It’s the time of year for graduations. It is the end of the school year, and the start of summer. Appropriately, it is the start of new experiences for graduates.
I remember my graduation as if it were yesterday. For me, graduation was a sense of accomplishment. I did not know it at the time but I was embarking on a new life, a new journey. It was an exciting time. I felt so good that I had accomplished something – graduating from high school! I now realize that my graduation was something that I owned. I was the one who accomplished this great feat. I was the one who owned the goals and the accomplishment. I had great encouragement through family, friends, and teachers. But ultimately the responsibility resided with me.
I have very fond memories of high school and especially graduation. It was like walking through a door into my adult life.
Congratulations to all graduates. This is an exciting time in your life. Take it on with gusto and grace. Enjoy the journey!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Yin-Yang
I love this time of year. I worked in my garden this past weekend. Playing in the dirt, getting my hands and fingernails dirty is very therapeutic for me. As I work with nature I see how my nurturing enables the beauty, strength, and bounty of my flowers to come to life. It is so satisfying seeing your hard work come to fruition.
The same is true of my professional life. I nurture my clients as they step through the process from start to finish for their special occasion. I see the nervous, overwhelmed client grow into a beautiful, confident woman looking forward to their special day.
Unlike my gardening, when working in my studio, I have to be very careful that there is not any dirt, smudges, dust, or anything else that can leave dirty marks on the gowns. I view this as the yin-yang of life.
The same is true of my professional life. I nurture my clients as they step through the process from start to finish for their special occasion. I see the nervous, overwhelmed client grow into a beautiful, confident woman looking forward to their special day.
Unlike my gardening, when working in my studio, I have to be very careful that there is not any dirt, smudges, dust, or anything else that can leave dirty marks on the gowns. I view this as the yin-yang of life.Yin-yang is a Chinese philosophy. There are two fundamental principles, one negative, dark, passive, cold, wet, and feminine (yin) and the other positive, bright, active, dry, hot and masculine (yang). The interactions and balance of these forces, in people and nature, influence their behavior and fate.
Yin-yang transforms each other. Like an undertow in the ocean, every advance is complemented by a retreat, and every rise transforms into a fall. Thus, a seed will sprout from the earth and grow upwards towards the sky - an intrinsically yang movement. Then when it reaches its full height, it will begin to weaken, and eventually will fall back to the earth in decay - an intrinsically yin movement. Yin always contains the potential for yang, and yang for yin.
Yin-yang is not an actual substance or force, the way it might be conceived of in western terms. Instead, it is a universal way of describing the interactions and interrelations of the natural forces that do occur in the world. It applies as well to social constructions - value judgments like good and evil, rich and poor, honor and dishonor - yet it is often used in those contexts as a warning, since by its principles extreme good will turn to evil, extreme wealth to poverty, extreme honor to dishonor.
So, as I reflect on my gardening and my professional life as a designer and seamstress, I can appreciate the yin-yang. My roses are beautiful. They are big, bright, and smell wonderful. They grow in dirt; they have thorns. My gowns are also beautiful. Their environment is sterile at best.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Gowns
In May, I had the privilege of acting as emcee for a bridal fashion show for St. John of Rochester Church in Fairport, NY. It was a fundraiser for the church youth group. The gowns were submitted by the church parishioners and modeled by the members of the youth group. The gowns ranged from 1909 – 2009. I was delighted to see that the gowns fit the models beautifully. As I was mesmerized by the beauty and character of the gowns on these young ladies, I wished the gowns could tell their life story. 
The gowns were aged with grace and beauty. It was wonderful to witness and be a part of fashion history. The earlier gowns had intricate details; tiny pin tucks, high collars, long lacey elegant sleeves. Some of the gowns were missing lace boarders on the hem because it was reused on other family bridal gowns and christening gowns. We thought the term re-cycle was new!
There were gowns from the 1980’s with big poufy sleeves; a reminder of the Princess Diana era. Princess Diana had a tremendous influence on fashion, bringing back elegance and style. Jackie Kennedy’s 1960’s influence was also displayed. Remember the pill box hat and empire waist? Both Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana were fashion icons.
In my research of wedding gowns, I discovered that gowns were not always white. The white wedding gown was a fashion statement introduced by Queen Victoria, married in 1840. In medieval times, royal marriages were of great political importance. They were often arranged to seal alliances between the ruling families of countries with economic troubles due to endless wars and border disputes. In that era a bride of royalty had to look magnificent on her wedding day; she had to uphold the prestige of her country and impress the groom’s family.
(Wow! What a responsibility). In the middle ages, blue not white was the symbol of purity. Both bride and groom would wear a band of blue ribbon in the wedding ceremony. Now you know where the something blue rhyme comes from. In the early 1900s grey was a common shade for a wedding gown because it was such a useful color to re-use as Sundays best.
Wedding gowns today are a relatively recent invention. By the last decade of the 19th century, because white fabric was more affordable and readily available, it was possible for more young women to wear a white gown.
Sometime when you get a chance ask your mother, grandmother, aunt, etc. to share her w
edding gown story with you. If only the gowns could talk!
The gowns were aged with grace and beauty. It was wonderful to witness and be a part of fashion history. The earlier gowns had intricate details; tiny pin tucks, high collars, long lacey elegant sleeves. Some of the gowns were missing lace boarders on the hem because it was reused on other family bridal gowns and christening gowns. We thought the term re-cycle was new!
