“Afternoon In The Amazon” / A Study Of Style And Conservation

I created this project for a few reasons so along with my 12 year old sewing machine,serger, and 21 year old well-known sewing mannequin, “Samatha” ( I aquired “Samantha” while a attending  Parsons School Of Design and she is even signed by my then fashion critic of my senior show, the now world famous style-master Marc Jacobs.),  I created a few looks that were meant to show admires of my work the many facets of my talent. From conception to actual sewn samples I do myself, I try to be as free and unbounded with my skills as a designer as I can. The second reason is very important to me. Our Amazon forest are being decimated at an increasing level. Though through conservation efforts, many of these destructive practices are being curtailed, it is still a MAJOR problem in that regain of the world. As many of you know, the Amazon region provides much of the earths’ oxygen, but many people forget about the beautiful indigenous people that call these forest home. There are still over 200 indigenous groups in the Amazon Rainforest , talking 180 different languages and each with their own cultural heritage. If you narrow your view to language families you will still find 30 different language families in the Amazon rainforest.

This shows that like the flora and fauna , the cultural diversity in the region is also very high, making it an even more interesting and rich place. The Kuarup is the biggest indigenous festival and it has being happening annually in July or August for centuries. The Kuarup festival brings many different tribes together to celebrate and honor their dead. Although the motivation is not the most cheerful one the festivities are happy and very enjoyable for outsiders. It’s a huge demonstration of indigenous dance, music, rituals , games and food. Nowadays the Kuarup can be seen by the outsiders on some occasions, not always, as it depends on the mood and willingness of the tribe leaders.There are at least 50 groups that still don’t have regular contact with the outsides and keep away from them. The Brazilian government policy towards these groups is to leave them alone, as they wish. Not very much is known about these groups as they keep going deeper and deeper into the forest as the outsiders get closer to where they live. To stop the constant migration of tribes it has been suggested that an Indigenous Protected Area be setup so they can stop running away into the most remote places of the forest. Another interesting fact and a hope about the indigenous population is that their numbers are increasing. This means that, after 5 centuries being destroyed, they are actually being able to live and grow in their demarcated lands. This is hope for their cultures and way of life. My fathers’ paternal family is part of one of these tribes, so being a descendant of “The Forest”, and as a designer, I wanted to showcase the simple beauty of these people, something the fashion world as yet to do. Show casing my design, in models exhibiting ceremonial face tattoos, jewelry,etc. is a wonderful way to showcase these wonderful people and shed a light on a cause that is close to my heart.

I am always pushing my talents, my creative boundaries are always being expanded slowly.  In this series I wanted to create looks that were inspired by the wonderful Amazon Forest, one of the largest rain forest on this earth. My father is from Sinop,Brazil, much of his family are indigenous people that make their home in the Amazon forest. I have been back to Brazil to my fathers town and my distant relatives to understand their culture and lives. I am proud  to have these wonderful people as  apart of my family, and have learned so much from them. I am deeply disturbed when I hear of the stories of land-robbing, brutality, deforestation, and even murder from my relatives. When they rely these stories to me, they always have hurt and regret in their voice and tears in their eyes.  I wanted  a powerful fashion based medium  that could get the message out concerning what is going on in the Amazon. I chose colors and fabrics that were luxurious, but reminiscent of all the colors, hues, and scenery dynamics of this great forest and her animals.  I even chose to use indigenous models to wear my fashions, in celebration of the Metyktire Tribe, the indigenous people of my father. I will be continuing this series, as I have created 7 key looks that I have sampled. I wanted to bring awareness to the many problems of the Amazon because of greed. I think the one statement ” This is my home” is powerful, and reminds us all that these wonderful forests, these mystical lands are the native homelands of living human beings that have existed in these sacred forest  for hundreds of years, long before the europeans.

In this presentation below, I wanted to create a retail environment that was ‘spa-like’, soothing visually. I would   use bamboo on the walls , center area of the boutique, waiting rooms, etc. The flooring is of linoleum, a well known green material. The lighting are to be made of organic silk and paper .  The end result will hopefully soothe the shopper, asking then to simply, ‘slow down, and smell the roses of life’.

