Nature and Italy!

Alta Via dei Parchi. Viaggio a piedi in Emilia-Romagna - il trailer 

 Finalmente on line il trailer del documentario "Alta Via dei Parchi. Viaggio a piedi in Emilia-Romagna" in uscita il 23 ottobre 2013. Il film è prodotto da Articolture, in collaborazione con Italica Edizioni; promosso da Regione Emilia-Romagna, Servizio Parchi e Riserve dell'Emilia Romagna; scritto e diretto da Enrico Brizzi e Serena Tommasini Degna.

 Alta Via dei Parks. A walking tour in Emilia-Romagna - the trailer

  Finally online the trailer for the documentary "High Way of Parks. A walking tour in Emilia-Romagna" out October 23, 2013. The film is produced by Articolture, in collaboration with Edizioni Italica; promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region, Parks and Reserves of Emilia Romagna; written and directed by Enrico Brizzi and Serena Tommasini Worthy.

 

"My land is called Emilia Romagna.  It is the only region in Italy that took it's name from a street.  And we are use to always beginning, to return, and see many people pass through.  The street is within us, it is a place of our soul and a border. "

"A few days in nature and you realize what must have happened  in town during this time."  "Nothing"

Working as a Pattern-maker in Italy

For several months now I have been working as a pattern-maker for a local company which has produced designer garments for over forty years. It was a wonderful pleasure, but also somewhat difficult for a fashion technician with over fifteen-years of experience to work on-site in an Italian production house.

It is a family owned business which has existed for forty years,   I have been living in Italy for almost eight years and having arrived here I only spoke English, my mother-tongue and Spanish.  Fortunately at the beginning my Spanish helped me get by!

It was wonderful to see Tom Ford, Vionnet, Dolce and Gabbana completed and in the process gowns around the shop everyday.  But for me it was also frustrating to be able to be confident about my pattern-making and communication skills, and identify how diffrent the culture is.  Therefore the process each person I worked with was always completely, or slightly different then my own. The terminology was another hard obstacles to overcome, not knowing the terms in Italian, did not allow me to work as a confident pattern-maker that I know I am.  I also had to have respect, after all I was the "new-comer".  Everyone already had their set way of doing things. 

Overall it was a wonderful experience for me to begin from the sketch of the design, draft the pattern, assist in some of the sewing of some of the samples, then seeing the items on the runway on the Vogue web-site. 

I am very thankful I was given the opportunity!

Are you familar with "Lumaca Film"?

Lumaca Film is an Italian film production house 

located in Italy. 

As stated in their website:

 "Lumaca Films seize fragments of reality to create beautiful lasting images. We give life to dreams and ideas, thoughts become eternal and play havoc with the laws of time.

Lumaca Film is an independent film production company founded by Francesco Zucchi and Lu Pulici in 2013 in Pennabilli, a small village in Emilia Romagna, Italy.

We make films, music videos and advertisements. Simply we tell stories, and endeavor through images to show the fleeting yet immortal life of Beauty."

Above you can see their clever, unique logo. To visit their website just click on the logo. 

The Production crew is made up of International professions, each with a passion to create and place their stories, and city on the big screen for all to see!

Their first short film has won numerous awards in various film festivals around the world.  The entire film,  Piove (It's Raining), contained a crew including actors/actresses who live in Pennabilli, Italy. 

Recently Lumaca Film have a crowd funding campaign to raise money for their second film production, Nevica (It's Snowing).  

Click on the Nevica photo to find out more information about how you can help Lumaca Film continue creating magic!!

Couture Sneakers

marie claire "Accessori Magic Issue".  Autunno/ Inverno 2014/2015

"Orient Express"

Costume Designer vs. Fashion Designer

What is the difference between a Costume Designer and a Fashion Designer?

Costume Designers and Fashion Designers  go down to the core of what is and was once worn in the masses or the daily lives of normal everyday people in the past, there is an exchange very evident in which both professions are very similar.  The process begins with research and what is discovered  is taken and used as inspiration to design/create.  A Costume Designer  takes that research amplifies it more, the Costume Designer takes it to the extreme of theatrical.  

The elements of haute-couture creations/designs are very theatrical.  It then trickles down and elements of this can be found in small bits in Ready-to-wear and also in daily fashion of normal people.   

In the past people dressed in "Fashion" not in "Costume" in our present day, "Fashion of the past is Theatrical." In the19th Century Charles Frederick Worth changed everything by becoming the first couturier, each of his creations contained a label sewn inside.  Previously clothing design and production were by anonymous seamstresses, and high fashions which originated from royal courts.  

As stated in Wikipedia,  "While all articles of clothing from any time period are studied by academics as costume design, only clothing created after 1858 are considered as fashion design."

Costume Designer:

 "A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film or stage production."  "The costume designer works alongside the director, scenic, lighting designer, sound designer, and other creative personnel.  The costume designer may also collaborate with hair stylist, wig master, or makeup artist."   

Compelling pieces are made for performers to become a character whether in theatre, television, or movie productions. 

Fashion Designer:

"Fashion designers attempt to design clothes which are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. They must consider who is likely to wear a garment and the situations in which it will be worn." 

