Showing posts with label art-to-wear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art-to-wear. Show all posts

November 10, 2018

20,000 vinyl LPs 155: Ennio Morricone ~ Chi Mai & Sandra Sakata

Ennio Morricone ~ Chi Mai from Le Professionnel
vinyl LP front cover
front cover photo by Mme Brandicourt
photo of LP cover by Styrous®

Ennio Morricone was born on November 10, 1928; he is an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, former trumpet player and has written dozens of film scores for movies (link below).    

I used the main theme, Chi Mai (link below) written by Morricone for the film, Le Professionnel, early on in one of the fashion shows I staged for the Art-To-Wear boutique, Obiko. The owner, Sandra Sakata, fell in loved with the song and asked me to use it in future shows (link below); it sort of became her theme song.
      
      
Ennio Morricone ~ Chi Mai from Le Professionnel
vinyl LP back cover
photo by Styrous®


Chi Mai is a beautiful, romantic instrumental with lush strings, a quiet piano and languid, mellow percussion. The strings open the work with sharp but gentle and hesitant staccato notes which are used throughout the song while other strings create a quiet drone backing. The percussion stops and the staccato and drone strings quietly end the piece. It's really beautiful (link below).  

It was written in 1971 and used in the film, Maddalena, then again in Le Professionnel in 1981. It was also used in the television series An Englishman's Castle and The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. Because of its appearance on the latter television programme, Chi Mai reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981.    

In 1981, the British instrumental rock group the Shadows released a guitar version of the composition. Other cover versions were released by Amii Stewart, German singer Milva, and Escala. In 1988 the British singer Marti Webb included a vocal version of the song, with lyrics by Don Black, under the title of 'He's Not You' on her album 'Marti Webb Sings Small Screen Themes'.               


Ennio Morricone ~ Chi Mai from Le Professionnel
vinyl LP back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®


"Chi Mai" is also the name of the online community about Ennio Morricone (link below). The site offers a repository of information and a free quarterly on-line magazine called 'Maestro' about Morricone's discography, concerts and movies. The on-line magazine contains reviews, in-depth articles, discoveries and free comments.      



Ennio Morricone ~ Chi Mai from Le Professionnel
vinyl LP back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Chi Mai     5:05
A2 - Canzonne Della Nostalgia - 3:10
A3 - Come Maddalena - 3:30
A4 - Poesia Di Una Donna - 3:13
A5 - Veruschka - 2:55
A6 - Ninna Nanna In Blu - 2:37
A7 - Melodia "Liberty" - 4:25

Side 1:

B1 - Ouverture Du Matin - 5:15
B2 - Les Deux Saisons De La Vie - 18:21

Companies, etc.

    Distributed By – WEA Filipacchi Music
    Printed By – Glory (2)
    Distributed By – WEA Filipacchi Music
    Phonographic Copyright (p) – Général Music France

Credits:

    Photography By – Mme Brandicourt
    Written-By – Ennio Morricone

Notes:

Made and printed in France.
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Other (Distribution Code): WE 351
    Rights Society: SACEM SDRM SACD SGDL

Ennio Morricone ~ Chi Mai  
Label: Général Music France ‎– 803.024
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: France
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Style: Modern Classical, Contemporary

       

Viewfinder links:      
        
Ennio Morricone    
Sandra Sakata    
Obiko fashion show history        
    
Net links:      
        
Chi Mai ~ Ennio Morricone Online Community     
Discography       
       YouTube links:      
        
Chi Mai (conducted by Ennio Morricone)       
Milva ~ Chi Mai   
The Shadows ~ Chi Mai         
Amii Stewart ~ Chi Mai          

 
      
       
Styrous® ~ Saturday, November 10, 2018     

 








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October 28, 2016

Obiko fashion show history

 

For seventeen years it was my extraordinary fortune to work on the production of the Obiko fashion shows for Sandra Sakata in various roles from providing only sound design to complete production coordination. I was also involved with satellite shows that featured Obiko designers. Some of these shows were video taped and I will write about them and post the videos at some point.   


