Thanks to friends of mine, I attended the 33rd Annual "Haute for Heart" Fashion Show and Luncheon last weekend. It was a benefit luncheon to raise money for St. Madeline Sophie's Center which "serves adults with developmental disabilities". The event was well put on with a huge silent auction, opportunity gift baskets, a scrumptious luncheon, and best of all, a fashion show! The fashion show was organized by fashion show producer, Leonard Simpson, who showcased local boutiques and fashion designers.
One of the segments in the show included Five Loaves Two Fish by Kit Frye and Heather Haas. They showcased a fine collection of children's clothing, adding in pieces for adults. Their segment was so fun to watch. Whose heart doesn't melt when you see young models walking the runway and strutting their stuff.
Other designer segments included The Lewis Lattimore Collection by Bob Eix, Juelerie by Pamela Pogue, Q Couture by Qadir Hamidi, and Fuegorosa by Olga Cecilia. I was able to capture a shot from Fuegorosa that I thought turned out quite lovely. She went above and beyond, thinking through every detail of each model as they walked the runway. Face masks, hair pieces, and all the models walked in 3's, posing slowly and perfectly to fit their design. It was a hit!
Overall, I think the event and the entire fashion show was very entertaining. The men I was with, who don't typically find fashion very interesting, also enjoyed watching everything for it was new and different and they could see that each of the pieces used on the runway were special and very creative.
M. Dot will be having a HUGE BACK TO SCHOOL SALE on AUGUST 22. 2010. (SUNDAY) Valley Girl Vintage will be also joining M. Dot with this BACK TO SCHOOL SALE !!! They will be having $5 dollar bins and huge discounts throughout the whole store. Clearing out for M. DOT FALL 2010 !!!
Please swing by for some fabulous finds!!! Flier is attached for more details.
Location: 920 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (Library Lofts) Time: 11am to 5pm
Chocolate Cherries has added some new and super adorable pieces to her collection. There are some bikinis, cute and flirty dresses, and more. Check out all of her pieces today to get one for yourself. Not only does she cater to every size, but she offers most of her pieces in other colors made to your specifications. They are all worth checking out and telling your friends about, too.
As some of you already know, I have been starting to dabble a bit into designing for Mini-Me's. I've been considering the fashion trends popular with adults and interweaving them into children's designs. While designing altogether has been lacking in my studio, I am starting to get creative again and design new pieces, starting with the younger crowd. My cousin, an avid Bcat Threads follower had asked me a while back to design a dress for her daughter's one year pictures. She gave me an open slate to work with, asking only that it would be purple, which is her favorite color. I took on the custom order excitedly knowing that I needed to start creating new pieces and that I wanted to attempt some children's pieces, so it was the perfect opportunity for me.
I started the process by scoping out purple fabrics to see what caught my eye. I took in to consideration that the dress was going to be used for pictures and what I have learned through photo shoots and fashion shows is that what looks best in front of a camera or on a runway is usually shiny or sparkley and typically something that gives a "wow factor" when in person. I took this idea and decided to look for fabrics with shimmer. I settled with a few different color variations of silk shantung, some tulle (to add a little puff), and some lace for a little added touch if needed.
When I got back to the studio, I brainstormed, sketched and began the patternmaking process. In the end, I came up with a assymmetrical top with ruffles, a puffy circle skirt and lace trim to added the last needed look to the whole. Here is it on the hanger:
Since this custom dress was ordered from across the country and I don't know of any other children her age to fit it to, I had to take my precautions in sizing the patterns very precisely to ensure that this dress would fit. Even after checking and double-checking, I was still a little nervous to send the dress without seeing it on a body. As with all custom pieces, I get a case of the nervous jitters, hoping the customer will like it and it will fit well. Well, today, I got an email about the dress. My cousin loved it and sent a pic to show me that it fits perfectly.
It sure looks like she likes the skirt, for its full enough for her to grab and play with. Looks like my job here is done and I am happy to have been a part of the whole process of this darling little girl's 1 year old pictures.
Bcat Threads is proud to announce a new featured designer to our site. Her line is called M.Dot Design Studio. She designs feminine clothing with vintage flair. I have been honored to add this new line to our store as well as become friends with the designer, Michelle. Check out her line here! The designer has a heart of gold and a rather large passion for design. You can sense it just by looking at a few of her pieces. Go and get yours today!
Radokri has new fashionable new hair and shoe clips to our store and we are so excited about them. As usual, she has perfected the soft touch and beautiful look of hair accessories. They look so beautiful and have been very popular with brides all over the country. Check out her section in the store to find your perfect piece.
