trend : long skirts

This trend has been growing for a long time, and I think it's finally here: the floor-length skirt. We've been seeing hems get longer, to below the knee and mid-calf, and interestingly these dropping hemlines tend to indicate a strengthening economy. Now if only I was brave enough to wear one of these! Though I will tell you, there is nothing more comfortable.

Jil Sander and Yigal Azroel, both Spring 2011 RTW

How the real people are doing it? It's a tough look, but you really just gotta treat them like pants.

Image sources: Style.com and Chictopia.com, respectively

to share, issue #003

Wow, I haven't been good about posting this week - sorry guys! Busy busy.

To show you: John Galliano has been suspended from Dior! And who is going to design for the Dior House now?

To tell you: I am sprouting lentils right now! You can learn how to do it here, and it is super easy. Mine will probably be done tomorrow. I'm going to toss them with sprouted quinoa and a peanut dressing.

To acquaint you: I have just applied for a job at Reebok! I had to design an outfit for them and submit it online. Reebok has always been about a fusion between all-American design and individuality - it's more about the athlete than the clothes, but the clothes need to enhance the athlete wearing them. Here is my design:

Please ignore that the logos are different sizes - they aren't like this in real life

I only had about a week for this project, so it isn't as great as it could have been. But, my foot is in the door. My inspiration was the balloon. The design features a light gray polyester-elastane shirt with a gathered hem and built-in black sports bra that is visible through a circular opening in the back. The shorts are highlighter yellow spandex with a thick waistband, gathered side seams with toggles, and built-in black compression shorts. I would totally wear this to the gym - body wear has been on my mind lately since my 5k is coming up! I want to get myself a cute workout top as motivation for the run.

On another note, Nathalia, I have finished the mock-up for the foundation of your dress (the strapless part that will go underneath the twisted bodice part). Working on the twist now (which my cotton muslin doesn't want to do!) So the muslin may be purple and white - I have purple chiffon I can use for the drape.

I hope everybody had a good weekend!

obsession : ruffles

I was never a big "ruffle girl" - they always seemed too cutesy or child-like to me. But having just costumed a play consisting of many ruffled Island-style skirts (and seeing the racks of can-can skirts and crinolines in the back of our warehouse with the hoops) I've started to love them a little bit. They have a marvelous weight to them, and the volume is just right.

The kinds of ruffles I'm talking about aren't 1970s men's shirt ruffles, or ruffled sleeves. I'm referring to those lovely ruffled strips placed on the hems of skirts or blouses.

Prada Spring 2011 RTW; I love everything about this dress on the right. The ruffle is a wonderful kicks-out-when-you-walk length, the colors are whimsical, and it's still somehow marvelously sophisticated.

to share, issue #002

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are all having a good weekend so far.

To show you: You have got to read through this guy's entire blog. It won't be a chore, either. For a new year's resolution (last year I believe), he vowed to learn to sew. And he did! He now makes his own button-downs, jeans, and apparently now, even more than that. You can really learn a lot about how jeans are made by watching some videos he posts (which are amazing - look at the machinery!) and the photos he takes of his own work. This inspires me to give jeans another shot. While you're on a roll, watch this video on shoe-making (or all of them, or the summary of all of them). Can you see why nice shoes cost a lot now? Still making faces at Louboutin price tags? Well ok, so am I, but at least it's a slightly more understanding wrinkled-nose face.

To tell you: I am reading a book right now called In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I wasn't really interested at the time of required reading (English class, freshman year) but since my interest in nutrition has peaked I thought I'd come back to it. And I'm glad I did. I'm only two chapters in, but I thought I'd share an interesting tidbit of information: At one time, the recommended portion of calories from free sugars in our diet was 25%. This seems really high! However, according to the World Health Organization, it should have been only 10%. So how did this happen? The US sugar lobby threatened Congress to cut WHO funding unless the organization got off their backs. Makes you wonder what happens behind the scenes every time there is a new version of the food pyramid released.

To acquaint you: My sister, last night, was telling me how much she loves my bedroom, then said "it's so you". It doesn't have any paint on the walls, no decorations really, so I didn't really know what she meant. Then she clarified that just by looking around my room at the things inside of it, you could really get to know the person that I am. Interesting! Looking around my room, it can definitely tell you some things about myself ... I have two stuffed rabbits sitting on my bed. I have always loved stuffed animals, and Brown Bun (the obvious elder of the two, given the fur appearance) has been mine since birth, thus igniting my love for rabbits instantly. If you look in my fridge and freezer, you'll find baby spinach, almond milk, hummus, Greek yogurt, golden flax seeds, organic dark chocolate (with orange!), frozen chicken breast, vegan ice cream, edamame, and berries. Sitting on top of my fridge are pumpkin seeds, bananas, oranges, gummy vitamins, agave syrup, lentils (which I'm planning to sprout myself!), and those tasty sugar-coated fennel seeds you find at Indian restaurants (pink, white, orange, yellow). I think those are all very telling. My burgundy chair in the corner I can't sit in because it's covered in cook and bakeware. I have a rolled up tube of gold lambskin, a floral-print cotton, and a pile of metallic fabrics and black fabrics and various wools stashed on a bookshelf with assorted patternmaking books and illustration references. There is a little corner of that shelf devoted to sequins. On my dresser, I have a giant bowl of flowers that I wear in my hair, and beside that, a little army of nail polish (baby pink, metallic chrome, gold, and bronze, sparkly magenta, poppy red - always renditions of pinks, metallics, and reds). A large jewelry box sits behind all that. Nestled inside my empty, tiled-over fireplace is a crock pot, and lining the top of the hearth are (counting right now) 14 different teas and their boxes. A small Christmas tree with ornaments and lights still sits underneath my west-facing window. A box of chocolates and a pile of fashion magazines are piled on the end of my bed over a fleece blanket (atop a few more blankets). In my closet, you will find more American Apparel than you can shake a stick at.

Now of course when I say "give jeans another shot" I'll come out with something more like this. Baby steps. But isn't the volume on these perfect?

donna karan fall 2011 rtw

I think neutrals can be really interesting, when done this way: layered in slightly varying shades, texturized, and offset with a pop of something metallic or bright.

That being said, you must look at Donna Karan's fall 2011 show, ASAP (as one of my friends said to me!) Everything about this show is beautifully executed, from start to finish and from big picture to detail. The show is rather thoughtfully named "Pearls of Wisdom". Though critics say the collection lacked a "spark", I think Donna gorgeously captured a more feminine way to wear the neutral trend that doesn't tend toward minimalistic or futuristic one bit.

The jewelry was designed by Erickson Beamon. Just look at the details - the way the hoods are "wrapped" in with the necklaces, how fur melts into fabric, and how pools of light are captured in each carefully placed fold and drape.

Rather obviously, I love this show. The color palette is earthy yet ethereal, and the draping and pleating gives a nod back to Grecian fashion - about which, we learned in fashion history class, designers gravitate towards during a rough economy due to its simple accomplishment of both luxury and comfort. But no girl suffering from this economy would be found wearing Erickson Beamon pearls and DK. But, you know. Details.

On an unrelated note, I bought a poppy red, pale blue, white, black and green floral print today to make a "picnic" dress out of. More info on that later.

come support me!

On February 26th I will be participating in the Cincinnati Dance Marathon to raise money for pediatric cancer. The idea is that you dance - for 24 hours. Dance instructors will teach routines every few hours, they feed you, and you just have fun.

If you would like to support the cause, you can click here to sponsor me. Simply enter "Rachel Carleton" in the text box (I should be the only one - but if not, look for "Cincinnati" listed next to my name).

On April 16th, I will also be participating in the Aruna 5k! It will be my first 5k, and I'm really excited. My goal is simply to run the whole thing (though my idea of "run" is more like "jog). I will give more information once I am registered for that!

an all-valentine's day post, and a recipe

A lot of people hate Valentine's day, which is understandable. But I love it.

