Feeling the blues!

How has everyones week been?  It seems to have gone by quickly!   My friend wore her dress last weekend.  I only saw a couple pictures but when she tried it on she looked so pretty!!  My favourite  (and most nervous) part of making something custom for someone is seeing their face when they try it on for the first time, completed, knowing it was made for them and only them.  I dedicated nearly a day to her dress, I calculated just under 24 hours of work.  I wanted it to be perfect.  She deserved it.  The colour like I said was gorgeous and worked so perfectly with her skin tone and eye colour.  I hope she can wear it again!!!!  Now, I am getting ready to make two more bridesmaid dresses and I can't wait.  I just cleaned out my sewing room to start a new "mess".
My last post covered purples, so let's keep on with the colours!   There is usually one color that seems to dominate every year.  This year, blues are everywhere...more specifically, cobalt.  I was at the mall this weekend and it's everywhere!!  Not to mention all the ads in magazines in recent month featuring the electric color.   And of course, the catwalks!   Yes, emerald is the colour of the year but we don't always understand what that means.  It means that it's in all year and will be seen on the runways and in every change of season....cobalt however, is reserved for fall and winter just as mint was for spring and summer.  I actually just bought a cute little cobalt top this weekend!  The nice thing about cobalt or any shade of darker blue is that it has a great impact but it's not too intense.  It looks great paired with jewel tones as well as black or white.   So versatile!  I also think it looks good on nearly anyone!!!   So, go treat yourself to some shade of blue!

Valentino
LOVE 

3.1 Philip Lim
Navy is also very nice for winter.  Looks great with a wine colour or camel!  I should mention, the whole black and navy being a no no is sorta ok now...but I still think it depends on how it's worn! This works!

Anna Sui
Blue on blue is great!!!  Good transition from summer to fall/winter.

Chanel
OK, I would like to have this jacket...oh right I can't afford it!!   New Project??!

Chloe
Kinda diggin' this cape style jacket!  Has a retro feel to it with a modern twist!

Balenciaga
Blue and Black!

Christian Dior
So sweet!! 

Jason Wu
This dress is delicious!

Gucci
Oh Gucci....so sexy and sultry, I love it.  It reminds me of a mermaid!

Lanvin
A little lingerie inspired attire...yes please!

Azzaro
This colour is so electric!  Who wouldn't turn their head if this outfit walked into a room!?

Alberta Ferretti, limited edition.
Just elegant!

Catherine Malandrino
Does this not look great paired with a jewel tone?!  Mmmmhmm.

Diane Von Furstenberg
Beautiful!

All photos via www.vogue.co.uk

Purples on Parade!

Happy Friday!  Since Monday is a holiday, we got half a day!  Yay!  It was a much needed one....I totally napped in the afternoon and caught up on my sleep!!  Oh but I wasn't just plain lazy...I also went to  the gym and the school to cut some bones.  I  mentioned in my last post that I'm making a lovely little purple number for mi amiga for a wedding and that this colour is one to look for!  The bride did well choosing this shade for her wedding; it's on the runways this fall/winter.  Purple is one of my favourite colours....all shades!!!  I especially love it paired with a delicious raspberry or a bold cobalt blue!  Even a nice emerald shade would be fun.  Putting bold colours together makes any outfit exciting.  It's especially fun on a rainy dull day to spice it up!

Stella McCartney
I do like a sweet grape colour

Versace
Dark and mysterious 

Zac Posen
I absolutely love this mans designs.  I hope my dresses will someday be just as great!  This dress is GORGEOUS!

Zac Posen
Again with the purples...he sure can dress a woman!

Victoria Beckham
Love the pop of colour.    Business dress doesn't have to be dull.  Something like this would make me want to go to work everyday just to pick out my outfit!

Vera Wang
She does like her dark colours.  Look at those lips!! This dress is adorable and sexy at the same time.

                         So, what are you waiting for?!  Go get a little something in a purple shade.

