I'm so proud to announce the release of the newest collection, Reawakening. This collection is inspired by the elusive Chicago spring season. The idea of cold transforming into warmth, old growing into new, darkness turning to light and the destruction of winter becoming the growth of spring.
I didn't want to make you wait any longer to see the new designs, but unfortunately you will have to wait just a bit more to actually get any items in your own closet. I made a quick video to explain my plan to give you more that a great offer on the new collection, but if you don't have time to watch just scroll down and keep reading.
We ran into a few bumps in the road during the production of the new collection and the dirndls and menswear are still being made. However, in an effort to make everyone feel better about the late delivery date, here is the plan…
All the new dirndls and menswear will be 20% this week only! Then March 3rd, you can still save, but the savings goes down to 10%. And on March 11th: 5% off and then the following week everything will be back to full price and everything will ship out approximately April 1st.
How does that sound!?! That sounds like a big bowl of awesome-sauce to me, but then I'm easily excitable. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail info@raredirndl.com anytime or call the studio.
As an entrepreneur, January is the season for reflection, crunching numbers and setting goals… all some of my least favorite things. Last night I spent the evening carefully going over all the expenses, the budget, and setting 2015's projections, but then I took a minute and thought, "Hey Chica! This is Rare Dirndl's 5 year Anniversary. Whooop Whoop!" (then I put down the paperwork and got myself a glass of wine to celebrate!)
A lot happened this year so, I'm really excited for 2015! There are some things from 2014 that I'm going to try not to dwell on, like finding out that a Pakistani manufacturer is stealing my photos and designs… but there are so many great things that happened in 2014 that I'm very proud of!
This quote by fashion icon, Coco Chanel really rings true to me, because ever since I was little, I was always "a little different", but now I get to use that to my advantage! When people are going to criticize my work for copy my designs, it is very important or me to remember that I've arrived 2015 because of hard work and innovation.
I'm very proud to have come so far in only 5 years and I've updated the ABOUT US page of the website to reflect that. Click here to check out the changes!
Included on that page is a new video that explains what Rare Dirndl is all about! (although it's not as quirky as my usual videos, it gets the job done, haha!)
Here are some videos and blog posts that highlight 2014
With the Oktoberfest Season upon us, I thought this would be the perfect time to share some information that people request all the time... and that is: How to Tie the Perfect Apron Bow!
I made a quick video to demonstrate the tricks I use to make a perfect little bow. But keep in mind, I tie a lot of bows... and you know what they say, "practice makes perfect." So don't be frustrated if it takes you a few times to get it just right, but like I said, there are a few tricks that will help and I explain them all here!
I hope you like the video and you find it helpful! And on a side note, 'tis the season for dirndls... so the Rare Dirndl Design Studio will be open for a few hours on the weekends in September and October. This weekend I'll be here on Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from 10-1. If you want to come by another time, simply reply to the e-mail and request to make an appointment, or call anytime and we can set something up that works with your busy schedule.
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
When I moved into the Lincoln Square area, I was immediately intrigued by a small restaurant on the corner of our block, Kiko's Market and Restaurant. Although, Kiko's is a Bosnian restaurant, so much of the menu is familiar to me since I'm of Donauschwaben descent. I decided to do my next restaurant review on Kiko's since I think the food is slightly similar to German food and I was craving my favorite dish this afternoon ;-)
The atmosphere in Kiko's is very unique. It is a family owned restaurant that has been serving Bosnian food since 2003. When you first walk into the restaurant it's glaringly obvious that this is a hot spot for Chicago Serbians. Most people will look at you with those, "I don't know you… what are you doing here" eyes, but once you are seated (in the summer there is a lovely outdoor area) the strange looks subside and everyone continues to speak in their native language to their family and friends.
My first experience was ordering take out with my dad while we were doing construction in the studio, but my second was a really great one. My boyfriend and I met my parents there to celebrate my dad's birthday and we were on a mission to try a variety of things. Before we ordered we were served fresh baked bread served with two spreads. One was ajvar, a veggie spread made from eggplant, roasted red peppers and garlic… it was incredible and I was concerned that I would fill up on bread, but considering the other spread was kajmak, a salty/buttery cheese spread… I was ok with filling up on bread. Soooo good, and really unique… both things I've never tasted before.
Pastrmka na žaru in my own kitchen!
For dinner, my mom couldn't pass up the Sarma and my dad was more than excited about the Gulaš (we figured it was like goulash), Christian had wiener schnitzel and I had the Pastrmka na žaru (rainbow trout). This dish was noted as being a favorite on the menu and I love fish, so I figured it had to be good. It turned out to be a whole roasted trout served with rice (or fries) and krautsalat. Luckily, ever since my trip to Ghana, I've had a love affair with fish served whole… so this dish looked AHmazing! And it tasted amazing too! It came with an intense garlic/parsley oil (super tasty, but über garlicky) and it was simply delicious, I don't really know how else to describe it! The fries were pretty good and the krautsalat tasted just like Oma's!
