Seattle and Poland, Grampa!

You snooze, you lose - but when you cruise, you so DO NOT lose! Cruise the interwaves, that is. Here's what found the other day: Ultra mag. As far as I can tell, this is based out of the NW, cause they have a list of Seattle fashion designers. Wow. Some cute stuff is happening in Seattle, which is unsettling cause then I might actually have to consider someday moving there EVEN THOUGH it rains way too much.

Holly Stalder:


White sequined tap shorts. I feel like I should be appalled, but instead, it feels so decadent and so right. Something for the wedding....:)


YES, those are crocheted sleeves, but they are beautiful on that dress. Heck, that dress is beautiful on those sleeves.


I seem to love everything about this dress right down to the lace bubble hem. Call me crazy.


The colors. The chair. The shoes.


Lace capelet? Awww, Little Red Riding Hood must have seen SITC and is now updating her wardrobe. Love it.

Church and State:

So many ruffles, so fresh.

Details: love the shape of the pockets. Love dresses with pockets in general.

Too cute, more ruffles. This totally needs to be worn with caramel colored cowboy boots.

Now at first glance it may appear as if this girl is wearing a curtain. But at second glance reveals
a) pockets
b) that gorgeous ruffly waist is beautiful. Imagine this dress in black or navy, and then you'll see.

There's my favorite waist again. And if you look hard, you'll see buttons on her leggings. I've blown them up below.

Elizabeth Dye:






I just realized how girly all of the above clothes are. Oh well, spring must be in the air. About time, too, since we're comin' up on July here in the bay. Sheesh.

Poland

I love finding cool polish people. Three are featured below.

Textile artist Joanna Staniszkis.

This is what she writes about her project:

"The greenhouse linen project involved growing flax (linen) seeds on linen fabric. A series of simple garments were created with linen seeds sewn into seams, pockets, darts etc.

An ages-long tradition of linen cultivation was duplicated in an urban setting where, in a formal garden, a flax field grew and flowered. The flax was then harvested and the next primitive step of its production was taken - retting the flax by leaving it in water for several days, drying it and then preparing it for spinning.

In a specially laid-aside grass-covered area of my garden a series of sewn garments were left to bleach in the sun, thus following another ancient linen-preparation tradition.

After moving my studio into a large greenhouse, The Linen Project became an evolving installation. The hanging panels displayed along with costumes and "Table and Bed Linen" became a magical site of mysterious objects, transparent and gossamer hangings with layers of themes and meanings."





She did something similar with silk too: an "in-depth exploration" of silk and silk worms. The really cool thing is HOW she became involved in the silk project:

"In February 2003 I took a trip to the India’s forgotten state of Orissa. There, I was introduced to the world of wild silk.

The cocoons of wild silk are large, varying in colour from beige to brown. The secret rituals associated with silk production in Orrissa’s tribal villages are unusual and mysterious.

During a visit to a silk coop, I purchased a few cocoons.Upon arrival home, I placed the cocoons on the coffee table in the living room as exotic, egg shaped ornaments. Two weeks later a shocking site presented itself: the cocoons had hatched and enormous, brown moths were at large in my house. After a frenzied search I located the moths and placed them in a bird cage. While in the cage, the moths deposited hundreds of small grain size eggs.

This unplanned experience has played a pivotal role in stimulating my desire to immediately immerse myself in the SILK PROJECT."

Unplanned art. I love it.




Fashion designer Paulina Palian.




Photographer Robert Glowacki.