Bouffants, beehives, curls, waves and more hairspray than Viva Las Vegas! … but right here in Melbourne?
Yes, that sums up our Iconic 1960s Hairstyles Event at the National Gallery of Victoria. Part of the NGV Kids Summer Festival and stunning Warhol/WeiWei exhibition, the Australia Day styling demonstration was a raging success.
Who knew that watching ’60s hairstyles come to life could keep so many kids enraptured for three full hours? (Parents and babysitters, take note!)
Under the colourful stained glass ceiling of the Great Hall, our models Susanne, Eva and Meik had their tresses transformed into towering recreations from the Swinging Sixties, as you can see in the photos and video below.
Meanwhile, as I curled and teased our models’ hairdos to soaring heights, our enthusiastic audience offered up their own stories of how Mum or Grandma did their hair back in the day.
One woman shared with me her sixties-era bridal photographs, featuring her tower of perfectly pinned curls, artfully arranged over many hours by her hairdresser.
Best anecdote of the day? One woman shared her mother’s secret for the biggest, fullest beehive: she would hide a loaf of bread inside for maximum height!
We were delighted to see so many people not only turn out for this special event, but stay for the entire session. Yet our favorite part was how many also came and said hello, asked their burning questions, shared their own stories and came away with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of the fun of vintage styling.
A big thank you to my wonderful models Suzanne, Eva and Meik, who played their parts beautifully, and to Hunter Boyle and Mick Russell for the striking visuals that allow us to share this window into our day of diva-worthy hair. And of course, we’re incredibly grateful to the team at NGV for the opportunity to share our passion and all their support in making this event such a wonderful experience for all!
Videography: Linchpin Studios
Director/Photographer: Hunter Boyle
Models: Suzanne, Eva Las Vegas, Meik
If you’re planning your vintage wedding theme, or even thinking ahead for the future, you know that finding all the perfect elements is a daunting task.
Need some help and inspiration for your bridal bouquet?
Sweet, sophisticated, earthy and rich, each of these vintage bouquets have a different significance and will help add another layer to your story and big day.
The Sweatpea’s history can be traced back to 17th century Italy. It has a softly pastoral feel. Small and delicate these flowers signify blissful pleasure.
2. Rich reds and berry tones in this opulent arrangement are lent a slightly less formal structure by mixing both delicate and strong foliage in wild sprays.
3. Giant seed pods, white roses, glossy winter green leaves, succulents and wild boronia come together in the perfect mix of modern meets traditional.
4. Muted peach tones and the wide spread of blue and purple hued foliage give this bunch a soft romance. The perfect compliment to a softly draped gown.
5. Peonies, ferns and ranunculi add their blousy faces to this pretty posy. The deep rich raspberry colours against the navy suits, anchors this mid-century wedding ensemble.
6. Lilly of the Valley and Star Jasmine make the ideal vintage bridal bouquet. A hugely popular wedding motif in both the 1930s and 1950s, these flowers often carried over into the headpieces and wedding dress embroidery.
7. Luscious red cherries add a delicious touch to this rich berry toned posy of peonies and roses. A wonderful choice for the alternative vintage wedding and quite possibly the perfect bouquet for the Rockabilly bride.
8. Wild and free, daisies, pussy willows and thistles are the ideal flowerchild bouquet for our 1970s inspired bride.
9. Again, Star Jasmine and Lilly of the Valley with trailing strands of green ivy have been seen gracing the arms of the Edwardian and Victorian bride.
10. Giant tree peonies nestled in maidenhair ferns make a brilliant bouquet.
11. Jasmine, peony roses and orange blossom make a fragrant collection.
12. 1960s pastel shades to echo the perfectly sweet bridesmaid dresses of the time, can be found in a fluffy bouquet of hydrangea, roses and babies breath.
13. Bright yellows and lime greens in these fresh roses and daisies, call to mind the poppy tones of the 1970s bride.
14. Peonies and lilacs in shades of purple are an elegant, classic style.
15. Cascading Ivy, Baby’s Breath and other delicate blooms are reminiscent of Victorian era bridal bouquets.
Which of these bouquets do you like most? Would you choose any of them for your big day? Share your thoughts in the comments!
To create my art, I use brushes of a different kind.
I look at faces, both old and new. Round, soft, open, wide: each face is a new canvas and a foundation that I’m privileged to work with.
I first learnt the power of a great hairdo when I was very young. The Silver Screen was my mentor. The elderly women in my life, the discarded magazines and dog-earred manuals of bygone days were my teachers.
