glam.spoon

Seattle designers get noticed

 

Breaking news! Not one, but two Seattle designers made the cast of NBC's new fashion-slanted-reality-competition-show, Fashion Star. Sounds like bragging rights to me!

Lizzie Parker and Lisa Hunter will represent Seattle in the weekly showdown. They both have a great following in Seattle and years of experience under their respective fashionable belts. In fact, if you look at the list of the 14 contestants, there are only a handful under 30. That's refreshing considering Project Runway usually has one or two fresh-out-of-school, over-confident, stubborn-know-it-alls who want to rule the world. Of course, in the case of Christian Siriano, well, he did. But that's another story.

Although I'm not BFF's with these two designers, I am very familiar with their work and perspectives. Lizzie has her own boutique in Kirkland that showcases her line of modern knitwear and layering pieces. 

Along with the Art Institute of Seattle's Academic Director, Karin Wu (below left) and Baby & Co.'s Jill Donnelly (below right), Lizzie (below middle) was one of the judges of the Fashion Feud competition I won last year.

Lisa Hunter established her line Vian Hunter in San Francisco in 2006 before relocating to Seattle three years later. In May of 2010, I attended her first in-house boutique spring fashion show at her space in Madison Park. At the time she had just entered Seattle Magazine's local fashion competition, Seamless in Seattle, and the rumor that night was that she was shortlisted for Season 8 of Project Runway. Perseverence pays off.

Here's the show's summary from Entertainment Weekly.

Hosted by supermodel Elle Macpherson, Fashion Star features celebrity mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie, and John Varvatos. The series will premiere Tuesday, March 13, at 9:30 p.m. with a 90-minute episode. Following that, Star’s hour-long episodes will air at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Elle Macpherson has proven herself more than just a model, acting in various TV shows over the years. She's funny, pretty and charming, which is all I want in a TV host. And she's apparently designing lingerie, so I'll give her a shot.

However, I'm going to have to call out the "celebrity mentors" for what they are: The B team. Jessica Simpson may have her name on a label at Macy's, and whether or not she's actually designing it, we've seen it all before. She could use a mentor herself. Nicole Richie is a celebutante who's famous for being famous. Her House of Harlow accessories label and the Winter Kate clothing line all appear to be expensive versions of Free People designs. And even if John Varvatos has talent, he's a menswear designer and I don't pay attention to menswear. He does have a pretty slick 49 second video on his website featuring Green Day wearing his clothes, so he gets points for cool factor.

The premise of the show is pretty bold and I'm guessing more beneficial to all contestants, not just the one that wins. It's like if Project Runway, Shark Tank and Dancing with the Stars had a baby. The designers will be judged by actual buyers for Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and H&M, not by fashion magazine editors. The three buyers will place competing bids on designs that they like and, viewers will then be able to buy the clothes immediately following the episode.

This is a huge opportunity, but also a huge risk. You could win the first challenge, have your garment sold at a major department store and then get kicked off the show the following week! The Seattle PI published a full preview of the show earlier this month, which you can read here.

As someone who can't get enough of fashion and entertainment, I'm thrilled with yet another reality series to obsess over, and I'm hoping the first episode will change my mind about the mentors. But honestly, to see our socks-and-sandals wearing city represented in the big league of prime time fashion TV is LEGEN - wait for it - DARY.

Set your Tivo and mark your calendars for the premiere on March 13th. To get up to speed, you can view each contestant's video introduction on the show's website, and click on the game-show style preview video below. 

productive snow week

Last week's snow seemed to be something of an obstacle, keeping me from doing what I wanted to be doing. Two events got postponed, my office was closed and the animals and I were getting cabin fever after only a few days. However, I managed to get a dozen new winter skirts made for Frock Shop!

Yesterday I was minding the shop and noticed we have a TON of new merchandise, so if you're in the neighborhood, you should stop by. Great new blazers from Knitted Dove that are part prepster-part Chanel, lots of transitional pieces and a couple of polka dot cocktail dresses that would look great on any figure.

