GOOD GOLLY MS HOLLY

I have memories of visiting the legendary Holly Harp boutique on Sunset Blvd in the late 1970s with my mom.  If you were a fashion lover in the 1970s, Holly Harp was your go-to designer for that boho luxe look of carefree Los Angeles made famous by the likes of Stevie Nicks and Michelle Phillips.  It's a look that really never goes out of style (hello Hedi Slimane).  I am always partial to the jersey pieces featuring hand-painting like the outstanding example below.  However, it gets extra fabulous as this evening dress comes with a hooded cape for the Laurel Canyon/Topanga Canyon rock star in each and everyone of us that may get goose bumps on her shoulders when the sun sets and the incense starts burning.

I am back from my latest Rainbow Tour to promote DECADES: A CENTURY OF FASHION.  I hope to be able to blog a bit more before we resume the tour in 10 days.

-Cameron

Holly Harp Cream jersey floral painted gown with cape, c. 1970's. Modern size 4. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

SEASONLESS SEXY WON'T QUIT

If you are on the East Coast, it feels like the dead of winter.  If you are in Los Angeles, it feels like fall one moment and summer the next.  What's a global fashionista to do?  Wear vintage Holly Harp, of course. 

This early 1970s boho wool-blend dress may be autumnal in color story, but the flouce of the sleeve, peplum at the waist, and ease of drape in floral print is perfect for the hippie-dippie Woodstock-er music festival VIP pass attendee we all have inside and of us at any time of the year.  Imagine wearing this in Coachella next month with a pair of roman sandals?  If you are in NYC today, top this dress with a shearling and Doc Martens for fighting the elements.  In LA, throw on a pair of Manolos and hit an award season party in effortless style.   

Holly translated counter-cultural fashion but made it sellable at tony stores like Bendel's and Bergdorf's.  She also believed a woman remained sexy during every decade of her life:

"I still have a sexy little girl in me that won't quit."

-Holly Harp at 47

Don't Quit!

-Cameron 

Holly Harp wool floral print dress with zip up front detail, c. 1970's. Modern size 2 to 4. 
To purchase click here SOLD

Or for additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

HIGH LOW CHLOE

As we all know, New Yorkers love to talk and Big Apple dwellers love them some Chloe Sevigny dish. It seems that everyone I know kicked it with at Liquid Sky back in the day or spotted Sevigny as a vintage-clad teen skulking through the East Village when she allegedly eschewed handbags in favor of carrying her essentials in a white plastic deli bag. Several years later, Sevigny sightings are still as numerous as they were in the early 90s, when Sevigny interned at Sassy and was the subject of Jay McInerney's infamous New Yorker send-up, Chloe's Scene, and discussion/dissection of what makes an "It" girl.

Sigh. What happened to the "It" girl? Where has she gone? In all likelihood, she's left the city entirely, and is posting up somewhere in the country in a geodesic dome that's she built herself while she cans and pickles and quilts.

If you ask me, Chloe is one of, if not the, last truly great "It" girls. She eschews stylists and does her own hair and make-up and consistently knocks it out of the park on the red carpet. Her style is truly inimitable plus her affinity for vintage and her ability to know how to wear it in a way that always feels modern, makes her a truly fashionable gal. And I'm not the only one. I'm pretty sure that the gang over at Opening Ceremony finds her pretty chic as they've tapped her to collaborate on an in-house line of clothing season after season.

Of course, seeing Chloe in Decades picks is always a blast. Here's a few of my favorite Chloe Sevigny selections over the years:

--Lizzy

Chloe in vintage Paco Rabanne haute couture dress and necklace in a shoot for the LA Times

Chloe in vintage Thierry Mugler at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2007

Chloe in vintage Holly Harp at the Academy Awards in 2002

So, we picked a few pieces and just posted them on our website here that remind of fashion's most beloved daredevil. Check out a preview below:

Vintage Issey Miyake draped dress, Vintage Theirry Mugler black leather dress, vintage YSL princess puff sleeve cocktail dress

Zimmerman mint bouclé dress, YSL black jumpsuit, YSL grey jersey vest

HEART HOLLY HARP

Growing up in Los Angeles in the1970s and 80s, I became pretty familiar with the work of
Holly Harp. I have memories of sitting on a couch in her store while my mother shopped the sample sales. Holly Harp dressed so many people in my hometown that I am always looking for her pieces. Although she was most popular for her use of fluid jersey and dressing rock stars like Stevie Nicks, this Holly Harp dress isn't in jersey and is more for the Disco than the Troubadour.

If the Great Gatsby merged with Studio 54, this would be Daisy Buchanan's look. This "flapper" dress features four thin straps to create a V shaped-neckline and back; plus tiers of iridescent fringe for a shimmy sensation. It's super light and flirty and an unusual example of Holly Harp's designs. Many years ago, we mounted a Holly Harp retrospective at Decades which included incredible early designs from the late 1960s and early 1970s. I only wish we had all those pieces still! Certainly, they have all found amazing homes and this Holly will find a great home, too.
-Cameron






Holly Harp crepe and fringe dress, c. late 1970s. Modern 4 to 6 SOLD
For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

FLOWER CHILD GOES GLAM

We mostly identify Holly Harp pieces by their counterculture appeal. From painted jersey numbers, to silk and chiffon dresses, Harp's signature creations represent the flower child within. However, she recognized even flower children like to express their inner glam goddess--hence the cream dress below.

