early '80s madonna, when she was born for us

Well, Happy Birthday Madonna and happy birthday to all leos (I am one of those :)!

To celebrate let's go back to when we learned of Madonna (that's when she was born for us)... The 80's!

Her look back then is easily my favorite. I guess the Eighties look on Madonna is so attractive because back then she was innocent and real... a girl like us, ambitious, trying to make it happen in the Big Apple. When she was sporting this look of the 80's she did not and could not know she would be an icon, she was just herself.

Of course she also was young and cute (her daughter Lourdes reminds us of Madonna in the 80's today) and she made a look with what she had laying around the house, I imagine.

Sasha Pivovarova Does Early '80s Madonna For Vogue Paris. These are my favorite pics:





Of course many styling details pictured here are back in style today in 2011, including the duffle bag, the poka dot flats, head scarf bands, high waist jeans, boyfriend blazer, stacked bangle bracelets, etc. it's all here and now, but I have not seen that tightly tied scarf around the necks of our generation yet...

Madonna sported this tight tied style a lot, as correctly and fittingly repeatedly portrayed in these photographs. I'll steal this look for Fall!

Madonna, Like A Virgin, 1984
Celebrate Madonna more!
Madonna Mural & Skirt
Madonna Clothing

a look back to summer 2010

Yes that's right although we still have high temperatures of 90 degrees, we all know that Summer is on it's way out, sooner rather than later... I don't know about you, but I really, sincerely enjoyed Summer 2010! It was warm and beautiful and it smelled so good! The many weekends at the beach, my birthday, swimming, biking, my summer wardrobe... I really loved it, maybe more than ever... I had a clear vision of style and it was easy... I can't think about not being able to wear my eggshell colored converse high top sneakers and my vanilla cotton shirt and it's gonna be hard to store my gradient printed sheer cotton pants and my wide rimmed sun hat... not to mention my red Woodstock Tunic Dress, which I wore over cropped pink tights with my silver Sketcher Tone-Ups (they might actually have caused my knee and ankle to be a bit sore, so don't wear them for extended periods of time, O.K.? They however sure add a nice bit of height for a flip flop!) I'll miss my soft pink shorts (I will look forward to wearing the matching sports blazer though, I never wore it because it was simply too warm) I will try to sneak my wooden bangles past labor day.
I'll be glad to skip sun lotion and mosquito spray, but I will miss my easy breezy summer style! Of course I am also looking ahead to Fall and Winter... I have so many new designs and I guess all I have to do is get into the mood and I am sure that will happen as soon as the temperatures drop... it'll be all good... but for now, I'll still enjoy to the fullest every day over 70 degrees and up!

hippie summer fashion

Yes, I said I was real busy lately and had no time to write... je m'excuse! Nowadays in this economy it's no joke and if one wants to survive he or she better invests a damn large amount of time and sweat into the business. This blog is part of that business, but I admit: it's not priority. I just really love to write and talk about my business so I do want to continue posting when the time allows...

So, right now 2 of my main Bernina sewing machines are in for a tune up (as always in Spring, but one of them has an issue most likely bigger than a regular service can take care of, so I am just hoping my mechanic can take care of it sooner rather than later :/ and weirdly still today, after all these years, I am shocked to see empty tables when I walk by the sewing work space. I am simply not complete without these incredible tools. Well, hopefully there won't be any pressing fashion matters before Memorial Day... But, it's not all bad, because I do have some time to blog now!

I wanted to show you some of the images from our new Spring photo shoot. You'll see, my hippie inspiration continues... Jimi Hendrix on a fringed kaftan and a super hippie Madonna on a woven jacket! O.K. here we go: a couple new pictures from our Spring campaign:

NYC model Jessica Calle in the Madonna (Celebration) Woven Jacket, photo by Carl Posey.

Jess with guitar rockin' out in our purple Jimi Hendrix Kaftan Dress, photo Carl Posey.

