insatiable need

new stuff

2008-05-07T18:26:00.002-04:00

Check out the newest addition to the family of handmade classics...the jewelry roll.

They unroll to reveal two 7" zipper pockets to hold earrings, necklaces, bracelets and what not, plus matching ribbons to tie your rings down. I originally made them as Christmas gifts last year for a few friends, and decided that I should make a few for sale. So, I took them to the recent shows in Richmond and Raleigh, and they turned out to be quite popular! Funny, because I have made several attempts in the past to come up with a pattern for one of these, and it never quite worked until now. Anyway, I doubt I will add them to the web site, but now you know they're out there, so if you want one, drop me a line!

Speaking of new stuff...two events added to the sidebar. The Virginia Craft-n-istas are having their May Fair this Saturday at Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington, and I will be there with a bunch of my DEKKA girls showing off our goodies. Come by and check it out! Also, next Wednesday evening I will be at the Toast to Fashion Marketplace at the Belle Haven Country Club, part of the Toast to Alexandria weekend. I'm going to have lots of new stuff for that event, so come out and check it out. There will be a ton of great vendors, plus it's for a good cause so you won't even have to feel guilty about shopping in the middle of the week!

...i missed it!

2008-04-28T21:41:00.003-04:00

My third blogoversary was last Thursday! Sigh. Let's see, what was I doing? Ah yes...napping. The first day in well over a month that I came home from work and did *anything* at all besides one or more of the following: (a) make handbags (b) suffer from allergies (c) attend/plan/participate in DEKKA activities (d) panic about having to do all of the above at the same time. Actually, it was kind of awesome. I had a long nap, had Chipotle for dinner (don't recall the last time I went grocery shopping), and then joined friends for the triumphant return of LOST! I was so well-rested that the episode didn't even stress me out, even though a whole lotta crazy shizz happened (what else is new?). Oh well. It's not like I had a long and reflective post planned or anything, so, no loss.

What have I been doing tonight? Prepping for Raleigh this Saturday and filling orders, of course! I am especially excited because in the course of searching through my stash for something in particular for a custom order, I found like eight yards of this gorgeous black linen!!! Ohmigod I am so excited. I can't promise that it will end up on the web site, but I am definitely using some for Art Star, and for some goodies for the DEKKA showroom. I will try to remember and take pictures so I can show y'all as well. :) Back to the cutting table...

another one

2008-04-17T23:39:00.003-04:00

Check the sidebar! Yet another new event. I'm so pleased to be going back to Philly for the Art Star Craft Bazaar next month. Hopefully I won't have the tent issues I had last year, and this year I swear I'm going to remember the sun block!

Also coming up next month (I'm not going to make any promises as to when exactly) are new colorways for the evening bags and for the office collection! I'm working on a pattern for a skinny briefcase, we'll see if it works out. This weekend I'm headed to Richmond, and I'm excited to bring all my usual goodies plus a new travel collection item that is so new I don't even have any photos! I will make sure to take some this weekend and post here for your comment. :)

Of course, much has gone on since I last reported in here, aside from the tons and tons of sewing. Style Wars part I (at the Paul Mitchell School and Ibiza) and part II (at Olives with CN8), the DEKKA fashion show at The Park, allergy season...the fun never stops, my friends! But, now I'm going to bed. More later...

i need a blackberry

2008-04-09T23:05:00.004-04:00

My lack of tech-savvy is well-documented here. I only got an ipod and a flat TV in the last six months...I don't exactly fall into the "early adopter" category. It's not that I can't use the fancy new-fangled doo-dads or that I'm scared of technology, it's that I just don't need them. I never thought I'd need electronic assistance to keep myself organized, but that time is swiftly approaching! With the store over the weekend, and the Daily Candy mention last week, there is so much going on! My old pen & paper method is strained, to say the least. In reality, it will probably be a long time before I actually get a Blackberry or an iphone or some other fancy gadget that important and busy people have, but I thought I'd document my first conscious thought that I might need one.

Anyways, I wanted to write a long detailed post about the showroom opening, but I'm too tired. The upshot is the place was MOBBED all day long! We could not have asked for a better turn-out, especially for the ribbon cutting. All the DEKKA designers, artists and musicians are on the stairs, with customers, media, and guests clogging up the sidewalk and spilling out into the street. Christine Brooks-Cropper of the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, Abigail de Casanova of the Fashionista Meetup group, and Ean Williams of DC Fashion Week were our official ribbon-cutters, and said a few inspiring words about the dawn of a new fashionable era in DC, et cetera, and very nice things about the space and all of us, and what great things are ahead for all of us! It was exciting. There were tourists taking pictures and everything, even though I'm pretty sure they had no idea what was going on. :)

