Leona Caldwell Belt

I just thought I'd share an awesome Leona Caldwell find that Susan at McKenzie Creek Jewelry has posted. She let me know she had a beautiful Leona Caldwell belt after she found my post on Ms. Caldwell. I know Leona had done some ceramics work and jewelry in her studio, but the examples online are few and far between.

Check out how beautiful and adorable this belt is!!



Source: McKenzie Creek Jewelry



I love Leona Caldwell's quails and roadrunners SOOOOOOOOOO much! She inspires me every time.



Source: McKenzie Creek Jewelry

 Thanks Susan for helping to spread the word on Ms. Caldwell! I love it!

My Leona Caldwell

Here are vintage pieces that I own that were done by the Arizona designer Leona Caldwell.

I found this dress in a small thrift shop in Prescott, Arizona years ago. I think it was $15, and it fit almost perfectly, which is a rarity for someone as small chested and wide ribbed as I. I have loved on this dress for years, and only recently had to "put it down" (i.e., in a box) because its age is starting to tell.

Roadrunners

How amazing are her prints? The simplicity and style, as well as the placement are just so gratifying to me. I also really love this color combo.

Above are the injuries I have inflicted upon this beauty. The seams around the armscye just are too delicate to risk wearing anymore. I've fantasized about mending the rips, but the cotton is so thin, I dare not risk such heavy duty stitching on it.

The other part that has stopped me from even attempting mending is the sweet construction of the dress itself. Super simple: no lining, minimal stitches for the seam finishing, but a facing that was sewn together as one piece and connects to both the armscyes and neckline. There was no way I was going to try to take that facing off and then try to put it back on. I would mangle it!

I have not been able to locate any Leona Caldwell dresses of similar cut as my first dress. And finding anything the right size has been even more difficult. But, I just don't want to own one piece of hers!  I was able to find this very differently styled, I assume later made, yellow dress by Leona on eBay recently. It is a little too big, but it becomes less of an issue with a nice belt or tie around the waist. The roadrunners on this one are a little more detailed too, so I like to think of how these two dresses show a trajectory in style and artistic development for Leona.  What do you think?

(And how about those sweet socks?)

Vintage Designer: Leona Caldwell

detail, etsy

I have some vintage pieces that I have been wanting to post about for a time, but didn't want to do so without providing an introduction to the artist who made them. These pieces come from perhaps my favorite vintage fashion artist, Leona Caldwell. She seems to have been a local artist in Scottsdale AZ, and I haven't read anything that indicates her work had wide circulation or recognition. I found one of her pieces on a visit to Arizona about 6 years ago, and have found pieces posted on a sporadic basis on the internet.

5th Avenue Fashion Show,  ca. 1957

Vintage Hollywood

There's not a huge amount of information on her life online, either, so I will post part of her obituary. Out of all the information I found, this seemed to give context rather than just making her only a name of a fashion and art force in the Scottsdale community.

"When her husband died in 1954, she expanded her ceramic studio in Phoenix and soon opened Leona Caldwell Originals in the Kiva Craft Center on Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale, neighbor to fellow artisans Lloyd Kiva, Charles Loloma, Paolo Soleri and many others. She created ceramic jewelry and garments silkscreened with original designs inspired by Hohokam artifacts, animals and plants of the Southwestern desert. She retired in 1978 to enjoy her home, garden, and family. "

etsy

lissafudge

Leona made some amazing screen prints for her pieces. Simple, colorful, and playful all at once. She drew her inspiration from her locale, with cacti, roadrunners, quails, and owls showing up as her main subjects. Here are some of the findings online, mainly from past etsy or eBay listings. I had also seen listings of purses she made on etsy, but they seem to have been removed completely. 

Currently on sale!

detail, etsy

Patio dress, etsy

etsy

My personal Leona Caldwell pieces will be posted later this week, because I want to dote over them. 

Do you have any favorite vintage brands/designers that you seek out?