Venice Carnival Happened

Venice Carnival happened and I helped dress Lynn Rutter and Erling Wold again . I always jump when they need something made because they are so much fun to work with!

We spruced up the muslin over dress that I had created for her marriage to Erling several years ago. Its so pretty and I love that she got to wear it again! She wore it over a Dark Garden corset and matching skirt. I was over the moon as I didn't really get a full length photo of this creation on the big day! The Empress was a vision!

Erling needed something to go under this coat that I had made for him quite some time ago. I was pleased that with all the wear and tear that this garment has gone through, I really didnt need to repair it at all. I found some pretty claret colored fabric and dandified him up with a new waistcoat and breeches. I did a lot of hand applique on the waistcoat and he does look divine if I do say so myself. We made it so that he could also wear it with a gorgeous frock coat that he had acquired through ACT.

Manus x Machina: My Small Contribution To A Fabulous Gala Event....

The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Gala and also known as the Met Ball, is an annual fundraising gala for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. It marks the grand opening of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit. Each year's event celebrates the theme of that year's Costume Institute exhibition, and the exhibition sets the tone for the formal dress of the night, since guests are expected to choose their fashion to match the theme of the exhibit. Each year the event also has honorary celebrity event day chairpersons.

Details

The Costume Institute Gala is a major fundraising benefit that serves as an opening celebration for the Institute's annual fashion exhibit. Following the event, the exhibition runs for several months.  The Gala is widely regarded as one of the most exclusive social events in New York and one of the biggest fundraising nights in the city. It is one of the most notable sources of funding for the Institute. The affair, attended by personalities from the arts, fashion, high-society, film and music, has been held at the Met since 1946 and is considered to be the fashion industry's premier annual red carpet event. Its red carpet fashions are widely photographed, reviewed, critiqued and emulated.

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Obviously this event is a big deal and generates a lot of donations to help run the Met's Costume Institute. It takes an insanely huge amount of revenue to bring us exhibits and do all the things. It has been slammed as a celebrity prom (whats wrong with that?) and there are always those who complain that the money used for $2000.00 manicures could be used to solve world hunger. Well, lets get real: it keeps your creatives and our suppliers fed instead. That is a big deal to those of us who like to eat as well.  And then we trickle this money into all the other businesses of our choosing.
                                                    This. Is. A. Good. Thing. 

 We have all seen the celebrities on the red carpet at this event. If you didn't know better, you would assume that these are the only  attendees...........but there is a whole event packed with plenty of people who paid big bucks to attend and who are wearing amazing pieces. They may not get all the attention, but they pay the admission price and they pay dearly to support the Museum and to stand out in the crowd. I was happy to help out this season................

Chris March designed a lovely ensemble for one of these generous ladies. She was very particular about the gown, the design, the fabric, the theme.............she was very hands on and had a great sense of humor. She loves dressing up and understands what it takes to make a project like this work.  I made the mockup and carried out the design. We "made" the fabric. I sewed yards and yards of leather trim onto bias cut skirt pieces. I had a lot of fun with this!

And after the skirt was done, I covered a bustier to match the skirt. That part wasn't as much fun because my machine started rebelling.  But the machine and I worked it out. We're good like that.

 This is what the skirt originally looked like when it was done. It fit her perfectly and she was thrilled, but after much discussion and contemplation, she had us cut out the back train. She wasn't going to have a crew available to help her maneuver the crowd. After having plenty of trains trampled in crowds myself over the years,  I couldn't argue with her concern. I get it. So we took out some volume. It was still a pretty voluminous skirt and Chris took the opportunity to take the trim off of the discarded train and add more to the gown.............

Look how pretty this fabric is up close: very Manus x Machina if I do say so myself.

 Chris made a spectacular neckpiece for her.

She looked like a Movie Star, had a great time, was theme appropriate, was sooooooooo pretty, looked like royalty, didn't get trampled, and everyone asked her where she got her garb.

 *WIN*

Sparkle Plenty

 I was super busy last Halloween with a big project. I was commissioned  to make a Prince costume and then also a fun feather and sequined dress inspired by Cruella Deville for  the client's wife. 

It started with my making a mock up of the garment from her measurements on a plain muslin fabric, sending the mock up to the designer and the client to try on, making revisions to the pattern, and then constructing the costume. I use the mock up and revisions as the pattern. This part of the process is usually fun for the client as we draw on the fabric while they are wearing it. This must feel really odd and kind of funny at the same time! We made Prince first because his costume was more work. ( It was tailored and very form fitting ) While Cruella was a lot of work also, (lots of handwork with feather application to the sleeves ) hers was built so that the skirt and bodice was somewhat adjustable. The whole garment was lined and she had a drawstring in the bodice neckline for ease if necessary. The skirt crossed over at the side front so that some leg could peek out without looking too hoochie-mama.

We made the train so that she could hold it up while she danced. It was for a three day Halloween bash - and we knew that there was danger of being stepped on.

The fabric was just gorgeous!

I never saw a picture of this on her, but I was assured that she loved it! Pardon the bad photos and messy studio! Feathers were flying!

SPRING SALE!!!

