Red Dress Part Deux

It's Wednesday and about 10 days away from the next Red Dress show that I am totally starting to freak out...just a tad.  I had intended on getting my dress finished by now but as a new mom, my days don't always go according to plan.  Also I discovered a bit of a snag!  That is, I did something I thought would be quicker  (not my style! haha) but has given me more work.    Oh dear.  I think I may have solved my conundrum but we will see.  This was due to me trying to not be so picky and a perfectionist.  My sister said to me, "It's ok, it's just the way you are", after I told her how I can be so picky and hard on myself  if it's not top notch. Thanks sis for making me accept that it's ok to be the way that I am!  Operation "Finish Red Dress" has begun!

My last post was about my red dresses through the years.  This one is about my favourite one so far, which was last years!  The original design was not at all like the finished product.  I am known to change my mind.  Basically, as soon as I share an idea I suddenly feel I need to change it.  I prefer to be secretive with my creations.

The original design was floor length with hand dyed ombré silk.  I couldn't get the lace to match the silk properly and my design idea didn't quite work with the silk....which made me so sad but I had to make a decision.  I think this decision came about 3 weeks or so before the show.  Mind you, I was working full time.  I would be at work and day dream of my dress all day, thinking of what to do next!!!  Luckily it came together quite nicely.

My model was a young model, originally from France, that I've worked with a few times, Athenaïs Testi.  She looked stunning on the runway (and I got to practice my Français, which always makes me happy...my mom too ;)!  My mother told me when the show started there was no indication of who the designer was for the dress that started the show.   As she watched, she thought to herself, well if that's the first dress (she thought it was beautiful), I hope Adrienne's is just as good.  Lo and behold, it was mine!  She made me feel pretty good about my design.  It's always great to have that kind of reaction to your design, even if it is your mom ;).  However, "Boho and Braids", a fashion/style blogger, also included it in her top five as the number one fave of the night.  That was so flattering!

                             Here are some photos from the show all taken by my sister,  Patti :)

All in all, I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out.  Much better than my original design which goes to show that sometimes, if something isn't working out it means it's time to get creative and make it even better than it could have been.  This lovely dress was recently part of a photo shoot with it's model, shot by local photographer, Maggie Hood.  It truly captured the essence of my design.  I love a classy look.  Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly....those are my fashion icons and whom I often imagine in my creations....these photos I felt, represented that so well.

The following photos are all by photographer Maggie Hood.  I love them!

                                                   http://www.maghoodphotography.com

So, fingers crossed that this Red Dress turns out lovely and my model feels beautiful wearing it!   I may have hit a snag but that just means it's time to get the creative juices flowing to make it lovely!

Fashionably Yours,

Adrienne:)

FBF Red Dress

     I've been working away on my Red Dress for this year and I think I'm making good progress.  It's about 3/4 finished and the show is at the end of this month.  Every year I try to push myself harder to do and learn more when it comes to design.  I thought I would share my Red Dress looks from past years!  

This was my very first Red Dress show.  My model was Brigitte Clavette, an NBCCD Jewelry/metalsmith instructor.  She was fabulous.  I hadn't really done much sewing in a few years...basically went a little off track but when I did this show, I got right back on my path!  When the email was sent around asking who was interested in taking part I didn't say yes at first.  My response was a "Can I think about it", sort of deal.  My teacher, Ellen, put me down as a designer and I decided it was a sign I should do it.  This dress, although fairly simple in design, was a challenge.  You see, I went from not desigining/sewing/creating to I have a long, lined dress with pockets and sleeves to make!  A lot of revision but totally perfect for refreshing my memory.  Brigitte topped off the look with her own fascinator and an awesome chunky pendant.  It was amazing to watch her walk down the runway!

Second year I was totally back in!  My model was Angélique Reddy Kalala, who ran the local YMCA.  She was about 4 or 5 months pregnant at the time of the show.  I didn't know what to make her since my original design wouldn't have worked for a growing belly.  This dress was inspired by one Halle Berry wore when she was pregnant.  The metal details were crocheted wire my friend Lorna did for me.  It was the perfect accent!  

Third year!  This year I dressed my husbands aunt and CEO of What On Earth Jewellers, Crystal Mulherin.  I knew she would be fun to dress because she has an awesome sense of style.  She's a classy lady with great confidence and personality.  This year I went back to school for one class...my favourite..corsesting.  I then of course had to incorporate this into my design.  The dress is actually a two piece.  The top is a corset with a peplum (I was obsessed with them...and might still be a little bit) and a slightly flare, fitted skirt.  What you can't see is the super fun animal print lining.  A reflection of Crystals style as well as something I like to do with my designs; classy on the outside and fun on the inside. (well, classy is fun too!)