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Madonna and Angelina Jolie-Pitt / Style Titans- Future Trends

As a designer, there are no two celebs that influence trends, style and fashion like Madonna and Angelina Jolie-Pitt. As many in the world, I watch closely what these two ‘style titans’ wear, who their stylist are, and what designers they happen to favor. Now, let us float back down to reality, I am a freelance designer working out of NYC, I don’t have Angelina or Madge on speed dial to wear a few designed samples that I have created just for them, in a lavish fashion shoot  ofcourse shot by the incredibly imaginative David La Chapelle. I am just a little known designer with a HUGE imagination, so let’s have the next best thing,(at least in my opinion). I will create a series based on my designs, done in my distinct illustration style, to illustrate my views on upcoming trends dealing with fashion,hair,and makeup,…..all about these two beautiful ladies:)

The first board is all about Madge, wearing a color and fabric blocked well tailored pant suit. The jacket is well tailored, with wonderful shoulder treatments in the form of external self -contrast pleating, going down the mid sleeve. Each sleeve is color and fabric blocked with leather,wool,and satin, creating a very  interesting ‘visual texture’. I chose to use ‘hot colors’ that have been muted as this design is more geared to F/W. Limegreens become deep pea greens, Bubble gum pinks, become deep fushia, allowing wonderful color in a season of fashion  where stark color palettes are usually the norm. The bottoms are predominately leather , but fabric blocked with wool (5% stretch added with wool fabric to better combine with the soft leather). The bottom is color blocked at the knee, to go back to the jacket, merchandising very well in the future , if this was to become a full collection. A black ,stretch velvet button-up long sleeve blouse is added  for upper texture, combined with a pop silk ‘pencil’ tie. The look is finalized with a burnt rouge, patent leather, ultra high stiletto accented with self fabric fringe on front, keep in mind this style can be translated successfully into wonderful flats.  The final look is reminiscent of what makes S/S fashion so much fun,  with emphasis on fabrication,surface texture of fabric,and design.

Will this become and upcoming trend?

 

That I can’t answer.

As a designer I love to create what I feel will look great on women. I have noticed that designers, specifically american designers, are starting to ‘shy away’ from overly monotone color ways when it comes to the colder seasons. I think the reason why is that our world is becoming smaller and smaller via increasingly advanced technologies. Anyone can be in Cancun, at least in spirit, in a matter of minutes, and that is starting to effect how we see color, even during the F/W seasons in the northeast and midwest. I have also noticed that these same designers , during the colder seasons, are using holiday to introduce even more ‘color pops’ into their respective collections. So I guess designers ARE slowly introducing ‘inverted pop colors’ in their F/W collections.

 

 

Mrs. Joli-Pitt is wearing what I call a ‘coat-dress’. I took an overcoat silhouette, took a way the heavy fabrication, involving a lighter version, and coupled with fabulous leggings and even sexier sweater knit,sculpted boots. In the illustration ofcourse the garment is very short for ‘style reasons’, but if going out to production, I would add approx 4 inches to the hem of the dress. The dress , instead of a melton wool, I would use a Cashmere/ Alpaca wool mix. The garment is then combined with a waist enhancing wide leather belt, sexy knit leggings, and thigh high, sweater knit stiletto boots. Going into production, even though this was designed as a dress or a soft wool top , MOST women are going to  still wear this item as a jacket which means they will combine with a bottom. The look is finalized with sweater knit styled stiletto sculpted boots, that merchandise well back to the dress, as well as most sweater knit items the consumer may have in her wardrobe. Be on the look-out for a continuation of this series during this week. And as always, if you need design assistance in your product lines, feel free to drop a line.

 

 

 

 

 

Fashion Spotlight: “Game Of Thrones” Jason Momoa “Fashion and Fantasy- Study Of Style”

As Jason Momoa was trying out for the role of mighty warlord Khal Drogo in HBO’s Game of Thrones, he read George R.R. Martin’s novel. He recalls his reaction when he reached the end of the book:

“I was reading it and I was like: ‘Holy s–t! F–k, I’m dead!’”

Indeed! Even as viewers were reeling from losing Sean Bean’s Ned Stark in episode 9, Thronesdelivered a second heavy blow in Sunday’s season finale: The toughest character in Thronesdied from an infected cut (helped along by a vengeful woman whose village Drogo’s army destroyed).

