There is something sincerely magical about crossing the threshold into Spring. I suddenly find a new bounce in my step, an extra twirl in my skirt. The scent of the air is somehow better, and the birds chirp merrily as I make my way towards the end of the semester. And for whatever reason, that extra bit of sun shines a new perspective on things, reminding me of the many things I have to be grateful for.
At times when the world seems thrown into endless spins of chaos, I’ve been turning more and more to the community around me. My community of scientists, who are fighting every day for what’s true. My community of friends, who are finding joy in the little things while making all kinds of good trouble. The vintage and sewing community, who are determined to bring a little more beauty into a world that sometimes feels anything but.
One community that has been hit so hard these last few years is the band of small businesses around the world, particularly as fast fashion’s fingers wrapped their grip around consumer consciousness seemingly overnight. I’ve honestly been getting more and more disillusioned with the way fast fashion has taken over the world, and it angers me in ways I cannot even say. The only way to be proactive is to fight back in small ways to honor the makers and small businesses who are doing it right and doing it slowly.
I have a few die-hard small businesses I buy from when I stray from true vintage or my own handmade creations, simply due to the fact that they cannot be matched for the quality. Many moons ago, I reached out to one of my very favorites Jenny Dame of Wearable Art By Jenny Dame to see if she would be up for collaborating on a project. If you haven’t paid a visit to Jenny’s shop, drop everything you are doing (seriously) and head immediately to her Etsy shop. And be prepared to fall down a rabbit hole of beautiful things…
If Wearable Art By Jenny Dame sounds familiar, you may recognize it from this post. The airbrushed roses skirt was my first purchase from Jenny and is perhaps one of the most worn garments in my wardrobe (and if you saw my closet, you would know that’s really saying something). One look at this piece, and Jenny’s talent is unmistakeable. But, at that stage, I was an admirer from afar, watching her business push its way up and start to grow. I wasn’t really privy to the depths of her creativity, and had no idea how excited she was at the idea of custom creations.
When we started to discuss ideas for a collaborative project, many options were bandied around. As someone who loves all things organic and nature-inspired, we discussed everything from twisting vines and waves to citrus fruits, and even heading out into space. Jenny made sketches with butterflies and rhinestones, and even an Easter theme of lambs and rabbits bouncing around the hem.
In the end, we both fell towards the idea of growth. Of beauty emerging from a place that seems lacking. We decided to have the central focus as a tree, growing and twisting from one side of the skirt, and blooming towards the other. Where the tree starts bare and scraggly on one side, and then she wraps her arms around the fabric, stretching towards Spring on the other. And with that seemingly nebulous plan, Jenny started sketching…
As you can imagine, that first sketch stole my heart…from the gnarled and beautiful aged tree, to the lemon trees bringing in that hint of citrus, to the wise old owl, I could tell I was in for something special. At one point our mutual love of glitter lead us to add green leaf shaped rhinestones in two different tones (here and here) that increase in density as you move around the back, as if Spring can simply not be contained.
I was truly in awe watching Jenny’s process as this skirt started to come to life on her IG . The sketching, hand painting, and hand sewing of rhinestones, all done with the utmost care and attention to detail. While I am very proud of my ability to sew, I sit back in wonder at the way a paintbrush simply fits into her hand. How the owl came to life under her strokes, how each lemon seemed to glisten with dew. This is real art.
One real consequence of the fast fashion era is the way it has made its way into our consciousness that sewing and design is not art nor skilled labor. That a skirt should cost $20. That a piece should be worn once before it is obsolete. The knock on effect when we buy a t-shirt for $5 is that we don’t seem bothered if it falls apart after one wear – it has so little value, right? We don’t consider the hands that ran it through the sewing machine, the distance it had to travel to get to our closets. So over time, literal tons of discarded clothing ends up in the landfill.
But I want to bring back the era where we treasure our clothing. Where you see it as the investment that it is. Where you feel the art in every stitch, and you drape your life in it because of the pride and gratitude you feel for the line of amazing people who wove the fabric, constructed the garment, instilled a little bit of themselves into it.
When this parcel arrived from Jenny and I unwrapped the tissue paper to meet this skirt for the first time, I had actual tears spring to my eyes. Maybe it seems silly to think about a skirt bringing up so much emotion, but it was so obvious that this is no ordinary garment. That Wearable Art by Jenny Dame leaves a bit of her soul in each piece. That I will wear this skirt and feel that bit of magic.
Jenny’s hand-painted skirts are start around the $300 mark, and increase in price depending on time and level of detail. She’s also branched into printed t’s and the most amazing rhinestone-studded hairnets. I have to say – these skirts are absolutely worth saving your pennies for. In my parcel, Jenny had even tucked a hand-painted fan, immortalizing my skirt print in miniature. That kind of care and attention to detail is something that you almost can’t put a price on. And I know, when I pass this piece onto my niece one day many many decades from now, she’ll feel the reverence as she adds her own story. I hope it will serve as a forever reminder that whenever she is struggling, finding herself in the depths of winter, Spring will always find its way.
Wishing you all some necessary Spring.
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Top: Unique Vintage
Skirt: custom made by Jenny Dame
Necklace: Mae Jean Vintage (similar here & here)
Handbag: Shoobashooba Vintage (similar here & here)
Shoes: Aquazzura, sold out (similar here or add these to heels you own!)
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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.