Fourth year!  I had the talented fiddle player, Samantha Robichaud, as my model.  She was so fun to work with and open any sort of design.  This design popped in my head one day and I hoped that she would like it. She loved it.  Usually a designer will sketch several designs and choose one...I didn't..there was just this one.  It felt like "the one" and I went with it.  It turned out perfect, just like I imagined in my mind.  The best part for me was while all the models walked out to selected music, Samantha came out playing her fiddle.  It was amazing!

Fifth year!  This year was a bit tricky for me.  I had originally started with a different model.  Things happened and my model had to drop out....a month before the show!  I wasn't overly panicked because I knew they would find me someone just as awesome, if not amwesomer (Yes I decided it's a word lol).  And they did, Kendra Gale from the Kendra Gale Band stepped in and although not one for wearing fancy dresses, let me dress her in this design.   She was great to work with and has such a great personality and tremendous talent.   And may I add, she looked gorgeous!  

That year I was also asked to make something for the other main event, Serena Ryder.  I made her this custom jacket featuring leather detail.  I had never made a jacket before or worked with leather...I think I did an ok job ;)
Photo by Denis Duquette

Sixth year!  This year I dressed model Athénaïs Testi.  I've worked with her on several occasions. She rocked the runway wearing what I would say is my favourite design thus far.  I probably say that every year!

A back view of the dress.  I have more photos of this dress because my sister was there taking photos.  I love the cut out look.  I feel this dress was a combination of my style and what's in.   It was classy with a twist.
Now I am currently working on my seventh dress for Marilyn Luscombe, president of NBCC.   I had a fitting with her this week and so far, so good!!  The fabric is custom dyed by Dee Wilkie and the colour suits Marilyn so very well.  It's beautiful and I can't wait for everyone to see it!  Actually, I can't wait to see it finished too!

Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane.



Fashionably Yours,
Adrienne:) 

ADRARA

     I hope that everyone is having a good week so far!!  I've taken a couple of weeks off from sewing/designing...ok lets be real, that's not true..haha I have been designing, a lot.  In fact , I've come up with a whole new line based on Dee's fabric.  It's amazing how an idea can just come out of "nowhere".  I say nowhere in quotations because it does come from somewhere, just sort of not when you are expecting it or trying; it's out of the blue.  Those are the best designs...I get full of excitement and want to do it all right away!  Dee asked me if I had an idea for this particular fabric.  I said Ummm sorta! I have a whole line kind of idea!  People have asked me what my process is.  I don't have one.  Just pay attention to my surroundings and how I feel.  That being said.  Here is a look at our work together for our line we call , "ADRARA".   It took a while for us to come up with a name.  We were jut going to use our names,  Adrienne and Dee or our two last names.  It's tougher than I thought to come up with something that had a good ring to it.  It was actually Dee's father who thought of "ADRARA".  It's a combo of both of our names, perfect!  I also liked it because apparently there is a place in San Marino called "Adrara" and I so happened to be there a few years ago with my hubby.  We absolutely loved Italy.  In fact I'm pretty sure I fell in love and a piece of my heart is still there.  Anyhow, it reminded me of that feeling and I of course liked the name even more.

Our logo was created by Ashley Ketch

     The process for this line was simple...Dee dyed fabric, gave it to me, and I came up with a design.  Our original intention was (because we are creative ppl and get really excited about things and want to do it all right away) to have a line available for purchase.  Things slowed down because I found out I was pregnant and didn't want to be stressed out (Even though I love it with all my heart, It stresses me out at times because I can be a perfectionist).   I had to tell Dee I needed some time to see how things go and what I feel comfortable doing.  Being the awesome person that she is, she totally understood.  I made sure to let her know that she should still "go for it" and she did.  She has been working with lots of designers and photographers.  Each piece of silk that she dyes is even better than the previous...this makes me excited because we have started working together again (Tea Party).  She just dyed some beautiful fabric for my Red Dress and I absolutely love it.  
Back to my story....so, slowing down was a good thing for me because it gave me time to think and discover who I am as a designer and what I want to do.    Sometimes I can get carried away with excitement and move too fast to notice the view around me.  Slowing down has helped me enjoy the scenery and flow of my creativity.  I finally found balance and understanding of who I am as a designer, my design style as well as my ultimate goal.  I want people to look at the pieces and instantly recognize that it was created by moi.   Looking at our work together I can see that I was trying to make things for other people and it didn't necessarily reflect my own designs.  I am more focused then ever to make sure I don't lose the "me" in the design.  Dee speaks with her fabric, I speak with the cut and style that I create with it.  It's pretty cool actually!

