Speak of the Devil-Car Design

Its funny how things come up in conversation and then the exact subject / sentiment appears in your in-box.  Walking down the street today we were talking about tiny cars.  From comparing the footprint of a smart car to another (bigger) tiny car the subject moved to what we've seen of the new Fiat 500 and our inevitable grip about...

What the heck is up with car design today???  Why does everything have to look the same?  The smart car is hardly pretty,  but it's eye catching and fun. (I want my smart car shrink-wrapped to look like a roller skate!...MINE!)  The PT cruiser's appeal also had to have something to do with the vaguely retro (still not pretty) styling.  It looks like the new 500 will be following the herd as far as same old, same old,  (yawn) styling.

Why can't a car company do something with a little style & snap?  Like this:

 
  It's the same size as  the hot dog cart! 

 & I think it would fit lengthwise inside the crosswalk!  I love this car!

Even better,  I LOVE these CARS.

Why is it not possible to have cool cars today?

 
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Speak of the Devil-Car Design

I Love Men

This Designer?   Maybe not so much...Somehow it hasn't caught on like baggy pants.  But could it????

Is this the counter to strong, empowering women's fashions?  Infantilizing men's fashion?  Is it time?

Would love to know your thoughts.

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I Love Men

Wonder Woman Obsession

I am fascinated with the obsession over Wonder Woman's new costume.  While it's been years since I've been involved in the comics world,  mainstream or otherwise,  I am a big fan of Kaz and years ago did costumes for live appearances and book covers of many of Frank Thorne's characters.  From Ghita of Alizarr,   to Lann s2ex,   to Danger Rangerette,  as well as Red Sonja,  (hey, what on earth happened to that movie?) a character Frank took on after Barry Windsor Smith. - (Disclaimer; my sister is in many of the photos on this last link- & one day I may even post good scans!)  Actually, come to think of it,  the whole comic book thing may be the beginning of my decent into leather!

Do those leggings have a "mom" rise?

There's been some great debate going on about the new WW costume with tons of wild & great takes on it posted in various forums.   From Fan Art to Fashionistas,  the debate this has stirred up is inspiring.  Plus,  looking at all the permutations the costume has taken over the years,  is a lot of fun.

My favorite variation of the re-design, (at least the one that I could locate today) is this one,

I've looked everywhere for my real favorite, but there is no way to search these forums by images... so I can't post it here :(  realized I will probably never find it again... Someone closed up the neckline,  killed the jacket and got rid of the carpal casts, in favor of something...sleek & dangerous looking.  I believe they added boots,  something to break up that unrelenting black.   They also tweeked the belt /lasso- it just all worked much, much better as a take on this design.

My own take is either commit & cut the top LOW or commit and make her TOUGH and sexy,  I think if you have a body like this (or whoever they will cast in the movie) - skin tight ought to cover it.   I am thrilled that they thought to put her in leather,  but  a bad 1980's cropped biker jacket?  Why not the hair to go with it?  I am very happy they dumped the silly star-spangled briefs and super red boot combo.  But I think they completely wimped out in a lot of respects.  

And, in spite of all protestations on the various forums otherwise, (for practicality's sake, no less...huh?... for a comic book character?)  I think she needs some sharp, super high heeled wedge boots, either over the knee or maybe 3- 4 inches above the ankle, but fitted.  No gappy ankles & not the clunky shaped wedge, more like the curvaceous YSL wedge from maybe 2002- 2003.  Tough and sleek,  none of this middle of the road stuff,  she's Wonder Woman!

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Wonder Woman Obsession

High End Hanging by a Thread?

foto courtesy of flickr (creative commons license)

I was fascinated to read this article in the NYTimes last nite,  Is Italy Too Italian?.   It really just scratches the surface on a bunch of conundrums faced by specialized makers in Italy and elsewhere.  

For years Italy has had no real rules as far as country of origin goes on garment labels. As far as I have know items sold in Italy could be sewn in Slovenia yet marked   "Made in Italy"  this was very often the case with leather garments.  I've been approached by these same makers for production. Their minimums were not too high & the workmanship is incredible, yet I'd have to bring in garments labeled "Made in Slovakia" so I never entertained the idea. 

Prada and other companies based in Italy can label it "Made in Italy" even if all that is done in Italy is sewing on the buttons.  (This loophole somehow enabled A/X to have production made in prisons some years back.)  Ok, so there's one conundrum.  I feel for Mr. Barbera here as he is battered by this loophole already,  and still will be when the new law they are talking about goes into affect.

