Last week and at the beginning of this week... I was having a hard time looking on the bright side. I was second guessing myself right and left, feeling like my heart was racing at all times, and unable to focus. I felt like the world was closing in on me. Uh... it was! I was loosing myself and all my stuff in my stuff! My studio space (my parents dining room and living room, but its fancier and more professional to say studio) was a clutter explosion of papers, fabric, lace, everything! I was lost in my own house.
My dad was going out with the boys on tuesday night, so I asked my mom if she would help me clean up and re-organize my studio/life. I knew that I needed more drawers, bigger containers and a filing system, but I didn't know where to start. I had a drawer for lace, trim, ribbon and hardware for my collections, but it was over flowing and most of the lace couldn't fit, so it just lid out on the table. The whole point of having a big table is to cut on it, but I was using the living room floor as a cutting table because my table was out of control!
I can't thank my mom enough for helping me. With only what I use on a daily basis upstairs in the work space, the table cleared, and all my supplies and papers organized, I feel so much better. I feel in control again, and if you know me, you know how much i love controlling things!
Thank you mom! I promise to try my hardest to keep it this way!
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Today my uncle Larry took my family out to lunch and he wanted to take us to Bauer's Brauhaus so my family could check out my dirndls at work and the great atmosphere that new restaurant provides. Lunch was soooo yummy! BEST deep fried pickles I have ever had! The cheese curds were also really tasty. I think what made them so delicious is that they were battered and not breaded. My sister got the weiner schnitzel and she said it was great and the spatzle and rotkraut were also yummy.
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I'm so happy that Bauer's Brauhaus was pretty busy when we went this afternoon and I can't wait to go back because I know I will be dreaming about those pickles tonight! As tante Heidi would say... YUMO!
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In design school you are always supposed to start with an inspiration, but sometimes inspiration just comes from an idea. That is how my first collection started... with the leopard dirndl. Then I used that, and the rainforest, as the base for the rest of the pieces. The summer collection started with the color yellow and the use of batik. But the newest collection was different. I fell in love the the TV show, Stargate Atlantis and wanted to see if I could translate that into a collection. The first piece I drew up was a gown with a small corset that was inspired by the villain of the show, the Wraith.
I had a whole bolt of this chiffon fabric that I bought because it was on sale and something drew me to the odd iridescent mix of light olive and red. I wanted to pair it with a red reptile skin. It took me a while, but I found the perfect fabric!
Two days of working on the dress and trying to find ways to create the garment the way I imagined it was complete. Its a dress that may not be the most beautiful, but thats what I love about it... its intriguing. The color, the drape and the combination of chiffon and faux skin draws you in and you can't look away. It is not meant to be worn to prom or to the oscars, its meant to set the tone for the collection and make the viewer want to see more.
Although the dress was finished, it still needed to be photographed and the wrong model in the wrong setting could destroy the vision in the blink of an eye. I found a model that was just the look I was going for... simply fierce. She was just the girl that could pull off the look. Her hair was bright blonde/silver and I knew that all I had to do was add some black extensions and braids and she could bring the gown to life.
But what about the setting? Wraith don't frolic through the forest, they suck the life out of people with their hands! They don't sit on a nice sofa, they fly little deadly dart-like cruisers and plan their next diabolical move from huge hive ships! But the industrial and dirty setting of my dad's body shop was just the place! It was a little dark, a little dingy and totally unexpected... just what I like!
Put them all together and what do you get?! Pure awesomeness! This was the first time I saw an entire look go from imaginary vision in my head to reality. It was like she popped off the page of my sketch and into real life.
I cannot wait to release this collection on my website in a few weeks and I don't know that there are words to explain how happy I am with the outcome of this photo shoot. This is why I love my job! This is what I live for!
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I've been anticipating tonights episode of Bazaar Foods with Andrew Zimmern for a week and it was better than I imagined! Not only do i have an idea for an awesome evening out to learn to butcher a pig, but I also found out that one of the streets I drive down multiple times a week is full of great diverse cuisine.
My sister Monika and I have always made it vocal that we love food! So shows like, Bazaar Foods, No Reservations and Top Chef bring us closer together and help us be more adventurous!
But tonights episode just reminded me how much I love Chicago. Chicago is the perfect place to start my business! With a city full of cultural diversity and a location in the heart of the United States, I couldn't ask for anything more. I had a very rough day today... trying to wrap my head around all the changes that are going on and all the giant steps I'm taking brought me to tears. But the support from my friends and family as well as the wake up call that I live in the best city in the world made me feel better... and a little hungry!