 The fashion designer works closely with the pattern-makers, drapers, hair and make-up artists.  There are three main categories in fashion design:  Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear (pret-a-porter), and mass market. 

 

With the above being said, in reality the two are very similar:

Both refer back to the History of Costume:

When a Costume Designer begins  to design a show, the script is read, the setting, etc. is taken into consideration.  Then many hours are spent in studying and researching fashion of the past, or modern fashion depending on the setting and story of the production.  

As one can see, in the Fashion arena, styles, fashions, etc.  repeat themselves.  When a designer begins to design their new line of clothing, time is also spent on research, many times researching fashion of the past.  

  The process of design for both begin the same:

Research, is followed by inspiration, then it is illustrated with a sketch to be produced into the actual costume or garment.  Pattern-making and or Draping are essential elements to the realization of both the costume or garment.  

 

Visuals of how Costume Designs and 

Fashion Designs are similar:

Street Fashion:

The Sartorialist- "On the street...Before & After Chanel, Paris"

 The CoF The Citizen of Fashion:
"Street Style at NY Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014 (Part 2)"

 Haute-Couture:

Alexander McQueen

 

 Valentino - Fall 2009 Couture

Bridal-Wear:

 Red Carpet Fashion:

 Lady Gaga -2010 Grammys

 

Sarah Jessica Parker- Met Ball 2013

Cross-overs:

Paul Poiret:  

Fountain fancy dress costume, Paul Poiret, 1920s.

Oriental fancy dress costume, Paul Poiret, 1911.  Source:  Met Museum.

Bob Mackie:

 Jean Paul Gautier- " The Fifth Element"- 1997

Tom Ford- "A Single Man" - 2009

Prada- "The Great Gatsby"- 2013 (Best Costume Design, 26th Academy Awards)

Some Structured Fashion..

To apologize for my absence, I am sharing some of my favorite images from

Steven Meisel's editoral entitled, "Next Level"for Vogue Italia Agosto 2013.

 

 

It finally feels like summer!

In our part of the world, it finally feels like summer!  

I have been pretty busy lately with quick costume fixes and construction of costumes, 

preparing for an English Theatre I developed for the children of our town this summer, 

and working on my site! 

Click on the top image to visit my site!

Everything 50% off!

I AM HAVING A 50% OFF SALE ON EVERYTHING- INCLUDING CUSTOM ITEMS- IN MY SHOP!!!

I am working on some new items I have drafted patterns for, 

it would be great to clear out past creations

COUPON CODE: SPRING

THE SALE ENDS MAY 7TH!

STOP BY AND SHOP!!

Classic Hollywood

"Antiche seduzioni" L'attrice dominicana Maria Montez, soprannominata il Ciclone dei Caraibi, nel 1944 e la star del film Il Cobra.

I am a huge fan of Classic Hollywood! 

"Danza d'more" Collane in oro, pietre e perle.

"Incantatrice" Copricapo, bracciale in metallo e pietre, e corpetto, E.Rancati.

  

"Greta Garbo Style"-  Francesca Neri.

 

Images from "Amica" Marzo 2013.

Stilt Walking Costumes

For all the years I have been creating costumes it was not until last year that I had the pleasure to venture into the world of Stilt-Walking!  I began researching and gathering images - take a look at my "Stilt Walker" Pinterest Board.

After talking with the talented performers I would be making the costumes for, we decided on a Victorian-isc Theme!  I was so excited!  The Victorian Era is one of my all-time favorite Eras!! Click on Victorian to see my reasearch.  I briefly spoke of it here.  After narrowing it down to a couple of designs for each person, and deciding upon a colour palette, I began!!

I would be building a Crinoline Bustle undergarment.  Here is the finished item:

 After a fitting I had to reduce the weight by creating some openings:
I actually loved how you can peak in see the mechanics of the performer on her stilts!

 She actually decided to perform also with only this understructure with a corset, other armpieces, and a headpiece I later created for her!
Here are her wrist pieces:

 

The layers of skirts can be removed or additional light-weight fabrics can be used for other layers which can always be added or removed.

I was pretty excited with the outcome!  What I learned about this first experience:

- A stilt-walker costume take so much more fabric!
-Use slightly stiff but light fabrics!
-You do not know what it will look like until you see it on the performer with their stilts!!

 

The men's coat contains a detachable shawl collar and cuffs- he can switch out to match the women's costume with another fabric.  

Men's Stilt Pants

I was so lucky to find the perfect fabric for the men's Stilt Pants.  They were a light wool blend which contain a light layer of interfacing which gave it the perfect body and hang!  You can purchase a pair here or a fancy Tuxedo style here. 

 

For variation of the women's costume, I also made an underbust corset to be worn with the sleeveless cotton button down I had made.  This is an option to wear rather than the vest in the above photo.

 Her hats!  His is the only item I did not make- a nice black classic top hat!

I really enjoyed making these costumes, this was this first!  My second- a Venetian Couple was my second!  I will post photos later of this beautiful project!! 

Note:  The above three performer photos were not taken by me- please contact me for information.