Posts from ‘Costumes’
Scarfette Rasta Mom
Yes, this is my mother wearing a big pile of scarfettes on her head as a wig.
I think this is absolutely hilarious.
She just turned 70 this year and look at how much fun we still have together.
I will cherish these photos forever.
I am a spiritual person. I am a political person.
I believe that I am empowered to make ethical decisions that are beneficial for my community by the money I spend as an entrepreneur . I believe that as an artist, it is my duty to create beauty for my customers to enjoy. I believe that women deserve to be treated like goddesses entering a temple when they come in to my boutique. They are to be served, taken care of, draped in fabric and made to feel beautiful. I believe this from the bottom of my heart.
I have always been politically active and I have always been crafty. There were certain points in my life where I felt guilty and pained because “just making pretty things” was not saving the planet. Now that I am running an ecological and local manufacturing business that serves and adores women, I feel better. I have merged my environmental activist with my feminist and with my local economist in a way that allows me to keep being a creative human being.
And here is Linda Evangelista, our Montreal-born International Fashion Icon, merging her political views that something is wrong in the world and someone should be held accountable with her love of the Madonna. She got to play a living Madonna in a Religious procession. I have traveled to Antigua in Guatemala to see these processions. They walk the streets playing sad brass band music all the while carrying statues and crying for the death of Jesus. They walk for 12-13 hours. My main reason for traveling there was to see the “carpets” that the locals make from coloured saw dust and flowers. The carpets are made in the street prior to the passing of the procession. When the procession passes, the carpet gets trampled. It was incredibly beautiful. (This is reminding me that I should do a post about those carpets.)
I am unusually attracted the the iconography of the Madonna even though I was not raised in any form of Christianity. To me the Madonna is the “mother”, gaia, goddess … and those are all great things. It represents female divinity, something each woman carries within herself.
I love religious art. I love folk art. I love making pretty things.
It can take quite a while in life’s journey to settle into being who you truly are and not who you wish you were.
Rococo, Victorian, Baroque, Elizabethan….if it is elaborate and covered in gold foil, I am loving it. Though I have traditionally been heavily influenced by folklore and rustic crafts, I am finding a new attraction to over-the top Marie-Antoinette style. Here we see what would have happened if Marie-Antoinette had been a Pagan Earth Queen.
I found these images on the internet and have been saving them for you, my dear readers, for quite some time now.
The corset is all assembled with thorns that are pinning together the leaves. The embellishments are all roses and lilacs…just try to imagine the smell.
This lovely lady seems to be sporting a log-cabin skirt? Not sure why, but the overall look is quite successful.
And here we have a costume that reminds me of myself. My favourite holiday is Halloween and I am usually one of two things: A witch or an Forest spirit. I think this woman did a great job combining fabrics. The best part is the juxtaposition of the gold corset and the raw rags skirt.
The fall collection is in the process of being released and designed all at once. I have already put some pieces into the boutique, but there are many more to come. You will see some peasant sleeves on soft knit tops, a wool coat with full skirt, a very Chanel inspired little cardigan suit with pencil skirt. I am growing up and so the collection will inevitably express some classicism while retaining it’s playful funk.
Have a great week-end!
Kat
http://www.vintagelovelies.com/
Yeah! the new shipment of umbrellas has finally arrived in the store. Come checkout the daisies and roses and dahlias and palm leaves. There are umbrellas with floating air balloons and purple ruffles… Peacock feathers! Sunflowers! Water lilies! Come pop up your very own personal halo of joy. Available in folding or walking stick varieties. Yes we do now have versions that can fit in your purse.
Ok, so we all love men in tight pants. Are we agreed? Add silver and gold tread, pink and orange capes, heart stitching and pretty buttons and my heart goes pitter patter.
Photo: La Presse Canadienne /Rafa Rivas Corrida espagnole
I love the hot pink tights! It is a moment of glory when hot pink tights are a symbol of masculinity and dominance.
