Who's Clueless?

There's a story today on the front page of the New York Times Style section today. It's about "interview suits". But it really is about what any woman in the work force should wear. And in fragile economic times, I find it bananas that Nicole Miller would think a woman she spotted on Wall Street in a pants suit "looked dated". Granted, Ms. Miller's bread and butter is cocktail dresses and 24 hour party girl looks, but a pants suit, dated? Hell-O!? This is what's wrong with the fashion industry. If they make a suit,it's either for an androgynous heroin addict or her mother who's uptown having lunch, wondering "What happened to my daughter? She used to look so nice." Women work. They need clothes to wear to work, where they are surrounded by men, competing with men, men in suits. If you're wearing a sweater set and the guy across from you is wearing a suit, you are automatically demoting yourself-"Oh, don't mind me, I'm just here to fetch coffee. If a guy showed up to work in a cardigan, the reaction would be "Mr. Rogers, the train to the Land of Make-believe just left". I know dress codes are not super strict anymore, but suits are power. They say "I'm here to work!" They don't need to be dull, navy deals with no style. They can have great, great flare. More than anything I do here, I make suits for women. They are repeat customers, they wear my clothes all the time, and I make their lives easier, so they can do their job. That's the nice thing about being so close to the customer base-you actually know what they want and need, and you can use your design skills to take it to the next level. I think 7th avenue needs to think a little bit more, so there's not piles of product in discount stores and women walking around wondering if they're wearing the "right thing" to work.

life goes on...

Okay, so the world's a mess. Go BUY A DRESS! Seriously, I have not taken over Vogue as written by the Bush Administration. The markets crash, the sky is falling, the world is about to stop rotating on it's axis. Guess what-you still have to go to work tomorrow. And that wedding you're going to-it's still happening. And your 50th birthday party -uh huh-trust me, if I could stop that one, I'd be as loaded as your guests at your open bar. It's where you chose to spend it that makes all the difference. When it's right-when is looks fabulous, fits perfectly, and most of all, has supreme purpose, that's perfection in a nutshell. A love supreme. So many times this week, I heard women say "I love my pants", "I love my clothes-they're so special", "I'm so happy I did this". Well, I love my job because of it, and that doesn't sound like the Apocalypse to me. But talk to me Wednesday.....

for a few dollars less......

Say you've got s new potential job offer. And you need a fast makeover. And Tim Gunn's out of the question, because you think he and his kind are the anti-Christ. What do you do? Do you go to Neiman Mark-up, and blow $150,000? Nah-You come to see Jennifer Butler(that's me), and despite the fact that I'd be tempted to tell you we're all God's children- sisters and brothers, brothers who want to be sisters, brothers who dress better than their sisters, etc.- but I don't because I don't believe in mixing clothes and state. Instead, I'd tell you you can't buy style. But you can leave the styling to me, you can look great, and feel great about yourself, get in touch with your true best self, and I can get you there. For a lot less than $150,000. It will take more than a day, and a three store shopping spree. But you'll love your clothes, and you'll have them for a really long time, and they'll fit like a glove. And they will reflect you at your best.
And okay, okay, while we're on the subject-I must say, the boots gave her away that she was under outside influence. No one in Alaska with that hairdo has 4" heel patent pointy toe boots. Unless she's being a "naughty witch" for Halloween-oh-hey....come to think of it.....

Yes! A Dress!

Fifteen minutes to get ready this morning-how to cope? A forgotten dress! I told myself I would wear what's on the floor this season- not the bedroom, the store- and I had forgotten about this great jersey dress, printed, easy, and fifteen minutes, shower to door. More than ever, with all the stress we are under these days, the faster we can get out the door looking pulled together, the better. I love the versatility of a skirt and jacket, or jersey, but I did some great dresses this summer, and have carried it through to fall. Check out the show under see the latest show on the website, and better yet, pop in the store, and see how easy looking fabulous in a snap can be

That's right- I have a blog...

Work, work, work...no time to think-Hey, I should run for office! A friend just linked his blog to mine, and I realized I haven't had time to post in quite some time, since every Friday I am amazed it's Friday again, since wasn't it just Saturday, and wow, look, I'm 80 now! Anyway, I'm sure many of us feel that way, but you know what makes it better? Perfect pants. And a cocktail dress. At least that's the story around here. We've been busy filling orders and doing fittings, but will soon be posting the photos from the fall show, in case you didn't make it. In the meantime, if you didn't make the show, stop my the store, and see what you missed. It's my favorite collection ever- smart, gorgeous, and full of surprises.

