Saturday 5 March 2011

Goddaughter H. walking Yoji Yamamoto in Paris Fashion Week

This is goddaughter H. in the Paris Fashion Week collection of Yoji Yamamoto on Friday night, and I could certainly see CyberDaze carrying this off with panache! Would you believe, H. turned down jobs with Sonia Rykiel and Cacherel to go home to university. It's hard juggling three Fashion Weeks—New York, London and Paris— with innumerable essays on ancient history and archaeology. Bravo, H.!

Friday 4 March 2011

Burda's Shark Fin Skirt


So here's the Italian bimba skirt from February's Burda, which for obvious reasons, I'm nicknaming the Shark Fin. I think it'll be a useful cotton skirt to transition from winter through spring to summer, when I can wear it with my black cotton platform espradrilles,  but I have a few quibbles. 

One is the finniness of the gore, (I used a plain non-stretch cotton) which leaves me with the option of ironing it down decoratively into a triangular pleat, or going around humming, 'Boom-boom, boom-boom, boom-boom" in homage to Jaws. Admittedly, it makes this very pegged skirt highly walkable.

Another surprise was the height of the waistband, which I've belted here to actually bring the eye down. I have a very short waist so this baby reaches up unflatteringly to my ribcage. That's why I've chosen to lengthen the waistline back down with a black cardigan. But notice that with the high-heeled boots, very suited to the style of swishy gore, I look like Stilt Lady.

For "les courses" today (weekly shopping) I swapped the cardigan for a motorcycle jacket. Pretty good outfit for town wear, I think, racier than "office" but more stylish than "gym."


Wednesday 2 March 2011

Preview of April Burda



I've been a little snarky lately about the Burda previews and then discovered remorse, when the issue was in my hands, because there was at least one, or maybe two items that I actually wanted to make. Already with the April Burda I see three things that are kind of interesting/easy/wearable, above.

But let's not get greedy. Having finished the Burda Shark Fin skirt (photos as soon as we get our sun back) it's high time to finish my Vintage entry for Joanne's blog!

Sharky Burda skirt

Last night, while watching Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on YouTube, in homage to the late Jane Russell, realized I had inserted the lining of my "sharky" Burda skirt upside down, after completing a perfectly under-stitched and finished waistband over skirt, lining and zipper.
Have had to cut off lining just below waistband, turn around, and reconnect using a strip of zigzagged bias tape. This is not pretty.

If you find me on the floor, do not resuscitate.