My First Photo Shoot

As I woke up on Sunday, October 23rd 2011, I was a huge ball of emotions. It was the day of my first photo shoot, featuring my clothes and the antiques of Miri Antiques (Berlin, Germany. I'll include the website address at the end). I was so happy and excited because I would finally get to see my clothes on models and not my dress forms, but I was also nervous because I haven't met any of the models beforehand and I was afraid that some of my dresses wouldn't fit.

As I press and pack the clothes, shoes and other accessories, I keep in mind what the two girls look like (I have been staring at their comp cards the night before) and I try to match up what each of them would wear. I also make sure that I have the supply kit on hand for any last minute things. I was full of nervous energy and my mind was racing all over the place.

As I arrive at the location, my stomach gets all knotted up and fear starts to set in. There was also a lot of anticipation to make this happen. I get to the front door, take a deep breath and let adrenaline take over. As I walk in the store, I'm amazed at all the things I see. The antiques were awesome and the guys that work there were pretty awesome as well. Everyone was very nice. I fell in love with two Union jack chairs that were placed at the front door (I will be checking out the cost. They would look amazing in my studio).

The makeup artist was working on the girls, while the photographer and art director were setting up the rooms for the shots. I laid out the clothes and I was ready for anything, armed with pins and my quick wit. The first model (Laura Sophia) was done with hair and makeup, so it was time to dress her. I put her in the white dress with the Marimekko ruffles.

It was a little big on her, so I had to pin it a bit in the back, but it was cool, because the dress looked really good on her. She looked absolutely amazing (I'll post the pics once I get them back from the photographer). One thing I didn't realize about all of my dresses was that they were shorter that I thought. Let's just say that I am quite glad I told the girls to wear nude undergarments.

The second model (Charleen) was done with hair and makeup and I picked out the Asymetric Yellow, White and Black dress with One Sleeve. She also looked absolutely amazing (I know I'm using that word a lot!!)!!! I also had Laura Sophia change into the Orange 80's style dress with Multicolored Ruffle. We had them take shots together and then separately. The whole theme was a neo rich elegance, like new rich heiresses in the old family home, relaxing. The hair and makeup was in a neo-geisha style.

At this point, the shoot is hitting it's stride and I'm running around all over the place, putting jewelry on the girls, moving furniture and cracking jokes with the art director and the photographer. I'm also joking around with the owner of the store. He's joking with me about the great mood that I'm in. I'm just having fun and seeing my creations come to life on the girls and it was the most amazing feeling. I hope that I never get tired of it.

The one really emotional moment that I had and that I will carry with me forever happened as we were doing the last shot of the day. I had Laura Sophia in the Royal Blue Cutout Cocktail Dress and Charleen in the Royal Blue Cocktail dress with the Ruffle Collar. Seeing them come out of the dressing room was the most breath taking moment. Everyone gasped at how amazing they looked. The models LOVED the dresses. I was speechless!!! At that moment, I realized that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. This is my calling.

After I took this shot with my phone, I had to leave the room and cry, because these were the two dresses that I wanted to work so badly and they worked ten time over!!!

At this moment, I have to take this time to give thanks to some amazing people. This would have never come together without the amazing talents of all of you:

Shel Fuller: You are an AMAZING art director!!! No matter what, you manage to surprise me all of the time. Laughing with you kept me at ease and made this the most memorable and fun experience ever!! We have to work together more often. I promise to make some menswear pieces, so we can do a menswear shoot. I love you so much!!!

Maurice Luckett: You are the most AMAZING photographer!!! It was an amazing experience working with you. Laughing with you also kept me at ease (even when I did get in the way of the shots) and made this the most memorable experience I've ever had as a designer. We've gotta do this again and like I promised Shel, I will make some menswear that you can rock. Don't worry, I won't steal your reflector lol!!!!

Bella Herzblut: You are a PHENOMENAL make up artist. You've created the girls that I wanna dress!!! You and your assistant (love his smile) captured the essence of the vision. I can't thank the two of you enough for all that you've done. I can't wait to work with guys again!!!

