More and more lately, I have found myself reaching out to people who can do amazing things I have no idea how to do. Artists whose art is very different from mine. Although it once intimidated me, I realized that most of us crave that connection and that ability to share the joy we each find in our individual art. Plus, the worst that can happen is that they’ll say no! I’ve found that in taking the leap towards the merging of ideas, incredible things can be created. This can range from working with graphic artists to design a print I’ve lusted after or inspiring a hand-painted design of a lady walking her fishes….
It is no secret I love trompe l’oeil and have a lifelong love affair with vintage (you wouldn’t be reading this blog if I didn’t). Many moons ago, one of my favorite sellers Liz from Advantage in Vintage posted a to-die-for tromp l’oeil circle skirt, boasting a stunning daisy pattern with petals emerging from the center pistil, turning the wearer into a literal flower. As can be the case with vintage, it was both too tiny for me and I was miles too slow – the piece was snapped up by another discerning vintage huntress before I could even wipe the drool off my chin.
The Inspiration
But, as I have said many times – this business is alllll about patience. And ingenuity. And perhaps a bit of bravery in terms of reaching out to someone and asking the question – can this piece of art be made? I was chatting with my friend Juliet, who directed me to a designer and artist MEO-C.28 that she had worked with on recreating another trompe l’oeil design (ironically, the one that inspired this print!). I had actually seen several of Marah’s pieces in the past when perusing Etsy and loved her designs – So, I reached out to her with my idea and photos of the original, and the response was immediate.
We went back and forth a bit on color story. While I loved the original green, my heart belongs to the sea and I am inexplicably drawn to blue. Plus, I am smitten with ice blues against a pop of red. Although I deliberated, in the end it wasn’t a tough decision. Marah sent me a few swatches to confirm the color scheme was what I was imagining in my head, and we were off to the races!
The Design
So, inspiration set and color palette chosen, the next step was to pick the materials. This would require a base circle skirt with enough weight to hold the paint. I considered many options, including a heavy-weight drill, but in the end returned to my dear friend Cotton. She would be substantial enough to carry the weight, but also a lot easier to work with and wouldn’t have a texture the way drill does.
Knowing how insane my schedule gets at the start of a new semester, instead of making my own, I opted to purchase a white circle skirt from one of my very favorite shops Hearts & Found. This is always one of my go-to places for vintage inspired garments, because you can customize bust, waist, length and just about any measurement you can think of. The Lindy Skirt in white was perfect (I went with 28″ waist and 28″ length). It also had the bonus of being fully lined – that way if any paint leaked through, the lining would be an added protective layer. Although this never (and I mean never) happens, for this design I opted to have Hearts & Found remove the pockets (sob!), which would disrupt the design.
Marah was amazing at sending me progress shots throughout the whole process, and I got more and more excited as I watched the skirt come to life. First, with the red pistil, then the outlines of the petals, and filling them in stroke by stroke. As someone who does not paint, I marveled in awe at her ability to create something so lifelike. To take blank cotton and turn me into a piece of a flower garden.
When she arrived, I could barely breathe I was so excited. I carefully lifted her from her packaging and sat, speechless. It was exactly as I imagined, but somehow better. Although the amount of paint required to make this design did make the fabric stiffer than I think Marah or I expected, it holds it’s shape beautifully. I was also absolutely thrilled with my color choice – a fiery center surrounded by the cool breath of petals. Although not the true vintage original, this piece is absolutely one of a kind, which is one of the things that makes vintage so special in the first place.
I was also thrilled to hear that Juliet also commissioned her own version of this skirt after seeing the shots of mine – got to love when things come full circle! Hers is true to the green color way, and preview shots on Marah’s Instagram are showing it to be every bit as stunning as mine….
The Styling
Although I was itching to get outside and photograph this one, I had to wait several weeks for the weather to knock off the hurricane force winds. But, like a crocus coming up through the snow, we finally got to emerge into the sunshine. With a bit of a nip in the air, I’m at that boundary between Summer and Autumn, where I’m not ready to let go of the warmth, but feel myself gravitating towards cozy layers. I have to admit, it’s kind of nice to reach for sleeved shirts again without cringing.
I definitely had fun with styling this particular outfit, right down to the bee wing necklace I snagged over a decade ago in Portland, captured in the world’s tiniest lightbulb, as if suspended forever in time over that single, perfect flower….
If I had a single flower
for every time I think about you,
I could walk forever in my garden.
Claudia Adrienne Grandi
This week has been one in a long string of weeks at work that involve the tenure and promotion process for me. Without going into all of the nitty gritty details – when you’re hired for an academic position, there are many stages and milestones you hit on your way to the Mythical Position of Security. For the past several months, I’ve been preparing materials for one part of this process – reappointment. This baby is an onion, with multiple steps and layers and more pages of paperwork than I care to admit. But all of the work and documentation and seminars culminates this Friday into the vote that Seals My Fate.
Now, if I’m being honest, by the time you get to this stage you have a pretty good idea of how things are going to go. My Department is very clear of the boxes you need to tick in this process, and I am confident I’ve ticked them off (with flourish and a little flick of a crinoline). The stress isn’t necessarily about the vote itself, but mores the fact that it’s out there, floating, hanging over my head. So, by tomorrow night, the dye will be cast and the decision made. Nothing to do but surrender to the lack of control and wait.
In the meantime, I’ve got this most amazing skirt for that extra boost of flower power that every gal needs to keep on hand for emergencies….
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Top: gift (similar)
Skirt: base from Hearts & Found, with hand painted custom detail by MEO-C.28
Necklace: Natalie Joy, no longer available (similar)
Handbag: Mary Frances
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Lip Color: Dior Rouge 634
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Any items marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review and/or feature on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog.