Candy Darling - Superstar

I've always had a fascination for Andy Warhol, his 'Superstars', and the Factory and Studio 54. As a small-town High School art student in the 80's I was seduced by Andy Warhol's Pop Art, a mélange of acid bright colours and Superstars such as Marilyn and Mick, photos of Jerry Hall in sequined cut-to-there Halston and Bianca Jagger on a white horse, Edie Sedgewick and Andy emerging from a pot-hole from a New York street - a peep into a captivating, glamorous, Bacchanalian world that I didn't know or understand - but knew I liked.

A new documentary called 'Beautiful Darling' by James Rasin, about one of Warhol's most enigmatic and tragic Superstars has just been released. Candy Darling was born in Queens, New York, to the rather unglamorous name of James Slattery. James took to dressing as a girl at an early age. His mother told a friend of Candy's that after hearing that her son, aged 17, had been spotted dressed as a girl at the local gay club, was told by him to sit and wait at the kitchen table. Candy soon emerged form his bedroom bedecked in his mother's clothes. "I knew then...that I couldn't stop Jimmy. Candy was just too beautiful and talented."

Candy appeared in several films, including Klute with Jane Fonda - "I've had big parts in small films and small parts in big films". A muse to many, Candy beguiled musicians such as Mick Jagger & Lou Reed who immortalised her in their respective songs 'Citadel', 'Candy Says' & 'Walk on the Wild Side', and the Smiths used her image for their 1987 single cover for 'Sheila Take a Bow' (below).

"Candy says I've come to hate my body
and all that it requires in this world
Candy says I'd like to know completely
what others so discreetly talk about"

‘Candy Says’, Velvet Underground, 1972

Candy took hormones his entire life in order to have breasts, which arguably resulted in her tragic death of Hodgkins Lymphoma at 25.

Glamorous to the end - 'Candy Darling on her Deathbed'
Gelatin-silver print, Peter Hujar, 1974

In a letter penned on her deathbed, Candy wrote:

" By the time you read this I will be gone. Unfortunately before my death I had no desire left for life. Even with all my friends and my career on the upswing I felt too empty to go on in this unreal existence. I am just so bored by everything. You might say bored to death. It may sound ridiculous but is true."

First image from Mao Mag

Urban Cowgirl

I just revisited one of my favourite movies, 'Urban Cowboy' with John Travolta & Debra Winger. Aged 25 (but looking all of 17), Winger is aboslutely stunning as fresh faced, fiesty Sissy, who falls in love with & marries Travolta's rather appealing Bud within days of meeting at Gilley's road-house. There is also a great cameo by Jerry Hall & her sister, looking stunning as a pair of talk drink of water come-hither bar-flys who seduce Bud.

Aside: Andy Warhol escorted Jerry Hall to the premiere in Houston. From Andy Warhol Diaries, June 4, 1980: "And then John Travolta arrived with thirty people....And he's so good-looking. He had on a black silk shirt and a bright green linen jacket and black pants, and his eyes are so blue.")

Such a cheeesy but cool love story. I nearly welled up when the launched into 'Looking for Love' during the final scene, when Bud rescues Sissy from the evil Wes and puts her 'Sissy' license plate back in his ute window - aw.

The cowboy fashion fused with 70's cool is fantastic. As Sissy, Debra winger looks stunning in simple strappy tank top & fitted shirts with spray on boot-cut jeans and black cowboy hat. The mechanical bull scene is outrageous - now see where the Kylie Minogue's Agent Provocateur ad inspiration came from! The foil to Sissy's 'down-home cowgirl' cool is 'posh girl' Pam, whose outfits are ever so chic cream & beige tone suits and tight Western style shirts, & especially the Cher-style suede fringed vest (which, unfortunately, I cannot find a picture of - you'll just have to rent the movie!)


I'm all about plaid shirts at the moment. If I could wear a cowboy hat other than ironically or as a costume - I would! Must be all those years growing up watching Westerns with my Dad. I drew horses constantly and wrote & illustrated books about my own Annie Oakley-style heroine. I always loved fringed suede vests & jackets, cowboy boots & bootcut jeans having my first pair of 'cowboy boots' aged 6 - they were camel, and oh so cool.

My fave piece at the moment is Kate Sylvester's butter-soft charcoal & blue 'Hilary' Shirt. Beautiful. I rather love the fringed bag from D_luxe - but will have to make do with my fantastic bargain chocolate coloured fringed suede shoulder bag Glassons in 2008, & my fab black leather fringed Cher half-breed style necklace I just got on sale from Max!

And it seems the cowgirl look is seeping back into fashion. Particularly on the heels of the excellent new move 'Crazy Heart' - (see it! Jeff Bridges & Maggie Gyllenhaal are brilliant) -people are rediscovering 'Cowgirl chic'.

The latest Vogue UK has a fabulous shoot with Lily Donaldson called 'Fringe Festival' starring fabulous fringing from Alessandro Dell Acqua's Spring 09 collection.

And let's just throw Kate in, because I love her - this shot is from the 2007 Just Cavalli shoot she did with Pete Doherty.