While setting on my journey to creating my own clothes, I often searched the web for free downloadable patterns. First experiments should always be done on the cheapest budget possible to avoid any major financial calamities. Still, there was nothing as modern and youthful as some of the free stuff on the BurdaStyle website. I was really amazed to find this free pattern of this glamorous tunic dress that allows you to be so playful in terms of fabric and create something so versatile. All I need to do is to finally get around this sewing machine!
January 21, 2010
DRESS ON THE CHEAP
While setting on my journey to creating my own clothes, I often searched the web for free downloadable patterns. First experiments should always be done on the cheapest budget possible to avoid any major financial calamities. Still, there was nothing as modern and youthful as some of the free stuff on the BurdaStyle website. I was really amazed to find this free pattern of this glamorous tunic dress that allows you to be so playful in terms of fabric and create something so versatile. All I need to do is to finally get around this sewing machine!
November 30, 2009
A LITTLE PIECE OF CRAFTSTER HEAVEN
This early morning of sleepiness and a bit of boredom, found me browsing the net with one thing on my mind: crafts. Ideas for personalized handmade gifts for this Christmas holidays, the perfect way to give unique, ecological and of course purse-friendly presents. So I stumbled upon the great Martha Stewart site, and even though this may not be big news to many of you, to me it felt as if I have had some sort of an epiphany. Loaded with amazing, fun and easy projects, it is any aspiring craftster´s little piece of heaven. Absolutely and truly inspiring, for the most heavenly-made gifts, for the people close to your heart or even better, for yourself.
November 26, 2009
INTRODUCING TOTA PATSALIDOU
And the introduction to Cyprus fashion begins with Tota Patsalidou, a relatively new designer whose first fashion show for Cyprus Fashion Week I had the chance to watch a while ago. Being a girlie girl, sucker for anything cute and beautiful, I was immediately intrigued by the concept of the whole collection being the lost little girl Alice in Wonderland. The collection itself was a beautiful composition of garments in wearable shapes, soft tones and pastel colours, petal-like details, white tights and fairytale-inspired hair. All those elements contrasted with the electric bold blue, pink and orange of the shoes, but at the same time composing the romantic and playful side of Tota's new collection. Luv luv luv it!
THIS IS PROJECT RUNWAY: SEASON FINALE!
After much anticipation, the season finale of Project Runway hit our TV screens last week with a frantic day leading to the catwalk of Bryant Park and of course the announcement of the hignhly-anticipated winner. But how did the events of the day actually evolved? As the runway show was about to begin, and after some frantic last
minute adjustments, fittings, and modifications, the models were still
not ready to line up and begin the show. Thank god for poor Tim Gunn though, who after a great deal
of stress got everyone together.
Lights, Camera, Action! And the catwalk is on!
Althea: Althea's army of clones with black headbands is based on sci-fi heroines from the 50s and 60s. She is hoping to "introduce what the woman of today would wear tomorrow." The judges were excited to see sports wear and applauded Althea for adding a dash of color with knit green dress (right). Heidi thought the khaki pants (left) were cut well and people would love to wear these. Althea is questioned about how her collection represents the future. This oversized black sweater (centre) was an example of Althea's sci-fi vision. Althea's thirteenth look, the khaki pants, was Heidi's favorite.
Carol Hannah:
Inspired by the Duke University campus at night, the Grecian goddess dress (right) was the favorite among the judges. There is a question about the utility of the purple pyramid dress (left), and Althea agrees suggesting it was more artistic and she did not expect it to be worn. Structured drapery was her strong suit in this collection. The thirteenth look (centre), was once again Heidi's favorite again.
Irina:
Michael points out that we've already seen the warrior woman and that this is not a new character, but the looks are finished. Nina did say "I told you so" about not adding color. It is much more difficult to see details on the runway with all black garments. Irina's representation of armor were the hats carried through the collection, each was a little different, but the same, and added a much needed cohesion to the show. The judges thought the handmade T-shirts (left) were a smart move, which felt intimate and revealing. Oversized sweaters (center) played a large roll in the show. The final gown (right) was the only look that didn't fit (Michael commented that she felt obliged to close the show with gown).
And the winner is...Irina!
Heidi calls Irina's collection sleek, modern, and cohesive. Her
collection "told a story" and she knew who she was designing for. One
of the reasons Irina won over Carol Hannah is the cohesion and pacing
of the collection. With Irina there was a clear story to follow and a
cohesiveness not seen in the other two collections.
