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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Behind the Scenes: Let's Think Spring!

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!

The Rare Dirndl Team!

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Combining Your Passions: Family, Dirndls, & Yoga

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!

Monika Neumayer

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

Rare Logo Headband

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!

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