amelia's pleated skirt

this weekend, i finished an adorable miniature version of the diy couture pleated skirts i've been making as a gift for my god-daughter amelia. i wanted it to be sort of a complimentary piece to my pierrot/pierrette-inspired skirt - i thought it would be so cute for her to have her very own harlequin-inspired skirt and maybe at some point when i visit seattle we could do a little photo shoot together. that would be so amazing! 

making this skirt made me realize i absolutely love making children's clothes! they're so cute & tiny and it totally makes sense as i've always been drawn to making miniatures in every artistic medium i've tried. i couldn't believe how quickly this skirt whipped up after the initial dying and silk-screening process. i started out with the same fabric and used the same process as i did with my pierrot-inspired skirt but used a mixture of teal and pearl grey RIT dye to get that smokey blue/green hue.

i'm so excited to get this out in the mail to her although i think it might still be too big for her to wear. somehow, it ended up 2" bigger at the waist than i had anticipated so she might have wait until she's a bit older or maybe pin it for now. either way, this definitely isn't going to be the last piece of clothing i make for her from scratch! i usually reconstruct things for her that i find at thrift stores, adding patches or silk-screen images, or i'll collect vintage children's clothing for her but i've never made her anything like this before. i'm really excited to enter into this new chapter of making her things by hand, the most special of things. 

xoxo
☆ emilia ☆

inspiration - valentino resort 2013

it's been a while since a collection has caught my eye… i've been in kind of a 'fashion funk' lately and am not really sure where my style is heading as the summer season fades and fall arrives. i'm not quite ready to think about making a cloak or altering any autumn pieces just yet and have been more inspired by these uber-romantic valentino resort 2013 dresses full of gorgeous lacy florals and my favorite haute 60's silhouettes. the collection is full of exquisite lace, beautiful beading, and lots of pink which is exactly what i need for a bright burst of cheer and a breath of fresh inspiration into my wardrobe.

this collection is all about the perfect party dress (and, the perfect little flared trench to wear on top.) i'd love to wear that lovely long white lace gown and the adorable polyester floral embroidered mini dress (last photo) every single day for the rest of the summer… they just ooze prettiness and femininity which are the fashion characteristics i seem to be gravitating to most right now. it's tough to find that perfect balance between youthful joie de vivre and classic elegance but i think this collection does a good job of melding the two and bringing together an air of girlish whimsy with the smart sophisticated tastes of a mature woman.

i'm thinking pinks, taupes, and tans are going to be my go-to's this fall (inspired by that last dress) with bold bursts of color mixed in somehow… what do you think?? sounds… pretty! i can already feel i'm going to want to brighten things up this fall season instead of going with my usual darker palette - it's going to be fun trying to incorporate more femininity & color and keeping everything more muted and soft. we'll see how i feel by the time autumn actually roles around… knowing me i'll have changed my mind a thousand times and been inspired by numerous other collections/photos/etc. by the time it's actually here!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

goddess frida

yes, i'm still alive!

… and, who better to get me back into the blogging spirit than the patron saint of creativity & visual beauty herself, frida kahlo. i recently updated the shop w/ several fantastic vintage central american dresses which are so beautiful & unique they were just screaming out for a special frida tribute shoot. you can imagine my surprise when i came upon these beauties at a church rummage sale here in toledo. they are exquisitely crafted - total stunners - and i'm so glad i got to wear a couple of them during my trip to florida last month before they went up for sale. the lightweight peach dress w/ red embroidery is the perfect swimsuit cover up on an afternoon trip to palm beach for some window shopping and sun bathing! you can find the peach dress for sale here and the pink dress w/ white embroidery here.

i've always wanted to do a frida inspired shoot… to say she's been a major influence in my life - both artistically & personally - is a definite understatement. her iconic beauty and intensely personal self portraits have captured my imagination for as long as i can remember and her tumultuous marriage to diego rivera and leftist political leanings only sealed the deal. it's pretty much impossible to think of putting a large bunch of flowers on the top of your head w/out channeling a bit of frida... my only regret is that my hair isn't long enough for a proper side braid to weave my ribbon scarves in & out of and that i didn't have a hawk or a cigarette to complete the look. :o)

i hope you are all having a fantastic summer so far and getting in as much relaxation and lake swimming as i've been!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