Budding Beauty

This design originated during a very boring day of school. Idea created: Math, Idea translated to rough sketch: Health. Inspiration: Grecian Goddes, Rapunzel, Fairy Tales, Italian painters and poets, Sunsets in Spring.

The top is a one shoulder with a little rosebud sitting on the shoulder. Then the skirt is like those bubble skirts--draped underneath itself--and slightly crooked at the bottom diagonally and very draped and flowy and elegant. Then the bottom is layers (preferably cut uneqally) of chiffon in an offwhite colorthat go from just past the knee down to above the ankle. It's thick so you can't see through it, but it'sstill a more airy and ethereal look.

May your Wednesday be wonderful!

Keep it Classy

xoxo

Leah

In a Circus of My Own

I'm not one who likes to wear just what everyone else is wearing...ever. I like to be creative and take every opportunity to wear something exciting and unique and oh so chic. While in Georgia over Spring Break my mom and I took a trip into the Betsey Johnson boutique in an Atlanta mall and I was dumbstruck. I was smitten with everything in there, and particularly latched onto a short evening gown with a unique and fabulous design. (If only I was old enough to go to prom!)

The skirt is entirely composed of bright pink tulle with a corset style bodice and I want this dress in my closet more than life itself! I know that it's not the most obvious choice but it would be perfect and I truly wish I could've bought it and saved it for next year. (Although who knows what other wonders Betsey will have come out with by then.)

Betsey Johnson
Evening Tallula Strapless Dress
$485

It inspired me to come up with my own version of a dress with a tulle skirt-because my one qualm with the dress was that the top was a tad bit understated and I wish it'd had a few embellishments. (However, it does leave room for playing with accessories which would work perfectly too.)

My dress has the same corset top and a tulle skirt, though my tulle would be organized in a more up and down fashion than the swirl of the Betsey dress.The top corset piece would either be a pastel clementine color or a fresh white color and would have a sash of fabric flowers of all types (Daisies, Roses, Tulips, etc) and would go into and indent sort of into the skirt a few inches down, and wrap around the shoulder to the top of the other side of the corset. Would anyone else rock the tulle skirt for prom?

Keep it classy! Hope everyone's as ready for April as I am!

-Leah

Night on the Town

This was inspired by some slinky sequined dresses I saw and liked, but a little different...ya know, I sometiems realize that the first idea things originate from, ends up bearing little resemblance because it mutates in my mind. Anyways here's a design, since I know I haven't put one up in a while:

This number has a simplistic shape, that would fall nicely over an hourglass shape. The neckline is a tad bit deep which may be scandalous were it not for the classy black mesh draped over it, providing a high neckline. I would imagine it in two color schemes; the first being deep avy blue with the stones being shiny rhinestones that would reflect the light. The second would be white with the stones being black. I drew out the layout for how the stones would be aligned in case my sketch wasn't very clear. It would hem right above the knee. I would imagine it for a night out or even a school dance.

Hope everyone's week started out well!

-Leah

I'm Just Peachy

Today was rather dreary. No, it was extremely dreary. I have yet to see the sun, the roads and sidewalks were icy, and its very cold. So I dreamed of the warm and pleasant afternoons I plan to spend in Atlanta in a couple weeks and came up with this little number. Just think shirley temples, high heels, a light breeze, country music and perhaps some peach cobbler.

The neckline is a basic scoop with fringe-y ties and there is a thin brown belt for the waistline. The color is peach but my scanner did a bad job of picking it up so use your imaginations! The skirt is a bubble so it would move nicely in that light breeze. Comments are greatly appreciated and I'd love to know what you're imagining for spring.

Hope your days were less dreary!

-Leah

Tribal and Warm

This dress is a little more out there and less traditional and classic. It came to mind with thoughts of tribal necklaces, feathers in everybody's hair, sunsets and a little bit of Lion King.

The neckline would be composed of feathers and lightweight fake stones with an onyx look. The skirt would be full and have spots that start out dark, clear cut and organized, but fade into a frenzy of black splashes here and there. The colors are like a sunset. I'd love for you to comment with what you think!

Hope your having a pleasing Tuesday!

