Girls Girls Girls and a tiny hat!

Last spring I had the good fortune to work with Jenn Rogien the Costume Designer for the HBO show Girls. We conspired to create a tiny hat for Shoshanna.

I did not know it would be on last nights episode to start off season 2 of the series!

http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/01/girls-shoshanna-lena-dunham-feather-hat-ugly-dress.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/girls-premiere-recap-i-feel-how-i-feel-when-i-feel-it-20130114

So that's a fun way to start the new year!

What do you think? do you like it?

Marianne and Andreas, 1 September 2012

all photos by www.champar.com

Marianne was planning her September wedding that was just outside of Paris from New York. She was such a relaxed bride that I'd sometimes get confused. It turned out that one of her oldest and dearest friends is a wedding planner in France. No wonder she was so relaxed! 

In addition to going all the way to France to get married, she was willing to come to my Brooklyn studio for every fitting from the very top of Manhattan!

It was so fun working with her. She was very clear about what she wanted. Something fun and blue that she could wear again that would travel well. I love what we came up with. We reinvented the train together! (You can see it above, moving around in the front!) I also created for her a matching fascinator using the fabric, lace and buttons from her dress.

Here's to you, Marianne and Andreas! Many happy adventures!  Vivez le voyage!!


(all these beautiful wedding photos are by www.champar.com!)

Works in Progress

Photos by Joe Tanis

It's been fairly hectic the last fews weeks, (hence the quiet on the blog front) and there are some things that I've been finishing up that I can't wait to share with you. Alas, the Bride always gets to make her debut before I get to share anything with you!

In the meantime, here's some of my works in progress. Joe Tanis always takes the best photos of things I'm working on.

Cheers!

Sara's Wedding Fascinator

Sara arriving for her wedding!

I just got this photo of Sara arriving for her wedding. I love this photo of her! Full of excitement and love (and maybe a little nervousness?). I also love that she choose a grey dress! For her fascinator, she made me a Pinterest page of things she liked and the main colors of her bouquet. 

Since she was wearing grey, I covered the headband with grey silk, then for the flowers, I worked with pale pale green, gold and ivory fabrics and some sweet white feathers. Sara lives in Texas, so we did the whole thing via email. I'm so flattered that she trusted me to work out the colors and proportion from so far away! It worked out well, yes? 

I couldn't be happier for Sara and her groom! And hopefully she'll be able to wear her fascinator again! 

her fascinator

Fascinating You . . .

We thought it was very light and airy but still had a nice drama.

 This is long overdue.

In April, Urban Girl Squad and I put together a Raffle to for winning a custom made fascinator. And happily, we had a winner!

Our winner, Kristen, brought herself and  her friend Adi all the way from the Upper East Side to my Brooklyn Studio (such a commitment!) on a lovely Saturday afternoon and had a little champagne, while we worked out this design.

Here's the winner with her friend Adi.

These are my new favorite kinds of feathers.

It was really fun, everything I love about doing collaborative custom work. She sent me some photos of fascinators and tiny hats that she liked and could also see herself wearing. Which is key, there are so many great hats out there, but there are some that even though I think they are amazing, I can't really imagine wearing it. She was the same.. despite our shared love of giant plumes.

And here she is in her fascinator!

And then we just hung out and looked at lots little pieces of feathers and fabric.


 So this is what we came up with, what do you think? I hope Kristen was able to wear it out for Kentucky Derby Day!

Party Hats for Party Season

With Thanksgiving this week, I keep thinking of what kind of hat I can wear to dinner. And then, what kind of hat can I wear to the Holiday parties this year... I love this one. I love the way it moves and I love the idea of wearing a pale peach hat with a navy or black dress and enjoying the contrast.

This fascinator is really bridal, and I love that about it, but I also love the idea of wearing light colored party fascinators even in the winter.

I just added both of these to my Etsy shop. The peaches and cream one at the top is a one of a kind. Ready to send out if you need something right now for you're next party. And this white petal one is made to order. So, even if you don't want to wear white in winter (it is a real winter white, no rule breaking on this one) I can make one in what ever color you fancy for your holiday party. Remember Keiko's? She wanted it in navy, black and silver with the tulle and it turned out just as festive and lovely! 

(all photos by Joe Tanis Photography)

What are you planning for your festive attire this year? 

Happy Thanksgiving! xophae

Keiko's Orange Dress with Navy Fascinator

 I just got these amazing photos from my photographer, Joe Tanis and I'm so excited to share them!