“When I read that Khal Drogo role, I was blown away,” Momoa says. “I couldn’t believe it was happening, I had to have that role. I was like, ‘Nobody is going to take that role from me.’”

GAME OF THRONES: Get the latest news, photos, and more

Momoa had to learn the invented Dothraki language, which he memorized by thinking of each line of dialog as if it were music. Playing the stoic character was also more challenging than it may have looked on screen.

“People say it’s easy — ‘You’re just sitting there!’” he says. “But it’s extremely hard to be extremely intimidating, and say everything but not say anything.” (Read it again and you’ll get it).

The actor will be seen this summer in the big screen reboot of Conan the Barbarian, a coveted role that he says Thrones helped him land (the projects shared a casting director). He says he’ll miss being on Thrones, but encourages fans to stick with the show.“It’s amazing what [George R.R. Martin] sets up,” he says of the novels. “Here’s your lead characters, you’re supposed to think about them one way, and you hate them, then you love them, and then they’re killed and it’s a whirlwind of emotion. All the little kids and even the smallest of characters just grow and grow and grow. He built a beautiful world. I’m bummed I’m not going back. To play Khal Drogo was phenomenal and I wished there was more stuff he could have done, I’m going to miss that character.”

Fashion wise, Jason Momoa is a mens wear designers’ dream. The hunky 6’5″  style chameleon would look great in a Glade plastic bag. As a designer and stylist, the first task at hand would be ‘The Conversation’. I would want to know what makes him happy, what things does he like, what is he comfortable in, and if he has ‘problem areas’, what are they? (stop snickering, I don’t see any flaws on this man either). In my presentation, I kept in mind that  Jason is a free-spririt, which means that he more than likely would not be following any major trends VERY closely. “Free-spirited” fashion magnets usually walk the fine line in-between chic and comfort, wearing a pair of weary,path-beatened birkenstocks , well worn denim jeans , a colorful Herme’s scarf coupled with a $15,000 birkin ‘man-bag’ (the oversized birkin that is usually larger than the original birkin). What you have just witnessed is called ‘style Je ne sais pas quoin’, the intuitive style that some individuals have, making them look wonderful in just about anything.  Above are a few of my designs aimed for Jason. I attempted to dress Jason in more casual styles, shying away from his normal ultra casual persona. I then added luxury details , such as the crocodile bomber jacket  coupled with a pair of flat front tropical wool trousers.   Overall, the presentation is a fun but very stylish, casual but very sexy. I think Jason would approve.

All footwear is sponsored by “Mr Porter “ take a look at this wonderful site, the number 1 online menswear shopping hub for ALL distinguished fashion insiders. If you need styling services, contact me through my site on the right side of the blog. Happy Shopping 🙂

Redhead Revolution / Julian Moore

Julianne Moore, when I think of some of the MOST versatile and  endearing actors,she is one my top 5 list. From her delicate performance in “The Hours”, to her tour de force performance in “Hannibal”.  In my book, she has always been a ‘bankable’ actor, and when I see her name on the marque, I am usually buying a ticket, or getting ready to settle in and enjoy my viewing experience. Emmy’s 2012 was a fashion disappointment for me concerning Mrs. Moore. wearing a vintage canary yellow Dior pulled out of the vaults of the esteemed fashion house. I wrote a blog about this, saying that I would “reinvent” Mrs Moore, and design her a new look. I have to admit, I started out to do just that but then as I was creating and working I began to consider that my intentions may have been misguided. I have a great respect for the design process, and even more respect for the ultimate choice of the  consumer or client. These celebs made their decisions, so let it be. Instead I was steered in a different direction, a direction of fun and irony.

In this presentation I wanted to represent a Julianne that was fun, full of joy , and colorful. I decked her out in a lambskin technicolor red bomber,  lined in vibrant crimson faux long haired fox. The sleeves have self fabric buckles nearly up the sleeve, looking very edgy , but wonderful. This jacket is coupled with a multi-colored silk jersey dress, with vibrant shades to match. The back illustration has Mrs Moore wearing a sexy croc leather /jersey dress with self pleated skirt.

Julianne Moore, in my opinion, could have chosen a ‘better’ dress for the Emmy’s, but the dress she chose is now apart of fashion/television history. Time now to maybe create a little history of my own.

