From Roman roads to Milan catwalks the Gladiator endures
Kirk Douglas wore them – and it’s likely that the real-life Spartacus would have liked them too. There is nothing more guaranteed to mess up a gladiator’s afternoon than a shoe that just won’t stay on, and the multi-strapped sandal that bear’s the ancient fighter’s moniker is nothing if not reliable.
The same goes for any self-respecting runway model – just ask Lyndsey Scott, as New York magazine did – whose career rests on an ability to remain upright and elegant at the same time.
But there’s more to the gladiator shoe than simple practicality, at least for the modern woman. While Dr Marten is still making gladiator shoes fit for the Coliseum others are combining the classic lines with a very contemporary sexiness to produce shoes that are as much at home at the beach as at a cocktail party. Take this Michael Kors sample:
For us, that makes it a worthy entrant to the Timeless 50. Give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down on http://www.timeless50.com/
The Hang-It-All was produced at a time when husband and wife Charles and Ray Eames were designing toys and furniture for children. Amongst the colourful building blocks and fanciful face masks came this playful piece inspired by the formation of electrons and atoms in the molecular structure.
The design hit the market in 1953, a time of great belief in science and technology. The electron microscope exposed a new and detailed natural world and anything seemed possible and the Hang-it-all coat rack played on the scientific imagery popular at that time.
And over half a century later this unbounded belief in scientific discovery is entering the collective imagination once again. Head to the Welcome Collection to see how it continues to influence art and design. Even though today’s objects are inspired by higher resolution imaging and the capabilities of nanotechnology, the Eameses coat rack still holds its own alongside.
Say the name Ben E King, and one song immediately springs to mind. Yet Stand By Me might never have become his signature hit had King not left The Drifters, who foolishly turned down the opportunity to record it. Upon going solo, King subsequently recorded the song to blow some spare studio time. Had it not been for that extra hour, we may never have known this 1960’s lurve gem!
Hitting number one on the R&B charts and UK singles chart, as well as Top 10 twice on the US charts, BMI named Stand By Me the fourth most performed song of the 20th century, with seven million estimated performances. From movie theme song to Levis ad song, Stand By Me has been covered by many, including Otis Redding, Jon Lennon and a duo from U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Then Olympic gold medallist boxer Cassius Clay even released a version in 1963!
So darlin’ darlin’ will you, stand by, this Timeless 50?
Flats have fought a battle with heels, their arch nemesis, for centuries. They just about weathered the two-inch boost given to Catherine de Medici on her wedding day, which gave a boost to heels for some time after. They came back into style when Marie Antoinette sported heels on the way to the guillotine in perhaps the greatest public relations disaster in footwear history. It was the inimitable Audrey Hepburn, though, in the 1957 movie Funny Face, who ensured that ballet flats would become a staple of every girl’s wardrobe, and qualify in the process for inclusion in the Timeless 50.
Comfort is one reason they will stay there: tottering around on heels all day is not exactly a fun proposition.
But they can also look great with skinny jeans, leggings or a short skirt, whether you are talking the classic lines of dance-shoe specialist Bloch, the elegant originality of London Sole, or the daring of Christian Louboutin.
Flats will always have their defenders, including it would seem the UK’s Trades Unions Congress which was recently to be found debating a ban on high heels for the damage they cause to the suffering feet of Britain’s women. Ballet flats, it would seem are not only timeless but the healthier option. Vote now for ballet flat’s inclusion in the Timeless 50.
Elizabeth Arden's creation stands the test of time
Created in 1930 and barely changed since, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a ‘miracle multi-tasker’, used to soothe and moisturise everything from cracked lips to dry elbows, sore cuticles to sunburn. Celebs rave about it.
With one tube sold every two minutes in the UK alone, its popularity should not be underestimated. Katie Campbell, deputy beauty editor of Grazia, names it as one of her top five all time beauty classics. “Is it a moisturiser? A hand cream? A healing ointment? A lipgloss? Brow fixer? Frizz-tamer? Elizabeth Arden’s indispensable Eight-Hour Cream is all of the above and more.”
Born in Canada in 1878, Florence Nightingale Graham later changed her name to Elizabeth Arden – partly inspired by Tennyson’s poem, ‘Enoch Arden’’. She is credited with introducing modern eye make-up to North America.
Eight Hour Cream became an instant success, with Arden even using it to soothe her famous thoroughbred horses’ legs. The name is said to have come about after a loyal client used it to treat her child’s skinned knee and “eight hours later” the skin was all better.
Interested in retro packaging? The range’s Cream Lip Protectant is available in a box inspired by the original.
Balls, balloons, tornados, springs, twirls, pianos … It’s hard to imagine this cast of characters being in a kitchen together, let alone assisting in the preparation of a meal. But that’s just what you’ll need to beat an egg, mix a sauce, or blend dry ingredients. The whisk has become an indispensable item in kitchen efficiency, and has come a long way from the medieval days when a bunch of twigs were wound together to introduce air into their culinary mixture.