Too bad, because for me Carol Hannah had some great and powerful pieces and the most playful and charming collection of the three finalists. She certainly displayed many things that I would so love to wear but I do see the judges point on the element of cohesion and having a clear design view which is vital when designing a fashion collection. So how is life going to be without our beloved project runway?! Well, we need not worry that much because season 7 begins on the 14th of January, with the promise ofplenty of surprises. Simply Amazing!
BURDA STYLE: START CELEBRATING!
Around the end of each month I always check out the online preview of Burda Style Magazine, the magazine mecca of sewing patterns, published in 16 different languages and in over 89 coutries all over the world. I have myself bought a few issues over the past year but never really got down to making anything out of them. This time though, I am just so decisive to actually take advantage of the potentials that such patterns offer: produce unique items that refer to your own style, use and combine unique fabrics and make something totally one-of-a-kind, modify patterns and explore other styles of the garment, and generally have fun and enjoy the benefits of being creative. As my mum puts it, over the past years the issue has notably shrank content-wise, compared to the times when she used to make all those clothes in the 80s, but for me it is still so much worth keeping an eye on your local bookstore's magazine stand.
For the December issue, Burda Fashion magazine has composed an amazing pattern collection inspired by catwalk trends with many designer references: Party styles in satin and brocade and with lots of sequins, glamorous accessories to make yourself and several versions of the “little black dress” for larger sizes, cool outdoor looks for nature friends and feel-good lounging fashions for home. My personal favourites however and the ones that I will have my take on are the sexy leather skin-tight pants (following the latest leather trend), the nicely contrasted fuchsia mini-skirt with the black cummerbund waistband, and the beautifully made black, open jacket with the dress-uniform details. But my top top fave of the whole issue is this hignly extravagant-looking, brocade, evening blouse with large plate sleeves, which so much resembles the Dolce and Gabbana Autumn/Winter 2009 collection. The website notes that it works best for tall women - and I do not belong in this department - but still I will make my attempt.
November 25, 2009
MUST MAGAZINE: FASHION ICONS
Sometimes I am so entirely surprised by our local Cyprus press and the way they grasp and interprete global trends and tendencies. This time, Must magazine, probably the only Cyprus publication I buy every month and really enjoy reading, dedicated a whole issue to street fashion with focus on the shift from season trends to individuality and personal style. This, I must say, is the only way to actually ensure that you make wise fashion investments to take you from season to season and reflect your presence at the most. And of course, the obvious had to be there: the cutie pie Alexa Chung (whom I totally adore), Chloe Sevigny (the unconventional beauty with the sensational style) and Pixie Geldof (the rock, messy-glamorous princess). An amazing composition of inspiring fashion icons and eye-candy items.
FASHION SURGERY: SHOE MAKEOVER
They used to be this old odourless, tasteless and colourless cream and light blue “Mango” shoes. And while the thought of throwing them in the nearest garbage bin often passed my mind, I eventually decided to give them a little fashion surgery. But what started as a minor attempt of transformation ended up in a total makeover. I dyed them in a navy blue shoe dye, and then sewed the gems on (taken from a tacky Primark bracelet that I took apart) and used a dark brown leather thread to wrap them around my leg. Et voila! The cutest and most unique pair of ballet flats I have ever owned!
November 24, 2009
STYLEFINDER.COM
As a shop customer I am usually a very impulsive buyer, the untamed horse going crazy in shops and buying whatever impressive item comes on the way without really putting much thought to it. This time around however I am really making a effort to do strategic shopping work for me, to actually identify the needs of my wardrobe and try to fill in gaps rather than just grab whatever comes in my way. And that's where StyleFinder comes along.
Featuring over 5000 fashion finds from over 450 labels, hand-picked by the StyleFinder crew, the site can actually help you find exactly what you need by using key words on trend, type,colour or label. You name it, you get it! But it does not just stop there. There is the street and celeb style that you can check out, the StyleFinder fashion blog with daily updates, the SF beauty department and even the special section with fashion advice from stylists. Just the perfect thing to sort out your bad shopping habits, if used wisely of course!
June 28, 2007
THOSE DESIGNER ORIGINS
It's that special time of the year again when sale is on at Netaporter with lots of luscious items and some relatively tempting prices. So as I was browsing hoping to track down a bargain, I discovered those Miu Miu Purple satin T-bar sandals with gold glitter heel and panels and some huge rignestones. I stop for one second to think. Hmm..don't those rhinestones look very familiar? So those were the origins of my "Happy Feet" shoes. Still once again the high street has saved my little pockets with a refined and improved version of the 80s-disco-vibe (and not so much my taste) Miu Miu ones. God bless!
