now selling at etsy.com!

I finally did it! I've opened a store at www.janeanemarie.etsy.com. At the moment I've only posted 5 items, but there will be more after the first of the year. I won't be selling a collection, just random pieces that i make as i go. My plan is to have a mini collection this fall, and then have something a little more established by spring. Some of the looks on my website are available online now, though. I've also got the knit dress from the previous post and the pieces in this post for sale. So stop by! 

my sister, christa, wearing one of her christmas presents!

I usually make my sister dresses for Christmas. Last year it was a white silk noil A-line dress, which was recently ruined at a party when a drunk guy spilled his tobacco juice on it. Yuck. Anyway, this year I made her a white knit sweater dress with a turtleneck collar, a hot pink mini-skirt, and this black knit dress here. It's really lovely, made out of wool jersey. Today I signed up on etsy, and this dress is listed for sale! So if you are interested, check it out! (www.janeanemarie.etsy.com)  I'll get pics of the other dress later. Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays... and if not, they're almost over!

Fashion Photographers of the PACIFIC NORTHWEST!

The pacific Northwest is not known for fashion. I do believe, though, that things are changing, and there is a lot of great design happening here. We've got Leanne Marshall, Adam Arnold, The Seaplane women (Kate Towers and Holly Stalder), May Tee, Elizabeth Dye, etc. Anyway, there is a new story unfolding, and I'm happy to be a part of it. 

Along with the impressive design comes powerful photography. My previous blog showcases the work of Lavenda Memory (who shot my senior collection). I have scanned Model Mayhem and chosen a few shots that really stand out to me. The top two shots are the work of Eric Rose, the third is an image by Howard Petrella, and then finally we have a pic by Christopher Murr (the models, Kristen and Jillian, are wearing 2 dresses I designed last spring). Anyway, I plan to come back to this subject again, because I am very taken by the work of these incredible photographers. 

of magic patterns and super coolness:More Pre-fall

I'm getting the feeling that this is going to be an exciting fall. It seems like designers are going back to basics, but in a magical, creative way. Silhouettes have been simple with emphasis on details to keep pieces interesting. This method is very akin to my own design approach, so of course i'm taking to it well. 

the top three looks are by Missoni (duh!) and the super-chunky weights are reading super-cozy! It's hard to understand how they re-invent the knit pattern every season, and these pieces are absolutely modern and gorgeous. 

The bottom two are by Diane Von Furstenberg, who has gave home to an amazingly fun and chic oversized tiger print on a mini-shift dress. Yay! Anyway, it's the coolest dress i have probably ever seen. 

All images from style.com

of monochromatism and easy wonder: pre-fall 09

Still snowing in Portland. And I'm sick. Ick. But I've pulled a few images from my favorite pre-fall 2009 collections. Vera Wang and Narciso Rodriguez are proving that simple is better, and forever chic. I apologize if i don't go into the depths of my opinions, but i feel like my head is going to fall off. 

top 3: narciso rodrigues bottom 2:vera wang. from style. com

S.N.O.W day

Portland is a funny city. It rains most of the time (not as much as Seattle!) and people are kind of used to it. But, once it's cold enough, and that precipitation freezes and the snow starts to fall, the city goes on this weird state of panic/emergency/fascination. All of the schools shut down, and any sort of national or international news takes back seat to the three new flakes that fell on Mt. Tabor. 

Anyway, I opens up the opportunity to dream about the snow bunny gear of my dreams. Like the dopo sci boots (Moonboots!- I've wanted a pair for years), Monclear coats, and hot chocolate. So, wherever you may be out there where snow is, i hope you are warm!

My oh my....

Alright. It's been a while. Just over a month. 

The good thing is- I graduated! Today was my last day of classes, and graduation will be tomorrow afternoon. Finally, my BFA in apparel design! i really am excited and quite happy... These last few months have been so intense, working from 6 in the morning until 3am sometimes.. my intention was to record the progress of my senior collection on here, but i just never did. 

The pictures posted are of my collection, Extremadura. I had a great team of models and stylists, and the photographer, Lavenda, was a dream come true. More can be seen on my website, janeanemarie.com (if it doesn't work, try web.mac.com/janeanemarie- i've been having hosting problems).