          

                                                               Have a great weekend :)

                                                     All photos via www.vogue.co.uk

Dresses and Indy

  Helloooo!! This past weekend my main goal was to finish up the two dresses I've been working on for the show today!  Eeeeee!!   Another thing I'm working on is a fabulous bridesmaid dress for my beauty of a friend!!  It's a gorgeous purple colour with a lining that is just as delicious!   Anyone who knows me knows I usually always use fun fabric as a lining.  I believe garments should look great on the outside and the inside!   PS purple is a colour to look for this fall/winter!   Another thing I did was watch the Moto GP race!!  They've been on a nearly month long break and we were so excited for the race!   It was a pretty good race.  The best part was not even the three that made the podium...it was the three after them;  Rossi, Crutchlow and Bautista!  It later came down to just Rossi and Crutchlow and wow was it ever nice to watch some real race battles!   In the end Valentino came in fourth.  Funny thing is the turnout was almost just as I predicted!!!  Before the race I said to John, I think it's going to be Marquez, Lorenzo and Pedrosa and Rossi will get fourth....I said he would be very close....it was actually  Marquez, Pedrosa, Lorenzo then Rossi....sooooo I was almost right!! ( I based it on the practices and the fact that Rossi is not the biggest fan of this track...and it's considered a Honda track but hey ya never know! ) I told him, you just watch, Rossi is going to surge up the line!   He sure did!!  It was fantastic.  Like I said in my last post, Moto GP sort of inspired the two pieces for the show.   Don't expect leather and studs or anything like that.  It's a twist on feminine dresses...ok maybe some pyramid studs.  Why MotoGP as inspiration??  Well, inspiration can come from anything.  While I was trying to figure out what to make I had been watching a race.  When I went to fabricville I saw a checkered fabric that I had walked by numerous times and was drawn to it....I thought, yesss a race theme!!!  Also, when watching the races they have "Paddock Girl" that hold umbrellas over the racers as they wait to start.  I'm always checking out their outfits.  Some of them are questionable, some are not to my liking  while others a great.  I ususally like the Yamaha girls...they are tasteful and sweet!  These dresses I designed are something I would imagine on a paddock girl!  The style at least...I know they usually wear the colours of the bike company they represent.   The show went great!  I was very happy with how the dresses turned out.  I even had time to make some cute little change purses for my business cards.  The reception was great!  I always go into shows with a little bit of self doubt.    So, the reaction I got was more than I could imagine...people loved my designs.  They kept asking where my store was....it's in my house lol.  But it definitely made me realize how much I would love to have a store!   I even made the jewelry...from What On Earth of course but still 100% made by me.  Now, if only I could make shoes!!! Then we would have been dressed head to toe in my creations!  So, now that I have finished that project, I am on to my next ones, bridesmaid dresses.  Let's see if today got me any more business!!!!

The change purses I made to hold my business cards.  I got a little silver disc engraved at work, with my logo on it.  I did the engraving :)

Close up of the waist of one of my dresses.  I couldn't find any pyramid studs in the city.  My husband had an old studded belt that he never wore....mission accomplished.

Little bow with a stud on the second dress!

Photo via www.motogp.com
Paddock girls from this past race at Indianapolis Speedway.  They are my favourite outfits.  Love the  look and the silhouette.  

Photo via www.motogp.com
  I'm a sucker for a corseted dress!

Photo via www.valentinorossi.com
Best part of the whole race;  a battle between racers where one is in front then the other...just back and forth.  Loved it.  

My dresses!!!  I was happy with how they turned out :) There will hopefully be more photos to come.  There was a pro photographer there.   I also had a pretty heavy zipper in the back of both for the whole edgy/moto effect!

Valentino

Holy cannoli, has it really been a month since I've written?  Where has the time gone?  I can't believe tomorrow is August.   I did have a vacation but it was more of a "staycation".  I didn't do very much but then again, did a lot!  Does that make sense?  I worked on my upcoming projects....so yeah I did enjoy my time off :)

 I may have mentioned in my last post that I've got a new interest.  Most might assume that my post "Valentino" will be about well, Valentino, the great designer from the fashion house of the same name.  Don't worry, there will be some of that!  However, I have another Valentino in my life; Valentino Rossi.  Maybe it's the bright colors of his leathers or how he rides a motorbike with such grace. Maybe it's because he's Italian (C'mon...most women love an accent!) Or, maybe it's his personality and the passion and dedication he has for what he does.

