California Dreamin

 I am planning to spend my Memorial Day weekend outdoors and possibly Malibu Beach again!! I can't wait to soak up some sun. I hope you guys have a relaxing weekend too!

Dancing Days: Ana Ljubinkovic Spring/Summer 2012

Ana Ljubinkovic is one of my new favorite designers. This Serbian designer has embraced the fashion digital world and as a result she has created a look book composed of GIF images. What an exciting way to show the world a fashion collection. So charming! 

This week on instagram

I haven't posted my instagram photos in over a month now. I've been so busy with work lately, but I am going to try to post these on a weekly basis. Here are my day to day photographs of things that inspire me.

1. Ballon installation at Art Walk in downtown LA.

2. Thriller Jacket!!! Well not the real one, but still very cool. 

3. I was researching 1940's fashion for a new project. I love this picture.

4. A beautiful Mexican bag I spotted at Principessa in Venice Beach.

5. Soaking up the sun in Malibu over the weekend. I needed a day off.

6. Riding my bike in Santa Monica, a very friendly bike community.

When was the last time you went to an Opera?

Have you been to an Opera lately? If you live in Los Angeles and want to see a captivating ensemble, get tickets to La Boheme at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Earlier this month, LA Opera invited me to the final dress rehearsal for La Boheme. It was a magical experience. I was completely moved by the set design, props, costumes, and of course by the performance. 

 This Herbert Ross production features soprano Ailyn Perez and tenor Stephen Costello who also happen to be married in real life. Their chemistry on stage was incredible.

Operas have always been one of my favorite type of dramatic art forms. 

This classic bohemian love story instantly transported me to Paris in the 1840's.

Let's talk costumes. The color palette was more on a natural side, except for Act II, the Latin Quarter scene. The colors were bright and lively as the crowd gathered together to see Parpignol, the toy seller seen here. Costume Designer Jeannique Prospere stayed true to the time period with all of her designs. The costumes looked elegant on the performers as they graced the theatrical Parisian stage.

As a professionally trained theater costume designer, I was extremely in awe with all of the artisanship that went into all of the costumes. They effortlessly infused the performance with so much refinement and accurate historical detail. La Boheme is a must see ensemble. If you want to escape Los Angeles for two hours and be transported to mid 19th century Paris, then this show is for you. The production will run til June 2nd. Pictures were provided by LA Opera.

Edie Sedgwick: The Girl with the Black Tights

My muse this week is Edie Sedgwick. For those of you who are not familiar with her, she was one of Andy Warhol's most famous Superstars from the Silver Factory days. She was a model, actress, artist and fashion icon. I remember reading Jean Stein's book Edie: American Girl in high school and recall being instantly fascinated with her.

In 1965, Life magazine did a fashion spread with Edie Sedgwick. In the issue she wore black tights with all of her looks and was dubbed "the girl with the black tights". This is definitely my favorite picture of her and Andy Warhol. 

Edie started her career as model for Betsy Johnson. How can I describe her look? Heavy eyeliner, stripes, black tights and long gypsy earrings. Her style remains very relevant today. 

Her style and socialite status drew Andy Warhol to her. He saw an essential flame in her and she instantly became his extraordinary film muse. She truly was a ravishing beauty. Ciao Manhattan is her best known film, which today is considered a cult classic. I would highly recommend this film if you want to get a glimpse into her life.

For over four decades now, the Edie look has influenced everyone from fashion designers to pop culture enthusiasts. Even musicians like The Cult, The Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan, whom she was romantically linked to, wrote songs about her. My favorite song has to be Femme Fatale by the Velvet Underground. Click here to see this video and some footage on Edie Sedgwick.

My very first Get the Look. Thanks to that photoshop class I took last year, I am now able to create these Get the Look boards. Everything was hand picked by me. I hope to continue featuring these type of posts on my blog in the future. 

1. Stripped tank/ 2. Faux fur jacket/ 3. Little black dress/ 4. Pointy Flats/ 5. Gypsy earrings/ 6. Black tights

Colleen Atwood: Snow White and the Huntsman

A few weeks ago, FIDM and Universal Pictures invited me to meet three-time Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood. I was beyond excited when I first received the invite. The event was an exhibition of her original designs for Snow White and the Huntsman. It was such an amazing experience. She explained her design process on all of her costumes seen here. I was blown away with how detailed she was, but not surprised. 

I am obsessed with all of these costumes, but this wedding dress just takes my breath away. Ravenna (Charlize Theron) wears this costume when she marries Snow White's father. I love how this dress looks and feels so innocent, but the caged sleeves give it a wicked quality.

Sometimes the smallest details don't get appreciated. The gold findings were purchased on one of her trips to Turkey. So beautiful. It's amazing how such a small detail like this can really change the whole costume. The leather trimming and embroidery was also lovely. 

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The beetle dress. A masterpiece.

There is a lot of emphasis on the sleeves as you can tell. The sleeves on this costume resemble bug wings. I also love all the distressing. My favorite detail on this dress is the beetle wings. Yes, these are actual beetle wings.

The Armor dress. Ravenna fights her last battle in this dress, seems appropriate.

This handmade chainmail armor helps give Ravenna a reptile quality to her character. The piece in the middle are hand twisted leather scraps. 

Colleen Atwood is one of the reason why I pursued a career in costume design. I first fell in love with her work on the film Edward Scissorhands, but who didn't right? Bondage suit, buckles, pointy boots, pale face and Robert Smith hair, who can forget this amazing costume. I have been following her work ever since and will continue to do so. I am positive that Snow White and the Huntsman is going to be epic. I can't wait to see all of these couture like costumes on the big screen.

Spotting Trends: A Visual History of Polka Dots

Madame de Pompadour in a blue polka dot dress. Mid 18th Century.

Miss America from 1926, Norma Smallwood wears a polka dot swimsuit.

Mary Russell wearing a Classic Dior dress. Taken in Paris in 1950.

Colorful polka dots for a change. These images are from a 1964 McCalls Pattern.

Blake Lively wearing a Stella McCartney dress.

Another modern dress with a vintage twist. I love how innocent this dress looks.