June 27, 2007
HAPPY FEET!
I must have got my shoe epiphany some years ago when I discovered the amazing impact a pair of shoes can have on your appearance, your mood and most importantly your confidence and self-esteem. It's not just an epiphany but rather a shoe fetish. I 've got dozens and dozens of pairs of shoes yet my lust never seems to subside and my collection is constantly enriched. And it just so happens that out of the plethora of shoe choices I have, I always go for the most unusual, off-the-beaten-track items - a quite good thing though as not a lot of buyers are likely to go for the same pair and I won't end up with the same shoes as half the population.
Sometimes I am so amazed at what the high street produces, quality and design-wise. A selective eye one the high street can grab items with true design merits, items that are true gems. And a true jem I got! My new shoe addition is something to sum up all the latest trends, yet a pair I can foresee myself getting a lot wear out of even when the current season flees and the route opens up for the new seasons to come. I got some satin, the stack hills and the beloved embellishment, some king-size gems. The shoes were also quite reasonably priced and even though they are a potentially bad investment as satin on the feet would means extra-extra care, I love them so much I can't even think of taking them back. My friend and fellow-shopper cringed, but I was madly in love. In fact, I intend to prance around the city in them as much as possible looking totally effortless and cool.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER: GET BITTEN
To say that I 'm a fan of "Sex and the City" is a bit of an understatement. Utterly passionate would rather be the word (or words). My SATC passion was brought to life seven years ago, when HBO started broadcasting the legendary series . Everything took me aback: the well-written script, the clever dialogues, the leading ladies, and most importantly the styling. Those wacky outfits! Even now, I never seem to get bored of it. I have watched all six seasons more times than I can count with the same enthusiasm as the first time, always scrutinizing outfits and observing styles. Yes, Sex and the City was for many years THE / MY trend setter and of course leading actress Sarah Jessica Parker aka Carrie Bradshaw THE / MY style icon.
Amost two years after the curtains fell down for the legendary series, SJP's thought she would utilize her fashion icon status and the hype surrounding her name, and follow the footsteps of many other celebs. So as "it is every woman's inalienable right to have a pulled together stylish confident wardrobe with money left over to live" she is telling us to Get Bitten. Quite catchy really. As it seems, Sarah Jessica has been bitten by the designer bug and BITTEN is her first apparel line sold exclusively at Steve & Barry's stores around the US. The concept behind the collection was for Sarah Jessica to create, along with a team of Steve & Barry's designers, a collection of high quality, affordable sportswear for women of all ages and sizes and so every piece in the line is priced at $19.98 and less because according to Sarah Jessica "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right."
Now, I am not one to generalize but from what I 've seen from similar ventures, celebrities are primarily selling an image rather than creating original fashion for buyers. And it is safe to say that as with many other celebrity clothing ranges the collection looks like another one to pass off. Designer-wise the collection doesn't do it for me. I just do not bite it! It is merely a bunch of plain basics, colourless, odourless and tasteless. Things get slightly interesting with the SJP promotional photoshoot and the clever styling of the pictures but once you check out the items you realise there's no point in spending your money or energy on acquiring a BITTEN piece. I was really hoping to see some creative pulse from Sarah Jessica. Let's be fair though, unlike other celebrity lines prices are kept very low. Lowly low in fact which is rather encouraging for customers so had I been in the US and by chance walking near by a Steve and Barry shop I might have popped in for a plain tank. I can not make any judgements quality-wise as clothes won't be available over here, but how much quality would you seek from a classic t-shirt anyway? Perhaps the problem is that I identify Carrie Bradshaw within Sarah Jessica. But let's not forget Carrie Bradshaw's cool outfits were put together by that Patricia Field, Sex and the City's mad stylist. Anyhow, I am very curious to see how it's perceived by US buyers and after spending the last 10 minutes blagging about it all I think I 'll have to bite my tongue for a while.
June 25, 2007
RACING UP THE MEGAPIXELS SCALE
Just to illustrate how mobile phone pictures don't do CAM designs (or any design by that chance) any justice, here's the latest CAM shopping window, straight out from a 7 megapixel camera. Haroulla, who lives up to her name by making her customers tres "happy", has done it again with this fabulous, shiny, silver-grey, draped dress and thank god this time I had my camera lurking around in my car to take a decent picture. For those wondering how come I haven't put my claws on it, especially since my unfortunate dress hunt a while ago, you should know that I tried to do so but to my dismay the dress was custom made for another lucky customer. Empty-handed I end up once again.
