Giovanna Battaglia: All Tomorrow's Parties

Giovanna Battaglia: All Tomorrow's Parties
By Kristin Sekora

When one’s eyes flash across the pages of Giovanna Battaglia’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” a fashion editorial that she styled for the March 2013 issue of W, it is hard to believe that she was born a full nine years after the Sixties ended — for she has mastered every element of the era’s clothing, hair, makeup, and even lifestyle! "All Tomorrow's Parties" was a 1967 song written by Lou Reed based on life at Andy Warhol’s Factory, and the editorial opens appropriately with model Alana Zimmer in a Vidal Sassoon haircut and Mary Quant makeup wearing a bright red Nehru jacket with white frog closures. I say the editorial opens appropriately with regard to Mary Quant for she was known for inventing the mini-skirt and hot pants and was remembered for encouraging young people to dress “to please themselves and to treat fashion as a game” — or to dress for all tomorrow’s parties!

Gio is astonishing in how assuredly the editorial styling references the era. The Beatles first performed for American television viewers on 9 February 1964, and model Fielding Lewis, in the stunning Brooks Brothers Madras jacket and pants, has the perfect “Beatle” haircut. Yes, ladies, these impish bangs brushed aside caused Ed Sullivan to call the boys (and they were just boys in 1964) slovenly in their appearance — and Lewis doesn’t even sport long sideburns! To our eyes today he seems boyish and sweet even. The Dita glasses on Lewis' face are perfect — the big style that was de rigueur in the Sixties. Giovanna Battaglia really did her research here, for we can’t even get off the first page of the editorial without realizing that this entire page is an homage to the Beatles’ vaunted trip to India in 1966 and its eventual great influence on Sixties fashion.

Photographed in sparkling clean Sixties modern style by Tom Munro, Giovanna takes us in the editorial next to Carnaby Street where model Julia Stegner reigns in Tommy Hilfiger’s blazer and pants, a jaunty Patricia Underwood hat on her head. She too wears Sixties style maxi-sunglasses by Marc Jacobs. (I have a pair of to-die-for solid black square ones that look like scuba-diving goggles on my to-buy list!)

It is at this point in my missive that I must admit, dear reader, that I know whereof I write — I turned 14 in 1960! All my Sixties vintage is from my own closet. For that reason, I know so well how wonderful Gio is at what she does! There is a photo of the lovely Alana Zimmer in a slinky metallic knit Zadig & Voltaire backless floor-length dress in which she has that Linda Morand (circa 1966)round Vidal Sassoon cut and dangling round earrings and looks enough like a photo I have of my best friend, the model Linda Morand (who also turned 14 in 1960), to be an homage to the original shoot. As a detail from the Sixties, note that the hanging ball earrings pictured on Linda, not having been invented yet at the time of the Sixties shoot, were made of balls of cork covered with sequins!

Yes, Giovanna Battaglia knows not only the hair and the makeup but the specific styles that were so in in the Sixties. She has chosen a wonderful little Popsicle orange and poppy red Peter Som bathing suit (I must get this! Who is Peter Som?) that is just like Betsey Johnson clothes from the Sixties, and a red-white-and-blue print Banana Republic woven silk shirtdress that looks just like a green polyester (I am sorry, but polyester is so in now, don’t neglect it!) houndstooth print mini-dress with self belt at the hip that I had. I wore it with light green tights and low black oxfords with taffeta bows! Here I am pictured wearing the outfit while sitting on a fence in Pittsburgh in 1968, I ironed my hair then...

Kristin Sekora

As one final coup in this incredible editorial, the amazing Gio chose the model Julia Stegner, dressed her in a tiger print Alice + Olivia dress and a Maria Del Greco hat, swathed her face and lips in nude makeup, kohled her eyes — and produced a stunning replica of Patti Hansen!

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Editorial images © 2013 Condé Nast. Linda Morand photograph by David McCabe. Kristin Sekora photograph by Robert Crowder. All Rights Reserved.