Land of the Rising Sun

Copyright 2009 Mark Zemnick All Rights Reserved

This Saturday, TCCE Land of the Rising Sun Productions is presenting the "Tokyo Girls" fashion show, showcasing elements of glamour and Cosplay. The event is taking place at the Japanese Friendship Garden's Otsukimi moonviewing event. Producer Keiko Conn is excited to feature the many facets of Japanese culture in fashion, from the styles of WWII to the looks of today--this is a fantastic show and you won't want to miss it!

This will be my second Tokyo Girls show; each model wears a fabulous outfit making for a spectacular visual delight. I'm really looking forward to the show; it's an honor to be included in the cast!

For more information about Touch of Creation Cultural Events, contact Keiko at 602-451-6573.

Outfit of the Day

Today my Sweetie and I took an impromptu trip to Flagstaff for a change of scenery. We enjoyed wandering around town and strolling through a historic neighborhood; we even found time to stop at a vintage store, where I found a terrific double-breasted 40s suit jacket for $5!

I wore a red and white gingham cotton blouse from F21, a pair of 50s denim jeans (eBay), a red leather belt (thrifted), Rocket Originals "Esther" wedges, a bakelite cherries brooch (eBay), and red celluloid and rhinestone button earrings (found at a local antique store).

And here's a closeup of the cherries brooch for Angel--I wore the one in the center :-)

Lemon Chiffon

A few weeks ago I ordered a custom bolero sweater made by the seller Dixabilly, who just let me know that it is ready to be mailed. She knitted it up from a forties pattern in a delicious lemon yellow, and I am anxiously awaiting for it to arrive! It will match quite a few of my outfits (I'm rather fond of this shade of yellow) and will be just the thing to wear once it cools off a few more degrees! I suspect I will be ordering this little sweater in quite a few more colors as well ;-)

Guess Who's Number 38?

I am honored to be number 38 on the Queens of Vintage Top 100 Queens list! I'm definitely in good company--there are a lot of lovely ladies on the list and more to come :-)

A big thanks to all my fans, friends, and photographers for being so supportive of me!

For those of you who haven't been to the Queens of Vintage site, it's a must for vintage lovers everywhere--there are plenty of interesting articles and a great forum as well.

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

Pulp

Last week I had a shoot with the amazingly talented Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures. With classic pulp fiction in mind, we put together a scene showing the trouble that might take place with a trigger-happy platinum blonde on a hot, steamy, crime-filled night!

Here are a few of my favorites--check out the rest of the series on Myspace!

Checks and plaids, Oh my!

I'm on a definite plaid kick these days, it seems!

The fantastic images above are from Return2Style's fabulous CD of fashions.

The plaid trim on this frock is simply darling!

I love this blouse's high, draped collar.Gotta love a snappy plaid jumper!

I adore this set!

Latest Finds

My Sweetie surprised me with this knit top I had been eyeing the other day. I think it has great 1930s-40s styling (when it cools off I plan on pairing it with wide-leg trousers and a beret)--can you believe it came from Charlotte Russe?

I wore it to work today paired with a 1940s black wool pencil skirt (one of my many Matilda's Closet finds), black patent Twolips heels, and my 1950s faux leopard fur necklace and drop earrings set (a surprisingly inexpensive eBay score.) My hair is in my favorite double rolled style with a gardenia accent, and I am wearing my favorite Lip Ink Red.

Outfit of the Day

Today I had a rehearsal for the upcoming Tokyo Girls fashion show production, which is taking place on October 3. I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and ran a few errands in the evening with my Sweetie.


I wore a 1940s white and brown polka dot seersucker day dress with matching tie belt (Matilda's Closet), cream mesh and brown leather 40s heels (eBay), carved bone earrings and a hazelnut and celluloid 40s brooch (both found on eBay), and a pleated fabric 40s purse (another Matilda's find). I wore my hair in double rolls with the back rolled up as well, accented with a gardenia. Julie Hewett Femme Noir lipstick was the finishing touch!


I also got a snap of Thursday's outfit, though it's a tad blurry as my dear and not-too-camera-savvy mum took it ;-) I'm wearing a 1940s yellow dress with a black novelty print of clouds and a Japanese village, complete with pagoda buttons on the shoulders (eBay), a black patent skinny belt (Bebe), 1950s black leather babydoll heels (eBay again), and black celluloid and rhinestone "wagon wheel" earrings (a gift from a friend). My hair is in double rolls and I am wearing Lip Ink Red lipstick.

Fall Fashion Delights

Since I am pretending that the weather is cooling down here (ha!) I decided to post a bit of fashion inspiration for fall. After viewing these, I'm rather looking forward to breaking out the cool-weather clothing!

Leopard, oh my!

These lovely fur-trimmed jackets are quite inspiring. Hmmm...

Knitwear at its finest

A good pair of trousers is a definite cool-weather must

Plaid wool is always a cozy choice as well

So, is anyone else looking forward to the changing season? What ensembles will you be wearing this fall and winter?

Playing Catch Up

I'm running a bit behind, so here's a recap of my outfits for the last few days :-)

Friday

1940s sundress with matching bolero jacket in red and black gingham with blue and yellow accents - Matilda's Closet
Red patent cinch belt - Steve Madden
Betseyville Aisha shoes in red patent - eBay
Yellow celluloid floral earrings - MacAlpine's Vintage Store
Red and yellow Bakelite bracelets - eBay
Yellow daisy hair flower - MacAlpine's Vintage Store
Yellow 40s-style sunglasses - Found in a shop in Tucson

Sunday

1950s turquoise cotton blouse - Buffalo Exchange
1940s coral linen skirt with dark coral trim and dark coral and white top-stitching - Buffalo Exchange
1940s white leather platform pumps - eBay
White cinch belt - Daddy-O's
1950s turquoise with gold accent ceramic earrings - Antique shop in Prescott
1950s coral and white chiffon scarf - Gift from a friend

Monday

Late 40s navy blue and white cotton poplin sundress - Matilda's Closet
1940s red linen platforms - Matilda's Closet
Red celluloid and rhinestone40s button earrings -Antique Store
Not pictured - red cotton bolero sweater purchased at Dillard's

All Dolled Up

Picture borrowed from Miss Matilda

My next article for Queens of Vintage is all about recreating a 1940s face, including my favorite cosmetics and application tips. Check it out here--I hope you enjoy it and I welcome your comments and questions!

The Wicked Lady

The Wicked Lady 1945, Able Grable's latest dress, is ready to make her debut! With silver screen details, including dramatic puffed sleeves and an even more dramatic plunging neckline, this stunner will surely have a preferred place in your wardrobe. The demure pink and gray floral print balances out the screen siren cut nicely as well--it's a real Hollywood stunner and you won't want to miss out on this one!

All photos by Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures

Rebellious

I just found out that a cameo photo of me appeared in the latest issue of RebelRodz Magazine, accompanying an article about the Tres Dias Rockabilly Fest, which took place in March. Although it's just a small pic, I was quite delighted by the news--and how cool is it to be featured next to famed model Sabina Kelley :-)


I'm wearing a Lipstick Vogue dress in a yellow, pink, and green cherry print, with a red cinch belt by Steve Madden and my cherry jewelry. You can't see my shoes, but they are Betseyville's Aisha style in red patent.

Such a Wicked Lady

The next frock from the delightful Able Grable will be debuted very soon! Called the Wicked Lady, we're being ever so wicked and teasing you with just her silhouette for now.