Monday Inspiration… Louis Heels

shoes from 1905 and 1911

The Louis heel is one of the most ergonomic heels to wear as the support is directly under the heel of the foot where the weight is carried. The widening of the heel at the bottom also provides a more stable base than a stiletto and is less prone to sinking in the grass or ground, which makes it an excellent choice for brides or others attending an outdoor fete. Personally, I just love the curvy shape ;)

These adorable mary jane’s from Peter Fox are currently on sale, and they will dye them to match your frock… and the model is called Jayne… who could resist! Peter Fox is an excellent source for gorgeous and unique and well crafted bridal and special occasion shoes. A former Vancouver designer he moved to New York in the early 90’s… way back in the day he had a shop with John Fluevog called Fox & Fluevog, they parted ways and maintained two amazing shops in Vancouver, and it was a sad day when the Fox shoe boutique closed in gastown. (I did score an amazing pair of navy and white spectator pumps… sigh) Women were up bright and early to grab a good deal and give Peter a hug goodbye and wish him well on his journey.

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Pauline~sketch#4

I am loving this whole sketch/message process… it allows for thoughts to be collected and ideas to be gathered. So here we are at sketch #4… which is sort of a combination of the previous 3. More details have been added and I am looking forward to adding all the little touches when it comes to sewing time. I am waiting on a CD from a lace supplier that is coming in the post… then the shopping fun can begin. Fabric shopping is the BEST! Especially when it involves silk and laces from Italy… sigh. So here we go… thoughts?

And here is a little refresher on the first three… in case you were wondering how this all progressed.

sketch #1 sketch#2

sketch#3

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Pauline~sketch#3

In a situation where you can meet with the designer in person, the initial consultation takes about an hour. You discuss style and fabrics and sketches are made. The budget and the options available within that budget are determined and the deposit (usually half of the final cost) is arranged. With the amazing internet at our disposal, the long distance consultation becomes possible with images. So here is sketch number 3 for the lovely small town frock bride, Pauline. In this particular situation, the bride’s internet is on the unreliable side, as was mine all this morning… however, through the medium of fb I was sent a message with her thoughts on the two previous sketches…

I have kept the beading details and added some more beading on the hemline, this is more to present the option as we have not actually discussed hemline details at this point. I know that she wants a train and the ability to bustle it up for dancing ( I love a bustle ;)) I do like to add hand detailing as well, as this is a particular strong point for me and it makes the dress that much more special… but whether that’s beading or embroidery or a combination of the two is up to the bride… I also really love a clean line out of gorgeous fabric… hmm, I’m thinking it would be almost impossible for me to choose a dress! Luckily I get to make lots of them and I don’t actually have to choose…

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Small Town Weddings in Kaslo

With all this bridal bliss happening here with Lara’s projects, my location scouting flooded naturally from fashion shoots into magical places for weddings around Kaslo. The first love birds to occupy our house were this business man and his striking Scottish bride, Ms H’s mother and father. They arrived and built the house in 1897. This photo was taken in Nelson, BC, and might have been taken freshly post wedding with their little matching corsages.  The husband had hotels and businesses in the nearby city of Sandon, a booming mining headquarters high up in the Retallack Pass, and his wife began raising the children in the Kaslo house, which I now live and design out of.

The roles of men and women were much more defined in those days, although women’s clothing was beginning to take on a more suit-tailored, masculine edge combined with very feminine details on puffy sleeves and cuffs . Here they are, looking ready for departure into their lives as newly-weds, moving to a brand new town called Kaslo on the windy shores of Kootenay Lake, where wool was an excellent choice for travel clothing .

For  brides who are looking for a naturally stunning and picturesque spot to hold an outdoor wedding ceremony, there are many options in and around the Village of Kaslo that offer softly lapping waves, soaring peaks and rolling forests and a more pristine feeling, ( the area was well known for its incredible rainbows over Kootenay Lake,) and yes, the wind could be a major element factoring into your wedding day and photos. I witnessed friends of mine getting married in the more sheltered Kaslo Bay Park with the groom arriving by canoe from across the water and the bride dreamily walking out onto the beach from the woods surrounding the park. The big trees gathered the breezes off the lake and shaded the guests on that hot and sunny summer day.

The view of the brightly colored boathouses against the lake and mountains is stunning year round and there are wild flowers and beautiful gardens everywhere around the village. The Kaslo Golf Club is another excellent wedding/reception spot its ample timberframe clubhouse and dining room with lovely covered decks and large trees around the course. I’ll have to investigate the golf course along with the Kaslo Hotel!

