Vintage Deutsch & Rare Dirndl Open Studio Weekend

This weekend is full of fun events to accompany the German-American Days here in Lincoln Square!

First is Thursday's event, Vintage Deutsch! The DANK Haus - German American Cultural Center is staging an upscale fashion and wine event celebrating the emergence of Berlin as a "City of Design" and the panoply of German wines. Guests will enjoy mingling with fashion and accessory designers, glass in hand in the gilded Skyline Lounge. Sommeliers from Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe will enlighten guests on the broad spectrum of German wines. Ingrid Kaltenbach, longtime fashion importer with a discerning eye for quality, will exhibit an array of Old World fabrics and trims while I finish up the show with Rare Dirndls that "turns traditional dress into a Saturday night option" Jewelry designer Kristin Hunger offers finishing touches and twists to the Rare Dirndls and all three of us will have a space set up where you can check out the clothes up close! Space is limited, reserve today. So Click HERE to get your tickets today!

Then Saturday and Sunday, I'll have the studio doors open and you can come on in and shop the newest styles, fresh accessories and snatch up the last of our Bavarian Style Hats! 

Plus you'll save 10% when you buy a dirndl and a blouse!

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2014 Spring Collection Inspiration

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!

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Don't Miss Our Hofbräuhaus Debut

I am so excited about the fashion shows that are coming up at the brand new Hofbräuhaus Chicago in Rosemont. The two shows that are taking place during their Okotberfest are sure to be full of fun and energy because not only is the venue amazing, but Rare Dirndl is all about bringing high fashion and high energy to the American dirndl market

Runway at the Münchener Trachtentage

Tomorrow is the first show! At 6:00pm I will feature some great Rare Dirndl pieces that everyone loves and now, some of them even have stories to go along with them! At 7:00pm I will be showing new the fall/winter 2013 collection, "Nevermore"

"The City in The Sea" Dirndl 

I hope to see you there and would love it if you would tell all your friends about it! You talking about Rare is always the best way for me to get new customers and if I get new customers, I can keep making the dirndls you love! YAY... which is what I need to be doing right now, so ttfn ta ta for now!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here