Three Degrees Of Style / Rihanna’s Diamond World Tour 2013 Looks

As a fashion Icon, Rihanna has always fascinated me, more so than any other celeb.  I decided to get to my design desk and design a few looks that I feel she would love for her “Diamond World Tour, later this year. Wether going to black tie events to promote the tour, or actually on the stage, I wanted to design assorted looks that spanned the spectrum of potential fashion looks for this hugely fabulous poster.  February 2011, a few weeks shy of her 23rd birthday, Rihanna released a single called S&M. The video opens with a sequence showing the singer wearing a dress emblazoned with the words “whore” and “slut” while trapped against a wall by layers of clingfilm. Later, shots of her wearing white latex stockings and suspenders, and brandishing a riding crop are cut with footage where she is prone on the floor, wiggling energetically against the pink rope which binds her hands and feet.
There was quite a furore – this being back in the days before Fifty Shades of Grey had sold 20 million copies. Eleven countries banned the video. Meanwhile, fans jammed arena switchboards worldwide securing tickets to her tour. The following month, she became the youngest black woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue; by the autumn she added British Vogue to her covers, this time dressed as Marilyn Monroe. When Time placed her in its 100 Most Influential list this year, Stella McCartney penned an article in praise of her talent and style. On her Facebook page, 116,541 people have “liked” one album of photos labelled “Hawaii vaca”, the aesthetic of which can be summed up as a DIY Sports Illustrated, with more catwalk references. When River Island announced this week that it has signed Rihanna to design a collection that will go on sale on the British high street early next year, the news was acknowledged as a huge coup for the store.
Rihanna’s wardrobe is the most talked-about, influential and dissected in pop right now. Beyoncé is mostly accessorised with a baby sling; Lady Gaga has spun off into high-concept theatrics; Katy Perry these days looks like she has wandered off the set of The Muppets. But what Rihanna wears – whether it is red hair, studded cut-off denims, electric blue sunglasses or a new look in nail art – is immediately reproduced on the high street, because it sells.
The Rihanna of 2012 is unrecognisable from the cookie-cutter R&B pop princess who emerged in 2004. Back then she was standard-issue urban-sexy in low-riding jeans, crop tops, tonged hair, hooped earrings; for evening, much the same but with diamante and tighter jeans. But in 2007, the year of her single Umbrella, everything changed. Her hair was dyed black and chopped into an asymmetric bob. In red carpet photos from the Nickelodeon Kids Choice awards that year, you can see the evolution in progress: she is wearing a pretty, multicoloured silk dress, but with a black leather corset belt over the top, and a fashiony front-row scowl instead of a teenybop smile. By 2008, she was rocking chainmail corsets at black tie events, power-shouldered jumpsuits for day and leather hotpants on stage.
“Everytime we write about Rihanna – her nails, clothes, makeup or hair – our traffic goes through the roof,” says Carrie Tyler, editor of elleuk.com. “She is a figurehead for gutsy, confident fashion choices. Women are fascinated by her because she takes the risks that her fans would like to take themselves. She’s got a beautiful, curvy figure but it’s her confidence that appeals as much as her body.”

Michelle Obama- Inaugural Evening 2013 / Evening Gown Design

Michelle Obama, say that name and two words come to my mind as a designer, Ravishing and Inspirational. As a fashion designer, I make my living  predicting trends, colors, moods, looks, and styles when it coms to fashion. Watching Michelle Obama’s speech inspired me to no end. The 48-year-old First Lady of the United States was all smiles as she took the stage at Time Warner Cable Arena and addressed the crowd, and what came from her lips was pure oratorical bliss. I listened, as millions did , as this woman showed us that she is a super power in her own right.

Gordon Stewart: “If Barak Obama is re-elected, he will owe more to his First Lady than any President ever to win a second term.”

