With the release of the brand new Barbie movie, we want to introduce you to the lady who is responsible for making Barbie the fashion icon she is today. Meet Carol Spencer, a "fine arts scholar who answered a newspaper job advertisement in 1963 to become Barbie’s fashion designer — a position she held for 36 years until 1999, making her the figure’s longest serving stylist."
From CNA: "You won’t hear the sound of sewing machines at the Chanel atelier, or workshop, because everything is done by hand. Find out what else goes into creating these special, haute couture pieces."
From Dior: "Follow our cameras behind the scenes for a detailed insight into the conception, realization and unveiling of the Dior Autumn-Winter 2023-2024 collection. Accompany Maria Grazia Chiuri as she reveals the inspirational role played by the founding couturier’s sister Catherine Dior, explore the treasures kept in the archives, learn about the amazing savoir-faire involved, and then watch as artist Joana Vasconceles creates the show’s scenographic installation." There is something in here for everyone. From the creation of a leather flower skirt, to straw tiaras, and fabrics woven with stainless steel.
What is the most delicate thing you have worked with? Silk, lace, antique fabric? Well, how about STRAW!?!? That's right, this dress made in 1865 was embroidered with straw and is part of the collection of the Weinmuseum in Italy. Find out how the straw was used to create this stunning ball gown that has lasted for over 150 years!
With just a bit of ribbon and a few pleats, you too could create one of these Dior outfits. Or could you? Take a look at the making of Dior Haute Couture Dress and decide for yourself.
We are always fascinated by the process of Haute Couture design. Take a look at this quick video showing how Dior embellishes one of their outfits.
The women of Gee's Bend, Alabama have produced some amazing quilts over the years and now even Amazon has taken notice. In their 2022 Amazon Fashion Gift Guide they are featuring six women from Gee's Bend in a fashion photo shoot.
Alex absolutely loved this exhibit, Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy, which has been extended through November 27, 2022 at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. The exhibit celebrates the extraordinary designs of Guo Pei—hailed as China's first couturier—and includes more than 80 works from the past two decades highlighting her most important collections shown on Beijing and Paris runways. In this brief video, you'll learn how she creates some of her stunning textiles.
"In 2017, to coincide with the NGV’s House of Dior: Seventy years of Haute Couture, two new couture works were commissioned for the fashion and textiles collection with funds donated by the David Richards Bequest and the F&T Supporters Group. Essence d’Herbier was commissioned by the NGV after Katie Somerville, Senior Curator Fashion and Textiles attended Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first Dior Couture show in Paris in January 2017." - NGV Melbourne
This is an incredibly beautiful dress, "one of the centerpieces of the Roses installation: the swirling red Rose dress by Sarah Burton from the Autumn/Winter 2019 collection." What is even more incredible is watching it being created by Judy Halil, who is Head of Atelier for Alexander McQueen, someone with "mad" sewing and draping skills. We can't figure out how they know how to draft the pattern and put it together, but it's fun to watch them do it.
Gee's Bend quilters and quilts have become synonymous with quilting excellence. Now they're becoming quite well known in another textile industry, the fashion world, and are garnering acclaim again across the world wide web. "With support from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, the quilters now have sold-out Etsy shops and collaborations with high-profile fashion designers." Find out how these amazing quilters have branched out and introduced their work to a whole new generation. (Photo Credit: Greg Lauren)
When you think of Paris, many things come to mind. Food, art, love, and so many others. But one of the standouts has got to be fashion. Home to some of the biggest design houses in the world, including Chanel and Dior, Paris has so much to offer when it comes to the clothing industry. Go behind the scenes of the workshops of designers Stéphane Rolland and Jean-Paul Gaultier as they take you on a fantastic fashion tour of their Haute Couture Workshops in Paris.
"Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy celebrates the extraordinary designs of Guo Pei—hailed as China's first couturier—and includes more than 80 works from the past two decades highlighting her most important collections shown on Beijing and Paris runways." Learn about this exciting exhibit coming to San Francisco's Legion of Honor Museum and more about its designer.
"Numerous Louis Vuitton steamer trunks sat abandoned for decades in a forgotten storeroom in a fifteenth-century Florentine villa. When a painting conservator eventually stumbled upon the trunks, what she found inside were not only 38 beautiful gowns, but a lost piece of fashion history was also unpacked, along with the life of Hortense Mitchell Acton, the wealthy American banking heiress who owned them." - Antique Trader
You may have watched the video we recently featured all about the fashions of the Gilded Age. Now, see how the real was interpreted for the small screen in HBO's television series, The Gilded Age. Watch and see as "the cast and crew discuss the intricately designed costumes and recreating the New York City streets and homes from the late 1800s."
Have you been watching The Gilded Age on HBO? Here's a presentation from the DAR museum that gives you an accurate historical perspective on the time and the clothing of the era.
Love it or hate it, Dolce & Gabbana certainly put their patchwork out for the world to see in their Women's Spring Summer 2021 fashion show held at the Metropol in Milan, Italy.
Most designers of clothes and other wearable garments tend to use traditional fabrics when putting together their outfits. Sure there are more difficult ones to work with like silk or lace, but the clothes still come together with ease if you know what you're doing. Melissa Meier on the other hand bucks that trend and has been working with trees, wheat, grass, really anything out in nature. Find out how she does it, and how she makes it look stylish and fashionable as well! (Photo: Sweet Gum Balls by Melissa Meier)
Last week we showed you two amazing Christmas dolls created by Nigel Chia. Here he is handcrafting a DeMuse New Year's Doll...with very little, tiny beads, and itty bitty lace ribbon.
If you think making haute couture dresses take a long time for humans, how about shrinking those dresses down to doll size? In this video, watch as Malaysian fashion designer, Nigel Chia, creates two stunning ball gowns for Demuse dolls especially for Christmas.