Mirror Mirror

"In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous." 

                                      - Elsa Schiaparelli

Dior's fairy-tale-inspired 2021 fall collection fittingly debuted in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. With a darkness resembling the original Grimms' tales rather than the rose-tinted Disney adaptations, each look told a story. 

“I prefer the original fairy tales. The references are scary. It’s a way to teach young people what happens in the world,” creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri said. “A way to prepare them for the future.”

From hoods referencing Little Red Riding Hood to poisoned-apple red to hearts fit for the Red Queen, no detail was overlooked. Chiuri created something special that took you on a journey outside of reality.

The show ended with two extraordinary dresses that would have fit perfectly into Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, similar to the dress I replicated from the movie a few years ago. Off with their heads!

Not surprisingly, I was once again drawn to mostly black and white fabrics while shopping at Mood.com for the material to make these twelve looks. There are a few staples that I buy again and again, including an Italian viscose suiting and a premium stretch ponte knit that are both easy to work with and even more comfortable to wear. I also chose fabrics varying in texture such as lace, fringe, and quilted knit to enhance the silhouettes.

Made in Colorado

Dior: From Paris to the World

“It is unforgivable to do what one doesn't love, especially if one succeeds.” 
                                                                            - Christian Dior

By the time I had heard about the Dior exhibit happening at the Denver Art Museum, the show was over . . . or so I thought. But after repeatedly selling out day after day, the museum extended its runtime and my friend surprised me with a ticket for the final weekend of From Paris to the World.

Walking into that first room at the gallery, I was a little teary-eyed. Spotlights shone down on dresses from Christian Dior's first collection from 1947 that I had only ever seen in photos. These iconic dresses were the beginning of the "New Look" that strayed from the previous boxy silhouettes. Dior rounded the shoulders, brought in the waist, and accentuated the hips, which gave the fashion world something to talk about. 

Each room of the exhibit featured designs by Dior and his six successors since his passing: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri. As well as showcasing over 70 years of the House of Dior's looks, there were also photographs, original sketches, and accessories on display. 

Having watched the documentary Dior and I a few years back, I was particularly drawn to the dresses designed by Raf Simons that were highlighted in the film. I was able to get so close to them that I could see the stitching, texture, and detailing of each garment. 

The last room of the exhibit was filled with dozens of dresses on a large stage that spanned the history of the fashion house. There was so much to look at that it was almost overwhelming, but it wouldn't be Dior without a grand finale. 

After seeing over 200 couture dresses, I was inspired to create. In the four looks below, I used everything from plaids to stripes to sequins to flowers. And I learned one lesson: I will never sew a fabric made of both sequins and beading ever again. But just this once, it was worth the hassle.

Made in Colorado  

J'Adore Dior

"Everything I know, see or hear, every part of my life is transformed into dresses. They are my daydreams, but they have passed from dreamland into the world of everyday items to wear."
                                                                  -Christian Dior

Christian Dior Spring 2018 Couture 

In my early twenties I worked at Saks Fifth Avenue in Kansas City and purchased a little sleeveless top by Christian Dior that read, "J'Adore Dior." And to this day, it's still one of my favorites. The design house has seen many creative directors come and go since Mr. Dior stunned the world with his debut collection in 1947. Carmel Snow, editor of Harper's Bazaar at the time, fell in love with Dior's silhouettes that had so much volume, yet minuscule waistlines. She said, "It's quite a revolution, dear Christian! Your dresses have such a new look!"

Dior's current artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri is adamant that the company needs to be about female empowerment as she demonstrated throughout the spring 2018 couture show. The black and white checkerboard runway set the scene and looked like it was snatched right out of a Tim Burton film. Dresses mirrored the two-toned floor in eye-catching prints for a dramatic effect and the result was much edgier than previous collections.

Springtime always puts me in the mood to sew. I haven't done much sewing since last spring, but I got inspired the last few weeks and started to make a dent in my ever-growing pile of fabric. I made some new patterns out of muslin while draping on my dress form and got to work.

The first three looks I created are light, airy, and full of color. I experimented with different necklines and hemlines. For the top of my fourth look, I sewed a two-way zipper into the top fabric that can be unzipped to expose the black fabric underneath. And then I continued sewing with my go-to black and white palette while throwing in a little dark blue for good measure. I saved the sparkliest fabric for last, which made me think of Art Deco. I was initially going to make a twenties flapper-style dress with it, but decided on a cinched waist with a fuller skirt that will be perfect for a night out.

Made in Colorado

Versace's Couture Metamorphosis

"I think glamour all the time. I wake up in the morning and I'm already thinking glamour."

                                                            -Donatella Versace

Versace Spring 2017 Couture

The first haute couture house in Paris was established in 1958 by Englishman Charles Frederick Worth. Rather than being simply a dressmaker, he was an artist. There have been many more to follow Mr. Worth, including the rocker-glam leader of the fashion world, Versace. 

Gianni Versace started his clothing line in the late 70s and debuted his first couture collection in 1989 while always keeping his family working closely alongside him. From the very beginning, Versace used innovative materials in his designs, such as metal mesh and a unique blend of rubber and leather. 