This is on the mind of everyone taking notice around the world. So in the spirit of Michelle Obama, celebrating her success, I will create a few pivotal looks for that wonderful inaugural day and evening of 2013. My first offering is a of course evening wear. I wanted a dress that was feminine,timeless,elegant, almost ethereal, fully representing that WONDERFUL speech she gave. I would use black chiffon and silk. The bodice would be fully draped, with a flirty single shoulder style. The mid-section of the dress would be draped, as to tie not a knot, that would then flow effortlessly into a light and wonderful floor length hem. I chose this heavily draped style in homage to ancient rome, as much of washington’s architecture and politics  is based on a roman-greco aesthetic and lifestyle. I would want The First Lady to walk into the ball room, looking as if she has walked out of a page of history,conquering all of ‘modern-day rome’/ washington with just her words. So fabulous. I am so inspired, I will be doing more looks in the coming weeks. It feels wonderful  to share my talent with this great moment in our nation’s history. Who knows, maybe my design will be chosen my The First Lady, only God knows.

To see more of my work, take a look at my design portfolio @ http://fashiondesignernyc.prosite.com/90461/gallery

Mythology & Fashion-An Introspective In Style and Imagination

I am always looking for different ways to express myself , my vision of style and fashion. When I was a kid, mythology was a constant reminder how fascinating this world was. The tales and fables of past ancient civilizations fascinated me so much, till most of my early life, I wanted to become an archeologist. Wether through astrology, or looking at the stars, man has always wondered about a higher power man has always wanted to be more, do more , and understand more. In this small presentation, I have searched  around the world, through time, and discovered a few deities that have meant much to man. Some are ancient not so well known , some are well known, but at one place in time a human bent his knee to these inspired Gods/Goddesses.  Each presentation is of an original design, a small synopsis of that deity, as well as the deity drawn and rendered  in my signature fashion illustration style.  Enjoy this presentation of mythological history and fashion, it brought back so many boyhood memories for me.

 

Aries (meaning “ram”) is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the zero degree and the 29th degree of celestial longitude. According to the Tropical system of astrology, the Sun enters the sign of Aries when it reaches the northern vernal equinox, which falls on 21 March each year, and remains in this sign until around 22 April. In Sidereal astrology, the sun currently transits the constellation of Aries from 15 April to 15 May (approximately). Individuals born during these dates, depending on which system of astrology they subscribe to, may be called Arians or Ariens.
In Hellenistic astrology, the sign of the ram was mythologically associated with the golden winged ram that rescued Phrixos and his sister Helle from the altar where they were to be offered as a sacrifice to Zeus. The golden ram carried them to the land of Colchis but on the way Helle fell into the sea and drowned. When Phrixos arrived at Colchis he sacrificed the ram to Zeus and presented the golden fleece to his father-in-law, the King of Colchis. The fleece was then hung upon a sacred oak and guarded by a dragon until rescued by Jason and the Argonauts. The myth recounts that Zeus was so moved by the ram’s fate that he gave it the greatest honour of being moved to the heavens.

The daughter of Leto and Zeus, and the twin of Apollo. Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and fertility (she became a goddess of fertility and childbirth mainly in cities). She was often depicted with the crescent of the moon above her forehead and was sometimes identified with Selene (goddess of the moon). Artemis was one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess. Her main vocation was to roam mountain forests and uncultivated land with her nymphs in attendance hunting for lions, panthers, hinds and stags. Contradictory to the later, she helped in protecting and seeing to their well-being, also their safety and reproduction. She was armed with a bow and arrows which were made by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes. Artemis was worshiped in most Greek cities but only as a secondary deity. However, to the Greeks in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) she was a prominent deity. In Ephesus, a principal city of Asia Minor, a great temple was built in her honor, which became one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”. But at Ephesus she was worshiped mainly as a fertility goddess, and was identified with Cybele the mother goddess of eastern lands. The cult statues of the Ephesian Artemis differ greatly from those of mainland Greece, whereas she is depicted as a huntress with her bow and arrows. I decided to design a suitwith short pants for this diety . All white silk wool suit, representing purity and chasity,what Artimis is known for.The inside lining is blood red, representing the hunteress, and goddess of war Artimis is sometimes portrayed as. I wanted an illustration of a female deity that was not too feminine,unrully hair, almost tom-boyish,but still very beautiful, as this deity is also a warrior.