(Photo courtesy of Thar Roeung, Good Girlz LLC)

Anyway, I hope to be able to report back here on all the upcoming events and what not, but really what's going on is lots and lots of sewing. After all, I've got to keep up with the web site orders, the showroom stock, AND inventory for upcoming shows like the Spring Bada Bing in Richmond (hi, just around the corner!!!) and the Handmade Market in Raleigh. Good times!

gotta act fast

2008-04-07T20:56:00.003-04:00

Although the spring collection is only a week old, the first bag is already sold out! Say goodbye to the Supernova envelope clutch:

Its replacement should be up by next week. I think you're going to like it. ;) Some of the travel sets are nearly sold out too...don't let your favorite pass you by!

why, hello there daily candy!

2008-03-31T21:08:00.003-04:00

Welcome Daily Candy readers! I can't tell you how excited I am to have been featured in today's Daily Candy DC. The response has been amazing! I was already excited about posting the new spring collection and the new travel collection, but the incredible response from Daily Candy has inspired me to keep three more colorways for the travel collection available. So, now all you jet-setters have six to choose from, rather than three!

Those of you who subscribe to the newsletter have already seen all the new stuff, but there are nine new handbags for spring 2008 as well. My favorite might be this envelope clutch in crisp linen with hand embroidery: delicious!

Can you believe tomorrow is April already?!

check it out...

2008-03-26T22:38:00.003-04:00

New event posted! I'm heading back to Richmond next month for the Spring Bada Bing 2008. It's actually a little bit scary how my weekends are filling up...I'm going to try not to think about it.

In addition to new events, there will be new stuff on the web site next week! Which also means that this Saturday is your last chance to pick up anything on sale on the site, because by next week it's all going to be gone. . .and replaced with lovely new stuff, of course! Back to the sewing machine...

no rest for the weary

2008-03-15T20:17:00.003-04:00

The Saturday following my last post, I was off again to my big show at the day job. I only got there Saturday afternoon, and was already exhausted by dinner time. Not good. Strangely, this conference has no logical "flow," and the first day (Sunday) is the longest and the third day (Tuesday) is the shortest. Monday was no slouch, either. I was so tired Monday night, that I couldn't understand the TV show I was watching. You know how excited I am to watch TV when I'm staying in hotels, because I have no cable at home. Alas, it was not to be...my brain was literally not functioning. Which is fine, because all the thinking and presenting and answering questions and what not was over on Monday anyway. The rest of the time I just had to be in the right place at the right time, and nod and smile. Needless to say, when I got home Wednesday afternoon (only 3 hours later than I wanted to, no big...that was sarcasm), I didn't even unpack; I even considered leaving my bags in the car. I got right into my pajamas and then right into the bed! I woke up around 9:30 pm to look in the refrigerator and consider eating dinner (I decided against it), and check my email (I didn't answer any). I slept like the dead until 10 am the next day! So awesome.

Anyway, you are not here to read about my sleeping habits. I finally have pictures to share from fashion week! There are some up at the official DC Fashion Week web site, but unfortunately for me, the pics from the Dekka show don't always show the handbags off as best as they could. What can you do? You *can* see how cute our girls are and how different our clothing designers are, but how well they meshed together for the show. Here are two pictures from backstage:

First, we have Breanna in an outfit from YoSoy Fashion, earrings and bracelet from CG Originals, and a sash and envelope clutch from Holland Cox. Next, we have Gabby (not one of the short girls, obviously), posing with the designer/crocheter of her dress, Shantelle Brumfield, and another of my envelope clutches, this time in the popular year of the dragon fabric. I love the way it looks on the clutch. In general, we used a lot of clutches and wristlets, not really anything with a strap. Eh, maybe next time.

Speaking of next time, check out the newly-posted upcoming events! See you soon...

holland cox @ dc fashion week

2008-03-06T19:55:00.004-05:00

Well, the week started on Monday with model selection (or "casting" as they said on Project Runway) at the Ukrainian Embassy. Technically I didn't really need to be there, since it's far more important for the clothing designers to pick the girls that will look good in/right for their clothes. But, it was one of our first group Dekka activities, and I was thrilled to go along, since I've never done anything like it before. Not thrilled, however, to be driving in Georgetown on a week night during rush hour. But, that is neither here nor there.

So, since the Ukrainian designers' show was on Tuesday, they had first crack at the models. The system was simple: the girls (and some boys) were called into the room (which I can only assume was some kind of dining room in the Embassy with the tables removed) one at a time, they would walk and pose for us, and the Ukrainians would say "yes" or "no" and that was it. Sometimes they would ask the girls to walk again, sometimes they would ask about their measurements, which caused an issue because of course the girls know their measurements in inches, which means nothing to Europeans. Oh well.

