LONDON CALLING

JENNY PACKHAM F/11
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yeah, i know.  it's been quite a while. 

that is what happens when the furry kiddos need tending to, new houses are being purchased, and life gets to running away from you.

speaking of runways...

can we talk about london designer jenny packham's newest bridal presentation?

ooh laaaa laaaaaaaaaaa

this one makes me sing!
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Jenny Packham Ceres: love the tulle and brooch detail

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Clio and Minerva: goddess delightfulness

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Dido short dress on the left: ostrich flowers bring modern to this 20's flapper-crossover-modern fun.  Beautiful beaded dress on the right is unknown, gasp! however, we love her immensely with peplum top in one-shoulder beading.

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Robe and Saskia gown: after your guests have left, you can relax in your beaded gown, part deux

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Dearest and Clio: ballerina gown with crystal embedded flowers. finally! love love

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the detail on this necklace is indeed stunning! swarovski delights in a myriad of other shiny beads.  it is heavy but not oppressive, and michaela had to put it on immediately.

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Michaela is accustomed to going to many shows with mom Lindsay Mann, and wears them well!  this headpiece is ridiculous.  i have never met it's equal.

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kiss dress: in blush! layered tulle ruffles! truly fantastical.

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and now a few fotos from the press packet, compliments of Jenny Packham:

fontaine: grey silk and satin merge in hollywood genius.  old and fresh all at the same time.

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xenia gown

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bon bon dress: or shall we say "super bon bon, super bon bon?"

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hecate beaded dress: geometry meets beaded flapper

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eden gown: beaded head to toe, this gown would be beautiful in a garden wedding.

lush meets lush.

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an aside: if you have never tried on a beaded gown, you must! the weight of the beads allows the dress to sit on your body while not feeling like a skinsuit. beaded gowns feel decadent and bring out your natural curves.  j'adore!

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in summary, this collection reflects the true genius of Jenny Packham and her ability to combine old and new in a way that is unexpected and unmatched.  there is absolutely no mystery with her status as a designer or that so many celebrities show up in her creations.  she designs in a wide range of styles, from greek goddess, celebrity-inspired, and whimsical bling.

all are beautiful. 

i simply can't wait to see more!!

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SO  many thanks to my couture colleagues at The Aisle NY and special thanks to Mark Niemierko who invited me along for the ride.

Emily Docktor,  Shara Levy, and David Yassky from the Aisle

theaisleny.com

LOVE YOU ALL!

xx

amsale runway f/11

amsale finale

we have saved the best for last.

i think you will agree, this year's collection is truly fantastic.

tulle+beading=heaven

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so floaty and ethereal she looks like an angel. we love the classic beading with a thin tie at the waist. chic beautiful fo sho.

MEGHAN: strapless A-line gown with beaded bodice and tulle skirt

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the devil is in the details.  multi-color beading in a sophisticated pattern make this bodice stand out. this trumpet gown has exactly the right amount of flare at the bottom and is very figure flattering without changing the line of the dress.  outstanding.

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LIV: strapless trumpet gown with embroidered bodice and silk mikado skirt

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LOVE the changing hemlines: bubble hem and bustle.  how does she do it?

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ROSALIE: silk taffeta ballgown with pleated floral detail and bustle back

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asymmetry is always a fav of mine.  no exception here.

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REAGAN: strapless silk radzmir A-line gown with asymmetrical neckline and bow detail

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saving the best for last: jacquard ivory and lemon dreams.  i'm definitely in heaven.

this dress is amazing up close as well.  i got a chance to get my hands on it after the show and the model confirmed my suspicion: it feels AWESOME to wear!  she could not stop smiling and took her time parting with this gown. i can't blame her!

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DIANA: crinkled jacquard ballgown with low back and bow detail at waist.

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Amsale, thank you!!

xx

mouse in the city: amsale deux

i'm not sure you are ready for this dress.  i certainly wasn't.  i feel delicate, pretty pretty and yet glamorous with the gentle grid lines in the skirt and classically vintage flowers and a touch of bling.  this dress has a lightness which is contrasted by the bold piece in the back that turns modern up to 11.  yes, eleven.  i'm not sure what ingredients amsale puts into her magic beauty cauldron, but i'm feeling intoxicated.

.LIZA: strapless A-line gown with taffeta bodice and grid tulle skirt

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what a lovely design on this bridesmaids dress.  love the color, the sheen, and of course the empire waist with asymmetric top.  front=classic, back=vavoom!  usually this style of dress in the front has a very similar width over the shoulder and to the back, blocking most of the back, which happens to be a great  place to show skin for many women. amsale surprises us by changing the equation.  oh, thank you, thank you.

silk taffeta short one shoulder dress with inset waist in midnight

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edgy bridesmaid in shiny metallic!  love this idea for fall and off-season weddings.  this dress has all of the great construction seen through the whole line, and is truly wearable past the wedding.  bridesmaids around the world applaud!!

silk taffeta short sweetheart dress with ruched bodice in granite

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ok, now you are just messing with us. 

this dress is almost too pretty for bridesmaids.  kidding! truly, it might detract a little, just a teensy bit and only for a millisecond.. until the bride comes down the aisle.  and that is wonderful.  also wearable well past the wedding, this dress spells GORGEOUS. we love ourselves a chiffon maxi dress.  it glides, it caresses.  and look at those lines.  this is the mini sweetheart neckline we love with rosettes to boot! ah, joy.  we know we are lucky to wear this.

strapless crinkle silk chiffon gown with flowers in slate

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these next three bridesmaids dresses are the versions of the above with the beautiful draping. i'm feeling santorini chiffon dreams.

