Emma Elliott 8/25/19 Emma Elliott 8/25/19

Style Guide: 'The Print Issue'

Mixing prints, textures, and layers has been a favorite pastime of mine for the last couple years. Especially during fall, I love the richness of color and the different looks you can create with layers and layers of beautiful fabrics, textures, prints and colors. Since I live in Arizona (which remains hot until end of October…) I can’t play with my closet in the ways I enjoy, I’ve had to adapt and live vicariously through Pinterest and cold weathered instagrammers.

Below I have some examples I’ve thrown together from my own closet of print mixing for fall that works with warmer weather, but could be used for (lucky) colder weather climates. Enjoy, and happy mixing!

shoes @adidas, dress @zara (sold out)/alternative, blazer @mango, & bag @nordstrom

Outfit 1:

A graphic t-shirt is a great way to subtly print mix without feeling overwhelmed. You can play with small or large prints, and I always try to choose a print that picks up hues in the graphic image on whatever my base is (that be a dress, shirt, sweater etc.) I kept this look sporty with a pair of sneakers and then added another element of texture with a faux snake skin bag. This is another way to add texture to a look without looking like your clothes vomited on you, the bag is a solid color but has dimension with the material.

shoes @keds, dress @zara (sold out)/similar & bag @mango

Outfit 2:

This second outfit is another subtle way to print mix by using one item a bold accessory. The dress itself has different elements going on within the pattern, so the prints already play off each other intentionally. So for an added pop, I chose a faux snake print bag in a bright color to mix it up. This dress is fairly busy so I played it simple and casual with white keds, but this could easily be dressed up with black patent boots or simple heels. One thing to keep in mind when wearing a busy dress like this one, is with printed accessories or shoes, keep in mind the tones throughout the outfit. Since this dress is very rich and warm in color, the printed bag doesn’t appear displaced because it it is also a warm toned mustard yellow.

shoes @zara (sold out)/similar, playsuit @zara (sold out)/similar, shirt @nordstrom & bag @vintage/similar vibe

Outfit 3:

For all my Arizona and hot weather friends, here is the print mixing we can get away with until end of October. The playsuit is lightweight, and a linen ‘esque’ material, so it has a little bit of texture. The stripe is a simple print so I chose a bigger and busier one as a layer that doesn’t overpower the stripes, but compliments them. The bag is the simple addition that encompasses the tones of both the shirt and the playsuit, while the woven shoes add texture so the outfit doesn’t fall flat. It also overall completes the summer vibe I was going for. When mixing two prints, always think big and small, and then you can go more simple with your accessories and shoes.

shoes @nordstrom (sold out)/ similar, pants @mango (sold out)/ similar, sweater @jcrew & jacket @vintage/ similar

Outfit 4:

This is a more tailored way to mix prints and textures, starting with a statement jacket. The jacket pictured is thrifted from Depop, and I love it because it is perfect on its own or when added to an already patterned ensemble. I chose a small print in the pants, a delicate pinstripe, to bounce off of the embroidered florals in the jacket. That way the jacket is still my statement piece, but they are all a happy family when worn together. The sweater gives it the coziness I wanted, to really hone in on that fall feeling when you’re layered without a heavy jacket or scarf. Lastly, the shoes were simple and structured to keep with the tailored look, and the sparkly socks were just for a dash of fun.

shoes @nordstrom, skirt @nordstrom (sold out)/ similar, top @adidas, hat @nordstrom (sold out)/ similar

Outfit 5:

This last outfit is three prints in one look, and it’s a mix of feminine and sporty (one of my favorite combinations). The skirt is one solid, bold color, but it has a subtle animal print that gives it a little umph when paired with a graphic tee. When mixing with this outfit, my concentration was using bold colors that play off of each other, like the emerald green and bright orange in the adidas logo. You can’t go wrong with referring to your art class color wheel of complimentary colors when putting an outfit together. The hat has both of these colors intertwined with its plaid pattern, and the grey base gives it a nice neutral so it’s not overwhelming. The shoes are neutral and tonal, so they aren’t a distraction when working with three prints. My grounding piece with this outfit was my use of color to create a balanced look.

Emma Elliott 2/25/19 Emma Elliott 2/25/19

Designer Spotlight: Dior; From Paris to the World

A look into the Dior exhibit at the Denver Art Museum…

“Deep in every heart, slumbers a dream.”

