“The things we do for Fashion” – Anastacia Rose and Entourage

I have been in the world of fashion now for fifteen years and the only thing that is consistent is that it is forever changing. Fashion evolves from one season to the next, from one decade to another, and then we see it come full circle with trends we once loved, being revived with a modern twist and fresh direction. My own tastes in fashion have changed over the years, and I have certainly been influenced by what other designers are doing. Throughout this time I have never lost my passion for this beautiful form of art. I have always been and will remain a strong advocate for fashion, the freedom it can provide you and the creativity that it inspires. Recently I decided it was about time that I make some of my work accessible, and to showcase to everyone what I do and why I love it so much. In this blog you will discover some of my favourite pieces that I designed and produced, with professional photographs of me getting my vogue on to show the world who Anastacia Rose really is, and just what she’s capable of. So I hope you follow on and enjoy this insightful journey into my own realm of fashion and all that shines within.

 

Outfit One “My Fair Lady” – Inspired by the fabulous fashion era of the nineteen fifties, this ensemble would have to be my favourite. Now I know a mother is not supposed to favour any of her children, but this one just edges out all of the others! I found a vintage Butterick pattern for this dress in my local haberdashery and instantly fell in love. The nineteen fifties has always been one of my favourite eras of fashion, with its full skirts, nipped in waists and overall feminine outlook. The dress in constructed with a self-lined bodice that gathers on a yoke at the neckline and forms a scoop back. With an exaggerated waist due to the fullness of the skirt below, this dress bellows out to fall at mid-calf. The skirt is a full circle, with an attached petticoat constructed from five meters of netting. The main fabric that I used is a cotton blend with a textured red and white stripe. I think the fabric adds to the dramatic look of the outfit, with the different angels of the stripe inducing intrigue in the eye of the onlooker. My Fair Lady is accompanied by a crop jacket with a dolman sleeve and collar. Accessorised on this occasion by a wide leather belt that ties into a bow at the centre back. Also complementing the outfit, is a millinery creation consisting of a plaster skull cap covered in vibrant red silk. Accented by a black ostrich feather and hat veil, the piece title “Anastacia”, is a tribute to the great art of millinery and one of the very first pieces that I ever made. Completing the outfit are the stunning shoes from Irregular Choice which while they may not be all that practical to walk in, come up looking a treat when photographed! My Fair Lady is an outfit that I love to wear, and have done so to local Fashion on the Field events and also to a wedding. It is everything that I love about this industry. It shows my true character and love for all things vintage.

 

Outfit Two “Mademoiselle Flora” – The most recent piece to my ever growing collection, Mademoiselle Flora is a piece I was commissioned to make for a local art festival. The piece represents the beauty and colour of the rural area which I live in, with its colours evolving from one season to the next. I live in a part of Australia that has four distinct seasons, with the native flora changing dramatically throughout the year. From vibrant yellows and greens in the spring, through to deep and dark winter hues, our landscape forever evolves. Mademoiselle Flora is constructed from a polyester and cotton body, with a nylon netting forming the overskirt and shoulder straps. The floral tribute which flourishes across the dress, has all been made by hand with many hours of work involved. Constructed from wool, cotton and silk, the embellished flowers each have a vintage button centre and have been strategically sew onto the garment. Mademoiselle Flora is overtly feminine, slightly flirtatious and lots of fun. Accessorised by some fantastic emerald green shoes made from patent leather and suede, this ensemble will certainly turn heads and attract appreciation from any true fashionista.