I never thought I'd be one of those people....You know, the ones who are hard core sports fans or more specifically a motor sport fan (I still don't think I'm that hardcore).  Yet, I find myself, every other Sunday sporting my "I heart VR" T-shirt and my hubby wearing his bright yellow "The Doctor" shirt, ready for the race.  Where had this sport been all my life?  Funny thing is, while "invisible" to me, it was actually in plain sight!!  John, my husband,  has had a motorbike since the age of 13 and has followed this sport for years but did not mention it to me. I've had a fascination with bikes for a long time.  When I  was younger I used to watch the show "Dark Angel", anyone remember that?  Jessica Alba drove this black Kawasaki Ninja (I think) and looked so cool.  I said I would be cool like her some day.   I  laughed a bit when John introduced me to Moto GP.  He told me his favourite rider is Valentino Rossi.  I thought to myself, woah, wait a minute....this is the dude that kept popping up in my Valentino searches when seeking a little fashion therapy.   He was always right there, a link to the world of Moto GP yet I overlooked it thinking he was some old man in a leather suit...silly me.   I was immediately intrigued and began to watch races with John.  I soon found myself fascinated and addicted.  So addicted that I ordered our T-shirts straight from the VR46 online store as a surprise for John's birthday.  It arrived on a Friday, a little over a week before his birthday.  However, there was a race on Saturday in the Netherlands at Assen.  I felt it was ok to give him an early birthday gift.  Best part, we had our t-shirts for the race and Rossi won for the first time in over two years!!!  It was great to have watched him in his moment of victory.  I had been somewhat sad that I started watching the sport so late  and missed all the highlights of his career...but I got to see this one and that made me happy!  Okay, you're probably thinking, "what's the deal then? Why are you telling me this"?  Well, the deal is that this new love I have for Moto Gp and admiration for Rossi has helped me with my own goals.  I also bought John Valentino Rossi's autobiography, "What if I Had Never Tried It" (anyone who knows me, knows I like themes for birthday gifts. I'm a dork like that..he also got new leather pants for biking...nice Dainese ones..).    I one day picked up the book out of curiosity thinking maybe I will learn some more about motorbikes.   I did, but I also learned about a person.  Someone most see as an icon or a celebrity.  I read about a person with a deep passion for something.  A person who isn't afraid to try or fail and most importantly, someone who has always (and still does) remained true to himself.  After reading this I have an even greater appreciation for Valentino and the sport.   He made me realize that sometimes we have to fall in order to succeed...or in his case, crash.  It's not about the fall, it's about how we get up and keep trying and if we are passionate about something, we never give up.  Still today, he is always trying to find ways to improve even though he is considered the greatest of all time by many.   All I know is I would rather look back and say "What if I had never tried it" then "What if I had tried harder". Who would have thought I would find inspiration from a Moto Gp driver!?  I've actually decided to sort of pay homage to Moto GP for the show I'm putting a couple pieces in.  Using black and white and maybe a colour.  The fabrics I've chosen are  stripes which I've cut into a chevron pattern and the other is actually a checked pattern!! Fingers crossed they turn out just as fabulous as they are in my head!!!  Inspiration can come from anywhere!  Oh and I should mention....I've finally, after years of wanting to, decided to get my bike license and even looked at bikes!  Now, maybe I will be as cool as Dark Angel ;)

Photo via www.motogp.com
As a lover of colours I will admit...I'm totally attracted to the colours he sports.

Photo via www.motogp.com
The Laguna Seca race.  Rossi, years ago made this incredible yet questionable (Umm ok ,awesome) pass on Casey Stoner at this very spot,"The Corkscrew" and this rookie, Marc Marquez...whom I am also a fan of, did the very same thing to him!   The great part of this story is that Rossi is this 20 year olds idol. 

Photo via www.motogp.com
Seriously though, who doesn't love a man on a bike.  My husband came in the house still wearing his leathers and said "admit it, I'm 30% more attractive on my bike" I did not disagree...I told him to just leave his suit on.

The fabrics I'm using for the show!!! I can't wait to see the finished products.

