behind the style

Today it’s just a little peek on two new and almost finished oufits: one grey woolen suit and a black woolen dress (bias-cut-madness!!!).

More hatmaking.

This years Gala Nocturna in Antwerp/Belgium is coming close and I’m really looking forward to! (I’ve missed it last year, as you might remember.) But this year’s motto “A Russian Fairytale” didn’t really match with my current projects and ideas. But finally I came up with the plan to just put a little mythical creature on my head – and to continue with my outfits as planned.

Here we go, making of a Firebird, styled like a 1950ies shellcap.

1. Millinery mayhem!!!!!!! The blocked and finished hatbase and tons of feathers and scraps cluttering the table
2. Tail assembled and mounted, body sculpted.
3. And now with “arms”.
4. Feathers on the wings  and finally…
5. … birdie is finished!

Better pics will follow.

Fortunately im healthy again and already back to work, but still I will have you keep waiting for new pictures because it’s incredibly busy here at the moment and I don’t know when there will be a teeny weeny timeslot for shooting further outfits.

Meanwhile – and to keep you entertained – just a few words about insides.

Another way to distinct real couture from other outwardly nice looking stuff. Take a look at the inside.

• Pictures 1 – 3: Insides of some recently made hats; no fabric-covered flat bottomed styrofoam-thingies but all entirely handsewn hollow shapes or blocked buckram and wire underconstructions created in best millinery tradition, all parts assembled by needle and thread – and NO hotglue!! (Never ever!!)
• Pictures 4 – 6: Inside view of the well worn fluffy little wintercoat and the rococo-jacket with wide collar and pointy cuffs. OK, I must admit, that’s a little pet issue of mine, lining coats and jackets in a quite outmoded way without using a center-back-pleat. Difficult but doable, and unfortunatly much more work than even a conventional couture-style-lining. The benefits: the lining won’t move a tiny bit, so no wear and tear and no bulkyness especially in tight fitting garments, even when using a rather sturdy lining such as cotton satin.
• Picture 4: You see, no center-back-pleat, but also no strain.
• Picture 5: Only some tiny snags on the right shoulder (deriving from carrying handbags), no wear around the armpit. Remember, this jacket ist now several years old and worn really frequently.
• Pictures 5 and 6: You can see the shoulder-seam closed by hand. Hand sewn sleeveseams, and the entire lining set in by hand, as in picture 6.

So the big question is, what is “couture” and “bespoke” really and what is definitely not? Stay tuned!

I’m afraid, that you will have to wait for more fashion-pics, well, longer, because the operator behind camera and sewing-machine is currenly out of order.

First of all, Merry Winter Festivities to all of you – whichever you may celebrate!

It’s been a bit quiet around here lately and I’m terribly sorry for that, but at the moment I’m seriously out of photographic material. Well, of course I’m not out of stuff, that I’d like to show to you!! Yesterday I found a little sparetime, just enough to take some pictures of my latest hat creations.

Here we go!

1. Ikebana No.1:  A little crown-like, Lotusflower made of Sinamay with a crystal ball inside, white ostrich-quills, mounted on a tiny pillbox.
2. Felt Feathers: Entirely made of felt! I took so many photos, so you may have a better look at it’s twisted and futuristic shape. (A recent commission)
3. Swan Lake: Various feathers mounted on a Buckram and millinery-wire base.
4. The Night Sky and Full Moon: Crystals and separate bands made of cotton duchesse mounted on a Buckram and wire-base. Shiny!!