The Ukrainians categorically rejected the short girls. Being a short girl myself, I felt for them. But, it was great for us because lots of the short girls were very pretty and had really great runway walks, so we snatched them up! We had a handful of outfits from two of Dekka's clothing designers with us, so we could do some fitting, but we scheduled the rest of the girls to meet us at the showroom on Thursday for more fittings. I took some vague notes about handbags that I had in stock that could match some of the outfits, and some that I could make to match, but nothing too concrete.

The next day was the actual fashion show at the Ukrainian Embassy, featuring their countrymen only. It was invitation-only and we had one spot for Dekka, so I went to represent the group. I was really excited to go as a spectator, because I've never gone to a fashion show in person before, much less one at an Embassy. I like to think the Embassy thing is a uniquely "DC" spin on fashion week. Anyway - imagine for a moment my fashion emergency. What does one wear to a fashion show? What does one wear to an official event at an Embassy? In my mind's eye, these are two different outfits, for sure. Of course, celebs show up to fashion shows wearing vintage outfits from the designer in question, but that was clearly not an option for me. I finally decided on a short, dark blue denim skirt that I made ages ago, patterned black tights, my new favorite shoes (black suede platform spectators with patent leather laces and a patent leather heel), a bright green V neck shirt with a black V-neck shrunken sweater over it, and a wide black satin sash that I tied around my waist. I also wore dangly earrings in silver and mother-of-pearl dyed bright green, and my all-purpose silver cuff and oversized silver ring. I was pleased, and I felt like I fit in well with the fashion types in attendance, but didn't look too out of place with the Embassy types either.

The show was awesome and I loved a LOT of the looks, most of which were what Nina Garcia would call "editorial." Not real big on the ready-to-wear looks, the Ukrainians. Which was fine with me, because that's what a runway show is all about, right? Crazy outfits that normal people would never wear. Or at least would never wear in the same way the models wear them. For the record, there were a number of individual pieces that I would totally wear in my fantasy life, in which I can afford to buy couture, and also have places to wear couture. Anyway. There was a reception afterwards, and while I was thrilled with the concept of attending a reception at an Embassy, my lack of Russian language skills made mingling kind of a problem. Also, the fact that I had to work the next day, and would therefore be required to drive myself home at a reasonable hour, made "plan b" (drink enough wine to get over language barrier-induced shyness) not really an option.

So! Onward: Thursday night's fitting was honestly the most fun. We all met at the showroom on U Street - three of the four clothing designers, me, and the jewelry designers. We had SO much fun styling all the girls and assigning outfits and all that. It was a little chaotic at first, but my inner meeting planner took over and brought a small measure of order to the system. We took digital pictures of all the girls in different looks, and decided before they even left that night exactly what they were going to wear, and what accessories would go with each look. After the girls left, we met again to make final decisions on the accessories, and on what order the looks would be shown in. The third late night of the week, but who's counting?

Finally we get to Sunday, the big day!!! My day started off at Staples where I made copies of our line sheets to pass out to everyone, and unfortunately I made the tactical error of only having tea and toast for breakfast. We'll get to that later. I had spent part of Saturday making a few new bags for the show, based on the decisions we made at the Thursday fitting. One of our looks was a beautiful dress made out of bright pastel sari fabric, and I made an evening clutch in the candyland fabric to go with it. Another look featured a crocheted bikini top in dark earth tones with bright red accents. The model was going to wear bright red patent leather heels, so I made an envelope clutch in bright red canvas and the wave fabric for the lining. They were both perfect!

Anyway, we got to the French Embassy around 1 pm, and honestly there wasn't a whole lot to be done. We needed to find five more models - two of ours didn't show up and then three of the dresses were really hard to fit and we didn't find anyone for them on Thursday. That plus setting up took a maximum of two hours, so by 3 pm my stomach was making scary noises and I was feeling more than a little woozy from lack of sleep, lack of eating, and pure anxiety. Ack! A quick trip on to M Street fixed the eating problem, but not the sleeping and anxiety problem. Two things about that experience: (1) Now I remember why I never go into Georgetown anymore...the traffic is beyond horrible. I don't even want to talk about it. (2) I have never gotten more dirty looks than I did that afternoon when I walked into the makeshift dressing room filled with hungry and irritated models with my Chipotle bag. Anyway.

