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An Important Announcement
Dear friends and patrons, We apologize for the short notice of this announcement, but we have come the conclusion that after a year of putting Vintage Vivant on as a monthly event, that in order to be able to continue entertaining you all, we must switch to doing VV only every other month. The sad [...]
Our Year Of Parties
Vintage Vivant is now one year old! Thank you, Austin, for all of the amazing costumes, dancing, and entertainment throughout 2011. We couldn’t have celebrated it up right without you! Here is a look back at our poster designs for each event, each designed by our lovely Angeliska. January – Paper Moon In 2005, two [...]
Anita Berber – Priestess of Depravity
“Her face was a somber and vicious mask. It seemed obvious that the strongly curved mouth was not her own but was a bloodred concoction out of a little pot of rouge. The chalky cheeks had a violet shimmer. The eyes required at least an hour of work every day—she talked incessantly and lied terribly.” [...]
WEIMAR VIVANT!
“And now we come to the most lurid Underworld of all cities – that of post-war Berlin. Ever since the declaration of peace, Berlin found its outlet in the wildest dissipation imaginable. The German is gross in his immorality – he likes his Halb-Welt or underworld pleasures to be devoid of any culture or refinement. [...]
Mele Kalikimaka Photobooth Frolics!
Your hostesses for Vintage Vivant’s Hawaiian Holiday, serenading each other on their ukes… “If you like-a ukulele lady, a ukulele lady like-a youuu…” This ended up being one of our favorite themes yet, somewhat surprisingly! The entertainment was superb, the atmosphere warm and cheerful, and we all had such a good time! In fact, we’re [...]
Forbidden Vices: Inside the Opium Den
Let us be scintillatingly clear from the get go: we do not condone the use of opiates for amusement and recreation, and are sadly plenty aware of how devastating addiction to the poppy derivatives can be. We do not seek to glorify the drug, but merely paint a picture of how it was romanticized back [...]
Forbidden Vices!
Vintage Vivant presents: Forbidden Vices! This month we’re harkening back to a bygone era, when illicit substances flowed more freely – the jazz clubs were hazy with smoke, and everyone was hopped up, or laid low. Prepare to enter into a den of feverishly lush iniquity – the seamy underbelly of Vintage Vivant awaits you… [...]
Halloween Photobooth, pt. 2
What an incredible Halloween party we had! Our dear Miss Devaki Knowles of Fun Loving Photos was on hand to document the first half of the evening – here are some of our favorite shots… We loved this couple’s elegant take on noir vintage! Swank! Colin as the Invisible Man. Catrin y Catrina Oren Porterfield, [...]
Best of Austin 2011
So many wonderful, talented people in our town got recognition today for their hard work! Angel and I had no idea that we were going to be the cover girls for the Best Of issue. Imagine my surprise when I saw my face grinning back at me while buying my morning cup of coffee!! Read [...]
Vamps & Tramps: A Black and White Ball
On Sunday, August 28th, join us for a very special evening, as Vintage Vivant teams up with the Alamo Ritz theatre for dinner, a silent movie and dancing. It’s a perfect night for a date! Reese Gray, Stride pianist At 7pm, the Alamo Ritz in downtown Austin will play the silent screen classic, “It,” starring Clara Bow, and [...]
Jacques Henri Lartigue
“Je ne suis pas un photographe-écrivain-peintre, je suis empailleur des choses que la vie m’o ff re en passant “ “I’m not a photographer-writer-painter, I’m a taxidermist of things that life offers me on the way.” - Jacques Henri Lartigue Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894-1986) is considered to be one of the leading photographers of the twentieth century. [...]
Lillian Gish, Dust-Bowl Doll
Lillian Gish is our patron saint and silent film star inspiration for this month’s Vintage Vivant, as no other starlet could look quite so beautiful when smudged and dust-blown as she was in the 1928 classic directed by Victor Sjöström. If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend that you do! I think that we [...]