Oh my…apparently I have been swept away by the beauty of my own small town, Kaslo, again! It’s a special place and I can feel some romance in the air and some amazing photos on their way this season. I’m excited to see how hoops, eyelashes, brides and frocks will all come into play as this fashion friendship continues with the two of us mailing little swatches of lace and dyed feathers up and down the lake to each other, just like in the old days. :)

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Pauline~ sketch #2

The early 1800’s were another period of classic revival… this is a theme that emerges over and over again. It’s hard to escape the fact that modern civilization is based on Greek philosophy and mythology. My impression is also that it is connected to our underlying love of beauty and peace. That and we all just really love to be draped in silk… or maybe that’s just me ;)

The accessories that go with this period are also very appealing. Opera gloves, fans, dancing slippers, strings of pears woven into curling up~dos… sigh.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Pauline~the first sketch…

The swirl of this skirt is so divine and would be amazing done in layers of chiffon. I love the slimness through the hipline but with room to dance and twirl. The thirties were heavily influenced by greek revival and this is most noticeable in the bias cut and full hemlines of the period. Pauline is tall and slim and can make this silhouette look amazing. Most of the gowns of the period were made from silk, this is pre-war and synthetic fibres were not yet available. It was also very luxurious to have so much yardage in a gown, keep in mind this is during the depression, and people escaped to the movies in order to forget their everyday problems.

I have done several sketches. This first one includes a corset. It still maintains an empire line, but does place more emphasis on the torso. I finished up this sketch and then revisited Pauline’s inspiration board and realized that I had gone off in a different direction than those photos suggest. However, in the interest of giving her several options and possibilities I’m posting this one while working on some ideas that have different influences. I won’t be able to do any final fittings myself and am unsure as to the availability of a seamstress. I have fit Pauline in to many dresses, but her body is going to be undergoing many changes post natal and I need to ship the dress in order to make sure it arrives safely and there is enough time to have any alterations done locally if need be. I do have a great deal of trust in her ability to do measurements and so I am confident that it can be as close to perfect as possible. I have fabric on order, and can begin working on the pattern once the design has been confirmed. I would like to ship it completed by July… and maybe we can sneak in a transcontinental muslin fitting after baby is born to insure the bust is fitting as it should, I can predict the ‘girls’ will be bigger, but not by how much ;) So without further delay and ramblings on my part…

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It’s all greek to me…

Planning a wedding is a lot of work.  Most of us have not put together a large event with so many details – great and small.  Fortunately, I’ve spent time planning large scale events so I’m not intimidated by the size of this project.  I am, however, considering the unique set of challenges presented by our wedding taking place in Greece.

I don’t speak Greek for, one thing. For two and three:  We are living in Gibraltar at the moment AND we’re building our house in Greece.  This house will serve as the reception venue.  To make long distance, bilingual planning a bit smoother, we’ve hired a wedding planner and the building of the house has become a family project to ensure it has a chance of being ready in time.  Needless to say, there’s a lot of work ahead!

You may be wondering what all this has to do with the designing of my wedding dress.  Well, I’m actually a very practical bride, at least in my own opinion.   When consulting with Lara, she asked me what I had in mind for a gown.   I started to take a closer look at all the factors…

It will be hot; the reception is outdoors and the terrain could be rough as the grounds of the property may not be fully landscaped; even if they are, the house is located on the sea with a rocky shoreline and steep walkways; the area is known to be windy.

I need to think about the culture of the wedding.  Being in a church means that shoulders should be covered and, as much as I love my body art, my tattoos are private.  I do not wish for them to be on full display.  Like every bride, I want to feel pretty but I also want to be able to sit and enjoy the huge dinner we’re planning.  And, of course, I’ll have a 4 months old baby to take care of which means there are some Mom Duties I’ll need to tend to.

Here’s what I’ve come up with for a storyboard of design details and requests I would like Lara to consider when she is working on the designs:

Some kind of sleeve – this will cover a tattoo on my arm and be best for our church wedding

A slim or a-line silhouette – I do love full skirts though and being tall, feel I can pull off some volume but I’m thinking of the wind

I’m open to a train and not opposed to something longer if it can be put up into a bustle.  Ladies, when else can we have such a thing?  Same goes for veils but accessories are something for another post

I’m very open to colour – That being said… something in white, ivory, champagne or blush would be preferred but since I’m also a fan of the reLove, I will consider just about anything.

Ditto the above for fabric

When in doubt, I prefer simple and elegant as opposed to bling and fuss

I’m not a designer and would prefer not to limit or interfere with Lara’s creativity in any way so all of the above guidelines are flexible.  Most brides may feel the need to be more ‘hands on’ and try to control what a designer creates but I think that negates the whole point of commissioning a design.  I’ve done my research, we’ve established a range for a budget and I know Lara’s style and impeccable skill – I feel very good about leaving this in her capable hands!

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve seen the illustrations Lara has posted for her monthly frocks and the thought of seeing one of those sketches for a dress of my very own actually keeps me awake at night like a kid before Christmas.  I seriously can’t wait!!!

:)Pauline

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