Point and Shoot

Guy Bourdin (December 2, 1928 - March 29, 1991) was a groundbreaking French photographer. He was employed by Vogue magazine in 1955 for nearly 30 years, mostly working for their French edition.

In the sixties, Bourdin was commissioned by the Charles Jourdan shoe company to head their advertising campaign. His over the top ads, focusing on crime scenes, were greatly anticipated by the media and transcended traditional advertising at this time.

In the seventies, Bourdin worked alongside Helmut Newton at French Vogue and their images defied the boundaries of fashion photography. Their photographs contained a touch of fetishism, violence and masochism. Nevertheless, they were always glamourous.

Bourdin died in Paris in 1991 of cancer. His profound influence on fashion photography still remains today.

online SALE!

Just finished marking down most of our spring & summer merchandise. Have a look.....
DITTOS:$75
GREY ANT JEANS:$75-$130
DRESSES FROM SARAH LUNA, BUILT BY WENDY, KATE & KASS, SHE BIBLE, SMOKE & MIRRORS + MORE:$68-$168
MEN'S JEANS:$69
DUTCHY BAGS:50% OFF

Don't miss out!
visit grasshopper online today!

Spy Girl

Jane Birkin was born in London on December 14, 1946. She is the daughter of Judy Campbell, an actress and David Birkin, a captain in the Royal Navy.

When she was just seventeen years old she met John Barry, who wrote the musical score to the James Bond movies, when he cast her in his musical comedy Passion Flower Hotel. They married shortly afterwards and her first daughter Kate was born in 1967.

When she was twenty years old she was cast in Michelangelo Antonioni's controversial film "Blow Up". The film garnered plenty of attention at the Cannes Film Festival and caught the eye of Pierre Grimblat. He was filming a movie "Slogan" in France and was searching for an Englishwoman to play opposite Serge Gainsbourg, the French pop artist. Gainsbourg was fresh out of his breakup with Brigitte Bardot and reeling with heartache. Taking much of his frustration out on Birkin, he left her in tears in front of the camera. Right then and there their infamous love story began.

Gainsbourg and Birkin became inseparable traveling through the underground club scene with photographers trailing behind. In 1969 they released the song "Je t'aime...moi non plus" (I love you...me neither) written by Gainsbourg and featuring both of them singing. The song was condemned for its sexual explicitness and publicly banned by radio stations. However, the negative publicity propelled the song into a mega hit all over Europe. Birkin and Gainsbourg married in 1968. They had one daughter actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. In 1980 they separated and Birkin became involved with director Jacques Doillon. In 1982 she gave birth to her third daughter Lou Doillon, who is also an actress and model.

The ultimate in luxury, Hermes Birkin bag, was named after her in 1984 after the actress was seen by the head of Hermes struggling with several bags while boarding an airplane. The Birkin bag has become one of Hermes most sought after and expensive bags.

tea for two

Last night, after closing shop for the day Tracy & I headed to the Philadelphia Style Magazine Best of 2008 party. Though we didn't win any awards for this one, we were excited to attend the "Old Hollywood" themed extravaganza. We taxied our gussied up selves over to The Crystal Tea Room located in the Wanamaker Building. I have been dying to check out this locale for many, many years.
Here's a little history...I used to be a shopgirl at Wanamaker's in my early college years. Ladies Hosiery, Misses, Juniors, Linens-I got shuffled around a lot. Unfortunately, it was not at the Center City location. I grew up going into Center City with my mother and shopping in the big department stores-especially during the holidays. The grandeur of the architecture, the window displays and the hustle & bustle were pretty captivating. All of the big department stores in Philadelphia are now defunct except for Wanamaker's, which is (sadly) now a Macy's. But at least it's still open.

Wanamaker's was the first department store in Philadelphia and one of the first department stores in the United States. It is located in the center of town at 15th & Market right across the street from City Hall. The Crystal Tea Room restaurant on the 9th floor operated up until 1995 and then was closed to the public. It has been restored and currently operating as a private banquet hall. A Wanamaker's guidebook from the 1920s states that the Crystal Tea Room was the largest dining room in Philadelphia, and one of the largest in the world. It once could serve 1400 people at a time. It served breakfast in the morning, luncheon, and afternoon tea. Before you enter the Tea Room you can overlook the Grand Hall of the department store from the balconies. From here you have a great view of the Wanamaker Organ. The organ is the largest operational pipe organ in the world. It is played twice a day, Monday through Saturday, and more frequently around Christmas. It was being played as we left the party for the night. Beautiful!




The party was well attended. Lots of fancy dress, a great band, free flowing booze EVERYWHERE, and food tables in all directions from some of Philadelphia best restaurants. We nibbled, sipped, rested our feet, ran into Kinky Jen from Valanni and then made our exit. Short & sweet. Afterwards, we headed to Northern Liberties to check out the soft opening of Cantina Dos Segundos-a new margarita bar that is actually opening tonight in our 'hood. Fun times!

finally

with pens in hand, we have scoured the racks and slashed prices down Down DOWN! don't miss our most spectacular sale yet!

bigger= better

I have a new infatuation. It's a new fashion blog fashion-ation, that is a weekly round up of the best fashion editorial from around world and I can't get enough. There also seems to be a recurring theme so far...big hair. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia during the high hair 80's. I teased my hair so much that I was sent to the principal's office because of it. One year, for Christmas, my parents gave me a case of Aquanet (12 cans!!!!). At that age I was going through a can a month. I somehow grew out of that and let my hair lay naturally on my head, but I always secretly am waiting for the real return of big hair. When it happens I will totally be ready. Until then, I will enjoy these glamorous ladies on fashion-ation.

i want

plaid prada flares for everyone.

do it myself

Last week I was given a skirt by a good lady friend. She had never worn it and had thought of me because of the style. Always happy to get a freebie, I went home and tried it on. It fit perfectly and I loved the way it was cut + the lace tiers, since I am a sucker for anything lace or tiers. I wasn't totally into the color which was originally the lightest mint green. It really didn't work with black lace. I immediately thought of dying it. I haven't hand dyed any clothing in so long and I was excited to try these new dyes that the art supply store in Old City has been carrying.

The colors seems so much more brilliant than RIT dye and come in a conveinient pack that dissolves in the water-so no mess! And what pretty packaging. My first idea was to tie-dye the skirt, but I was afraid it would look too busy. Then I remembered seeing a great post on this is glamorous about the color electric blue. Very inspiring! So that's what I went with and here is the outcome:

Seemed a strangely appropriate choice for the 4th of July. Now I want to do another piece in my wardrobe that I was thinking about giving away myself...

happy holiday weekend!

grasshopper will be closed friday, july 4th

enjoy the three day weekend and see us at the shop on saturday or sunday!

secret, secret

WE'RE HAVING A REAL BIG SALE!

the price slashing starts on Friday afternoon, so stop in for a preview!
discounts on summer dresses, men & women's jeans, spring jackets, tops +more
plus white wine spritzers & the champagne of beers!
ooohh la, la!!!!