Third Time’s a Charm

December 5, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

The third look in the show is the one that under-went the most transformations. I started with one look, changed to a second (that I was never 100% happy with for this show) and completely re-did the entire look at the last minute. Literally. My last fitting for this look was the morning of the show. I finished it up in the hotel room that we had for the event. I’m now a proud member of the small group of women who have brought sewing machines to their hotel room. Booyah!

My initial idea for this look was playing off of the lace idea. It was to be a lace tunic dress–the very top would be lined, but the dress and skirt portion would be sheer. Since I don’t send naked ladies down the runway, I made a khaki bustier to go underneath. All that would be paired with ruffled full length leggings, the spats (in brocade) and a tattered lace ruff:

I somehow managed to not take a picture of this look on the dress form. I think I deleted it accidentally. Suffice to say, it was pretty much as you see in the sketch (minus the spats).

At the fitting, it…..well……it looked awful. The top of the tunic was resting inside the top of the bustier, creating what can only be called a shelf above her bust. It looked so awful that I didn’t even snap a picture of it on the model. I had had an inkling that this look wasn’t going to work–and maybe I’d just fallen out of love with it by the time I had the fitting. Maybe I could have made it work, but I was determined that it wasn’t going to. Either way, I had brought back-up options. The bustier was great on her, and I brought a pencil skirt (you saw it in my previous RAW show, actually) to pair with it. The skirt needed many alterations, but was workable. Everything looked great on her, but it all kind of looked…..the same color. Her skin, the bustier, the skirt, the shoes….I wasn’t feeling it.

So, I put this look to the back of the queue and just kept moving forward with the others that I was 100% behind. I figured something would come to me at some point. Hopefully. Or else I was screwed.

So, I completed the other looks, and I stressed and I thought and I changed my mind about a ba-zillion times. Finally, I decided on doing a dress that was similar to my finale look. I used a brown suiting with a metallic pinstripe for the top, and a cream lace with the soft moleskin under-lay for the skirt. The underlay is shorter than the overskirt. The back is grommeted and laces for a better fit (and a little more “staying up” power than a zipper can offer). I bustled the back of the skirt a bit, too, for volume. I couldn’t be happier with the result!

Walking the runway:

And a shot from the pre-show photo shoot:

The dress suffered some tearing during the show, so, sadly, it won’t be available for purchase. However, I can make one to measure and in any color desired. Contact me for details.

Clothing by me: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TrappedInTimeDesigns

Hair & Make Up by: Amanda Bravender
For inquiries : http://www.ahbweddingandevents.com

Model: Elizabeth Austin https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.austin.18

Photography (final image only): Underexposed Photography https://www.facebook.com/brittsmithphoto

Opener

December 3, 2013December 4, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

So, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I found myself honored (and shocked) to be in the final 3 fashion designers of the year for RAW New Orleans this year! Coming as it did during the last of my Halloween rush, it’s all a bit of a blur to this day. Being a finalist meant putting together a 6-look mini-collection for the awards show, which was on November 14.

I immediately began brainstorming, sketching, imagining. Most of my ideas seem to come as I’m drifting off to sleep, or as I lie awake in the wee hours (I have a bad habit of waking for 2-3 hours every night). The first look I imagined came around 3am one night and stuck with me for a few days, so I knew it was going to HAVE to be part of the mini collection. First up, sketch:

Military-influenced bustier, bustle, spats & a tattered lace collar. I originally envisioned a pompadour-mohawk for the hair, but later changed my mind since those pompadors are being used entirely too much lately. The spats ended up taking a hike, too, as I just couldn’t get the pattern quite right and needed to streamline things a bit (mainly for my own sanity).

I don’t generally make mock-ups in muslin. This is ridiculous, I realize, and can have terrible consequences (hello, wasted fabric!), but, *knock on wood*, I rarely have a problem with my methods. So, this was the next step:

I was pretty obsessed with that bustle.

The bustier is reclaimed cotton (from mens khakis) with metal buttons and cotton twill trim, lined in cotton twill. The bustier is cream taffeta.

Since my model has legs for days, I decided to go with no skirt under the bustle–it opens at each side as she walks, so I did, for modesty’s sake, make a pair of ruffled boy-shorts to be worn underneath.

First fitting went extremely well, with no real alterations needed:

(excuse the lighting–it was dark outside and my studio photographed rather yellow–photo editing washed it out too much, so I stuck with the yellow)

Onto the show! This was my opener for the show:

I told my models to have fun with this show–why take fashion too seriously? The music was a remix of “In the Mood” and was perfect.

I was lucky enough to have Underexposed Photography do a mini shoot pre-show, as well:

Hot, right?

