Friday, September 30, 2011

Fascinator Friday: Janine Basil

"The Queen of Hearts"
Ode to glitter (in the form of a bad haiku):

dazzled, the magpie's eye flutters
twinkle on her cheek, stuck forevermore
sparkle, glint gleam glitter, shine

The collection of Janine Basil is a much better homage to shininess.  Retro, rockabilly, and graphic inspired pieces pack a punch!  Catering to the flashy burlesque connoisseur, many of her pieces have a costume-feel, while others have a lovely, graphic quality that would serve to jazz up a daring fasionista's everyday garb.  Bold colors and shapes, all those rhinestones and glitter, looking through her collection is like browsing a deluxe candy shop.  No, really, my mouth is watering.

Janine Basil's web page: http://www.janinebasil.com
Social Media: Facebook and Twitter

"Pow Rhinestone Fascinator"
"Burlesque Heart Fascinator"

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Nouveau Victoria

Mini Top Hat in Lady Chiltern and Orange Rose Sash Cover
Sometime this summer I was approached by Heather Thompson of Gatherings Magazine, whom I worked with during the Alice in Wonderland shoot, about coordinating a feature for her fall edition.  She wanted to feature some of my accessories in a Modern Victorian style arrangement focused on fall colors and soft, romantic scenes.  She had already selected her photographer, the amazing Amber Beckham, who's now branching out into fashion photography.

Mini Top Hat in Orlando and Floral Collar
 With a limited budget, we searched our own wardrobes for things that could be assembled to look psuedo-Victorian.  What resulted was an interesting combination of valuable vintage and heirloom pieces and some unusual Goodwill finds, which, when layered, gave rise to looks that were both modern and old-fashioned.  I did my best to coordinate the colors of the accessories while using them to push the color scheme out into the autumny loveliness that Heather was hoping for.


A key acquisition in this production was Chalita Tharpe, a makeup artist I'd met at a runway show, who not only knew exactly what would work best for makeup, but also took over the hair design, which was going to be my, much less successful job.  That being done, she hung around to help the inexperienced model (that would be me) some tips on how to make her body look interesting.  Without her and Amber giving me direction all the time, it would have looked like we had grabbed whomever was around to wear our clothes. Which we had.


 Having had to cancel because of a little fringe of tropical storm that bounced off this fair city(causing the lacking models problem), we had a perfect evening weather-wise: clear blue skies with light floaty clouds, and a cooler than usual temperature as a result of the storm.  Given all of the clothing layering that was going on, I was really grateful.
And let me just say - I was seriously sore the next day!  The hours of standing and twisting and stretching, and holding myself up at odd angles...it was exhausting.  No life of modeling for me! I plan to stick to the decorating of models, thanks very much.

Floral Hat in Victoria, Purple Rose Sash Cover and Purple Shoe Clips
I'm really looking forward to seeing what Heather does with this in the magazine (as well as the rest of it, it really is a lovely magazine)!  I will post up a link when it comes out!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Shiny and New!


Sai-Sai Arts now has its own shiny new website!  For now it just has links to the shop, this here blog, and some contact information and history.  Coming soon will be a section devoted to individual collections, such as Alice in Wonderland and Nouveau Victoria, and a press section, because there is about to be press!...and I've been checking every day to see if it's out yet.  I'll have more information on these soon, but for now I wanted to acknowledge that I suddenly up and changed the blog without warning, and the reason for that was to make it match and flow with the new site.

You can navigate the new site via the menu bar at the top of the page, or check it out here!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Fascinator Friday with La Coco Rouge

"Butterfly Noir"
Step into the Etsy shop of La Coco Rouge and you find yourself surrounded by an eclectic array of hair adornment with art deco flair and a twist of tribal energy and theatrical flair.  Stephanie Farley of La Coco Rouge, a retired gemologist/jeweler, has a background in high end jewelry design and it shows in her millinery.  Focused on creating quality pieces that are intended to last through generations, her unique style also has a lasting quality.  Featuring beautiful draping bead work and elegant feathery flourishes, these pieces would be perfect for a range of dressy occasions.

"Black Swan"
"Arc de Triomphe"

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Our Fonts, Our Friends


I quite enjoyed this video on fonts from Veer...I just like looking at the pretty fonts and imagining the pretty things I could make with them.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Fascinator Friday with Miss Ruby Sue

"Gretta"

Missrubysue's shop is bursting with color.  Flowers, feathers and frills are piled together into sweet and exciting combinations for babies, toddlers, adults and even puppy dogs.  A short description of her products reads "Accessories for Happy People" and it's impossible not to feel a playful joy just looking at them - imagine wearing one!  I had such a hard time excluding pictures from this post because everything is just so dang cute!  She also keeps a blog full of helpful advice for the makers out there trying to get a foothold, and from someone who's been featured on "the View" and "Good Morning America," that's really something.

You can find her shop at missrubysue.com
She is also on Facebook and Twitter, and her blog is missrubysue.blogspot.com

Enjoy!
"Just For Fun"


"Beyone the Playground 3"

Monday, September 12, 2011

Hats and Art: Made for Each Other

"Derby Hat by Arturo Rios" by Feelingartsystudio

Remember Arturo Rios? He was my Fascinator Friday Feature from Sept. 2? Well it seems his head art has inspired the other kind. Feelingartsystudio offers this watercolor painting of his derby hat. I've always felt that art and hats go together quite well!

You can find this piece and other works here: http://feelingartsystudio.etsy.com

Friday, September 9, 2011

Fascinator Friday: Orphelia


Black Mini Top Hat with Black and White Trim

Who isn't immediately drawn to a mini top hat? I'm certainly a fan. They're somehow both adorable and elegant at the same time with the added bonus of being able to be cocked at just the right angle - and as Frank Sinatra says, when it comes to hats, "angles are attitudes." Orphelia has quite a selection of attitudes in her shop. Catering to the burlesque, the steampunk aficionado as well as the stylish modern bride, her creations weigh more heavily on the elegant side of the scale while maintaining a sense of jaunty gaiety. So charming are her pieces, in fact, that the Victoria and Albert Museum acquired some for their new hat exhibition.

All hail the mini top hat!...and hats off (sorry) to Orphelia for giving them a new life!

You can browse her lovely wares on Etsy: http://orphelia.etsy.com


Mini Ivory Veiled Top Hat

Friday, September 2, 2011

Fascinator Friday: Arturo Rios

Couture Black Wings Headpiece

Switching style gears, here's Arturo Rios, a high fashion, avant garde style designer creating modern art sculptures for the head. He calls himself an "ordinary guy who makes out of the ordinary hats." And indeed, these asymmetrical structures have caught the fashionable eyes of Daisy Fuentes and Paris Hilton, among others. Seeking out antique materials and exotic feathers, Arturo strives to create highly modern headpieces out of precious stuffs. Add to that the $150-$250 range that most of his pieces fall under, that's a lot of fashion bang for the buck! You can find his shop on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArturoRios
Couture Bow Headpiece


Pheasant Tail Fashion Headpiece

Thursday, September 1, 2011

New Autumn Woodland Crowns

"Psyche"

There are now five autumny woodland crowns in the Shoppe! Inspired by wooded wonderlands and golden fields, they're excellent for formal fall affairs or everyday whimsy. Check out the woodland collection here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SaiSaiArts?section_id=10120435

"Autumn Berry"

"Dryad"

"Stormy Skies"

"Autumn Fields"