1979   
July 25   
KAISIK WONG, sound design, promotional fashion show, Hilton Hotel, Caracas, Venezuela. 


1980   
Apr. 10   
OBIKO, sound design, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, John Casablancas School of Modeling, San Francisco, California 

Sept. 18   
OBIKO, sound design, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, John Casablancas School of Modeling, San Francisco, California 

Nov. 11   
OBIKO,sound design , fashion show to benefit Aid To Adoption Of Special Kids, Obiko designers, John Casablancas School of Modeling, San Francisco, California 


1981   
Sept.   
OBIKO, sound design, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, John Casablancas School of Modeling, San Francisco, California 

1982   
Mar. 21   
AT THE WILTERN, sound design, fashion show to benefit The Wiltern Theater, Obiko designers, The Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles, California   
 
Sept. 22   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Aid To Adoption Of Special Kids, Obiko designers, The Galleria, San Francisco, California 

Dec. 8   
A HIGH TEA FASHION SHOW, sound design, Gibson Palermo, Obiko & Zoftig, fashion show to benefit The Attic Theater, The Attic Theater, San Francisco, California  
   

1983   
April 4   
HELGA HOWIE, MIKI, OBIKO & THREE BAGS FULL, sound design & choreography, promotional fashion show, San Francisco, California 

Nov. 7   
FIBER, FABRIC & FASHION, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Pacific Basin School Of Textile Arts, various designers, Berkeley Repertory Theater, Berkeley, California  
   

1984   
Sept. 19   
GALA FASHION PRESENTATION, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit Aid To Adoption Of Special Kids, Obiko designers, The Galleria, San Francisco, California  

Sept. 27   
OBIKO, sound design & choreography, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, The Metropolitan Club, San Francisco, California 

Oct. 11   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit Aid To Adoption Of Special Kids, Obiko designers, The Galleria, San Francisco, California  


1985   
Jan. 30   
OBIKO, production coordinator, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, The Galleria, San Francisco, California   

Feb. 8   
ANTIQUITY TRANSFORMED, sound design & choreography, fashion show to benefit The Chinese Cultural Foundation Of S. F., Obiko designers, Empress Of China, San Francisco, California  
   

1986   
Feb. 3   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Ladies Aid To Retarded Citizens, Obiko designers, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, California   

May 17   
CRDC ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Chinatown Resources Development Center, various designers, The Gift Center, San Francisco, California  

Sept. 17   
HAUTE COUTURE, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Peninsula Auxiliary of The Medical Mission Sisters, Obiko designers, Hillsborough, California  

Sept. 24   
OBIKO, sound design & choreography, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, Stephen Wirtz Gallery, San Francisco, California  

Dec. 10   
OBIKO, sound design & choreography, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, Ginsberg Showroom, San Francisco, California  
   

1987   
Feb. 11   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit Theta Delta Xi, Obiko designers, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, California  

May 14   
JEANNE-MARC, OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Fiberworks Center for the Textile Arts, Marco Polo Showroom, various designers, San Francisco, California  

Aug. 25   
OBIKO, sound design, in-store ethnic fashion presentation, Obiko designers, San Francisco, California  

Sept. 16   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Ladies Aid To Retarded Citizens, Obiko designers, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, California  

Oct. 25   
THE SILK ROAD, production coordinator, Bergdorf Goodman fashion show for The Intercoiffure convention, Obiko designers, Essex House, New York, New York  

Dec. 8   
OBIKO, sound design, in-store ethnic fashion presentation, Obiko designers, San Francisco, California  
   

1988   
Mar. 1   
OBIKO, sound design  & choreography, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, St. Francis Yacht Club, San Francisco, California  

Mar. 30   
A SPRING COLLECTION, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Children's Cancer Research Institute, Obiko designers, Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, California  

May 14   
OBIKO, sound design & choreography, fashion show to benefit The Asian Art Museum Society For Asian Art, Obiko designers, Metropolitan Club, San Francisco, California  

July 18   
JUN'ICI ARAI, sound design  & choreography, fashion show to benefit the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, Obiko designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California   

Aug. 25   
OBIKO, sound installation, ethnic presentation, Obiko designers, Obiko, San Francisco, California 

Sept. 19   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit Theta Delta Xi, Obiko designers, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, California  
   

1989   
Feb. 15   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Ladies Aid To Retarded Children, Obiko designers, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, California   

