Playboy..the Vintage Years

I was 23 years old. It was mid summer, and my Dad and I were at the monthly Mark Vail Auction in the Pine Bush, NY which was a hop, skip and jump from our cabin in the woods. A set of vintage Playboys from 1964-1981 came up for auction. I was mulling about in the back of the room embarrassed to look at who was avidly bidding on the lot. I hear "I've got $300...now $350, no $400, $450 going once, going twice, SOLD to bidder # 800!"

Bidder # 800 was oddly familiar. IT WAS MY DAD. How could he? HOW embarrassing! I wanted to go run out to the car so that nobody knew I was with the guy, much less MY DAD, who just bought ALL the Playboys.

We got in the car. I was FURIOUS. He was laughing his head off. He said "sweetheart, I got those for you!" What? Did that make ANY sense? Well, after years of perusing them, it does. They have inspired me more than I could have possibly imagined, and he knew they would. The line :"I read Playboy for the articles" is actually a line I now understand. Except, I would add that I personally read vintage Playboy for the articles, fashion section, sketches, and most of all ads.
And thus we come to a 1968 edition with something called The Playboy Coloring Book:

Eloquent, frisky, colorful and fun. Well done Playboy. Hope this wasn't too frisky for some of you...there is oh so much more to come.

PS. Dad, you were right. Thank you!

-Color Me Happy, Bradley

Making of a Print

Another example of how prints are conceived at CK Bradley...

The New York Yacht Club wall in Newport has these FABULOUS Spanish roof tiles as a decorative detail in their wall.

I got up close with visions of a print running through my head...

changed the colors...

made it thicker...
added some color...
and dimension
And voila! Then our wonderful illustrator got to work...

and we had a photo shoot to sell the finished print on skirts and dresses...

From a wall detail outside the NYYC to a print for dresses and skirts...you never know where inspiration might strike.
(Yesterday I was taking pics of man hole covers - stay tuned for what comes of that!)

-Get Creative, Bradley

Quest Magazine Photo Shoot at Awosting

I've been a bit out of touch these past couple weeks, as I have been far removed from a computer in the depths of my Awosting wilderness in the Gunks. Usually I go up there to hike, write, sleeeeeeep, get inspired and most importantly see my Dad, but this time is was to CLEAN. No chit chatting, no emailing, no old movie watching, no apple crisp baking; just scrubbing, polishing, sweeping, laundering, buffing, waxing, and more buffing and waxing. And for what you wonder? A good friend of mine, Georgina Schaeffer, asked me a while ago if Quest could do a shoot at our country place, and I said yes. And boy am I glad I did!

The cast of 17 crew and guests arrived Friday night and spent hours sorting out outfits for all the guests.
The boys had some good ensembles waiting for action...
Off to bed we went with an early morning wake up call. Had my Dad been there it would have been him blowing Revelry through his Boy Scout bugle at the first sign of light...
First was the 'Lover's Coffee' shoot on the deck. It's remarkable that Chris is so active so early....
Then a FRIGID hike to Gertie's Nose with the huckleberry bushes begging to be photographed.
The Hiking Crew

Note that I can't post the professional pics till the November issue of Quest comes out..so much better ones to come. Mine are more of the 'outtakes' and sideline shots. To follow the latest hot spots and parties at Quest on Twitter, click here.
Now you ALL know I love to jump, fall, fly, and capture the moment. Mimi Crawford, our photographer, and I must have been sisters in a previous life, as she was a kin to all this and had us doing calisthenics all day...including having the boys go in for a dip.

Chris Leach and Charles Darling about to jump into a slightly nipply 48 degree pool. I'm not sure clothing off the 'models' is what Ralph Lauren, J Maclaughlin, or Lilly were hoping for when they sent up press samples, but it works for CK Bradley...

After their dip, the boys went off to meet with the Head of our Hunt Club, Tommy, for a lesson in all things MANLY. Darling is wearing RL I suspect here...lookin good!
And now you may laugh. Yes, that is me in a CK Bradley Bamba dress from last season, on a polar bear rug, with a hair piece and a chess board. The picture below was one of my mom from a shoot, and, well, why not attempt a recreation? Maybe a good Christmas present for my Dad instead of the super size set of AA batteries I always give him as a joke.