Meanwhile, my own thick, unruly hair was both a constant battle and an inspiration.
While I dreamt of a Louise Brooks bob, when I looked in the mirror I saw a puffy, frizzy chaos of curls. I’d built a powerful image in my mind of the woman I wanted to become … and this was not what she looked like.
At age 14, my rudimentary tools were limited to hair mousse and a hair dryer diffuser. That year, everyone wanted to look like Jennifer Beals; I wanted Rosalind Russell. Writing my own style script was the only way forward.
Andy Warhol clearly knew the transformative power of hair.
From Marilyn to Mao, his artwork prominently features iconic hairstyles. And his silver grey wig became an inherent part of his iconic status. You simply can’t picture Warhol without it, can you?
This Australia Day, January 26th, from 12-3pm in the Great Hall at NGV, I’ll be creating three different looks, taking you through the step-by-step techniques of how these are achieved. We’ll also chat about hairstyling history and trends in the 1960s, with particular focus on the ornate and complex styling worn by many of Warhols’ celebrity muses.
In a time where it has never been easier to become your own work of art, I’d love to share with you the experience of creating these mini-masterpieces.
This event is free and doesn’t require a booking. Join me, come say hello and enjoy our iconic styling adventures this Australia Day (or follow the fun via hashtag #WarholWeiwei).
I’ve always been terribly afraid that I could “waste” my life being comfortable, by not making hard decisions and simply going with the flow of what’s expected of me.
I often think of my life in chapters, as if I’m reading my own memoirs, wondering if I want to be part of the story that’s unfolding. This outlook helps me keep clear goals and stops me from floating along comfortably into oblivion.
Yet sometimes I struggle to stay in control of my own narrative and keep the story moving in a direction that I’m at peace with, throughout the ups and downs.
That’s why last year, I declared that for me 2015 would be The Year of Living Bravely — a prediction that was 100% accurate, as I changed my life’s course in remarkable ways.
We all encounter our own highs and lows, and many friends have faced major life changes in recent months. And sharing our stories always helps us feel less isolated. So I wanted to share with you a few of the biggest challenges I faced last year and how that’s shaping the year of growth ahead …
Left my comfort zone
I took a three-month journey in the USA with the express purpose of making new professional connections, determining how I could grow this website into something much more than a personal blog, and learning critical skills from industry leaders in the field of digital commerce.
This meant three months away from my children, my family and my hometown. The trip was huge in a personal sense, and it made me even more determined to pursue new ways to expand my business.
Ended my marriage
I’ve always kept my personal life fairly much to myself on this blog. While I do occasionally talk about or show glimpses of my family, it’s something that I’ve purposefully kept to a minimum. After all, my reasoning is that I opted in to writing this in 2008, they didn’t.
With that said I won’t go into detail here, but I will tell you this has been the most monumental decision of all and it touches every facet of my life.
It has made me re-evaluate just about everything about myself and why I do what I do. It has also shown me the incredible friendships I have developed through these pages, and just how strong and supportive they are.
Learned to live with less
For years I’ve struggled with clutter and being a “vintage collector” had become a catch-all excuse for living with too much stuff.
I read every book I could get my hands on in an attempt to understand why I wasn’t succeeding at getting on top of the mess.
I knew that all of these things were acting as a security blanket of some kind, a type of anaesthetic, but I didn’t know what from.
I began the long and sometimes painful process of getting rid of many things in the last half of 2014 and carried over into 2015. When it came to crunch time and I had to fit all my possessions into a storage locker, I realised just how little I actually needed.
I fell completely and utterly in love with a man who makes the term “other half” a reality for me. He was the missing piece of my puzzle.
Together we’ve begun a new chapter in our adventures, goals, creations and relationships. He has changed my perspective in many ways, bringing a new sense of purpose and verve to my days.
Made huge strides with my offline business
My Candice DeVille vintage styling business found a new home in a gorgeous little 1950s house! Our new Melbourne salon is all set up with my collection of vintage hair and beauty supplies, with plenty of room for bridal parties. We successfully launched Hen’s Party events, Ladies Days and Mother Daughter styling days, to much excitement.
In the media, my styling work was featured on the cover of the “Just Married” wedding styling book, a cover story for Glory Days magazine, in Glamour magazine and coming soon in a feature story for Complete Wedding magazine.