The first formal mention of the whisk in Europe dates back to 17th century England, but the Japanese were using bamboo versions in their tea ceremonies as far back as the fourteenth century – they’re still only produced in one place … in 120 different versions. Julia Child popularized it in America through her 1960s TV show The French Chef.
Today there are a dozen different types of whisk, each specializing in their own niche, be it emulsifying sauces, whipping up a foam, or mixing stiff doughs. Naturally, the contemporary world’s penchant for fashion has also conjured up a distinct new breed – the designer whisk.
Famous for its plot twists and clever storylines, Heroes has hooked viewers across the world since it launched three years ago. According to recent research it’s been downloaded over 55 million times – that makes it the most downloaded of all TV shows.
So why the cult following? Beyond the clever scenarios and the fact that Nathan, Peter and Sylas are all pretty hot, the obsession is actually about something much more enduring. Think of the Greek God Zeus who could control lighting and transform himself into animals; or his son Hercules, Heracles like Superman, with super strength. These are character archetypes that have been repeated throughout the history of human culture.
And it’s a story that doesn’t just exist in myth and fiction either. Today, Real Life Super Heroes are on the rise (though we can’t vouch for their superhuman powers). Given the mayhem that the Heroes dish out on a weekly basis, perhaps that’s just as well for all of us.
This hard-hitting police drama ran for 12 seasons, totalling a staggering 261 episodes.
Set in the fictional 15th Precinct of Manhattan, New York, the show followed the exploits of Detective Sergeant Andy Sipowicz, played by Dennis Franz, as he policed the Lower East Side. Yet Franz’s star role took a while to shine through as the early storylines focused more on his sidekick characters played by David Caruso (now seen brooding on CSI Miami), and Jimmy Smits (later of the West Wing). NYPD Blue deliberately tested the boundaries of broadcast restrictions on nudity and swearing, but its compelling storylines and engaging style soon overtook initial condemnations.
Jason Gay of The Boston Phoenix described Sipowicz as a “drunken, racist goon with a heart of gold” who was ‘the moral core’ of NYPD Blue. Former New York police officer-turned-writer Ted Hindenlang says: ‘Dennis Franz must have hung around some of the people I knew because his attitude, his dress, everything seemed so dead-on.’ Watch a montage of Franz’s most memorable moments here:
The show was produced with the help of former New York police officer Bill Clark and broadcast on the ABC network between September 1993 and March 2005. Its legions of fans are still awaiting its return. In 1995, it won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. But is this police drama arresting enough to make it into your Timeless 50?
You can’t walk down the makeup aisles and not get drawn towards that little pink and green tube just screaming for your attention. Yes, Maybelline’s Great Lash Mascara smacks of the 90s, but did that stop Friends being shown on constant repeat? No. And just like Ross’s love for Rachel, this little fella refuses to go away. Time and again, it appears in beauty editors’ lists of must-haves. But why?
Well, it is said to condition the lashes as you wear it, and no less than Kate Moss, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista have been the face of Maybelline and extolled its lash-thickening virtues. Available in waterproof, non-waterproof and washable, as well as a variety of colours (‘blackest black’, anyone?), this upstart has all the bases covered. And with a curved brush that separates each lash, and thin formula designed to be applied in layers, spiders’ legs are a thing of the past.
Maybelline may have moved on to vibrating mascara, but we’re staying right where we are. Proof that quality needn’t always cost the earth, America’s best-selling mascara brought well-defined lashes to the masses, appealing especially to the teen market.
Those teens will grow up but we’ve got a hunch their attachment to Maybelline’s mascara will be long-lasting. Vote for the Great Lash Mascara at the Timeless 50 site.
Ladies of standing were using clutch purses back in the Victorian era, but the design received a populist boost during WWII, when fabric was thin on the ground. Now seen more as an evening accessory, the clutch made a comeback after 2008’s oversized bag craze. Designed to be held, not slung, it shows off well-manicured nails and is the ultimate red carpet accessory.
But you don’t have to be a celeb to succeed with the clutch. With Jimmy Choo’s much-anticipated debut range for H&M due out on November 14, it should be possible to pick up one of his designs for a sensible price – if you’re prepared to join the scrum.
From candy pink to animal print, diamonds and studs to chain handles, there’s sure to be something that ticks your box. Which is where the clutch excels: flexibility. Just because you’re dolled up doesn’t mean you have to surrender your fighting spirit. Alexander McQueen’s Knuckle Duster Clutch, as seen on Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts, even doubles as a weapon.
Meanwhile, the geeks are well on their way to getting the girl with a clutch bag that thwarts paparazzi. Using an LED light, it emits a flash of its own when it detects camera bulbs going off, over-exposing the image.