Apr. 30   
TRIBAL VISIONS, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit The Fort Mason Museums, Obiko designers, San Francisco, California    

Sept. 20   
SCARBOROUGH FAIRE, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Peninsula Auxiliary of  The Medical Mission Sisters, Obiko designers, Hillsborough, California  

Sept. 26   
OBIKO, sound design & choreography, promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, Hornblower Yachts, San Francisco, California  
   

1990
ARTWEAR: THE BODY ADORNED, Music Consultant for KQED video presentation of wearable art, various designers, San Francisco, California 

Feb. 14   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Ladies Aid To Retarded Children, Obiko designers, Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, California  

May 11   
SPRING PROMENADE, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit The Chinese Cultural Center, Obiko designers, Palace of Fine Arts Theater, San Francisco, California  

May 22   
KUBA, sound design, in-store ethnic fashion presentation, Obiko designers, Obiko, San Francisco, California   

July 13   
NEW THREADS, production coordinator, fashion show, Handweavers Guild of America Convergence, various designers, San Jose Center For The Performing Arts, San Jose, California  

July 16   
JUN'ICI ARAI, sound design & choreography, fashion show to benefit the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, Obiko designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California   

Sept. 19   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Children's Cancer Research Institute, Obiko designers, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, California  

Oct. 18   
KUDO, sound design & choreography, fashion show to benefit Ocean Alliance, Obiko designers, British Motors, Inc., San Francisco, California  


1991   
Apr. 27   
THE EMERGING WOMAN, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit The Square & Circle Club, Obiko designers, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, California  

May 20   
THE GOLDEN DOOR, sound design, Obiko promotional fashion show, Obiko designers, San Diego, California   

Sept. 21   
TRANSFORMATIONS, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit The Japanese-American Cultural League, Obiko designers, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, California  

Nov. 25   
OBIKO, sound design,  choreography & staging, fashion show to benefit The California Crafts Museum, Obiko designers, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco, California  
   

1992   
May 2-3   
ART IN FASHION, sound design & choreography, promotional fashion shows for various art-to-wear designers, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, California    

May 22   
KUBA, sound design, in-store ethnic fashion presentation, Obiko designers, Obiko, San Francisco, California  

Aug. 5   
THE CRAFT OF THE COSTUME, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, Obiko designers, Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California  

Dec. 17   
OBIKO, sound design, Christmas fashion presentation, Obiko designers, Canterbury Hotel, San Francisco, California  
   

1993   
Dec. 10   
OBIKO, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit DrawBridge, Obiko designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California  


1994   
Aug. 4   
METAMORPHOSIS, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, Obiko designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California  

Nov. 10   
AROUND THE WORLD, production coordinator, Musée de Noel, Obiko & Bernini  fashion show to benefit the St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary, various designers, Sheraton Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California   


1995   
May 4   
MARIAN CLAYDEN, sound design, Golden Shears Award Ceremony fashion show, The Fashion Center, San Francisco, California    

Oct. 5   
NOMADS, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Theta Delta Xi Women's Auxiliary, Obiko designers, Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California  

Oct. 7   
KAISIK WONG TRIBUTE, 1995 Golden Ring Awards, production coordinator, fashion show to benefit the Asian American Arts Foundation, Center for the Arts Theater, Yerba Buena Center, San Francisco, California  
   

1996   
Mar. 10   
HATS OFF! production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit Yu-Ai Kai, various designers, Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, California  
 
May 16   
MINGEI, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Asian Art Museum, Obiko designers, Asian Art Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California   

July 18   
DRESSED IN TIME, production coordinator, fashion show, Handweavers Guildof America Convergence, various designers, Portland Convention Center, Portland, Oregon  
 
Aug. 28   
GUJARAT TO ORISSA, production coordinator, Obiko and Anokhi fashion show to benefit the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, Obiko designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California 

Oct. 9   
IRRESISTIBLE MUSEÉ, production coordinator, Musée de Noel,, Obiko & Bernini fashion show to benefit the St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary, various designers, Sheraton Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California 
   
  
1997
May 3   
TRIBAL VISIONS, sound design, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Medallas Endowment Fund at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Obiko designers, Disneyland Hotel, Los Angeles, California 

June 6   
TRIBAL VISIONS, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Asian Health Services, Obiko designers, Marriott Hotel, Oakland, California   