Yes, it will eventually be spring! Check out this cute video promising spring from Knitted Dove.

Knitted Dove :: Step into Spring '2012 from Mark David Spencer on Vimeo.

Erin McKean, American Lexicographer

Erin McKean is an American Lexicographer. It says so right there on her Wikipedia profile. She is the author of several word-focused books and sits on the advisory board of Wikipedia. It was only a matter of time before she created some new way of looking at language, having also served as the Principal Editor of The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. Is it just me, or did anyone else imagine that the person squinting at and editing THE DICTIONARY was some old guy with white hair and bifocals?

Wordnik is the first word navigation system that helps people unlock the value of words and phrases to discover what information is most meaningful and matters to them. Wordnik goes beyond traditional dictionary definitions to deliver words in context. 

I've been searching my whole life for context.

 

"Wordnik.com is an online dictionary and language resource that provides dictionary and thesaurus content, some of it based on print dictionaries such as the Century Dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary, WordNet, and GCIDE. Wordnik has collected a corpus of billions of words which it uses to display example sentences, allowing it to provide information on a much larger set of words than a typical dictionary."

This girl has got it bad for words. My vocabulary is already feeling intimidated.

Just to give you an idea of the flavor of the site, I typed my first name into the search box that comes up on the home page at Wordnik.com and this example sentence popped up:

"As he watches TIna continue to get sliced up, their friends Nancy and Glen -- sleeping elsewhere in the house and separately -- hear the screams, but are unable to get into the room until Tina is already dead.”

In addition to wielding a razor-sharp turn of phrase, in her spare time she writes a sewing blog chronicled at A Dress A Day. I've been following her fashion adventures for years, and she was recently featured in Sew It All magazine.

Combine her love of sewing with a rich linguistic arsenal and you get The Secret Life of Dresses. The book started as a series on her blog and was compiled and published in 2011 as a work of fiction. You can read the very first entry on her blog, here.

Erin graciously agreed to answer a few of my burning questions around the subject of her two interests, words and sewing:

glamspoon: Which came first, your love of dresses or your love of words?

EM: Definitely words. I fell in love with words at age 8, but I was a big tomboy until I was about 12 (when I started sewing).

glamspoon: Is lexicography your super power?

EM: Lexicography is my day job. I think my friends would say my superpower is making analogies.

glamspoon: Where did the idea come from that dresses have a secret life?

EM: I was up late one night thinking about what to blog about the next day, and just thought "what about writing from the perspective of a dress?" I wrote it up and posted it quickly before I could chicken out, and then people seemed to like them!  

glamspoon: I understand that Wordnik can give aspiring fashionistas enough fodder for dinner party reparteé with Anna Wintour. If you saw her at a cocktail party, what would you say to her?

EM: I think I would tell her how much I enjoy the "Nostalgia" column in VOGUE -- clothing and fashion can be so evocative and hold so many memories. It's great to have a place for reflection in an industry that is so focused on the next and the new.

glamspoon: What do you hope to contribute to language through Wordnik?

EM: With Wordnik we want to map the whole language, so that we can help people discover all the words that they need and all the ideas that that are interesting and relevant to them. Every word deserves to be understood ...

 I couldn't agree more. 

clementine + sustalux

The lovely ladies of West Seattle’s Clementine Shoes are hosting an exclusive pop-up shop for one weekend only. Teaming up with one of Seattle’s best kept secrets, they're preparing for a super special trunk show welcoming Sustalux to the West Seattle 'hood. Clear your calendar for this Saturday January 28th and Sunday, January 29th.

This pop-up shop is a match made in heaven. You're probably familiar with Clementine Shoes. Linda Walsh has been sharing her passion for beautiful footwear since 2006. She quickly became a local fave for brands like Chie Mihara, Miz Mooz and John Fluevog.

