Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

Mirror, mirror on the wall.....It's Katy Perry!

I am sure that today being the 22nd of Dec, some of you might still be doing the Christmas shopping. I'll bet my money...hehe.
Anyway, I have a short but very precise! gift list to Santa or "Reyes Magos" (any Spaniards/latinos across the Atlantic, will recognize the latter ;)
I need a hair-dryer. My hair is curly so I like straightening it, and mine, being old, doesn't have as much power as it used to and it gets warm very quickly which means that the temperature will dropto keep the motor cool. Any tips?
I came across this gorgeous Dark, Art-Deco ad campaign from GHD and I was surprised to find who was in it. Although, I have to say, the snowhite look suits her very well.
Have you ever owned/used GHD products? Are they good?

Morticia Addams' dress

December is just round the corner so I am very busy making new pieces for the website. I am particularly interested in evening wear at the minute as it is what people are demanding right now for Christmas. I just finished several pieces including a stunning 30s/40s lace gown and a dramatic velvet pencil number with a breathtaking lace piece going across the chest. I will post them here as soon as they go on the website.
In the meantime.....

 I want to show you the real Morticia Addams dress! I came across it while checking my polyvore page (feel free to check out my sets, here)

It is for auction! The starting bid is from $2000 (not cheap) on liveauctioneers.com (this is the link, in case you want to have a quick nosey).

This is the description: 900. Angelica Huston "Morticia Addams" dress from Addams Family Values. (Paramount, 1993). A full-length form-fitting black gown with cobweb motif on the sleeves worn by Angelica Huston in the role of "Morticia Addams" in Addams Family Values.

This dress looks fantastic. Much simpler than I thought, despite all that beading work on sleeves and godets.

However, I have to say, being a cinematographic piece, I was expecting something more complex and extravagant, more haute-couture- inspired, like the other design shown in the pic below. Maybe, layers of lace, ripped/unfinished chiffon, jet black jewels sewn into the bodice?... I still love it, thought. 

I always wanted this dress, since I was little. I love the shape, so 30s. I am starting to wonder if I should make something like this for my label.
What do you think? Do you like it or like me, expected more? Would you wear it to outside of Halloween or Whitby/Treffen Gothic Festival?

Here is a link to a blog devoted to Morticia Addams. Very good pictures and graphics.
http://fymorticiaaddams.tumblr.com/

Winter Arts Market

I haven't been posting regularly as I should. (Sorry). But I have been so busy with both the website and the studio that I haven't had the chance to sit down and write my updates.
Next weekend there is going to be a crafts market in Liverpool, called Winter Arts Market. It will be in the same St George's Hall where the Liverpool Design Show takes place too.
I will be trading on the Sunday the 4th. I have never been in this market before so I am really looking forward to see what is like. Juding by the photo from last year, it seems to be a very popular market! I will be selling my jewellery, not the clothes.
Click here to see my facebook page for more details or become a fan of my BlackWardrobe!

 Fancy to watch a horror film? "Les Fleurs du Mal", a video by Agent Provocateur featuring their Soiree 2011 collection. It is very very sexual, not explicit but still a bit shocking (if you are light hearted). If you read this blog, then you are into Gothic so I think that you'll love this video. ;)

 

Agent Provocateur Soiree 2011 from Agent Provocateur on Vimeo.

New items on my website: Vintage inspired "Le Chat Noir" necklace.

This beautiful Art Nouveau poster has been immortalized in a polymer clay pendant (which I hand-shaped). Held on a floral filigree brass base, it is dangling beautifully from bronze filigrees and jet-black czech stones. Gorgeous necklace. What do you think?
I love black cats.

 Here is the link: http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/product.php/58/le_chat_noir_necklace

New items on my website: 1930s style scoop neck dress with trumpet skirt.

Remember my black 30s style dress with trumpet skirt? Here is the link, if you can't remember.
Well, I have modified the design slightly by making the neckline scoop neck (instead of square) and in purple!
Isn't it gorgeous? I think I am going to make it in red, too. I love red.

What do you think?
Here is the link for more info: http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/product.php/57/1930s_style_scoop_neck_dress_with_trumpet_skirt

New items on my website: Crystal rainbow leaf necklace.