This last Sunday was the "Garden Social and Fashion Show" that I took part in. It might have been one of the funnest of all the fashion show/trunk shows I had been involved with. The students at Fashion Careers College, who were all students of Tanya McAnear of Bad Madge Productions, produced a fashion show for their final assignment in the class. I think they did a great job, for they not only styled the show, but organized the catwalk, the models, and set up for the crowd to be comfortable while they enjoyed the show. They pulled clothes from myself, Jennafer Grace, and M dot. They put may different looks down the runway and you could see the excitement in the eyes of all the spectators as the models walked the runway. During the event, the other designers and myself held a trunk show/ small boutique buying area for customers to browse pieces after they saw them on the runway.
As the models walked the runway, Miss McAnear spoke over an old school intercom system that just added to the special touch of the special event. I even took a pic of it because I thought it looked so neat, and it really worked!
And, while everyone was sitting and enjoying the show, Alexis Lytle of "Gimme Cupcakes" was serving her very own vegan, organic cupcakes, along with FCC students who were hosting a champagne and lemonade bar
Check out all the pictures from the event by clicking on any of the pictures in this blog, or click here for pictures from the fashion show!
Everyone in the OC area, mark your calendars for August 13th at 5:00pm to see Molly B Bikinis walking down the runway. She is the only swimwear designer from San Diego who will be repping her line in this big event, if you are in the area, check out the flyer and make an appearance!
Hippie Chic always seems to pop up in every season of fashion, but always in small doses. You'll see hippie tunics one season, ponchos the next, and bead work soon after. I always enjoy watching what will come next because I've always enjoyed a blast from the past, especially when it comes to the fashion of hippie love. In the last couple seasons we've noticed headbands and maxi dresses, along with hippie skirts and rompers. What will it be for the fall season this year?
Bell Bottoms!!
I am noticing the runways and celebrities alike sporting bell bottoms everywhere. Stores are starting to carry a style or two of the look, and soon they will be flooding the stores. I admit, I'm a bit excited. As I look in my closet and notice that my denim section needs a major overhaul, I will be excited to add bell bottoms to the collection and wear them on an almost daily basis. I do love my skinny jeans and won't be getting rid of them any time soon, but the contrast of looks will allow me to play much more with the other pieces I have hanging in my closet that haven't got any attention in a while. Hooray for the comeback of Bell Bottoms and Wide Legged Jeans!!
A while back I talked about how I had moved my design studio from my old house to the new. See blog post here. I said I was going to share the finished product, and that is just what I am doing today. Unfortunetly, I don't have a picture from my old studio to compare it to the new studio, but trust me when I say, it was much more organized and well thought out. Here is looking from the view when you walk in. You see alot of white and some bare walls, but it is just what I needed so that I didn't feel that I was surrounded with clutter. Simple and Clean.
I have organized drawers for everything that I use, from pencils and paper to buttons and zippers. They all have their own place and each drawer is hidden behind the doors of the cabinet or the curtains of the closet. It works perfectly!
Simplicity at its finest. Don't you think? :)
With 4th of July behind us (by just a day), I have stripes on my mind and I can't stop thinking about them. They are everywhere and I love it. I remember when my fashion sense was lacking a bit in the junior high days, I use to tell myself that as long as I was wearing stripes I would look good. My closet was filled with stripes in all different colors. And, I have to be honest, while it might not have been a good idea to limit myself to stripes, I did do it tastefully. I never looked like a clown and mix and matched my stripes with polka dots or anything like that, but I definitely had a "stripe overload". For long after that, I wasn't able to buy anything stripes. I mean, I am talking years of being stripe free. But, that was long, long ago.
Now, I can't get away from them. I don't know what it is about the pattern of a stripe, but I like the way they look. You see them on dresses, shirts, leggings, pants, anything, and everything. They aren't just nautical, you can also see them in soft and sweet colors, adding more femininity. Maybe that's it. It is a geometric shape that adds a bit of "hard" without losing your feminine side? Whatever it is, I think we all need to find our stripe for the season and enjoy! (Whatever you do, please don't add stars to your stripes, like I said 4th of July as past).