I'm fat, and I just want to have the baby

I have never gone quite full term with a pregnancy, but I think this is how it feels. Months of work and anticipation, and then you just want it out. When the baby comes, I will love the baby, but I want to see the baby, not be working until 3 am squeezing it all in. Fall has been in the cooker for months and months, and now , on this 80 something degree night, it will be unveiled. See you there, at FTC-come have a preshow drink and some great food, then sit down and enjoy. Doors at 7, Models hit the stage about 7:45.

Countdown

Six days to showtime, and we're buzzing here, dotting the I's, crossing the T's and stitching the hems from the last fittings. I'm loving all the sleek but fluid skirts,the knits, the cool new evening pants called "More Cow Bell", and a fabulous cascading chiffon shawl, name yet unknown, that will come in 96 colors(!)So many people have been popping into the shop for the first time these past weeks, telling me they'd been meaning to for months and months-and walking out with sale pieces and excitement for the show. I'll be laboring heavy on Labor Day, but if you happen by, and the door's open, c'mon in.

Am I Blue?

Yes. 6 shades of it. With green-4 shades. And a shot of yellow. Just finished a winter version of one of my favorite skirts, Velvet Underpass. It rocks. It's beautiful, too. So, so right. On a black ground. I can see so many people wearing it-it's much easier to pop on than the white Spring version, which was gorgeous, but required commitment. This version-it's an invitation to a good time. Come see it make it's debut in 11 days at FTC.

13 days

Until showtime.And I just cannot wait to see it walk the walk. Feedback from people has been beyond positive. But I heard something very interesting today. That following the financial mood of the world, a lot of designers have taken the season into darkness. Black, grey, and brown is your highlight colour. This is like giving a bottle of pills to manic depressive and telling them, "Just go on, finish it, will you?". If I'm bummin' big time, granted, I will not be putting on a red party dress and hitting the town. But will I shroud myself and wait for the rapture? No. But I think if I put on "Branching Out", one of the coolest coats I've ever made, I'll perk up, feel strong, and take on the day with a "You can't beat me down, buddy- Excuse me while I step around your stale air" mode. come check it out at the Fairfield Theatre Company on September 4th.

I'm gonna knock your jeans off

That's right. Clear out of the park. I have been workin' with a capital K. wor-Kin. And do I have skirts for you. A-line, easy, slim, tight as a drum. A drum with a lycra bounce beat, that is. High-waisted,flatteringly low slung (not an oxymoron, I swear) lots of great throw it on and go, but look fabulous skirts. I just got goose bumps over one yesterday- a deep green Donegal tweed with this huge silver buckle I came across in the city. Except calling it a buckle is like calling the Guggenheim out building. This is sculpture people. And then this fringed tweed piece pulls through low on the hip-excuse me, I..I... I'm getting weepy. I had been hoarding this giant hunk of gleaming silver, waiting for the right fabric to come along, and make it whole. I found it, but then it appeared it had sold out while I made my decision. But yesterday I got the call it had been unearthed in the warehouse. And at 12:47 last night, or rather this morning,I pulled that tweed through, and had an epiphany. Did you hear the clap of thunder?

Everything's better when it's made to measure

I know-it should be the catch phase of the century.One of my favorite clients brought her visiting mom in to have a dress made, and said those very words today. But it's so very, very true.You can be a size two, and be wearing the "wrong thing" You can be a size two, wearing the right thing, but it doesn't fit you well, because one person's waist can be two inches higher than another's, and off the rack just doesn't cut it. If it's well thought out, it can make you look fabulous. And I'm not talking a black sheath. I have another favorite client who tells me when she wears my pants, people say she's lost weight. There are tricks of the trade. I'm not hoarding them-c'mom down! People constantly say to me "Of course you can wear that-you're so thin" or "skinny people can wear anything". It's everything in my power not to smack them upside the head. Every single person on the planet has body issues, unless they're on meds. I am not immune. I'm just keeping my problems to myself. I spend so much time working on how to playoff one asset to minimize another on all body types. And trust me, I see them all. It would be ridiculous for me to do a plus size line-it's not my angle on things, but I can do my best to present a ideas that go beyond just the uberthin, walking clothes hanger mentality, while not embracing the Ellen Tracy "just have another doughnut, it's okay" idea. I was just working on a dress today that's on bronze charmeause. Now the idea on bronze charmeause across most people's abs would send hem straight into the vomitorium to drop a few pounds. But I was thinking, if I just move it down a few inches, on the diagonal, we'd be a world of strutting glamazons. Come see the Fall show at to see what I'm talking about.