 

Outfit Three “High Society” – This two piece ensemble is another outfit that I love to wear. The dramatic style of the skirt once again pays tribute to my love of vintage style, but has been constructed in a more modern way. With a wide waist band, the skirt obtains its fullness from separate panels sewn together and pleated at the lower seam line. With hidden hip pockets and a centre back zip, this skirt is so comfortable to wear. The fabric that I used is a cotton blend, with the large floral pattern in a beautiful array of colours, giving the garment an explicitly feminine style. Falling to mid-calf, the length is true to the vintage style that inspired it. The simple yet striking top which accompanies has been produced from a polyester fabric in a deep aubergine hue. The visible metal zipper adds a modern touch to the outfit, as does the crop length with allows the observer to get a full breathtaking view of the skirt, and a slightly sexy vibe to the porcelain skin peeking out from underneath. For this photo shoot I modelled two different style headpieces. The first was purchased from a local fashion business, and was on trend with the boater style hats worn to the Spring Racing Carnival of 2018. In blush pink, this piece tied in beautifully with a clutch of the same tone, and gave the ensemble a slightly French Riviera feel. The second head piece was one I made and wore with the outfit originally. In tones of rose gold, the bandeau style was centred around leather flowers with a pearl centre, gold leaves and black veiling. The aubergine pumps worn with the outfit tie the whole ensemble together perfectly, and give High Society a true Grace Kelly feel.

 

Outfit Four “The September Affair” – Inspired by the flourishing garden displays of the Spring Racing Carnival in Australia each year, The September Affair is another outfit in the Anastacia Rose wardrobe that has a vintage feel to it. Once again it is the fabric that is the real hero of this piece, with the detail on the jacket also making a statement. This design came from a vintage Vogue Pattern from 1951. The original pattern was a one piece dress with a belted waist. I chose to alter it into a two piece ensemble with an extra panel on each side of the jacket to allow for a slightly more relaxed fit. The jacket has a wide turn down collar, and sleeve cuffs that turn up and are held in place by a vintage black and gold acrylic button. The same buttons feature down the length of the centre front opening. Top stitching finishes off the edges of the jacket. The skirt is made up of six separate panels all joined together to give it a flared style. The fabric I used for the skirt is actually a home furnishing fabric and has a ridged texture to it. The stunning floral print in its vibrant spring time hues pay tribute to the blooming roses at Flemington each year. The September Affair is accompanied by a head piece fit for any race day. Made from a sinamay base in matching fuchsia, the piece also incorporates flowers made from the same fabric as the skirt, and perches on the head slightly tilted forward with a hat elastic. To complete the look, a cane bag and tan peep toe block heels were added and give The September Affair a fresh look on a vintage romance.

 

Outfit Five “Midnight in Paris” – The name for this most stunning displays of couture arises from the deep navy silk dupion that it was created with, and a tribute to the grand skill of couture garments born in France. This is a garments that I am most proud of. It was a piece that I designed and produced when I was at university learning the art of handmade luxury. Midnight in Paris was custom tailored to fit me like a glove, with the internal corset structure giving the bodice shape and form. The bulk of the internal layers have been sewn by hand to ensure true fit and great finish. The plunging neck line causes the eye to draw down onto the voluminous skirt below. The cut out back is also a point of difference and shows off the slender spine beneath. With internal metal boing on both the front and back of the bodice, this gown will never go out of shape, or style. The skirt is made from many meters of silk, with layer upon layer of tulle underneath, edges being finished off by silk ribbon. A cotton layer stays closest to the skin to ensure the model has some degree of comfort when wearing such a magnificent ball gown. The pinch effect that covers the skirt was created by literally pinching the fabric together to create a fullness, and hand sewn into position. The centre of these features was finished with a crystal bead. The gown falls long to the gown, has a side encased zip and small covered button on the centre back. Midnight in Paris is not the kind of dress one can easily slip on, and requires an entourage of dresser to assist. But when wearing such a grand ball gown, one should have an entourage in toe! This outfit does not need a gaggle of accessories as her true beauty is more than enough, although a handsome man in a well cut suit would never go astray!