Maybe I'm biased because I've never spent one alone, or because one of my favorite colors is pink, or because before I go out to dinner I sit in a pool of sunshine on my bed in a pink bathrobe painting my nails baby pink and my toes sparkly hot pink, or because I enjoy baking chocolate-heavy things for someone. But it's really because I love romance, and all the visuals attached to it.

And in fashion, there are a lot of those. Bows. All shades of red and pink. Soft, whispery fabrics. Romantic draping. Dresses. Lace. Lingerie details. Flowers. Feathers. All the pretty things, mushed into one day and at the same time. And I think I crave them, and go crazy on Valentine's day, because I feel that a lot of these elements have been lost to "modern times" in which femininity has become less of a real thing.

However, I will always have a special place in my heart for chiffon and lace and delicacy and light petal pinks, and the old-fashioned beauty of femininity and the time it takes to embody it properly, regardless of whether or not it is considered modern or old-fashioned. I am an aspiring bridal designer, after all.

But enough about this, you're really reading this post for the chocolate part at the end. Don't lie.

Now some quick notes about this recipe: I am a college student. Which means, in a nutshell, that I am sort of poor and spacially challenged when it comes to cooking. The recipe should really call for four mini round spring-form pans (about four inches across, probably). I had a spring-form pan, but it was traditional cake sized. I had the "brilliant" idea of getting tall cookie cutters (Sur la Table was the only store that carried them taller than an inch - try three!). I realized, however, that when I was setting out my ingredients I halved the recipe (cause I was making this for two) so making a regular cake and "cutting out" the cylinders of cake wouldn't work because the cake would probably be ... short. So I set the cutters in the pan and packed the ingredients into them individually. Very unprofessional. So, just buy some baby spring-form pans and save yourself the cake-crust-oozing-out-of-the-bottom-and-I'll-never-get-it-on-this-plate-now part.

dark chocolate raspberry mini-cheesecakes
with coconut macaroon crust

recipe yields 4
bakeware needed: 4 mini spring-form pans, parchment paper, double boiler

coconut macaroon crust
1 large egg whites
1 1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 c sugar
1 t vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease and then line your spring-form pans with parchment paper. Combine in a double boiler, stirring often to prevent burning. Cook 6-7 minutes r until egg white thickens, when mixture can hold a shape on the spoon. Divide evenly into the bottom only of your pans (not up the sides).

raspberry sauce
1/2 bag frozen raspberries (6 oz), thawed
1/6 c sugar
1 t cornstarch + 1/2 T water

Press berries over a strainer into a pan, discarding the seeds. Stir in the sugar and heat on medium until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture, and bring to boil until thick. Set aside. Dip your finger into this and taste it - it's seriously divine. I may just pour this over vanilla ice cream one day.

dark chocolate filling
4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
4 0z chopped semisweet chocolate
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c sour cream
2 large eggs

Melt chocolate over a double broiler and let cool. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and eggs. Pour in chocolate and mix til smooth. Gently fold in raspberry sauce. Taste this too. Pour mixture into the spring-form pans, over the crust, leaving about a half-inch of space at the top, pressing gently with a spoon to even out the surface. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to firm.

dark chocolate glaze
4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 T butter
1 t corn syrup (or if you don't have that, 1 t sugar dissolved into 1/4 t water)
1/8 c sour cream
2 cartons fresh raspberries (organic tastes best!)

Melt chocolate, butter and syrup over medium heat. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Pour into the spring-form pans over the filling to the top of the pans, spreading with a knife to get a perfectly smooth surface. Gently press individual raspberries into the glaze until each cake surface is completely covered, tips of the raspberries pointing upward. Refrigerate until firm.

Remove the spring-forms of each mini-cheesecake carefully. Using a spatula, gently lift each cheesecake from the pan bottom and place on the center of a perfectly white, disproportionately large plate. Serve to a boyfriend.

