Monday, December 12, 2011

Red Irish Herringbone Wool (from the selvedge collection)











Model: Emily Graham Handley











Fabric - Red Irish Herringbone Wool (salvaged ends of the reem)
Collar - Reclaimed Mother of Pearl buttons attached along neckline, inside and out for the collar to attach to. Collar is red on one side and herringbone on the other so it can be retached and reversed (or worn without) according to preference.
Sleeves - All working buttons with vintage trim loops. Can be worn down and fastened or open and folded upwards.
Centre front - Features the white selvedge with red frayed edges down the front (also featured on sleeves). Pleat detail running either side from the empire line down.
Hem - weighted hem in the style of old couture techniques used byt the like of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel.
Centre Back - Box pleat running down from yolk and weighted with chain down the centre back.
Lining: Italian silk with machine embroidered detail of meadow grasses.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Vintage dresses: customised






Upcycled: These dresses were huge!! Found in th charity shops of South Kensignton, I just loved the prints....and the stories they told after the lives they'd already lived! They were unwearable though - so long and wide, tent-like! I loved the print and the worn, softness of the fabrics. I altered and customised these unloved charity shop throw outs so they now thrive as a cute summer dresses, complete with their own matching corselette belts.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Indian Sari/ Brown embroidered dress










Upcycled: Traditional Indian dress passed down from my clients Mother in Law. The gesture of the gift and the fabric was all so lovely, we just had to make the sack like silhoutte wearable. We tailored the side seams in, box pleated the sleeve ends and brought the hem up by several inches! All excess fabric gave us enough to make a matching belt! We loved the neckline and the embroidery and made a feature out of the top sheer layer.  Chitavan now has new every day piece that she feels authentic in shows off her petite figure!


Client/ Model: Chitavan Pandya Patel


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Teacloths to Corslettes....waste not want not!











Rockstars often come back from tour with treasures! These vintage teacloths were found in the South, and too good to stay in the kitchen. I transformed this beautifully thick linen, printed so ornately into fully boned corslettes.....to cinch the hour glass waist into any ensemble!