A few photos taken as the sun was setting over Weston-Super-Mare. Dismaland was a thought provoking exhibition/sort of sarcastic ‘fun’ fair with a selection of some of my favourite artists’ work (Damien Hirst and David Shrigley to name just a couple). An impactful, awe inspiring exhibition showcasing incredible talent and insight with some hard-hitting messages. I love that materials from the site were reused in the ‘Dismalaid’ project to help build housing for refugees in Calais.
Original Brown Leather Shoe. I love these shoes but find that they don’t compliment my wardrobe so I’m dying them black!
Remove Laces, make sure leather is clean and dry. An inconspicous test patch is recommended to make sure that the dye works.
Stuff with newspaper to keep the shape when wet
Paint on the leather dye
Repeat if necessary!
Make sure you get in to all the creases for maximum coverage
Shine with black leather polish
New Shoes!
The Beautiful Plumage Vintage collection is super stocked and I’m proud to say, looking more fabulous than ever! We’re really excited about setting up stall at a few more Vintage fairs now that spring has arrived. Here are some new additions to the range…
Handmade brushed-cotton playsuit made with vintage floral fabric, (styled with vintage tan leather belt), tan and cream vintage bag, polkadot tie at the waist summer blouse.
Handmade floral crop top (modelled on an 80’s version). Vintage burgundy bag and scarf.
Handmade plum satin blouse (from a vintage Vogue pattern), vintage leopard print blouse and vintage black across the shoulder bag.
Customised vintage liberty print dress, white and gold italian vintage belt, handmade midnight blue floral make up bag and handmade/laser cut Beautiful Plumage jewellery.
Details of upcoming Vintage Fairs to be added soon xxx
I was asked to upcycle a plain blue stretch fabric Topshop dress for a client to wear to a 1920’s party this New Years Eve. It took a while to work out how to add the fringing without loosing the stretch (and therefore also the fit and method of getting in and out of the dress!) but the end result was well received and the client looked amazing. After fringing, blue ribbon ties were added at the shoulders. The addition of one of my blue feather headband accessories finalised the flapper girl look.
Don’t worry – the loose cotton and fringing was trimmed before the dress was handed over! Quality Control is a Beautiful Plumage must.
This weekend I visited a vintage fair ‘up north’ with my sisters. We braved the cold weather and were happy to find a few trinkets to buy! Some of the clothes seemed a little pricey for what they were e.g. a once loved but now severely outdated bridesmaid dress for £68 seemed a little steep. However, it was really nice to chat to some talented new designers/makers about how they were customising/creating. Here is a documentation of my time there in photos (including the labels which most impressed me!):
Really wanting a studded jumper right now…lucky I’ve ordered some antique brass studs to jazz up my wardrobe!
This week my shabby old coat has been rejuvenated! The A/W 2009 Primark number was ripped at the arm, the fur trim was falling off and the colour had faded to an unsightly grey.
Restorative Process:
A new coat for under a fiver. Super Chuffed! Has anyone else got an upcycled/recycled garment they are really pleased with? I’d love to hear about them.
This event was on Friday and it was a great opportunity to meet some fellow independent Bristol designers and to see some of the creative ways they upcycle and reinvent clothing. Hopefully we will be showing the Beautiful Plumage S/S range at the next event.
In attendance were:
And after a short interval:
And here are a few of my favourite pictures from the evening…
A few pics of my latest vintage purchase, the newly cherishable electric blue dress. As you can see it’s now fully shortened to an acceptable length for 2012!
This mini shoot was conducted in my sisters new flat in Manchester. She moved in 3 and a half weeks ago and I couldn’t wait to see her first non-student digs. I left Manchester feeling slightly jealous of her beautiful fireplace (pictured) and with a predictably large bagful of more great finds from the local charity shops here, including a couple of 80’s crop-able tees, a cream lace blouse, a gorgeous and oh-so-comfy mens stripy blue jumper and much more… but that’s a whole other blog post folks! A dedicated alterations post detailing the upcycling of these items to follow soon.
For info on how to shorten a dress like this, please click here.
Photography by Courtney Ward
If you need further excuse to be outside in this gorgeous weather try this crafty little project of covering flower pots with recycled fabric – really adds a nice bit of colour/texture/pattern to your garden. Just cut fabric to correct size and glue on with spraymount or craft glue. Stretch fabrics e.g. jersey are easiest to adjust. Simple!
Beautiful Plumage. 