Keiko needed a dress this summer to go to a wedding in Japan, we talked about me making her a fascinator and I did (see below), it kind of inspired our Fascinator Making Workshop, but then we also got on about what she would wear with this fascinator and one thing lead to another and well, we both thought she needed this...

Someday I will make a post about the original dress that keeps inspiring new versions, but for now, I think this might be one of my favorites! This is one pattern piece, it's a wrap dress. This one is in a lovely 4-ply silk crepe.

 And I love how the orange dress and navy fascinator look so elegant on her! Really it can be so fun to wear color!

You may remember the fascinator from our flyer... :)

It's always so fun to work with clients that want a little adventure in their party clothes... I'm totally for adventurous party clothes!

The Fascinator workshop

September was a busy month in the studio and in the middle of it, Keiko and I created our first Fascinator making workshop. Even though it's been a couple of weeks, I wanted to share some of the pictures from the day. (All photos here were taken by Joe Tanis, he also brought fresh homemade banana muffins! )

 

It was so fun to see what everyone came up with and wanted to make, everyone trying on the examples I brought of different kinds of hats to make. It was so fun for us we're thinking we should do it again...

xophae

Fascinator Workshop!

(photo of my fascinator by Joe Tanis Photography) (the photo is so beautiful, right?)

Keiko and I are hosting a Fascinator Making Workshop!

Keiko and I have worked together a lot in the past, originally I took her shoe making classes and then we started designing shoes together for her line. Recently Keiko opened her own beautiful studio to keep teaching shoe making classes and she asked if I wanted to have a Fascinator Workshop in her space, so of course I said Yes!

So we're really excited to present our first Fascinator Making Workshop! Saturday, September 17th, from 12 to 3:30pm we'll be hosting our workshop in Keiko's studio in South Williamsburg.

With Fall around the corner and the Holidays on it's heels, we wanted to focus this Workshop on Party Fascinators and hat embellishments. (DIY'ers interested in making Bridal Fascinators are obviously welcome!)

We want to focus on making fun fabric flowers as well as "building" a Fascinator hat with feathers, birdcage tulle, traditional tulle and anything else you fancy.

Materials, a small tool-kit and snacks will be provide. The goal is that each student leaves with a wearable hat, so please bring inspiration and images of things you might like to try.. I'll also have some examples of possibilities. If you have some sweet thing that you've been wanting to use as an embellishment that you haven't yet found a good home for, bring it and we can work it into your design...

The class fee is $125, bring a friend and both of you will get $25 off.

For more information and to register please contact Keiko at info@kstar-nyc.com.

We're really excited! Please join us!

Fascinator headband, Part 2

This sweet headband needs a new home... I just added this piece to my Etsy shop. Please check it out!

I'm hoping to add more and more fascinators to my Etsy shop in the coming weeks. I'm curious, you lovelies out there that want/wear/need fascinators, how do you like to wear them? Do you like them/want them on a comb? a headband? What would make it easier to wear? or help you to wear it more often?

I'm just curious and would love love love any of your thoughts or observations!

Thanks! xophae

Fascinator headband

This was a sweet little project I recently finished for a bride that lives out of town. I sent her some mock up-sketches and we decided on this kind of "flower", but then as luck would have it she came to town to visit family and we were able to sneak in a little "fitting".

She was wearing a headband that day to our fitting. And as we talked about her plan for her wedding it just made sense that this would be a good way to go for our design. One of the things I always aim for in these custom projects is that the client (bride or not) looks and feels like herself, in whatever we come up with. (Granted, it's also important that she feels super gorgeous.)

Anyway, I think we made something really lovely and sweet for a really lovely and woman!

I can't wait to see photos of her in it from the real occasion! In the meantime, congrats to the lovely bride! and thanks for letting me contribute to your celebration!

xophae

Susana's Mom's prom dress gets a make over

Susana came to my studio with this wonderful dress from the 50's with a photo of a modern white dress with layers and layers of Technicolor tulle under the skirt. I got so excited at the idea of this. What a fun way to update and personalize a vintage dress. Even better that it was already a personal dress inherited from her mom!

This dress had a couple issues, the waist line was authentic to the era and measured a mere 20", the front boning was wildly misshapen and needed to be replaced, but otherwise was in really good shape. Susana had a tailor detach the bottom ruffle and replace the entire back panel to make it fit correctly.

So what was left was this short scalloped hemmed, sweet cocktail dress. And that was when I went in and added layers of tulle to the skirt and a little orange tulle piping to the waist line.

