Paper Couture!

I'm very excited to bring Julie Nutting to The Wardrobe for Paper Couture this Friday!  She also will also be teaching a class the next day, at 1:00 on Saturday April 9th at the Davis Art Center. Space is limited to 15 people, and reservations can be made at The Wardrobe for $50 each.


Julie Nutting has been creating for as long as she can remember. She started drawing fashion figures when she was about nine years old. She grew up in the era of the first really fabulous fashion doll clothes. It was a time when doll clothes were exact replicas of Dior coats and Balenciaga gowns. Zippers were real and buttons were of the tiniest proportions. When she couldn't have the clothes she wanted for her dolls, she simply made them from her mom's pretty pastel hankies or fabric scraps headed for the trash bin. This led to a lifelong love of fashion illustration, design and sewing. She is published regularly in Somerset Studio magazine and has a book Collage Couture coming out this June.

Trash a la Mode

Note: the following article was written by Julie Nutting, our 2nd Friday artist for April.

Last November, I was asked to participate in an art exhibit at a local gallery.  Instead of the usual holiday sparkle, this show focused on the less fortunate.  All the proceeds were going to a food bank and outreach program for the homeless.  At first, I declined doing this show. Quite honestly, I just couldn't see how my pretty girly girls would fit the theme.  there was just one problem with doing the show-I wanted to do it.  It was a community event and it was for a good cause. Plus, I love challenges concerning my art.

A week before the show was to start, I went to the gallery. They were bringing in chain link fencing, shopping carts, and lots of wadded up newspaper for the installation.

It was looking fantastic. Just a couple of days before the drop-off date for the art, I had one of those aha moments-newspaper.  It's one of my favorite papers to use in my collages, so why couldn't I use it for fashion? I set to work creating a gown that used newspaper.I didn't choose just any newspaper for this. I carefully tore the date from a French paper that I had purchased during an anniversary trip to Europe two years earlier.  I also used an Italian ad from one of my favorite stores, a Thai newspaper from one of my husband's many mission trips, and some old patterned tissue paper.  I added some pink tissue because everything looks a little better with pink, and a bit of gold leaf for the finishing touch.

As I was working on this piece, many thoughts regarding the theme of the show came to mind.  The most important was how much we tend to judge others on appearance. I was thinking of the girl I created-underneath her gown made of trash was the beautiful princess that's in us all.  I remember years ago hearing a celebrity on a talk show telling of a trip she made to a third world country and gifting young girls with dolls and new dresses.  She was surprised that they were drawn to the dresses more than the dolls, but then realized that they never had a new dress before. That had always stayed in my mind.  Just imagine the happiness at having a brand new dress when you've just had hand-me-downs-what an amazing feeling that must be! And so, I named my piece All She Wanted Was a New Dress.

Academy Awards Party UPDATE!

Our Academy Awards Party is quickly approaching (less than a week left!), and it just keeps getting more exiting! Amazing DJ Emily will be there with French music, and we will be having Champagne to go with Becky Winter's delicious raw desserts.  I am looking forward to rolling out the Red Carpet to everyone in the heart of Downtown Davis.  Come down to The Wardrobe on February 27th (Sunday) and watch the Academy Awards in style!

Academy Awards Party!

 Join us on the red carpet on Sunday, February 27th for an Academy Awards Party here at The Wardrobe. We encourage everyone to play dress up, and there will be a $100 gift card prize for Best Dressed!
 
Call us at 530.756.1128 or email staff@thewardrobe.com for more information.

"Fashion wasn't what you wore someplace anymore; it was the whole reason for going." -Andy Warhol

Winter Sale 2011!

Don't miss out on The Wardrobe's Winter Sale!

Everything in the store is 20% OFF or more.  The sale will last until Sunday, January 16th, but hurry in soon to catch your favorite styles and sizes!

Fashionscapes - Mark Your Calendars!

I am quite excited to be working with photographer Kyana Taillon  to put together The Wardrobe's next event!

On Friday, November 12th at 7pm, The Wardrobe will host "Fashionscapes - A Photographic Exhibit that Features Local Women Making a Difference in Our Community." The exhibit will include portraits of influential Davis area women. Subjects include Ann Murray Paige, whose personal battle with breast cancer lead to the founding of Project Pink, a non-profit organization aimed to help women cope.  Other women featured include entomology professor Diane Ullman and local artist Donna Billick, co-directors of the Art-Science Fusion Program at UC Davis, Autumn Labbe-Renault, executive director of Davis Media Access, Heidy Kellison, community activist and Erie Vitiello, executive director of the Davis Art Center.

Believing in our community, in our work, and ourselves is the inspirational theme for Fashionscapes. The Wardrobe is more than just a fashion boutique. It is a place that inspires joy and personal transformation through self-expression with fashion.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Raincoats are now coming in just in time!

As the days get longer, we here in Davis know what that means: rain!  This year, I'm very excited about a new French line I've discovered. Pile Au Face makes really jazzy clothing, and their raincoats are my favorite this season. With a fleece lining and a detachable hood, this raincoat is definitely a 5-star.

Today, we also received Mycra Pac raincoats.  These coats come with a coordinated bag, and are reversible.  Described as "The ultimate unstructured travel coat," Mycra Pac is sure to be a hit for the classy traveler this Fall.

Breast Cancer Workshop this Sunday, October 10th from 10 - 1!

When women heal, the world heals.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Heather Caswell presents a three hour workshop that will focus on the healing power of color, beauty, and self-adornment. Learn how to intuitively choose colors and styles that will help you look and feel your best.  Featured will be an accessories lab on the art of tying scarves by local artist Katy Brosky. Local hat designer, Norma Rice, will also be demonstrating the art of wearing just the right hat.

Ann Murray Paige, writer, journalist, and television host, will be assisting. She is a breast cancer survivor and co-founder of the non-profit Project Pink, which raises awareness of the issue of women and breast cancer. Her blogs are RaisingMaine.com and ProjectPinkDiary.com

The class will be assisted also by Carol Klesow who has been teaching Color and Consciousness internationally for the past 15 years.






Reservations are required and limited to 25 people. To make a reservation please email us at staff@thewardrobe.com or call the store at 530.756.1128 to sign-up. This is a free class. Donations are welcome and will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Sacramento.