Tuesday 27 August 2013

The Week in Pictures

floral flowers vintage retro satin fabric red flowers clothing boutique by design fashion new zealand

clothing fashion runway show collection models girls pinup

vintage retro fashion design new york clothing sewing pattern dress

by design whangarei new zealand fashion plus size clothing julz samantha wakelin floral flowers spring summer poncho chiffon batwing top pose

beaded beads vintage purse bag clutch retro fashion style pastel antique

fashion runway show collection swatches fabric samples black gold lace polyester design

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

Monday 26 August 2013

I Want Candy

candy stripe full dress skirt striped pastel sherbert blue white pink samantha wakelin by design vintage 50s 1950s

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.

candy stripe full dress skirt striped pastel sherbert blue white pink samantha wakelin by design vintage 50s 1950s

candy stripe full dress skirt striped pastel sherbert blue white pink samantha wakelin by design vintage 50s 1950s

candy stripe full dress skirt striped pastel sherbert blue white pink samantha wakelin by design vintage 50s 1950s

candy stripe full dress skirt striped pastel sherbert blue white pink samantha wakelin by design vintage 50s 1950s

This dress will be available in By Design soon!

Tuesday 13 August 2013

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.


Sunday 2 June 2013

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

princess diana royal royalty british fashion style revenge dress black sheep jumper 80s 90s

princess diana royal royalty fashion style british pink red dress catherine walker pink shift outfit

princess diana fashion royal royalty style casual outfit shift dress tights winter chanel bag shoes

princess diana fashion style royal royalty red coat military green pleated skirt pink suit

princess diana fashion royal royalty style mother theresa chanel white suit beaded evening dress prince charles summer sailing shorts dodi al fayed 90s

princess diana royal royalty fashion style skirt pleats military white pink silk satin skirt shoes


Tuesday 21 May 2013

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!

vintage retro floral fabric bundle pile 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.

vintage ring rings spoons jewelry cutlery floral silver steel

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.


vintage rings by design ring jewelry spoons cutlery craft


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.

barkcloth fashion vintage fabric material floral 50s burgandy

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

julz skirts fashion style retro vintage barkcloth burgandy floral

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

clothes fashion style retro vintage dress skirt box pleated floral rose fabric


Sunday 19 May 2013

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

1950s 1930s vintage retro fashion style coat jacket
Sources: 1 & 2

1950s vintage retro fashion style coat jacket gingham red
Sources: 1 & 2

1950s vintage retro fashion style coat jacket vogue pattern
Sources: 1 & 2

1950s vintage retro fashion style coat jacket
Source here

1950s  vintage retro fashion style coat jacket dress
Source: 1 & 2

1950s 1930s vintage retro fashion style house coat jacket
Source: 1 & 2






Saturday 18 May 2013

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

dior haute couture fashion japan japanese 2007 spring

"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. "

dior haute couture fashion japan japanese 2007 spring

dior haute couture fashion japan japanese 2007 spring
"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. "

dior haute couture fashion japan japanese 2007 spring


dior haute couture fashion japan japanese 2007 spring

dior haute couture fashion japan japanese 2007 spring