Finally, 6:30 rolls around and it is time to get started. There were still girls in makeup, but we were not panicking because all of our girls were ready, and Dekka was the 12th show (or "scene") to go on anyway, so no rush. I had been warned about the chaos and the madness backstage, but honestly we were so prepared, and we did so much planning ahead, AND there were so many of us, that it really wasn't a problem. Nearly all of our girls were dressed ahead of time with plenty of time to spare; only 3 out of 20 were in the show right before ours, and with so many of us to help them get dressed and keep everyone else (literally) in line, it went off without a hitch. I got to see a little bit of the show on the monitor backstage, but not much, because as soon as the girls came off the runway, we had to help them get undressed again so they could get ready for the next scene. Also, my job was to keep track of all the accessories, so I had to collect earrings and necklaces and put the handbags away and all that. Hopefully I will soon have official photos to share from the show!

Afterwards, there was cleanup and packing and schmoozing and interviews and what not, but mostly, I was thinking about taking my shoes off and getting into bed, I won't lie. I met some photographers, makeup artists and some press people, all of whom I'm sure we will be using for the multiple Dekka grand opening parties/events. The whole experience was totally exhausting and totally amazing!!! It's been a long time since I lived through a full week of completely new experiences...sure it made me tired, but it made me so happy as well. :)

I promise to share photos as soon as I have them!

...more later

2008-03-02T23:34:00.002-05:00

It is unreal how tired I am right now. I intended to come home right from the show and write a blow-by-blow account of my very first fashion show, but I just can't do it. All I can think about is putting on pajamas and how much I *don't* want to get out of bed for 36 hours. Alas, this incredibly thrilling week has, luckily for me, coincided with both a nasty cold and the week before a huge event at the day job that I am 99% responsible for. Awesome! So yeah, I'm really tired. More later.

dc fashion week

2008-02-25T17:24:00.002-05:00

I bet you didn't know there was such a thing! Well, there is. It starts tomorrow, and my handbags will be featured in one of the shows this Sunday at the Embassy of France. I can't tell you how excited I am! Not just to have my designs in my first ever fashion show (which is pretty thrilling all by itself), but because I will be showing with a group of local designers under the collective name Dekka. We're showing together at fashion week because from now on we'll be working together as Dekka at an incredible retail location on U Street! Dekka is a family of like-minded creative individuals who have banded together to bring unique and independent fashion, art, and music to the DC area. (Do I sound like a press release or what?) The web site is still under construction and the store isn't quite open yet, but rest assured you all will be invited to (all of) the grand opening party(ies)!

Tonight I'm off to the first of two fittings and to finalize which models we'll be using on Sunday. I'm really excited about both fashion week and about Dekka, and I know you guys will love the store as much as I do once you see it! No more shopping at the mall for you locals! There's already so much cool stuff on display at the store and it's not even half full yet! Stay tuned for more official invites...the tentative Grand Opening is March 15. Save the date!

neglect

2008-02-24T21:27:00.002-05:00

I'm fully aware that I am behind on blogging on several topics that are dear to my heart: no, not the @#&*! primaries, but New York Fashion Week and SAG awards fashion commentary, not to mention my pre-Oscars forecasting post. Well, I've been distracted. I admit that being deprived of the Golden Globes made me too grumpy to care about the SAG awards, but I have good reasons for the other neglect. I've been avoiding pictures of NY fashion week like the plague because I don't want to be spoiled for Project Runway! I'm going to save it all up until AFTER I see the finale, and I know that there are PR alumni and early 'aufs who are showing as well, and that just makes waiting even better. As for the Oscars...I think I've only seen *one* of the nominees this year. I know, I am so ashamed. I truly have been a slacker in that regard this year...oh well. Don't you worry though, I'll be checking out the red carpet photos for sure, and if anything grabs my attention, you'll know about it!

Tomorrow you'll get to hear (well...read, more like) more about what's been distracting me!

weekend crafting

2008-02-23T21:48:00.005-05:00

Technically this was all last weekend, I've spent this weekend so far partly with a hacking cough, and partly cutting fabric for new projects. But, here's what I've been up to:

More baby quilts! The front:

And the back: I tried to do that square-within-a-square quilting, and it was really hard, I won't lie. But I couldn't resist, I thought it would be a cool contrast to the triangles and diamond patterns on the front. Sadly, I had to piece the backing, which sort of ruined the effect, but it's my fault because when I went shopping I had a *completely* different design in mind for the quilt. Oh well.

To continue with the baby theme, I made a bunch of crocheted baby beanies, from a super pattern from mk carroll. This was the first time crocheting anything non-flat, and once I got the hang of it I seriously couldn't stop. Baby hats are perfect because you can finish one easily in a half hour, and the sense of accomplishment plus satisfying stash-busting is irresistible! Although, as my previous post proved, I sort of cheated and bought yarn especially for these hats...oops.

