Last week Mirror80 published Part 1 of our interview with the lovely Annabel Schofield, an author and producer who enjoyed an acting and international modeling career in the 1980s and 1990s. Ms. Schofield shared her thoughts on ’80s fashion, and she reflected on what it was like to act and model in the midst of the decade of decadence! Today, Annabel discusses her ’80s memories, as well as her serialized novel The Cherry Alignment, which semi-autobiographically explores the life of an actress in 1980s-90s Hollywood. Her blog of the same name is a wealth of information on 1980s fashion, film and music. Read on for more fabulous ’80s details…
The ’80s Connection: Author, Actress and International Model Annabel Schofield
I’ve recently had the pleasure of corresponding with the lovely Annabel Schofield, an international fashion model of the ’80s who starred in ad campaigns for the likes of Revlon, Gianni Versace, Yves St. Laurent and Levi’s. And yes, you probably remember her from an iconic commercial in which she famously uttered: “Excuse me, are those Bugle Boy jeans you’re wearing?” But there’s much more to Ms. Schofield than meets the eye, including her serial novel The Cherry Alignment, which semi-autobiographically explores the life and times of an actress working in Hollywood in the ’80s and ’90s. In fact, this novel began as a screenplay, and there’s no doubt that it would make the perfect long-overdue HBO series with a focus on the decade of decadence!
’80s Neon Finds!
To say that neon has made a comeback is an understatement. Not only has it found its way back to our wardrobes, it’s even put its stamp on the world of interior design. In fact, I recently came across a DIY project for incorporating neon-dipped pine cones into Thanksgiving place settings. Yes, we are a neon-crazy culture at this point in time! Let’s see where it all began, shall we?… I thought I’d visit Etsy and round up some amazing vintage neon finds.
Footloose, Fluorescent Fish, and a Little Bit of Christmas
Happy Monday, Everyone. Hope your weekend was fun and relaxing! Mine was both chill and productive. As you can see from the image above, I’m starting to plan this year’s Christmas decorations, and you can bet I’m drawing inspiration from the 1980s. I’ll be hosting a Christmas shindig that features 80s-style holiday decor and sharing the pics with you at the beginning of December. If the crazy-early Christmas decorations at retail establishments have already put you in the holiday mood, check out some Mirror80 pics from Christmases past.
Friday Video Picks: Saturday Night Live Skits Showcase ’80s Design
So what are we looking at here?… It’s a skit from a mid-’80s episode of Saturday Night Live, a spoof of those bizarro 1980s Calvin Klein “Obsession” commercials that featured stark white interiors, models clad in black, and verse that was both obscure and meaningless at the same time. And the occasional slap in the face. In our first video pick, the SNL gang takes a stab at it with their commercial parody titled “Compulsion.” Watch it below:
Mirror80 Book Review: In the Pleasure Groove by John Taylor
I spent the evening of October 26th at Austin, Texas’ Scottish Rite Theatre, a historic site that manages to be grand yet intimate. Nearly every seat in the house was packed. To my right, a group of 10 women in their thirties squealed like school girls while passing around a picture of Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, who would be taking the stage within the next few minutes. Yes, it was a speaking engagement and book signing to celebrate the release of Taylor’s memoir In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death & Duran Duran. As its title suggests, this book is as much about life as it is about John Taylor’s days with the band. And for me, the evening of October 26th was as much about reflecting on creativity and the passage of time as it was about seeing one of my childhood idols in person.
Friday Video Pick: “Some Like It Hot” by The Power Station
In honor of the recent release of Duran Duran bassist John Taylor’s new book In the Pleasure Groove, today we take a look at one of the musician’s side projects: The Power Station. This supergroup included Taylor on the bass, Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor on guitar, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and singer Robert Palmer. And a super group it was! The video for “Some Like It Hot” features an assortment of crazy ’80s visuals, from shots of supermodel Tula in fluorescent makeup to images of a roaming tiger. Yes, there are enough fashion-forward pics to fill the front page of a Tumblr. Check it out:
Happy Halloween from Mirror80!
Happy Halloween, all you ’80s-lovers! How will you be spending your day and evening? Whether you celebrated this past weekend or the best is still to come, enjoy the images in today’s post. Above, we see vintage 1980s stickers, an image from a previous post on how to throw an old-school Halloween party!
A Road Trip, a Swan, and an Evening with John Taylor
Hi Everyone! I wanted to share some highlights from this past weekend… It was one of those rare weekends where there was more play than work, more pure fun than scheduled commitments, and more creative inspiration than go-go-go. The weekend began with a book signing by one of my childhood idols and ended at a small-town Goodwill, where I found the newest member of my ’80s ceramic swan collection, pictured above!
Friday Video Pick: “Something in My House” by Dead or Alive
For this special “Halloween Edition” of our Friday Video Pick series, we present a piece by British New Wave act Dead or Alive, fronted by the ever-energetic Pete Burns. “Something in My House” comes from the band’s third album. In fact, this track from 1987 has a dance-heavy sound with a bit of goth mixed in for good measure. And the video does not disappoint. From strobe light-style flashes that juxtapose Burns’ face with the head of a wolf to scenes of the singer walking through the forest in dramatic black outerwear, the visuals in this piece are the epitome of ’80s-style spooky.