 

Outfit Six “The Emerald City” – The most recent of pieces added to the collection, The Emerald City is surely a showstopper. The tailored blazer is a striking piece due largely to the glorious fabric in which it is made from. The woven peacock textile with its shimmering golden threads, was a splendid find in an unexpected place. The jacket has both an upper and lower section which allows for better fit and a different design feature. The black silk collar which extends into a front lapel, adds a suave tuxedo feel to the piece, and finishes neatly at the centre front waist. The Emerald City has a hidden talent, showcasing a rich indigo lining which peeps through when the wind blows. With no front fastenings, the wearer may feel exposed if not accompanied by some fabulous under garments. On this occasion, The Emerald City was flaunted with a fitted leather skirt and classic black pumps, but can also be toned down and worn for a more relaxed vibe with denim. Unashamedly sexy and somewhat seductive, this piece is no doubt a knockout!

 

I hope that you’ve enjoyed stepping into the world of Anastacia Rose for an expose on all things fine in fashion. I will forever be influenced by the Golden Age of Couture, by Paris and its art, and by Dior and his ‘New Look’. Fashion is supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to evoke feeling, and I believe it should always be first. Whether you’re at work, at play or doing the supermarket run, one should always try to look their best. Fashion is history, fashion is the future, and fashion is who I am. I’m excited to put my designs and talent on display for all to see, and I hope that you will consider Anastacia Rose when you next need something fabulous to wear. I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes – “When you work to please others you can’t succeed, but the things you do to satisfy yourself stand a chance of catching someone’s interest” (Marcel Proust). Always be true to yourself.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx

 

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten – Savile Row

 

Tailoring is a pure craft, a skill that requires time and talent. A trade that takes hours of intense labour to achieve a stunning result. It takes patience, a gentle touch and a knowing authority. It is a form of fashion that I well and truly fell in love with, and have remained so ever since. I first fell in love with the art of tailoring when I started my fashion degree. It was a wardrobe in the rag trade that I had not yet opened. I knew little of it, and had no appreciation for it. But as soon as I opened that door and dove right in, I was surrounded by such art, such magic, and some of the finest fabrics money can buy! Yes, I fell in love hard, and have never looked back.

If you look up the definition of tailoring in any fashion dictionary, it will say the activity or trade of a tailor, or the style or cut of a garment. So what is a tailor? A tailor is well skilled in the area of making, mending or altering clothing, especially suits, coats and other outer wear garments. In history, tailors have been predominantly male, learning their craft as apprentices on the cutting room floor. It is still a trade in the fashion scene that is mainly occupied by men, although there are many women who have, or are, making themselves known in this trade. It takes a lot of time to truly custom make a suit, with the client being involved in most processes. From taking intricate measurements to choosing the fabric and trims, having a suit or other garment custom made for yourself is one of the greatest pleasures you can have. And it will be a wardrobe staple that will last you a lifetime!

Through my love of this craft, I learnt about the coveted street in London called Savile Row. And I was lucky enough to visit it when I travelled to England a few years ago. The prestige and pomp of Savile Row was breathtaking. The heritage listed buildings and their lavish facades makes the section of street in the Westminster district something us old school fashionistas can swoon over. It still has an air of grandeur over it, even though the modern world has started to creep in over the last few years. Traditionally, the tailoring establishments on Savile Row would have their showroom on ground level, where clients would come in to be measured up, and their cutting room in the basement. The street dates back to 1731 when it was first appeared, and was completed in 1735. Tailors started to move onto the Row around 1803, when they were primarily constructing suits for military officer and politicians. As more businesses began to set up, the houses were altered to allow more natural light in on the ground floor. The Row got its name from Lady Dorothy Savile, the wife of one of the then estate owners. It was a region highly populated by affluent society, and has kept this air about it for all these years.

The Row has seen many changes come and go over the years. Some of it was destroyed in World War Two, but was later rebuilt. Many of the original buildings still on the Row have now been heritage listed. Tailoring is a trade that began to lose its way in the 1960’s, due to the introduction of ready to wear clothing labels. In 1969, Nutters of Saville Row was established, to maintain this grand tradition, but to modernise its style and approach. Headed by designers Richard James, Ozwald Boateng, and Timothy Everest, the group fought to keep the Row alive, but introduced new ways to do so.

