FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 Media are invited to contact:
Elizabeth Mason / The Paper Bag Princess
By phone: (310) 358-1985
By fax: (310) 358-0659
By email: info@thepaperbagprincess.com

---

Elizabeth Mason is the owner of The Paper Bag Princess, a noted vintage clothing boutique in Los Angeles. She has made national television appearances on the Oprah Show, Access Hollywood, the Style Network, and CNN, has been featured in several major magazines, and is the author of The Rag Street Journal. In addition, she conducts regular vintage clothing auctions for eBay and has staged fashion shows and exhibitions for Sotheby's. She lives in Los Angeles, California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media interested in attending the fashion show, please contact:
Dani Stern / DS Publicity Group
By phone: (416) 691-6333
By fax: (416) 691-4079
By email: dani@dspublicitygroup.com

Monday, September 22, 2003 (Toronto) Jennifer Aniston, star of the hit television series "Friends", wowed spectators at this year's 55th Emmy Awards in a 1970's vintage Halston, sapphire jersey cocktail dress from The Paper Bag Princess, a vintage couture house with boutiques in Toronto and Los Angeles.

Through the generousity of Jennifer and The Paper Bag Princess' owner, Elizabeth Mason, the dress is being auctioned off on eBay for ten days from September 21st through October 1st, 2003 with proceeds to benefit the Cure Autism Now Foundation, one of the largest private funders of autism research and Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions.

The auction of Jennifer's Emmy Awards dress, as well as other clebrity Emmy attendees garments are being presented by the 'Clothes Off Your Back' charitable organization, and as of press time bids on Jennifer's vintage Halston cocktail dress were already in excess of $3,000 US!!! The auction can be found at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32995&item=2559935334.

(A copy of the listing page is archived here.)

The Paper Bag Princess opened in Los Angles in 1995 and quickly became LA's premiere boutique for Hollywood stars to find selected important vintage couture clothing from many of the large important design houses including Adrian, Channel, Dior Pucci, Schiaparelli, and Worth. Mason's clothes have been worn by celebrities such as Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Rene Zellweger, and Julia Roberts just to mention a few. Mason also sells the clothes that were worn by celebrities and offers a tremendous selection of her noteable clients personal wardrobe on her web site The Paper Bag Princess.com.

In 2002, Mason opened her Toronto boutique, and most recently expanded her Toronto operations to include a wardrobe rental division catering to the exploding demand of the Canadian film industry.

Wednesday, August 27, 2003 (Toronto) ‚ In October of 2002, Elizabeth Mason introduced Toronto to the style and glamour of vintage Hollywood fashions when she opened the doors to her Canadian location of The Paper Bag Princess. The boutique continues to wow the ëwhoís whoí of Toronto's society ladies with a range of design styles from different fashion eras, including fashions from the 1930s and 1940s reminiscent of Jean Harlow or Joan Crawford as well as designer labels from the 1980s like John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood. The shop, a full-service vintage couture boutique that caters to people looking for unique style and quality fashions, was modeled on her Californian store where Mason caters to the '"Who's Who" in the fashion world, as well as the international film industry. This month, The Paper Bag Princess is proud to announce its expansion to include a Wardrobe and Costume department, looking to build a similar relationship with the booming film industry in Toronto that the Californian location enjoys in Hollywood. The boutique has taken over the property adjacent to it, adding an addition 1,000 square feet to the original size of the store, and is avaliable by appointment only to wardrobe and costume designers, as well as serving as an archival rental department for Canadian fashion designers.

"Hollywood notables, such as Julia Roberts, who wore a vintage gown by Jean Jorban from Masonís Hollywood boutique to the 2003 Academy Awards, as well as Winona Ryder, Nicole Kidman and Madonna, have created an incredible interest worldwide in vintage haute couture fashion design," says Mason, who is one of North Americaís leading vintage clothing experts. " But besides whatís in vogue, wearing these fashions makes a woman feel glamorous, whether enjoying an evening at the opera or a fabulous night on the town!"

Elizabeth Mason found her passion for bargain hunting and second-hand shopping as a young girl in Toronto where she grew-up. This enthusiasm turned into a business when Mason, also a former model and actress, opened The Paper Bag Princess in West Hollywood, California, in 1995. Masonís experiences with the film and fashion industries in Hollywood, combined with her lifetime quest to know all she could about vintage couture, led to the quick success of the business. In 2002, Mason returned to her hometown of Toronto to open her Davenport Road location.

A unique celebration of the styles and fashion that lent an era its unmistakable glamour, 'Chanel, Dior & Balenciaga: Fabulous 50's Flashforward' took its inspiration from the current ROM exhibit Elite Elegance: Couture Fashion in the 1950s. For one extraordinary evening, the ROM's Currelly Gallery will be transformed into an elegant catwalk for the presentation of these highly coveted fashions. The collection will be beautifully augmented with vintage jewelry from Carole Tanenbaum's collection as well as jewelry specifically designed for the occasion in the style of the 1950's by the Georgian College jewelry graduates. Also included in the presentation will be two 50's couture ensembles, reminiscent of the period and designed and created by Ryerson University Fashion graduates.

Mason is the author of "Valuable Vintage, The Insiders Guide to Pricing and Identifying Important Vintage Garments", Random House 2002, and "The Rag Street Journal, The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Thrift Throughout North America", Henry Holt 1995. A world renowned expert on vintage garments and accoutrements, Mason has presented numerous vintage fashion exhibitions and shows in Los Angeles and Toronto including most recently, "Flash Back to Flash Forward, The Fabulous Fifties" a vintage couture fashion show at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto fall 2002. A regular figure on the Style network, Mason has also appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" as a vintage expert on an episode entitled "Hidden treasures in your home". Mason also founded the "VAGTA", the Vintage and Antique Garment Trade Association, in 2003.

---

Elizabeth Mason is the owner of The Paper Bag Princess, a noted vintage clothing boutique in Los Angeles. She has made national television appearances on the Oprah Show, Access Hollywood, the Style Network, and CNN, has been featured in several major magazines, and is the author of The Rag Street Journal. In addition, she conducts regular vintage clothing auctions for eBay and has staged fashion shows and exhibitions for Sotheby's. She lives in Los Angeles, California

Helena Christensen wearing a 1930s couture black Tulle gown re-designed by Elizabeth Mason for The Paper Bag Princess. Constructed by Daniela Kurrle. Black feather wrap by Irene, circa 1940s.

Tori Spelling attending the Carousel of Hope Ball wearing a black silk chiffon gown by Elenora Garnet circa 1940's from The Paper Bag Princess.

Esquire Magazine : Women We Love

Nicole Kidman wearing a 1970's Georgio outfit from The Paper Bag Princess, for the cover of Esquire Magazine and the premiere of "Eyes Wide Shut."

Carolyn Murphy wearing a vintage John Galliano dress, circa 1990s, Pedro Rodriguez coat circa 1960s and Maud Frizon shoes circa 1980s

Paula Jai Parker wearing exotic vintage boots from The Paper Bag Princess circa 1980s.

Alexandra Nechita attending the Carousel of Hope Ball wearing a cream silk Elizabeth Mason Couture Gown circa 2002 with diamonds from Harry Winston.

Fran Drescher wearing a 1956 Christian Dior relief beaded cocktail dress from The Paper Bag Princess.