Lean Times

Wallets, wardrobes, waistlines...everywhere, people are paring down. So what works? Well, there is nothing wrong with less is more, but it's got to be right on many levels. I was working on the idea of an amazing white blouse-one that had parts that defied gravity, but then , I had a thought. It involved a salad dressing mishap, and tears. If I make something that collapses at the dry cleaners, it hurts me as well as you. If I can make something that doesn't need to visit the cleaners but a few times a season, better for all of us. And if it can stay away for months, and just have a gentle run of things in your sink, oh, joy. But man, is that hard. As someone known for their fair share of mishaps, I am all for the multi-use item. And as someone who has seen some things wrecked by cleaners, I know I have to think on the side of practicality. So somewhere between shirt as napkin and shirt as sculpture, I hope to find the answer....

More Cowbell

I keep having this dream. It's 20 minutes before the show, and I haven't mixed the show music, or done the pre and post show discs, which I swore I would do a month ahead. Yes, I have aural control issues. Why? Does it matter? Yes, whether you know it or not. And judging from the amount of "loved the music" comments I got from the last show, absolutely. So for the sixteenth time, while I rethought a collar, finished a shirt for someone, and rethought the lineup-stronger, harder beats, like the clothes-I remixed for hopefully the last time. And while I think some ideas are often best resolved while hanging from a cliff, I'm hoping for sweet dreams.

Givin' It Away

Well, not quite-It's that time again-time for a fresh start. Everything in the store, all samples, off the rack items,menswear, kids clothes EVERYTHING is 40-80% off the original price. This includes great fall coats,evening wear,skirts, sweaters-you name it-if it fits(or almost-we'll tweak it for you for an additional labor cost)it's yours for an incredible price. Because I've got a lot of ideas for Fall and they've got to have a place to hang.And don't forget-tickets for the Fall '08 show are on sale, so get them now for the best seats in the house.

How Green Was My Midriff

And crusty, too. No, I haven't fallen asleep in the dumpster behind the store. I'm working on a new gown. Supermodel Leah wants to shoot on a big black horse. How could she possibly do that without a to die for green under black chiffon and stretch silk gown with a beaded inset waist? I love green. Highly underrated. It's the relation to stomach upset, I think. "You're looking a bit green" sort of a thing. Like brown, it suffers from the intestinal relationship. Green, I'm looking to liberate you. Through tweeds. And a kooky paisley stretch knit lace. And a crusty beaded glistening midriff. All the other colors, they'll be green with envy.

Fractured Fairy Tales

Once upon a time, in a moderately sized town, a man with a camera, a woman with some clothes and...a guy with a giant Hersey kiss made from real hair and a lady with paints for faces got together and made some really cool pictures of some beautiful people. And they all lived happily ever after. Because everyone bit the apple. I'm very, very fortunate to work with some amazing people-Peter Baker behind the lens, Leslie Atiles on make-up, and Michael Burgess on hair-who don't bat an eye when "think of sculpture-like a big Calder on their head" is said. I clear my head when I run the trails behind my house, and had a Medieval fantasy of woodland nymphs and spirited female warriors running the rock walls. Since it was 98 degrees the day we shot, and I have an insatiable appetite for images, we did it all in studio, and it's the surreal dream I'd hoped for. Hope you like it, and see it all in person at the Fall show, September 4th at the Fairfield Theatre Company. Tickets go on sale today- www.fairfieldtheatre.org.

