pillows in progress

A sneak peek at some of the fabrics used for the pillows we'll be bringing to Fête tomorrow night.

creating a custom bridal party

Alexandra Berlin is an interior designer and blogger with a lovely point of view, keen design sense, and an eye for fashion. I had the pleasure of working with her over the past year to design and create a custom dress for her bridesmaids to wear for her wedding last month. She asked me to document the process for her blog, Things That Sparkle, and the post is up today as part of her Wedding Wednesday series. 

Our goal was to come up with a style that would compliment the glamorous yet laid-back vibe of her wedding and was formal and elegant without reading black tie. Alex wanted to incorporate some type of unexpected texture or pattern into the dresses, so fabric choice was a priority. Initially, I worked on a custom print for her inspired by a vintage beaded silk but we eventually decided on a luxe crinkle chiffon. To bring in an extra bit of interest and pay homage to our initial beaded inspiration, I created a grosgrain sash with a beaded chevron pattern. The bride chose gold beading to add a pop of color and compliment the gold accents of her invitations and reception decor.

To execute the rest of her vision, Alex teamed up with a handful of other amazing vendors, including two of my personal favorites—Marina Birch of Birch Design Studio for planning and Jessica Murnane of Suitor for the paper goods. The process was truly collaborative and I loved seeing my creations in the context of Alex's creative ideas and impeccable attention to detail. Not only was every aspect of the wedding stunning, it was such a joyful celebration. I couldn't be happier for her, Spencer, and their families.

The Suitor-designed invitation suite stuck with the theme of keeping things simple but special.

I love the gold edge painting and the polka dot envelope liner.

The beautiful place cards and a shot of Collin and me from the photo booth.

more from nyfw | one

5 September 2012

A last minute sewing project and some outfit prep before heading to New York.

6 September 2012

The contents of my suitcase, arriving in NY, and getting ready for an evening out with Natalie.

crafting a classic

{ via Mulberry }

Love this behind-the-scenes look at the details, care, and craftsmanship that go into Mulberry's Del Rey bag. Envious of all those leather working tools and machines—they are way more serious than my handheld mallets, punches, and rotary cutters!

a small collection: all things blue

{ one: via Wren Handmade | two: via Oh Joy! | three: Kelly Wearstler vibe tray | four: via Scout & Catalogue | five and six:

a collection of some of my own little blue things }

Clockwise from top center: books of blue, a teal-toned misprint of some of my Suitor packaging, a postcard from an open house at Dock 6 Collective, my mom's turquoise beads, a tape measure, an antique tin, security envelopes, a cyanotype test from a college photo class, some sewing notions and a fabric swatch, and a photograph by Donna Moore.

trending

{ hand-knotted rope jewelry for spring }

I usually try and shy away from major trends when I am designing pieces for the collection. But, every once in a while I'm tempted to find a fun way to incorporate the season's colors and materials into the line. One quick and satisfying way for me to experiment with that is by making accessories. This season, we're seeing loads of neon and chunky statement jewelry made with all sorts of rope and nylon cord. I spent some time a few weeks back playing around with materials and putting my own touches on those trends. Here are the results. These first two have been claimed, but I'm kind of excited about them, so think I'll make a handful more and bring them to the store in the coming weeks.

a closer look

INTREPID SAFARI

zebra crossings and spotty predators

AVANT-GARDE WORKWEAR
you are the grooviest gal in the office

SILVER FOG (AND A SILVER FOX TOO)
a play on metallics inspired by the Diet Pepsi can


A closer look at the pieces I designed for the Diet Pepsi Style Studio runway show last month. Simon Doonan and Diet Pepsi came up with the three themes listed above and asked us to interpret the trends and design pieces that reflected the perspectives of each of our cities. My experience with the way we approach fashion in Chicago is that we are design-minded, fashion-forward, and put together -- but also very laid back. While I love a touch of leopard print here and there, I don't think loud animal prints are the best representation of my personal style or Chicago's style. I found a way to incorporate print in a more subtle and personal way for the safari category by designing two custom silks inspired by abstracted zebra stripes and African textiles. I wanted the three styles to look like they were all part of the same collection, so tried to find ways to repeat certain design elements throughout. This showed up primarily in the draping and the fabric and color choices. For the metallic look, inspired by the sleek and clean design of the Diet Pepsi can, I found a great textured leather that I included to tie it back into the animal print theme which then inspired me to add a touch of leather to the pockets of the blazer in the avant-garde look. The design process was exciting, challenging, and extremely different from how I usually approach developing a new style. The overall fashion week experience was a real treat and I am grateful to Diet Pepsi for the opportunity and to all my friends, family, and fellow Chicagoans for such wonderful support and encouragement throughout the adventure. Up next? I am working on a handful of graphic design and photography projects, prepping for the upcoming wedding season, adding final touches to the Fall Winter 2012 collection, and wrapping up a textile design class I've been teaching at Marwen Foundation. I think it's going to be a great and busy spring!

lincoln center

{ photos by Getty Images }

Our final looks on the Jonathan Adler-designed runway at the Diet Pepsi Style Studio show at The Box at Lincoln Center.

{ photos by Elise Bergman }

Diet Pepsi Can-inspired metallic looks on display at the Refresh Studio in the grand lobby at Lincoln Center.