Our Vintage Events have been a growing success, with the 2015 Camperdown Cruise Glamour Central being the most commercially successful to date. And in 2016 we’re launching a massive Vintage Marketplace with the Ballarat Heritage Weekender (May 7th & 8th).
I’ve also started to take on digital media clients, including a huge national real estate firm, developing content and marketing plans, social media strategies and helping businesses thrive online. Speaking at General Assembly, the Public Relations Institute of Australia and Newscorp, I had some great opportunities to share my knowledge and build key relationships. I even got to hold a million dollars!
Lost a large part of this blog
In an attempt to create a superior version of Vintage Current over the last months of 2015, an unrecoverable error occurred: We lost every image from 2008-2014 with the updated blog design.
I had always thought if something like this happened I’d be devastated. But I wasn’t.
Perhaps in light of the previous months it felt like a blip of the radar, perhaps I’ve learnt to deal with crisis much more productively.
What this means is that 2016 sees Vintage Current starting afresh with our best pieces and building from there.
It also means I have hours upon hours of work to do to recover the best bits and focus on creating the kind of resource that becomes an essential part of your personal vintage journey.
Set even bigger goals for Vintage Current 2016
With all of the above in motion, this year is going to be a huge challenge for us in terms of creation and community.
Vintage Current is evolving into something bigger than this blog. I am passionate about our vintage community, bringing us together through our mutual loves, sense of adventure and shared knowledge.
For me, 2016 is time to act — to step away from the drawing board and into the driver’s seat.
Now I need your help to take our vintage community to the next level.
One thing my USA trip reaffirmed was the importance of staying connected to your peers and community. And while the past year’s big moves and changes carried over to the blog post rhythm, as the new adventures unfold, I’d like your input and feedback to help chart the course.
Please join me on this new journey by subscribing to my Vintage Current updates!
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We’ll keep you apprised of new posts, videos and resources, and preview our forthcoming projects. Vintage Current subscribers will be the first to know about (and be a part of) exciting initiatives, and be eligible for special email-only giveaways and contests.
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Chinese Proverb
It’s one thing to be entertained, another to be educated, and something entirely different to have your world perspective altered.
Suffragette hit such a sharp and painful note with me, my heart lurched and tears immediately sprang to my eyes.
In a society where so many young women spend their time competing with one another, forming their sense of self worth on social media and counting their personal value in likes, Suffragette is more than an historical film, it’s a wake up call.
The sense of utter powerlessness, of servitude and anger felt by women in a world dominated and controlled by men, is one that we have but a very small understanding of.
Across the most of the Western world, women have held the right to vote for less than 100 years.
Here in Australia, as white (Anglo) women, we’ve had the right to vote since 1902. Sadly this didn’t extend to our indigenous population till as recently as 1962.
Worldwide, these rights we hold as fundamental, are still not the norm. With many women (too many) still facing a future that does not include education, where they can be sold into marriage as children and their bodies used as instruments of retribution, how is it that more of us don’t make our voices heard?
There is a lack of awareness I see around me of our rights as women, and how those we now take for granted, were won.
How fragile is our position when even here in Australia we still don’t receive equal pay for equal work or even hold complete rights over our own bodies in 2015?
The Suffragette shatters any sense of complacency or entitlement you may have felt.
“All my life I’ve done what men have told me. Well I can’t have that anymore”
Opening in early 20th-century England, the story of the suffragette movement is told with the kind of raw humanity that let’s you feel the personal torture of it’s central characters.
Maud Watts (played by Carey Mulligan) is young, poor and voiceless; living with her young family in Edwardian England. Becoming swept up in the suffrage movement, we are confronted with the reality life as a second-class citizen, marginalised and forced to turn to violence as the only means of being heard.
Under the wing of a group of women fighting for equality and the right to vote, Watts and her compatriots become increasingly radicalised in their struggle. Risking their families and their lives, these tenacious women put everything on the line to fight the brutal State.
In 2015, when as a group our voices have never been so prolific or broadcast to a wider audience, there is a shameful lack of conversation, of information and of action.
Suffragette is not just an entertaining piece of cinema; it is a vital work of political and personal awakening.
![Big Hair Don’t Care: Classic 1960s Hairstyles [VIDEO]](https://vintagecurrent.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NGV-Iconic-60s-hairstyles-demo-4.jpg)
Together we’ve begun a new chapter in our adventures, goals, creations and relationships. He has changed my perspective in many ways, bringing a new sense of purpose and verve to my days.