Gianni's sister, Donatella, has kept Versace going strong through the years and did not disappoint with the latest couture designs based on the theme metamorphosis. There were short dresses paired with gladiator sandals and long gowns showing off hourglass silhouettes that were the epitome of glamour. Using fresh construction techniques involving knots, pleats, metal, and organic elements, each piece was loaded with texture. Just as the theme suggested, Versace's couture collection was inspired by the beauty of transformation. 

I dusted off my sewing machines and started creating again. I designed everything from one-piece rompers and dresses to pants and graphic tops. Using matching white and black fabrics, I even created some of my own prints by making a checkerboard-like pattern and sewing stripes onto fabric. The end result was a mini capsule collection. 

Made in Colorado

Fit for a Mad Tea Party

"You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are."

                                                                     -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

The Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, and, of course, Alice. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is full of memorable characters. The mastermind who helped bring them to life in Tim Burton's film adaption and its recent sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, was designer Colleen Atwood. She deservedly won an Oscar for making Alice in Wonderland's costumes ever bit as extraordinary as the cast.

One of the biggest challenges for Atwood while coming up with design ideas was Alice's continuously shifting shape. "We made a decision that as Alice shrunk and grew, her dress would not," says Atwood. "Alice had around eight looks, and multiples of most of them, so there were around 20 hand-made costumes. The script and idea of Alice as an exploring spirit really inspired me." 

In one scene, Alice shows up to the Red Queen's court, eats a bit too much cake given to her by the White Rabbit, and completely outgrows her blue dress. The Red Queen (played by Helena Bonham Carter) spots her hiding behind the bushes and orders, "Someone find her some clothes, use the curtains if you must, but clothe this enormous girl!" Alice is then given the very Burton-esque, asymmetrical black, white, and red dress.

The Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp, is a bizarre character that has literally gone mad. When coming up with a vision for the character, Depp found that hatters would actually go a little nutty from the glue they used because of its high mercury content. He then made a watercolor painting of how he envisioned the Mad Hatter's appearance. At the same time across the globe, Burton came up with a sketch that was very similar to Depp's. When designing the Hatter's costume, Atwood spared no detail and even incorporated all the tools of his trade into the designs, such as scissors, thimbles and a pin cushion ring. 

Atwood and Burton have been working on projects together since Edward Scissorhands. May their whimsical masterpieces continue for many years to come. 

My friends are throwing a mad tea party this week inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (costumes, teacup breaking, and all). Since I love Tim Burton films, I chose to make the dress Alice is given when seeing the Red Queen. And that is when I fell down a rabbit hole . . .

The black and white striped fabric used for the original costume is beautiful and it was difficult to find something similar. I ended up buying a striped chiffon from Etsy along with a lot of tulle, taffeta, cotton twill, cording, and ribbon. The total amount of fabric came close to 20 yards. 

I only had photos from a Google search to use as a guide to create this costume. Due to the limited number of hours I had to make the dress, it was lucky for me that the original design by Colleen Atwood was made to look like it had just been thrown together on a whim. It was perfectly undone. By the end of it, I was cutting fabric pieces haphazardly without even measuring them and randomly tucking in bits of the skirt in the back just as Alice's dress is in the movie when she shrinks once again.

Fittingly, constructing this dress made me go a little mad. 

Made in Colorado

Spring into Summer with Flowers and Lace

"After women, flowers are the most divine creations."

                                                     - Christian Dior

Emilia Wickstead Spring/Summer 2016

Wildflowers of all different colors are in full bloom on the mountainsides of Colorado. It's quite fitting that this season's collections are adorned with flowers and lace.

Monique Lhuillier Spring/Summer 2016

Marchesa, known for their ultra feminine dresses, seems to include these two elements into each and every one of their collections and did not disappoint for spring/summer 2016. Burberry, Oscar de la Renta, Emanuel Ungaro, Emilia Wickstead, and Monique Lhuillier have all followed Marchesa's lead. Designers can't get enough of the flowery prints and have even sprinkled them throughout their latest collections for next fall.

Not only something pretty to look at, flowers have been incorporated into clothing from many different cultures around the world offering significant meaning and symbolism.

The peony is the national flower of China and represents wealth and honor.  It is often seen on Chinese paintings, national clothing, and decorations. Floral prints are also widely used in India and Japan (think of all the colorful flowers on a kimono). Do I even need to mention Hawaii?

Just like floral prints, lace has been around for centuries and was frequently used for both men and women's collars, shawls, and even to decorate door knobs. It was a popular clothing choice for Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.

Quite a contrast from the buttoned-up and formal usage of the delicate fabric worn by the Queen, the Roaring Twenties transformed the textile into something entirely different. It was used to create a whole new look and controversial dress silhouette that encapsulated the free-spirit of the 1920s flapper girl.

This week I dug through my fabric archives and found an absolute gem that I had used ages ago for a summery dress. The new and improved design is made of the same black cotton lace. Using the flowers to my advantage, I carefully cut around their edges to accentuate the collar and hem. It isn't entirely symmetrical, but that's what makes it unique.

For my next look, I purchased a gorgeous floral silk cotton voile by Liberty of London from Mood Fabrics and made a dress with a dramatic collar and exposed shoulders. Every girl needs a pretty flowery dress she can wear to a summer garden party.

Made in Colorado