And some blurry, 1.3 megapixel pictures from CAM. It's the 1.3 VS the 7 megapixel race and despite the obvious winner it seems like I 'll just never learn.
June 24, 2007
DIY TURBAN
I just had to make a post about this! Almost every blog in the entire blogsphere discussed the Prada turban at some point, the style qualities it infused to outfits and its wearability. The turban was featured practically in every magazine around and international high street shops like TopShop got their own colourful Prada knock offs. The trend even got to late-started Cyprus as our very own vintage shop Flashback got those satin colourful turbans that were also featured in local fashion magazines. Wearing the turban can be rather tricky and only the very brave have caught up with the trend. Diana from So Fash'on makes her own proposal on how to make a very wearable diy turban-style headwear out of a pair of black panties and a black sock! The result seems quite interesting really and because the head is not entirely covered I don't thik it necessarily makes you think of its designer origins and would not cause any weird looks from on-lookers, even here. It also seems quite easy to make minus the knicker-scissors interaction by making a wide headband and tying a knot with some extra piece of fabric. Thus, I would add up to the idea by proposing turbans in clolourful lace and satin.
STYLE DIARY GOES ON SALE
I first discovered Style Diary about a year ago and since then I have been so totally hooked. Style Diary brought the street fashion experience to a whole new level, allowing users to organize their own personal diary of outfits and of course to us, the rest of the surfers, to enjoy creativity and original style from all over the world. Having already declared my love for the fashion of "the real people", I must say that out of the pages of Style Diary came some of my biggest style inspirations.
Style Diary's founder Patricia thought it would be a good idea to utilize its popularity to raise money for charity, and does what most girls her age would dread doing: getting rid of all of her beloved wardobe for charity. She is actually auctioning off on Ebay almost every fashion piece she has collected over the years, with proceeds going to The Joyful Child Foundation, a foundation created in the memory of in memory of Samantha Runnion, a beautiful five year old who was kidnapped, raped and murdered. The proceeds of the Style Diary wardrobe auction will contribute into a bigger effort to start conversations about how technology could be developed to help find missing children and track predators.
You can make your own contribution by taking a look at what’s on auction and judging from Patricia's own style diary of outfits there's going to be some really nice stuff, both high street and designer, to snag. Some of the items have already been listed on Ebay and there's a lot more to come, and while bids might be starting rather high we should all keep in mind that it's all for a good cause. So just click on this Ebay link and start bidding!
GIMME MORE OF THAT HISTORY CLASS
History had never really been a top-rated for me. In fact, it managed to fill those old and very far-away school days of mine with more boredom than any student can take. Thrice a week I would either switch into the lethargic, out-of-this-world mode or fully expose my chatterbox qualities with my fellow classmates. But then, had history classes been infused with a more intriguing dimension they would have certainly transformed my physical reactions. Get some fashion coming and fast.
"A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th Century: From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk" looks at fashion from a historical point of view and aims to examine it within its social, cultural and artistic context. According to Elle UK, "it is an enthralling study of fashion's evolution within the 20th Century, from fairy tale's based on glass slippers to t-shirts being used to campaign against wars". The book explores the interplay between commerce and culture, technology and aesthetics, popular culture and pastiche, and fashion and anti-fashion. Anti-fashion! Hm..that sound intriguing enough for me to buy. It's probably time for a new addition to my library, and that's a history class I definitely won't be missing.
June 23, 2007
DRESS HUNT: THE PERFECT WEDDING OUTFIT
When arranging a shopping raid, I never set out on a carefully planned venture to find specific items for my wardrobe. Strategic shopping through estimating needs and investing accordingly has its benefits but it never works for me that way. Everytime I set out to find something specific it just never happens, while things are more likely to fall on my feet at the most unexpected time and places. I mostly make impulsive purchases. Plain and simply I fall in love and buy garments, but often end up with a closet filled to the brim with things I can not easily put together into an outfit. This time though, I had to get into the groove and go on a dress hunt to find a decent wedding outfit. So anchors away and the journey begins!