crinkle silk chiffon criss cross halter gown in champagne

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crinkle silk chiffon criss cross strapless gown with draped skirt in slate

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crinkle silk chiffon gown with spaghetti straps and ballerina skirt in champagne

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jersey! navy!  this is really getting seriously fun. 

navy for bridesmaids is H-O-T.  mark my words that navy bridesmaids with black suits for the guys in winter is a definite win.  this old no-no has finally become a chic combination.

poor navy, always in the dark shadow of black, is honestly a most flattering color for everyone.  you cannot lose in navy, no matter your hair color or skin tone.  it brings the best out of tanned or paler skin.  promise.  and this dress in jersey is one you will want to wear as much as possible because it is so comfortable and drapes so gloriously on the bod.  we love you, jersey girl.

silk jersey strapless curved neckline gown with side draped skirt in navy

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the big flat bow, how we love you.  EVERYONE, and i mean everyone was talking about this flat bow short dress.  i'm not going to lie.  the feet started moving in the seats to michael jackson's ABC about the time this little beauty elegantly strode.  we didn't mind one bit!  that said, this dress stands alone, great DJ or not.  brides, please consider a short dress.   best idea i think is a shorty for the party, while keeping it long for the ceremony.  word on the street: many brides are buying two dresses because it is so difficult to choose and the two parts of your day have little in common.  i'm just sayin...

STEFFI: silk mikado little white dress with exaggerated front bow

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please stay tuned... i have saved the best (believe it! it does get even better) for last.  this line is particularly beautiful as evidenced by the sheen and detail in the fabrics alone.  the styling appears to be very wearable and flattering.  i don't think there is a dress in this line that doesn't feel like the quality and workmanship that went into it.  that is when you are really on to something special. 

 amsale, you are a genius!

xx

amsale runway

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a girl, a dream, and beautiful dresses

i am sorry for my absence. 

it's been a bit of mr. hare's wild ride here.
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i finally won something, something pretty amazing.  on thursday evening i sat down at my computer to find a message that my 50 words about our upcoming wedding were chosen by The Aisle NY theaisleny.com. little bella mouse was the winner of a front row seat to a fashion show.  and...oh yeah, the show was saturday, in the big apple!  this was not just any fashion show: this was AMSALE amsale.com, a fabulous wedding designer who caught my eye years ago for her classic modern take on brides.  her dresses are stunning in the past, present, and future.  she manages to keep the modern touches without dating a dress, due to her use of truly beautiful touches: great fabrics, killer construction, and truly forward-thinking touches.  what i mean is, an amsale dress is always in style, whether it is from 10 years ago, or the upcoming season.   she founded the company when she struggled to find a classically beautiful, clean-lines style of dress for her wedding.  well, let me tell you... the fall 2011 holds true to her style and is her best ever!

confession number 2 (of many): i am crazy about dresses.  CRAZY.
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i am always trying to explain this.  when a woman is wearing a beautiful dress, it makes her feel special and feminine and if it is inherently HER (what i mean is, it is an expression of who she is and who she wants to project), then there is an impact on others.  i describe it this way: a person sees a woman who feels beautiful and they take in her beauty.  there is energy in this interchange, kind of like a force between them, and the person seeing this feels it too.  like the girl from Ipanema.  aahhhh.

this happens most often with dresses.  and it happens even more with wedding dresses.

obsession defined.
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my camera died, a flashing red battery sign in the middle of the show.  that is almost the last thing you want to see while sitting on the runway.  my iphone was a last resort.  descriptions below are from the press kit, written by Amsale.  because of the sheer number of dresses, a few will be posted each day as not to overwhelm.  cheers to your readership and to London wedding planner mark niemierko niemierko.com who gave up his seat, with gest, compliments, sarcasm and welcome arms, to this mouse.  j'dore!

Amsale fall 2011

CLARA

silk mikado strapless gown with exaggerated front bow

it was especially nice to have a gracious and welcoming fashion comrade sitting right next to me.  David Yassky http://www.david-yassky.com/ of The Aisle and i were able to share our enthusiasm over our favorites in the show, and especially for this beautiful flat bow.

NAYA: silk mikado trumpet gown with asymmetrical neckline and floral brooch

loving the neckline of this dress and the sheen of fabric. anna of anne be bridal http://anna-be.com/ and i had a conversation a few weeks ago about how so many brides want to "fix" the asymmetrical neckline of strapless dresses.  "if only this dress didn't have this part here..."  are you kidding me? THAT is what makes it interesting.  THAT is where the styling brings an avant garde touch to a familiar body style.  out of the boxes, kids.  Amsale does this so perfectly.

TIA: strapless little white dress with silk mikado bodice and full tulle skirt

this says "party dress" like no other ballerina can.  the flat bow is beautiful, modern and simple, and the tulle so light and smooth.  do not discount tulle.  high quality tulle is soft to the touch and whimsy on the bod.

CARLY: silk chiffon little white dress with ruffle halter neckline

this dress looks so light and wearable.  great for a beach wedding?!

MAGGIE: silk radzmir little white dress with envelope neckline and crystal brooch

simple, yet elegant with the brooch detail. see a theme here? old+new=GORGEOUS

ASHA: strapless silk organza gown with rouched bodice and floral detail

i don't mind telling you that i find the back of this dress to be divine, and definitely drawn from the kenneth pool line, for which amsale also designs.  a breath taker for sure. i'm feeling 1920's hollywood glamour here.  this dress can ballroom dance "all through the night."

xx