Shoes are fascinating from both an historical and an artistic perspective. These made of silk toile are simply irresistible. They were designed by Roger Vivier in 1959 for Christian Dior. Roger Vivier who originally studied sculpture before entering the world of fashion design often described his fanciful and ornate shoes as sculptures.
There is a growing interest in sustainability in fashion. For many this means using sustainable materials and methods in the manufacture of clothing. You might support the movement by wearing and/or restyling vintage clothing. Or in some cases, simply redesigning or restyling a piece of clothing you already own and have not been wearing.
Summer is here and the perfect accompaniment to your summer sundress may be a straw handbag. There is a plethora to choose from. My search for such a handbag led me to think a bit about handbags in general and straw handbags in particular.
This photo is a mezzotint print I made of a bridal headpiece found in a vintage shop. It wasn’t a clothing shop so the head piece was buried in a box of odds and ends of lace and hat ribbons. Unearthing it prompted a decades long fascination with bridal raiment.
Lingering over the Sunday New York Times Style section and T Magazine insert is a pleasure not to be missed. My focus is on these sections that provide me with ideas and inspiration related to lifestyle, fashion, and interior design including stories about the people who create fashion and interiors. When we lived in Galveston, Texas we used to walk to a local shop where they made breakfast burritos and sandwiches. You could buy a paper from the stack and sit on a stool at the counter, alternately reading the paper and watching traffic go by on the Seawall Boulevard.
In 1950 designer Jean Desses created this miniature toile or muslin of a dress design. (photo courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum). The folds, draping, smocking and tie at the waist wrought from inexpensive fabric evoke images of both ancient and modern sculpture. Toiles or muslins are created as test pieces for designs and include markings and perhaps written notes. Once finalized, the toile may be taken apart and the pieces used as a pattern for the garment. We might liken a toile or muslin to a prototype.
According to masterclass.com, a milliner was originally a word used to describe a resident of Milan, Italy. Milliners are “hatmakers who specialize in bespoke headpieces…” The millinery profession gained prominence in the 1800’s and is still practiced today.
Monochromatic dressing in latte colors is appealing to me as a break from black. What happens when a sample of unknown latte colored fabric from the remnant rack is upcycled into maxi slip skirt?
Here in the Texas Hill Country the shoes most often on my feet are Keen lightweight ankle boots for hiking. Their extreme comfort and ruggedness stand up to the 40 step trek to the second tier of our land and beyond, over ledges and loose rocks and ripples. Still, there are moments when it’s time to don something with another type of flair. In this post we’ll take a closer look at shoes; so much more than covers for the feet.
The minimalist fashion movement calls for consumers to focus on clothes fitting their personal style, paring down to the essentials, and creating a capsule wardrobe.