....on working as a team

Once upon a time, long long ago when I was younger and full of myself,  I wanted to be recognized for me...time has taught me some very important lessons about that. While it is necessary to believe in yourself in order to achieve  success in what you pursue, it is also necessary to recognize that we rarely get there by ourselves. 

This summer has been one of those pivotal turning points in my business and understanding what it means to be working as a true team. The collaboration that happens and the ideas that flow through listening, developing and executing our ideas, comes from working together and communicating our needs, wants, desires and how we see it coming to life.

My daughter Wysdom is back, and she has brought an arsenal of talent with her. Her unwavering support and patience is amazing and we work well as a team. Our intern Jishnu, has been such an integral part of our workings this summer...he has been amazing. He is organized, focused and keeps everyone on task. We will miss him when he goes back to school in August. 

Our entry into making custom wedding dresses just keeps getting better and better and the dresses we are making are so individual and stunning....it is very exciting.

Feel free to pop by most days between 11 and 7 pm

Stay tuned and enjoy.

....what is the meaning of success

Today on my morning walk with the dog, I pondered the age old question of what the meaning of success is....to me, and how do others define their own success.

What conventional wisdom will say is that success is defined by how much stuff you have, and of what quality is that stuff...house, car, clothes, trinkets...where did it come from, what store, what label, what brand...can define quality. When is enough enough, and when we reach that enough place is that success? 

A friend of mine once told me that that I am here is a success...I failed to ask her whether that meant my mere existence or that I figured out to have a studio in a cool building and I am doing what I love...whether or not my bottom line checks out or not...I suppose she is right either way...that we even make it through this life relatively unscathed is a success for much of the world. 

Some of us are made to succeed in the business world. Some of us are made to succeed artistically...some of us.....fill in the blank....

So as I was walking in the door after my walk, I realized that indeed I am a success. That I survived to this point, that I am doing what I love, that that love changes often, sometimes daily, yet i show up, and I am happy with how I spend my days. 

viva la vida!

stay tuned....and enjoy.

...Wysdom comes back.

When I first started this blog it was in the infancy of creating this fledgling company. My daughter Wysdom was on her way to San Francisco to complete her degree in Fashion Design. Now a few years later she is back with a degree in Technical Design for the fashion business. Along the way she discovered that her strengths are more geared toward the technical side of things and that designing, once one learns the process, can do that work, but that the technical side of this business is more interesting to her. 

So she is back, working with me and the one aspect of design that she is passionate about and has talent for is wedding and special occasion. She is in the design phase and we are working together to create a body of work which represents that passion and vision.

Stay tuned for the unveiling...

enjoy.

...fit models needed

Hello...I am looking for three fit models. I need one size 6 (33-25-36 or close to these numbers). One size 10 (36-28-38 or close to these numbers) and one size 14 (40-32-42 or close to those numbers). 5'6" to 5'9" tall.

This will take about 2/3 hours max per size. I will pay 15.00 hr.  or trade a great dress for your willingness to stand still and let us fit our samples on you. 

Thanks and let me know if you or someone you know would be interested. 

...a very white (shirtdress) opportunity

 A bundle of open weave linen and pinpoint cotton white shirt dresses were delivered yesterday. The shirtdress is beautiful, very well made (locally) and right on point....and here is the opportunity and the dilemma. I made a mistake in my pattern; the dress is too long and a little challenging in the fit at the high hip, and I have too many of one size (manufacturers mistake).

I want to offer to anyone who is a size small to come to my studio, co-create a look that works for you (individual) from this dress. I will remake the dress to suite your needs from the waist down. That means shorten, folding, cutting or ?. I normally sell this dress for 165.00...I work with you and make something wonderful for 145.00. A chance to co-create is waiting for you at an easy price. 

Thank you and don't be shy....

stay tuned and enjoy..

…on intermingling,interwining and perfection.

…the intertwining of leaf and branch, species, color, shape makes nature one of or maybe THE most consistently magical place to seek inspiration.

Sitting in my backyard thinking this morning, I was looking at the olive tree. How beautiful the color , the leaves the shape, the bark. Then I noticed how the grape from the neighbors vine was just beginning to connect with the olive and work its way into the tree - in this one spot now there is an intermingling of the two.  Their shapes together, along with color, texture, personality, nature. This intertwining has created a new aspect of both plants. Making this new coming together even more interesting. 

When I recognize these things, I tend to relate them back to basically two ideas; design/clothing/textiles and then society. How that interplay relates to design on so many levels; in textiles, in the layering of clothing, color, shape and then how we intermingle, and intertwine with others through culture, language, nationalities, intermarriage, the list is long…and how this, in my opinion, is when the true and perfect are able to emerge. The blending and re-creation and then there is something new.

The combining of all this and what it creates is always, always, always….perfection.

Stay tuned and enjoy...

…vintage vs. modern vs. classic

...I was with a good friend the other day and she was talking about how the same clothes that she  wore 10 or more years ago don't look right  anymore. Not because they are out of fashion, but because of her age. She asked what I thought of that. I responded with that I think as I get older I want to be more modern and minimal in how I dress. If I reach back into my past, for me it feels like I am trying too hard to recapture a time in my life that simply has past. I think that might be the reason why women dress more simply when they get older, and go to a more classic style. Trying too hard to follow trends and keep up is exhausting and in the end what are we left with? A closet full of clothes that really don't meet any need for long. 

