The Week in Pictures

1. Floral satin for Spring/Summer collection dresses & fresh flowers in the shop

2. Model fittings for this weeks fashion show

3. Filing all my vintage patterns

4. Modelling for my friends latest design

5. Antique beaded purse gifted to me by a friend

6. Fabric swatches for Septembers show

I Want Candy

Usually I can't stand stripes, especially on clothing! And then I saw it. A beautiful billowing cotton with pink and blue on white stripes, and I had to have it.

Inspired by 1950's full skirts and the colors of candy, I had it made into a vintage inspired dress for my upcoming summer/spring collection.

Modeled by the lovely Charlotte.

This dress will be available in By Design soon!

Replikating

I'm so sorry everyone about the lack of posts recently! With two fashion shows coming up and keeping up with Etsy orders, I haven't had much energy for anything else.

Today I thought I would share with you part of what I create! I have my main fashion label under my own name and on the side I like to recreate replicas of dresses worn by the Duchess of Cambridge.

 Random, I know!

I've always been fascinated by the relationship between royalty and fashion, it started with The Queen, Princess Diana & Grace Kelly, and this also led into an interest in Kate Middleton's style.

I focus on bespoke pieces that she has worn, these are custom garments that were made for her. This means that I can make something very similar available to the general public at a lower price.

When the Duchess presented baby George to the world, women everywhere flocked to the internet to try and find a similar look, and amazingly enough I already had fabric close to the original so I thought I would give it a go!

The original fabric was a silk, but I went for a lovely Japanese cotton that had a lovely sheen to it, and a beautiful drape.

I already had a similar pattern, this had a fitted bodice and full skirt, all I had to do was add the waist belt, which is fastened by belt loops on each side.

So here is the final product, modeled by the lovely Charlotte.

You can purchase the dress on Etsy here.

Diana Style

I apologize for the lack of posts recently! Things have been busy but hopefully I'm now back in action.

Today's post is not about Fifties style but is still vintage!

Some years back I became fascinated with Princess Diana, I loved her grace and elegance, her work to bring attention to various humanitarian causes and of course her style.

Some may look at outfits she wore as 1980's disasters, but I always think she somehow managed to pull off everything she wore with such class! Here I leave you with some of my favorite Princess Diana outfits from my tumblr: royalthreads.tumblr.com

Something old, something new: Turning vintage materials into new creations

  Vintage objects and inspiration seems more popular than ever, and there are so many choices!

We can buy actual vintage garments, or new possessions inspired by past eras OR we can have items that are both new and incorporate old materials!

I've done this with jewelry, clothing, art..it means that at the end of the day you have an amazing and unique piece that can't really be replicated.

I am in love with these rings by Leanne who sells her range at our shop By Design, she's actually made them out of vintage spoons! This means that every ring is unique.

We also were offered some vintage fabrics to purchase recently as well, it was such a treat to view and pick fabrics that you know you will never come across again.

Both me and my friend Julz who is a fellow designer both use vintage fabrics in some of our designs, and our clients get so excited knowing that they're getting a unique garment.

Julz turned this amazing floral fabric into these awesome skirts, available to purchase here

And here are a few of my designs using vintage fabrics..

Vintage coats

The colder weather has arrived here in New Zealand and I've been drooling over vintage coats.

For the first time I'm going to have a coat in my next collection, nothing complicated (I do love minimalism!) but something classic.

Here are some amazing coat patterns that are available on Etsy, there's something out there for everyone!

xx

Sources: 1 & 2

Sources: 1 & 2

Sources: 1 & 2

Source here

Source: 1 & 2

Source: 1 & 2

Dior Haute Couture Spring 2007

Dior will always be one of my favorites. It's what got me interested in fashion all those years ago, so I thought I would post some images of one of the collections I love most.

Enjoy xx

"What psychological process did it take to lift John Galliano to the extraordinary place of brilliance he reached—or rather, rediscovered—in his Spring couture? Everything about the Dior collection—inspired, he said, "by Pinkerton's affair with Cio-Cio San, Madame Butterfly"—reconfirmed his unique talent to evoke beauty, sensitivity, narrative, and emotion in a fashion show. "

"Kimonos, obis, and geisha makeup were Dior-ified, transformed into delicate translations of New Look peplum suits and full-skirted dance dresses. Each look sprouted yet more miraculous planes of origami folding, their stiff geometries creating necklines like flowers or hovering birds. "

Incorporating vintage into everyday life

Because of what I do as a vintage-inspired fashion designer, I come across many women who want to be styled in a 1940s/1950s manner but are too scared of standing out or not being able to pull it off.

Any women can wear vintage! So I thought I would put together a few little styles for those women who want to add just a touch of vintage to their everyday look-you don't need to look like you walked off during a photo shoot.

Hair can make such a difference to someones overall look. 

Victory rolls are still very popular with those wanting a 1940's style, but as these photos show even having a wave/curl to your hair can make a huge difference.

The photo of me on the right was my first attempt at pin curls following a wonderful tutorial over at Vixen Vintage which you can find here. 

I simply took the bobby pins out after my hair had set, and then took one part of my hair on each side and pinned it back with a single bobby pin.

On other days where I'm in a hurry, I place my hair in heated rollers and save time by doing my makeup while they set.

There are many easy vintage makeup tips out there! These two aren't groundbreaking but I always go with them when I'm having a retro day.

Cat eyeliner is an easy one, you may or may not team this with false eyelashes, and the style you may draw them in can depend on your overall eye shape.

Red lipstick is also very popular, there's a shade to suit everyone but I also find that if I'm wearing a shade of red that I have to make sure that any spots I have are well concealed as the hue of the lipstick can sometimes draw attention to similar colors elsewhere on my face!

I could go on and on about different garments that have a vintage look, but skirts are a fantastic staple with a variety to choose from depending on what you feel most comfortable with.

Pencil skirts are great if you want a more 1940's feel with an hourglass silhouette and are wonderful teamed with a beautiful blouse or fitted jacket.

Box pleated skirts are beautifully feminine and have the fullness of a circle skirt without the need for a petticoat, creating a silhouette all on their own.

Circle skirts are easy to create and find, for a more dramatic look they can be worn with a petticoat underneath to give them more shape.

These are just a few tiny tips! It's all about being comfortable and confident in your look-the more satisfied you are with your outfit, the more your confidence will radiate.

There are many different options for shoes and bags, I personally prefer kitten heels as I find them easier to walk in yet I still get the height I want for my outfit.

Hope you've had a great weekend! xx 

What I'm loving

1. Doris Mayday, I've become obsessed with her look recently!

2. My latest dress design now available at By Design

3. The world is not enough-I actually thoroughly enjoyed the film and Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of Bond.

4. Collecting fashion magazines, I sometimes wonder how I'm going to transport these if I ever move!

5. My wishlist of Modcloth bags has reached unhealthy levels.

6. I've started thinking recently of going into vintage inspired bridal-think more minimalist pieces but still heavy on romantacism.

Baubles

We've had some amazing jewelry come into By Design lately. There are times where I'm still amazed at the difference jewelry can make to an outfit, not to mention someones overall appearance.

I'm personally not a big jewelry wearer and when I do, I prefer to wear only one piece at a time.

Here are some of the pieces that have arrived recently, and can be found at our website By Design

Pearl and wire earrings by Amanda Keir 

 Glass earrings by Amanda Keir

 Vintage style cross necklaces by Julz

 Pearl necklace by Amanda Keir

Peacock brooch by Samantha Wakelin