 

But you may not have heard of Sustalux - yet. The word Sustalux combines sustainable + luxury, which is the best phrase I've heard in years. Sustalux is the brainchild of Dana Guyton, and offers a curated collection of gently used vintage, designer and one-of-a-kind pieces to women (and men) who appreciate quality, stylish, wearable clothing that reflects individual style. Just take a peek at her philosophy...

 

"Sustalux is the result of a life-long reverence for fashion & it's makers, a shopping addiction, and the joy that floods a room when someone finds their new favorite piece. I focus on vintage because there is a quality and authenticity to each piece that you can't often find these days. Many of my garments come from an era when each piece was envisioned and constructed by the designers themselves along with a team of pattern-makers and seamstresses - not like the machine-made designer apparel of today. I have a tremendous respect for their work and I take great pleasure in sharing their visions of the past with the fashionably conscious of today."

 

She had me at shopping addiction.

Dana refers to her goods-on-hand as Closet Candy, and caters to a select clientele out of her studio in Sodo with private styling sessions. But you don't have to be rolling in dough to get in the door. Her website clearly states that she's not in the business of overcharging - her prices are reasonable and fair. I've been looking for an excuse to connect with this maven of style and this weekend is my shopportunity.

In addition to scouring the universe for the best of the best, Dana's business is also focused on product development and editorial photographic styling.

This weekend you can expect a carefully edited array of clothing and accessories, with a focus on chic resort style, as well as affordable options to weather the rest of our Pacific Northwest winter in bright, dazzling and fashion-forward style. After last week's snowstorm, all I can think about is a resort vacation.

Items available will include vintage bags and purses $16-24, kid leather gloves $16, and vintage Trifari statement necklaces $26-36. 

If you can't work the sale into your weekend plans, consider hosting a Luxe Shopping Party for you and your best girlfriends. Dana will set up an exclusive sale just for you. Now doesn't that just sound fabulous? 

 

2012 YWCA Inspire Luncheons

One of the main reasons I chose the YWCA to make a volunteer commitment this year was the Inspire Luncheons. These annual luncheons have brought acclaimed speakers to the Pacific Northwest to raise awareness of women's issues while attracting hundreds of YWCA supporters. I attended the 2010 Seattle Luncheon with Gloria Steinem and was so inspired myself, I wanted to be a part of it.  This year, the one and only Helen Hunt will be headlining the series on Thursday, March 15th at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. 

The funds raised by the three luncheons will go toward the Women Empowered Campaign. In December 2009, the YWCA Board launched a 3-year $26.5 million community campaign, called the Women Empowered (WE) Campaign. At this point 65% of the goal has been reached, but with 35% left to go with only one year, it's gonna be close. Please consider attending one, two or all three luncheons. Sheryl WuDunn will speak at the Washington State Convention Center on Tuesday, April 24th, and Ellen Goodman will present at the final luncheon on Thursday, May 10th at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Snohomish County.

If you would like to get involved with the planning of the luncheons, you can contact the YWCA Volunteer Services Department by emailing Samantha Tripoli, stripoli@ywcaworks.org.

To become a table captain for any of the three luncheons, email luncheon@ywcaworks.org or sign up here.

 

photographer's meetup

Last fall I provided wardrobe styling for a unique sort of meetup. An organized gathering of models, makeup & hair artists, photographers and one fashion designer (me) all working together to practice our craft. There were 5 or 6 different photographers shooting 5 models, and we were styling and shooting in 3 different areas of Studio 912. It was a fun night and I wanted to share a few of my favorite shots that came out of it.

The 3 photos above were shot by Jim Martin. Unfortunately, I can't find the names of the two models. We had a few people show up unscheduled, which was great, but I didn't catch everybody's names!

The model above is Brettlin, who was really great to work with. And although there's no watermark on the photo, I'm pretty sure this last shot is by John Shiel, the organizer of the Meetup event. You can check out his work here.