I hope everyone has a fabulous Valentine's day tomorrow!

to share, issue #001

I'm gonna start something new on here; it's something I've seen other blogs or websites do and I think it's a nice idea: at the end of each week, give a little summary of some cool news you saw, something you learned, or just something going on. It's a nice way to show you things I've read about but didn't have enough material to post on, or to make the blog more personable. This may not always be fashion-related. So let's go!

To show you: New York Fashion Week for Fall 2011 is underway! There are already some great things going down the runway - Doo.Ri showed us how beautiful grays can be, in luxurious draped jerseys and wool tailored coats; Rebecca Minkoff sent down some fabulous textures (and furs, and prints ...); and Threeasfour did some fascinatingly unusual garments you just have to see for yourself!

To tell you: I will be doing a graduation dress for one of my sister's classmates! My sister, in addition, will be wearing a dress I made and wore myself for my high school graduation - the infinity dress. You can tie it probably twenty different ways, and so even though it will be the same gown, you won't even know it is. The gown I'm doing for her classmate is literally going to be a copy of a bridal gown from the J Crew Collection - which runs for close to $900,00. I will be working on the sloper and first rough pattern tonight! I am very excited to do this - the fact that someone came to me and asked me to make this for them was incredibly flattering, and I couldn't be more honored. I will be fitting her throughout the process in a fully-functioning muslin before I begin the final-fabric version (which isn't needed until the end of May, to play it on the safe side - but it will be done before then). More updates to come!

To acquaint you: I bought a raw food cookbook today! I read the entire thing this afternoon with the sunshine pouring in through the window. I am not interested in going raw - I simply think the techniques to create interesting flavors and recreate every day dishes are fascinating! If you aren't familiar, raw eating is a vegan diet that goes a step further by keeping all foods raw (or cooked below 104 degrees). The belief is that fruits, nuts and vegetables maintain their highest nutrient levels when raw, or until meeting 104 degree heat, when the nutrients begin to fade slightly from cooking. All recipes are strictly fruit, nut and vegetable based, then. And you guessed it, the desserts are thus good for you (and you can eat chocolate - you simply use the raw cacao bean or cocoa nib instead, with something to sweeten it). You aren't confined to just eating apples and oranges and cashews plain though - there are recipes for "pasta" using zucchini ribbons and a pesto made from parsley, walnuts, avocado, sun-dried tomato, and lemon, for example - which sounds delicious. I find this all very interesting - as an inspiration, rather than a lifestyle, for me personally. What do you think of raw food? Are there any food-related things that you'd like to share?

And of course I didn't forget my promise to never have an all-words post. I love to look at designer sketches - the different styles, how they translate into real garments - their personality really comes through. Rather conversely, I don't recall who drew these - and the signature doesn't help.

Have a good weekend everyone!

designer : lindsey thornburg

I happened across this designer while browsing Vogue this morning, and while there were no pictures describing her work in a trend article's paragraph, I was intrigued enough to want to look her up. And, I'm glad I did.

Cloaks. And not the heavy black hooded garments of the 1800s either, but a little closer to what a lost-in-the-woods-of-New-York Riding Hood would be found in.

It's all about the silhouette and the fabric with these. The length is just right - even in her longer designs, they don't go past the knee, thus keeping a youthful appearance. The volume is also key here, giving a nod to a swing coat rather than a religious garment (which is what always comes to my mind when I hear "cloak"). And then of course are the graphics. Geometric ethnic prints, bright but not tacky color palettes, and just-the-right-size shapes keep everything looking fresh and like something you'd want to toss over leggings and boots immediately.

Her cloaks seem to be her signature item, but the rest of her collection stands out as well. The presence of color and graphics is very strong, especially in areas where she uses a simpler silhouette. There's almost an other-worldliness to her designs that I love.

Needless to say I am also in love with the fishtail crown braids.