Hi Everyone! Im having a little Spring Sale in my Etsy Shop! You can have 15% off of anything listed in the store until Wednesday the 11th!

Let me know if you dont see your size! I might POSSIBLY have something in stock that isnt listed. Esp. the Sampants - sometimes I forget to relist when one sells!

Just use this discount coupon code at checkout:  15PERCENTOFFYAY

Karen's New Orleans Wedding

Karen, my last bridal client,  was just married only a week ago in a wonderful escapade through New Orleans!
They looked like they were having so much fun as they romped through graveyards and picturesque settings!
Hats off to the photographer who followed them around! I heard that everyone had a great time!

There were textures and layers and lots of silk for a beautiful Steampunk themed wedding! (there is our friend Kimberly on the left who introduced Karen and I - and has some fun pieces that Ive created!)

I built Karen a custom corset and matching bustle made of forest green silk. The corset had a contrast of a lighter green printed with Fleur-de-lys We also added covered buttons along the corset front and pocket. I made sweet little handmade flowers in green, white, and purple to embellish the bustle. And then I used the contrasting green as leaves to go with the flowers.

Under her bustle was a a skirt made of several layers of silk Dupioni in varying shades of ivory. And interspersed with the layers of silk, we added different fabrics of metallic gold and ivory.

We made the bustle and the underskirt detachable so that she could wear these things with other garments - which she did as she explored the city the next day.

She was so nice to work with - such a lovely person - It made me very  happy to see how she was beaming on her wedding day. Congratulations to Karen, Brian and and their family!

Lace Cuffs

Check em out!
Etsy!

Join Us at the 5 & Diamond Pre-Playa Loft Sale!!

I'll have a couple racks of Playa Wear at the 5&Diamond loft sale this year!! A bit of this and a bit of that - sequins, glitter, and cute, sexy stuff all geared toward adorning yourselves in comfort and style out there in the desert! Come by and say hi! Come get your Playa on!!

Channeling Rita

Sherri Wheatley channeled Rita Hayworth's Gilda for the Belly Fusion Las Angeles Cinema Classics Show a while back. Vintage cars, Shiny black costume, long black gloves, lights, cameras.........I think she succeeded in capturing Gilda's wild glamor quite well, as you can see.

We needed to convey Rita in her black evening gown and still have a belly dance costume that allowed Sherri to perform without worrying about costuming mishaps. (Because we all know how dangerous a strapless bra can be!)
I draped a little wrap skirt out of black stretch charmeous and then covered a bra that we already knew fit her well and would hold up. I made damned sure that nothing was going to allow for that bra slipping down! The show was a success - and so was "Rita"!

Altering A Beaded Wedding Bodice

This bride needed some gapping closed up in the front of her gown. It was sized as a 14, which she is not - and I cant help but believe that the wedding dress industry does this on purpose in order to procure more money through expensive alterations. And I could even maybe justify their reasoning in this market if they would do quality alterations, but I rarely see that as the case. Many of these places will just chop off your dress and give it a cheap looking  hem. It always looks awful and they get away with it. I have a hard time believing that someone would think these hems look good, but maybe the brides just don't know better.

I do everything by hand or as nicely done with a machine as possible. I want it to hang right and that usually means giving it an ample hem.

But I digress. This bride needed her bodice taken in and I was able to do it by taking it in at the back zipper, adding satin cookies inside at the bra line, and taking in the front gap by folding over the fabric. I then carefully hand stitched the fold down, and strategically tacked down the beading so that it wasnt an obvious fix.

All in a day's work! :)

Embellishing

                             Sometimes there isn't anything more fun than watching a good movie and sewing buttons on pretty things.

Check out my Etsy store and see what lovely things I have listed for your perusal!

Tribal Fest 2013 - Halfway To Halloween

 "Halfway To Halloween" was this this year's Tribal Fest theme which wasn't difficult to dress for  as I kind of live in that state of mind anyway! So I just wore a lot of black - my new long black skirt design, to be exact. And I didnt have to think about it anymore. We'll discuss that new skirt later on. (What a lifesaver it has been!)

But here are some photos to recap the event and to give you the feel of what its like to be there at my booth - once again shared with Medina Maitreya! It was a great success for us both this year. I felt more love and support than ever and I'm so glad I was able to hang in there while we all suffered through this economic crunch over the last few years! Could it be easing  up? It sure feels that way!

 I'm not being allowed to edit like I want to right now - not sure if its Blogger or my computer - but if you want to be credited for photos, let me know and I'll go back in soon and see whats going wrong!!
Just wanted to share my fun week! Its always crazy and always the chill out spot - as you can see!

Its The Curve In The Back...........

Its the curve in the back that makes this  little "underbust" vest stand out from the rest. That and the materials I use - the fabrics and embellishments make each vest a work of art!
Its such a flattering little number on everyone!
The buttons have a fair amount of room to be moved for fit and comfort. 
These run from XS to 2X and I make them in limited runs. I sold most of them this May while vending at Tribal Fest and I'll be posting what Ive got left up in my Etsy shop, starting with the smalls.
So keep checking in!