There were gowns from the 1980’s with big poufy sleeves; a reminder of the Princess Diana era. Princess Diana had a tremendous influence on fashion, bringing back elegance and style. Jackie Kennedy’s 1960’s influence was also displayed. Remember the pill box hat and empire waist? Both Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana were fashion icons.
In my research of wedding gowns, I discovered that gowns were not always white. The white wedding gown was a fashion statement introduced by Queen Victoria, married in 1840. In medieval times, royal marriages were of great political importance. They were often arranged to seal alliances between the ruling families of countries with economic troubles due to endless wars and border disputes. In that era a bride of royalty had to look magnificent on her wedding day; she had to uphold the prestige of her country and impress the groom’s family.
(Wow! What a responsibility). In the middle ages, blue not white was the symbol of purity. Both bride and groom would wear a band of blue ribbon in the wedding ceremony. Now you know where the something blue rhyme comes from. In the early 1900s grey was a common shade for a wedding gown because it was such a useful color to re-use as Sundays best.
Wedding gowns today are a relatively recent invention. By the last decade of the 19th century, because white fabric was more affordable and readily available, it was possible for more young women to wear a white gown.
Sometime when you get a chance ask your mother, grandmother, aunt, etc. to share her w
edding gown story with you. If only the gowns could talk! 
As a Fashion Designer I get to be creative and help young ladies realize their dream for their special day. I had the privilege of helping my intern, Jessi Frederick, create her beautiful prom gown. She is radiant for her special day!
In May, I had the privilege of acting as emcee for a bridal fashion show for St. John of Rochester Church in Fairport, NY. It was a fundraiser for the church youth group. The gowns were submitted by the church parishioners and modeled by the members of the youth group. The gowns ranged from 1909 – 2009. I was delighted to see that the gowns fit the models beautifully. As I was mesmerized by the beauty and character of the gowns on these young ladies, I wished the gowns could tell their life story.
The gowns were aged with grace and beauty. It was wonderful to witness and be a part of fashion history. The earlier gowns had intricate details; tiny pin tucks, high collars, long lacey elegant sleeves. Some of the gowns were missing lace boarders on the hem because it was reused on other family bridal gowns and christening gowns. We thought the term re-cycle was new!
There were gowns from the 1980’s with big poufy sleeves; a reminder of the Princess Diana era. Princess Diana had a tremendous influence on fashion, bringing back elegance and style. Jackie Kennedy’s 1960’s influence was also displayed. Remember the pill box hat and empire waist? Both Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana were fashion icons.
In my research of wedding gowns, I discovered that gowns were not always white. The white wedding gown was a fashion statement introduced by Queen Victoria, married in 1840. In medieval times, royal marriages were of great political importance. They were often arranged to seal alliances between the ruling families of countries with economic troubles due to endless wars and border disputes. In that era a bride of royalty had to look magnificent on her wedding day; she had to uphold the prestige of her country and impress the groom’s family.
(Wow! What a responsibility). In the middle ages, blue not white was the symbol of purity. Both bride and groom would wear a band of blue ribbon in the wedding ceremony. Now you know where the something blue rhyme comes from. In the early 1900s grey was a common shade for a wedding gown because it was such a useful color to re-use as Sundays best.
Wedding gowns today are a relatively recent invention. By the last decade of the 19th century, because white fabric was more affordable and readily available, it was possible for more young women to wear a white gown.
Sometime when you get a chance ask your mother, grandmother, aunt, etc. to share her wedding gown story with you. If only the gowns could talk!
The gowns were aged with grace and beauty. It was wonderful to witness and be a part of fashion history. The earlier gowns had intricate details; tiny pin tucks, high collars, long lacey elegant sleeves. Some of the gowns were missing lace boarders on the hem because it was reused on other family bridal gowns and christening gowns. We thought the term re-cycle was new!
There were gowns from the 1980’s with big poufy sleeves; a reminder of the Princess Diana era. Princess Diana had a tremendous influence on fashion, bringing back elegance and style. Jackie Kennedy’s 1960’s influence was also displayed. Remember the pill box hat and empire waist? Both Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana were fashion icons.
In my research of wedding gowns, I discovered that gowns were not always white. The white wedding gown was a fashion statement introduced by Queen Victoria, married in 1840. In medieval times, royal marriages were of great political importance. They were often arranged to seal alliances between the ruling families of countries with economic troubles due to endless wars and border disputes. In that era a bride of royalty had to look magnificent on her wedding day; she had to uphold the prestige of her country and impress the groom’s family.
(Wow! What a responsibility). In the middle ages, blue not white was the symbol of purity. Both bride and groom would wear a band of blue ribbon in the wedding ceremony. Now you know where the something blue rhyme comes from. In the early 1900s grey was a common shade for a wedding gown because it was such a useful color to re-use as Sundays best.
Wedding gowns today are a relatively recent invention. By the last decade of the 19th century, because white fabric was more affordable and readily available, it was possible for more young women to wear a white gown.
Sometime when you get a chance ask your mother, grandmother, aunt, etc. to share her wedding gown story with you. If only the gowns could talk!
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