cusp of the changing fashion season…I thought it would be fun to look at a few of my favorite nominees and think about how they can inspire the perfect looks for Spring 2010.

Coco Before Chanel

Ingenue, chic and oh-so-very French.  Coco before the Boucle, bows and glitz.  Crisp, white shirts and tops with simple cuts.  Classic navy & white stripes with a modern twist (her sailor shirt is a classic now- but think how fashion forward it was for her day), unadorned nails and lips-instead a youthful flush cheek.

NIne

Life is a cabaret. Sexy, sexy and coy.  Strong and feminine at the same time.  A touch of classic colors and shapes paired with up-to-date motifs and style.  Feathery and sparkly, strong lips, smokey eyes and unadulterated energy.

Bright Star

Complex yet simple. Romantic and poetic. Soft grays and heathery purples and blues.  Sheer fabrics and ruffles. Bright fragrances (Jo Malone-Nectarine Blossom & Honey, yum), simple, shiny hair pulled in a tight chignon.

Young Victoria

Regal, ahead of one’s time.  Jewel tones and taffeta, Emeralds and Blue Sapphires.  Cuffs, embellishments, bows and shine.  Prime and proper with a fierce edge.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Pure fantasy.  Dramatic shapes accessorized with lucite and metals that have a touch of the surreal.  Cut outs textures mixed with theatrical layers and pale frosty tones.

Next:  Part 2, I’ll get a bit more animated.

All film images from Oscars.com All fashion images from Elle.com All make up images from Sephora.com
Image of perfume from Jo Malone.com

First off: the official logo of Vancouver 2010. The little rock guy based on traditional rock formation landmarks used by natives in the Arctic Region (his name BTW is IIanaaq, meaning friendship) has been causing a bit of color controversy.

You see, it seems that typically official Olympic logos would include all 5 colors of the Olympic rings, as was first designed back in 1912.  A quick refresher: each color represents a continent.  Many were confused when designers left the color black out of IIanaaq, instead replacing it with a deep blue.

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In defense of the designers- I get it, the dark blue does look way better for IIaanaq’s rocky arms and they did use black for the text.  So really what’s the big deal?  Especially when you get an eyeful of the logo for London 2012. Now that’s shocking!

source

Apparently the Vancouver logo was meant to represent the regional landscapes of Canada. Blues and greens for the land and water, yellow for the sun and red for the Canadian Maple leaf. I can only guess then that the London logo represents Great Britain in the 1980’s.

Another interesting color story this week is Vancouver’s choice to use brilliant blues and greens to color the backdrop of the Winter Games.

At first I thought they had read one of our many post about the combo or that it was simply an environmental theme.  Then I got a look of this picture and I totally got it.  Wow! BC is breathtakingly pretty!

Blue Mountain Winery in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia

The only thing is- I must admit the green is totally throwing me off as I’ve been watching.  I guess I didn’t realize how much I depend on color clues to follow along on the action.  I just can’t wrap my head around American athletes wearing Green.

Is it just me?

Even though his green helmet threw me off- how very cute is Bode Miller.? And with a name like Bode, what other career path do you think he could he have possibly taken besides professional skier?

I do however love the green rings.

On the fashion side, I must say I very much appreciate the team’s cool ombre  jackets.  Very chic, says me.

And the jolting “pop” of punk rock pink of Shen and Zhoa’s semi-final costumes were super cute.  Loved how when she twirled through the air you got that splash of energetic pink from the flip side of her skirt!!!

Why male skaters insist on always showing their chests-remains a mystery.

But my favorite use of color by far goes to returning Gold Medal winner, Russian Federation skater Evgeni Plushenko.

Menacing in “arch enemy” sparkling black (a role he apparently has chosen for himself). This guy is commanding on the ice!

I’m not sure if you caught the 2 minute clip about Plushenko that NBC ran prior to him skating last night.  Honestly, I thought I had been transported back to the cold war of the 1980’s.  They might as well have been playing a Russian version of Darth Vadar’s theme in the background…the music they did use, was so very close.

It was fantastic!  The brooding athlete referring to his ‘enemies’ not wanting him back.  The whole cold depiction of Russia, I was half expecting to see Mikhail Baryshnikov’s character from White Nights in the background.  The only sign that the interview was not taking place in 1983 was when Plushenko’s car drove by a Russian McDonald’s–otherwise total flashback.  All I could think was that the London 2012 logo would have felt right at home.

all Olympic images taken from the Vancouver 2010’s official website

There is something so kinetic about 2 holidays falling on the same day, don’t you think?

The ruckus of the Chinese New Year’s celebration coupled with the most famous day of amour- lends itself to a real East meets West kind of day.

I had been in fact very excited at the prospect of 2010 being the year of the White (metal) Tiger.  Last year’s Brown (Earth) Ox sounded sluggish to me from day one, the tiger seems so much more exciting and sleek.  Finally I thought, some action.

Then I made the big mistake of going onto this site and reading my personal New Year’s horoscope (based on my birth date, time and location). It appears as if-at least for me- Mr. White Tiger will be a carnivorous beast, not the sweet kitty I had hoped for.

“Really?” ‘What exactly have I ever done to you Chinese Horoscope site?!” (FYI- don’t even get me started on the facial mole reading).

So with this new found discovery in mind I’m hoping Cupid’s arrow will pierce the steely tiger’s heart and we all can catch a break this year. (I know we all deserve it!)

To loosen up all parties involved – a festive cocktail is in order.

So I asked my friend Colleen Mullaney- author of It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere for a few yummy suggestions.  With the holidays in mind, I’m thinking this one might fit the bill. Perfectly delicious, romantic  and right on colorful track.

The golden color of the champagne will symbolized good luck, the blush color of the cointreau- true love and the orange peel-strong wealth.

Bottoms up Tiger!  xo

Oh, and if you’re interested in what colors represent your animal birth sign-  Check out this post I wrote last year-when I obviously had a whole lot more time on my hands! Kisses!

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