Wang is the Winner

Alexander Wang has won the CFDA award, along with twohundredthousanddollars. I'm happy about that... I was just looking at a few of his pieces today at the new-ish Portland boutique Francis May, which, I must say, is a wonderful place (Clu, opening ceremony, Vena Cava, Alexander Wang.... mmmmm). Anyway, what I saw was so simple and so beautiful- if I could have afforded it I would have bought it then and there. His was one of my favorite collections from fall, although all the pics above are from spring (I'm still not sure what happened with spring, pretty much across the board. It's like every designer in the world forgot that it was coming, and then they all woke up from the same nap and made a collection over shots of espresso and cinnamon scones and voila, runway show... with some exceptions, of course). 

Oh- And I saw the new james bond. mmmmm. 

Bling Me!

 Oh, these days have been frantic. I'm sewing my senior collection (pics to come) and suddenly the days run away like wild horses over the hills. So, for a pick me up, I've been looking at jewelry. It seems to be working, and it reminds me why I'm doing all of this anyway (which is a question that bears an expansive answer that currently exists outside of my vocabulary on hand). I suppose being a design means that somewhere in you lies an ever unsatisfiable need to create things which are always better, always improved, and just beyond what the rest of the world is able to see and understand. The horizon is the only place that matters, and life is lived six months in the future. It's weird, because that means the present is in the past. Anyway, whatever it is, I love it and I need it. And hopefully, someday, it will afford me fabulous accessories. Unfortunately, I've lost the credits to the pieces... I downloaded them a while back. i think they are mostly from shopbop. com...

oh Joy!

Last night, at 8:02 pm, I looked up from my computer, and there it was. OBAMA ELECTED 44th PRESIDENT. I knew it would happen in my heart, but there was still that fear lingering that had dug there way into my conscience after what happened for the last two elections. First Gore, then Kerry. I was a little damaged. In the end, we made it happen. There is something to believe in again! If i had to listen to Palin's voice for the next four years, I probably would have considered moving to a cave somewhere in Patagonia, or maybe setting up residence on an inflatable raft and just drifting around at sea until it was safe to come back. Anyway, YAAAAYYYY! if he only supported gay marriage... that's the only issue that i ahve with Obama. Other than that, I AM SO HAPPY HE WILL BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.

oh, and the new first lady wore a dress by my favorite designer, narciso rodriguez!

Come on, rain!

Today is a beautiful day. It is golden outside, the perfect temperature (no jacket necessary), I need my sunglasses, and the leaves are turning the classic fall colors. They blanket the ground, muffling the sound of footsteps and decorate the streets. It's Oregon, and the rain has yet to start. When it does, it won't stop until June. The daylight will be perpetually gray, the leaves will turn to mush, and i'll have to give up on my hair entirely. But, on the bright side, I'll need rain shoes. Last year I got excited about tall rubber boots, but this year I'm excited about CHIC RUBBER SHOES. The Melissa collection is so wonderful, and their are some big name teaming up with the design efforts (Vivienne Westwood? Ok!) As for me, I've got my heart set on the Dutch clogs. They also come in red, oh baby. So, I'll be stomping around town, sans clunky boots, in little red clogs and a clear plastic umbrella!! 

(items found on melissaplasticdreams.com and umbrellasusa.com)

Antwerp, Heaven

I have been looking at the 2008 senior collection show from the Royal Academy in Antwerp. It happened a while ago, in June, but the levels of super-creativity are astounding. The construction is record-setting, and fashion is approached as a system, not simply as garments. Every peice seems to be alive, almost. Anyway, it's really inspiring, especially since i'm working on my senior collection. But the work here is in a realm not found in this hemisphere! Everyone should check out the work, which can be found at www.antwerp-fashion/be

tonight i saw

Tonight I saw the Felice Brothers at the Mission Theater. It was so amazing! I am not apt in the least at writing about music, but please watch out 'her eyes dart around' on the videos... it is the song that put its little hands around my heart and made me believe. oh, and i met them, most of the brothers, and they shake your hand and look you in the eye. Simone is a writer, and I bought his book Mary Full of Holes.