Flowers of Spring

May 15, 2024 in Couture, Couture Studio, couture clients, Dance, Dance Costumes, Drawings, Special Occasion dresses

I can’t help but be inspired by the growth and renewal all around us- even as the world feels uncertain and brutal in so many ways, Spring has always been a symbol of hope and new life-

Fil Coupé silk organza blouse w/ flowers and butterflies

Silk tweed skirt and vest with gold trim and Oscar (de La Renta) buttons

I looked everywhere for the buttons to tie this outfit together and finally found these perfect cloisonné ones at Mood. The silk organza blouse fabric is from B&J fabrics. Tweed was brought to me by client

Found this incredible cotton print a few years ago at Beckenstein Fabrics and not sure what we would do with it. .

Elephants on orange clouds among multi-colored plaid and decorative motifs

The idea coalesced when we looked at this Kantha print- also bought a few years ago during Covid- and decided the two were meant for each other!

Short Kantha cotton quilted jacket over Elephant print dress.

Mother of the Groom - wedding in Germany

Cotton print dress with silk and wool coat

Around town

Central Park Conservancy Garden in April

New Grandniece - Elizabeth - born in April

Thank you so much for visiting! Please stay safe and be kind ❤️

In the Pink

December 29, 2018 in Dance, Art Dance Couture

Cecily Campbell in a recreation of Trisha Brown’s performance piece, “Ballet” at BAM October 2018

I puckered stretch lycra/spandex to simulate the original fabric in the bathing suit + tutu Trisha wore in the 70’s when she performed this piece on a soho rooftop

Pink tweed jacket with Ponté knit skirt for client

Ponté knit cardi with appliqué worn with Bamboo knit leotard and lace overlay silk/wool skirt

Magpie Jewelry made from scavenged bits of this and that

In and around the studio

October 17, 2016 in Art, Dance, Couture

The last few weeks have been a mix of work in the studio, work on dance projects and lots of art. Here are some randomly ordered fragments of the paths I have been on-

camel cashmire jacket and Dutch Wax African print dress

I am very influenced by the seasons and generally try and keep pace with the season we are in , unlike designers who design a "line". Couture work has it's own tempo. I will, however, continue to work with the colorful African fabrics throughout the winter in advance of a summer trunk show.

Painting by my dear late friend Ellen Cantor at Participant inc. nyc

Gold Embossed Flower Organza jacket for client

Mary Jones painting at John Molloy Gallery NYC

full length view of pinned dress in process

Ive been developing a dress directly from the fabric this time- using the motifs to suggest the lines of the dress- for example - the neck piece is a circle on the print- I have been draping the dress and then transcribing the lines back onto a flat pattern so that I can remake it.

I am currently so inspired by transforming the pattern in a way that enhances the silhouette and leads to new discoveries. I like that it forms the illusion of a vest or jacket with the orange pattern flowing from the top to the bottom. . .

The dress is filled with pins at this point that I am trying it on to see how it works on the body. I usually have scratches on my arms and back from this process, but it is essential and I am my own fit model!

I went to Gowanus in Brooklyn to an open studio in a charming carriage house to view the work of one of my clients. This blue and orange pot reminded her of a dress she got at my sample sale last summer. We plan to do a photo shoot documenting her in the dress next to the pot and drawing.

sketch for a client for her daughter's bat- mitzvah including an embroidered connection between her daughter's birthplace in China and current home in the U.S. as well as travel patches from all the places they have visited together.   I will a… — sketch for a client for her daughter's bat- mitzvah including an embroidered connection between her daughter's birthplace in China and current home in the U.S. as well as travel patches from all the places they have visited together. I will also be designing her daughter's dress with a map-printed fabric.

I am working on a project for the Trisha Brown Dance Company. They have been re-staging some of their works to be performed in unconventional non-stage environments. I was engaged to redesign these sails for "Geometry of Quiet" which will be performed at the Getty Museum in March. We are working out downsized proportions as the sails have been transformed from stationary to hand-held. They are also making changes in the choreography to accommodate this.

elastic shirred back of "bandeau" for client out of lovely Italian print

summer flowers are still hanging on. . . .in the traffic meridian on my way to the studio. . . .