Custom Project: Barbarella Cuff

via fanshare

Working as a leather accessories designer, I sometimes get special requests for custom made cuffs. When my schedule isn't as hectic, I like to take on these projects for a challenge.

This is the second time I've gotten a request for a custom Barbarella cuff and it's much sleeker and more true to form. The first Barbarella cuff I made was for a customer going to Dragon Con. Making it a second time around, I could perfect the flashing component making it more simple to use. The ball lights up from solid red, blue, green, and purple colors while the last option has an evolution of rainbow colors.

If you're interested in a Barbarella cuff or any custom Superhero cuff, please feel free to email me.

Spring Couture 2014: Craftmanship of Dior

via style.com

The beauty of Couture is the ability to make you dream. One of my favorite shows this season is the Christian Dior Spring 2014 show. Attention was devoted to the fabrication itself; the pleating, cutwork, and latticework of sheer fabrics and translucent overlays. The past collections were more extravagant and theatrical when Galliano was at the helm, but there is quiet power over this new and more intimate vision of Raf Simons, allowing the beauty of the fabrics to be the main highlight of the collection.

Dior is fastly becoming a favorite of mine.

Seascapes

Visiting the Aquarium for a few hours is a nice getaway from the city. Underwater landscapes make me wish for warm weather and tropical beaches. Beautiful colors of coral and tropical fish at the Toronto Aquarium inspire new ideas and organic shapes. It's nice to step inside here and marvel at the sheer size of the sharks or be hypnotized by the tiniest jelly fish beating their bell shaped bodies into the water.

It's like journeying to a new world.

In the studio

Working with chains and putting together some feather necklaces in the studio this week. One of the tasks I love the most is adding the final touches with our jewelry tags; it makes the pieces extra special. After they are attached to the feather pendant, they're are ready to go to their homes.

Go for Gold

Gold is one of the metal colors I love working with and it's one of the fashion trends that remains strong into 2014 for accessories, shoes, and home decor. Golden accents heighten every shape and form that it touches. Add a bit of gold to your outfit to add some shine.

From top left to bottom right: 1. Metallic Gold Eyeshadow 2. Painted Gold Feathers 3. Gold Cuff Anklet Heels 4. Statement Gem Ring

Style spotting

Street style spotting in Toronto on my friend and fashion blogger JI.  Ever since I've known JI, she's always been accessorizing her outfits and adding to her ever growing vintage closet. Her style has evolved into casual wear and menswear elements borrowed from her boyfriend's closet.

She's wearing an acid washed over-sized denim jacket over top a white ribbed tank and a bright red lip, accessorized with one of our exclusive feather pendants.

In the studio

It's been a blizzard outside, but I'm huddled up in the studio working on more stock of our Leather Butterfly fingerless gloves. I'll be attending the OOAK show this spring again and I dont want to run out of product this time around.

These gloves take the most time to cut and sew since they have tiniest little patterns. It's like sewing doll clothes.

Follow me on our instagram feed for a daily update.

Jeweler's Work Bench

If you've been following us via Instagram, you'll probably have noticed some of my projects at my jewelers bench. I've been taking Casting classes at George Brown and learning how to make wax models, melting down sterling silver and casting them into rings and of course, feathered forms.

I've already learned how to cast a solid ring band through the lost wax process, but the most fun is making little wax models and inscribing tiny details. It's quite a process from carving the wax model, melting down the silver to form the metal, then polishing the finished piece to a bright shine. Melting the silver at 1000 degrees is probably the most terrifying task, but there's something quite satisfying about pulling out your finished product that you made with your very own hands.