Clothing by me, https://www.etsy.com/shop/TrappedInTimeDesigns

Hair & Make up by: Amanda Bravender
For inquiries : http://www.ahbweddingandevents.com

Model: Amber Carollo (www.facebook.com/modelamberleighhh)

Photography by: Underexposed Photography (https://www.facebook.com/brittsmithphoto)

The bustier is already listed for sale in my shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/99960424/bustier-top-military-bustier-steampunk?ref=shop_home_active

I’ll have the bustle up at some point in the future. If you’re interested in ordering, contact me–remember, I primarily work custom/made to measure, so can make one in your size and color choice.

Kate

October 14, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

Because it’s Monday and she’s beautiful.

Because my Halloween season is running full-tilt and my poor brain isn’t working all that well.

Because posting pictures of a beautiful woman is just…..easier right now.

Because I’ve loved her since high school.

Not that I need any “because”.

I mean, come on.

Kate Winslet, y’all.

Tilda

October 7, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

While I attempt to get myself together and get back on the blogging horse (pictures from the Halloween shoot to come!!), I leave you with Tilda. Actress, Goddess, Amazing.

Stunning, right?

TnT Tuesday

July 23, 2013July 21, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

This slinky number was made specifically for a photo shoot.

I have to admit, it’s a little sexier than I normally go for.

I’m kind of a costume nerdy girl…..more Helena Bonham Carter in regular life than Victoria Beckham.

So, I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth on the neckline.

I did compromise a wee bit–the original idea was for it to be cut to the navel….

I used the dress in my RAW runway show, too.

And, WOWZA, Mary brought that baby to LIFE.

I recently listed it in the shop. (yes, it’s been cleaned)

The belt is part of the sale–it’s actually made from a re-purposed leather purse strap.

I hope to make more of these in other colors and fabrics.

One of these days….

You can find the dress here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/156283125/dress-brown-dress-womens-dress-pinstripe?ref=shop_home_active

Modeled by:

— LouAnn Eads

–Mary Andrus

Images featuring LouAnn photographed by: Gustavo Escanelle

It’s Good to be the Queen

July 22, 2013July 21, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

¹roy·al adjective \ˈrȯi(-ə)l\

Definition of ROYAL

1. a : of kingly ancestry <the royal family>

b : of, relating to, or subject to the crown <the royal estates>

c : being in the crown’s service <Royal Air Force>

2. a : suitable for royalty : magnificent

b : requiring no exertion : easy <there is no royal road to logic — Justus Buchler>

3. a : of superior size, magnitude, or quality <a patronage of royal dimensions — J. H. Plumb> —often used as an intensive <a royal pain>

b : established or chartered by the crown

4: of, relating to, or being a part (as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant

Ghostly

July 15, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

Still struggling with getting my butt into the right rhythm and on the right schedule. I think this might take awhile.

So, while I struggle to stay awake long enough to sew, you can feast your eyes on this Mondays offering: slightly ghostly, but totally lovely.

TnT Tuesday

July 2, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

I’m featuring one of my all-time favorite type of shirts for today’s Trapped In Time Tuesday.

It also happens to be in one of my all-time favorite prints.

(I had to make myself a shirt in the same print, fyi)

It’s a simple cropped cowl neck shirt with long, full sleeves.

I like to layer, so this speaks directly to my fashion aesthetic.

These images with the model are actually from my first-ever (rather impromptu) shoot–and where I happened to meet the amazing photographer, Britt of Underexposed Photography.

We were actually doing a trunk show (with lackluster sales), and still joke today that the best thing that came out of that day was our meeting each other, as well as a couple of models that we’ve worked with a number of times since.

You can find the shirt in my shop here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/94807216/shirt-womens-shirt-cowl-neck-jersey?ref=shop_home_active

Photographer: Underexposed Photography http://www.facebook.com/brittsmithart
Model: Hillary Nelson http://www.modelmayhem.com/2560745

Dance

July 1, 2013July 31, 2013 / trappedintimedesigns / Leave a comment

The first couple of images from the dance photo shoot have been released–they’re AMAZING! (you might remember my posts about making the costume for this from about a month ago)

Breathtaking, right?

Photography by: Jessica VanDerMark (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jessica-VanDerMark/493101197420462?fref=ts)

Hair & Make up by: Amanda Bravender (For inquiries: http://www.ahbweddingandevents.com)

Wardrobe by: Me! 🙂 (http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrappedInTimeDesigns)

These beautiful images inspired today’s post. I’ve always been fascinated by ballet. I wanted to be a ballerina, of course, when a child. Sadly, my talents did not lie in that arena. Happily, I can feast my eyes on the beauty that is ballet anytime I so choose.