Home sweet home.
I've been a long-time fan of textile artist Natalie Chanin. The Alabama native left her successful career as a costume designer and fashion stylist in New York to return to her hometown of Florence, AL, where she creates fantastically intricate appliquéd textiles for the wardrobe and home. While her first book, Alabama Stitch Book, focused on pattern-making for clothing and some home decorating Read more
While I've featured Alabama Chanin before, the design company's site has beautiful new interior pictures that I thought were worth reflecting upon. Alabama Chanin, the collection of designer Natalie Chanin, features clothing and interior decor pieces that strive to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. Organic cotton, natural indigo dyes, and US-made products are all part of the line. The Read more
Karl was on a strict diet of black, white, and paper when designing Spring couture. I'm predicting white is about to be the color du jour, thanks to Michelle Obama's dreamy Jason Wu gown. As always, Karl was psychic. His designs may have been scaled down, but they were anything but streamlined. Cuts were sharp or voluminous, shoulders and waists were punctuated, and details were both in-your-face Read more
Cameron Diaz's Oscar de la Renta dress, which she wore at the Women in Film Awards, reminded me of another beautiful lady who's fond of appliqué and reverse appliqué. In fact, this designer marks them as signature techniques in her fashion and home décor lines. I've featured her work a few times in the past, along with her inspiring book. To find out who the designer is, read more Read more
Appliqué An ancient needlework technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto a foundation fabric to create designs. This is done through hand or machine stitches. If you recall, Audrina Patridge's green Phillip Lim dress had appliqué detailing around the neck. Try the technique with this Nicole Miller Embellished Blue Dress ($308, originally $440). Read more
Forget statement clutches and jawdropping jewels — the latest batch of red-carpet embellishments come by way of super intricate floral appliqué detailing. Gone (for now) are the days of patchwork and snazzy stitching, we think these gorgeous add-ons add an unexpected element of formal dressing elegance. To prove our point, we've seen Elizabeth Banks rock several versions of the trend, with a Read more
We're happy to present a post from one of our favorite sites, Stylelist Home! There's nothing a great upholstery job can't improve. Need proof? Then look no further than upholstery bootcamp instructor Shelly Leer's latest project. In less than six hours, spread over a two-day span, the Indianapolis resident transformed two Goodwill finds into a stylish Swiss Army-inspired pair of camp stools — Read more
Tonight's McQ by Alexander McQueen lineup was a breathtaking showcase of stylized beauty and fashion fantasy. Considering this was the diffusion line's first-ever showing during London Fashion Week, we'd say the bar has been set pretty high. Immersed in dark tones, rich fabrics, and even richer embellishments (think velvet embroidered onto sheer lace), each nipped-waist dress marched out onto the Read more
Fab reader Blair Stubbe channeled 20s-inspired evening glamour with a sweet dropwaist ensemble. Her long black and sheer Daisy Buchanan-esque dress featured pretty floral appliques and was topped off with a cropped faux fur jacket. She wore vintage chandelier earrings and black pointy-toe pumps as equally Great Gatsby worthy accessorizing touches — definitely a perfect example of understated Read more
Kristen Bell stepped out in LA last evening for the premiere of her new TV series, House of Lies, in a stunning minidress by Zuhair Murad. The hand-beaded applique and illusion sleeves exposed the perfect amount of skin, making it equal parts sexy and sweet. Want to channel Kristen's look for a night out? Watch today's FabFlash for some great options. Read more