Storyville Bordello Photobooth
Storyville Bordello – what a grand evening! Reputations were tarnished, hot jazz piano was played, Jolie Goodnight lit up the stage, and we all sang along as Rebecca Havemeyer serenaded us with “Shave ‘em Dry.” The lovely Mizarre did something very naughty with an oyster on stage… The lovely folks at Kuhmillion tempted attendees with a [...]
Gold Diggers Inspiration
What is that old saying? It don’t mean a thing, if he ain’t got that bling! Quick gals, strap on your furs, frippery, and your silk stockings: the next Vintage Vivant celebrates GOLD DIGGERS, March 27th, 9pm at The Swan Dive. Imagine a room full of ladies in lace, dripping in pearls, diamonds, and gold. [...]
Gangsters & Molls Inspiration
You know what guys get who talk? Yah, see? C’mere, dame. That goes double for you, mug! Austin: ready yourselves for the most coin flipping, grapefruit-in-the-face-smooshing, whiskey shooting, gun toting, fast talking evening you ever laid eyes on. It’s Gangsters and Molls, this Sunday at the Swan Dive! Sunday, February 27th 9pm – 2am at [...]
Paper Moon pt. 3
As soon as the words “Paper Moon” were written down on our brainstorming sheet for Vintage Vivant, Angeliska and I knew that we had to have an actual Man in the Moon photobooth for the event. Our dearest, Devaki Knowles of Fun Loving Photos, has immortalized countless booty bounce dance nights and Tranarchy! shenanigans, so [...]
Paper Moon, pt. 2
We bring to you, for your delight, candid photographs from Vintage Vivant presents Paper Moon. So many excellent photographs were taken through the night, that we bring them to you in three installments. Photographs in this post were taken by Angeliska and Amelia throughout the evening. Greetings from one of your hostesses of the evening, [...]
Austin Blogger Awards
I just found out that I am nominated for “Best Style Blog” at the Austin Blogger Awards – Hooray! I feel so lucky to be selected! Please vote for me, you have until December 3rd. Thanks! If this is your first time to visit Vintage Vivant, here is a slice of my life from the last [...]
Hello Kitty – Costume Contest
Last August, I played the part of Hello Kitty when she came to visit us in Austin (left). I never thought I’d be excited to play a mascot as a grown woman, but I was so excited to step into character, even in the Texas summer. Everything that I own that is not vintage is [...]
Ray Donley – Terminal Confessions
I’ve been Ray Donley’s art model for the past year and a half. He so rarely shows in Austin, that I was so excited when he told me this summer that he would have a solo show at the Russell Collection downtown. This gallery show was a mixture of oil paintings and large (very large!) [...]
Agent Ribbons – European Tour
Agent Ribbons: everything I love. Imagine if The Zombies and The Boswell Sisters collaborated on an album that was recorded in a Victorian house decorated by Dame Darcy. From the tick-whir of the Super 8 Projector on Rubix Cube to the sweet cirrus cloud melodies of Grey Gardens, Natalie Ribbons has a voice like a [...]
Deer de los Muertos & The Sinking of The Titanic
This Halloween, The East Side Show Room was host to a Titanic Party. The outside of the venue was outfitted with smoke stacks, and indoors, life rafts were hung from the rafters. The bar staff were all dressed as drowned sailors and sirens. My favorite guy dressed as an enormous ice berg! The menu for [...]
Choice Bit of Calico
Oh, gosh, what have I been up to? All of this heat makes the days melt together. Taking the dog on long walks in the August heat to get zucchini tacos at El Chilito. Listening to John Waters read his new book “Role Models” on my iPod everywhere: on the bus, on long walks, and [...]
NYC pt. 2
Here were some of the quiet corners of NYC I was able to see: Street Art over Brooklyn. A 1770s tombstone with Death Head and wings. Sipping freshly squeezed juice from food carts downtown under the shade of the graveyard. Spending time with Erin Fae, after being online friends for nearly 6 years! We hung [...]