Aug. 27   
SHIBORI, sound design, staging & choreography, Obiko fashion show to benefit the
San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, Obiko designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California  

Sept. 4   
PORTRAITS, production coordinator, Obiko fashion show to benefit the Theta Delta Xi Women's Auxiliary, Obiko designers, Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California  


post Obiko

   
1998   
August   
DANCE OF THE CICADA, music composition for Cicada art-to-wear fashion store, San Francisco, California  

Sept. 19   
CICADA, sound design, staging & choreography, in-store grand opening fashion show, Obiko designers, Cicada, San Francisco, California 

Dec. 11   
FUSION ARTWEAR, sound design & staging, Cicada fashion show to benefit the Oakland Museum of California, Obiko designers, Oakland Museum, Oakland, California    
   

1999   
Mar. 22   
ART FOR WEARING, fashion show consultant, Cicada fashion show to benefit the San Jose Museum of Art, Obiko designers, San Jose, California    

Apr. 9   
ART WEAR FOR THE NEXT MILLENNIUM, sound design, staging & choreography, Cicada fashion show to benefit the Palo Alto Art Center, Obiko designers, Palo Alto, California  

June 23   
ADORNMENT OF ART, sound design, staging & choreography, Cicada fashion show to benefit the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, various designers, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California  
   

2000   
Dec. 23   
MARIEN CLAYDEN, sound design, fashion show, Los Altos, California   

         
2013   
Sept 21   
OBIKO ART WEAR PROJECT, fundraiser, video installation, Obiko fashion shows, Textile Arts Council Library, San Francisco, California   


2014   
Jan 29 - Apr 27    
METAMORPHOSIS ~ CLOTHING & IDENTITY, video installation, Obiko fashion shows, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose, California       

   
2019 - 2020   
Nov 9, 2019 - May 17,2020    


 

What a great time it was!

      


Styrous® ~ Friday, October 28, 2016






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September 13, 2016

Beemer Memory 13: Betty Davis, Kaisik Wong & Sandra Sakata ~ They were different

costume by Kaisik Wong 
 cover photo by Mel Dixon
detail photo of cover by Styrous®

Around the middle of July in 1979, fantasy clothing designer, Kaisik Wong, was preparing for a fashion show he was producing on the 25th of that month. It was to be presented at the Hilton Hotel in Caracas, Venezuela. In addition to the fashsions he was creating and sewing together, he was trying to put together the actual show itself; and he was not having a very good time with that. In a panic he contacted Gene Weber, a photographer, for any kind of  help he could recommend. 

I had done some underwater photography for Weber as well as some modeling. I was recovering from a back injury while dancing two years earlier (Beemer 5 link below). In the recovery time I was making a living with stage productions which was supported by my music knowledge.  

Weber told Kaisik he knew just the fellow that could help him out and introduced me to him. I began working with a man who would change my life forever.   

1950-1990 
 photographer unknown


I had never seen a fashion show before; all my experience was in performance, acting, dancing, theater, etc. I looked at his designs and in my head heard the sound I wanted to hear when I viewed them. 

I spent the next week or so working with Kaisik on his show, looking at his designs knowing I'd seen something like what he was doing somewhere. It took me a while, then suddenly it clicked one day! I didn't say anything but that night I went back to my studio then to the record shelves to look for . . .  what? In what I can only describe as a semi-conscious state, I reached out and pulled this album from a shelf. I looked at it with amazement and took it with me the next day when I went back to work with Kaisik.  

When I showed the album to him he was astonished! Yes, it was his design. That was the day he began telling me about all the adventures he had while designing costumes for some of the biggest singers in the business as well as others. 

He told me about taking dresses to Tina Turner in her dressing room during shows when she was still with Ike; seems that other than Tina, it wasn't a whole lot of fun.  

He recounted his adventures in Spain when he met the great Catalon artist, Salvador Dalí in 1969 and when he and Steven Arnold (more below), a protégé of Dalí, assisted the master in the embellishment and inauguration of his Teatro-Museo Dalí in the mid 70's. Dali commissioned Wong to create his signature work, Red Ray, one of The Seven Rays series.

photo by Allan Warren


When we were working on his show, sometimes I took Kaisik around to pick up items he needed for his designs. Neither of us had a car so we went on my bike; he loved riding around on it with me, holding onto the back of my jacket. I loved it when I heard him hoot and holler the first time. He rode excellent pillion!  