After my somewhat deeper spiel, here is my first love, Fashion!  Like I said,  I have two Valentino's in my life...here is the fashionable one!!!  Not that the other one is not fashionable...he's definitely got his own style :)

Here is a look at some of the looks from the Valentino Resort 2014 collection.  As you see, I'm totally drawn to color and a sucker for lace!

All Valentino resort 2014 photos via www.style.com

What I've been up to!

Happy Friday!! And for us Canadians, Happy Canada Day long weekend!  I love long weekends because not only do I have an extra day off, next week is a day shorter...yesssss.   Summer is usually slow at work and this summer seems to be even slower with fewer people around and summer vacations. I do however, have a lot more design time to explore and try new things, so that's fun!  I realize I haven't said much about what I've been up to since the fashion shows.  I was so busy I kind of neglected blogging.  May was a bit of a recovery month for me since I was ridiculously busy since about January.  I even started another venture...selling Arbonne products!  I thought it would be a great side business but honestly, I didn't have the time for it and should have waited to sign up....however, I'm going to try my best to make it work now! So anyways, May was recovery....and withdrawal!  I was used to coming home after work every day and sewing away and loving it .  So, of course I started some new projects!! There is a little thing in August were members of the Fashion Council can submit two pieces to put on live models at one of the local restaurants, "The Palate".  The models can pass out business cards and talk about us.  I'm pretty excited for that because I've had some ideas but no reason to start them...I can't believe I just said that...terrible, as if I need a reason to create something fabulous!!!!  I've also got some client work coming up!!  I'm pretty stoked! I  Just did one of the girl's measurements on Tuesday.  The fabric is gorgeous and I can't wait to get to work on it!  OH and the most awesome thing ever....I finally got an industrial sewing machine!!!!!!! Ahhhh!!!! My awesome husband surprised me with it on my birthday.  Now I just have to figure it out.  I decided to name him (that's right, it's a boy...I decided) Valentino.   The name I chose has a duality to it...Valentino the designer whose garments I adore and am fascinated by and Valentino Rossi, the Moto GP racer, whom I also enjoy.  My husband and I are slowly becoming hard core Moto GP fans....he's been for a long time.  Since he got his snazzy new bike he's been getting into it again and of course, me too.  I think I'm more into it than him lol.  So yes, Valentino is the name of my industrial sewing machine because he is fabulous and fast!   And there is what I've been up to!  Hope you all have a fantabulous weekend!

I got this fabric last summer.  I fell in love with the pattern and the colours....now I'm trying to decide how I want it to look..I think I've figured it out.   There will be some ruffles!!!

"Valentino", my new machine :)  That little square in the middle is my new business card!!! 

Another project I'm working on hopefully for the show I mentioned.  I decided to challenge myself with lines...I hate matching up lines and that's why I chose it!

Zac Posen for David's Bridal

Hello All!! I know, it's been a little while.  Here is a little something that made me happy.  Although I absolutely loved my wedding dress, I would get married all over (to the same lovely man of course!) again just to slip on one of the dresses from Zac Posen's new line for David's Bridal.   He has such a gift for creating the most beautiful and exquisite gowns.  With an amazing eye for detail and structure, his dresses are easily identified on the Red Carpet.  I just love his designs!  It's kind of funny, just after my wedding, Vera Wang came out with a line that I completely loved and now Zac Posen!   So, all you ladies planning a wedding, who haven't yet purchased your gown, check them out!!!

All photos via www.usatoday.com

Check out this link for a little video and more pictures! 

Zac Posen for David's Bridal

Red Dress Fashion Gala

I'm getting really bad at posting new entries!!  I realized that I forgot to post a little something about the Red Dress Fashion Show!!  It was wonderful.  Our special guest, Chantal Kreviazuk was fantastic and the dresses were gorgeous!!  I have to say, I just saw the dresses from the show in Toronto and ours were just as nice if not nicer!! Awesome work ladies!!

My model, Samantha Robichaud, international violinist.  I'm not being biased when I say I feel i had the best model this year!  She played her fiddle down the runway and wow, she is awesome.  She brought my design to life more then I could have ever imagined.

All the dresses from the show.  They rocked the runway!

A closeup of a few of the models.  

Moi et ma modele fabuleuse!!! I made my dress as well!