Windows ’97
In a town where shoppers drive the two blocks between malls, the art of window dressing is lost somewhere between regular and unleaded. We are a city that fails to press our noses against store windows, even when we can find one. And we forget that Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Rhoda Morgenstern once made a living decorating windows on that other coast. But at Golyester, located on a pedestrian-friendly strip of La Brea Avenue just south of Beverly Boulevard, owner Esther Ginberg’s store windows are as elaborate and intriguing as the vintage fashions and etro accessories sold within. Designed by store manager Linda Davis, this recent window at Golyester is a reminder that it’s worth the quarter to park at the meter and window-gaze on foot. Even in L.A.
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1. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF TASTE: In 1969, men landed on the moon, and the event was immortalized on this ‘70s bedspread. For Davis, the lunar landing offered an opportunity to create an atmospheric turbulence of color and print.
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2. DIVE TIME: Plunging into a “pool” fashioned from a velour ‘70s quilt, this Jantzen mannequin (wearing an ice-blue ‘40s Jantzen swimsuit, natch) is a rare find in a world of catatonic window dwellers. Unlike the typical vacant-eyed mannequin pose--one arm daintily poised as if to hail a cab--this one’s diving prowess makes a real splash.
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3. BEAR NECESSITY: A cotton-rayon-velour polar bear tapestry from the ‘40s took center stage because, Davis says, “it was cold outside and we wanted to sell coats.”
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4. THE GEN-X BLOSSOMS: These plastic bulbs sprang from that hothouse of kitsch, Hong Kong. Davis chose them “to add a little color because spring is coming.”
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5. IN, DAMNED SPORTS: The North Pole may be frigid, but leopard is hot, and Golyester wanted to sell some. “Every few years leopard recycles itself as a fashion trend,” Ginsberg says.
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6. FUNKY CHAPEAU: Hats are hot, even when they’re not crowning fair heads with piled-high’s dos. Davis gave this 1950’s Jack McConnell creation, decked out wth aurora borealis rhinestones new bag. “The lamp didn’t have a shade,” she shrugs “and the hat was just the right color.”
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7. THOSE DARNED CATS: In the 1950s, Siamese TV lights like these sat atop the family Philco, eyes glowing blue. They must have looked faintly ridiculous even then.
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8. CALLING CRUELLA DEVIL: The animal theme is completed a la Francaise with these ‘50s poodles---one stuffed, one shaped as a wicker purse.
