Monthly Archives: March 2024

……………….I love designing jackets……..I learned tailoring and fitting from the best!……So many young students, and for that matter young designers are ill-equipped when it comes to their knowledge of tailoring. They expect their sample assistants to know how to bring their sketches to life………Then you must express to them what you want the garment to look like, and you must know as much as possible……especially when you are not a good illustrator, which many designers are not……KNOWLEDGE is POWER!……Here are four very different jackets…….From left to right…..a slouchy shirt jacket….a retro “dress” jacket….and two piped jackets with very different silhouettes.

………………….I literally live yards away from the water of the Long Island Sound……..In the late fall, winter, and very early spring I will go and stand or sit there and just stare into the clean, clear water, and think how pure and beautiful it is………That’s before the boats start to inhabit the sound………..and then it ALL CHANGES!!!!!!! You would not believe…..or maybe you would believe what gets washed up onto my beach!!!!!! SUCH GARBAGE……it is not only disgusting…….it’s heart breaking. Why are humans the only animals who have no respect or care about mother nature……..Some of us are so destructive……..I’m no angel….I drive a car which contributes to pollution, but I try……I recycle, and I would absolutely NEVER EVER throw anything out of my car window….let alone into the water of the LI Sound……WHY are some people such PIGS……..Is it that they weren’t taught any better….or are they just lazy slobs…….These pictures just hit home to me!!!!……and I know beautiful summer weather is coming……..but along with that the tons of trash and garbage that will get thrown into the water…….Can’t they just take trash bags on their boats, and onto the beaches?………..I will go down and enjoy the clean clear water while I still can…..before the miserable boat people start polluting all over again!……..Sorry about the venting….but it is just so disturbing!

…………..A little known fact about the POLKA DOT pattern…….” During the medieval period in Europe, the dotted fabric was one of the forbidden items considered….TABOO…..This is because this pattern symbolized bad omens and disease that struck their civilization….such as leprosy…smallpox…and Bubonic plague……..How times have change….Today the polka dot is considered, fun and joyful…..The spring croquis above were the start of a thought I was having about polka dots and other solid spring attire, and accessories such as the head scarf with the self fabric flower and the polka dot “Bucket hat”……..The polka dot is iconic…..a classic that constantly shows up on many designer runways……Just on this past Oscar night, Jennifer Lawrence was wearing a beautiful, polka dot strapless gown and shawl from Dior…..

………..After doing a quick series of polka dot croquis…..it was time to think this out, so I continued doing more sketches of polka dot print clothing….The Viscose/Linen blend three button PIPED jacket was a perfect balance to the coin dot print wide leg georgette pant…The rayon georgette “dime’ size dot dress had an empire waist and buttoned down the front….The notch collar, short sleeves and godet skirt gave the dress a retro vibe……Georgette “dime” sized polka dots also came in the form of a short sleeve dress over a tank dress…….and a one button long jacket worn over a tank and linen drawstring pants……..Lingerie took it’s place in a polka dot silk “teddy” with lace trim worn with a single button jacket and a bias rayon midi tulip skirt…..Spring was certainly in the air!

………………After dreary winter weather it was always a relief to think about designing Spring clothes…..These croquis were done for the Spring/summer 1989 collection……Once I decided which styles I would put into the collection. I made individual sketched of each style and gave them to my draping assistants, and they would put them in their own binders…….The sweater sketches I would take with me to Italy, and work with my agent, Giovanna Ciampini, to put the samples into work with different mills that specialized in different techniques of knitting……From the left….a longer cardigan With contrast trims and gold buttons. I had all of the buttons custom made by my jewelry licensee. Under the cardigan a cotton poplin shirt with a crest embroidery. The wool crepe pant had a high rise waist line, and tuxedo stripes down re legs……The little shrunken cardigan was in a cable stitch and also had contrast borders. It is drawn with pleated trouser pants. The little sketch next to the little cardigan is a sweater set in cables…..a v-neck tank and an elongated cardigan . The set is shown with a high waisted short skirt with tuxedo stripes…..The blue wool crepe jacket has a double breasted front with the custom gold buttons. It has 3/4 length sleeves, a peaked lapel. and bottom band pockets. The breast patch pocket has the embroidered crest which became a theme in the collection. The “Chanel length” skirt in ivory was also in the wool crepe from Italy……The ivory wool crepe single button blazer also had the embroidered crest on the breast pocket. It is sketched with languid trouser pants in the matching ivory wool crepe………This suit became an editorial in one of the Fashion magazines……photo below.