Finally, I made this hostess apron for my friend's birthday. She is a swell baker and loves to cook, and her kitchen is very French country with yellow walls and blue and white tile, so I figured this would be perfect for her. The toile is a light weight canvas and the yellow is a heavy denim (perhaps too heavy, to be honest, but it gives it such nice body). I'm so pleased how well it turned out, especially because I didn't use a pattern, I kind of just started cutting and sewing and it came out pretty much how I envisioned it. Hooray!

If only every weekend was this productive. :)

abject failure

2008-02-10T17:41:00.000-05:00

So, I went to Jo-Ann's AND G Street Fabrics AND Michael's yesterday.

As you can see, Operation De-stash is not going so well. Actually...if you look at it one way, it's going swimmingly, since I've planned and partially executed a number of new projects recently! On the other hand, buying nine yards of fabric and 8 skeins of yarn (not pictured: two rolls of batting and 6 skeins of embroidery floss) definitely violates the spirit of de-stashing. I do actually have plans for every bit of fabric and yarn shown here; I can't get into details because some of them will be gifts, but still. I get the feeling that Operation De-stash is going to be a long-term struggle for me. :)

best quote ever...

2008-02-07T23:17:00.001-05:00

..."that fabric's not shiny enough."

- Chris, Project Runway Season 4, episode 10.

Actually, there were dozens of excellent quotes this week! I won't give any details away, but the challenge was to dress WWE Divas for the ring. That's right, professional female wrestlers. It was amazingly hilarious. I was actually surprised how much they all got into it, it was just so much fun to watch! It's a good thing the wet blanket (Victorya) and Whiny McWhinerson (Steven) didn't have to do this one, because it would've been really annoying to watch them whinge through the whole episode. Even Rami and Sweet P, who were definitely struggling with the concept, were at least trying to "make it work," and weren't so much complaining as just stressing. I missed Kit this week, and let's face it, Elisa would've come up with something hilarious, possibly in teal, and possibly with a train.

Among the dozens of quality moments this week was when Tim announced it was time for fabric shopping...at the House of Spandex instead of Mood! I'm going to guess that that was the first time Tim Gunn set foot inside the House of Spandex. My other favorite part was when the judges were critiquing Christian's look, and Michael Kors mentioned that it had a strong Prince/Vanity vibe. Christian just stared at him with a blank look, while the boys from Heatherette (could there be more perfect guest judges for this challenge?) enthusiastically agreed. I nearly *died* laughing! Christian is only 21 years old! He has no idea who Vanity is. He was not even an embryo when Purple Rain came out! Anyway...check out the runway pictures!

latest endeavor

2008-02-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

There's lots going on behind the scenes, my friends! Working on the spring line...I have a few brides and some custom order customers I'm working with...and of course something else that I can't yet talk about yet! (*excitement*) But, in the in-between time, I watch my DVDs from Netflix and I craft. I have a few crochet projects in progress, some plans for some quilting projects, but this is the most recent finished endeavor:

I finally joined modern society, and I am now the proud owner of an ipod nano! I know, I can barely believe it myself. Seriously, iTunes is the best thing ever. Anyway, the thing is SO tiny and SO skinny, and the controls are so sensitive that you can practically breathe over it and turn the darn thing on. So, it clearly needed some protection, if it was going to be swimming around inside my bag (I use a flight bag for every day). Well, I wanted something cozy, obviously, and in the spirit of de-stashing, I thought I'd use some felted wool I bought a long time ago and had yet to do anything with. The little pouch holds the actual ipod and the zipper pouch holds it and my ear phones. The lining for both is this stripy fabric I've used for the background, and another recent transgression of mine in the quest to control myself in the fabric store...alas.

Anyway, I couldn't resist adding the embroidered eighth note - the small pouch has one too! A little cheesy, perhaps, but embroidering on felt is so pleasant, and the bright green makes it match my flight bag. I wish the ipod itself was in red, which I originally wanted, but what can you do? Hopefully I'll be able to post my crochet projects soon!

the opposite of de-stash

2008-01-23T20:45:00.001-05:00

I have a lot of fabric. You are probably not surprised to hear that, but you are probably also woefully unaware of exactly what I mean when I say "a lot." I have about fifteen Container Store boxes in various sizes stuffed to the brim with fabric, and several stacks of yardage here and there with no home at all. They are tucked into every corner of every closet, nook and cranny of my small apartment. Soon, I will be forced to store things in my car and in my oven and other ridiculous places!

So, I committed to de-stash. Committed to ONLY making things (handbags or otherwise) from fabric from my rather impressive stash. It's a good idea, and can definitely be done...I have more than enough for several new collections, really. It also goes along with my general 2008 goal of being more disciplined and less indulgent, in general, but especially regarding spending. The only problem is, I still have to go into the fabric stores to buy thread and interfacing and stuff like that...and therein lies the problem.