Then it was time for Cocktails. L-R: Betsey and Jim Fowler, Carrie Fowler Stowe and Camilla Bradley...in the new Sonoma Dress in Burnt Orange with Trim. (The dress is a limited edition as are all of our styles now, and comes with just trim on the sleeves too for a more daytime look. And in BLACK! So comfy and perfect with flats, heels, boots)

Now in case Jim Fowler rings a bell to you, it is because he used to be on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, and was certainly the first Animal guy....here's a picture I love...

Finally in the Dining Room, Dads and daughters. And I can't forget Tigger, who was in the shoot for a bit, then retired to the kitchen where he was found nesting in a case of Rolling Rock.

Sunday came and it was time to go, but not before the crew did one last picture. It's one of our favorite looks: Lace Face.

Thanks to all the people that made this happen...the guests, QUEST, Mimi and her crew, John Novi at the Canal House and Georgina for dreaming it up.

-Tuckered and Tired, Bradley

Mom in a Playtex Girdle Commercial

My Dad always tells the story of how my Grandparents called from Japan to tell my father they had "...just seen Marilyn (my mom) on TV in a commercial!" My fathers quick response was, "Now Dick, (my grandfather) do you really think I would let Marilyn be in a commercial?" And then of course, Dick felt silly, and realized that it must have been a woman that looked remarkably like his daughter on TV.

But...it was my Mom.

She did a little modeling then, and had been brought into the film studio to show other models how it should be done. But they wanted to use her. My father was not happy, but was assured by her agent that the commercial would probably not even make it to prime time. By the late 60's it aired in 14 countries and was translated into 9 languages. Upset it had gotten this big, there was nothing my father could do. (He didn't want the love of his life on someone elses TV screen)

But I am happy it did air, as it is the only time I have ever heard my mothers voice. (I lost my mother and brothers in a car accident when I was 2...and thankfully had the best Dad anyone could hope for to raise me)
Here is the commercial...for women to be relieved we dont wear these, and for men to be happy they don't have to fumble taking them off women! And for me to hear my mother's voice.

Description:
The camera pans up to a beautiful woman, and what does she have on her mind? "My girdle is killing me!"
This series was lampooned widely on variety shows of the era, which was great for Playtex.
I think you need Real Player for this...

Click for Playtex Girdle Commercial

-Not Wearing a Girdle, Bradley

The Life of My CKB Tote, By Arianne Berger

The new CK Bradley website is being created as we speak, and one of the parts of it will include Guest Writers, asked to write about all things from travels and where to go, to CKB stories worth sharing.

Arianne Berger, head of the CKB Cheerleading Team(in uniform on Left above) and CKB intern in NYC a couple years ago, is now recent graduate of St.Lawrence University and has sent in the following stroll down memory lane about the life and adventures of her CKB tote.

The Life of My CKB Tote

I once read that Elizabeth Taylor, when asked to comment on today’s fresh female faces in Hollywood, had responded by saying that they “don’t look like they own their clothes.”

In the era of publicists and Perez, the brevity of a style can last just long enough for trendsters to purchase and then pack away when a newer fad is deemed “must have.” In my opinion, the best clothes and accessories are those that are well-loved, and therefore evidently well-worn - sun-bleached fabric, tears, and the odd stain are proof that it belongs to you, and is tailored by your life’s adventures.

I spied my first C.K. Bradley tote at Rags, one of my favorite boutiques to frequent when I visited my family in Greenwich. On one such visit, 3 generations of Laidlaw women simultaneously invaded the store at the top of The Avenue. Clearly, I was oh-so-excited when my favorite (and always chic) Auntie Suzy (picking up on my hints), bought me one of the totes for my 14^th birthday. The blue floral tote became my favorite, and a quick part of my high school weekend uniform.

In college, the CKB tote still occupied my personal IT bag status, and luckily so, as on my first day at St. Lawrence, I spied my future best friend Samantha because of her equally well-loved CKB tote, and we sparked up an initial conversation due to the obvious commonality.

Later when I ventured to Costa Rica to work on a sea turtle conservation project, though I feel I can rough it with the best of them, I didn’t think twice about bringing my CKB tote with me along with my hiking boots, mosquito net, and lonely planet guide-book.

Over the past few years, an increasing collection of totes (I’m up to 5) accompanied me to the Uffizi as I gazed at Leonardo’s and Botticelli’s, to South African elephant sanctuaries, and on boats in the Seychelles en route to uninhabited islands.

