Eventful

We have been happily buried in work.  Which,  by the by,  is why I haven't been here much lately!

Yesterday,  we did an event with SkinMedica for a very select group of beauty editors to announce the launch of a brand new SkinMedica product, which will be released sometime in April.

Pre-Event

I can't tell you the name of the product or what it does,  except that it does tie in with what I do,  which is... perfect skin!  The color  theme of the event was pink as you can tell by the very pretty room it was held in.  (I will say the tested results of the product were very, very impressive. )

The mood was very intimate and relaxed. Very refreshing and non- rushed and it gave the editors a much deserved moment of chill,  very different from what most might associate with a "launch".

So yesterday was spent,  (very enjoyably out of the studio for a change!)  fitting editors for their own perfect custom leather piece!

My little rack of sample & fitting garments

Sleek leather pencil skirts, with a open vent and bright gold (but not exposed- just a hint) zips, were the big hit, followed by a sexy low back peplum top, again with a gold zip - this time exposed.  Black (of course) followed by mahogany, cognac and grape.

We hope to have photos of these new styles up soon- on the Blog, so check back soon! & Thank yous to Josie and Chrissy!

Eventful

Stretch Leather Mens Jeans

Another recent project, this time men's custom made jeans in stretch leather:

The stretch leather is popular with guys, its great if you are active and also if you need to sit for long periods since the waistband allows for stretch as well.  The leather is from the same tannery that creates the leathers Jitrois uses. Beautiful, supple and comfortably backed with cotton stretch fabric. The leather is available in a constantly changing array of colors weights and finishes, Black of course is a pure classic....

Stretch Leather Mens Jeans

Traveling Leather

This is a recent project for a client who travels a lot.  It needed to be light enough to be worn in many climates, and packable without adding too much weight.  The client brought to me a jacket he'd  purchased several years ago, from a well know European designer.  It was incredibly light weight and also very worn out.  In fact, it was actually pleather! (for lack of a better term)

He'd believed it to be leather at the time he purchased it and it did have an amazing hand to it.  It could have easily pass as leather when it was new, except for the weight.  Really, it was so good  only someone who really versed  in leather would be able to tell.  Plus the workmanship in it was very high, quite odd to put that work into a synthetic...

But, what had happened over 4 years of wear was inevitable with a petrol product.  The jacket's finish had virtually disintegrated everywhere there was friction, contact with the skin or the even the slightest perspiration!  The edges, the cuffs, full across the back, the collar, and the underarm area- to the elbow!

He wanted the jacket re-created as closely as possible, in real leather.  keeping it as light as possible and seamless along the length like the original. (This is often impossible since the very light skins tend to be very small and just don't allow for the length required in a men's jacket.)  It worked out perfectly that the one skin that usually runs larger suited this project to a T).  There were also fit adjustments needed, to have a really well fitting jacket.

This is the finished jacket:

The new jacket - just a little heavier than the original,  has minimal inner construction, to keep the weight down.  And,  it can comfortably go from Lima to London without adding too much extra to the carry on.

Traveling Leather

Yes, it is Leather

 This just in - a drop dead gorgeous client in her custom-made leather dress! 

(I love this photo! Thank you B. for sending it to me.)

Here is some detail:

...and it is really bronze, a beautiful pearlescent lambskin.

More Stretch Leather

Yes, it is Leather

And the Winner is...

I want to thank everybody who posted here the last couple of weeks and who also kept me abreast of a glitch in Firefox so I could let others know. 

Ok - all the entries have gone into a hat and my husband is doing the honors...Good Luck everybody,
And thank you all for entering!

...and the winner is....

 Peter!

I will be contacting you shortly, Peter.

This was my first giveaway,  not my last.  I plan to do more as the occasion arises,   so to hear about any future promotions don't forget to sign up for my e-mail list.

Thank You for all the support.

Carla Dawn

And the Winner is...

Blood on the Snow

It is falling solidly right now - from where I am sitting you can hardly see across the way.  It may go on like this for days.   Looking at the photos of this jacket I recently finished  got me thinking of the Grimm's Brothers version of Snow White and the blood drop in the snow...

This color is probably my favorite color, especially in leather, a true, true oxblood. The combo of red and black against white has always struck me.  Perhaps it goes back to when I was about 3 or 4 and cut my foot and bled all over the black and white checkerboard floor.  It stopped me in my tracks, I have such a vivid memory of the colors and the contrast.

This is my fantasy Motorcycle Jacket.  It was inspired by and created for a great client and very cool guy. Buzz Bissinger. I hope he gets to wear it in the snow.

Blood on the Snow

White Hot Leather

White leather has always been a very popular request,  especially for editorial purposes- however, no white leather ever goes out of here unless it is purchased... I never stocked it in my shop for the same reason,  it simply does not get taken care of properly by people unless they have some skin in the game!

