Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Halloween fantasy mask

This magical mask, has been posted before - but I've decided to make it my signature statement for Halloween on both of my blogs. It wonderfully fulfills and stimulates the desire to create something unexpected for any mysterious parties or trick-or-treating as we head into October. Originally, named a Venetian Fantasy Mask, it was created for Denim Revolution, but when we couldn't squeeze it in - it became a freebie. All the how-tos are right here, on craftzine.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Rodarte Spring 2011 return to nature

Spring 2011 collections started in New York, continued to London, are happening right now in Milan and soon will, en wrap Paris. Via the inventiveness of the Internet, there is much for everyone to see and learn about the collections, the designers, the fashion shows and the behind the scenes creative talents who make these presentations so sumptuously remarkable and influential. Once those "talents" and their techniques were privy to a select group of fashion editors and key store buyers, but today you can whip around the web and find more and more detailed information about who does what, and with a little searching - some how-to photos to support their processes.
Being a romantic, I was totally swooned over by the Mulleavy sisters’ “Rodarte”– chiefly, their accessories – meaning all the accessories including the hair and makeup as well as the shoes and belts.Seventies suburban Californian, the Redwood forest, Big Sur and the rugged Bay area inspiration for the collection has been well documented, but actually, how and why it happened has no significance for me. I was drawn in by the fantasy of feeling closer to nature. The hand carved barrettes, in raw chunky wood become so beautiful with the shapes of butterflies, beetles and branches. They stimulate and intertwine with one’s own colorful associations and imagination of nature with the interpretation and softness of this artist's hand carved image. These feelings are carried over into the hair, make-up, shoes and belts. (click here for Vogue's how-to and scoop.) The golden hues of an imagined golden flecked frost, deep in the forest, added a magical glow to the make-up with their carefully gold-dipped eyelashes, lips and cheeks. The slightly disheveled hair with uncommon streaks of texture feels like a pile of windswept leaves. It all has the hand of craftsmanship combined with a personal voice from the designers which spurs my desire to collect, own, make and find a way to be part of this natural beauty.
And even though I love the clothes, my style would be to wear all their accessories with my own jeans, cashmere and silk, with more streamlined and wrapped dresses, allowing them to glow with the touch of sun and moonlight and no competition and truly become a part of my life, and feel I am in the forest, even though I am in the city. Uhmmm… .

Saturday, September 4, 2010

The Dress I Made

Dutch product designer Renske Solkesz is documenting on her new blog her personal challenge to create her own wardrobe. She is commited to wear only clothing of her own design that has been created with her own hands. Renske is searching and exploring her clothing needs and desires following a pure, sincere and beautiful design philosophy. She is not creating a utilitarian wardrobe of basics, but a wardrobe of her emotional, aesthetic as well as her practical needs and visions.

There are belts:


Scarves, skirts,

dresses and more.
Personal challenges reveal and surprise. They take commitment, energy and power. Her blog is her way of revealing and sharing her artistic story.