I have 6 weeks until I leave for Rome and show at Altaroma ! I have been fortunate enough to be invited to show as a foreigner – and I couldn’t say no – what an opportunity and even more than that an experience of a life time – so here goes my process, deciding to blog about it and wondering if that will help with my clarity and planning.  As an artist, I tend to let things “cook” a bit and then have a creative explosion at the last minute – lets see what happens this show….

So I normally start pooling my inspirational things together – fabric, odds and ends from traveling, photos of looks I love – this show is not so much a selling show, but really a SHOW show – 15 looks and I have decided to go completely wild and over the top -this collection does not have to ever go into my boutique or my ready to wear collection – it can be an expression of my biggest dream of art in fashion.  As I mature in this business, I realize that doing the one of a kind pieces I am known for in my boutiques is truly my passion, the collection I design for other shows, even though I love them and they bring me joy at conception,  tend to dry up after I have looked at them for too long, and in the fashion industry, we are always designing way ahead of the season…crazy industry.

My inspiration and my story for this collection is in the seedling phase. I see the love and freedom of Ibiza and Talitha Getty, along with the class and beauty of Capri.  I see Burning Man  and Native American influences, sequins (always) fur with bikinis, leather, crystals, pom poms.  I see the language of my designs that I speak, with a twist of outrageous.  The way I normally start is to just start! today in the studio and these are the things I put in a pile for my beginning…… first is a floor length fox fur coat, made with the most beautiful colors, including some hot pink and mango orange pieces!!!! I have never seen a hide like this before and was told there are only 4 in the US. Maybe this is the finale? or maybe the entrance ? with a sequin bikini and feathers in her hair?? I can’t go that fast – I love the dream, and yet I don’t need to figure it all out right now, I love the process and really have learned to allow the things in my life to flower to flow, there is so much beauty in the process I want to savior every minute! Theres no rush, I still have 6 weeks (says the artist!)