There are some famous names who have been regular clients of the Row over the years, including Napoleon 3^rd, Prince Charles and Winston Churchill. The Beatles also occupied a space at number three Savile Row that they used as a recording studio. It was here that they recorded the track ‘Let it be’, and their final live performance was staged on the rooftop of number three in January 1969. The term bespoke is believed to have originated on the Row. For a garment to be classified as bespoke, it must primarily be cut and sewn by hand. The restrictions around this term however have been loosened over the years, with bespoke tailoring now allowed to be machine sewn, as long as it is still made to measure. It’s estimated that about fifty hours of hand labor per suit is required to achieve the perfect result.

Known as the Golden Mile of Tailoring, Savile Row has in recent years seen the resurgence of the traditional tailor back on its streets. In the 1950’s there were roughly forty tailors occupying the Row, including the greats Henry Poole and Co, and Gieves & Hawkes. This number dropped radically in the early noughties to only nineteen businesses. But by 2014, the Row was flourishing again with forty four ateliers on the scene. There is now also a mix of modern eateries scattered along the Row, and some big name department stores have also managed to filter in.

If you ever get the opportunity to have something tailor made for yourself, then it’s a must do! You will never regret the feeling of opulence and pride when wearing a made to measure garment. The fine craftsmanship, the impeccable cut and the unlimited selections that will be present to you is something of bucket list quality. Tailoring is a true form of art and skill, one that must be appreciated and understood by the wearer to reach its ultimate potential. Let’s hope this magnificent tradition is never lost.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx

 

Fashion on the Ration – How women remained stylish during World War Two

Clothing is something most of us take for granted these days. Usually if we want to purchase something, we either jump online and order it direct to our door, or we head to the local shopping centre and browse amongst the varied range of stores within. Most of us also purchase fashion for the here and now, the latest trends or celebrity inspired look. We occasionally invest in larger budget items such as a coat or evening dress, with the intention of keeping it in the wardrobe for a few years. But fast fashion has largely taken over our lives, with our wardrobes changing style from season to season. So can you imagine what it was like to be a woman surviving in the 1940’s when fashion became an item rationed by the government due to the Second World War? Some had been through it previously in the First World War, but it was much more prominent in Britain and across Europe for almost the entire decade of the roaring forties. Women no longer had the freedom to go to their local store or couturier to buy something fabulous. Instead fashion was dictated to them by what was available during the war years, and what was deemed appropriate (which is why Dior created such controversy when he released his 1947 New Look). Many innovations came from war time rationing of clothing, some which we still use today, and others which I’m glad never caught on!

At the beginning of the 1940’s, Britain was heavily involved in the war, with many of its country men fighting on the front line, and many of its women being put to work in factories. As the war progressed, with no end in sight, many sacrifices had to be made. Food is something that was largely controlled and became extremely hard to come by. But what many people don’t realise is that clothing too was a luxury that suffered drastically during this time. On 1^st June 1941, clothing became rationed across Britain with a limit being put on the amount of garments one could purchase. As money was also scares during this time, coupons similar to those used to receive food items were given out in 1942 under the Utility Clothing Scheme. This allowed people to save up their coupons and then head to the stores to purchase garments. Women had to be frugal in their choices of clothing, as whatever they purchased was likely to have to survive for many seasons to come. It became apparent early on in this scheme that some manufactures were producing inferior garments, which lead to the less wealthy citizens receiving items that soon wore out. To try and make it an even playing field for all members of society, the Government introduced the ‘CC41’ label. This ensured that whatever was produced, be it socks, underwear or jumpers, had to adhere to a sustainable level of quality. This way, everyone could obtain these higher quality garments with the coupon rations.

There was much uprising over this new way of life, with many feeling uncomfortable with this new style of dressing. To try and relieve some of the negative attitudes, the Government approached a range of British designers to come together to create war time fashion for the public. Big time designers like Norman Hartnell, Bianca Mosca, Digby Morton and Hardy Aimes, came together and produced a range of fashion that not only stuck to the current regulations, but ensured a stylish take on it as well. No longer were people afraid they would all look the same, and being able to still wear designer brands help lift the spirits of many during this challenging period. Austerity regulations also largely affected men’s fashion. Only single breasted suits were allowed to be produced, with limitations placed on lapel sizes, number of pockets per garment, and the width of turn up and cuffs on both trousers and shirts. It is estimated that these limitations saved some four million square yards of cotton per year!

