On style, creativity and all things beautuful

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Hermès Orange

Don't hesitate when you find a piece of original fabric from a Parisian fashion house while on a fabric hunting mission on Marché St. Pierre in Paris. Just take it!  Especially if it is a beautiful vibrant orange gabardine from Hermès. I treated myself to a cut of 1.5 m to make bright funky pants for that spring summer season 2014.

I do not make pants very often as I wear jeans almost all the time. But the new pattern in April issue of BurdaStyle magazine was very original and I was quite intrigued by the model. Gabardine was not the kind of fabric most suited for this model yet I wanted to play with the volume and liked how the pants eventually turned out.  They became my favorite last summer.



Thursday, June 25, 2015

L'autumne précose

This painting was inspired by the works of a famous american photographer David LaChapelle. His exhibition took place in Paris a few years ago. His other series of photography are a bit too provocative for my taste but at that moment I admired his series "Earth Laughs in Flowers" for the unconventional floral still-lifes.

Написать этот натюрморт меня вдохновили работы известного американского фотографа Дэвида Лашапеля. Я пропустила его выставку, которая проходила в Пети Пале в Париже несколько лет назад,  да и остальные серии его работ не в моем вкусе. Но в свое время меня восхищала серия его работ "Земля смеется цветами" за его неординарные натюрморты с цветами.


L'autumne précose
Oil on canvas, 50x60
January 2013

Ранняя осень
Масло на холсте, 50x60
Январь 2013






Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Camel Coat

This was the first coat that I made myself. The classic coat had to be of a timeless camel color, made of wool with cashmere. I was looking for something stylish and comfortable, and something that corresponded with my lifestyle. 

The pattern from Burdastyle magazine that I eventually picked for my coat is one of the most popular ones. It is not very difficult for the novices who are eager to take on the challenge of making this substantial piece of wardrobe. This model has classy raglan sleeves. The pockets are situated in side seams. The original model was designed without buttons - and therefore without any buttonholes.  This spares an operation which requires a lot of experience and skills, if you want your coat to look good.

My version of the coat was slightly longer due to my height. I added two horn pression buttons, and could not help but to experiment with a contrasting lining with a print. Due to this silk lining, the coat turned out as light as a feather. It is perfect for the early spring, or the fall.  




Tuesday, June 23, 2015

My own Dior


This time around everything started with the photo of Natalie Portman on the cover of September issue of the French "ELLE". I liked the dress from Dior the actress was wearing so much -  I had to have it. While I was looking for an appropriate fabric, there appeared the fresh issue of the BurdaStyle magazine with a perfect pattern of a dress of the X-silhouette. The fabric -  excellent red wool with the right percentage of elasthane, fluid but with some body - was a timely find at the market of Fontainebleau.

The dress turned out quite versatile and goes well with many different accessories and for different occasions. 


На этот раз все началось с обложки французского ELLE с фотографией Натали Портман в платье от Dior. Меня не столько заинтересовали модные тенденции, освящаемые в журнале, и интервью с актрисой, сколько это красное платье (фото прилагается). И мне непременно хотелось иметь нечто похожее! Пока я подбирала ткань нужного мне оттенка красного цвета и выбирала модель, вышел ноябрьский номер Бурды с этой великолепной выкройкой. Я очень люблю X-силуэты, и уже не раз шила такие платья, поэтому выбор был очевиден. Ткань - костюмно-плательная шерсть с эластаном, достаточно плотная, но эластичная, хорошо укладывающаяся в складки и держащая форму.










Sunday, June 21, 2015

Flower Power

The creation of this dress was a special experience for me back in 2010 as the fabric that I used for it was the exact original of the dress shown in the February issue of Burdastyle magazine. How could I not fall in love with these dramatic poppies and with the little sheath dress with an open back?


Saturday, June 20, 2015

Inspired by Gucci

The inspiration for this coat came from an unusual source - the blouses and dresses of spring-summer 2013 collection of Gucci. Airy and romantic ruffles in vivid colors seemed to be everywhere I looked that spring - in my daily copy of New York Times, in the showcases in the streets of Paris, in the magazines that I grab from a newsstand before taking a train...And since the summer with light fabrics and open neck lines was still quite in a distant future, I decided to turn this ruffle-mania into a comfortable spring coat.

Wool loden-jersey
2013




Сшить этот жакет меня вдохновила весенняя коллекция Gucci. Яркие цвета и изысканные воланы коллекции весна-лето 2013 просто не выходили из головы, и так как лето было еще очень нескоро, то я решила сшить такой вот жакет на раннюю весну. 


Жакет сшит из мягкого шерстяного джерси-лодена, который как раз в ту весну в изобилии всевозможных оттенков  появился в моем любимом магазине тканей на Монмартре "Tissus de la Reine". как и любой лоден, он не требует обработки срезов, но гораздо мягче и поддатливей в работе и носке. Таким образом, жакет вышел без подклада. Подборта жакета проклеены флизелином, а проймы и горловина укреплены клеевой формбанд антрацитового цвета. Подгибка низа и рукавов выполнена вручную. 













Gucci Printemps/Eté 2013







Tuesday, June 16, 2015

PJ style


I made this overall a few years years ago. I was looking for something practical yet original to wear for my trip to the seaside with my 6 month-old son. This overall has a wrap top and very loose pants. Long ties wrap around the waist. The fabric, viscose crepe, is fluid and comfortable and I still love this busy and colorful print.







Tweed for spring

Three meters of this lovely summery tweed was one of those exciting finds on the market of Fontainebleu. After some consideration I decided to turn it into a dress for the coming spring season. This fine blend of silk and cotton was quite easy to work with but due to the grainy texture of this tweed many parts of the dress were hand-made.  I am happy that even three years later, I still enjoy the result.


Model 133 BurdaStyle 08/2012

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Vive les vacances!

The pattern for this blouse in the new issue of BurdaStyle magazine appeared just in time before my summer vacation. And the small piece of this tropical jersey that had been waiting for its time for quite a while  was just enough to make this shirt. the result matched perfectly my new COS skirt. 

May 2012



Monday, June 8, 2015

Tulip skirt with a bow

This tulip skirt dates back to 2010 but I still love it even though I hardly wear it now. It was one of those pieces that you fall in love with, quickly make it and then wear it all the time for several seasons in a row.
I love all the details: the classic tulip shape, soft colour, my favourite detail - a bow, and occasionally want to make another new copy of it.

Pattern from BurdaStyle 4/2010
Light but firm cotton. Zipper in the left side seam. The belt is attached to the back of the skirt and wraps around the waist to be tied into a bow.




Summer souvenir

This is one of my earliest and most favorite works. I painted it after a photo of me taken by my husband in Saint Tropez during the summer vacation in 2009. Admiring the sun-lit scenery of the bay and the roofs of Old town I asked Andrew to make this shot. I knew I would paint it one day.

Oil on canvas, 73x60,  June 2010.


Это одна из моих ранних и самых любимых работ. Прогуливаясь по Сан-Тропе во время нашего отпуска на Ривьере, я попросила мужа запечатлеть момент. Я точно знала, что когда-нибудь попробую передать это впечатление маслом.

Exploring Fauvism


Vlaminck à ma façon. Huile sur toile, 55x46, Mai 2015
Мое видение Вламанка. Масло, холст.


After Derain, Oil on canvas, 55x46, October 2014
Мое видение Дерана. Масло, холст.


Прошлой осенью я открыла для себя художников-фовистов. Обе картины выполнены маслом на холсте.