Baby, it's hot outside, and on the rack

Like Africa hot. Yet I have seen a half dozen people today pull on a coat with single minded determination. One that says "I must know what it's like to be with that coat". A friend asked me this weekend "So, Jen-what's new-what are you doing for fall". I didn't know what to say. I think because I didn't know where to begin, I don't know how I got here, and I'm sure that I'm not done yet. All I know is I wanted that "get with it now" reaction from whatever I made. I think for something to be successful design right now, you must be sucked in, it must serve a real purpose, and it can't cost a small fortune. That's a tall order. I forgot about the not making anyone look fat thing. So anyway, I started talking about texture. And using greens and blues, non traditional "fall" colors. And coats. And pants suits. And then I think I blacked out. Boooooooooorrrring-a-ding-ding. There's no "in" color, there's no absolute. There's the idea of something that's keeps you warm when it's cold, feels good when you touch it, when you pick it up off the hanger, and fits you like a glove.There's some dark clouds around.I'm looking to provide the undertow to make you forget,to beat the clouds away. Take a peek in the men's and women's sections, and see if you're distracted....

Color Blind

Now I know you're not supposed to mix politics and commerce, but there's a color issue that needs to be discussed. I'm talking Obama. And his shirts. They're white. Always white. Really, really white. Dark suit/white shirt. Every appearance, every photo op. Now I know there's a subliminal Kennedy thing going on here-slim suit/dark tie/white shirt. But we're a bit more enlightened now, aren't we? I don't see Michelle Obama running around in a pill box hat. But the 2-tone thing? People have a knee jerk reaction to this combo-it's uptight. As petty as it seems, I think a little more color needs to creep into the campaign trail. You want the blue collar vote? Lose the white collar.Perhaps an icy blue shirt on a hot summer day? It'll sneak up on people-they won't even know what happened, but they'll be drawn in. And I'm not talking chambray, roll up the sleeves and work the land, but just a little color. Maybe even a taupe suit in August? We are a sorry lot-as hard as we try, we judge a book by it's cover. Why did Hillary fall? Two words. Yellow Pantsuit. If any woman came into my store, and said "Hi, I'm running for the highest office in the country, and I need a yellow pantsuit", my first reaction would be to take a few steps back for safety, then direct her to one of the fine therapists in the neighborhood, because sister, you need help. But on the other hand, a little color, that's a good idea.

love is...

Depending on your situation, or your nano, love is all you need,a battlefield, like oxygen, or in my case, the cause of a large late spring workload. Because despite the odds,(I think it's now one in two fails)people still get hitched. People going to weddings, mothers of brides and grooms, brides, flower girls(I guess if you count First Communion, Brides of Christ-not sure on the odds there, though-think slightly higher)No matter, it's still an honor to be any part of what is a huge day in any person's life. But here's my idea-not exactly throw convention out the window, but why not get something with a longer shelf life-I'm talking get-ups here, not spouses. Why not a 3 piece wedding dress, so you can wear the pieces again for your anniversary, out to dinner, to another wedding. Why not a dress for your son's wedding you can wear to some one else's? Why not be the best dressed guest in a fabulous skirt and top you can split, and wear one with flip flops to the corner bistro? Now THAT'S love!

Present and Future, Learned from the Past

No, No, no,don't worry- I'm sober. But maybe too sober, like most of us these days. Bad news is everywhere. But so is bad design. I'm doing Fall, making Spring, and it's almost Summer. Frankly, with that schedule, I should drink. But with a wary eye to excess, I wonder what we'll all need come September. Will we need to escape? Will clothing be fantasy, disguised as reality? Or will we batten down the hatches to prepare for the bumpy night? I know, it's just a skirt, right? Well, not really. How you dress, how you look-it's a loaded gun. Are you too sexy for work? Are you too uptight for the party? Are you too mom-sy 24 hours a day? And does any of it make you look fat? By learning from my immediate past, as in this season, I can see you need to look like you can handle anything. Nothing too fragile. And when it does double duty-day into night, trans-seasonal, it's a keeper. But sometimes, when it's extra special, when it had never occurred to you that you might actually 'need' it, because you never knew it existed, but now that you've met, well......"Excuse me, Embroidered Plum and Black Velvet Coat-I couldn't help noticing you from across the room...Can I buy you?"

Can you please turn that up?I'm trying to think!