 

nicole by Nicole Miller Spring 2012 ... for JC Penney

Nicole Miller Spring 2012 Ready to Wear - images from Style.com

Watching season two of All on The Line with Joe Zee tonight, I was shocked to see a whole episode dedicated to Nicole Miller. The show typically focuses on up and coming, struggling or has-been designers that Joe Zee has to nurture and guide and scold into figuring out how to be successful; but Nicole Miller is a very successful 30 year veteran icon of the fashion industry. Apparently, when you're trying to get your audience to see you in a different way, even an established designer can use a little help.

Most people think of Nicole Miller as a classic, special ocasion, prom wear and bridal designer. After 30 years in the business, she's ready to be seen as a modern sportswear designer too. Her new collection is aimed at 20-30 somethings with street appeal and edge, but she needs the public to see her in a new light. Joe Zee to the rescue!

In the episode, he steps in to help Nicole focus her collection on a new market with a hip vibe and youthful customer appeal. He comes up with the idea that Nicole should reinvent some of her vintage pieces. Everyone else is stealing from the 80's but Nicole can steal from herself. He dubs it "Nicole Miller Rewind" and Nicole loves it.

Then Joe realizes, from polling young shoppers outside Nicole's boutique, that she needs to get the information about her young hip sportswear into the hands of those informing young hip girls today: bloggers. The PR department is instructed to give 5 front-row seats to the top fashion bloggers, and work with a casting agent to hire a few young, it-girl celebrities to wear Nicole's fresh designs while attending her runway show at New York Fashion Week. I hate to ruin the ending for you, but she killed it. The formula, the messaging, the presentation really reached it's audience, and the blogging community bought the whole enchilada - as did Neiman Marcus!

Then I received a press release for the nicole by Nicole Miller spring 2012 look book - her affordable line sold exclusively at JC Penney. I was really excited by the new looks. I've been a JC Penney shopper for years, and I've noticed the nicole collection over the years. I may have a piece or two in my closet, but this collection is really fresh. Nicole has translated her runway sportswear into a very wearable, affordable collection for JC Penney's customers. I especially liked the bohemian looks.

Although she's been producing her line for JC Penney for about 6 years, this current collection is the most vibrant, relevant aesthetic I've seen from her. She's a real inspiration to designers like myself who are (ahem), no longer in our 20's, but are designing for girls in their 20's and 30's - and the fashion bloggers they worship.

If you haven't checked out JC Penney's nicole collection in the past, this may be just the right time. Most of the sportswear, dresses, handbags, shoes and sunglasses retail for under $100. I'm looking forward to checking out the very boho looks from the upcoming collection.

Last week I ranted about the whole Missoni for Target hype, but now I'm wondering, why aren't people around the country staying up all night to get in line for this collection? Why aren't they logging onto JC Penney's website and purchasing furiously until it crashes? These designs are on point, wearable, affordably priced. I guess everything in America comes down to a popularity contest, or perhaps Target pays more for their marketing and PR consultants than JC Penney does, but that's OK with me.

Check out this cute behind-the-scenes video from the nicole by Nicole Miller Spring 2012 look book shoot. You'll see the stylish Ms. Miller herself, dressing and directing the models. 

 

Nicole Miller behind the scenes photo shoot from Hello Super 8 on Vimeo.

The brand also recently launched a sleepwear line which should be in stores in February with prices ranging from $20-$30 as well as a sunglass line hitting stores in March, beginning at $20.

For the record: I did not receive any products or monetary compensation for this post.

 

Big Name Designer + Big Box Store = overhyped collection

The highly anticipated Missoni for Target collection which was intended to be a six week promotion of 400 items in limited stock, sold out in one day. This strikes me as a skewed collective response, especially in this economy. It was also reported that some shoppers were looking to profit from the hype, getting in the doors early and then listing sold out items on eBay the same day.