Then when I read the average cost per yard of Mr. Barbera's wools being $48.75 a yard,  it seemed very reasonable to me, since the rock bottom per yard equivalent when converted to leather winds up being about 1.5 times that & based on the average goods we use (ie: the stuff people order the most of) it becomes closer to 2 times that range.

While they do some vertical manufacturing,  and have their own collection of suits, it's definitely not a "fashion" line, (the styles chosen for Times slideshow do seem particularly outdated, why?)  which has got to be hurting some.   I also wonder how many distributors and mark-ups this wool goes through on it's way to becoming a finished piece with other companies?  The debt the NYTs notes cannot be entirely due to the guilds? Or can it?  That seems horrific and I kind wish they went a little deeper here- do their accounts pay in a timely fashion or is it slow death by aging?  Is it something else? Why isn't a company like this treated like a national treasure?

Carlos Barbera wool must be incredible.  The whole description of how the wool is treated,  it's truly an artisanal product.  I'd love to get to work with it one day.  I sincerely hope the tradition is not "Finito"  it would be a very bad thing,  and not just for Italy.  It is a form of art,  the knowledge,  the care and passion involved in creating something so special as this wool, that without chemicals or additives beyond it's "spa" time becomes a 'performance' fabric.

We needs purists like this.  We need quality like this.  Sure, it's not for everybody, but why should it  be?

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High End Hanging by a Thread?

Lucy Punch in Behrle NYC Leather

Still from "Dinner with Schmucks" courtesy M.Vogt

This is the Trinity Dress, featured on Lucy Punch in "Dinner with Schmucks",  in beautiful soft French patent leather.  It is reversible (V front or V back) and can be custom made in various leathers and colors.

It is available individually made-to-order as shown in standard sizes. 

Contact us Here with any questions or for an appointment.

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Lucy Punch in Behrle NYC Leather

Bearskins vs Stella McCartney

 I do admire Stella McCartney for sticking to her guns and being in the position to make some real impact.  However,  I don't admire the pushing of petroleum products that have a half-life of 50,000 plus years in a landfill.  I don't like the idea of bears (or any animal) being killed only for their fur,  but that is not the case here as the bears are culled for population control in Canada, which has a highly regulated fur industry.  

 photo of real Bearskin hats from Telegraph UK 2008 announcing contest for alternative bearskin

I expect these  bearskin (hats) when well taken care of,  last at least 10-15 years  and probably a great deal longer.  I would not be at all surprised if one guard has one hat, that lasts the entire lifetime of his career and is then handed down as a treasured family keepsake.  I don't imaging they are needing to make a gazillion of them either.

I have found PETA and it's like to be highly hypocritical over the years.  From the disrespectful open pit burials it promoted  & "gave" for old fur coats that could have been used to keep living people and  animals warm.  Yes, they did eventually figure that one out (first by adding coffins- took longer for the rest) but I think more as a result of bad press than reality.  They don't ever seem to take into account the damage of synthetic petrol based good that are inundating the world's landfills.  I know there are all sorts of hi-tech finishes that can make polyester microfibers "absorbent" but those are  chemical additions and "finishes".   (Think  surface,  faux,  temporary, and mostly,  chemical.)  Add to that the sheer volume of synthetics on the market, as well as  how long it actually lasts in real usage,  a month?  6 months?  A year?  On top of this we have such well informed fashion sites like Refinery 29 and Fashionista with their writers who have touted such a creature as "Organic Nylon".  ARRRGGH! 

For sure,  leather is not a blameless material, (almost nothing is any more)  from GM cotton on up.  But, from my perspective it's the waste involved in so much of manufacturing that is an even bigger issue.  Making thousands of units - that critical mass you need to keep the wheels greased today & make the shelves look full.  OMGod forbid, if Macy's and their ilk do not have their racks at 180% full of synth crap at all times,  you'd think we'd all drop dead! (... that is, if the polyester fumes on the 2nd floor on 34th street weren't enough to knock you down first!)

This is (very wrongly, I think) called the "economy of scale".  Anyone who has taken a serious old school business course knows that this economy of scale eventually collapses under its own weight.  It costs more and more to continue growing it & the arc flattens out.  Now we know that arc is not just a profit arc and  it is costing us all a whole lot more than just money.

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Bearskins vs Stella McCartney

Designer Abayas!