I also tasted everyone else's food (duh!) and the sarma was very similar to my Oma's however, the goulash was different, but still really good. The schnitzel tasted like schnitzel… but I was more obsessed with my fish and the bread!
In the market waiting for my take out
Tonight, I decided to order for pick up (for no other reason than I was too comfy in my sweatpants to put real pants on). I again ordered by favorite fish dish, but this time I got to enjoy it in my own kitchen. When you order for take-out, you have to pick it up in the market section. It's a little market where you can get Bosnian specialties and I indeed got some for myself! I got a jar of ajvar, fresh made kajmak, and some chocolate (including a Kinder Bueno… my all time fav).
If you want delicious food that has slight German undertones and you're looking for something different than the typical sauerbraten and schnitzel, but you don't mind being treated a bit like an outsider, I highly recommend Kiko's Market and Restaurant.
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
Candice asked yesterday "Erika… What is the best way to wash my Edelweiss Cut-Out Tee?" That's a fabulous question and I'm sure other people have that question too, so here is the answer for all to see!
The Edelweiss Cut-Out Tee is a pre-washed 100% cotton shirt with a hand cut boat neckline, screen printed Rare Dirndl Edelweiss Logo on the front and a large edelweiss cut-out on the back.
It's a super comfortable shirt for over a bright tank, bathing suit or nothing at all (if your feeling bold)! It is a delicate shirt since it has a bunch of strategically placed holes, so you might be nervous to wash it, but not to fear, I've written it out step-by-step care instructions for your Edelweiss Cut-Out Tee.
Put your shirt into a mesh delicates bag that you would usually use for fancy schmancy undies, bras or stuffed animals (I'm not the only one that washes stuffed animals right?)
Wash on a regular cycle with like colors, or on a delicate cycle if you can.
Either lay it flat to dry, or you can put it in the dryer on the low/delicate setting.
Once it comes out of the dryer, you might think it looks stretched out, but it's not… it's perfectly fine. You might want to considering ironing it since the cut edges of the shirt will curl a bit. However, it's not necessary (depends on your personal style and if your super German and have an unnatural love for ironing)
Last week and threw out the challenge to everyone to dig into their old photo albums and find a picture of their first dirndl and post it to Instagram of Facebook for Throwback Thursday using #tbtdirndl. I was blown away by the response. In case you didn't get a chance to see, here are some of the great first/favorite dirndl pictures that were posted on social media last week.
Gerti from LA posted this pic of her first dirndl in Austria in 1969
The Becker Family with all the boys in their first lederhosen!
Thanks to my grandma I found my a picture of my first dirndl - 1989
The Los Angeles Tanzgruppe debuting their new group dirndls in 1997
Erika first dirndl! (different Erika ;-)
Marie in her dirndl in 1968
Monika's first little blue dirndl - 1992
Rosina's first dirndl after moving to the USA in the 60s
Loved seeing all the old pictures and seeing all the conversations it spurred! In our house it sure brought up a lot of great memories. The fun doesn't have to end though, feel free to continue to post pics using #tbtdirndl.
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
For the new Spring/Summer Collection, Day at the Lake, one of the elements I knew I needed to incorporate was denim. I wanted to use it as subtle details, as well as use it to make Denim Lederhosen Style Shorts. Creating a distressed look with fabric proved to be difficult, but creating a frayed edge was simply a nightmare!
For the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl (one of my favorites), I loved the striped cotton and I thought that accents of the denim fabric would be a perfect way to make the dirndl go from plain to a fabulous Rare Dirndl! In addition to using the denim as piping, I wanted to do a pleated trim around the neckline, a ruffle at the hemline and apron ties. I wanted the denim to have frayed edges and the best way to achieve this look was to rip the pieces, wash & dry them, and then create the trim. Sounds easy enough...
So, I did exactly that… for the neckline trim I ripped 1.5 inch strips of the denim and put them into the washing machine along with the 2.5 inch strips for the hemline and apron ties. About an hour later… this is what I pulled out of the dryer - a big messy ball of denim strips! I knew it was going to be a bit messy… but I honestly didn't expect the frayed stray strings to create this much of a nightmare!
However after about 2 hours of cutting threads, cleaning up the edges and pressing the pieces, the final result was perfect! Exactly the look I wanted. I used every scrap of the striped fabric to make inventory of the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl, so what is available now is all that will ever be made.
This is good news for me because that means I will never have to detangle another crazy denim mess like that again! (Unless someone orders a custom dirndl with frayed edge denim accents.)