Gemini is the third astrological sign in the zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 60th and 89th degree of celestial longitude. In the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between May 21st to June 20th each year. In sidereal astrology, the sun currently transits the constellation of Gemini from June 16th to July 15th (approximately). Individuals born during these dates, depending on which system of astrology they subscribe to, may be called geminians
The ancient Babylonians referred to the constellation as Mastabba Galgal, the ‘Great Twins’, and commemorated within it the mythical friendship of the demi-god Gilgamesh and his mortal friend Enkidu, who fought against the gods in twelve adventures. Stricken by grief at Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh pursued a quest to ensure his own immortality.
The ancient Greek tale of the egg-born brothers Castor and Pollux, born to their mother Leda after she was seduced by Zeus in the guise of a swan. Their consummation, on the same night as Leda lay with her husband, Sparta’s King Tyndareus, resulted in the birth of immortal Pollux, who possessed great physical strength, and mortal Castor who possessed great ingenuity. Upon Castor’s death Pollux begged Zeus to let him share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together and they were transformed into the Gemini constellation.

In the Ugaritic texts (before 1200 BCE) Athirat is almost always given her full title ‘Lady Athirat of the Sea’ or as more fully translated ‘She who treads on the sea’, This occurs 12 times in the Ba’al Epic alone. The name understood by various translators and commentators to be from the Ugaritic root ‘a/r ‘stride’ cognate with the Hebrew root of the same meaning.Her other main divine epithet was “qaniyatu / ilhm” which may be translated as “the creatrix of the gods (Elohim)”In those texts, Athirat is the consort of the god El; there is one reference to the 70 sons of Athirat, presumably the same as the 70 sons of El. She is clearly distinguished from / Ashtart (better known in English as Astarte or Ashtoreth in the Bible) in the Ugaritic documents although in non-Ugaritic sources from later periods the distinction between the two goddesses can be blurred; either as a result of scribal error or through possible syncretism. In any case, the two names begin with different consonants in the Semitic languages; Athirat/Asherah with an aleph or glottal stop consonant and `Ashtart/`Ashtoreth with an `ayin or voiced pharyngeal consonant ), indicating the lack of any plausible etymological connection between the names.She is also called Elat (“Goddess”, the feminine form of El; compare Allat) and Qodesh ‘Holiness’ . Athirat in Akkadian texts appears as Ashratum (Antu), the wife of Anu, the god of heaven. In contrast, Ashtart is believed to be linked to the Mesopotamian Goddess Ishtar who is sometimes portrayed as the daughter of Anu while in Ugaritic myth, Ashtart is one of the daughters of El, the West Semitic counterpart of Anu.In UgaritAsherah, the Shekinah, consort and beloved of Yahweh.God-the-Mother. Her sacred pillars or poles once stood right beside Yahweh’s altar, embracing it. Moses and Aaron both carried one of these Asherah “poles” as a sacred staff of power. The Children of Israel were once dramatically healed simply by gazing at the staff with serpents suspended from it. This symbol, the snakes and the staff, has become the modern universal symbol for doctors and healers.* Asherah was also widely known in the Middle Eastern ancient world as a Goddess of Healing. Then She was removed forcibly from the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures around 400 or 500 B.C. Her priestesses & priests, known by the headbands they wore, worshiped on hill-tops, such as Zion, Mount of Olives, Har Megiddo, seasides and countless others. Daughter of Zion, a term found numerous times in the Old Testament, was perhaps a term for a priestess of Asherah. It later came to mean the “City of God,” or Jerusalem herself. As the “official” state worship became increasingly male oriented, and the establishment became hostile toward all forms of Asherah worship, a time of conflict and bloodshed lasting over a hundred years began. Those that still clung to Her worship paid the price with their lives at the hands of King Josiah and other rabid Yahwists. (Story in the 2nd Kings ). But She could not be torn from the hearts and souls of Her people.