My website and blog have been re-designed, my spirit rejuvenated and now I have a handful of yummy places to try when Monika comes home! Thank you Andrew Zimmern! (and yes thats a whole pig roasting... our fav!)
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I'm super excited to participate in the German Chicago Now / Neighborhoods of the World event at Navy Pier's Crystal Gardens on April 3rd, but what will I sell? Looks like I need some inventory. As much as I love sewing... The idea of sewing up 40+ dirndls... while trying to do everything else... uh no. However, thanks to my fellow Chicago-land designers like Miriam Cecilia Carlson and Lara Miller, I've gotten in touch with a great subcontractor who is right down the street from me! This means that I have to cut the pieces and give it to the sewers, they sew it up, i get it back and do all the hand work. This will cut my work load for sure, but it WAY ups my cost... AH! So how much do I order?! What sizes? What styles? Not to mention... uh where do I put it all!
Its complicated, but at the same time... common sense. I've been selling for almost 10 months now and after that time, you figure out what sells...ish. Obviously, the most popular styles you order... what sizes? The most common sizes and some others. In the more expensive pieces, just the common sizes. Boy o boy... Big changes, with BiG expenses... but hopefully it will come with BIGGER rewards.
I'm so lucky to have the support system that I do and people who believe in me, but its always hard when you are taking such a big risk... Lets hope it pans out and I don't take over my parents entire house...YAY Rare!
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Back in September, while I was bartending for the American Aid Society Jugendgruppe at German Days in Lincoln Square, a young man approached me and told me that he was opening up a restaurant in Palatine and was interested in using my dirndls as waitress uniforms for the staff. I was super excited, but explained to him that the detailed hand work and some of the dry clean only fabrics I use would not hold up too well as uniforms for his waitstaff. However I also told him that I would be more than happy to work with him on a special design for the Restaurant.
About a month later I get a call that he is still interested and wants to get together and talk about ideas for the dirndls for Bauer's Brauhaus. He said that he thought he might be able to work with the beer distributer and get them to allow him to use the logo on the dirndl. So I had the 3 beer logos screen printed onto the aprons and designed a simple 100% machine washable dirndl to match the Raderberger, DAB, and Tucher logos
And yesterday was the fitting! When i arrived in amidst the snowfall, I couldn't help but notice how nice the restaurant looked from the outside! I walked in and I was even more impressed! It looks brand new, yet rustic and cozy at the same time. The medieval beer stein chandelier is impressive along with all the modern flat screens along the bar. It looks like a great place to hang out and eat some great german food.
The fittings went über well! Everything fit like a glove and all I need to do is take up some of the hems! I'm so excited for the opening on Monday, January 23rd and to stop by next week for some food and to see my dirndls in action!
I'm so excited about the 2011 collection. It has a dark elegance feel to it and that is something I love to play with. Sometimes I don't get to choose what I am inspired by, sometimes it just happens. While working on the 2010 collection I would watch episodes of the Syfy TV show, Stargate Atlantis. Not only was I hooked on the show, I was in awe of the costuming and the creativity surrounding the characters. It gave me the basis for the 2011 collection.
There are 3 main color sections in the collection. The first is light green, red and black. This color scheme is based on the main villain in the series, the Wraith. These are hands down the most bad ass aliens ever. They survive on human life which they suck out of you with their feeding hand... i know what your thinking... AWESOME! Whats even better is they have a confidence about them... they know how awesome they are. Their clothing is also one of a kind and was the inspiration for the use of a great red, metallic, imitation lizard skin that will be used as ascents and belts.
The next color story is black and grey. The series is full of dark and eerie places that they main characters go exploring and I wanted to bring some dark and eeriness to the collection. However the darks are paired with other brighter colors like blues and purples that are like little glimpses of color in the dark of space.
Which brings me to the final color scheme which is light blues, royal purple, and plaid. This color story is inspired by the space that the characters explore and they colors of their home of operation, Atlantis. Atlantis is an ancient outpost surrounded by water and sky. I would love to go there (if it were real of course). The style of these garments are also more structured and military-like as opposed to the organic and draped nature of the wraith inspired pieces.
All in all, I'm still in love with all the pieces of the collection and am so excited to debut it. However, I have been getting orders (which is awesome sauce!) but it gives me little time to create the new pieces. My goal is to have the collection available online mid March! Its a little eerie, a little elegant, a little menswear, but its all Rare!
