something to share...

how fun is this belt? this completely unique belt is made by my friend and classmate Davia. she is not only an incredibly talented fashion designer but she also has a great sense of style that always left me jealous. these belts look great over a brightly colored dress or with a pencil skirt and cardigan. please check out her new Etsy shop for the amazingly priced belts.

london fashion week: matthew williamson love!

despite being a lover of all things american, and most of all our rich american design heritage, the one designer who has had my heart since he came on to the scene is english. matthew williamson is my design soulmate. his use of print, color and texture is all that i aspire to as a designer.

one of my pivotal fashion memories is digging through my mothers underwear drawer for slips to borrow and coming across a mini slip in a bright geometric print. it looked nothing like the other nude and black lacie things in the drawer. it had a small label with the simple bold print: PUCCI. i went to my mother and asked if pucci is like gucci. she laughed and said no, pucci was a designer from the 60's that loved bright prints. i kept that slip and though it has never fit me i have kept it rolled up in my underwear drawer as a little inspiration.

probably about the time i was having that conversation with my mother a young matthew williamson was graduating from central saint martians school of design in london and just embarking on his career. eventually in 2005 he would go on to become creative director of the house of pucci. besides pucci williamson has had great success with his own line. as always his fall 2011 show has blown me away. i have a lot to share hope you enjoy!

nyc fashion week: slashy award

you know in the movie zoolander when Fabio gets the "slash-y award" for best model/actor? i love that scene, it was ahead of its time. who knew that today we would have singer/model/actor/designers? or athlete/model/designer? or rapper/actor/designer? somehow it has become vogue to add fashion designer  to every celebrities list of accomplishments. you can probably list a number of celebrities that have attempted this and some have been pretty successful: Sean Combs, J.Lo, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Sarah Jessica Parker and Victoria Beckham. but one celebrity designer has not only transitioned from singer to designer but has become incredibly respected by the fashion editors and public alike. but more importantly i love her. and her Fall 2011 collection was amazing as always. here are my favorites:

Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. Fall 2011

nyc fashion week: part II

LOVE these looks from Chris Benz Fall 2011.

nyc fashion week

i have posted about my most favorite designer Rachel Roy here before. she showed her Fall 2011 collection on monday here in cold NYC. as always she blew me away. Roy designs beautiful clothes for strong women. her mix of color and texture make her looks look effortless. here are six of my favorite looks from this collection:

 i am about to head outside for a special activity with my boyfriend. and this has totally inspired me to throw on a dress with a full skirt and my little cropped jacket. stay warm today!

i kept my goal: part II

despite being sick in bed 4 out of the past 8 days i was able to keep my goal of sewing one article of clothing for myself. even though it is still cold out i am trying to sew things i will want to wear in the spring. i came up with this sweet but simple draw string skirt. can't wait to wear it!

i am back!

sorry all for my absence! i have been so sick with a stomach virus for the past few days. but i am finally feeling well enough to sit up and blog. clearly fashion week is in full swing here in new york and there are definitely some highlights i want to share! so let me do some freelance and answer some emails and i will be back with lots to say. thanks for your patience.

jewelry making...

i have always been drawn to making my own jewelry. starting out with simple friendship bracelets as a kid has grown to more complicated pieces recently. i don't identify as a jewelry designer, jewelry designers know how to solder and about cutting stones. but i think that as an embellishment designer sometimes my work leaves the fabric and can exist as its own separate piece. i wanted to show a few things i have made recently. hope you like them!

manipulation

when explaining my focus within fashion i often get blank stares when i say that i do "fabric manipulation." beading and embroidery are easy to understand, but what does it mean to manipulate fabric? basically fabric manipulation is anything you to to alter the surface of the fabric beyond it normal 2 dimensions; folding, pleating, cutting, gathering, quilting. i explored fabric manipulation during my time at risd but really have been able to purse my interests in this area over the past year. i have had an amazing opportunity to work with a client who pushes the limits of fabric in the context of home bedding. i just completed my most recent project for them and wanted to share with you a few of the swatches i created. 

this was a fun group. the fabric and colors are not what the client is using for their collection, but i am still able to express their ideas. hopefully they will be able to use my swatches to explain their concepts to their buyers as well as their factories.

all better!

sorry for my absence over the past few days, i was battling the flu but am finally well! i have lots to post and talk about over the next couple of days so please come back. for now i just wish i had this outfit below to stay warm on this cold new york city day!

too sick to make anything...

i have the flu and am too sick to do my freelance work let alone be creative...luckily i am still able to look at all my favorite blogs. how much do you love this:

thank you sartorialist.

gold and crusty: part II

so my client came back to me and asked me to work back into that original gold beading. this is one of my favorite things about embellishment design, it is almost like painting. you might layout a beading but this is always the opportunity to return and work back into it. here is a glimpse of the final beading.

i kept my goal!

i made a goal last week to make one piece of clothing every week. i met my goal this week by making this simple tunic out of a beautiful floral burnout. and got to wear it out to my friends birthday on saturday night! 

if people are interested i am happy to share the pattern for this very simple top.

i was only some what productive today...

...would have been happy to lay in a patch of sunshine.

unveiled...

i mentioned before i had the opportunity to work with 2 brides over the previous year. for the first i made a flower for her to wear in her hair. for my second bride i got to make a traditional veil to compliment her beautiful dress. we choose a light weight italian netting and then found a flower-chain lace that i carefully hand sewed around the edge. i thought it came together perfectly and really worked with her dress to create a complete look. 

p.s. this is my bride that will be featured in The Knot...more on that to come!

beaded sashes

these are two beaded sash i just finished for one of my clients. 

they are both done on 36mm silk/cotton gross grain ribbon. 

the beading is dense at center front and fades out to the sides. 

these beaded sashes are really fun to make, 

if you or someone you know would like one...

 i can make them to order to match any dress or outfit!

something old...

i wanted to share something really beautiful. these are hand crocheted necklines made by my great-great-grandmother. they have been handed down through the generations and now i have them. they are so delicate and light. i know how to crochet but not anything as intricate as this. part of me wants to use them in making a new piece of clothing, but i also feel i should save them to pass on. whatever i decide they make me feel so linked to my families creative past.