Okay, it's officially Spring. I know this, because I have bid goodbye to hose. But what am I doing? Well, between filling Spring orders, I'm designing fall 2008. It started a while ago, when I felt a little tingling inside that sent a Mad Max meets Elizabeth the Golden Age vibe through me. But not the trussed up Elizabeth- the scene where she's firing up her troops on the battle field, and her hair's down, and she's in armor. Except I'm thinking her armor may have some vinyl involved in my book. And I have my mental soundtrack on continuous play-it's the new Gutter Twins. Then my friend Douglas said he had a fog machine, if I should ever need one, for a show. Uh oh-I see trouble ahead. But I just went to see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly with a friend at her insistence, and as much as it's an arresting, amazingly life affirming movie(about death, of course, because that's when we need it the most, eh?)it was the use of Tom Waits' song "All the World is Green" that sent me reeling. Back in 1987, I heard his Swordfish Trombones for the first time, from a very unlikely source- a shop neighbor next door to mine in New Haven, and it changed my life. Until then, I had been remaking the past, and not thinking ahead. Because didn't thinking ahead mean spacesuits, pseudo mod get-ups, which I'd already redone again and again, and silly things, not real clothes? No, it meant going somewhere dark, and coming out with the bright light of something new, with an edge, but still completely wearable. Perhaps these are dark times, and I think what I do needs to wow you. I hope come Fall 2008 I've come up with "The Juice"(needs to be said with thick Aussie accent for impact)and you'll all be riding down the Post Road on your way to the shop in your crazy Road Warrior vehicles with heady anticipation. Just watch out for that kid with the boomerang.

cross eyed and pinless

Where have I been? Filling orders. Oy. We're pretty much sold out of Fade to Brown,and Turncoat, the reversible rubbeized linen raincoat has been a huge hit. We have renamed the section of Post Road in front of the store Sheath City. And sating all the lost mothers of future brides who have found there are two choices out there when you say "My child is getting married" -Vegas hooker(re:see, I'm still hot, too!) and Old Lady(re:my arms are bigger than the centerpiece and I'm going to hide in something beige with a jacket) If you missed the show, a video can be found on youtube, under Jennifer Butler fashion show. Complete shots of the show are coming any day now on this site under "see the latest show", and if you missed the show, pop in the store and see what's going on. I'm the one on the floor, cutting.

More Frock, Less Talk?

So with 2 weeks to the show, the logistics are being analyzed-model/oufit order, final song picks, even pre-show soundtrack. And the biggest issue for me is the chatter. Do I, or don't I? Last season, I was going to just send the models out, since we were onstage, not doing luncheon tables, or a country club setting. But I always hear "I love the commentary", more than I hear, or more likely overhear someone saying "I'd rather just look at the clothes". Now I am not a fan of director's cuts, but with clothing coming so close to home-I make it, we fit it,you wear it -I sometimes find it helps to say "you can't put x with y" and see how it appears like an epiphany to clients that you can mix it up, and not only do it as it's shown. And I also think it makes it more human. In the design industry, this is frowned upon. "Must be above the fray. No talking to 'the little people'.. Which is why the industry is failing the client. I can be as affected as any Eurotrash trouser peddler you'll ever run across. I can tell you my abstract influences, and prattle on about how Rothko's depth of colour changed my life. But maybe I can do it with a sense of humor while you watch 3 months of work pass by in 20 minutes, and make more of a connection. Or maybe not. I'd love to know what you think, so let me know.

More, More, More

Not that I'm pulling a Hanna Montana grift, but the week long Everything Sale has been extended. If you want a jacket, I'm afraid you're out of luck. They were gone faster than honeymoon pajamas. But if you need an exceptional skirt, a great cocktail dress, a fabulous coat, reversible waterproof/faux fur storm poncho, or sexy sweater-not an oxymoron in here, but a real need-hello-I can't feel my fingers today-could it be a little colder???? -you're very much in luck. Perhaps you've got a Valentine date? You know, if you get it on sale and look amazing, you'll be loved more.