So all you really have to do is slip on one of these, turn on the music and relax. Enjoy Summer time! If you are more into skirts, you'll digg our One-Of-A-Kind pleated minis or our fabulous floor length hippie patch work skirts... their all in our New Arrivals category.
O.K. guys and girls, stay tuned for more hippie treats this Season!


And "pssst", I 'm not really supposed to tell you yet, but in one of the next posts, I'll put the spot light on Zimmermann & de Perrot, a Swiss theater troupe which is really good. They had their US premier here in NYC earlier this month. Because Zimi (Martin Zimmermann) and Dimi (Dimitri de Perrot) are both friends and we were roommates in Zürich more than 20 years ago, I was invited. So you'll get the inside scoop and you'll see some images (with ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov) from their NYC photo shoot with photographer Carl Posey.

ready to wear

It's always a nice feeling of accomplishment when the last touch is put on a garment. Finished! Ready to wear.


Now of course as long as this jacket is not sold and in my possession you can't keep me from adding something else. I was thinking to add this patch to the front... the order is placed, it just has to get here...



Don't you think it would give it the seal of approval of the hippies ? Of course it already has a hippie vibe without it (the colors, the texture of the woven fabric, the patch working, top stitching, the classic jacket pattern, etc.), but considering that the print depicts Madonna, some may be confused and hesitant to label it hippie.

I was very fortunate to find those sequin lined brass buttons! They really make the coat. Sometimes a garment does not come together until that last crucial detail is added. Read the beginning of how I got inspired to go ahead and make this jacket.

The creative process to get to something great in fashion is a constant tip toeing around in the unknown and uncertain. You've got to become open minded, self conscious and bold, make decisions, know when it's time to stop and when and where to make the cut. You bet, this can all go wrong, but when it's right, then there's that deserved feeling of accomplishment, which is so neat!

celebrating madonna

The Meat Packing District in New York City is known for many things since it's not simply known for what its name suggests anymore. High fashion, yes and good food, contemporary hotel accommodation, lavish parties, exclusive clubs as well as fast cars, etc. and it is always a distinct pleasure to watch the stiletto strapped fashion models make their crooked way over the original cobblestone pavement! Yes, I've spent many nights in this neighborhood and I have discovered something else besides all this.

I always find the most compelling wall art here... murals, tags, advertising... Usually they don't last very long and if you like something, you better snap a picture right then and there, because it may be gone tomorrow and if it's still on that same exact corner you think you spotted it that last night, it will most likely be destroyed, tagged over beyond recognition... ooohhh! Ahh! That is right and guess what: I LOVE IT! I love that these spots are there for a minute, an hour perhaps and then they are gone forever! Hah!

The photo that graced my last promo postcard was taken in front of Meatpacking wall art. And so where a few other images...

... idilvice in front of wall art in the meatpacking district, nyc, photos/digital art carl posey...

These artworks have always inspired me and when Carl recently brought home the photo of this Madonna wall art/advertising (It was used to spotlight her new album "Celebration", although the portrait is obviously from the 80's and taken by photographer Herb Ritts), I nearly fainted! Wowwah!


The shock came because I currently work on some new designs for the Fashion Rocks Collection and this Madonna print makes me a bit crazy... in a very good way if you know what I mean...



Well, sorry for this "Madonna-same-photo" overdose, but I just couldn't decide so quickly which ones to post and so I posted them all. They rock! Yes, so I work with these prints and I can't wait to show off some of what I can come up with! Since - as I said - these walls exist only temporarily, we went back there one night and had a little fun with some models in front of the Madonna mural.... these images will be posted shortly, so if Madonna makes you a little bit crazy too, YOU gotta come back here soon!

madonna mia!

Steven Meisel has done it again! Check out the photos of Madonna posing for the new Louis Vuitton ad... these pics are not officially out yet, so pssst! Love the smokiness of the French Bistro.



Marc Jacobs recently went to a Madonna concert in Paris and thought she was amazing, sent her a text and asked if she would be up for a Vuitton ad. 2 minutes later she replied: "I would love to!" 50 is the new 30. If you are rich, fit and have a good retoucher... this is possible.

Isn't she fab though??!!