A few weeks ago I went to buy thread and came home with these:

In my defense, the first one was bought in December, when de-stashing was only a vague idea I put away for 2008. The black & white print, however, is in clear violation of the de-stashing initiative. Also, these are only two of at least six new prints laying around that I technically didn't "need" to buy. Oh well. I obviously can't be allowed to enter a fabric store without some kind of supervision.

Anyway, both of these are going to be in the spring collection, definitely on the classic handbag, perhaps on something else as well. The first patchworky sort of print is one of my new favorites (I bet you've never heard that from me before!)...this is definitely a trend in quilting fabrics lately, this geometric, patchworky modpodge of several prints/motifs all rolled into one. Frankly, I find it irresistible! The scale of the print and the variety of colors makes it *perfect* for so many of the accessories I make! I'm actually quite sad I didn't buy several more yards of this when I had the chance, but I guess I was trying to be "good." Really, I should know better by now that when I trying to be "good" often backfires on me. : (

contemplate today

2008-01-21T19:29:00.001-05:00

I am willing to bet that most people have never actually "celebrated" Martin Luther King Day before, beyond enjoying a day off work (for some of us) and perhaps a sale here and there. In college, my minor was Peace Studies, and ever since I took Philosophy of Non-Violence & War with Professor Churchill my senior year, I've read Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail every year to "celebrate." Now you can too. Enjoy!

highway robbery

2008-01-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am back on Project Runway again. I may have agreed with the judges on episode 6 ("Eye Candy") but we are in a big fight again because somehow Kevin and Kit are both gone while RICKY is still in the competition. Ricky of the flesh-colored, bubble-skirted prom dress. Ricky the lingerie designer who somehow cannot sew a flat seam in satin. Meanwhile, Kit and Kevin have consistently made lovely things. Ugh.

Okay, the prom dresses: for such an awesome challenge (what could be more perfect, outside of the Golden Globes red carpet challenge and the Miss America challenge?), I didn't like many of the dresses. Chris' spring green dress and Sweet P's champagne dress were really the only good ones, I thought. Christian's was a horrifying mess (black lace on brown satin??? why?) and Victorya's winning dress looks like all the dresses in the window at Forever 21. Again, I say: ugh.

Also, Nina was talking crazy about Kevin's dress...she said his adorable red halter dress was inappropriate for his client and the color was awful. First of all, red looks great on *everyone.* Second of all, Nina was wearing the exact same color (wtf?). Third of all, I don't get how a halter dress with a cute little flippy skirt isn't "youthful." Meanwhile, Ricky gets to stay with his awful, blah-colored, pouf-skirted thing with dodgy fake gems strung around the waist. UGH.

Onward: truly, last night's challenge may have been the best ever. Finally, total free reign to create something totally insane and purely creative! I have only a few things to say about this episode. First, being Ricky's team member assures that you will be in the bottom. Second, Rami needs to get over himself. Third, Chris and Christian's 45-yards-of-silk craziness absolutely deserved to win, but I am totally in love with Jillian and Victorya's unbelievably awesome trench/dress/train thingy. Believe me when I tell you I would wear this in a heartbeat. I wish the picture showed the model's ponyhawk. I am more and more impressed with Jillian every week, I must say! A top three condender, I'd say!

catching up

2008-01-15T20:54:00.000-05:00

I am almost caught up on Project Runway! The holiday hiatus threw me a bit, but luckily Bravo has made the episodes available online, so I don't have to depend on the kindness of my friends with cable. It's nice to be able to see the runway photos and find out who was auf'ed and who won, but the part I like the best is the workroom footage, where you get to see the actual creative process.

They don't have the prom dress episode posted yet, but hopefully I can catch it before tomorrow's new episode. I DID get to watch the "Eye Candy" episode though, and I totally loved it! I always love it when they make them make clothes out of non-fabric. This time around, I actually agreed with every single comment from every judge, and with every outfit in the top and bottom four. Elisa's "sad brown dress" with "silver shower caps" (Heidi's and Michael Kors' words, respectively) was just too tragic. What in the heckola was she thinking!?!!? I don't even want to post a picture, it's too depressing. Sweet P ran out of time and Victorya's ice cream sundae dress did not seem like her at all...I don't know who she was channeling, because I can't think of anyone who would subject themselves or others to that many ruffles at once. Zac Posen (this week's guest judge) was right in that she totally copped out by only using the pillow fabric. Uhhh...it's just fabric. Where's the challenge?