Four months later there are still over 8,000 listings available on eBay in case you feel you missed out, and the inflated prices have come down to a reasonable level. There are even items still available on Target's website, which crashed on September 13th from all the traffic. 

I polled some of my fashionable friends to find out who's buying the hype. Two friends purchased from the Missoni collection. One is satisfied with her skirt, while the other found the hype to take away from the experience. I received positive remarks about the Rogan Gregory collection (which I have to admit, I completely missed) referring to the quality of construction. All I heard about Versace for H&M was that it was still too expensive. The leather cutout dress is beautiful, but at $299, it's still outside my price range. I was personally deflated when I saw Rodarte's Collection for Target, having seen the video of their solo exhibition called States of Matter. Those girls are artists, no doubt, but the Target collection was underwhelming. The Proenza Schouler for Target line gets the most praise for having quality construction and good design that doesn't look dated. 

Missoni 2012 Resort Collection via Style.com

Missoni is a family-run fashion house started in 1953, known for its colorful, patterned knitwear. Prices for their current resort wear collection, at least what's available on Net-a-porter, range from $405 for a crochet bikini to $2,125 for a strapless floor length crochet dress. 

For the Target collection they slapped their famous chevron patterned stripes on everything from pencils and teacups to bikes and furniture. It was heralded as Target's largest limited-time designer collection to date with items priced $2.99 to $599.99, but we all know what sold out first: the clothing line. Wouldn't you want to own a designer garment for a Target price?

Above left: Missoni Spring/Summer 2012 resort collection includes internal hook-fastening underwired bra, is partially lined, with concealed zipper and snap-fastenings at side, made of 50% viscose, 32% cupro, 18% polyester; lining: 91% silk, 9% elastane; $2,125 available here. 

Above right: Missoni for Target collection with double layered construction, pullover style, made of 61% acrylic, 21% nylon, 18% rayon with a lining of 100% polyester; $83.99 available here.

Target has been collaborating with high end designers for years starting in 2005 with Isaac Mizrahi, but in the early days there was no commercial hype or threat of "limited" quantities. That's where it gets weird and a little manipulative. The business plan behind the limited quantity is basic supply and demand. If the items sell out for full price, that's a victory in retail. Most of the big box retail stores will sell a percentage of new items at full price, then as they sit on the shelves they get marked down eventually ending up on the clearance racks selling for 75% off the original price. Too much supply means dwindling demand.

I wasn't there for the Target launch. I looked at the clothing online and although it was striking and very Missoni-like, I'm not a huge fan of putting stripes on my body, so I knew I wouldn't wear it. This isn't really a look I can pull off:

I did get a big kick out of the Missoni decorated bike, but this launch was so huge even powerful celebrities weren't able to log on to Target's site!

Missoni for Target three-speed, ladies bike, $399.99. Photo: Target / 2011 All Rights Reserved Target Corporation

Never one to shy away from a challenge - or maybe just to satisfy my own curiosity - I'll be getting in line very early on Sunday, February 5th for the Jason Wu/Target collaboration launch. From what I've seen online, the collection is a bit sweet, but definitely wearable. This blue dress with the sheer top has a silhouette similar to the Rachel Rachel Roy collection sold through Macy's, which is my all-time-favorite-go-to-designer-but-affordable clothing line.

However, I would definitely wear this black dress.

According to Seattle Met's Style blog, Wear What When, the line will only be carried at the Target stores in the suburbs of Seattle, which is pretty convenient for this suburban housewife. I'm hoping that the residents of Everett, Washington are not familiar with Wu and that I can walk through the doors calmly without the proverbial elbow throwing. I'll report back.

 

Lecture Series on Fashion by Seattle Arts & Lectures

The iconic Audrey Hepburn

This is a rare opportunity for all you fashion obsessed folks. Seattle Arts & Lectures is presenting Eternity in a Ruffle: Fashion in Art, Art in Fashion, a five-session lecture series on the history of modern fashion and the ideas it engenders and engages. "From what we wear to who we are, fashion is both a means of self-expression and a way that our times mark us historically." I couldn't agree more.