Thinking about what has been “toted” is also an interesting reflection of my life’s adventures as I begin a mental list of the London tube maps, bathing suits, love letters, English reading assignments, carefully hidden to-go sushi and made-at-home kettle-corn smuggled into movie theatres, as well as the seashell treasures that I stashed in the inside pockets.

More recently, en route from London to Nantucket, I stopped by Newport to check in with the CKB gang. Of course, I couldn’t help but pick out a new one from Camilla’s personal archives in the warehouse.

You can bet that through bike rides to Sconset, ferry trips to visit my latest love interest, and autumnal quests to savor the last of summer on Great Point, the newest tote won’t look that way for long.

While I have yet to see it on the trendster pages of US Weekly and InTouch, my well-worn tote, though not a Kelly, Birkin, Louis or Marc, makes a statement of its own – and one that I much prefer to make.

Check out Arianne's blog

I'm just plain tickled. If you have stories about your dress or tote, email blog@ckbradley.com

-So Many Totes, So Little Time Bradley

Harriman Cup Strikes Again

With EVERY social event comes the opportunity to see who you can get to strip.

The Whomper made it's way to the Harriman Cup last weekend for the annual UVA vs. Yale Polo Match. I brought Stackle for the gamers, and Sonoma Dresses for the sneak peakers. In typical Camilla fashion, I changed outfits 3 times in a span of 1 polo match. Not exactly the usual way to introduce a new dress, but Why Not? I mean who needs Runway shows at Fashion Week when I've got a Polo Field filled with potential and repeat customers? No better press than that, although Oprah would be nice...

No changing rooms at the Polo Field. That's where the stripping comes in. Note the look on the guy checking her out...Yowzer!
Pull the Sonoma Dress over your head,
Squiggle out of your top,
Check yourself out in the nearest non aero dynamic car door

And Presto. New outfit. And what a great model she is!

Now not everyone stripped....This girl tried it on over her shirt and jeans...

Any way you slice it, good test marketing for the Solid Sonoma dress in Ponte Knit...perfect for Fall. More colors are soon to come, all made and sourced in New England we are happy to FINALLY report!

Even caught a beautiful sunset on the way back into NYC....
-Never a Dull Moment, Bradley

Inspired by Your Comments...

LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! Inspired me. I am now the proud owner of a Tory Burch Isa Tote.

And to give into shameless self promotion, imagine how cute it will look with the new Sonoma Dress that has just landed in CK Bradley Boutique!

We had 2 other colorways that have SOLD OUT already...Next time I'll be quicker about getting it up on the site before we sell out to our Wholesale Boutiques.

Here's to Tory Burch and CK Bradley looking good together...

-Never say Never, Bradley.

Spotted...with Tory Burch

Sometimes a Blog can really draw me in. Before I know it, I have spent an hour perusing other peoples lives. But that doesn't happen often...Having left NYC for salty air, I find myself enjoying other peoples accounts of the parties I used to go to, and the people I used to see. Melissa Morris is a great customer of CK Bradley, looks great in almost anything she wears...and has an adorable dog, Monty. Her Blog has accounts of nearly everything from eating to travel to..a day in the life of Melissa. Scrolling away, I came upon Melissa wearing CK Bradley with Tory Burch.

Love it. You look fabulous Melissa!
It made me do a little thinking about Tory Burch. CK Bradley had been around for a year or two when Tory decided to start her business. Tory hired my first employee, Meg Doepke to be her right hand woman. Meg was great at CK Bradley back in the day, and Tory was SMART to hire her. Meg actually still works for Tory today, and I run into her outside of the daunting orange walls they put up around the Tory Burch booth at the Coterie every year. The Coterie, for those of you who don't know, is THE show where boutiques and larger department stores come to buy lines for the following season.
This was CK Bradley's FIRST Coterie Booth in 2004. Tigger is in his kelly green cage in the right hand corner! All of our samples were in white fabric, and we had drawn the print on laminated paper for stores to pick and choose what color ways they would like. This will require another blog, since I am getting OFF topic reference Tory Burch.

So back to Tory. Who is the Tory customer? I don't own anything she makes, but that's not to say I don't like her taste, I do. So why don't I buy her stuff? Something to ponder. And it's NOT because I get to design my own clothes...my closet is full of Marc Jacobs, DVF and old Tocca.

-Any Ideas? Bradley.