Well, he went off to Caracas with the music I'd put together for his fashion show; unfortunately, I couldn't go with it. When Kaisik returned he said the people went crazy over his designs and the music I'd used. It was nothing like any they'd seen or heard before in a fashion show. I thought, "Great!" then didn't think of it any further.    

Kaisik worked for an art-to-wear salon in San Francisco called, Obiko, owned and operated by Sandra Sakata. In March of 1980, Sakata was preparing for her very first fashion show (Beemer Memory 14 link below). The clothing for the show was furiously being designed and created but production for the actual show was not going well. In desperation she asked Kaisik if he knew of any one who could help with the music. He told her about me; I met Sandra and we proceeded to produce our very first fashion show together. Obiko, Sandra and I were on the way to an almost 20 year history of stellar, theatrical fashion shows that have never been equaled. I produced the Obiko shows until Sandra died in 1997.  

The last piece in the first Obiko fashion show, Red Ray, was commissioned by Salvadore Dalí. It was one of many designs by Kaisik Wong that have found their way into the collection of the Textile Arts Council of the M. H. de Young Museum.    

Kaisik Wong ~ Red Ray (1974) 














model Merle Bulato wearing Red Ray
with Kaisik Wong
Steven Arnold ~ photographer 








Kaisik Wong ~ Orchid Dress, ca. 1976
shown in the first Obiko fashion show
Textile Arts Council
M. H. de Young Museum














Evening Dress & Coat
Kaisik Wong
Palace of Fine Arts
San Francisco, CA
Kaisik Wong ~ photographer




Kaisik Wong ~ photographer












Wong designed the costumes for the 1981 film, Fruits of Passion, directed by Shūji Terayama and starring Klaus Kinski. The film is loosely based on the novel Retour à Roissy by Pauline Réage, written as a sequel to the Story of O. The story takes place in southern China where Sir Stephen (Kinski) owns a casino. Sir Stephen places O (sabelle Illiers) in a Chinese brothel for "training" and O is then subjected to a variety of humiliating experiences to prove her unconditional obedience. A sub-plot concerns a coolie rebellion due to the resentment towards Europeans by the local population and a young man desperate to afford O's favors at the brothel (links  to more info).  


Fruits of Passion  - 1981 




Steven Arnold was an artist of various media. There is a video of one of his works, Luminous Procuress on YouTube (link below). The Procuress leads two young men through a surreal peepshow of fantastic, bizarre, androgynous, mystical, spiritual, and sexual vignettes. Arnold’s surrealistic fantasy, was lauded by Dali and Andy Warhol, among others. The Village Voice called the film ‘a tour de force of the imagination – a journey through peekboxes of naked tableaux, theatres of mechanical dreams, feasts of monsters and piles of humanity.’

Luminous Procuress - poster 





Kaisik Wong died in 1990. In 2002, the star of the house of Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquiere, copied the work of Wong. Although this happens all the time, when someone is caught at it, this is a sin in the fashion industry. It created an international incident in the fashion world (link below). Ghesquiere created a patchwork vest in his spring collection that resembled one that Wong had designed in 1973. He admitted in an interview in Paris that he had copied the garment.


Kaisik Wong vest (1973)




Nicolas Ghesquiere designs after Wong (2002)








Net links: 
           
Betty Davis ~ They Say I'm Different    
Beemer Memory 14         
Beemer Memory 5        
          

       
Steven Arnold Archive           
Kaisik Wong ~ Tumblr
Kaisik Wong ~ Wearable Art For Gods and Goddesses         
Fruits of Passion (complete) on YouTube       
Fruits of Passion credits on imdb        
Steven Arnold ~ Luminous Procuress on thethird-eye.co.uk          


Betty Davis, They Say I'm Different
costume by Kaisik Wong
vinyl LP
cover photo by Mel Dixon
detail photo of cover by Styrous®



"I think the whole body should be a jeweled, radiating beauty."

                                            ~ Kaisik Wong: 1950-1990




Styrous® ~ Tuesday, September 13, 2016      



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