Holes

As the days wind down to show time, a lot goes on. But right at this point, before the final fittings, I look for holes. And I always see them. Because until now, I'm working completely from my gut. I'm not thinking "what do women want?", because I am one, and I sort of think I know what to do, but no, the holes are always there. Did I address the needs of a woman working in a male dominated enviroinment? Do I have the 'can't live without it' summer skirt someone sees in the window and pulls across traffic to come in for? Do I have the perfect dress for a mid day wedding? Do I have the perfect get-up for your son's wedding if you don't have the perfect arms you thought you would at this point in your life? And when will I stop trying to be all things to all people? It's enough to leave you with a nervous tick. Yes-it is- that happened yesterday, when I woke up with a lip twitch Elvis would come out of hiding for. I design what I want, and I hope someone will want it. This is perhaps not the smartest of business models, but it really works if you think from all corners. There is a coat called "Fade To Brown" in the line-up. It has already caused a stir with everyone who has seen it. I wanted to make a perfect Spring coat. Maybe I watched too many That Girl episodes as a child, home from school in a fever state, but I thought it would be great to have this coat you put on and looked fresh and polished and ageless, but cool. An It coat. I knew a tweed would be tired. And heavy. But it had to have texture and interest. And it couldn't wrinkle, and it couldn't be fragile-you needed to use it, not take care of it. It couldn't be too light, but it couldn't be so dark it looked you were on your way to a funeral in the rain. I sometines run the trails in the woods behind my house at daybreak, and there are ferns all along the forrest floor that look incredible when the sun is illuminating them. I had thought it would be a great project with my daughters to use a breyer and print linen with their image. Of course that never happened, since I barely have a life outside of work and am not Marty Stewart. But when I was fabric shopping, I found a silk brocade, in an ivory to chocolate hombre with ferns printed in white running up the border. I remember the first time I saw it across the room. You'd have thought Ralph Fiennes walked in with a bouquet of flowers for me. I must have had a look of wistful longing on my face. It's the same look people have when they come in and spot the coat I made from it. Now today, I went through all the jackets, and I came up with some new, fresh ideas, and love them, and I think they could become a part of many women's wardobes, and fill those "It's 86 degrees outside, my office is 55 degress, and I have to go out for dinner after work-what do I wear?" moments. But I still get kind of misty when I think about that coat...

I Know What Boys Want

Okay, not that. I'm talking clothes. Menswear. Menswear in Fairfield. Why bother, right? I just can't help it. If you make clothes, and you have male friends, and you don't make clothes for your male friends, then you're bad friend. Or at least that's what mine claim. But mostly, it's part of the big picture. Man/Woman/Child. I love the way they look coming down the runway. I love to see how an idea from one end of the spectrum works on the other. I love the off kilter nuclear family in my store window. I look at menswear from a different perspective-a woman's. Which can really work in a guy's favor. Not to fly the sexist flag here, but why are 98% of the world's 'big names' in women's design men? Can you tell me what a man brings to that table a woman can't do in reverse? I ask, I listen, and I learn. And sometimes I hear the best things, like the guy who told me people constantly say "Nice Pants!" when he wears my trousers. Or another who said he always hears "Wow-where did you get that shirt?" and not in a "and how long will you be travelling with the circus?" vibe. Sometimes I have to really, really rack my brain thinking does the world really need a red knit shirt with a red/white seersucker placket? Apparently, I decided the answer was yes, because I couldn't get it out of my head, and made it today. I think it's just the tweak you need to not be the10,000 guy in a plain polo shirt. My first 'date' with my husband, a man with a refined funky style, was vintage clothes shopping in our hometown of Providence, R.I., many, many years ago. I still ask his opinion on most men's things I do with the simple "Would you wear that?" He's not always going to say yes, and I don't swear by it. And sometimes I revel in the "Are you high?" or "No, because I'm not one of the Monkeys" wisecracks I get back, and run with it. Like this month, when I wanted to do a pale, pale yellow rubberized linen rain jacket and he said "Nah, too buttery". Two hours later, I was fitting the newly christened "Like Butta" on one of my male models, and enjoying it's Steve McQueen meets Jack White joy, as was the model who said "This is really cool". It's a stretch, but if you see a guy walking down Post road in a really cool zip front raincoat, tell him "Nice jacket!". Maybe he'll think outside the box more often.

Dude, we are going to get soooo waisted....

We have been deep into fittings for spring, and it appears it's time for some crunches, my friends. As you may have noticed, in the general fashion zeitgeist, focus has shifted from low slung plumber butt to empire waistline and back to actual waistline. Now going by where many wear their pants, there is definitely some waistline confusion out there. Some people think their waistline is that grey(hopefully not actual) area where your thong comes out of your jeans when you bend down. Uh, no. Big no. Short crotch pants are a blight on the earth. I think I can speak for all of us when I say I have seen far too much unwanted backside in the last few years. Who's idea was this? Angry plumber's unions? But enough anger. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So people, let me tell you- your waist-it's the smallest part of your torso when you look in the mirror. Case closed. And it's in heavy rotation this year. And this does not mean slap a belt on and hop out the door. "I think I'll just wear a belt with it." is a statement that fills me with fear almost as much as "I'm voting for Huckabee." Proportion is everything, and every body has different needs. I will not leave you high and dry, and I have lots of silhouettes going on, but the actual attenuated waistline is looking fresh, clean, and a welcome sign of spring. Or maybe I just want to choose who's bum I see. I wonder if Daniel Craig needs any trousers....

