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Look! Vera

atla-022208-Vera01.JPGHave you checked out the pictures of Lindsay Lohan in New York Magazine yet? In the shots of Marilyn Monroe by Bert Stern that inspired them, the blonde bombshell hides coyly behind her sheer Vera scarves. We have a less provocative idea for how to use them...

 
 

From the 40s until her death in 1993, Vera Neumann's vivid watercolor designs, which included Asian and African motifs as well as butterflies and exotic blooms, pranced across table linens, wallpaper, plates, sheets, towels and scarves, denoting style and sophistication. Susan Seid bought the company in 2005 and is slowing bringing the exuberant designs back into the marketplace. The patterns have recently begun to reappear on high end clothing and scarves and plans are afoot to roll out home accessories later this year. In the meantime, vintage Vera can be found at flea markets and on EBay. Scarves and napkins can be used for their original purpose, of course, but we're thinking we'd love them made up as pillows when we energize our décor for spring. We'll back them with a bright linen and pipe the edges. Or, we could simply sew two of them together and enjoy the cheerful patterns on both sides. Either way, we'll welcome their cheery pattern along with the warming weather.

Image courtesy of The Vera Company, from the Spring 08 collection

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Look!, inspiration, How To..., pillows, decorating, Vera, scarves

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Comments (22)

you would think they would pick someone with curves to be marilyn.. she looks like a 13 year old boy with orbs attached to her chest!

posted by roehm on February 22nd 2008 at 1:30pm
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She is NO Marilyn...that's pretty clear. That was kind of a bad idea for a spread.

posted by Christine (the one in DC) on February 22nd 2008 at 1:40pm
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My grandmother gave me some of her Vera scarves. They're beautiful, but sadly they've been sitting in the back of a drawer for years.

posted by angellee on February 22nd 2008 at 1:47pm
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For someone in her early 20s, she looks ridden hard and put away wet. That girl is a mess.

posted by muddy_mudskipper on February 22nd 2008 at 2:15pm
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To think Marilyn was 30 when she did the original photographs. She was sexy, evocative with that infamous dewey look. In her early 20's, Lohan already looks hardened and spent. She's an obvious mess and no Marilyn. NY Magazine had a good idea and bad execution by selecting the wrong actress.

posted by right angle on February 22nd 2008 at 2:38pm
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I have lovely Vera napkins.

posted by jenzoe on February 22nd 2008 at 3:16pm
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Wow. So catty!

posted by ARC on February 22nd 2008 at 3:47pm
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did someone say perez hilton?

posted by brookejoy on February 22nd 2008 at 4:28pm
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I've been collecting vera for years: tablecloths, napkins, teatowels, plates...I don't use it/have it all out all the time, but I do have about 4 yards of vera fabric hanging on the wall in my dining room.

I can't decide if I'm excited or saddened that they'll be back in production.

posted by budino on February 22nd 2008 at 4:55pm
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A friend found some gorgeous vintage Vera scarves at the Goodwill--such an awesome find!

posted by OneWallKitchen on February 22nd 2008 at 8:03pm
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I grew up sleeping on Vera bedsheets. I wonder if my mom still has any of them?

posted by Comicgeek on February 23rd 2008 at 2:25am
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i have an old 'painting on silk' instruction book from the 70s. maybe this post'll inspire me to give it a go.. someday (i'm a procrastination biscuit).

as for lyndsay, i feel so sorry for her. she's so beautiful and talented and went astray (and aged) way too early. i looked at the slideshow linked above and just felt like she had no clue, really, that she was being taken total advantage of. yes, she's of age but come on..

marilyn had that special way of fixing her heavy-lidded lotus-shaped eye. too bad lyndsay couldn't reenact it.

posted by *heather leaf* on February 23rd 2008 at 4:21am
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Lohan doesn't even come close to the beauty of Marylin.
She just looks skanky in these shots where Marilyn looked ripe, voluptuous, dreamy...

Marliyn looked like she still had a whole lifestime ahead of her...Lindsey looks like an unfortunate 50 year old with too much plastic surgery.

She would really do us all a favor by going away into obscurity and not trying to emulate a true legend. Her 15 minutes were up 16 minutes ago.

posted by hdtex on February 23rd 2008 at 9:16am
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good God....she's only 21....going on 57.

posted by hdtex on February 23rd 2008 at 9:21am
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No Perez over here. Just wondering why Mr. Stern felt Lohan would be his muse, given the fact that she looks so played.

posted by right angle on February 23rd 2008 at 9:53am
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Newsflash: Women are not decorative objects. We are people. The nastiness and sexism of some of these comments is loathsome.

posted by KarenH on February 23rd 2008 at 11:10am
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I think the photographer did a poor job and should be ashamed.

posted by erinorea on February 23rd 2008 at 11:52am
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If women aren't decorative objects than why do they slather themselves in paint, dress (or strip in this case) and totter around on 6" pumps???
Sorry Karen, you're theory isn't in play in this thread...And Lindsey is still haggard.

posted by hdtex on February 23rd 2008 at 12:26pm
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I totally agree, Lohan does look haggard and it was a poor repoduction of the famous Marliyn shoot. I think someone much sexier and curvaceous should have done it.

And Karen you are right, women are not decorative objects, unless you are a model. When you put yourself out there in magazines, you put yourself out there for criticism. She should have never tried to immitate Marliyn if she couldn't back it up.

posted by Julia at Living Luxely on February 23rd 2008 at 1:08pm
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hdtex -- In answer to your question, women do those things because we are trained from a very early age to believe that our value lies in our aesthetic appeal to men. If you brainwash someone from day 1 into believing in her own inferiority, it's not surprising that eventually she'll believe it. Also, is the statement that women are human beings really a "theory" anymore?

So, how 'bout those scarves?

posted by Eden on February 24th 2008 at 10:04am
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I honestly expected Lindsay to look better than she does nude.

Gave my self esteem a bit of a shot in the arm (in an evil way).

posted by ehat on February 24th 2008 at 10:22am
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Yes, it was kind of amazing how unhealthy she looked. Very tired and thin.
And while I understand the whole women are not decorative objects argument, isn't that what that whole photo shoot was about? It wasn't meant to be an empowering "I am a real woman and this is how I look thing." It was supposed to be a piece of fashion photography, which is really all about women as decorative objects. What I would personally object to is the portrayal of someone who looks like they are on drugs as sexy. What a great role model for teen girls everywhere (do I have to tell anyone that was sarcasm?).

posted by Caitlin in Seattle on February 24th 2008 at 8:01pm
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