Archive for Designer Dossier
Designer Dossier: Angela Johnson Dresses Up T-Shirts
T-Shirt Ruffle Dress (Photo: davidhsmith.com, Hair/Makeup: Chevelynn Baker, makeupuniversity.com, Model: Jillian Rahm)
A ballgown fashioned from deconstructed thrift and vintage t-shirts in vibrant colors like crimson red, electric blue, canary yellow with logos and text emblazoned on them is what you can expect from eco-friendly fashion designer Angela Johnson. When most designers look for luxurious textiles to create their collections, Johnson scours second-hand stores and vintage boutiques to find her fabrics, which come entirely from t-shirts. Read the rest of this entry »
Designer Dossier: Loli Gil Bea
While scouring the web for the latest in fashion news, I came across Etsy, a site where creative minds who make, sew, and craft just about everything from dishes and bedding to jewelry and t-shirts. The artists on Etsy are able to sell their one-of-a-kind and unique creations on their own online store.
Silk scarf, $55.
One of the stores that caught my eye was Gilbea, which featured beautiful handpainted silk fashion accessories like scarves, brooches, and earrings in vibrant colors and prints from Spain. To find out more, I caught up with the Spanish designer, Loli Gil Bea, for an e-interview. Here’s what she had to say:
The Chic Spy: When did you start painting?
Loli Gil Bea: I started painting silk 15 years ago, as for painting in general, I think I have done it all my life! I always enjoyed drawing, and I attended some watercolors painting courses, and couldn’t stop doing it since then.
Silk earrings, $18.
TCS: What made you decide to paint on silk?
LGB: One chirstmas I received a book on silk painting, techniques, designs etc. I immediately fell in love with the bright colors and painting something that could be worn and not just hang on the walls.
TCS: What inspires you when you paint?
LGB: Nature, landscapes … but for silk accessories I usually go abstract. I love reading books about famous painters or visiting modern art museums to find new ideas that I can show in my silk designs. Read the rest of this entry »
Designer Dossier: Beth Church
Baroque crystal drop necklace, $498
While on a cruise in St. Croix, basking in the beauty of the Virgin Islands and taking in the fresh air of the Caribbean, the last thing that would be on our minds would be entrepreneurial endeavors, but not for Beth Church. After visiting the island she decided to create her own line of beaded jewelry when she fell in love with a necklace she purchased. “I started examining it’s construction and thought, ‘Hey, I can do that,’” says the Arizona native.
Having worked in many creative arenas from apparel design to interior decorating, Church credits nature and raw materials as design inspiration. She describes her jewelry — which includes necklaces, earrings, cuffs, and charm bracelets — as collages because of the different materials, textures, and styles that go into creating them.
Peacock Princess necklace, $428
For her inaugural collection, Church selected new and vintage beads that she considered unique and beautifully crafted, then combined them with other materials to create one-of-a-kind pieces. “Usually, a piece starts from some curiosity — a vintage brooch, an antique button, a broken watch or some fanciful critter,” explains the designer about what inspires her when creating a piece. Like the electric blue and pink Peacock Princess choker fashioned from a vintage peacock brooch, crystals, beads, and a 1950s art glass button.
Designer Dossier: Chanel Comes to Life!
COCO CHANEL
Born: Aug. 19, 1883 in Saumur, France
Died: Jan. 10, 1971 in Paris, France
The Lifetime channel is bringing Coco Chanel to the small screen.
The three-hour movie about legendary French couturier, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, stars Shirley Maclaine as Chanel in her golden years. It is a much anticipated show … by me. There are so many questions I have about the iconic fashion designer — that a chic spy wants to know — like how she rose from her humble beginnings as an orphan to own a millinery shop, how she become linked to a Nazi officer, how she lost favour with her beloved Parisians, and how she closed her couture house for more than a decade, and eventually becomes a highly revered and influential fashion designer of the 20th Century.
Random thought: Maybe the post-war drama ignited an interest in menswear among women (Coco Chanel introduced pea coats and bell bottoms in the 1950s). During WWII, women took lead roles supporting their families while the men were away. When the men returned from war, women could resume their “feminine” roles, which they did with vigor but with the knowledge that they could do anything.
Do you think Chanel fashions played a role in the women’s movement post WWII?
Check out this video …
Did you know …
- Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel started using the name Coco while working as a cafe singer. (thebiographychannel.co.uk)
- Chanel’s little black dress premiered in the third edition (ever) of Playboy magazine. (wikipedia.org)
- Chanel no. 5 debuted 5/5/1921. (fragrancefragrances.com)
- The famous double ‘C’ log was not of Coco Chanel’s design, it was given to her by the owner of Chateau de Cremat. (wikipedia.org)
- Coco Chanel was a nurse during World War II. (thebiographychannel.co.uk)
Photo credit: Chanel portrait ca. 1950s, thecityreview.com.
Chicly Yours,
The Chic Spy