Interesting Article from Bloomberg on Harrods and Designer abayas,  even my other favorite leather designer Jean-Claude Jitrois is in on it! (Alaia & JCJ as far as their leather work, are about it...)
This is  a fabulous idea and honestly from what I can tell of the designs of these 2 sisters,  not far off from very luxurious, voluminous evening gowns,  1980's style.  They certainly don't look like what we here in the West associate with this encompassing garment,  and they are certainly a far, far cry from  burquas, which represents suppression to many people. 

I wonder what the rules are on prints, bright colors and head coverings?  The Das resort 2010 collection is very colorful and looks nothing at all like you would expect.  Very fashionable and elegant. Do they offer matching niqāb?   I would love to see the whole thing put together.

Abayas from DAS

I met a student once who was writing a thesis on full coverage Islamic dressing,  specifically burqas.  He was American of Middle Eastern decent and he dressed in a burqa,  in both the UA as well as in the USA - Middle America too, as I recall)  as part of his research.  He said he felt the whole experience was very disturbing & demeaning.  I don't know how much of this was because he was a man dressing in women's clothing in places it's strictly verboten,  the possibility of getting caught had to be quite scary.

...& uncomfortable,  since for the masses,  burqas are made of polyester - how there are not women expiring from heat stroke everyday is beyond me,  that's gotta be like wearing a full body plastic bag!

I wonder if burqas will ever become part of the "designer market" as well?

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Designer Abayas!

BehrleNYC at the Movies

A little leather project I did about this time last year for the movie "Dinner with Schmucks" is finally going to be out at the end of the month and we are very,very excited to see the results on the big screen.  It's signature Behrle NYC leather and apparently gets to do stunts!   On a gorgeous, fabulous person no less, and it sounds like its part of an integral sequence in the flick. (X-ing fingers here!) So should be fun!  (I will post a photo once the movie is out-  tho if you dig around on the web, it seems some have gotten out - how do they do that? or better question - really, is...how do they prevent that????

Recently, we rented the original "un dîner de cons" and even without subtitles (dead, on the disc we got) the little bit we sat through  looked very funny.  So.... Here's to summer movies & a BIG hit! I want everybody googling "leather + _____ + dinner with schmucks"!

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BehrleNYC at the Movies

Custom Made Wedding Dress Part 5

OK, I am back to this project...on to the back section now.

I chose a section of the center tablecloth medallion that allows for matching and seam allowance and inset the zipper on one side. Finishing the top edge as far as the point where the strap will be inset: 

zipper sewn on left, right is roughly pinned

The zipper has a plaquet to protect the skin from the teeth, and the bone of the underlining will butt up right against the zipper, but inside- between the layers:

left side stitched- right foundation layer

First,  I match up the lace overlay- it takes several tries to get it very close- nothing on this cloth is a perfect mirror since it is all hand embroidered:

 Right side, lace overlay only, pinned

I hand baste it & then I match up the body-underlay, the layer of cotton with the silk basted on:

 Body layer placed

Then the boned underlining/ foundation layer- each step gets hand basted:

Foundation layer, placed

How it looks from the inside:

How it looks from the inside

Both sides, matched & finished along top edge to strap inset point and turned the side panels wrap around and complete the back so lace is not yet hand-stitched down to body layer: 

At this point I'm thinking I can match the shaped edge of the medallion at the bottom to either the finished edge of the corset or to the seam attaching the bodice to the skirt- since still don't know if skirt is going to be absolutely attached. 

Next comes the really tricky part.

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Custom Made Wedding Dress Part 5

Can't Buy Me Love...or Taste.

I don't know why (wait -yes I do!),  it always dismays me when I read something that yet again equates "Luxury" purely with the amount of money something costs.  Real luxury is something much, much more than that.  It's getting to sit down and enjoy a wonderfully hand-prepared meal with people you love, leisurely.  ( Happy 4th! Enjoy the day!)   It's getting time to sit in the sun and relax- listen to the waves or the calming white noise from the bakery across the street.  It's having a cat purring contentedly on your chest.  

It's incredibly wonderful to be able to have the luxury of a beautifully made and perfectly fitted garment on your body.  Here, even the most unlikely fit - even very corseted or tight- is actually comfortable over long periods of time.   And yes, many Luxuries cost money,  (and so they should) from custom-made-anything to having a private jet, or driving that Cobra...

What I don't really get is that somewhere along the line someone also has to then  encrust it with diamonds,  & say they are a "designer" so they can put an insane price tag on it and sell it to someone who I can only think has too much $$$ and very, very low self-esteem.....(Along with nothing to do with their money- which is inconceivable in this day and age -  help solve the BP leak problem - contribute to an an award.  Put some kids through school - establish a scholarship or part of one- Jeeze, adopt a kid, build a school....there are a gazillion things.  Help fund a small business for crying out loud- but not like this!)
  