-Leah

A Formal Affair

Hello all! I would just like to show you my latest design. I put in into two different variations, one is a wedding design and that was the original idea because a couple of people I know have gotten engaged recently and so I was in the wedding mood. Then I thought it would also look lovely in a shorter cocktail version that would be good with standout heels and an updo on the red carpet. I'd love to know what you think!

The top is a sweatheart neckline but overlayed with thick lace that has a high necklin and ties on the shoulders and is sleeveless. The skirt is full but not all the way ballgown and is composed of shredded fabric, lace, etc for a feathery ethereal look.

This dress is primariliy the same but with a much short skirt cutting off right above the knee adn there are no ties on teh shoulders. It is also not the stark and crisp white of the wedding dress, but instead is more taupe.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday and is ready for the weekend!

-Leah

Wrapped up in Pink

This design manifests my recent obsessions with fabric wrapped around your body, the color pink, and of course bows. It ended up reminding me of the shirt featured here which is one of my favorites. For this dress I would not recommend the usual stick skinny model. It would look significantly better on someone with the average hourglass body type.

And now I'm off to my school's rivalry basketball game! Hope y'all are having just as fun a start to your weekends!

-Leah

Midsummer Night's Dream

In a more whimsical mood this is what I would wear to a red carpet event, such as the upcoming Oscars.

The dress has a braided neckline (silver) with a sort of sweetheart neckline that leads into a mermaid sillhouette. The skirt of the dress is all sheer chiffon (white) and the torso is a deep blue. The sleeves come round the arm in braids (silver) and then have more chiffon (white) draping down from them creating sleeves.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

-Leah

My Spring Collection

Looking at collections of great designers (featured here and here) I was rather inspired and one night when plagued with insomnia, a few ideas popped into my head and I quickly scratched them onto some paper. After excluding ones that were clearly affected by sleep deprivation, here is what I would have were I to design my own spring collection:

Inspired by Alexander Wang's collection with the white piece-y look. It would be all white soft, light fabric, wrapped and drappe and tied in knots at the indicated places.

 My second sketch of it to try and make it a little neater and show what the back would look like.

Inspired by Betsey Johnson, this has a fifties/sixties silhouette but with a modern twist for the top. It has a large bow that wraps around a little below the shoulder, and then around the back to the waistline, so there is a sort of cut out on the side, but more elegant and classy. Then the skirt has two draped pieces of silk down it, secured with bows at the hem. Light pink coloring.

 This piece has a bow on the neckline that tops a large braid going down the center of the dress. Then from the braid are drapes of fabric flowing around the entire dress symetrically. Fuschia color or possibly in black.

 This design would be in all black lace. The shoulder are large pieces of black lace draped over the shoulder, not sleeves. The waistband is silk and the skirt has a lace pattern styled hem. The neckline has strands of black fabric vertically from the lower part of the neckline up to the actual finish.

 This one I though of after watching the Alexander McQueen fashion show. It's all white fabric, and has a high neckline. Then white strips of fabric wrap around the waist and then come up to encircle the shoulders. The skirt pieces off and criss crosses white strips of fabric for a hem.

 This is my bright red dress. It has a plunging neckline that is connected by a layer of red mesh fabric. The sleeves are scallops with gold trim. The skirt has big bubles of fabric, three layers, piled on top of eachother in a topsyturvy style.

 This is a variation of the dress above it. It has the same plunging neckline but no red mesh, instead gold trim that matches the same sleeves of scallops with gold trim. The skirt has a scalloped curved hem with gold trim. There is also gold trim around the waistline.

Hope you all had a magnificent weeked!

-Leah

Incompetent Immune System

I really really hate being sick. I mean, everyone does, but I don't even really care about the actual sickness as much as the limitations that come with it. I am one of those kids who must be convinced by their mothers through several phonecalls, that missing half a day of school will not end their academic career and that taking a day off is acceptable. Nothing drives me crazier than feeling unproductive and not having something upcoming in my day. In fact, three years ago when I had pneumonia for a whole dreadful month, I was so bored to tears that I forced my mother to find me odd jobs to do that didn't require any movement or a great amount of analytical thinking, as I wasn't capable of either, but made me feel like I was doing something other than wasting away on the couch day after day. Today was not as drastic as pneumonia, but I am already itching to get back into motion, as my to do list is exceedingly lengthy and watching tv gets old after an hour. So rather than watch another rerun of Toddlers and Tiaras, I have put my restless personality into this new design for a friend. It's her ideal wedding dress that she requested with the requirements of a sweetheart neckline, mermaid or ballgown silhouette and simplistic style.

