I have been lucky to work with some pretty amazing small businesses in my time at the helm of this blog. True artists and entrepreneurs who are trying to release good into the world through what they create and how they make women feel. And the best kinds of collaborations (in my mind) come about where I get to work with an artist and know instantly that they simply ‘get’ me, with no explanation needed.
A month back, I was contacted by artist and couturier Filliae – part fashion designer and part vintage curator, proprietress Sylvie selects vintage garments that speak to her (and that she would wear personally) and also has an in-house brand she created herself, with a goal of putting spring into the step of her customers. A quick browse through her site draws you instantly into the detail. You can feel the vintage inspirations, a nod to another time; but each piece is so uniquely her.
When we first started down the road of collaboration, Sylvie invited me to browse her site for something that spoke to me. As a designer, she invited me to ask for minor tweaks or adjustments to her existing garments. And then, almost offhand, she happened to mention she had a simple black circle skirt that she could spruce up with a huge colorful appliqué or painted trompe l’oeil as to make it more “Kara.”
Yeah, she had me at “huge colorful appliqué or painted trompe l’oeil.”
An amazing thing about collaborations is that they are just that – collaborative. Sylvie and I went back and forth with various ideas, but each she came to me with made my heart sing. She had amazing ideas for tromp l’oeil bows or beaded silhouettes. Cats frolicking along the hem or bows cascading along the side. And then she had the idea for something with a bit of quirk (yeah, you know where this is going). What about a vintage lady walking her fish? And we were off to the races!
After sending her my sizing (US 6/UK 10), I waited with baited breath (pun totally intended). Although she sent me a few sneak peaks, I was mostly in the dark about the final design. And when it arrived, it took my breath away. She used a basic black cotton skirt and painted a one of a kind aquatic scene. There my doppelgänger floats, with her nipped waist and slight smirk, out leisurely walking her starfish. She prances around the skirt in a swirl of hand painted bubbles, while various fishes and marine mammals look on. The paint is done so artfully, it almost looks as if she is glowing through the skirt. Like a memory of a woman who existed and isn’t soon to be forgotten.
The base of the skirt is a lightweight cotton circle skirt, with a 27-28″ waist and falling 26″ waist to hem. The paint itself feels sturdy and still pliable – definitely something I plan to spot clean (this beauty will NOT meet a washing machine in her lifetime). As someone who does not paint (at all), I’m always in awe of people who can create realistic images from little more than acrylic and their imagination. And as a marine biologist, I can appreciate just how true to life her fishes are, but also appreciate the dreamlike world she created.
And then there’s the perfect phrase, “Je vais à la mer.” I’m going to the sea. And indeed I do. I go to the sea every day, marching to the lab with renewed vigor for science. I go to the sea when I’m in crisis and need to send my problems out amongst the tides. I go to the sea when I need to relax, taking a break from it all and venturing to the seaside, to read a book and get lost in the relaxing sound of the waves. The sea calls to me from nearly every direction of my life. And this beautiful skirt answered.
If you’re interested in a similar skirt, this beauty retailed for $225 CAD (~$172 USD). This one-of-a-kind creation is obviously sold out, but if you contact Sylvie, I’m pretty confident there isn’t much she can’t create. Even when we first started discussing her idea and I saw the sketches, I never imagined it would be so perfectly me. If you have the imagination, I truly believe Filliae can make it a reality.
I’ve said it before and I can’t say it enough – the best innovation comes from collaboration. Joining ideas and passions means you can create something that never existed before. I was honored to play a small role in this beautiful skirt existing in the world and am really excited to see what Sylvie creates next.
If you’re similarly excited, I hope you keep up with Filliae’s beautiful creations on Instagram or Facebook, as well as through her website. And if you have an idea for a piece lingering in the back of your mind that you want to make a reality, you can contact Filliae here and work together to bring it to life.
No you’ll have to excuse me. Je vais à la mer…
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Top: Unique Vintage (similar)
Skirt: custom, c/o Filliae
Necklace: gift, Kimchi and Coconut
Belt: From another dress (similar)
Handbag: Betsey Johnson
Shoes: Irregular Choice (similar here & here)
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Any items in a post marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review 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.