 600 hours to make?  They are including the cutting of the diamonds I presume...

This is not "Luxury".  This is just pure silliness.  

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Can't Buy Me Love...or Taste.

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

Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills

Last night I caught a wonderful documentary on an amazing LA based,  bespoke suit maker. 

The documentary, by Cecile Leroy Beauleiu, follows the 60+ year history of the indomitable title character Jack Taylor,  whose beautifully cut and impeccably styled,  custom made suits have graced the bodies of everyone from The Duke of Windsor, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, Jack Lemmon and Elvis Presley continuing right up to Jason Schwartzman today.

The man, from what I can tell, is still going strong today at 94... He is truly an inspiration. The love he puts into his work and the pure joy he gets back from it just takes my breath away!

(& here is a wonderful interview from 2002)

Thank You,  Jack Taylor and Cecile Leroy Beauleiu

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Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills

Cutwork Linen Wedding Dress, Part 4

Getting down to the wire now!   1 week…. excited!!!   (a little stressed, too many little, time consuming things to do on top of real life)  Dress is done so I am back tracking here- it's all a distant memory so I hope to catch here up sooner rather than later.  
Lace is already applied to backing material, so now the inner workings of the corset and the body start going together.   It's odd construction (ie: nobody does stuff like this anymore- it's closer to couture)  since I don't want any seams in the lace past what is absolutely necessary.  There are quite a few more seams on the inside than the outside which I know will complicate construction down the line. I say screw it...I am more than momentarily sorry later, but I get over it. 


Inside Layer, with corset workings:

 Inside Center Front

Side layer:  lace overlay will continue in one piece from front to side,  hiding the side front seams of the corset.  Side is one layer of cotton with silk overlay- to cut down on weight.  It's about 95 degrees and insanely humid in NYC while working one this dress.

Inside Side Panel-silk basted to cotton-from back

Inner layer and  side layer are attached to bodice layer, turned out, and seams folded and stitched to form casings for last two pieces of front boning. (Oops-forgot some pix here- not sorry)

 Inside & outside together- shown from inside.

I want to use some of the edges in the cutwork-to frame the neck accent & add a little interest, so I have not stitched clear through it, I've allowed little bits of it to poke out framing the neckline:

Cleaned up, trimmed and hand-stitched down:

Maybe a little subtler than I expected, but I like it, these are the sort of little close up details that make things special.

Here you can see the single layer sides extending beyond the edges of the lace medallion- the ace edge  was stitched down with a tiny matching zigzag, trimmed with applique scissors, and the remaining was stitched - by hand,  through the chiffon layer only.  The medallion continues up the shoulder straps - 

without a seam that corresponds to the strap seam on the underlying foundation layer. 

All of this I am doing by gut, I do not know what is going to happen with the skirt or the final fit, since I expect the  fit will be different than fit in muslin and checked at every juncture.  I have not worked in fabric in ages so I don't know what to expect and accommodate for at this point.

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Cutwork Linen Wedding Dress, Part 4

Antique Cutwork Lace Wedding Dress, Part 3

In real time I am almost done with the dress.  (I expect to be done by Sunday the 30th,  tomorrow-barring any massive changes /adjustments or fits of complete anality which don't belong in this project!) Anyhow, I know its now a dress. Rather than a bodice and skirt or even a semi-attached…whatever…

But since I started to do this in actual segments, in blog time,   I'm sticking to that!  You've seen the rough layout, but I will refresh you: 

This is just the front panel, the lace will wrap around to the sides.  I plan to make use of some of the oval edges as well as the motif edges. Just not sure which ones or where at this point.

The lace is carefully back stitched down to the layer of twill and silk.  not too close to the edges, since the sides need to be stitched on later.  I've cut the straps in one piece on the lace layer.  I want the motif as continuous as possible. The basting line 3/4" inside the cut edge is the finished edge I've drafted for.  Parts of this are likely to change since fit was done on muslin and the finished piece entails several layers and will be thicker so we'll see…

Thread is wrapped around needle, for portage.  (I watched "In Cold Blood" while doing the handwork- Great movie!  It took far too long for me to get to...)

From the front, stitched in a mocha/taupe along edges of cutwork- I was very lucky to have an old,

old spool of thread that was a perfect match to the embroidery! 

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Antique Cutwork Lace Wedding Dress, Part 3