Made of knit jersey, the draping provides an elongated effect. Pearls lining the neck and shoulders evokes both romance and a 20s vibe. We love receiving pieces that are a departure from the norm. We also find it a special rarity when we recieve the same pieces, yet from the closets of 2 different women. Click here to check out the first posting of the same dress. The dress below is in even better condition than the first.

Holly Harp cream jersey dress with swag and pearl drip, c. late 1970's. Marked size Petite, Contemporary size 4-6. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

Woven Wonder

This dress from Holly Harp is all about the fabric. It is a lightweight woven silk with grey and red contrasting threads. The pattern woven into the material is an elaborate nature motif complete with birds, leaves, flowers and clouds. Gorgeous in person and very difficult to describe via blog, this one is not to be missed. The construction is elegant and interesting without being overwhelming. There is an attached capelet that ties at the bust. The hemline opens into a seductive slit at the knee. The material is cut on the bias so it has a fair amount of give where you need it. This is a piece for a collector or someone who has cultivated an appreciation for fine, antique fabric.

Holly Harp antique fabric red and grey dress with bird theme, c.late 60's. Contemporary size 4.

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

Cascade in Cream

Decades strives to only buy pieces that are in as close to perfect condition as possible. This Holly Harp dress is a fabulous exception to this rule. When we received the dress there was a small hole in the cream knit jersey that we had re-woven. If one is close enough to the garment it is possible to see where the repair was made, but it certainly isn't obvious to the untrained eye.

This dress is cream jersey that has been draped in such a way that the bottom of the dress swags both in front and back. The neck and shoulders are lined with pearls, and dripping under the arms are three strands of pearls. As we assert, we rarely purchase things in less-than-perfect condition, but this one is truly a rare find that we had to share with our beloved clients. We have sold vintage Holly Harp dresses since we opened in 1997 and this dress is a great example of Holly's wore from the late 1970s.

Holly Harp cream jersey dress with swag and pearl drip, c. late 1970's. Marked size Petite, Contemporary size 4-6. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

WEAR THIS RIGHT NOW

It's summer and it's hot. You have BBQs and beach parties-galore to attend. There is a quick get-away to Sardinia in early August and you probably will stay with friends in the Hamptons for Labor Day weekend. You don't fly private because you are a Green activist and want to reduce your Ozone omissions, so you are flying commercial and determined to do this all without checking any luggage, as you don't want to risk lost luggage these days. You need an easy to pack dress, that is super light-weight, and versatile. We are here to meet your need with this asymmetric Holly Harp lilac jersey dress from the early 1970s.

The illusion of one a shoulder dress is achieved by adding a thin spaghetti strap for a perfect Goddess-Gone-on-Vacation look. We love the signature Holly Harp cascades of light jersey finished with top stitching creating a slight ruffle-effect. This dress goes flip-flop friendly, jeweled mule, or strappy metallic heel for a day-to-evening to I-am-on-Vacation-and-will-party-till-the-next-morning look. Party responsibly and stylishly in vintage from Decades.


Holly Harp lilac asymmetric jersey gown, c 1970s. Marked size S, contemporary 4 to 8 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

Sexy Drapery by Holly Harp and Halston

Having a Stevie Nicks moment? Looking to set free your inner disco denizen? Just hoping to get your hands on the perfect, flowy, sexy summer dress in a great evening color? You're in luck! We have beautiful options from two of the Seventies' most prolific designers: Holly Harp and Halston. The Halston is not in perfect condition; if you look closely at the bust, you'll notice a water stain that can't be removed. However, it's a great dress for a collector or admirer of Halston.


Holly Harp Black Jersey Asymmetric Draped Goddess Gown, c. 1970s. Fits a contemporary size 4 to 6.


Halston Plum Chiffon One-Shoulder Draped Disco Dress, c. 1970s. Fits a contemporary size 4 to 6. SOLD
Not in mint condition--stain across the bust.

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call (323) 655-0223. Please reference the description above.

I LIKE THE NIGHT LIFE

The invitation just arrived and it states: You are cordially invited to the greatest birthday party ever. You continue reading with excitement and then you see the DRESS CODE: 70s Disco Chic! "Oi Vey," you say. And then you think of me...your dearly beloved blog and know that this dress code ain't nothing to worry about because DECADES has the answers and our suggestions are below:

The Halston heavy matte jersey V neck dress is for those who want a bit of the Studio 54 vibe, but want a dress that is a foundation for fabulous accessories. Mix this up with a ton of bangles, huge hoop earrings, and a strappy metallic sandal. The dress is Halston, after all...it is Studio 54 Disco 70s fabulous-ness, yet thoroughly modern and appropriate for various cocktail opportunities, regardless of a theme dress code.

Halston 70s heavy matte jersey V neck dress with narrow rib cage. Modern size 4 SOLD
Then there is the party goer who loves a little drama. Well, this Adolfo for Saks Fifth Avenue silk leopard print dress is 70s indulgence and has blingy jet bead buttons on the cuffs and down the front for extra pizazz. Finally, there are the ladies out there who love to dance and this Holly's Harp matte jersey dress has a fluid skirt, spaghetti straps, and a cris-cross gathered jersey effect neckline that makes the wearer want to twirl in circles. So here are three options for those who like the night life and need a touch of 70s to get through it!
Adolfo for Saks Fifth Avenue 70s leopard print silk hostess gown with jeweled buttons. Modern size 6 to 8 SOLD
Holly's Harp by Holly Harp 70s black jersey spaghetti strap cris-cross neckline dress. Modern 4 to 6 SOLD
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE EMAIL BLOG@DECADESINC.COM OR PHONE 323 655 0223. PLEASE REFERENCE THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE.