Since 1939, The National Button Society has been meeting and collecting and sharing history - through buttons. It was good to connect with people in their 70s and 80s who took us under their wings like a flock of mother hens.
There were buttons of every shape, era, theme and size - just hundreds and hundreds of buttons dating as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries. Prices ranged from $1 to almost $1500. It was a serious business with plenty of room for newbies and amateurs like us.
Buttons are in the top 10 most collected items in the U.S. Perhaps buttons appeal to collectors because they are so terribly portable and often affordable, but also because they represent the history of fashion, art, architecture, military conquest, sports, and social trends.
The military themes, braided loops, epilets, tassels and other trims we still see in fashion today have their origins in late 18th century France. The lavish trims sported on military uniforms worn during the Napoleonic wars (1793-1815) infiltrated French fashion for both women and men, a legacy that has lasted more than 200 years.
The above buttons, from the 1890s through the 1920s are referred to as "gay nineties" with glinting glass centers. The nostalgic term originated in the 1920s, harkening back to a time of Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, society scandals and the birth of the aesthetic movement and art nouveau.
Buttons also represent a history of industrialization - innovations in manufacturing and engineering.
By the 1860s, manufacturing techniques and industrial presses made beautifully detailed tinted metal buttons possible. Buttons also hold a record of popular cultures, with scenes from classic tragedies, popular plays and operas. Visible in the photo above, we see the Trojan hero, Hector near the bottom of the photo. Near the top center of the photo, bowing in the crook of the crescent moon, we see Pierrot, the 17th century Italian pantomime, kneeling before his sweetheart.
Upstairs is a whisky bar run by Chris's parents, and it's awesome. I love the two spaces in one concept - a sophisticated but unpretentious walk back through time.
In other news - we just had our first trunk show last weekend and will
be definitely planning for a Christmas event. It was a delight to see
old friends and new fans - and fun to dress up our house as a boutique!
And Finally... another photo from the Kingmond Young Photoshoot!
August 25 & 25, 2012 in Tiburon, Ca.
Willits Kinnetic Carnivale
September 8 & 9 in Willits, Ca.
Urban Air Market
September 16, 2012 in San Francisco, Ca.
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