What do you think about the denim accents on the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl? Was it worth all the time to create the frayed look? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure check out some of the close up shots of the denim details on the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl on our online store by clicking here.
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
The new Spring/Summer collection has been in the works since the end of July. I was laying on the grass at the Potawatomie Campground in Union City MI, and literally just absorbing everything around me. The AAS Jugendgruppe started going to the campground in 2002, and now all of us (25yr olds+) have stopped dancing with the jugend, but we haven't stopped taking off the 3rd weekend of July to spend it in Pure Michigan!
Anyway… as the boys were playing soccer, the girls were relaxing in the sun, the parents were playing scrabble and chit-chatting about nothing exciting, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth. I started seeing dirndl designs with warm neutral colors, light printed knits, and denim, pop into head. After borrowing some paper from the scrabble players, I started sketching and jotting down my feelings.
Why this past year was so inspiring, I'm not sure… but what I do know is that I'm so excited about how this collection really embodies how I was feeling that warm day in rustic Potawatomie and how different it is from anything I've done so far!
The warm sunshine inspired me to use more warm gold tones, like browns and beiges. The sound of the gravel underneath the bicycles and little feet running around also made me think of mixing in some metal, like buttons, chain and hooks.
I also wanted to have an ease about the collection… like the ease of putting your chair around the campfire and enjoying everyone's company. Nothing too fussy, just calm and relaxing.
Sitting in the shade (my skin and the sun don't get along very well), next to the lake, got me thinking of cool colors (greens, blues, and purples) but in a slightly warm tone as well. Like the feeling of the water… cool when you jump in, but in the heat of the summer, soon the water seems warm!
Lastly, I knew there needed to be elements of denim in the collection. When your sitting around the campfire at night, it gets a bit chilly and very buggy… so what is everyone wearing? Jeans! Denim is an important element in this spring/summer collection, but it's certainly not overwhelming.
Just writing this is making me yearn to be back on our annual camping trip. I can't wait for July when I get to wake up in a tent, only to find all my friends doing the same thing and offering me a Bloody Mary to jump start our busy day of doing absolutely nothing! Well, maybe taking out the canoe or going for a hike.
Here is a sneak peek of the collection and a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot for the Rare Dirndl Spring/Summer 2014 Day at the Lake Collection. Enjoy!
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
I don't know about you, but this past month has brought miserable cold weather to the mid-west… and I'm over it! I am very ready for spring… and very excited to talk about the Rare Dirndl Spring/Summer 2014 photo shoot!
Photo Bomb!!
Inspired by camping and the beauty of calm nature… I did not want to have the photo shoot inside, so I had to finish sewing the samples asap, so we could have the shoot while it was still nice outside. Well… kinda nice… by the end of the day it wasn't "a little chilly in the shade" anymore, it was just cold. But our models were troopers! They both pretended that it was summer outside and smiled like they were having a great time.
I saved the best shot for last… the canoe! The final shots turned out great and I am very happy with how they turned out, but getting those shots were no easy feat.
* 1st it was cold and windy… the morning was actually really beautiful outside, but in the late afternoon on the lake, it was windy and chilly!
* 2nd there was the fact that they were on the water battling the wind and the waves and
* 3rd, my poor photographer/dad kept getting water inside his boots, and that water is real COLD!
brrrrr!!
All in all the look was accomplished! Calm, relaxing, and easy going
I'm really excited about this new look and I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes video from the Spring/Summer photo shoot.
The new Day at the Lake Collection will be arriving on our online store at the end of February and that little promise of spring can't get here soon enough!
Let's back track a little to New Year's Resolutions… can you say intimidating? I've never been good at New Year's resolutions and by never, I mean that I used to make a resolution and then forget what it was, so then I just stopped making them. However, this year I am going to make a resolution… keep practicing yoga! (In all honesty it is to reach my business goals and live each day to be the best me I can be… but I honestly feel that practicing yoga on a regular basis is really helping me do that, so I'm simplifying it). My sister introduced me to yoga in early November, when she started her teacher training, and now I'm hooked! In lieu of a Customer Spotlight this month, I'm going to tell her story!
The Most Awesome Sister Ever!
Want that dirndl? There is one left (http://bit.ly/19rTTwj)
Monika and I were always very close and when she moved up into the Jugendgruppe, we became even closer. Although high school and the Jugendgruppe were keeping her busy, she really wanted to have something else to do. Like me, sports weren't of interest, so when my cousin opened her business, Balance Healing Center, and joined forces with a yoga instructor… she became very intrigued.