Co-presented by The Henry Art Gallery, the series will take place in the gallery's Auditorium beginning January 19th and running every two weeks for a total of 5 evenings. Tickets to the entire series will cost you $100, but if you act quickly, you can get the whole enchilada for half price (plus a small service fee) through Goldstar. 

The title is what originally grabbed me. Ruffles are near and dear to my heart and I've always thought of art and fashion being on the same plane. 

Lady Gaga

The series is offered as part of the new SAL U (Seattle Arts & Lectures' University, formerly Wednesday University). I pulled the following paragraph from the class description and have taken the liberty of highlighting the really exciting words.

"Ranging from Leigh Bowery to Lady Gaga, with stops for Audrey Hepburn, the avant-garde, and Schiaparelli along the way, the first four sessions, taught by Jessica Burstein, will take up issues such as why artists and philosophers ranging from Oscar Wilde to Walter Benjamin have repeatedly deemed fashion so important; fashion in film, photography and literature; and examples of sartorial fashion from the Henry Art Gallery Costume collection, as well as archival instances of fashion magazines for women. The focus will be on clothing's consumption (as opposed to its production), particularly clothing for women, with a slight bias toward couture."

The last class will be led by Judy Sourakli, Curator of Collections at the Henry Art Gallery, and Sandra Kroupa, Book Arts and Rare Book Curator in Special Collections at Suzzallo/Allen Library. Both will share and discuss objects from the Henry Art Gallery and Special Collections relevant to the course.

 

Leigh Bowery

No matter how superficial it can seem at times, at its best, fashion is art. Clothing is functional, but fashion is important - just like any other artistic medium filling galleries around the world. Elsa Schiaparelli was known for Parisian haute couture, but she also collaborated with Dali.

Yes, THAT Dali.

"Skeleton Dress" (Circus Collection 1938)

Seattle can certainly benefit from a fresh perspective on fashion as art. For years style bloggers in the Pacific Northwest have been defending our honor against the rest of the country’s bias that we wear nothing but gortex. Alas, there’s truth to every stereotype. One of my pet peeves with the Seattle fashion scene is when I attend an event billed as a fashion show that turns out only to be a first look at a respectable, tasteful collection of wearable, utilitarian garments. I want to be entertained, inspired, moved. I want to feel like I’m viewing art even if it’s being worn by a model while strutting down a catwalk.

If it’s not painfully obvious at this point, this lecture series is right up my proverbial alley and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to delve into the history and analysis of fashion’s place in the world. Since I’m a self-taught fashion designer focusing primarily on honing my construction skills, what I really missed out on – having not graduated from a formal design program – is the backstory. There aren’t enough hours in the day to design and sew a collection, promote a business, anticipate the coming seasons, feed the dog and study history. Outside of an academic setting, it gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list. I’m counting on this class to be the jump start for my fashion education.

 

 

2012 wardrobe resolution

Over the holidays I contributed to a post about Style Resolutions on Wear What When. Laura Cassidy, style editor at Seattle Metropolitan and editor of Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom - as well as the aforementioned very stylish blog - solicited fashion slanted New Year's Resolutions from a slew of style obsessed Seattleites and shared them with her readers. I'm going on record with this plan, and will document it here on my blog... 

Being a designer myself, one might think I wear nothing but my own designs, but that's simply not true. Although there are a fair amount of glam.spoon dresses and skirts hanging in my closet after nearly six years in business, I'm a true collector and have dozens of favorite items - many without a label. But in the spirit of reducing my carbon footprint, I've decided it's time to let go (a little). I've already weeded out the bulk of items that haven't been worn recently, so I'm well on my way to net zero - if not "net negative." At the end of this year, I want a wardrobe that is so suited to me, so full of pieces that I love, that I can't wait to get dressed in the morning.

