Yearly Archives: 2021

……………………..August 09 was all about Fall…..Starting at the top was a jacket I reproduced from an Anne Klein jacket in the photograph.. It looked simple in the solid Java Brown and Slate Grey, but it had lots of details….from the four button hole pockets with small buttoned tabs to the TABS with button holes down the front which was a very labor intensive to make. It had a high notched collar and body seams. The entire jacket was top stitched which exaggerated every line……..The next jacket was made in a beautiful, very sophisticated men’s wear check. This was a fabric swatch I had in my archives from an Italian mill in Northern Italy. They specialized in in very fine men’s fabrics. Armani was a big user for both his men’s and women’s collections. The quality was superb. I always looked forward tom going tom this mill. The designer of the fabrics, who presented the collection to me, was incredibly handsome and always beautifully dressed. This particular check I sent off to China with fingers crossed, because the paler color yarns were heathered which gave the fabric it’s character. I was truly expecting a check in two solid colors without the heather effect, but the factory came through and duplicated the fabric perfectly. I have to give the Chines factories and designers credit. They were and are great at copying. This two button blazer was on the longer and leaner side and had slanted flaps. It had a faux breast pocket to give it the men’s wear look. It also had all of the tailoring and fit the Linea Ladies came to expect. The two tone button was created to go with the fabric…The colors were Blush heather with solid Java Brown and Oyster Heather with Black…Elaine did a beautiful job with this jacket achieving the nuance of the notch lapel and collar and the balance of the jacket….making sure the pocket flaps were just the right size and followed the line of the upward slanting hem…..and so did the very special factory that made them……The SILK Crepe de Chine blouse below had a beautiful rose design woven into the fabric…..There were areas of the fabric that looked satiny and areas that looked matte making the roses stand out. It had a hidden button placket front a smallish more feminine collar and 3/4 sleeves with buttoned cuffs……The colors were Blush, Oyster and Light Grey……..The next sweater was truly beautiful It had a V-neck and 3/4 sleeves with tubular trims for a dressier look…..However it was the intricate bugle bead design that gave this WK sweater a pure designer look. There was something antique about the pattern of the bugle beads combined with the misty colors. Black, Java Brown and a Wood Violet were the colors. The Black had steel bugle beads, the Java Brown had a dark copper color bead and the Wood Violet had iridescent purple bugle beads………….The last jacket was suede with metallic leather trims. Unfortunately I could not capture the true colors. The colors were Taupe suede with a tonal Taupe metallic leather and Wood Violet with a Gunmetal metallic leather that had a violet tint…….It was not your typical suede jacket!

………………………….Aug 09 brought on the new Fall season…….Starting at the top left was a Ponte knit tunic top. It had a wide and deep V in the front accented with zipper teeth which had by now become a Linea signature. It had a jewel neckline which is a little larger than a crew, and more feminine.The front unzipped too…The colors were Teal and Med. Purple…..The next jacket had an A-Line silhouette and was in a new fabric. As I recall it was a MELTON. It may have been slightly brushed, but I don’t remember. It had all of the “bells and whistles”. Gold or Silver Ball buttons Buttoned straps on the raglan sleeves. Trench flaps that also buttoned, and there was a flap in the back with an inverted pleat This little double breasted jacket was very successful and became a reorder……The colors were Violet and Black…The next sweater set was ribbed and fully fashioned. Both the cardigan and the short sleeve top had raglan sleeves….It came in Hot Pink, Turquoise and Black…….The next jacket was a combination of leather and suede. The placement of the suede gave the jacket it’s newness…..Besides suede strips down the front and zipper sleeve detail, the collar. the zip pockets were framed in suede, and the shoulder caps were in suede too…..The colors were Java Brown and Slate Blue.

………………….The July 09 Designer Gallery had some wonderful items….but….the STAR of the show was the suede jacket at the lower left…..From the front it was a beautifully shaped blazer with beautiful jewelry like buttons. I had created these buttons at Anne Klein from earrings we were doing. I had them reproduced for this jacket. What was the special detail that everyone LOVED were the rows of suede ruffles trimmed with gold zipper teeth. The ruffles also repeated on the sleeves….This was a quick sell out!……The jacket at the upper left was a direct reproduction of a jacket I did for AK as the photo shows. It was offered in Rose and Black boucle with gold buttons…….The next tunic was in my poly blend Ponte knit….It also had a very Audrey look. It had a bateau neckline and there were three faux horn DTM buttons on the back yoke. It had 3/4 sleeves and inseam pockets with top stitching…….The cotton/acrylic sweater had tubular trims, 3/4 sleeves and a scoop neck…..It was the twisted and pearl ribbon borders That made it super special. The two satin ribbons for each sweater, one tonal with the body color and one in an accent color. The pearls were dyed to match one of the ribbons……The colors were Slate Blue sweater with Dk. Taupe and Slate blue ribbons with Taupe pearls…..Black sweater with Ivory and Black ribbons and Ivory pearls…..Pink sweater with Black and Pink ribbons and Black pearls….The detail made all the difference and made it perfect for the Designer’s Gallery.

……………………….Today everyone is Irish………………..Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

………………….The May 09 day show had unique wonderful pieces…..The short sleeve jacket at the upper left was detailed as a safari jacket with four patch pockets and buttons. The short elbow sleeves had cuffs. The high button jacket had a notched collar, body seams and an optional self tie belt. It was in a beautiful stretch cotton with a very silky hand….It came in butter, sand and white. There was a coordinating crop trouser pant with cuffs. It had pressed creases to give the pant a slimmer sharp look. It too came in butter, white and sand…..Th next sleeveless tunic had a fit and flare shape. It had cut in shoulders and it was fitted through the upper torso The seams gave the top its’ shape which hid inseam pockets. The shirt collar and stand were small, and it had a button front….it came in flame, royal and black. This was one of Jac’s favorite tops. Her broad shoulders looked incredible in this top…..The next skirt was a wonderful separate piece to wear with tee shirts and WK sweaters flip flops and sandals. The paisley embroidered pattern was a tiered skirt in cotton….lined in a thin cotton batiste….The short sleeve shell that is below was very special. It had a very special process of puckering in a Chrysanthemum pattern. This was a one time only even though it sold out and QVC wanted to reorder it. The factory refused to make it again!!! Due to the puckering it was extremely difficult to cut the garments and maintain the correct sizing so it was dropped. It came in off white, pink and turquoise….It looked great under jackets and on its’ own….For those who were able to get it, it is a true collector’s item……The V neck tunic was dip dyed. It had a silk lining and a silk chiffon bracelet length top…both dip dyed. The colors were turquoise and yellow…..Th next shirt was one of my and Jac’s favorites. It was basically a classic shirt with a narrow button front placket, a 3/4 sleeve with a french cuff….but it was the front bib that was the magic! The bib was made out of sheer organza….then narrow strips of cotton were appliqued on top. The cotton strips were approx 3/8th of an inch wide with 1/8th inch spacing…Yes, you could see through the spaces but very little. A nude bra was all you needed, Jac wore both a nude no bra bra, and a black bra depending on where we were going!…….The last two pieces were definitely made in one of my favorite Ikat prints…..The fabric was a SILK crinkle georgette. The blouse had a scoop neck, button front, side slits and 3/4 length full billowy sleeves. The skirt  was a slim pull-on with two bottom ruffles It came in two fabulous colors….espresso multi and black multi.