Hello, I have been quite busy working on the offline aspects of my little fashion label. (I will be opening a studio very soon, so keep tuned, specially if you leave in Northern England, you will be more than welcome to come for a visit) ;)
I have been updating my Facebook page with the new designs I have been adding on my website and I forgot to include them here. So, if you are not on Facebook, you can see what I have been making and you can tell me what you think.
So this post is going to be about the Crystal rainbow leaf necklace. This necklace features a stunning leaf-shaped crystal pendant that I have adorned with a beautiful floral filigree. Very delicate and so so sparkly! Pictures don't do any justice. I took the pictures without flash so the colours would be shown better. It is quite difficult to photograph such a massive array of colours.

Bermuda blue: a rainbow of tropical colours that range from shades of blues and greens to purples, with slight hints of pink.

Autumn Green: warm autumnal shades of green, pink and reds with hints of blue.

Which one do you think is more beautiful? I am still undecided.
Here is the link: http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/product.php/51/crystal_rainbow_leaf_necklace

Gareth Pugh for MAC

If you are into Goth and never heard of Gareth Pugh you should really check him out. He is a Goth, no doubt about it. His fashion is always dark and very alternative. I would put him in the same group as Ann Demeleumeester, the old McQueen and Riccardo Tisci. They are all dark romantics and their clothes (often black) reflect that.
If you are, like me, a fan of mr. Pugh then you would recognize his style in the make up line he has created for MAC.  It is very dark, metallic, cold colours and the packaging is very minimal, dark (again) and geometrical. Quite ambiguous actually (not feminine at all but yet not masculine).

“With a collection that goes from strong, deep and mysterious to light, fragile, and ethereal, I think we’ve created a truly versatile collection that hopefully you’ll be inspired by and want to wear.” (words of Gareth Pugh).

The designer was inspired by everything from a hematite rock to butterfly wings. And those angular lashes are the result of him snipping away at a bunch of fake lashes that MAC sent him with the goal of making them non-lash-shaped. (text from here)

 What do you think?

Me, on the press

As I have already mentioned in the previous post, I attended the Liverpool Design Show to showcase and sell my creations (both clothing and jewellery). I was lucky enough that the local paper in Liverpool (The Liverpool Echo) was interested in doing a feature about a couple of designers, including me, BUT with a story in common. I think the story was "designers who fell in love with Liverpool or with Liverpudlians". The other two designers who were featured were foreign as well. One was from the States and the other one was Czech.
I am proud to say that I looked very nice on the picture and I got the biggest one on the article! Yay!

This is me, with my 40s style polka dot dress. Click here to see more pictures of this beauty.
I was a bit dissapointed that the article was more about our personal lives than our work. (I DO NOT like "flaunting" about my personal life). They did not include a link to our website/blogs and only a picture of work was printed. In my case, was a tiny photograph of my animal skin panelled dress, cut out and pasted next to my big picture. I felt more like being on a tacky gossip magazine than on an interesting special design/fashion feature of a paper.
Never mind....Next time I-ll try on the Independent...LOL.
I am still grateful for the people from The Design Show who did help to organize this.

Here is the link to the online article: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/in-the-mix/2011/10/03/ahead-of-this-week-s-design-festival-meet-three-women-inspired-by-love-and-liverpool-100252-29526662/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Liverpool Design Show 2011

It has been such a hectic two months that I realized I haven't had the chance to post anything during the whole of September!!! Ouchh!
I have been busy both for personal reasons as well as professional ones.
Firstly, I need to talk about the Liverpool Design Show because is just round the corner, happening this weekend coming!
The Liverpool Design Show is a show taking part in a series of design related events happening in Liverpool city. This show is specifically a trading show, where you can go and buy from designers of all sorts of disciplines: fashion, furniture, decor, jewellery...etc.
I will have my stand as I did last year. It is open to the public (not just trade) and the entry is £5 to get in.

These are some pictures from last year. I had a massive stand and didn't think of purchasing additional lights so it looks VERY gloomy, and before you start thinking: hmmm, can't be that bad?... NO, it is not gloomy-charming as you might be imagining.You can see my massive poster.

This picture below is a panoramic of the room, called St George's Hall. You can see my stand again, big and gloomy. The pic was taken by photographer Matt Ford.

And this is me, holding the glass of white wine as requested....I think it was taken by Matt Ford again.