As for the others, I really loved pretty much all the other outfits! These are my favorites:

I loved Rami's dress because it was so colorful. I imagine it would be very easy to get sucked into the silver and brown at the Hershey store, but he resisted and went for a totally non-chocolate look. I'm surprised nobody else went for the wrapping paper that he used for the skirt. I'm sure they had plenty of other patterns! Also, and the judges noticed this too, his outfit fits his model *perfectly.* Flawless tailoring with plastic and paper! You have to give up the props for that.

Chris gets kudos for learning to say "no" to himself. Perhaps being in the Hershey store made him flash back to too many fiascos involving clothing made of food, and that inspired him to hold back. Anyway, his outfit, along with Kevin's, looks most like real clothes, even though I doubt in real life I would think to wear chocolate brown with bright metallic silver...I would probably be afraid of looking like a Hershey's kiss. :)

Kevin is one of my favorites on the show, and sadly I already know his fate. :(. I love the tiny silver ruffle on the bottom hem of his skirt! I love that he made a clutch out of a giant candybar! He and Kit both perfectly styled their models...Amanda looks so classy and proper, and Marie looks like she's about to jump on stage with a rock band. I love it! Both of these are just *so* Kevin and *so* Kit! Sigh. It's so nice when they get it exactly right.

I must also give props to Jillian for making her dress edible, and for using nearly all red. She was the only one to use red except for the tiny bit in Rami's dress (again, proof that they are fashion soul mates), and you have to acknowledge the shunning of chocolate in the Hershey store.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the prom dress episode! It is such a perfect challenge for Project Runway, I'm surprised they haven't done it before now. Unfortunately, I was *not* impressed with many of the runway pictures I've seen online so far...eh. Hopefully they look better in motion than online.

give them whatever they want

2008-01-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, raise your hand if you're ready for the writers' strike to be over. They have canceled the Golden Globes people! This is serious! According to my recent copy of Entertainment Weekly, the Oscars are in jeopardy as well. What is the point of award shows without the stars and their fancy outfits? Since the producers are so concerned with their pocketbooks, hopefully the impact from losing the biggest awards shows will make a difference. Thirty second spots during the Oscar telecast last year sold for $1.6 million each. While I doubt that canceling the show will completely break ABC, I'm pretty sure it's going to hurt really bad. NBC is supposedly losing $15 - $20 million on the canceled Golden Globes (which were originally schedule to air tomorrow, but will be replaced by...a press conference. Glamorous, no?) Why won't they give the writers whatever they want!?!

I admit I was on the side of the writers before I even learned the details of the dispute. First of all, I've never heard of any industry based on the creative talents/efforts of some where the talent wasn't totally screwed by the people handling the money. Second of all, I can't imagine a scenario where the talent wouldn't deserve a larger share of the revenue than producers. In my mind, not one cent is made from a TV show or movie that isn't directly related to the creative people behind it. How do you and I decide what shows to watch and what movies to see? I know I'm attracted to shows and movies based on the storylines, the actors, the music, the cinematography, the art direction, and so on. Not once have I decided to watch something based on the studio producing it. So, I was decided. Then I saw this video which details exactly what it is that the writers' guild is angling for, and it made me even more pissed off. We are suffering and the studios are trying to wait out the writers over FOUR CENTS!?!!? I'm speechless. How do the producers sleep at night?

back again

2008-01-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

I am officially back from vacation. I say "back" although I didn't actually go anywhere. I spent the almost two weeks hanging about my apartment, sleeping at odd hours, curled up with my sketchbook, eating junk food, and wearing fluffy pajamas instead of real clothes. It was pretty awesome, I won't lie.

I went back to work last week for only two days, and my brain was foggy both days, just like my re-entry problem after my beach week. This time I think it was less about coming back from vacation, and more about my intense need to detox from all the sugar I'd been consuming. My office is notorious for being an endless source of junk food year-round (it's the sort of place where people bake large batches of brownies for no reason and bring them in and leave them in the kitchen with a cute little note that says "eat me!"), and it was pretty bad this holiday season. I don't think I ate a single vegetable in the entire month of December!

Anyway. So I am officially back. My to-do list at home and at the office are already insanely long. I already have 3 weekends in the next two months scheduled away (!!! barely a week into the new year!!!), and this evening I finished a rough outline of my plans for Holland Cox for the next few months. The clearance sale will continue through February (I *mean* clearance when I say clearance! I don't want to look at these things any more!), and I'll have an all-new spring collection for March. The months following the spring collection will see new colorways for the office collection, the evening bags, the travel collection, and maybe even a new style altogether! I have pages and pages of sketches that I've done over the last few weeks, I'm sure something viable will come out of them at some point soon.