And another thing: I don't care what the rest of the country says about our fashion sense here in the Pacific Northwest - we have some savvy folks in Seattle! Laura's own resolution to "stop over-thinking things and wear what I want to wear!" could be the Western Washington manifesto. This list of Style Resolutions includes a diverse cross section of creative folks who have a lot to say about their relationship with fashion. You can read the full article here.

 

make a statement

The Melanie Necklace by Samantha House via Luxist

The bib necklace trend has been going strong since early 2009 as reported by Who What Wear. I'm not one to jump on a trend at the beginning - I like to see it play out and watch how it refines over time. Then of course, all you have to do is look to history to determine that it's not an original idea afterall. Cleopatra was sporting a golden bib necklace in ancient Egypt, and the bibs Liz Taylor wore in the movie were a bit more modern.

Designers have been recycling ideas for centuries. The true mark of an artist is someone who takes the historical or commonplace and reinvents it with a modern sensibility. Thankfully, the bib necklace morphed into the statement piece and you can find dozens of options out there. The first time I fell in love with statement jewelry was when I discovered Kelly Framel, the fashion blogger known as The Glamourai.

What I like about her necklace designs are the bold choices: a tight collar shape, chunky feel, and the mixed texture of chain and beads. This gorgeous chunky choker-style Moroccan cascade necklace (below, sold out) has a bold mix of stones, pearls of different sizes, chain, etc. It's a real inspiration.

via Kelly Framel

Here are a few other recent inspirations...

 

Luckily, this Ranjana Khan Lapis Bead Bib Necklace from Saks Fifth Avenue is no longer available (originally $1100) otherwise I'd have to pawn something to buy it. I love the bold color, the seemingly fused gems and the collar shape.

 

The use of ribbon is a really romantic element that gives a statement piece that vintage feel. The above champagne necklace is also no longer available (I'm kind of good at finding those) but it was lovingly handmade by an Etsy Seller in Canada, and is a great inspiration for DIY'ing your own. I have boxes of broken vintage jewelry just waiting for a job like this.

The Olympia Necklace via History and Industry

And then there is this little gem from Irene Wood. I first discovered her many talents a few years ago through a coworker. She's also a painter (check out my favorite piece; I'd like to put it on fabric), but she has so much creativity bursting out of her she has to channel it somewhere, and luckily for us, she channels it into jewelry. The Olympia is made of three strands of painted gold, beige, silver and mauve wooden beads that create this thick bib necklace. It sits high like a collar. Big, bold, regal, lightweight. $175 and worth every penny. I'm currently selling shoes on eBay in order to buy one of Irene's necklaces. 

So after absorbing all this inspiration and while waiting for my eBay items to sell, I decided to take a tip from the hordes of DIY sites out there and make my own.  There are dozens of sites that will show you how to copy an item you see in a magazine (P.S. I Made This, Thanks I Made it, Copycat Crafts... you can read about the make it don't buy it trend here). Although I totally respect the skills and appreciate the resourcefulness, I've always had a problem with the whole "knock off" aspect. In my DIY practice, I prefer to use an item as inspiration to fuel my own creativity, and then make something totally unique with a nod to the original. 

First I pinpoint the different qualities of the item I like, then I gather up my materials and start playing. I buy most of my materials at thrift stores, preferring to use recycled bits whenever I can, but I do go to Fusion Beads for stringing wire, toggle clasps and crimpers in order to put it all together.

I found these funky brown wooden beads at the Everett Goodwill and decided to incorporate them into a chunky statement necklace. I also snagged these amazing semi-precious turquoise burnished agate beads at 40% off during Fusion's end of year sale. The chain is recycled and I used small silver discs as spacers on the ends of each strand. 

 

I like how it turned out so I made another using the same wooden beads, a recycled necklace of faux pearls as an accent, and a recycled oversized toggle clasp.