Fashion inspiration: Ulyana Sergeenko

I came across this quirky/romantic/retro multi-artist via dustjacket attic. This russian lady is a fashion designer/photographer and fashion socialite too (I lost account of the amount of photos I've seen of her at big fashion shows in Paris and with key member of the fashion elite...).
Here is a link to her fall/winter 2011-12 collection. 

Bonnie Wright on Haute Muse

I found this picture on a mag ages ago and forgot to scan it, till I found it here (thanks Dustjacket attic!). I don't know who she is but here is a tip: any Harry Potter fans out there would have recognized her straight away.

Fairy charm necklace giveaway

Hi everyone, I am excited to say that The Black Wardrobe has just over 300fans on Facebook and 140fans on this blog!!! I am so excited and a thank you is not enough for your consideration and taking your time in reading my silly posts. SO, I am conducting a giveaway, open to everyone, in both my facebook and this blog page. 

I am giving away the fairy charm necklace giveaway. Click on the link for more photos from my website:  http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/product.php/41/vintage_fairy_charm_necklace

If you want to participate, you must comply with these 2 requisites:

1-You must be a follower of both my facebook and blog.
2-You must post a comment explaining why or what you like about The Black Wardrobe. You can post it either here on the facebook page. Please, remember to include your email address too, so I know who you are!

This giveaway will be open till the 15th of August. Good luck!

Sale on my website!

Hi everyone, just to let you all know that I just started a sale on my website. 10% OFF on purchases made between today and the 15th of August.
If you have eyeing that glorious dress or maybe tempted to get one of the bug brooches, don't hesitate and take this chance to grab yourself one!

Red bloody nails

I never liked this opulent over the top nails you see everyday now. BUT, look at these! Who could resist that deep red colour?, with embellishments in black!! Gorgeous. If anyone knows what brand this is, please, let me know.

Tippy and her raven

via: stirredstraightup.blogspot.com/2011/06/bird-in-hand.html

New items on my website: striped dress

Here is another item I have posted on my website recently: "Ladylike black&white striped pencil dress".
I know stripes get very "in vogue" in the summer and anything that is of a nautical feel but we dark/goth lovers love our fair share of black and white stripes too! specially when combined with red, that's a win-win combo.
I got inspired and I created a polyvore set with this dress. I went for the pin-up theme. What do you think?

Here is the link for more pics: http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/product.php/47/ladylike_black_white_striped_pencil_dress/a423885d3fb8ac5c7d0e969eba75d356

when in doubt, wear red by THE BLACK WARDROBE featuring louis vuitton shades

New items on my website

I have been updating my website with new items and I haven't posted them here...(what the hell was I thinking?!).
So here is one of them, let me know what you think.;)

I named this dark beauty: Black&animal-print pin-up panelled dress.

It is over the knee, with short puff sleeves, sweetheart neckline and for an extra added glamour, I finished the hemline and slighty pointy sleeves with black satin trims. But the detail I love the most is the hourglass shaped panel in the middle, made of the silkiest jersey I've touched in my life (apart from the ones made of 100% silk, of course). Being so smooth and silky, I lined it so it will not cling on to the body and most importantly, will not collapse trying to hold the weight of the double knit fabric.

This gorgeous animal print comes in two shades:
shades of ivory+chocolate (it sold out, unfortunately, so I cannot offer it anymore), or shades of greys+charcoals+black.
But to be frank, I think I would prefer the grey one, I think it blends more with the black of the dress. What do you think?

Another detail I love of this fabric is the spots, which, I am still not sure whose big cat is meant to depict. Is it a jaguar? a puma? It is definetely not leopard or cheetah.












Here is the link:
http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/

Tom Ford's eyewear fashion campaign

I have a fascination for ravens/crows (I never know how to tell them apart), so I really love the latest Tom Ford Eyewear campaign. 
It brings to mind the famous "The Birds", by Hitchcock. Doesn't it?
 
By the way, I love that velvet deep blue suit.

Keep calm!

Everynow and again I have a nosey look on Etsy and I have noticed that you always find some specific items or "ideas" repeated all over again. One of these things I keep seeing is the famous "Keep calm, carry on" slogan.
For all those american/foreign followers who don't know this, this slogan was one of three commissioned by the British State to be distributed all over the country during the Second World War. It is sooo british!, lol.
Despite being the most famous nowadays, this one was never distributed.
Here is the link, if you'd like to know more about it: http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/kc_history.php

Today, I came across a variation of this slogan which I found HILARIOUS! And!, it is sooooooo american!, lol.
It is from the etsy shop Land of Rapture. It is not for sale at the minute, but I assume the artist will be able to reproduce it again.
I don't know which one I like the most. Which one do you prefer?