Charleen & Laura Sophia: You both have breathed life into my creations and I can't even begin to tell you how honored I am to be in your debt. You were the girls that I wanted to create for. I apologize that a lot of the dresses were shorter than I expected, but you worked with it and made it AMAZING!!! I look forward to working with you again!!

Christian Schwarzer & Miri Antiques: Amazing location and amazing furniture!!! I loved that all of you were so gracious in letting us in and combining our world with yours. Thank you so much for everything!! Christian: I'll get you a ton of Kool Aid when I go to New York!!! Just get me a good deal on those Union Jack chairs at the front door!!! ;)

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!

Checking In and Catching Up

It's been a little while since I've done an entry, so I thought that I would take this moment to catch up and check in. Quite a bit has gone on since I last posted. I got my ass to London for Fashion Week (absolutely LOVE London!!!), getting it together for my first photo shoot of my clothes (I'm a little behind on getting a couple of pieces done), and Kanye West debuts at Paris Fashion Week (I have a little bit to say about that).

I went to London to check out Fashion Week. The energy in London is simply amazing!!! It's totally like New York!! It's expensive as all hell, easy to get around, and everyone has their own unique look. The clothes that I did get to see were pretty awesome. They ran the gamut of either being minimalist to totally outrageous and that's what I've always expected going there. I only got to see the shopping event at the end, because I couldn't get in to see the shows (we're working on trying to get in at the next one in February). The event was really cool. It was like a huge trunk show in Somerset House (where Fashion Week takes place and it's HUGE!!!). Those shopping events bring out the fashionista girls. These girls know how to shop!! With glasses of champagne in tow, these girls were dropping pounds everywhere. From the makeup counters, to every designer spot all throughout, these girls were checking everything out. Loved it!!!

Right now, I'm working on a few pieces for an upcoming photo shoot. It's a little stressful because it's my first photo shoot where my clothes are featured and I want everything perfect. I'm a little behind, because I worked a lot on a jumpsuit and I wanted to get the fit right. I'm almost done with that, so the next pieces will be started soon. I'll post pics of the jumpsuit once it's complete. it should be done by later today or tonight. After the jumpsuit, I have to work on a tunic suit and a dress. I'm gonna be working around the clock to get those done.

In the midst of all of this, Kanye West premiered his fashion line at Paris Fashion Week. Let's just say that I wasn't totally impressed, I was more confused. It was supposed to be a Spring/Summer collection, yet he used Fall/Winter fabrics like leather, fur, and knits. The designer that designed the clothes, London based designer Katie Eary didn't do a bad job as a first time designer, but it wasn't great either. I loved all of the edginess that was in the show, but it lacked cohesion, in my opinion. Take a look at a few pieces and let me know what you think.

I kind of have a bit of an issue with some of these celebrity fashion lines. Some are really good and showcase the style of the artist/celebrity (Victoria Beckham, Gwen Stefani), and some are just cash cows (Sean John, House Of Dereon (sorry, Bee. I'm not inspired. Love the jeans, though))or at least I think they are. I like to be inspired by other designers, but some of these lines are like rehashings of what used to be hot, and a lot of them are bad. I always feel that fashion is great fun for the imagination, so the imagination should run wild. Inject the fun back into it like Gwen Stefani does, by combining different things. I'm all about spinning street fashion into the runways, because I always feel that the sidewalk is the best runway of them all.

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!

Jeremy Scott- A Fan's View

I am a fan of many designers. I love John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier for their love of drama and artistry. I love Vivienne Westwood for her political stance and punk edge. There is one designer, though that always manages to rock my world and brings the party back to fashion. His clothes may not be every day clothes, but they sure can rock the hell out of every night. His name is Jeremy Scott.