Jennifer Aniston Is Engaged / Wedding Dress Design – Lesson In Client Study

During her five-year marriage to Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston sported a swirly engagement ring the size of a baby’s fist. So, how big is the sparkler currently weighing down her finger, courtesy of newly minted fiancé Justin Theroux? Life & Style says the actor-writer-director presented Jen with a “huge emerald-cut diamond” with tapered baguettes dotting the sides. The ring is estimated to be a knuckle-crunching eight carats and is, gushes one source, “beautiful.” “She was so happy and said she loves the ring,” enthuses an insider. “I think she was overwhelmed and overjoyed by the size and beauty of it!” Theroux surprised (and presumably temporarily blinded) Aniston with the rock during a quiet dinner at Manhattan eatery Blue Hill on Aug. 10, his 41st birthday, reports People.The two had jetted to New York on a private plane from North Carolina, where the actress has been shooting “We’re the Millers,” and as they sat side by side over a quiet meal, Theroux popped the question. “Jen cried,” a source tells Us Weekly. “The proposal was simple. He was surprised she said yes, but he is so happy.”
Like many fans, I adore Jennifer, have watched her movies, and love the fact that she really seems like “the girl next door”, just funnier. So when I read that Jennifer is tying the knot for the second time, my creative mind started to think up all kinds of ideas and designs. But one question stuck with me, after the dust settled,

What would a down-to-earth, comedian that has everything, ex to one of the world’s MOST gorgeous man,( I am still jealous, and they have been divorced for some years!),wear to her second wedding.

One word came to mind- FUN

I mean, look at Jennifer’s body of work in the past 10 years, she is a risk taker, but most of these roles are comical roles. Now it would not take a rocket scientist to understand that when you are at the zenith of Hollywood stardom, you can ‘pick and choose’ your projects, and she keeps picking roles that make us laugh and think. Keeping that in mind, I thought

“Color,…what color?”.

Every woman will tell you, even if she has been divorced 1000 times, each new marriage is like the first, that moment at the altar, she feels like this is her first time, and has the jitters to prove it. So I settled on a fleshy,light pink, almost flesh-tone. (it’s not white, and pink is toooooooo cliche’-ish, I would want jennifer to settle into her “new skin”, at least that was my thinking). I saw a dress that was designed by a noted bridal designer earlier this week, (who shall remain nameless), and it looked as if Princesses Diana was expected to be resurrected and RE-marry that horrid tampon of a man,Prince Charles once again. When designing ANYTHING for ANYONE you must be able to empathize with what your client will want, NOT what YOU want. I wanted to design a dress that had the personality of the Jennifer.

Fun, Versatile, and Carefree came to mind

I created a detachable gown skirt, revealing a cocktail dress. Fabrications satin and chiffon are to be used, with each fabrication cut and fashioned for different textures. The top is low-cut,and flattering with thin self fabric straps, and the skirt of the gown is a detachable,layered and ruched,draped chiffon with raw edges to give an edgy worn, but very beautiful look.  The cocktail dress is short, flirty and sexy, made to look just like the main skirt,  this time both silk ruched jersey and chiffon. The cocktail ensemble is  one piece,made to allow Jennifer to dance the night away with her new husband. I can imagine in my minds eye, after a the main ceremony is over, and after a few dirty martinis, Jennifer would simply strip the gown skirt away, revealing the cocktail dress underneath, to the amazement and laughter  of everybody at the reception. ( remember the dance sequence in “Along Came Polly”?) The looks are a pretty ,versatile and uncomplicated just like the bride, and most of all FUN for  a woman that has a gift for making us laugh,even if it is at ourselves.

Mazel tov Jennifer and Justin, I hope this union leads to much joy and laughter:)

True Blood “Fashion Pinpoint-One Look/One Story” Subject: Lilith ” Goddess of Vampires”

 