Happy new year!

time for the '08 models

2007-12-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gents, I would like to turn your attention to the three flagship Holland Cox handbags: the classic, the wristlet, and the envelope clutch. All remaining colorways are on major clearance for the rest of the month! Stock up while you can. The office collection is on sale too. While you're over there, check out the anniversary handbag!

Available now, for two weeks only, in all your favorite fabrics from 2007.

those sneaky bastards

2007-12-14T21:10:00.001-05:00

I'm talking about the peeps at Project Runway, of course. I know all of you shared my outrage last week when Chris was sent home instead of Ricky. I think the judges were very hateful when it came to his little brocade jacket and entirely too forgiving of Ricky's atrocious fitting job on his model. Moreover, his team's outfits totally abandoned the "underwear as outerwear" trend, which is a ridiculous outcome with a lingerie designer at the helm. Blah! See for yourself.

Anyway, this week I watched with my friend Emily, and we were b*tching and lamenting about Chris' auf-ing, when she said that she bet it was for a specific reason...that the producers intervened last week and prevented Nina from getting rid of Ricky once and for all (you *know* she hates him). Lo and behold, this week we find out that Jack has to leave for health reasons! Oh, and look, Chris has left us all a charming and sweet note, reminding all of us how much we love him! Hmmm, whatever shall we do with this suddenly open spot on Project Runway? A ha! We bring back the beloved Chris to take Jack's spot!!! I smell a rat.

Anyway, I was thrilled to have Chris back because I love him (come ON people, the salad dress!!!!), and I was equally sad to see Jack go. How awful to have to give up such an amazing opportunity. :(

I was NOT thrilled, however, with what Chris put together this week (see left). The challenge this week was to design an outfit for a regular lady who has recently lost a ton of weight. The twist was that the raw materials for the new outfit had to be the favorite, pre-weight loss outfit from each woman. This lady here had a black and green houndstooth jacket in her former favorite outfit, and yet all I see here is the accursed teal and a red sash for some reason. So random. You can't see the bizarre little kick pleat in the back from here, but I assure that it is awful. Chris is SO LUCKY that both Elisa and Stephen royally f'ed their outfits this week, otherwise he would have gotten auf'ed two weeks in a row! Not good. Incidentally, I am surprised that Jillian did not get in trouble for not technically using her client's shirt to make the new dress, but rather matched the fabric exactly at Mood and used that instead. Whatevs, I guess Jillian is too good for rules!

Anyway, I thought the two best outfits were Kevin's yellow tube top which he expertly refashioned from a gigantic linen blazer, and Christian's truly brilliant way of making a black shirt and jeans look fresh and stylish. I like them both as designers, so I was just sad that we couldn't have both of them win. The advantage of having Christian win is that perhaps next week he will let loose with something truly bizarre, knowing he has immunity! Awesome.

I have to also say that Stephen disappointed me this week. He has been one of my favorites from the beginning, and he shot himself in the foot this week with his snotty, defeatist attitude. Of course nobody wants to design with pure white polyester satin and nasty fake lace! Of course the world would be a better place in general if such things did not even exist! But we are here on Project Runway to *challenge* and if cute outfits can be made out of garbage and produce, like in seasons past, then surely you can work with a little poly satin. Suck it up, seriously. I feel like he came up with such an awful design because he decided from the start that he just couldn't do it. The moral of the story, children, is to approach challenges with an open mind, lest you make your client look like a French maid going to funeral (way harsh, even for Nina. But I had to agree).

winter is coming

2007-12-06T17:17:00.000-05:00

Ugh. It snowed yesterday. Damn near all day long. Ugh!!! There I was, minding my own business, on Day 4 of my first cold of the season, dragging my stuffy and sore-throated self out of bed and into the shower because I had to get to work eventually, and I opened my blinds and there it was. Ugh!

I distinctly remember a time, in the not-so-distant past, that such a sight - that of softly falling snow - would delight me. Yesterday I was just annoyed. This morning, when my scraper broke and I realized I was completely out of wiper fluid (it snowed over night too), I was also annoyed. Wow, I guess I'm getting old and crotchety! But Valerie, you say...it's December! Suck it up already! I know this. I also don't care. I want it to be warm and sunny and pleasantly humid basically all the time. I want to live in Costa Rica. Anyway.

December. Yes! What does that mean for you, as a shopper of handmade classics? Well friends, next week look for a massive clearance sale on the web site. I must be purged of the 2007 models so that I can start afresh in 2008 with a winter collection. Also, although you may have missed the anniversary party, you can still catch the '07 anniversary handbag, which will be posted soon.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the anniversary party & trunk show, I had so much fun just chatting and sipping on champagne with you all! I hope you love your purchases and your gifts for friends and family go over wonderfully. I couldn't do this without you! :)