Dragging myself around the city in 40 degrees celcius with heat melting me away was not my idea of fun. Ok, I probably need some sun-roasting to gain a little bit of colour and exit the milky-white skin palette, but minus the swimming pool the experience just seems unfortunate. I can be a very impatient and picky buyer, so I had a very specific list of "no no's" when setting out for my dress search. I was thinking some sort of a lightweight, grecian-draped, floaty, silk-chiffon number or perhaps something in the latest smock / trapeze / sack dress shapes a bit more refined perhaps with some crystal embellishment or beautiful detailing. Something reasonably priced yet with designer qualities. Since my regular high street did not offer many options for some posh dress-up situation, I thought I 'd check out some of the local shops for eveningwear even though I was a bit sceptic about it all. And I did not stand corrected. I was in fact very baffled at the evening-dress stock and just to illustrate I 'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Almost every single shop seemed to follow the same concept and to say that I saw a lot of what I had imagined would be a lie. Along came lots of lame and shiny tafetta dresses in bulky shapes, cheap looking satin and wedding cake frills, heavy embellishments, zillions of beads and sequins and unnecessary excessiveness that made me want to tuck my money right away.
Looking like a bit like Tyra Banks and Nadja Bjorlin at the 59th Annual Daytime Emmy awards is not really my thing (now I am being mean!), so I think I might have to follow my initial shopping instincts and leave the dress hunt to a bit of luck. And if nothing comes along the way within the next two weeks I can always settle for some old rusty piece from my wardrobe that despite being already worn-a-plenty it will at least satisfy my aesthetics and taste
May 30, 2007
DOING IT BURDA-STYLE
For amateurs like me who have a lot of inspiration yet zero designing and sewing experience, Burdastyle really comes in handy. With a constantly growing pattern database for several types of garments, things look very promising in this little webpage. Some of the actual clothes may look a bit outdated or conservative but they can easily be modified to suit different tastes and styles.
I have already utilized the very simple idea of making a sleep mask. It was actually supposed to be a fun gift, a frilly quite girly one made out of bright fabrics mixed together with satin details, to a male friend leaving for the UK to complete his PhD degree. Shame I did not take photos of this, it was quite funny really and made us both laugh. And now all my friends want one so I promised I would put more masks together using colour and material combinations based upon their characters and personalities. As for the rest of the suggested designs, I will probably be trying a customized edition of the Ellinor blouse and one of the pretty dresses very very soon.
SHOPPING DETOX
Strangely enough, I am trying to get a bit of a shopping-detox at the moment. So I caught myself digging for fabrics at my favourite discount shop, hoping to get into some sort of constructive DIY activity to cover my consumer needs. Still, I get the impression that for once again I have ended up with meters of fabrics that I won't be using, at least for a while, but I seem to get this thrill, the thrill of shopping - even though at a smaller, less body-shivering degree - by the idea that I will be making something to wear.
Still my first real design project, that was actually a customizing one, did not go so well. I got this old white linen top of mine and thought I would change the bust and sew some satin fabric in a different design to make it longer and looser for that oversized look. Apparently, linen and satin do not work so well together and the project was marked a failure. So now I have got all these bags overflowing with fabrics yet no sewing projects on the pipeline. Fanny, my teacher says that's how she started, collecting fabrics, and that I should do loads of designing practice before I actually cut up things so this is quite encouraging. Hm..maybe on second thoughts I should sew back the linen top and add a satin flower detail right in the middle..Let the weekend come for more DIY activity.
May 24, 2007
LIGHTS, CAM(ERA), ACTION
"Sexy" is the word that gets thrown around a lot when people talk about my style and presence, one thing I certainly can not relate to at the moment when I sweat for more than two hours on a daily basis at the gum and don't even get bothered to fix my hair properly the next morning (I have got very lazy lately). But sexy is all about being comfortable in your own skin, and not necessarily, and mistakenly, be revealing or super-groomed, so there may be the possibility I could have something there! Still, if I had to play up to the sexy role properly, I would do it by choosing to wear CAM.
It just makes me salivate with lust everytime I talk about this shop, and I even catch myself driving around the city in the very late hours of the night just to check out what's on display on the window and plan my purchases. Haroulla (which would mean "happiness" in greek), the shop's designer, studied fashion design in Milan and despite my being so insistent on interviewing her for the blog this was unattainable. Still, I got some useful information on her work. What's really interesting is that she works with no patterns and thus makes garments that are unique and one-of-a-kind. She 's got extremely good taste and it seems like when things dont work out for normal people, she just puts a nifty touch and there it goes, bang, everything looks miraculously well put together.
I have been taking pictures of the shop for a while for the blog and now I believe I have a good selection to display, so enjoy the sexiness and glamour of CAM. And there we go..lights, CAMera, action!
Recent Comments