Ribbons and revelry

Maxim’s was the scene of numerous scandalous parties….definitely not the place to find a respectable woman. It was hugely popular with the rich Parisian café society crowd in the early 19th Century.

What started off as impromptu performances (the favourite party trick of Belle Otero – Spanish born actress, dancer, courtesan – was to jump up on a table and to dance in a way that was so erotic one guest said his “thighs were blushing”) ended up as regular cabaret shows. Working closely with the Folies Bergere, Maxim’s acts included the weird and wonderful, the exotic and erotic – dancers, freaks, jugglers, comedians, magicians.

Maxim

Dancers from the Moulin Rouge (film)

Folies Bergere performer

Another Folies Bergere performer

The owner, Cornuche, made sure that Maxim’s was always full of beautiful courtesans. Maxim’s, said Jean Cocteau “was an accumulation of velvet, lace, ribbons, diamonds and what all else I couldn’t describe. To undress one of these women is like an outing that calls for three weeks’ advance notice, it’s like moving house.”

The London College for Fashion Studies (Hanoi)  rocks!

Hits audiences might be familiar with the beautiful costumes made by The London College for Fashion Studies (Hanoi)  from one of our biggest shows (marking the 10th year anniversary of HITS in 2011) “My Fair Lady”. It was such a privilege for HITS to get the generous support from The London College for Fashion Studies’ staff and we’re really happy to say that again The London College for Fashion Studies has become the costume sponsor for our next show as well, “The Girl From Maxim’s”.

When we went to visit the school to talk about them becoming our costume sponsors for the show we were lucky enough to be shown some portfolios, look books and dresses.

Such beautiful designs. (I fell in love with a couple of the dresses and am going to try and buy them!) If you are in the fashion industry, or are interested in how mere pieces of cloth can be transformed into beautiful costumes, don’t miss the chance to see the school’s work. The London College for Fashion Studies felt like such an exciting and creative place, I actually felt a bit jealous of the students!

We took a sneaky peak behind the scenes of the costume making process, and visited the studio where staff have been sewing. Woahhhh! It’s amazing how much activity there is, staff are working so hard, like busy bees! And the costumes look amazing! On top of their normal responsibilities, The London College for Fashion Studies’ staff have been sewing overtime every day. We are so grateful for all the help and support and can’t wait for everyone to see the amazing costumes that they’re creating.

For more information about courses and shows at the school visit www.lcfs.vn Plus, take a look at the graduate fashion show from last year. You’ll be blown away!

Welcome!!!
Wow. This show is a big one. For the Spring/Summer HITS show we’re putting on ‘The Girl from Maxim’s’ – big cast, fancy costumes, set, props, big commitment.
Read our blog to get a behind-the-scenes look at putting on a play in Hanoi, the ups and downs, any tears and tantrums and all the fun stuff!
Our last HITS production sold out (in true Vietnamese style we added extra plastic stools along the aisles!) and we have high hopes for this play too. Joe Ruelle, long time Hanoi resident, is taking the directing reins this time. He describes ‘The Girl from Maxim’s’ as the funniest play he has ever read.
(For anyone who doesn’t know us, HITS is a not-for-profit, community theatre group who have been putting on plays for over ten years in Hanoi. Any profit from this show will go to Blue Dragon.)