The 1940’s was also the beginning of manmade fabrics coming into the mass market. Natural fibres such as wool and silk were used for the soldiers’ uniforms and parachutes, which left women’s clothing out in the cold. Fabrics such as rayon and synthetic jersey became widely used, and are often found in vintage garments today. Fabrics had to be user friendly, something you could easily wash at home as the luxury of a drycleaner was long gone. As women began to be conscripted to working for the war effort, it bought about a mass change in the outfits they required. No longer was it practical for a woman to wear a tea dress if she was working on the factory floor. Trousers became the new favourite items in women’s fashion as it allowed much more ease of movement. Headscarves and turbans also became popular in the forties as women needed to cover their hair whilst working as a safety precaution. With France no longer at the top of the fashion scene due to German occupation, practicality took over couture, with styles becoming much more paired down, unadorned and refined.

The ‘Make do and Mend’ campaign came to life during the Second World War, with women encouraged to repair their own clothing. This also saw the humble dressmaker turning to alternate resources to produce garments. Curtains were no longer just used as window furnishings, but turned in to practical items that could be worn for many seasons. The suits of men away at war were no longer safe either. Women used their tailoring skills to turn them into suits for themselves, so they could save their coupons for other items. Older garments had extra panels added to the waist to lengthen the hemline, and nothing was ever thrown out. Patching, darning and altering became hugely popular in the forties, more out of necessity than desire.

Some fashion trends from this time which we are still aware of today are monochrome colour palettes, exquisite tailoring and the original jumpsuit. Known back then as the Siren Suit, the all in one garment was designed to be easily put on over night time attire whenever the air raid sirens sounded. It had a zipper running the front length of the garment, with large pockets for personal items, and a drop down panel at the rear. It was worn by both men and women, and became known as a signature garment during the war. Winston Churchill was a fan! The colour of many garments produced during this time were restricted as fabric dyes became a luxury. Black and grey was very common, but the British did their best to be patriotic too. Red, white and blue was worn proudly whenever possible, with white being largely popular during the blackout every evening. This ensured the wearer would be seen more easily if out on the street, in the hope of reducing accidents between pedestrians and cars. Tailoring was also a staple of the 1940’s, with all suits, coats, skirts and trousers needing to withstand not only the current season, but many more after. A suit had to be wearable from summer through winter for more than one year, which called upon the finest of tailors to put their skills to use.

Other limitations placed on fashion during the time were how much fabric could be used per garment. This meant that the width and length of skirts was restricted, and for the first time ever in modern society, a skirt could be no longer than knee length. Jackets too had to be shortened in the body, no longer than twenty five inches allowed! They also had to be unlined, with no cuffs or patch pockets. Metal zips became hard to find, and so the zipper less dress was born. Being made out of a stretch fabric, women simply pulled it on over their heads. Elastic was another luxury, only being used in women’s knickers. One item that wasn’t restricted during this time was head wear. Hats of all shapes and sizes were still allowed, although hard to come by. Another fashion invention that came from the war was a sleek yet stylish handbag with a built in compartment for carrying ones gas mask. Usually carried in a small cardboard box with a long string to throw over your shoulder, the gas mask became a staple of wartime that everyone had to carry with them at all times. But the idea soon came to design a handbag that could accommodate the rather ugly but necessary accessory.

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Even though the war was declared over, and V day celebrations rang out everywhere on 8^th May 1945, fashion restrictions remained in place across Britain until 1949. Finally after almost a decade of being told what to wear, the survivors of war could now dress themselves. It took a few more years for fashion to regain its crown, but once again France was at the top. No more dull colours, short hemlines or straight skirts. Flamboyant feminine style was back, and the 1950’s was all the better for it.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx