Per Lilah—The Debut!

A newsletter from the editor, filled with recommendations, per Lilah.

Jan 05, 2025

Welcome to the inaugural edition of this newsletter. True to its name, Per Lilah is a compendium of my recommendations—all the things I love (vintage fashion, culture, the arts) and nothing I don’t. Every suggestion is chosen with one thing in mind: keeping it chic.

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McFadden Marvels

2024 saw the passing of Mary McFadden—the designer and former Vogue editor who aptly anointed herself the High Priestess of Fashion. Inspired by Mariano Fortuny (more on him below) and his pleated Delphos gowns, McFadden launched her label in 1976 using Marii, a proprietary heat-pleated synthetic fabric. The overall look was Greco-meets-GLAMOUR—see me above in an incredible lattice-sleeved beaded McFadden Couture dress. On The RealReal now is a chic jacket (above, $146) that Ms. McFadden herself once wore! And below, are two dresses I really think you need—(left, $255 and right, $156). It’s a trio of utterly underpriced gems.

A Rive-Gauche Get

The above photo by Roxanne Roxanne Lowit was taken at the Fall 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche show and a gold brocade and bejeweled button coat on The RealReal (below, $1,095) appears to be from the very same collection. I can’t think of a better way to fight the winter blues.

Divine Mackie & Beene

If you don’t buy this (below left, $422) vintage fur-cuffed Bob Mackie jacket I will. (I’m being serious—and once the Bob Mackie documentary comes out next week, I imagine I’ll want it even more!) Then there’s this exquisite Geoffrey Beene dress (below right, $427) which looks like Prada Fall 2008 (IYKYK) but, of course, this Beene frock is from the ’60s so it’s even better.

Luxe Lanvin & Lana Marks

I might be a fool for sharing this velvet Lanvin dress (below left, $645) with you all because I know I’ll have whatever the equivalent of buyer’s remorse is for an item you don’t buy. The combination of black and tobacco is beyond. It’s likely from the 1980s and I found a Lanvin dress in the Vogue archive from the 1940s I believe this dress was heavily inspired by. Anyway, she’s divine—as is this snakeskin Lana Marks bag (below right, $455). If you’re like me and allergic to it Bags (I do not now nor will I ever want to carry a recognizable bag) then do yourself a favor and scoop her up.

Pilati Princess

I’m nostalgic for Pilati-era Saint Laurent. The kids say bubble skirts are back but this skirt (below, $425) from the Fall 2005 Saint Laurent runway is a classic.

A Runway Lacroix

Should you really want to impress someone with your vintage chops, this Christian Lacroix jacket (below, $395) from the Spring 1993 collection is the way to go. It displays an expert level of color theory and though it’s downright maximalist, this is not a loud piece. I’d sport it with a pair of black cigarette pants, black ballet flats, and would ready myself for many outfit compliments.

Rochas & Ralph Rucci Staples

While not vintage, this Rochas piece comes from a label I love to wear since it’s both historic and defunct. I think the lavender is just lovely (below left, $95). Meanwhile, this Chado by Ralph Rucci ’00s halter-top (below right, $369) feels as architectural as the Guggenheim.

A Met Gala-Worthy Gown

Stay with me now….This Bill Blass (a Swan favorite designer) gown (below, $147) was worn by society doyenne Pat Buckley (Met Gala Co-chair for decades!) to the Met Gala in 1995—the first year Anna Wintour chaired the gala. In this image, Buckley is flanked by Blass and the divine Lynn Wyatt. With the right styling, I think this dress is downright sultry. Plus, talk about a dress with some fashion history!

A Hepburn Art Show

Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (granddaughter of Audrey) will open her first art exhibition Examining the Myth of “The Scapegoat” next week in TriBeCa’s Sapar Contemporary Art Gallery. The show opens on January 10 and I’ll be there with bells on.

A Night at the Opera

I’ve been saving my Maria experience for the big screen and time is running out! If you haven’t caught the Angelina Jolie flick on the legendary soprano Maria Callas (the third of Pablo Larraín’s biopics that started with 2016’s Jackie and 2021’s Spencer) then try for a showing at the Paris theatre while you can.

The Perfect Red

The best red lipstick color (I’ve been wearing it for years) is Gucci’s Odalie 500. If you’re searching for the perfect tomato-red, look no further.

Fashion History Lesson: Mariano Fortuny

Fortuny was a true polymath—a painter, photographer, inventor, and designer whose work transcended mere fashion to become art. Born in Granada, Spain, in 1871, and later based in Venice, Fortuny was enchanted by the classical world, a passion that informed his most iconic creation: the Delphos gown. Introduced in 1907, the Delphos was a revelation—a columnar silk dress inspired by the flowing garments of ancient Greece and named after the statue of the Charioteer of Delphi. Its brilliance lay in its simplicity: finely pleated silk that clung to the body, hand-dyed in luminous colors, and adorned with delicate glass beads.

Using a secret process (the exact technology behind Fortuny’s pleating process remains a mystery even today) involving heat, pressure, and precision, Fortuny created micro-pleats that gave the silk its sculptural quality. To preserve the delicate pleats, each gown was stored rolled and coiled in a special box.

Fortuny’s pleats inspired countless designers but no two more so than Issey Miyake and Mary McFadden.

The wonderful Laird Borrelli-Persson paid tribute to all the fashion figures we lost in 2024 in this article for Vogue.