Comments by Alan and Lorraine Pickup
Imperial's Fashion
From HOACGA bulletin December, 2004

From the availability today and high regard of the current class collecting community, the pattern that we call Fashion had to be one of Imperial's big sellers when it was being produced. Touted in the Imperial Carnival Glass book by Carl O. Burns as "one of the most widely recognized near-cut type patterns in the entire field of carnival glass." That is some tribute. And we do find a variety of shapes of this impressive geometric pattern in our collection and imagine that most collections have Fashion pieces somewhere in the mix.

When we started collecting carnival glass one of our fondest memories was a dusty and faded window display in the antique district of old St. Charles, Missouri. This window that didn't seem to be attached to any particular antique shop had a marigold punch set on display that we would have died for. Oh yes, we of course have one today and now recognize that it is one of the earliest punch sets to find in marigold. We do understand that any color beyond marigold is extremely rare. We note that in the 2003 Mordini's Auction price guide that a smoke punch set with chips sold for $1950. Carl's Imperial book also states, "It also holds the distinction of being the only true carnival (punch) set known in red." Something we most probably will never have the pleasure of seeing.

Pictured here are a couple of the many shapes that can be found in Fashion. The rosebowl in marigold and a very pretty clambroth ice-cream shaped shallow bowl. The marigold rosebowl can be found with a little looking. Several years ago we also found a pastel marigold rose-bowl in an Oklahoma antique mall and it is now in a Canadian collection. Purple rose-bowls are rare and seldom found but we have seen several examples. They are beautiful but pricey. Ruffled 9" bowls in marigold are easily found but the ice-cream shaped bowls are much more difficult to find, per the Burn's book. This bowl was found on the silent auction table at an Air Capital convention in Wichita, Kansas. The bowl, similar to the one pictured in Carl Burns' Imperial book, has spectacular colors and we love it.

For those new-bees in this glass-collecting hobby, buy some of the very informative books on the market as well as the glass. Join a group of fellow glass lovers and your enjoyment of the hobby will increase ten fold. Glass doesn't have to be rare or expensive and for that matter in perfect condition to be enjoyable.

Fashion

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