Happier Halloween!

A Halloween serenade from the spookiest of soul men, Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

xoxo COUNCIL

Happy Halloween!

For our trick-or-treaters, Dum-Dums!

xoxo COUNCIL

Street Scare.

Elle Magazine documenting Halloween inspired street wear.

xoxo COUNCIL

The Gold Saves the Theives.

Aside from the painfully charming cover of this 1965 edition of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this book is worth revisiting for the brilliant chapter titles alone.

"The House Of Death Floats By"; "All Full Of Tears And Flapdoodle"; "I Steal The King's Plunder"; "Dead Peter Has His Gold"; and "The Pitiful Ending Of Royalty".

We have often spoken about selling vintage books in the shop, but, who can part with gems such as these? One day, hopefully soon, we will grow strong enough to. We will let you know when that day comes.

In the mean time, we will simply have to continue sharing our most favorite and most covetous book covers with you.

xoxo COUNCIL

book courtesy of the Stephanie Schwallie Library

Under the Sea.

This weather feels like swimming, doesn't it?

xoxo COUNCIL

courtesy of them.

To Boerum Hill, with love.

COUNCIL happens to reside on one of the best blocks in this whole city.

Atlantic Avenue, between Hoyt & Bond, houses some of our favorite shops and some of our most favorite faces. We'd love to tell you more about some of them.

Sir, Hollander & Lexer, Daar, Legacy, Jonathan Adler, City Foundry, and Steven Alan are just some of the gems that we get to pass by on a daily basis.

Our closest neighbor, Sir, has been on the block just a few years shy of a decade and Joanna Baum, the designer and owner, happens to be a great friend of ours. Her line of beautifully distressed silk dresses have been neighborhood favorites since she first opened her doors at 360 Atlantic. Take a look at her collection here. And see one of her lovely creations below.


And don't worry, we'll tell you more about all of those beautiful others very soon. Promise.

xoxo COUNCIL

Sound it out.

And a good Sunday morning to you.

xoxo COUNCIL

To know her.

Millicent Rogers (1902 - 1953) grew up on land that her father named "The Port of Missing Men" in a home with guestrooms named things like: "The Room of the Ruined Roman Virgins". It's no wonder that she became an eccentric, entirely original woman, both in her style and the way that she chose to live her life. Many know her for the incredible costumes that she wore to galas, or for her influence on American and European fashion throughout the first half of the 20th Century, but she was so much more than a reveling socialite with an eye for trends. A wealthy heiress, she balanced a life of Society and travel with various and wide ranging humanitarian efforts, making an impressive impact on each cause that she adopted.

She was a fervent patron of the arts, befriending and supporting many designers and artists. After her third marriage dissolved (and she had an affair with Clark Gable), however, she was introduced to Taos, New Mexico and instantly fell in love with the culture and landscape. She donated her couture collection to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and left her perch among the social elite to move to Taos for what would become the remainder of her life. Once there, she began designing jewelry, learned metalsmithing, collected the native art and jewelry of the region, and devoted herself tirelessly to establishing and expanding Native American rights. In the end, she was buried in a Navajo blanket at 51 after struggling with her health for many years, finding her final resting place in the Southwestern earth that had delivered her rebirth.

xoxo COUNCIL

All of my ex's.

Our little blogging lady, Miranda, has run off to her homeland of Austin, Texas for a spell. Our posts will resume regularly somewhere around the later side of next week (when she returns).

We hope you don't miss us too much in the mean time.

xoxo COUNCIL

photo courtesy of Simone Küng

Girls on Film.

Jodie Foster, from 1974 to 1980 (a.k.a. from 12 to 18). The Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Foxes (1980) era Foster. Somehow, she had this whole Diane Keaton in Annie Hall/LA surfer thing going on; an improbable combination that she pulled off effortlessly. And, to be honest, we're kind of jealous.

xoxo COUNCIL

(image via saffrangrowild.livejournal.com/)

(image via www.dailyfill.com)

Take it from me.

xoxo COUNCIL

P.S.

Owls shouldn't smoke.

Thrifty English Queen.

Take a look at the lovely and talented Arlene Guerra's blog, Thrifty English Queen, for her insights on fashion, art, and culture. 

Her Story:

"I’ve been a freelance fashion stylist for the last 9 plus years and an accessory designer since 2005. Shopping for vintage is second nature for me. I allow my intuitive fashion radar to lead the way. This usually involves an adrenaline rush from scoring a vintage version that looks and acts like it’s fresh from the runway. Not that it always needs to work this way, but it’s a challenge to find something that sparks a familiarity to what is current but at the same time original. I’d like to share this with you."

Her work:

Life Imitating Art

Oscar Wilde once said “Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.” More than a coincidence, synchronicity, collective unconscious, what is it???? After viewing the Spring 2010 Louis Vuitton show I couldn’t help but exclaim, shut it! All I know is that Marc Jacobs needs this artwork in his residence, office or perhaps a collaboration. My talented friend ,artist Martha Rich painted this amazing piece called Lemon Fresh Pretty. Check out more of Martha’s work at www.martharich.com she rocks!

Lemon Fresh Pretty by Martha Rich

xoxo COUNCIL

life imitating art (image style.com)

Encore.

A follow up to the original Nina Simone post and a rather essential nod to both her genius and the current economic climate.

Dedicated to all of our unemployed, under employed, underdressed, and under pampered but still ever so wonderful and amazing friends. You are always welcome to stop by for a cup of tea, if not a purchase. We love to see you just the same.

xoxo COUNCIL

P.S.

And when you do, perhaps we can discuss Nina's profile ready hairstyle?!

It's all I want.

xoxo COUNCIL

With golden seams.

Nothing sounds quite as good playing in COUNCIL as Nina Simone does.

Ever the diva, this performance of See Line Woman captures a gentler side of her stage/throne persona. It builds ever so nicely (as most good things do), so you better stick it out until the end.

xoxo COUNCIL

Jane B.

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. Three favorites of a favorite couple.

xoxo COUNCIL

The Jukebox Project.

A request for special requests: 

What's your most favorite, most memorable line from your most favorite, most memorable song?

Email it (or them, as many as you would like, really) to: mb@councilboutique.com

The submissions may be used for an ongoing embroidery project, tentatively titled The Jukebox Project. Each work will be a one-off and won't be exclusively hoop-bound. 

More details and images from the project will follow. Until then, please start firin' away!

xoxo COUNCIL

image from D.A. Pennebaker's documenatry Don't Look Back (1965)

Follow your dream to the end.

Only a teaser, but Donovan just the same. 

Enjoy the preview or click on the link to hear the entire song in all of its folksy, psychedelic glory.

xoxo COUNCIL

"Scout," said Atticus, "when summer comes..."

This is probably the best book cover, ever. Which is fitting considering that this is probably one of the best books, ever.

xoxo COUNCIL