Fashion inspiration: "Metropolis" by Morfium Couture

Morfium is a noteworthy fashion label expressing its creative concept of progressive design through numerous visual arts and media like photography, theatre, movies and music sources. Morfium as the name of the brand also has a rich explanation starting from the mythological Morpheas, the messenger appearing in the dreams as well as a variety of inspirations taken from Balkan traditions.
The latest collection of Morfium Couture is named after and simultaneously inspired by "Metropolis", the science fiction masterpiece about urban dystopia. The movie was a truly futuristic indicator directed by German expressionist Fritz Lang in 1927. The ad campaign captured in the lens of talented photographer Dusan Jaukovic explores explicit and cutting edge designs rendering the movie convention in high fashion mode.
(Text taken from here: http://www.fashionising.com/pictures/b--Metropolis-mythology-Morfium-Couture-6854.html) Click for more pics or check out the website.

The 3 polen graces...

Following my "insect-inspired" phase I-m going through at the minute....It's spring!, I created more jewellery featuring bugs.
I hope you are going to like the next item, I made it weeks ago, with antique brass chain and I dissmantled and rebuilt with czech glass in metallic hues. The main focus of the necklace is the 3 graces, as I like to call them. They are bees! I made them with black polymer clay and then I dusted them with gold powder to recreate the brass effect of the chain and also I like them to have that distressed look as well, very typical of vintage items, so as you may be able to see, the surface is not sleek but slightly textured. The czech glass are beautiful! Incredibly shiny but being such shiny colours it is always tricky to capture them by camera, so the best picture that shows them came out blurred. Sorry...
What do you think?
Oh by the way, I re-opened my etsy shop (I'll still have my website, though). In the next following weeks I'll try to populate it with my polymer clay jewellery as well as the romantic brass stuff I make.
Do you usually buy stuff on Etsy? I haven't bought anything yet...
Here is the link: http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/product.php/32/vintage_inspired_3_bees_necklace

Victorian Gothic literature - "The Grave - A Poem"

I came across this beautiful blog (Graphicsfairy) through another very inspiring blog called jasminstudiocrafts. If you are an artist/designer who works with mixed media, it is always very grateful to find people who collect amazing stuff and don't mind to share it for free. I have seen people on places like for example etsy, charging for images that
a. have not been manipulated or "worked" by themselves
...and B. they are clearly free and copyright-free because I had already seen them somewhere else before.
Anyway, among beautiful "halloween" and lots of other victorian pictures, engravings and illustrations. The following two got my attention.
They belong to a book published in London in 1808. Titled "The Grave, a poem", it features pictures depicting dead bodies with their respective souls. The one below, it says:
"The soul hovering over the body reluctantly parting with life...how wishfully she looks on all she's leaving, now no longer her's"
I have to point out that the cover of the book has been slightly "photoshop-ed" by the the blogger (She covered the genitals of the man with a leaf, as he was completely naked in the original cover) I don't mind her doing that but I have to say, I find that strange, very un-typical of victorian times actually, as they used to cover anything they could....
I wonder how many celtic carvings have been sabotaged in the name of "modesty"!.

Have a look at these two blogs, they deserve a visit.
http://jasminstudiocrafts.blogspot.com/
http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

New items! "Bee brooches"

Hello! I have posted lots of new items on my website (and more are coming soon as soon as I finish them and take the photos) so I will be posting them on the blog in the following weeks.
First, I want to start with my bee-shaped jewellery, specially after my post about insects. My beautiful spiders have always been very popular so I always intended to grow my insect range to more beautiful insects such as beetles, ladybirds, and bees! I soon want to start to make beetles as well... I just need to find those glorious metallic powders I have in my mind....

