Happy Easter

 

So I made this dress from fabric I bought at Sami's fabric stand at a fabric market. Where else could I have bought such interesting three denominational fabric. I had the yellow fabric in my fabric collection. It was left over from a previous collection I had designed. The second I saw the flowered fabric I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I had already made a similar pattern to this when I was in design school so I just had to make a few tweaks to the pattern I had already designed. I love the fullness of the skirt with this fabric. It feels so playful. A perfect fit for Easter Sunday.  Happy Easter.

3D Flower Fabric: Samitex Stoffen (http://www.samitex.nl)

Yellow Fabric:a fabric stand in down town LA

Shoes: Wastland LA (http://www.shopwasteland.com)

Bracelet: vintage, given to me by a friend

Necklace: Farfax/ Melrose Flea Market (http://melrosetradingpost.org/)

Earrings: Farfax/ Melrose Flea Market (http://melrosetradingpost.org/)

Clutch: Farfax/ Melrose Flee Market (http://melrosetradingpost.org/)

Ring: family heirloom 

Belt: was my grandmothers

Sunglasses: market in Amsterdam

Jacket: Forever 21

Shiny Ponies

This video explains exactly how I feel about shoes. I love them. An amazing pair of shoes can turn around a boring outfit. They can brighten my mood and make me feel great and powerful. A shiny pony can always bring some light into my life and a pep in my step.

Messiah the Symphony

 

 

I have an earlier post about how to make this envelope clutch. 

 

Tonight I will be at the Utrecht Symphony. It has become a tradition for my husband and I to go to the symphony just before Christmas to see the The Messiah. This year I decided to design something special just for the event. So I went into my fabric closet and pulled out this fringe leather. 

The moment I saw this fabric at a fabric market the design I wanted to create with it flashed before my eyes. I even picked up the metallic lining that day. I wanted the  slit to open as I walked and the shimmer form the lining to surprise people. 

So I got to work. The pattern design was simple.  When it came to sewing it was a bit tricky because of the fringe. I had to be extremely careful when sewing every seam as not to sew part of the fringe into the seam. I was also worried that the invisible zipper would not work with this fabric. I was determined to try because I thought any other zipper would just not work with this design I had in mind. And It worked!

Top- American Apparel

Stockings- American Apparel

Skirt- My Design

Shoes- Chinese Laundry

Coat- Primark

Leather Gloves- Primark

Ruby Rings- family  heirloom/ engagement ring

Earrings- Monki

Cuf- ASOS

Necklace- Mango

 

THIS IS WHY I DESIGN

 

My dad always taught me that if you do what you love you never need to work a day in your life.  Work is no longer work it's play.

Favorite Fabric Vendor

After enjoying the pleasure of blocks and blocks of fabric selection in downtown LA for years I have come accustomed to a vast volume of fabric choices. This has left me with a very unique and demanding taste for fabrics.

When moving to Europe and discovering that the fabric selection was abysmal I made it my mission to uncover the hidden gems of the Dutch fabric market. For years I searched specialty fabric markets, shops and online. I even looked into the fabric store in Amsterdam used in the filming of the Dutch version of "Project Runway," only to find a store filled with a fabric selection only a drag queen could love.

I had come up empty handed. But that all changed when I went to Stoffen Spektakel at the Haarlemmermeer Expo center and fell upon who I now claim as the best fabric supplier in the country of the Netherlands, Sami. He holds the most beautiful selection of fabrics I have ever seen. My unique thirst for avant-garde fabrics had been quenched. If you are looking for beautiful prints, the highest quality silks, or just something unusual Sami will have it.

I picked up this leather fringe from Sami. The fabric spoke to me. I know exactly what I will do with it. 

http://www.samitex.nl/

Lululemon Trunk Show Invite

Come join me at Delight Yoga for the first ever Amsterdam trunk show and workshop led by Daphne Luttger. You can expect  good company, good food, good products, and a good time. I hope to see you there but don't worry if you can't make it, a Lululemon store will be opening in Amsterdam this spring.

DELIGHT YOGA
Weteringschans 53, Amsterdam

LuLuLemon Trunk Show 11.00 – 17.00
16 December 2012
Workshop from Daphne Luttger 14.00 – 16.00

Design Inspiration

 

This is the inspiration for my next collection. It's all about the moment of the year when you realize spring is here. The snow and ice start to melt. The icy blues and snowy whites break away to reveal the warm browns and beige tones of the earth. It's an inspiring time of year. I wanted to reflect upon the moment of change in our earth's cycle.