She was officially introduced to yoga in 2005 and quickly found her
true passion. She bought herself The Big Book of
Yoga, and each night she went into her bedroom and practiced yoga. While I was sewing, working on college projects and collections, she was upstairs practicing Locust pose, Head Stands,Wheel and Mermaid pose. When our high school added a Yoga class that could be taken instead of gym, Monika was the first to sign up. Soon, she was assisting the teacher and even teaching the class on occasion!
College life took her away from her practice for a while. However, after graduation Monika stopped dancing with the jugendgruppe and she was working as the assistant manager of Buckle, but she really felt like there was something missing in her life. She was yearning for a community to be a part of again… and then she found CorePower Yoga in February 2013.
She instantly fell in love with Vinyasa flow and felt like she had found a wonderful community amongst her fellow CPY yogis. She realized that yoga was the missing piece! She quickly completed her 200hr Power Teacher Training in December 2013 and will soon be teaching, sharing her practice with others, her students (myself included!). She hopes to help her students discover their inner-awesomeness and take their yoga practice “off the mat” and into everyday life.
She is still my go-to girl for Rare Dirndl sales advice, trend forecasting, and accessorizing, but now since introducing me to yoga, she is also teaching me to be more peaceful, focused, and strong. I'm BEYOND proud of my little sister! She's my best friend and I am so happy that she has found her passion again. I also love that she continues to deepen her practice and combine her loves: family, yoga… and dirndls!
Check out Monika at work for Rare Dirndl during the Spring/Summer 2014 Photo Shoot
Want the headband that Monika is practicing yoga in? Get yours right here! This headband features the Rare Dirndl edelweiss logo with a soft knit elastic band to keep the headband in place. Perfect for exercising, dancing, or just keeping your hair out of your face.
Do you want to be the next Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight? As the winner you will recieve a $50 Coupon Code for any online purchase, a feature on the Rare Dirndl website and blog, and a gift package worth approx $100!! Click here to get all the details!
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
Black Friday gets a lot of attention, but I'm more excited about Small Business Saturday and the fact that it coincides with our 1 year anniversary! (approximately) So, In honor of of that, I've put together a quick video featuring the evolution of the now Rare Dirndl Design Studio. See how it went from real drab to super fab in less than 5 minutes!
Ok… so the studio will be open on saturday, but my favorite part is that there will be a German style breakfast from 10-12… wurst, käse, semmel, eier …. omg yum (you should come early otherwise I might eat it all! I'm getting hungry just typing this!)
And there's more!! Starting on Black Friday (which i'm not particularly a fan of, but everyone keeps asking me if i'm doing something for it… so i'm going to start by calling is Schwarz Freitag… anyway) I'm giving away a Rare Tote bag packed full of goodies!
Inside the tote will be:
A Rare Dirndl Sticker
A Germany Scarf
An adorable Children's Beret
A New Lederhosen Bracelet
Thats a $60 value and it can be yours when you spend $100 with Rare Dirndl anytime between Schwarz Freitag and Cyber Montag (while supplies last)
So thats about it, so much going on… I better got to work making all the things I'm going to give away to you for free ;-)
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
My Sister and I at the GABF (Great American Beer Festival)
Wearing our new Rare Dirndls at the Munich Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany was a trip I had been planning for over a year. We had the tickets, the flights, the hotels, but I forgot one major aspect, the clothes! I contacted Erika about a month prior to leaving for Oktoberfest and in that time she was able to create custom dirndls for myself and my sister. Within a few days, Erika had emailed me fabric ideas, layouts of embroidery work, and beautiful drawings of the dirndl design and a few weeks later I had the beautiful dirndls.
We love the custom embroidery on our dirndls
My husband, Zach, had been pushing for Oktoberfest in Munich for a few years. As a brewer, it is a must do. We are currently in the process of opening Mockery Brewing in Denver, Colorado and targeting Spring/Summer 2014 for our open date. Mockery will be located in the RiNo (River North) district of Denver. We are opening on a 15 bbl system and will be brewing beers that make a mockery of antiquated purity laws. Mockery aims to make a mockery of anything too serious by providing a laid back environment including video games, yard games, funny art work, and mockumentary movie nights.
The dirndls were a fantastic way to incorporate a little Mockery into our Oktoberfest adventures. Three of the four owners of Mockery Brewing were able to make this trip along with four friends. We spent five days drinking beer at the Schottenhamel and Hofbrau tents at Oktoberfest and numerous biergartens around Munich. It was an experience we will never forget!
Thank you to Erika for helping us create our vision of Mockery dirndls. Oktoberfest would not have felt the same without our Rare Dirndls!
We love the mix of modern and traditional that's at the core of our dirndls.
Do you want to be next month's Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight? As the winner you will recieve a $50 Coupon Code for any online purchase, a feature on the Rare Dirndl website and blog, and a gift package worth approx $100!! Click here to get all the details!
