Tomorrow may be the first day of spring, but here in New England, winter remains. Of course I’m excited for budding trees, longer days, and lighter jackets, but to me there is nothing more beautiful than a wintry scene. For this ensemble I wanted to capture the stark polarity of winter; the frozen, sharp, and sleek lay of the land, in contrast with the plush, frothy, and glittering, sweeps of snow.
The inspiration behind my coat is sheets of ice and hanging icicles. The boxy fit is a representation of wide expanses of ice and snow. The hem of the coat cascades down to a sharp point like icicles on a frozen waterfall. When designing this garment, a lot of thought went into the front closure. I did not want to include visible buttons or a zipper because it would disrupt the look I was going for—untouched snow. The coat fastens with hidden magnetic snaps, making it sleek in design, but also really easy to get in and out of. The fabrication for this coat is snake-skin vinyl (very hard to sew, but super fun to wear)!
The cocktail dress is the coat’s whimsical counterpart. The flounces around the arms and hemline have a life of their own! Full of body and movement, I wanted to capture the essence of snowdrifts and falling flurries. The body of the dress is made out of a white and silver brocade, which looks like freshly fallen snow, sparkling in the moonlight. The silhouette of the dress is part ice skater, part ballerina…think Waltz of the Flowers from Disney’s Fantasia (You can start the clip at 3:00 ☺).
The unsung hero of this ensemble are my earmuffs, they are so fun to make! The muff is made out of a beautiful sheepskin that keeps your head insanely warm on those particularly frosty days. I hand beaded the band with glass beads that capture the light like shards of icicles.
Hopefully the spring weather will come soon, but in the meantime, appreciate the beauty around you. It won’t happen again until next year!