Fashion Terrified Are We

For all the bravado, we in this country are obviously fashion terrified. I love Tim Gunn and I know its JUST TV - but please........





Look how beautiful this is.
Whats so damned shocking about human hair on something? Haven't they seen whats on the Paris runway lately?

Of Course they have. Its just tv drama. Most Americans dont want to see Haute Couture anyway.(well, most people, Im sure - period) This show is supposed to be about sellable fashion. But I would wear this to the grocery store if I could. In fact, we should all dress nicer to go to the grocery store. Even in SF I see sweat pants and baseball caps in the aisles. Not Pretty. On anyone.

So I knew Chris wasn't going to win. I hoped. He deserved it. American fell in love with him like I hoped they would. And I sure hope he inspired some kids to step outside of the box.

Chris March played it safe all throughout Project Runway because he wanted to show that he could do fashion. Fashion doesn't have to be boring. But the judges on PR sure are.
Costumie? Dear God. Give me a break.
But in the end, he won anyway. And he gave everyone something to talk about.
And his exit speech reminded me why he is one of my favorite of human beings.
He's taught me a lot.


Well, I'm bored with Project Runway now. Hooray for whoever wins.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Love

Im watching an interview of Sweet Pea right now. I always really liked her. Her collection was great and she has done a lot of work in the industry. At the end of the day, she says, its all about making money.

Yes, we have to make money. It keeps us going and it keeps the world going around. They say that love makes the world go round. But loving what you do surely does. And loving what you do and making money at it is the greatest gift, I think. Love doesn't pay the rent (unless its a certain kind of "love" - but we wont go there), but if you love what you do AND it pays the rent......how cool is that!!!! And then actual bonafide love from a fellow human being is the icing on the cake. What matters first off is the love of yourself and then it all falls into place.

I made my first Etsy sale today. How LOVELY is that!
X

kathleencrowley.etsy.com

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

New Etsy Shop Up and Running!

I'm happy to say that finally I got a little shop up online. Ive been busy, busy, busy producing Fluffie Rufflies - a very small lot of striped dance pants and some other things. Ebay has just not been an option as they have raised their fees so high that many sellers I know have fled to to Etsy.com.

It is fun to shop on Etsy. I love their format. There are some amazing hand made and vintage items up for sale. And now I'm trying it out as well.

I'll be posting and selling as fast as I can make it.
Some of it will fabulously pricey.
Some of it will be a deal.
It will all be unique.
I ship everywhere.

kathleencrowley.etsy.com

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

The Makings of Costume Ball Glamour

Lori King came to me with a project that I couldnt refuse. She knew what she wanted and she was going to get it. I like that in a woman.

She wanted to wear something fabulous to the upcoming Edwardian Gorey Ball. She brought me a white acetate wedding dress that was found in a thrift store and a late Victorian jacket that was in fair condition, but the lining was shredding to bits - as they do.

I dyed the dress three times to get the right shade of purple. We knew we wouldnt be able to achieve the goal because of the fiber content, but we tried anyway and came up with a lovely violet. I chopped off the bodice and faced the waist of the skirt. I bustled it slightly and left a pretty little train.

My wonderful assistant, Unsinkable Molly was given the task of tenderly taking out the tattered lining, carefully reinforcing the stressed and frayed parts of the jacket with black lingerie fusing. I prefer using this type of fusing on delicate garments and textiles when I can because it adheres to the fabric quickly and with little effort. It just gives that little extra bit of strength and you cant really tell that its there. Then I copied the jacket and made a purple lining to insert in place of the original. This was a very difficult and delicate task and we spent many hours trying to improve and salvage this piece instead of destroying it. We succeeded.

Molly is reading her fortune......"you will earn much good karma and many future minions by being of service to others now".......

I made Lori a corset of black china brocade with a bee motif. It is a combination of the victorian and 18th century style. I added black beads to the upper arm.

She was stunning. And I made a new friend!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Dear Auntie, dont roll in your grave!

Jennifer Kessler wanted to wear her dear Aunts' wedding dress to the Edwardian Ball on Saturday night at the Great American Music Hall. She had a waist cincher and little white top hat to match, but the dress needed a little "something". I bustled up the dress very carefully as I didnt want to ruin the gown for posterity's sake. And her family might have killed us! I basted a panel on to the waistband and along the side back. I basted in some tulle for body, and then I tacked the train to the inside panel to create a bustled effect for the evening. She can take the whole thing apart very easily without destroying the dress.

Simple and effective.
And the camera loved her.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

The Corvest

I was commissioned by Jen to make a corset vest for her boyfriend, Jon. It was for the Edwardian Ball and they wanted something that he would be able to wear on many occasions. We call it a Corvest because it is very like a vest, except that it is boned - with a front busk and it laces up the back. I do believe he loves it because he has been seen out in it since! And he is absolutely handsome and so debonaire in it!

He picked a black chinese brocade with a red design - chrysanthemums. The back is a black satin.

Here he is with Jen. I had to throw in a photo of the two of them with Jill Tracey because they all just look fabulous together!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Edwardian Edward Gorey Ball

The Deranged Cousins
And it was truly filled with deranged cousins of all types and persuasions.
The entertainment for this 3 night ball was spectacular, although we we only attended the Saturday night ball which was sold out. Jill Tracey, Rosencoven, acrobats, circus folk, burlesque. Assorted scary, odd, macabre and just plain interesting installations, decorations, costumes galore. Eye candy everywhere!

Erling Wold emulating a Gorey cartoon cutout of one of his deranged cousins



You really cant see the Edwardian style corset that I am wearing - but this is how it looked by the end of the night.






Lynne Rutter Inspecting Erling's close shave. I think she and Erling were the epitomy of Edwardian Gorey splendor that night. I wish I could say that I made Erling's suit, but some other stitch whore made it ahead of me. Isn't it amazing? Lynne's waist cincher is my creation. Basic and black and great for any occasion.


Here we are - the motley crew of the Edwardian ball. Actually, the whole Great American Music Hall was one one huge motley crew. You should look up Edwardian ball on Flickr - the photographs are magnificent and give the flavor of the evening much more spectacularly than I ever could. It was nice to be surrounded by so many of my creations. Almost everyone I was hanging out with that night was wearing something I made or rehashed. So fab. It was great.

Holding up the post in a saucy wench way. Cant take me anywhere.
In my defence, I had very little time to throw something together.
And sometimes, those are the most pleasing costumes of all!


kc.costumecouture@gmail.com