Ad Campaign – Air Spun Make-up by Coty, 1945

Make much of the sun – or make light of it!

I bet the woman on the right in her very Claire McCardell playsuit lived to gloat about her decision not to tan.  She reminds me of my mother-in-law, who when she died at age 90, had the skin of a 50 year old.  She had never tanned; never burned.

I read not too long ago that for the first time since its inception in 1935, Coty was making a big change to the Air-spun box.  The original box was designed by Leon Bakst, one of the designers who worked his magic with the Ballets Russes in the 1910s and 1920s.  Made of embossed leather with real gold leaf, the box turned out to be too expensive, and so it was modified to be made from cardboard.

It remained that way for decades, but now the box is plastic, the charming dancing brushes limited to a ring around the brand name.  I’ve got to wonder why, when a product has instant graphic recognition, would one tamper with what is not broken.