One of the parts of my job that I love is free design. That part in my week where I gather materials that speak to me in that moment and begin to shape them. The end result can vary greatly. I submit to you, the jury, the three photos above of pieces that were crafted from the exact same vintage French lace I sourced in the NYC Garment District. By the way, I have a really grand design coming for this lace. I am talking biiiig deal here. Stay tuned for that.
Being flexible in design is essential. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes you need to have the precision of a surgeon in bringing a vision to life but then there are those times when you are just having fun with gorgeous things. That is a happy place. There’s lots of room in the happy place so please pull up a chair will you? Sometimes the best things were found on accident or by mistake. Always be open to these discoveries. That is how we grow in technique and happen upon our very own style of doing things. It’s the sort of process that keeps the evolution going.
Adding layers to something builds the interest and pushes your design away from others that may be close in nature. Not sure if at first glance you can really see just how layered this is. It begins on a piece of antique silk net. Top that with twisting vintage gold trims, a rhinestone base, layers of independently hand wired rhinestone loops, champagne freshwater pearls and finally vintage Swarovski rhinestones wrapped in golden metal mesh and sewn on. Do you have a favorite?
Photo credits to Megan Robinson Photography for the product pictures and model photo by Samantha Cabrera with Styling by Alisa Lewis Events.