Aaah Spring?

That fleeting moment, that Northeastern myth. Try designing a collection for it. Talk about your bad dates.."It was going so well, warming up, smiling, happy, then, cold, rainy, hostile, prickly, Africa hot and sweaty for all the wrong reasons." Fall, Winter? Piece of cake. Layer it on, take it off. A perfect relationship. Texture, color...boots! Boots fix everything. Every one's 5'10" in boots. But Spring? It's hot, it's cold, it's rainy. It's hot and rainy. It's cold and rainy, and your feet are freezing because you're wearing open toe slides. Why? Because it's Spring, and it seemed sensible at 7:30 AM when it was warm and sunny. Ah, but look at the flowers! I love flowers! But do I want to dress like a flower? Uhhh...well, um, some people would like you to. And it's okay to give in, and be the girl in the pink dress once in a while. But only once in a while. I spent a lot of time last spring and summer listening to everyone who stepped foot in my store, or went to one of my shows. Sure, the floral dresses you will find in heaps and piles this season in many places will turn your heads, but you told me what I found out myself when I scrambled to get to work everyday, picking out my clothes in the dark, on the way to the gym. You need to get dressed in a hurry(like me). You need to get off the train looking like you didn't sleep in your dress or your suit(even if you did) You need to look amazing for a wedding or a party. And, oh yes, you need to look ten pounds thinner. It's very easy to design a fun summer dress. Even the misfits on Project Runway can pull it off on a regular basis. But it's not easy to battle the reality show that is most people's lives-A great suit, a perfect occasion get-up you'll wear again and again, something cool, aesthetically and physically for the weekend, and male or female, a great fitting pair of pants that make your rear view as sweet at a flower. Spring, I take you on!

Inspiration

So I've been scouting locations for the spring shoot with Peter Baker, since he suggested we hit the road and get out of the studio for the next shoot. I emailed Kate, my friend/super model/commercial real estate agent and said we're looking for a raw space on a top floor, hopefully with open space next to us, and she hooked us up with an amazing space in Bridgeport- a factory on the river being converted into multi-use by a great guy, Ed Piquette. I was floored. When we reached the top level, it hit to me- Gorodish's loft apartment in one of my favorite movies, Diva. The scene, where he's in the claw foot bath tub-the one in the middle of the room, and the moonlight is falling through all the windows, making a path of rectangle's on the floor , as Alba walks in, late, barefoot, inspired from the "amazing trip" she's gone on with Jules, through the Diva's music. So I rented it, and it held up. Big time. That doesn't happen often. I'd like to think I could pull a dress out of the closet I made in 1982 and wear it out the door, but I fear I'd look more Patti Smyth than Patti Smith. Inspiration comes from every where-from the creative people you have the pleasure of working with, from a song you heard, a fabric you stumble across. And sometimes it hits you upside the head when you least expect it. Cause God knows I've got Spring's menswear muse cemented in my brain. He's Gorodish. Except it's 2008, he's out of the tub, and he's wearing my pants.

Whether the weather

So it may be winter outside, but it's spring at the shop. We're getting ready for the show on February 28th at the Fairfield Theatre Company (tickets are on sale now) and have been whipping up a lot of great things. My latest favorite is Velvet Underpass, a skirt I've been thinking about for a long, long time- bias cut cream organza with frosty sherbet colored velvet ribbons running in irregular diagonal lines, like and aerial view of a candy colored highway. And dresses. Dresses, dresses, dresses. Super feminine, not confining, in off beat color combos. Just did a great royal(don't be afraid),sapphire and periwinkle gown called Blues Explosion that I think will knock the socks off anyone within a 10 mile radius. And don't even get me started on all the green/blue combos I'm cooking. So despite the fact that I appear to have become a weather wuss-that is me shouting "Hurry up and get in the car because Mommy can't feel her hands to do your seat belts"every night when the girls and I leave work, it's nice to know there are some delicious things to look forward to.