Charles Phoenix, Pinup Girl Clothing partner on a capsule collection with kitschy ‘50s flair
Historian, curator and performer Charles Phoenix knows how to attract attention. After all, since launching his series of vintage slideshow events in 1998, conducting bus tours and writing coffee-table books, the self-described “Ambassador of Americana” entertains audiences by mining his ever-growing archive of vernacular culture that includes subjects such as Disneyland, Las Vegas and the holiday season.
His latest venture is equally engaging. The Sir Charles of Phoenix collaboration with Burbank-based Pinup Girl Clothing, featuring vintage-inspired dresses as well as men’s shirts, is an extension of his singular style. Plus, it’s a return to the industry in which Phoenix started his career.
“Fashion was my first go-to creative place in my mind as a result of watching Sonny [Bono] and Cher [on ‘The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour’] and ‘I Love Lucy,’” the Silver Lake resident and Ontario, Calif., native explained during a recent interview. After graduating from FIDM in the early 1980s, he worked for various Los Angeles fashion brands until, at age 29, he fell in love with buying and selling classic cars.
Next came his expanding niche of collecting and presenting to audiences slides and images of midcentury Americana, distilled through Phoenix’s irrepressible zeal and vocalized with his signature swooping timbre. His worldview translates to high-reverence, unpatronizing kitsch.
Phoenix also nurtured his love of the sartorial arts by having suits custom-made by tailor Johnathan Behr, who has an L.A. shop on Wilshire Boulevard. Until this new collaboration though, it had been decades since Phoenix’s clothing design efforts extended beyond his own closet.
Getting back into the fashion game, he partnered with Pinup Girl Clothing, which owner Laura Byrnes launched in 1997 and built into a label known for its retro aesthetic and inclusive sizing. It’s also earned a reputation for its frequent creative collaborations with local figures such as Cassandra Peterson, best known as playing Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Traci Lords.
“It was built at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend festival, where I’ve performed for 15 years,” Phoenix said of his partnership with Pinup Girl. He and Byrnes got to know each other during the annual event, and Phoenix started to notice how their respective crowds often overlapped. “I could spot a Pinup Girl dress on a woman from a mile away because the fit and flare is so good,” he said.
It turned out that Byrnes had been wanting to add original menswear to her inventory but had yet to find the right partner.
As for Phoenix, “I really trust his vision and aesthetic,” Byrnes said. “He knows what he wants. He’s got great taste, and I really love anyone else who has exacting, high standards.”
For the Sir Charles of Phoenix collaboration (a fan came up with the name), Phoenix selected three “hand-paintings we found from a guy downtown who had old textile designs that had never been printed,” he said. Phoenix then added his own spin to the color palette.
The trio of tropical-inflected patterns worked perfectly for Hawaiian-style, convertible collar short-sleeve men’s shirts ($94) as well as three retro-style, knee-length dress silhouettes ($178 to $240; matching his-and-hers garments are also cheekily offered as “honeymoon sets”) that are all manufactured in L.A. and sold at the Pinup Girl Boutique, 3606 W. Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank, and online at www.pinupgirlclothing.com.
Based on the reception of the spring/summer 2018 collection, which debuted in March, Byrnes and Phoenix are working on new goods. Phoenix said he’s excited to create casual gabardine men’s jackets and shirts.
“When I was in fashion design school, a lot of stuff I designed was 1950s style, which wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms in the ’80s,” he said. “But I saved it all.”
Taking a deep dive into the ephemera of his own past for creative inspiration? That’s a process that suits Phoenix perfectly.
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