Jeremy Scott was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY (my hometown!!!!). He is also a pretty established photographer, having done pictures for I-D Magazine, Dazed and Confused and Paper Magazine. He is considered the Jeff Koons (pop culture visual artist) of fashion because his clothes are totally pop culture madness!!!! His designs have been worn by Britney Spears (Toxic video), Jedward (my guilty pleasure), Madonna, and Kylie Minogue. His designs inspier the club kid that is always foremost in me. He is never afraid to do his own thing and make an impact. His collaborations with Adidas is just out of this world!!!! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the sneakers!!!!

I know that when I finally get a pair, I will wear them until they fall apart!!!!

I am absolutely in love with his Fall/Winter 2011 collection. I especially love the pink boots and the silver pants!!! HOT!!!! I would sport this look anywhere!!!!

I am also in love with his Spring/Summer 2012 collection> I know it's not every day wear, but the club kid in me would rock this all the time!!!!

I am ABSOLUTELY in love with the sneakers that look like cowboy boots!!! Totally awesome!!!!

He also has a line of watches for Swatch, so I totally have to snatch a couple of these up!!!!!

He is one of the designers that I would love to meet in person and know as a friend. He's fearless and to me, he is just amazing!!!

The runway pics came from one of my favorite blogs, Homotography and the Swatch pics came from my other favorite blog, Fashion Forward Men (love ya, Rudy!!!!)

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!

Work In Progress

It's been a little while since my last entry. I've been quite the busy bee. In between doing the research for my blog and catching up on my fashion magazines (I just have the current ones to get through before the major September issue of American Vogue comes out), I've been working on putting together some menswear pieces. I've been designing and creating womenswear, but I've been asked quite a bit if I design menswear. I can do a few pieces here and there, but I haven't actually sat down and put together a menswear line yet. I want to do it in the future, but right now I'm gonna focus on womenswear.

I've also been working on a couple of thing, both are still in their early stages, but I have to mention them. For one, a few of my pieces will be featured in a photo shoot. The shoot will take place in September (hopefully before I go to London Fashion Week). Here are the pieces that will be featured:

The first is a royal blue cocktail dress with a ruffle collar. It started off as a simple plunging neckline, low back, short dress but it needed some drama, so the ruffle collar came in. It was my first piece ever with a ruffle. I'm very proud of that dress and every time someone sees it, I get really good, really big responses.

The second piece is a white cocktail dress with a Marimekko ruffle on the shoulder and waist. It's another dress that I'm very proud of and I can't wait to see it on a model.

The next couple of dresses are very interesting because at the time I made them, I was still practicing on my machine, trying to get back in the groove of sewing after not doing it for a long time. The fabric is a sheet (or duvet cover with matching pillowcases) that I liked the pattern of from Ikea (inspiration can strike anywhere- EVEN IKEA) and I've combined them with red and black cotton to come up with these two dresses. One has red triangle detail and one strap and the other has red stripe detail leading up to a triple strap/single strap dress.

I'm most likely gonna work on a couple more pieces or redo them for this shoot. I'm trying to bring in some cohesion, so it looks like more like a line and less like random dresses. I'm also gonna get (or create) a few accessories to go with them.

Another thing that I'm working on concerns my menswear designs. I'm not exactly sure what I'm gonna do yet, so I may try out a few things and see what sticks. I'll try out a few jackets, button up shirts and see what works. A friend of mine in Amsterdam mentioned a store that was looking for edgy menswear and he passed on my name and email address. I'm dying to get my stuff in a store, so I have to get back to him as soon as I possibly can. Let's just say that all of this will keep me busy for a bit!!!!

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!

Fashion and The Economy- A Designer's View

As I sit and try to figure out the logic behind the current budget package and seeing where the economy is going, I'm trying to see what it means fashion wise. I'm mostly trying to see what is selling and how can I make money in this economy. Many fashion magazines will tell you that you should have an investment piece (something that you spend a lot of money on, like a Burberry trench coat or a shearling coat by Andrew Marc) and mix it with your midrange (Zara, Ann Taylor, Jones New York, Topshop/Topman) or lower range pieces (H&M, Forever 21, Strawberry, Joyce Leslie), and that is a good idea, although I think it's something that everyone does already.