Recently I've had more & more customers asking about it & ordering it.  One white project I am working right now on is for an HBO Special right now - when it is closer to air time I will update.  When I work in white the whole studio is given over to it and I dress in white!  (No kidding,  my husband did not recognize me the other day when we met downtown for dinner since I was not in my usual head to toe black!)

I've done white leather stagewear:

here's a white leather wedding dress:

White leather baby bibs (they wipe clean in most cases)

White leather jackets:

& God know what else...

Good white leather when it is tanned must be finished in a dust free environment, it is harder and harder to find white leather that is finished properly - many times you will see,  on smooth white leather, little tiny spots in the finish because of dust...it's not in the lot I just got!  It's been ages since I have not had to painstakingly check every skin for these.  Makes me happy.

On the subject of white leather,  I just got photos from a client, (one of my few ladies) of an outfit I made her last year.  She's got star style and confidence and effortlessly carries off  looks much stronger than most people here in NYC would ever attempt! (...my pet peeve about NYC- sometimes it feels like everybody wants to fit in - often to the point of blandness... it gets boring.)   Randa's use of accessories is flawless to boot!  I think these photos only give a hint of that.  This is one amazingly turned out woman,  & on an everyday basis!

 "You certainly have my permission to use the photo on whatever you need it for.  Thank you sooooo much!"

I love to see the finished work the way it is worn by the people it's designed for!

Thank you so much to Randa S.  for the photos & permission to post.

Here is the front view:

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White Hot Leather

Sharp Dressed Men

After seeing "Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills" I feel inspired…Custom-made Menswear has surreptitiously become my concentration and it's kind of funny.

Many years ago when I was studying costume design, my teacher Jose Varona was looking over my shoulder while I was sketching in class (was it for Eugene Onegin?) and commented on how good I was at designing for men.  He said  he found it unusual,  he felt most of his students preferred designing for women and thought it was much harder to design well for men.

I felt hugely complemented & I liked designing mens costumes, at 14 I wasn't much into ruffles - unless they were Roberto Cappucci type ruffles ("ruffles-on-acid" was how I thought of them- here's a taste!). Do an image search - you will see what I mean- mind altering!!

So I guess I've come full circle.

And with that in mind…Here's the 2nd of a pair of jackets I did recently….

Can you tell I've become bored with the Wedding Dress? :) will get back to it soon!

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Sharp Dressed Men

SPECTRE Style

Somehow the villains always look the coolest.  The best tailoring, the sharpest style.
It's why we've all emulated them all for years.  Besides, edgeless gets very, very boring, very quickly.

I was so very glad when frilly girlie-girl dresses went out of favor in NYC - my eyes were burning from the saccharine!   Things are so much better when they bite!   But, I was a bit ahead of the game with my womenswear & now I'm doing mostly menswear.   It's great really 'cause guys get it!

Case in point,   Jackets (Leather here, of course) fitted,  sharp tailoring,  edgy,  tough,  straddling fashion, fetish,  militaristic and of course my favorite,  Bond Villains! (Hey, the Bad Bond Girls were ALWAYS the best Bond Girls! I need to find more of them!)

Here I present, The dangerous Nehru Jacket.  Finely tailored, in a foreboding  ( yet deceptively fine & very light weight )  matte black lambskin.  Incredible, if I do say so myself!  Very Dr. No,  no?

Many Thanks to my customer,  John,  for posing for pix, one day I hope to get getter ones,  I have an

on-the-fly-studio set up now...perfect for those mastermind villains!

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SPECTRE Style

Rolex Leather Aviator Jacket Commission

Here is a recent custom commission of the Rolex Jacket, featured here  and here.  (Originally commissioned by Rolex for an advertisement.)

This one has  a real shearling fur collar and is a functional portrait collar cut, rather than the extreme (great looking, but very constricting for actual wear) off-the-shoulder cut of the editorial model in the advert.

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Rolex Leather Aviator Jacket Commission

More Custom Made Leather Boot Pants

Continuing on with the new projects...The boot pants:

A gentleman with amazing taste and a ton of style, commissioned these.  The original concept was simple, but once I got started with the materials,  the bootmaker and the fittings,  the project took its proper form and the real construction and technical specifications took shape.

For these pants to be truly wearable and functional (and still look freaking amazing) a lot of articulation had to be built in to allow for sitting,  bending & movement. The leather is not stretch leather and I wanted a fashionable and masculine look.

I want these pants to elicit unconscious (and appreciative) double takes.  My client can carry them off.  As streetwear,  As fashion.  As a statement.  Not too many people can do that these days.  Confidence & real personal style,  is a powerful combination...

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More Custom Made Leather Boot Pants