Put on a hat and join the ladies

 Art League of Lincoln California 

Fashion Show at Historic Beermann's

Leave it to the residents of Lincoln, CA to invent such a fun event --raising money for the "arts" in Lincoln.  I heard about this event on Facebook (who says social media doesn't work) and  invited my Mom to join me for tea to support the Art League of Lincoln.  This fundraiser brought ladies from all over the county for afternoon tea and visual delights.  The ladies were dressed up in hats, boas, gloves and we even saw a few parasols.

We all enjoyed a lovely afternoon in the charming setting of Beermann's Restaurant Ballroom.

www.beermannslincoln.com/


I love this old building, one of the oldest in town.  Lincoln became a recognized town in 1859. Many buildings date back to the 1860-1900s. This particular building was built by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) and the Masons in 1864.  It is a beautiful building with lots of photos, wonderful lighting, moldings and historical details.

The old fashioned downtown area is a great place to shop, walk around and absorb the more than 150 year history of Lincoln.

Art Show

On display on the stage at the event there was a beautiful collection of "art" tea pots from the collection of Ken Underwood.  These were each unique and one of a kind well made pieces of art.

For more information about the Art League of Lincoln,  Lincoln:  www.all4art.net  or call them at 916-543-9669 

Jean Cross the Executive Director of the organization was the emcee of the event.  What a nice job her team did with these artful displays. 

The Art League of Lincoln is a contemporary arts group that focuses on a broad spectrum of the Arts: Clay and Ceramic Arts, Oil Painting and Watercolor, Photography, Needle Arts/Wearable Art, Jewelry, Dance and Theater Arts.

Table Display

The tables were set with an antique book centerpiece.  The pages were fanned out & folded and tea cups with sweet potted flowers.

What a nice group of laddies my Mom and I sat with too.  Everyone there was friendly and engaging.







The fashions modeled were unique and artistic creation by local Wearable Art members who gave us lots of inspiration and ideas.





















Our waiter was a comedian, he was so animated and told us funny quips.  The food was fantastic too!

Fashion Show

The fashion show was marvelous. Sit back and take a look at some of the fashions.  (Please excuse the quality of the photo,  I was quite far away and could not use a flash.)  What lovely outfits these talented women made:

Thank you for checking out my fashion show photos.  I loved the Ballroom venue and want to get back to Beermann's to see the rest of this historic building.  I'm sure it will be fodder for another post, so until next time...Jonelle'

Christopher Collins a favorite from Project Runway

Christopher Collins American Fashion Designer

Christopher Collins – After Project Runway

 September is the month we think of fashion.  Nearly every fashion magazine is bulging with inspiration and the latest in color, fabrics and fashions.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to hear from Christopher Collins, California fashion designer and celebrity who participated in Project Runway, Season 8.  He was charming, knowledgable and shared so much with our group.

Christopher Collins, in gray vest and jeans, contestant on Project Runway Season 8

It was a Saturday morning, Christopher Collins was the guest lecture at the Haute Couture Society meeting in Stockton CA.  This nonprofit organization is designed to celebrate the creative arts, design, and fashion. Christopher gave a power point presentation showing his upcoming fall line and his philosophy around design.  He also took us on a look back at his experience with Project Runway Season 8 where he was a contestant.

 

They came the "eye candy"  He showed his power point with pictures from his Fall line of clothering:

 





 

Prior to national recognition as a Season 8 Project Runway contestant, Christopher Collins was already gain­ing recognition as an emerging designer that multiple publications noted as “someone to watch.” As a Gen Art honoree and a "Resident Talent" for Lucky Magazine, Christopher Collins is an unstoppable force in fashion. Made in California his designs are created with European and Japanese textiles, each garment demonstrates quality, luxury, high fashion and femininity with great fit too. He is also a popular instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco (FIDM).
Christopher shared his thoughts on design with our group:
“Look at an object and not what it is literally but what it could be.”

