Red Taffeta Shirtwaist Gown with defined waistline and full skirt.

I met the Editor of the magazine, Elizabeth Hamilton, several years ago. We connected with one another, as we both have a love of fashion. Elizabeth has been in the fashion industry for over 20 years and she has been modeling for Donna Baldwin Agency, the largest full service talent agency in Colorado, since 1994. You can read more about her on the magazine’s website here.

Between my former retail shop in Cherry Creek North, being a Colorado native, and having a love for animals, I was described as a perfect fit for being featured in Cherry Creek Now Magazine.

The pieces for the photoshoot were all inspired by my belief that women should be able to dress fashionably in the countryside and cityscape. I primarily used fabrics in the designs that can be intermixed and re-combined to create unique looks. Some of my favorite fabrics used in these pieces include crisp taffeta, lycra ponte, laser cut pleather, French lace, and Italian cellophane bonded fabric.

I believe the utilitarian shirtwaist style dress will be a staple in one’s wardrobe, so why not make it in a luxurious fabric? The simple sheath and the trendy jumpsuit are pieces to add to your current wardrobe.  Add a baseball cut “truth” jacket over any of these pieces and you can be at a gala or a country outing. 

To see the entire Black & Red collection online, visit my Lookbooks page. You can also head on over to see the full spread in the online magazine. 

As always, these shoots take a village. I could not have had a better team to execute this fabulous high fashion spread. Many thanks to:

Stylist: Mary Spicer 

Photographer: Hardy Klahold 

Models: Christine Olyer

Janina Lawrence

Mallory High

Hair: Mark Gallegos 

Makeup: Bethany Joy Geraghty 

Venue:  TAHA Suri Alpaca Ranch 

The post Brooks LTD is Featured in Cherry Creek Now Magazine appeared first on Brooks Ltd.

And wearing custom-made garments may say all the right things you want others around you to know. If you’ve thought about buying a custom blouse but want to know what the process is like first, this post is for you.

On the blog this week, I wanted to highlight a few of the steps involved when I make custom garments for my clients! The example we’ll use here is a custom-made linen blouse for my client, Carolyn.

First, I take measurements and sketch a design. Then I use a muslin, or a prototype, as a guideline to make corrections and adjustments based on how it would fit the client. Below is an example of what it looks like when I adjusted this blouse in a protoype fabric for her shoulders.

Then, I place a vertical dart under the arm(instead of at the armhole as shown) to give the bodice the illusion of extra length — in other words, making it appear taller. When I do this, it creates a smaller armhole which allows me to decrease the width of the sleeve, which was a request from my client to have a tighter fit.

After I mark where to make adjustments, I re-cut the garment. For this blouse, I used an eyelet fabric that I had in my stash, and my client loved it so much I finished it for her to keep and wear! Below you’ll see the fabric we used and a photo of the final product being modeled on delivery day.

As you can see from the photographs below, the linen jacket compliments Carolyn’s body type, and has a beautiful framed neckline that she can accessorize with her wonderful collection of jewelry. The basic teal knit garment underneath is a colorful choice for the fashion fabric to pop with pizazz! Both fabrics are from Marcy Tilton Fabrics, a fantastic fabric shop based in Oregon.

Carolyn and I both have been in the clothing industry for over 40 years and have collected many treasures that we can’t live without. Collaborating with another creative person is always fun and enlightening! We both share the love for textiles, and expression of fashion. You can see her jewelry collection online here!

I created this blouse design for her using inspiration from my current ‘off the rack’ garment design for Spring 2018. Her blouse has a few subtle differences in the design, mostly in the creation of a smaller armhole with an underarm dart for a fuller bust.

I can’t think of a better fit for a tailored garment in a beautiful fabric. I can also imagine how this might look dressier with an imported lace added on, or a variety of other endless ideas! Here I used a luxurious lace fabric to create a garment that if paired with a navy silk charmeuse skirt and cami would be appropriate for a Mother of the Bride.

When I get to work one-on-one with special clients, it opens up my creative process to think of new designs that would fit the current needs of women out there!

I am lucky to be able to create beautiful clothes for beautiful women.

The post Custom-Made Linen Blouse appeared first on Brooks Ltd.

Photos of the Sequins, Lace, Mesh & Ponte Fabrics

Here is the sequined fabric with a light underlay that I tested to see if I was happy with the contrast.

I began draping the fabrics to see how they would look as a collection.  You will see how this morphed into something else as time goes on.  This was just the beginning.  The draping process is just the start of any collection.  To see a gown from start to finish visit my dressmaking page.

Choosing the design to compliment the sequins.

The sequins spoke to me in many different forms.  I treated it like a knit so it would mold close to the body.  I draped most of the shapes, as this fabric had a mind of its own.  Once I got the technique down I was off and running.  I felt like I could shape this fabric into anything I wanted.  For the Town & Country Collection I visualized women wearing the sequins with jeans and boots as well as out to a gala.  All one needs to do is change up the pieces.

Imagine this tunic without the lace leggings, a perfect party dress.  Wear the tunic with jeans and boots, out in the country, or if you live near me, up in the mountains.  So versatile.

Ponte fabric adds a new dimension to the collection.

Ponte fabric is another new fabric for Brooks Ltd.  It is easy to wear, comfortable and has no season.

Here is my version of a LBD(little black dress).  Mine is navy blue!

Take this LND (little navy dress) and mix it up with navy leggings and you have a whole new look.

In the city, in the mountains.

This collection has just begun.  I will write more about the actual runway show in my next blog. See more samples like this on my About Town Lifestyle Clothing page!

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