That being said....here are some photos of our pieces.   Stay tuned for more :)

This dress started out as a different design...more flowy layers.  However, I ran out of fabric!!! Ahh so I improvised and added a little touch of something I love, lace!

This little number was supposed to be far less...just a simple skirt was what Dee thought it could be.  I however thought, no way, more.  So I needed up getting a cute little sundress out of it, using up every inch of this sweet fabric

For this, I wanted to do something simple and summery.  I, as you  may or may not know, love ruffles and so added another touch of moi to the design.

Two piece outfits have been popular for a while, especially with a little crop top.   Had to have one of these with our own spin on it.  

I have always loved the "Grecian" or "Roman" look.  In college I would always sketch this sort of style.  This is my sister modelling.  It fit her so well.

You can see a little piece of our logo in the back of this one.  It was so cool to see it up on a big screen!

This was one of the first pieces I did with Dee.  It had a mind of it's own.  Was supposed to be a maxi dress...then I started draping and playing around.  You can tell from the photo but I've got a bunch of pleats on the bodice, very abstract.  I wanted it to be like the watercolour abstract art on the fabric.

All the outfits making their way down the runway!

The finale. 

All Photos taken by Kehinde Akinsanya and Whitney Carolan for the NBCCD show "Unearthearted" last year .

I am not taking part in the NBCCD show this year because I'm just too busy with a new baby and working on other projects.  I am however, making a piece for the Red Dress, taking place at the end of this month :)

Fashionably yours,
Adrienne:)

Tea Party

     I mentioned a few posts back that I was working on a couple designs for a shoot.  We had the shoot two weekends ago and couldn't have asked for nicer weather.  The photos were taken by my sister, Patti.  The silk was dyed by Dee. The dresses designed and made by moi!  And last but not least, the dresses were modelled by the lovely Athenaïs.   She was such a trooper with the chilly weather.  Thank you so much to everyone involved (and to my parents who let us use their yard).  We wanted to have a French tea party theme which turned into an Alice in Wonderland based idea using the small tables and "eat me" sign.  We wanted it to look whimsical and enchanting with a fashionable twist.  i.e. the fashion books on the table and our dress design.   I even made up a cheesy little story to go with it ;)

Once upon a time...

There was a girl named Athenaïs.  She was getting bored with every day fashion so decided to venture out into the world, seeking the answers to being chic...

Macaroons from ChessPiece Cafe! Mmmm

     Dressed in her ADRARA design, she found herself in a near by forest where she stumbled upon what appeared to be a tea party.   With a sign that said 'Eat me', she could not resist taking a bite of the most delicious macaroon.   

Délicieux!!!! 

     On the corner of the tiny table was a stack of books.  Did they have the answer to her questions????  She poured herself some tea and began to read. Chanel and Dior are the epitome of chic.  Surely they have all the guidance she seeks. 

Tea Cups are Dee's Grandmothers.

Finally, the answers she was looking for!  She realized that she had them all along;  She is chic!!!  Thrilled by her discovery she decided to make her way home until she saw another sign.....

    

  She is now on her way to the land of fabulous things...stay tuned for more of her story. 



Fashionbly yours,

Adrienne:)

And The Award Goes To....

I know, I'm a little late with this but I need to talk about the Oscars.  I've learned that being a mom means I'm not always on time in most situations  lol and this is one of them.  I liked so many of the gowns but will just give my top five.

My favourite thing to design and create, is dresses.  From a young age I was always fascinated by beautiful gowns making their way down red carpets and runways.  Princess Diana was one of my favourite style icons and I wanted to dress just as beautifully as her when I grew up...and maybe be a princess ;) .  It is possible that's where my love of dresses came from; the wanting to be a princess.

So, let's start.....

Olivia Munn in Stella McCartney
     I love the asymmetrical look and a sleek basic design.  This to me, was just gorgeous and it fit her so well.  Another thing I love about dresses is how it accentuates the female body.  How it can hug every curve and celebrate a woman shape.  This dress did just that.  It was stunning.

Charlize Theron in Dior Haute Couture
     That plunging neckline was gorgeous!  She is so statuesque and that dress couldn't have been more perfect for her.  The colour...the silhouette.... the amazing long necklace that hung into the deep "V"....Beautiful!