Growing up he talked enthusiastically about his mother and how creatively she lived.  He talked about how she sewed children's books, aprons, and child development specialties.   She used scraps to complete many projects.  She collected sewing trims, scraps and buttons into a box throwing in  craft items, she would get this box out and let the kids dig through and “play.”  It was that creative encouragement that sparked Christopher’s own creativity.

 

Christopher smiled as he openly admitted that he was fearless in his 20's. His fashion career really started when he worked as a visual merchandiser for Neiman Marcus where he gained insight into the luxury market. Christopher earned his degree in fashion design at San Francisco State University. Christopher then moved to Los Angeles to design for two well-known evening wear fashion designers—Tadashi and Dina Bar-el.

The mission of the Christopher Collins brand is to empower women through fashion.
The Christopher Collins brand represents quality and creating Beauty - making women look Beautiful.

 

He tried a few of his pieces on an attendee.  They look so nice on.  I looked at them more closly (from the first row) and saw they were very well made.  You can see on the screen the ensomble.

A highlight of his careen was the Project Runway opportunity.  It opened the doors to the possibility of his 2010 collection to be picked up in New York.  His collection was shown during New York fashion week. His customer is the fashion conscious, powerful woman who wants ease and chic.  He wants his customer to feel beautiful and strong when wearing his line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently he was asked to dress actress Andie MacDowell who plays a lead character on the new series: Jane by Design”   In the upcoming ABC Family original series Jane By Design, Andie MacDowell plays a “glamorous fashion executive who travels the world in search of the next big style trend. “  In other words, we can’t wait to see what trends Christopher will be introducing.  I’m defiantly going to DVR this one. http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/jane-by-design Watch ALL NEW episodes Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC Family! Follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/abcfjane

Other high profile projects Christopher Collin’s has designed recently include:  A dress for the “Glamorama” a fashion show and concert sponsored annually by Macy’s and benefitting Children’s Cancer Research

Another design project Christopher Collins talked about was a bottle he designed for Absolute Vodca.  Christopher LOVES San Francisco, so was honored when they alsked him to design the destionations bottle.  If the city of San Francisco were to be bottled, it would taste of grape, dragon fruit and papaya — exotic flavors that capture the unique mix of cultures, ethnicities and culinary heritage of a thriving, colorful city. At least, that’s what one vodka maker thinks. In the latest edition to a city-series ‘sonic ambassador,’ fashion designer Christopher Collins was asked to design the bottle. Now he is branching out into other types of design.

Christopher talked in detail about how one can search for inspiration. He said he is inspired by historical fashion, especially the Elizabethan fashion and Rococo fashions  of the 18th century.   He talked of the silks, taffeta, and needlework. Textures create romance & mood.

He shared his insights on looking at architecture.  If you design something Victorian then stand and get a photo In front of a Victorian home. Look at the Transamerica building then design something modern and streamline. This is why he loves living in San Francisco as there is so much inspiration around him.

He encouraged us to go to creative places.  Nature is another place for inspiration. He loved the outdoors, the harmony, smells, sounds, and freedom it represents.  Deserts are so mysterious; take Sedona’s red rocks, beaches course sand, a roaring river.

He suggested getting out and experiencing other cultures.  Look at crossing different cultures with other backgrounds their authentic costumes of a culture, jewelry, arts, and accessories. You can find color inspiration and quality in their techniques and what they have made.

Take a look at people. We inspire each other, from Opera Winfrey to Lance Armstrong, from the young royal couple, to the Olympic contenders, from Marilyn Monroe to Gandhi.

Literature inspires him; music inspires him.  Music is also a great inspiration for fashion.   From Lady Gaga to the classics of the rat pack - music provokes different feelings.  He suggested you play music while creating.  Try inspirational music that reflects what you have in mind for the style; have it playing in the background while you create.

"Fashion is an epic moment."

Christopher suggested that one use a story board to display your ideas, using swatches of fabric and pictures that evoke an image you are trying to achieve.  This will help you to get your arms around the look and feeling of the inspiration.  Take this energy, these images, and you will craft the “look” in no time. 

 

Tomorrow I will talk about the workshop the Haute Couture Society hosted.  Christopher Collins led the workshop, sharing inspiration and ideas with those attending.