inspiration

january is design o'clock at the studio which means many late nights as we prepare to shoot our fall/winter 2009 catalogue.

season after season i find myself returning to some of the same source materials for inspiration during this hectic time. one of these is a 1941 french pattern magazine which was gifted to me by a friend way back when i was a teenager in art school.


i've always been in love with old magazines and catalogues, fashion or otherwise, and 'gloria' was a first favorite. though the styles themselves haven't been a direct influence on me in awhile i just love the beautiful detailing of the garments--i could look at those pleats and tucks, gathers and seamlines for hours.



petal sleeves, diamond bodice detailing and plenty of buttons and bows are all elements i find sneaking into our forthcoming nokomis collection. i love playing with classic details to make a totally wearable modern dress--though i'll never be able to fully let those vintage silhouettes go.

looking through these pages which continue to capture my attention after all these years it makes me wish there was a good contemporary fashion magazine done entirely in illustration. anyone know of one?