Finally, I wanted a statement piece using only chain, so I dug through my stash and came up with this. It came together from 9 different recycled necklaces and a recycled metal chain belt for the clasp. What will you make today?

 

another new year's eve...

Since I spend eleven months of the year racing from fashion shows to parties to trunk shows, etc., the holidays are really the only time a girl can just slow down, sleep late, watch a movie in the afternoon and recharge her battery for the coming year of activity. It's also a good time to revisit the previous year's goals...

I have a few things up my sleeve for 2012, so this Saturday night I'll probably be trolling Pinterest and sipping champagne in my jammies... but if I were going out, it would look something like this:

Happy New Year!

O'Crafty Night {Giveaway Winners Announced}

Thank you all for your lovely comments about my little collection of hats from recycled sweaters...they can't wait to find their new homes!

And the winners are (chosen by random.org): 

(1) Top left: Pink cashmere long pointy hat with pom pom and letter T applique; WINNER: Jhitomi!

(2) Top right: Metallic cloche hat with gold yarn chain stitching and circle appliques; WINNER: Nikita!

(3) Bottom left: Hunter green cashmere long pointy hat with pom pom;WINNER: Staleyjs!

(4) Bottom right: Wool striped cloche with pink yarn flower embroidery; WINNER: Glo!

You will be contacted via email for your mailing address...

Happy New Year!

**************************

As part of the Downtown Seattle Metropolitan Improvement District's efforts to create some holiday spirit in the city, I taught a DIY class just before Christmas showing how to make a winter hat from a recycled sweater. We had a great turnout at the Grand Central Baking Company's Arcade, and quietly crafted by the light of the Christmas tree. 

 

It's really quite easy to do! Go to your local thrift store (or your closet) and choose a 100% wool (or mostly wool) sweater of your liking with a nice thick ribbed hem at the bottom. This part will become the band of your hat. Wash it in hot to make the wool "felt" and become dense. Then turn it inside out and lay it flat. 

If you have a favorite hat, you can use it as a template and trace it out to make another. If not, measure your head. Take the circumference of your head (wrap the tape measure around your head at the temples); then measure your head from the bottom of your left ear - over the top of your head - to the bottom of your right ear. On a piece of paper, draw a straight horizontal line at the bottom that is half as long as your circumference; then place your tape measure on the left edge of the line, bring it up and around to create a dome, then place the tape measure at the other edge of the straight line you drew, using the measurement from ear to ear, and trace out the dome. You'll have a half moon shape when you're done.

 

Place your template over the sweater and cut it out. You can pin the sweater front to back if you're worried that it will slip out of place. If you don't have a sewing machine or serger, you can hand sew the front and back pieces together using yarn or thread. I like to do 3 running stitches and then a backstitch to keep it from gathering. Turn the hat right side out, press it flat and you're done... Unless you want to embellish it, which you probably will. That's the fun part!

 

Preparing for the class, I ended up with a few "sample" hats and in the spirit of the season, I'd like to give them away!

If you would like to win one of these hats, please leave a comment telling me which one you like and I'll pick a winner next Wednesday...

Happy New Year!

And thank you for all your support.

(1) Top left: Pink cashmere long pointy hat with pom pom and letter T applique; (2) Top right: Metallic cloche hat with gold yarn chain stitching and circle appliques; (3) Bottom left: Hunter green cashmere long pointy hat with pom pom; (4) Bottom right: Wool striped cloche with pink yarn flower embroidery. 

video footage from The Ruby Room auction

The 2011 Ruby Room auction held on October 1st was a blast! Check out this short video clip and look for my dresses!

guest blog post over at being5

The lovely Katie from Being5 asked me to contribute a guest post for her blog while she was away last week. You can click over and read it here. Katie's blog is as funny as it is chock full of useful information. If you're looking for a good read to add to your blog roll, look no further.

The post is about the art of self portrait with your camera phone, so if you need a tip or two, please give it a read. Below are some self portraits I've taken over the years.