This gown has all the required components as well as some unique qualities. On the front there is gold embroidery along the neckline and down the torso. The seam between the skirt and the torso of the dress has a large gold ribbon and bow tied over it, and overall it's simplistic. The back is where I was a little more creative, making the skirt fuller and with a train as well as having three large pieces of gold lace attached to the gold ribbon around the seam that constitute a longer train that is also light and unique. The back is a corset with the ribbon tie up and the emroidery continues around the neckline.

Hope you all are having more productive Fridays than me!

-Leah

Dripping with Lace



This design was inspired by a cardigan I own (and plan on posting Thursday) with some lace on the shoulders. I took that small detail and exaggerated it into a dress. The color didn't scan very well, but it's an off white, almost beige-y color. The skirt alternates between two different lace styles and a layer of thin silk. The sleeves are 8 layers of lace alternating between the two patterns, and aren't as structured as in the drawing. They're more like waterfalls and cascade down your arm. For styling I would probably put this on like Carrie Underwood at the CMA's with a swarovski crystal belt around the waist and an updo with a headband and some cute wedges or tan booties. When I post the cardigan you can get a better feel for the color!

Happy Sunday! I hope you aren't procrastinating on Monday necessities like I am.

-Leah

Olivya's Prom

My friend Olivya enjoyed this design posted earlier this month and asked if I would come up with something for her. I gladly agreed and she told me to come up with a floor length prom dress and this is what I found on my paper after a few hours of sketching and coloring.

It is jade green with a darker green sash. The skirt has ultra thin chains, like the really delicate ones on nice necklaces, draped on it and overlapping. It's a dropped waist and laces up in the back. The top also has gold chain draping and they all connect to a gold pendant on the front which is a gold greek coin. The neckline is a sweetheart with a little bit of gold chain draping as well. I thought it would look nice with an unstructured side bun.

The End.

Happy Tuesday

Black (Pink) Swan

This is another one of my sketches I drew I believe in math or chinese or one of those subjects where the mind wanders. It's a little different, but if you can imagine it in real life I think it comes out better than I was able to portray it on paper. Just bare with me...I swear it makes sense...well at least to me. Anyways it was inspired by the Black Swan...which I have still yet to see but I get the basic gist about how the girl is a super-perfectionist and then comes undone at the seams, which is how I guess my brain came up with this.

Now for the explanation of why the skirt looks so odd. The idea was that it's a very pretty pink skirt, smooth fabric (but absolutley not shiny), and then there are rips in the dress where tulle is sticking out (not super far, more naturally). I couldn't figure out how to not make it look like the rips are totally visible with wierd circles around them because I wanted to show that there werent just random balls of tulle attached. The idea is the rest of the dress, specificaly the top, is feminine and pretty and perfect and the skirt is beginning to show signs of imperfection. The skirt is nice and full. As for the back, the v back goes straight down to the waist line with rosettes lining it and the tulle continues to stick out in the back too, (not obscenely mind you) because I simply hate when a dress has a pattern that is amazing in the front and then stops awkwardly at the sides and isnt on the back. Anyways, I'm not sure if this communicates perfectly, but in my head it looks simply fabuous, particularly on Natalie Portman.

Just Keepin' It Classy

As I've been assaulted with plenty of homework my first couple days of school I haven't had time to take pictures (and also can't find the camera), I decided to feature another design I made for another friend. I showed it to her today after a mall-venture.

In case you can't read the print, the shoulder embellishments are pearls and the back is all lace. It's draped in the front and a royal blue color. Red lipstick and pearl accesories should be worn and hair is recomended to be styled up.

Testing the Waters

The past few weeks I've been delving into a new pastime and as this year is a year of new begginings and ideas, I decided to post it. It started out during finals week, after succesfully acing my Spanish final thirty minutes early. Required to sit in class the rest of the half hour, and equipped solely with a binder of paper and a pencil, I started sketching and doodling. This was the product of those thirty minutes (and a little more time afterwards).

So as you can see, I started dabbling in coming up with some clothes ideas, since I do love buying them so much. I designed for a friend, though I've yet to show her. But hey, one step at a time! More of this coming soon.