Lilith is a recurring character in the fifth season. She is played by Jessica Clark and debuts in “In the Beginning”. Lilith is also known as the Progenitor and is supposedly the “first vampire”, made in God’s image. She’s believed by many vampires to have been created before Adam and Eve, who, according to the Original Testament, were both designed to be her food and to sustain her and her offspring.
In the fifth episode of season five it is revealed that within the Authority’s chamber there is a vile of blood that many believe to have belonged to Lilith. However, Roman explains to Salome that the blood is not Lilith’s. And by allowing others to believe that the blood belongs to Lilith he boosts his own, and the Authority’s credibility. This would lend to the idea that Lilith, for whatever reason, no longer exists or possibly never existed though she could be real but vampires deem her to be a myth. Dieter and Rosalyn also seem to know the blood is not Lilith’s as they openly mock the vampire bible and deny her existence. I designed a sheath like bustier for this character with a sarong of ethereal chiffon, adorned with semi-precious stones. If I was styling this character for the show, I would make sure that each look was authentic to the Lilith’s advanced immortality, and or time period she reigned supreme (byzantine area). Fabrics like light weight linen, cotton gauze dyed blood red, and all types of treated and molded leathers for accents would dominate her wardrobe. In “True Blood” Lilith’s character is powerful in her own right. This immortal character comes from a time and place that few humans or vampires can imagine, so her looks would be simple,daring, but incredibly dazzling to look at. I have to admit, “True Blood” has “dropped the ball” when it comes to dressing this character. When Lilith does make an appearance on the screen, she should be seen as the cunning,blood-thirsty ancient goddess she is, NOT as the matted haired, blood strewn savage she is being portrayed as of yet. Being a goddess, and surviving for over 20,000 years, I am sure it would take a lot more than just mere animalistic instincts to survive and thrive for such a long period of time. As a designer, out of all the wonderful characters in the “True Blood” franchise, Lilith would be my favorite to design and style for. A designer would have to research styles, jewelry, and customs from ancient long dead civilizations,  becoming an archeologist in a sense. History of this great world has always fascinated to me as a designer, and with Lilith I would have a great opportunity to present to the world styles, fashions ,and looks that have not been seen by humans for thousands of years.

 

 

 

 

I would also like to add that this is the last character form the “True Blood” franchise that I will be designing for. I started this project to garner some awareness for my talent and small freelance design business here in New York, and I have done just that! “True Blood – Fashion Pinpoint” has been my MOST popular topic on this blog, with views from over 45 different countries world wide. It has been exciting, and look out in the coming days for what my NEXT design project will be. As many of you know,…I am a fashion designer, fashion is constantly changing, and so am I. Stay tuned for more apparel designs, illustrations,,branding done MY way.

 

 

Thanks for your support 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

True Blood “Fashion Pinpoint-One Look/One Story” Subject: Sam Merlotte & Luna Garza

Merlotte, a shapeshifter, is the owner of the bar/restaurant Merlotte’s Bar and Grill in Bon Temps, Louisiana. In his early 30’s, he is of average height and strong build, with gray eyes and shaggy brown
hair, much in line with his alternate form. While he can change into any animal (so long as there is a suitable ‘template’ animal around for him to use as a basis), Sam’s preferred alternate shape is that of
a light-colored border collie.Like all shapeshifters, Sam feels a strong urge to change shape on the nights of a full moon. The rest of the time he can do so at will. He often will go for runs in dog form
through the local woods with his canine friend. Luna Garza is Sam’s girlfriend.As of now, little of Luna’s backstory is known.

Luna is of Mexican descent on her mother’s side and Native American descent on her father’s side. Luna’s mother died giving birth to her and she was raised by her father and grandparents in a
Navajo reservation. As Luna’s mother died giving birth to her, Luna is responsible for indirectly ending her mother’s life. A shapeshifter who kills another shapeshifting member of their family
becomes a skinwalker, someone capable of turning into any animal (including humans) on Earth. The Navajo believed skinwalkers to be evil witches so Luna most likely had a difficult time growing up.
At some stage, she shapeshifted intoher dead mother. Luna deemed the experience “crazy” and “scary” but she was also happy to assume the form her own mother who she never remembered. I designed
and styled looks that were constructed of naturally derived fibers and or skins. Shapehifters, in my opinion and according to the back story, are creatures of nature. I thought at first to design and style
looks that were reminiscent of native american heritage, but that would have been to easy, and some what predictable. Instead I kept the looks simple, with details that were symbolic of these
chracters, and their special powers. Shapeshifters can take on the shape of any animal, so I designed a pair of denim jeans for same that utilized a cut and sew “patchwork” detail, with patches of linen,
and suede to symbolize the different animal and energies that these characters can take on.

The blazer is constructed from linen, a fabrication that has been utilized for over 7,000 years. Finally, Sam’s footwear is of a simple construction, single piece construction. Luna’s look is simple,
but very sexy. The top is of suede,very strappy. Added wasa simple ezymed washed mini skirt,distressed heavily. Finally, Luna’s ancestory played a large part in my design decisions.
This instance I did want to acknowledge her native american lineage. The suede boots are fridged
with a 5 inch heel.