We played with different combinations of colors, more colors vs less colors . . . but in the end, I think, we struck a lovely balance:

We kept the feeling of the vintage dress, but added the fun pop of colors at the hem (this must have been so fun to see her dance in!).

And then using the same tulle as her dress, I made her a fascinator, with tulle "peonies" and birdcage tulle "plumes" (keeping with the vintage feel). Her fascinator was really fun to make after we finished her dress. I pretty much made her put on the dress and sit in front of the mirror and I just put things on her head until we found the combination of flowers and tulle that we liked.

(fascinator back view)

I love this last photo of them! They both look so happy but most I love the way her new husband is looking at his bride! Like he just caught the canary . . . so sweet!

Congratulations and best wishes to the happy pair! xophae

Maggi and Dom (how my heart exploded with joy on Sunday)

So, I met Maggi my first semester in design school, it was September of 2003, and it took about 10 minutes for me to realize that we would be friends for a very, very, very long time. She's one of those friends that once you met her, you're not sure how you survived without her.

And Dom, Dom I met as a potential room mate. I kept thinking this is a great guy, then he said, he had 4 sisters and I thought, yep, he is the best kind of person. I think I even said, "I have lots of cute friends" hoping this would make me a good roommate. (It seemed too, I got the room.)

So Maggi came over to help me paint my room, we walked into my new apartment and I said, "This is my new room mate Dom, this is my friend Maggi, she's gonna help me paint."

And then life took over, Maggi ended up moving into our building, she and Dom became friends and neighbors. And I just sat on my hands thinking "would they work together? I think they would work together. Right?"

Anyway, long story short, they fell in love. They fell in love in a way that I am endlessly inspired by.

So when I found out they were getting married, I was a little (okay, totally) over the moon. Two of my favorite people on the planet have fallen in love and are now gonna get hitched. I think my response was, "I get to make the dress cause it's kind of my fault!" (I'm sure they would have met some other way if it wasn't this way, people that belong together find each other.)

This is what we made, lots of layers of peach and ivory silk organza over silk habotai, and then the fascinator with bird cage tulle and more organza.

It's funny, I've made dresses and helped with dresses for people that I'm crazy about before, I made all my siblings wedding clothes (in 2 cases also the clothes of their spouses) I've helped with the dresses of friends that are as wonderful as Maggi and Dom, maybe it's the nature of knowing them or that I just felt like I was already so glad for our friendship before they got together, whatever it was, I would just get teary while sewing. Really happy tears.

So this last Sunday, June 5th, 2011, (7 years and 3 days exactly after they first met) Maggi and Dom got married. And in September they will be blessed with their newest addition. (!!! more joy!)

And my heart just keeps exploding. Thank you both for letting me participate in the beauty of your celebration. To know you both is to love you . . . . .

xoxophae

It was a great day for a Derby!

I love the Kentucky Derby. The first time I saw the race was a couple years ago and I was totally hooked. For such a fast race, it's so worth seeing. I had no idea how beautiful the horses were when they raced until I actually saw them. I love all the festivities, the mint juleps and of course I love the hats!

(please forgive the silly look I have.)

My favorite place to be for the race and the party is at the Bell House in Brooklyn. There is always a lot of people, most of them dressed up. This year there were more hats by far then the last couple of years. (People were inspired by the Royal Wedding, maybe?) It's been a crazy week for me in the studio, so many fun projects that I'm finishing up and starting, but late the other night I made sure to make up something for my head. Because honestly, when else can you wear a big messy nest of tulle on your head and call it a hat? Not nearly often enough I say.

There were all kinds of hats in attendance, formal hats, traditional hats, men in hats, hats shaped like horses. After the race, most of us stayed around to see the live band Karaoke band, Bunny England and the New Originals play. What could be more fun then horse races and playing rock stars on a beautiful spring day?!

All the photos above and more can be found here.

Fascinators added to Etsy!

These are not new, but they are new in my Etsy shop!

So now begins the process of designing new things! Despite the late summer weather we're having today, I've got fall on the mind . . . I'm looking forward to making things for winter holidays and parties...

Keep me posted if you have any special requests!

xophae

Fascinators . . .

Like I said, I love making the fascinators. My (inexhaustible) photographer, said all the feathers were like little aliens, moving all about that he had to keep track of... which seems so fitting to me, given my love of deely boppers as a kid.(what do you really call those head bands with glitter balls attached to springs?) It's difficult to be gloomy with so much festiveness on your head!

Anyway, I think he did a marvelous job.

Photo credit Lee Paulson, see more of his work here.