My beautiful bees are made in the same way as muy spiders, from scratch, without the hlep of moulds. I shape the polymer clay and before it gets fired, I embellish it with rhinestones, laces, powders..etc. These bees have taken more work to do than the spiders as I have space out the different layers of embellishment. The lacey wings have been applied in a second round of firing, so have the stripes and my varnish always goes through a round of fire in order to enhance its gloss.
There are some few more pics on my website, let me know what you think. Which one do you like the best, by the way?
So far, people have loved the plain black and gold (4th on the pic). I love the one completely covered in rhinestones. I just can't resist bling...specially against a black background!
http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/Shop/section.php/8/1/brooches

My Versatile Blogger Award

And the award for "Most Versatile Blogger Award" goes to.....me!
I want to thank Blanca from Madame Macabre for the award! It is always nice to receive a compliment, either being a comment or an award! Madame Macabre won the award herself too, if you speak spanish, you'd love her blog, full of fashion tips, reviews and anything that is gothic related.
Keeping up with "the tradition" or "the game" (lol) I have decided to "transfer" my award to another blog I follow and in my opinion, is very versatile, "House of Harps". I hope she'll be pleased.

madamemacabre.blogspot.com
houseofharps.blogspot.com

How to take measurements

When shopping online is very important to understand the sizing charts as well as the fit of the garments as it is not possible to try it on before the purchase. After years of working in retail, I am still amazed that there are people who are still unsure about how to take measurements and where!
For this reason, I have decided to write a post about it, based on the way I was trained to take measurements, in my fashion degree and my designs, as most of them are fitted garments, designed to achieve that gorgeous hourglass shape.
I always recommend to take measurements wearing a bra and a fitted cotton t-shirt (I'll explain that below).

BUST
Measure loosely around the fullest part of your bust, that means placing the tape over the nipples, keeping the tape measure straight all the way around your body. Always allow a spare ccntimetre of ease as you'll need that extra space when wearing a fitted top or blouse. There is nothing more unaesthetic than wearing a blouse with your bra peeking between the buttons' gaps.
WAIST
This is the trickiest one. The waist is the narrowest part of your torax. If you look carefully at your figure, you'll see that your body is slightly straight below your bust, it goes in and then it goes back out gradually to its fullness around the hips. The narrowest part or natural waist, is usually just above the belly-button. You should place the measuring tape on here and again, allow 1 centimetre or 1and half for ease.
All my garments are designed to sit on the waist, which for some people it might be referred as "high-waisted".
HIPS
Hips are the wider part of your bottom half. It is the place where your jeans get stuck when trying to put them on. :)
It is roughly around 23-25cms below the waist line (remember, just above the belly-button).


For the next two measurements it is important to wear a cotton t-shirt as these measurements are taken from the shoulder and wearing a t-shirt makes it easier to know where to place the tape.
DRESS LENGTH
The length of the garment can be measured two ways: from the centre of your back neck or the most reliable, in my opinion, from the shoulder. So, place the tape on the shoulder seam of your t-shirt, ALWAYS FROM THE BACK OF YOUR BODY. If you place the tape at the front, you'll add unnecessary centimetres due to the volume of the bust being on the way.

SLEEVE LENGTH
The best way to take this measurement is placing the tape on the top of your shoulder bone or when wearing a t-shirt, the end of your should seam because this is where your arm starts. So do not include shoulder in the measurement. Bending the arm slightly (as shown in the picture) when placing the tape along your arm (you need that extra inch when folding or moving your arms, otherwise your wrists will be exposed.)


SLEEVES
There are 4 main sleeve-lengths and these might look different on each person because not everyone has the same arm lengths. However, by understanding where each style is meant to sit, I think it will help to understand the fit of the garment and therefore have the item altered, adjusted or modified to the body shape or personal preferences.

Cap sleeves are meant to sit on the shoulder, leaving most of the upper half of the arm exposed. They are roughly 2 inches wide.
Short sleeves are meant to sit just above the bust area or at the same level as the widest part of the bust, covering 50% of the upper half of the arm.
3/4 sleeves are meant to sit just below the elbow, which is where the natural waist sits. These sleeves are very flattering because they help to create the optical effect of a smaller waist. That's why they were so popular back in the 50s. If you have long arms, these sleeves will most likely sit just above the elbow, which is a very attractive fit too.

BOTTOM LENGTHS
Bottom lengths are taken from the waistline (remember, just above belly-button, the narrowest part of your upper body). My garments are designed to finish in three main lengths:
Knee length: meant to sit just above the knee or on it.
Over-knee length: meant to cover the knee and sit on the calf.
Floor length or maxi: meant to cover the whole leg until reaching the toes or the floor, depending on the design.
I recommend to take these measurements on the front of the body, not the side or the back as these areas are curvaceous.