You can also check out our striped fashion here:
The Katiedid Boatneck Dress by Jennafer Grace
Charming Nautical Blouse by Jennafer Grace
Basic Striped Romper by Jennafer Grace
Sunset Striped Bikini by Molly B Bikinis
Ocean Striped Bikini by Molly B Bikinis
Grey and White Bikini by Chocolate Cherries
Ella Bodice dress by Jennafer Grace
Purple Haze Dress by Jennafer Grace
Purple Shimmer Blouse by Brooke Catherine
Along with the nice and sunny summer weather, comes the days of the rain. Some of us like the rain (especially when we never really get it here in So. Cali), and others dread it. Regardless, rainy days usually mean gloomy skies, and with gloomy skies come gloomy personas. I know for me, if it looks gloomy out, I lose all desire to put effort into my day. I don't think about what I pull out of the closet, what I eat, what my hair looks like, etc. I use gloomy days as an escape from reality. I guess it would be safe to say I "let go" for the day. And, nothing is wrong with that, right? Not unless it last more than a couple days, I would say.
Being that we are experiencing a gloomy day here in San Diego today, I started thinking about how much it really does affect myself and fashion. Like I said above, it's a day where I usually just don't care. But, today I decided to approach things a little differently. If I begin the day as if the sky is sunny and smiling, then maybe my day will continue on the same path. So, I carefully planned my outfit (dark skinny jeans, a white tank, a pink and purple tie dyed jersey scarf cardigan and flat black sandals), completing it with earrings, a necklace, and bracelet. I straightened my hair, chose colorful makeup, and added a special touch of perfume to perfect the look. I left the house as if the sun was shining bright and I was feeling the beach vibes...
As I continue on my day I start wondering, did it work? Did I really trick my brain to think that the day was not all of gloom and mist? But here I am, looking out the window, and guess what I want to do? Put on my comfy stretchy pants, a tshirt and pull my hair up. I feel the couch calling my name (and I really am normally a busy body!). I just couldn't trick myself. This girl is made for the sun. I love it and it loves me. :)
If you are feeling gloomy today, too, then think about those sunny days to come and take a peak at all our Bcat Threads summer clothing! Online shopping today might just get you pumped up for the sunny days to come!
Summer is here and now its time to show off your beachwear in style. Our designers have been working hard to get the latest looks to you to get you ready and prepared. Today I found the newest piece in Jennafer Grace's collection, its the Flamingo Lounge Dress. Can you say AMAZING? The colors, the drape, the whole look...it's just stunning. If you are one to cover up at the beach, this is perfect for you. Talk about sex appeal. A combination of Sex in the City meets Shanghai in a vintage boutique. Ooh La La. I want one!! And, you can get yours too right here! :)
Being that I sell my designs in local San Diego shopping boutiques, I have become quite familiar with the shopping experience that is gained from the people shopping in those stores. I have been spending much time looking at the similarities and differences of those boutiques, versus going to the mall to shop. I've talked to many different people with different walks of life to better understand what they expect from a shopping experience and how that experience is gained by the way that they shop and where they choose to go. In doing this, I think I have gained some very useful information that some people just don't know about.
Why Shop in Boutiques?
Boutique shopping is a great experience that some people have never enjoyed. Why? Maybe because they just don't know how good it gets. First of all, what exactly is a boutique? A boutique is a small store that caters to such things as fashion and jewelry. They often carry a select variety of items that is cohesive to the entire store. They are geared more towards a niche, and supplying that niche.
A common mistake made about boutiques is that they are expensive. I hear comments about how some people can't afford to go into boutiques or don't want to spend alot of money on clothing, so they won't shop at them. This is not true at all. I mean, yes, there are some boutiques that are expensive, but it really is not the case in all of them. In fact, most boutiques that I have ever stepped foot in San Diego have a vast majority of prices. You can find everywhere from cheap to moderate to expensive, and sometimes all those prices in one store.
The best part about boutiques is that you can always find unique items. When you are looking for something to stand out from the rest, shopping in a boutique is the best way to find it. They usually only carry a select variety of items, and sometimes just a couple in each size. And, most of the time, they are the only one to carry that item in the area. On top of that, local boutiques are most likely to carry independant designer brands that can't be found in mall stores.
The shopping experience in a boutique is also much more intimate. If you are someone who doesn't like to be hounded by the sales clerks at mall stores, you will love the experience of a boutique. They are generally more helpful, versus hungry for your sale. They want to give you a great experience and help you find just what you are looking for. The environment tends to be more relaxing, making you more comfortable to shop.
I really could go on and on about the experience that you can gain from shopping at your local boutiques, but it is an experience you should try out yourself. Take a day to walk around, look at the different stores and see for yourself. The experience can be relaxing, enjoyable, and different than your every day routine. Plus, you are supporting the local economy by shopping at local small bussinesses. Its a win, win for everyone!
Happy Shopping and Enjoy your local boutiques today :)
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