Saoirse Ronan  in Calvin Klein Collection
       I was surprised to see her in this dress and doubly surprised at how much I liked it!  She usually wears something with a little more...coverage.  This looked amazing on her.  The emerald green was  gorgeous against her skin fair skin tone and  bright eyes.  The cut of the dress, sexy yet sophisticated.  And to see the work put into it (there is something on Vogue about it)...wow.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Haute Couture
  I knew that she would be in Dior but I was surprised with the style and colour she chose.  I think I liked this dress for that very fact.  She surprised me!  It, as usual, looked amazing on her.  I loved the feather detail and felt that it had a bit of a vintage vibe.  I've also got a special place in my heart for lace.  Lovely!

Olivia Wilde in Valentino Haute Couture
Hands down, my favourite look of the night.  A lot of people were on the fence about it but when I saw it, it took my breath away!  I knew right away it was Valentino.  That's important to me, to be able to distinguish designers based on their designs.  It really means they have a look people can identify.  Plus, Valentino is one of my favourites!   This dress just reminded me of a Roman goddess.  Her jewellery and her hair were a perfect with this dress.  She was flawless.

     I know I said I would give my top five and I did...however....I have to mention Lady Gaga wearing Brandon Maxwell.  I totally loved it.  It wasn't really a dress, nor simply a pantsuit.  It was an amazing combo of both!  I loved the tailoring of the entire piece and how it represented her style without going over board.  It was a simplified version of her over the top looks from the past...and I liked it...most likely because it was closer to my own taste.  

Hope you enjoyed my picks!!!  All photos via www.vogue.com.

Fashionably yours,

Adrienne :)

Keeping Up

     Keeping up with blogging is already more difficult than I thought!  I just realized it's been about two weeks  since my last post (in a long time!).   Being a mom is definitely more challenging than I imagined...managing time is interesting.  My son seems to be the boss!  I told myself that when he was born I would be right back to doing things...yeah not as easy at it sounds!  He is perfect, it's the fatigue and deciding what I want to do with time when not sleeping or feeding.  And no I don't do what nearly every person has told me, "Sleep when baby sleeps".  If one more person tells me that I will scream (Not out loud of course, inside..lol ).  When baby sleeps, mommy designs and sews. Woo!   That is one thing that keeps me grounded and happy.

Photo by my sister Patti! 

      I mentioned in my last post that I had worked with a surface designer, Dee Wilkie, on several projects and we even had a line together called ADRARA.  We are currently working on a new project for a photo shoot that my sister will be shooting!  I'm so excited to do this.   Dee made some gorgeous fabrics last year and some were featured in Atlantic Fashion Week.  I was a little sad that I couldn't make it there but I had a pretty good reason....I gave birth about a month before.  Although, the thought did cross my mind to put a line in! It took a lot to talk myself out of it lol but I did have to be reasonable.    This year however, I've already started thinking of my line ;)  I have never felt as creative as I have since the birth of my son.  I am constantly sketching while I feed him and sewing while he naps.   I have an amazing family that helps out too.   I have soooo many designs, I don't know where to start!  Well, I did start with a couple for this upcoming shoot.  My sister is not a professional photographer  (I think she totally could be!) but loves loves loves to take photos and so Dee and I thought she might want to give fashion photography a shot.   We are all excited to do this and have a great idea for it!

In progress!

Stay tuned!

My sister took this photo of my husband and I for a little preggo shoot this past summer.  I think it turned out really nice!  We wanted something fun that represents us.  He loves his motorcycles and I made my top.  And yes I made it checkered to stick with the motorcycle theme!

      Meeting Dee has really changed me as a creative person.  It has pushed me to think outside the box but stay true to myself and my style.  I had never worked with silk prior to meeting her but would not back out of a challenge.  At times I may have wanted to cry because it can be a finicky fabric but now I am more comfortable and make it work for me.  I always look forward to seeing her new creations!   We met for the first time two years ago after two people recommended we work together.  It was meant to be.  I wanted unique fabric and she needed a designer.   We started with a photo shoot with a young model who is now sort of like our muse, Athenaïs.  Her and her mother are the kindest, sweetest people and Athenaïs looooves modelling and is so very professional (She's also amazing at it!).  We also worked with a photographer, Lance Kenneth Blakney, whose photography is fantastic!   It was a great collaboration for sure.

Collaboration with Dee Wilkie, Lance Kenneth Blakney and Ahtenaïs
Surface design: Dee, Fashion design: Me Photo: Lance

Surface Design: Dee, Draping: me and photo by Lance

Some of the designs from our ADRARA collection.  I will talk more about this in another post otherwise this one will be uber long!

 I so look forward to the next time we work together.  I couldn't be happier with all the people I have been meeting who share a passion for their art!

Fashionably Yours,

Adrienne :)