Tag Archives: couture

Design and Innovation

Pink Thing of The Day: Fancy Pink Gown with Ostrich Feather Trim

Leave a comment

pink gown with ostrich feather trim photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

If you’ve been keeping up with NYC retail buzz, then you know that Printemps — the iconic French luxury department store — has made its highly anticipated U.S. debut with a stunning new flagship in the heart of Wall Street. I had the chance to check out the space recently, and let me tell you: it’s as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as you’d expect. While wandering through its elegant, multi-level layout, I came upon this Fancy Pink Gown with Ostrich Feather Trim, and I swooned on the spot!
Continue reading Pink Thing of The Day: Fancy Pink Gown with Ostrich Feather Trim →

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Charles James’ La Sirène Gown

Leave a comment

charles james la sirene lobster dress 2 photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

The La Sirène or “Lobster” Evening Dress by Charles James, designed in 1956, is a masterful example of his sculptural approach to couture. This evening gown was part of James‘ later work, showcasing his deep understanding of structure, form, and fabric manipulation. The dress was named La Sirène (French for The Mermaid) because of its dramatic, fishtail silhouette, which flares at the bottom, echoing the movement of a mermaid’s tail.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Charles James’ La Sirène Gown →

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Mermaid Bridal Gown By Callot Soeurs

Leave a comment

mermaid bridal gown photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

This Mermaid-like Bridal Ensemble  was worn by New York socialite Natalie Potter for her wedding to financier William Conkling Ladd on December 4, 1930. Its dramatic, cathedral-length train features interlocking scallops that recall undulating ocean waves and the concentric circles of seashells.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Mermaid Bridal Gown By Callot Soeurs →

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: The Birds Jacket by Alexander McQueen

Leave a comment

the birds jacket by alexander mcqueen photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Alexander McQueen once declared, “Birds in flight fascinate me.” One of his favorite films was Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 thriller The Birds, which inspired his spring/summer 1995 collection, including this jacket. Made from orange wool twill, it features a swarm of swallows screen printed by Simon Ungless and Andrew Groves. Individual birds gradually materialize from the ominous black cloud of swallows at the exaggerated shoulders, swooping around the body of the jacket and increasing in size but decreasing number towards the hem.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as Part of the Exhibit Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Conner Ives Couture Girl Dress

Leave a comment

couture girl dress by conner ives photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Nature and artifice coalesce in Connor Ives‘ Couture Girl Dress from the designer’s 2020 graduate collection, “The American Dream,” which was inspired by the women with whom he grew up in Bedford, New York. The garment’s bulblike shape parodies the  pneumatic silhouettes of mid-20th-century fashion.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Conner Ives Couture Girl Dress →