Right now the U.S. stock market has ended it's day at the lowest that it has been in years. Tomorrow I'll find out about Europe's market and on Wednesday, the Asian market. As a struggling, beginning designer how does all of this affect what I do and how do I stay true to myself (being edgy with some conservative pieces) and also make money to sustain my business in this economic down turn.

I wanted to take some time and work on a website, where you can see and purchase my clothes, but there isn't much time. Nonetheless, I have a plan.

My plan is to go through my sketchbook and pick out five dresses that can work in any color combination and within the five pieces, have a couple of silohuettes and sew them like crazy. I would do as many as I can and put them on Facebook, Ebay and Amazon.com. I would do this to get my name out there and to generate some income to keep the business going. Since we're coming into the fall season and the holiday season, the dresses will be party dresses. As I do them, I will post them on Facebook and on my blog. I may also do some one off pieces as well. Now is as good a time as any to get this started.

If time allows, I will also offer up my services to custom make things. Keep in mind that they may take a little longer and I may need you to do your own measurements (I will tell you how to do them), unless you're in Berlin (or anywhere I am), then I can take them for you.

As for menswear, there may be some one off pieces popping up as well. I will devote a few entries to menswear, but right now my focus is womenswear.

This is just a plan that I have been tossing around in my head for the past couple of hours and I'm still trying to work out all the details on paper, but I think with more suggestions I can make this work and finally get my line off of the ground.

Let me know what you think!!!!!!

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!

Project Runway: Season 9- A Fan's View

I'm having a blast on my vacation in Finland and I'm ecstatic about my favorite show will begin it's 9th season tomorrow. That show is Project Runway USA. I haven't seen any video on the designers (because the site doesn't show video outside of the US), but I have checked out their bios. Based on the bios, there are some pretty interesting designers, but I'll have to wait until I am able to see the show to see what their personalities are like. I'll have to wait until it airs first in the States, so I may have to wait a couple of days before I see it. I'm probably going to call my U.S. friends and drive them crazy, or I'll attack all of their Facebook pages with tons of questions and asking what do the think of the show and the designers. Maybe, I'll try out for it again, when Season 10 comes around. Until then, stay fashionable and sexy!!!

Walter Van Beirendonck- A Fan's View

I am a fan of many designers. I love Valentino for his glamour. I love Giorgio Armani for his sleek and clean lines. I love Dolce & Gabbana and D Squared for their sleek Italian tailoring and sexy edge. I love Vivienne Westwood for combining her punk edge and her love of art history, but there is one designer that always injects so much fun, humor and caring for the AIDS cause into his clothes (by sewing a re stitch throughout his designs). Every time I see any of his collections, either on line, in magazines, or in stores, I am always surprised and amazed. He always manages to take it somewhere I have never expected. His name is Walter Van Beirendonck.

Walter Van Beirendonck was born in Brecht, Belgium on April 2, 1957. He studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium (another place I would like to visit). He is part of the legendary "Antwerp Six" which includes Dirk Van Saene, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, and Marina Yee. His influences were always art and music and his first big break was during London Fashion Week in 1987 with the "Antwerp Six".

When I look at his clothes, I see the sense of humor that he has and the bold use of color in his prints. I used to shy away from prints because I was never sure how to make them work, but after seeing what he does, I try to inject at least a little of his influence into my own designs as well as the sense of fun I have from my club kid days. I love that he and I can be somewhat unconventional. he can see a pattern and create something that may be out of this world, but makes sense in my world.

I also wanna take a moment to say a little prayer for Amy Winehouse, who passed way earlier today. She was 27 years old. Amy, rest in peace. You have lit up the world with your music and you've had to deal with your demons publicly. I hope that you went without pain to sing in the heavens. Love you lots, Amy!!!!

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!!