Saturday, June 23, 2007

Expo 67 C'est Extra

The first C'est Extra dates back to May of 1996. Over the years, francophone culture vultures and swank Québécois sophisticates have been dancing to the very best franco-retro tunes of the 50's to the 70's at this soirée. From Dalida to Pierre Lalonde (and let's not forget Michèle Richard!), there's something for everyone at C'est Extra...

I've gotten to know Marie-Christine Champagne, the organizer, and I suggested to her earlier this year an Expo 67 edition of the famous go-go evening, in hommage to Expo's anniversary.

The result: tonight at Le Gymnase (4177 Saint Denis, corner Rachel), C'est Extra celebrates Expo! Put on your mod mini dress and white go-go boots, then come dance Expo 67-style!

See you there!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Mod Paper Dolls

Brigitte Bardot

As a kid, I used to love paper dolls.

As an adult, I still love them, especially when they are of the 60's celebrity variety. Twiggy, Nancy Sinatra, Cher... Bring out your inner child by printing these dolls, cutting them out, and having a mod doll happening...

Cher

Elizabeth Montgomery

Nancy Sinatra

Twiggy

images: flickr.com

Today in Expo 67 History: June 21

Friday, June 8, 2007

The Kodak Pavilion

The Kodak pavilion at Expo 67 was a white concrete 1 storey building. The structure had a flat roof that was supported by graceful wooden beams. Behind the pavilion, a flower-filled garden stretched down to one of Ile Notre Dame's canals. Images of the countries in which Kodak was active adorned the pavilion's facade.

The pavilion was divided into 3 areas: a photographic exhibit, a 100-seat theatre, and a photo information centre:

The photographic exhibit area showed aerial shots of familiar Canadian landscapes: Niagara Falls, the western plains, the Rockies, as well as industrial centres.

The first 5 minutes of the pavilion's theatre presentation instructed the visitor on the role of photography in medecine, health, leisure, science and education. Then, these themes were explored in a presentation using 12 projectors called Wonders of Photography. During the last 3 minutes, a fine spray of tiny droplets replaced the conventional screen, giving a stunning 3-dimensional illusion to the images.

In the photo information centre, multilingual experts advised visitors on how to get the best family pictures at Expo 67. Booklets containing a list of suggested shots and hints on taking photos at night were given out. One suggested spot was a tower in Notre-Dame Park, built by Kodak and British American Oil, which provided breathtaking views of Expo 67's skyline, Montreal and ships in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The information centre could also be reached by phone, and it received up to 2500 calls a day.




images: (1) library and archives Canada

(2-3) personal collection
(4) expo67.ncf.ca

Today in Expo 67 History: June 8

Saturday, June 2, 2007

André Courreges

André Courrèges was born in 1923 in Pau, France.

Courreges shot to couture stardom in the mid-1960's with his Moon Girl look. Revolutionary in their styling, his clothes were sharp, angular and subject to a highly disciplined design. This uncluttered aesthetic became Courreges' signature, and quickly spread throughout the fashion world.

André Courreges' designs included boldly-piped trapeze dresses, coats, and skinny pants, worn with chin-strapped bonnets or oversized sunglasses. Credited as one of the originators of the mini-skirt, his hemlines were the shortest in Paris. Colors included pink, white, ice-blue, pale turquoise, day-glow orange and lime green.

Arguably, Courreges' greatest contribution to the fashion world was his low-heeled, calf-high boots made of white plastic. These Go-Go boots moved quickly from catwalk to street and dance floor.





images: worldofkane.blogspot.com and flickr.com

Today in Expo 67 History: June 2