*- Christian Dior*

In November, just around Thanksgiving, I was lucky to break away from work to spend a weekend at home in CO. While I was there I was able to go to the Dior exhibit, Dior: From Paris to the World, at the Denver Art Museum. If I had to choose one word to describe the exhibition… Wow. (Plays Post Malone’s new single).

I want to give a brief synopsis of the what I saw and felt at the exhibit because it was simply stunning, and I learned a lot about the French fashion house. For those who are interested in going it is open until March 17th, then it is moving on to the Dallas Art Museum in May.

First and foremost, the exhibit was curated by Florence Müller, who is the Avenir Foundation Curator of Textile Art, Curator of Fashion. She is a fabulous, French, fashion macaron of a women who deserves her own blog post to talk about what she has accomplished in her career. Back to Dior, to quote the DAM’s website about the exhibition;

“…surveys 70 years of the house of Dior’s enduring legacy and its global influence. A selection of more than 200 couture dresses, as well as accessories, costume jewelry, photographs, drawings, runway videos, and other archival material, will trace the history of the iconic haute couture fashion house, its founder, Christian Dior, and the subsequent artistic directors who carried Dior’s vision into the 21st century.” - Denver ART Museum

A few tid-bits of history that I learned from this retrospective, I have listed below since there was so much it’s easier to speak in bullet form.

Post World War II was a crucial time for the brand, Christian Dior saw that people needed hope and a better world. He created beauty and elegance with the idea of the ‘flower-woman’ and so came the infamous hourglass silhouette after the masculinity of war.
His first show was called the ‘New Look’ and showed it in his town home in 1947.
Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano and Raf Simons were all creative directors of the brand after Christian Dior’s untimely death in 1957
Yves Saint Laurent was Dior’s assistant before being appointed his predecessor in 1957.
Gianfranco Ferré caused a lot of uproar when he was appointed head of the house, because he was an Italian designer designing for the French.
Maria Grazia Chiuri followed Raf Simons, who was the first woman to be appointed to the house, since it was founded by a man. She brought her own experience on being a woman in a demanding industry with a family to her collections. She created the new Dior woman who is “fragile, desirable, but self-confident with true inner strength.”
Ms. Chiuri’s first ready-to-wear collection paid homage to all creative directors of the brand from 1947 and on. She created a modern fairytale, inspired by the original ‘flower-woman’ Dior created.

“Around the world Dior is Dior. Many people don't know that there were many designers at Dior, i think we have to respect this heritage but at the same time we have to move this heritage in the future. I look around, I take a lot of inspiration but at the same time my idea is to make this element contemporary for modern women.” – Maria Grazia Chiuri

It was a beautifully curated exhibit with amazing collections on display. It gave each creative director of the brand their own “room” as you walked through the wing. You could easily see the progression of techniques, fabrics and inspiration for each designer that worked for the house. They also had special areas that looked at garment construction, shown with a whole wall of white muslin samples, a room with gowns that Dior custom made for celebrities at various award shows, and an area with famous photographs featuring Dior couture (like the famous image of Dovima with Elephants by Richard Avedon… I die). All of this was complimented with a soft soundtrack of birds chirping, a babbling brook and a light breeze blowing through trees, which was wonderfully calming as you made your way through.

“I tried to show that fashion is an art. For that, I followed the counsel of my master Christian Dior and the imperishable lesson of Mademoiselle Chanel. I created for my era and I tried to foresee what tomorrow would be.” -Yves Saint Laurent

One of my favorite parts was at the beginning of each collection, throughout the timeline, they had the original sketches, mood-board’s and line reviews on display. This was where you could really see a progression through the eras of Dior and how every creative director they had, including Christian Dior himself, brought their own flare and spirit.

“I don't see Dior as something that could become mine. I see it as a dialogue with the women who wear it. I want to stay connected to them rather than to an abstract brand.” - Raf Simons

All the pieces were beautiful; I unfortunately was terrible at recording what dress went with what collection. But I did take a lot of pictures to share this great exhibit with you all. All information about the Denver Art Museum and the book that Florence Müller was a co-author on (that you know I purchased from the museum gift shop) called “Christian Dior Designer of the Ages” is listed below.