The love and detail that goes into costume making is very different from all the assembly line of fashion production. These garments are made tight so that there is less material for the bulls horns to catch on. I love the embroidery. I love the embellishments. I love the tassels and pom poms. The layers! The capes! The little hats! I love that there can be a ritual for men to get this glamed up and that this much pomp can actually contribute to their sense of masculine power.
black and white toreador portraits by photographer: Christian Courreges
The Catalan people have recently voted to stop bull fighting. They are breaking with tradition and choosing to move forward into a cruelty-free world. They are courageous and I have great admiration for the willingness to evolve. Congratulations!
Down with needless torture of innocent animals. Down with the idea that we are not animals ourselves. Down fear of the other.
Cheers to men in tights. Cheers for playing dress up! Cheers to ornate fabulousness. Lets find a better reason for men to get this dressed up. End the blood….. Keep the fashion!
Torro! Torro!
Aya and Kat designed a dress in one mornig for Aya’s “Bal en Blanc” (that means the white ball) for Aya’s graduation from Daycare Ceremony.
She was soooo proud of herself.
She asked me if I cried when I watched her do her Song and dance with the rest of the kids in her group.
I did.
Lovin’ the cowgirl style!
Here’s a new goddess dress that Kat designed for high summer August weddings and parties.
It has a layer of ivory silk chiffon over a soft jersey lining. The embellishments are all silk and beadwork and lace.
And of course some Bridal bibis…we love headpieces!
Summer heat is still here.
Now you are tanned.
This is the time to wear white and ivory and feel like a fairy queen.
Cute, sexy and all textiles!
I found these amazing photos while surfing the net.
I dedicate these to all the indie-rock hipsters of mile-end who do not like ruffles and flowers.
If you ever want to express your feminine, gypsy self, I’ll be there for you.
Until then…enjoy being your “indie-rock hipster of mile end” self, enjoy your perfect body, enjoy working part time and enjoy being able to party all night.
Those are just temporary benefits of being 20….
I can guarantee though…
It just gets better!
I am blown away! I am in awe. I feel humbled by the dresses, the background and the props. The scene that has been created is just incredible.
Some things are made with such outstanding craftsmanship and love that they become absolutely impossible to ignore. Du Buh Du dolls are one of those things (or more like many… there are a lot of larger-than-life characters to love).
Each and every doll hand made and painted by mom Christine Alvarade (and more times than not, photographed in enchanting setups as well). The details, the colors, the personalities she gives them all… it is more like she is creating life than an adornment!
Enjoy this blast of inspiration as her dolls take you on a beautiful journey 
And last but most certainly not least… the mexican skull ladies… my personal faves 
Happy Thursday!
xox
YEAR 3 as Smirkus costume designer!
This years’ theme was Nature, the seasons, the elements. It was almost to broad a theme to start with. We tried different angles to approach Nature with a narrower filter. We settled on a Nature Rock-opera with a touch of Burning-man and a lot of KL style.
The Winters were purple, like when you see shadows on the snow. We added fun fur and icicle shapes. We put the emphasis on the feet because they are tight-rope walkers.
Here we have one of the Fire girls. This year’s goal was to make as many headpieces as possible. I find a head piece really frames and completes a costume. The fire girls are the contortionists.
Spring and summer expressed in flowers. One day I would love to do a whole show based on the birds and the bees…flowers, insects and foliage.
Autumn-Man, the superhero of leaves. This set of Fall foliage costumes required some hunting for sewable orange leaves. Green fake leaves are easy to come by, but yellows and oranges and reds required some searching. I finally found a supplier specialized in Retail decor. They also sold oversized fake ice cream cones.
Great work Katharina on the embellishments!
Our very Canadian looking lumberjacks. We just couldn’t help ourselves.
And here we have our rock-star unicyclists sporting some very extreme gear. I can’t wait to see these helmets light up under a spotlight. They were made with gem stone studs and a dis-assembled disco ball. Hanna made the power-ranger inspired gear.
These are the costumes for the Water girls. The wavy textures make these my favorite costumes. The girls also had headpieces made with blue hair extensions and purple hand-dyed yarn.
We did it again! This year my costume team consisted of:
Katharina Pitczuk and Hanna Broer (the two blue costumes above)
and Siobhan Martel (who is currently on tour with Smirkus).
Thank you Smirkus!
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