I think that the classic clothing that we are all familiar with is a safe bet…one sort of always look good and reasonable but in my opinion sort of boring…so.... how do we find what resonates with us and makes us feel fresh without dressing like someone in their 20's or ??…If you are one who pays attention to fashion trends, it is very easy to track what's next. It is like watching the decades repeat themselves over and over in what might be a fresh take on an old idea…is there a fresh take on bell bottoms? Maybe…but they are still bell bottoms. 

I keep going back to the uniform idea. Finding the shape(s), color(s), pattern(s) that suite your body, style and lifestyle is key. I work with women from all walks…the executive who is either in her work clothes or work-out clothes and there is not a lot of in between…the woman who lives a more casual lifestyle and everything crosses over, there aren't a lot of boundaries from day to night, weekday and weekend…it is one big mash-up style wise. It is taking that "look" that works for you and adding something new, a twist.

Recently I was in Mexico…I drew a lot of inspiration from my time there. The one item of clothing that made the most impact this time was the poncho. That one ubiquitous piece that permeates a culture and is a classic from way way way back, and it is still relevant, beautiful, functional…it is also modern. It is all in the way it is worn and fabrication. So currently my uniform consists of a pair of great fitting jeans, my white shirt and a poncho… classic, modern and super vintage all wrapped up in three garments.

What do you think?

Stay tuned and enjoy..

to mothers of every kind...

Mother's day is right around the corner. I don't usually celebrate these occasions but it seems appropriate this year for some reason. Maybe it is my own relationship to mothering that has changed. It is not so hands-on, rather it is more about being a support and listener, even though sometimes that is really difficult to do…just sit back, keep opinions to self and mouth closed...

So in honor of all the mothers of every kind, I would like to invite you to my studio, have a sip of champagne, check out my clothing and celebrate just a little...

champagne - tequila - coffee

30% off everything in store..

May 8 - 9, 2015

1:30- 7 pm

3320 Beacon Ave. S

Seattle, WA 98144

206-375-7446

…on ponchos, sarapes, virgins, saints and angels...

Just back from a 10 day trip to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. It always amazes me when you ask…there is a 50/50 chance the answer will be no…in my case it was a yes. It was yes so many times over this trip that it is remarkable. I found myself in the land of astonishing beauty at every turn...people who were gracious, welcoming, accepting and enthusiastic for life.  The artistic community is rich with diversity and ideas pouring out from everywhere. There is an attitude of I-can-do-this there.

Some people go there with very little, some have a lot. The people who live there are the same…some have a lot and some have very little but somehow it all seems to work. Everyone is busy doing their lives… 

I had a trunk show there and it was a huge success..and now I have a store who is carrying my things; Mixta…one of the best stores in San Miguel. I feel lucky, happy and have come back riding the wave of inspiration that comes when you go away from the familiar, and when you are willing to ask the question and be open to the answers that come your way...

stay tuned and enjoy...

White on white on cream….

The white shirts are coming in. Currently I have white pinpoint oxford cotton in the long shirt and coming is the same cotton in a shirtdress length and also in an open weave 100% linen. The shirt and shirtdress will also be available in black cotton lawn (thin think cotton) mid-april.  

Enjoy and stay tuned….

…on what is a collection?

Every morning I usually spend an hour or sometimes more doing research. I look for inspiration and ideas. What usually happens is a question comes up for me to ponder and figure out how it applies to my life and the work I do, how I spend my time and do I really have a clue as to what I'm doing or am I simply fooling myself…

This morning I found a couple of sites which provoked ideas that I have been thinking about for a while now, which is always great to find that that thought is out there being thought by others. My thoughts have turned toward the idea of a "collection". What does that really mean?  In its old French; colligere = gather together. Right now all the shows are beginning with the new collections from all around the globe. Some of these collections are 42 - 50 looks. That is an enormous number of garments to form a collection 2 - 4 times a year. Is the collection idea dead? Or is it even relevant anymore? A while ago I was playing with the idea of one garment per month to make up a collection of clothes one gathers over 12 months. More like when we collect a particular type of pottery, or pieces of art, or a collection of socks or whatever it is one loves to collect.  That really the clothing in your closet is your personal collection, not a new idea…and how does this all fit together. 

For me as a designer it is not how many pieces I design, it is how long the pieces I do create remain relevant and useful in our lives and to the times. 

Exploring and pondering...

stay tuned and enjoy...

..The Spring Narrative….

..every now and then we have a dream that makes such an impact that it overtakes all of our thoughts and we try to find the deeper meaning because it is so impactful…I had such a dream  about two weeks ago. 

The nature of my clothing design is more of a collection of pieces that morph from one season to the next which essentially stays the same with variations on the theme…some details change, fabrication changes but the basic shapes usually remain. It is simply unsustainable to create completely new collections twice a year for me. I am more interested in the longevity of a design..eventually I will tire of it and will let it go and replace it with the new, or change it into a design that feels fresh and new. It has always been a challenge to define a season for me because most of what I do is seasonless. 

In this dream, I was walking over to my studio and when I walked in I discovered that all of my things were gone…neatly covered and set in the back yard of the building. In place of my things  was a moss covered alter on one wall. The blocks, and rocks, bricks and wall was all mossy and it was lit in a magical way with fine jewelry displayed…that was all there was in my space.

I went to find my landlord and I was met by one of the printers here with "You can't be here anymore"…much to my surprise I thought I had done something really wrong and had to find my landlord who was always just out of reach…I found myself in the back yard that connected to a  very wide and long path that was paved with very old pavers covered in wet moss and each step was at least 10 feet deep and the path was about 20 feet wide. It bordered houses. I started on the path and was met with young children running in loose fitting white and colorful clothing. I kept up with them but they took off laughing…the sound of childhood laughter that is a both filled with delight and mischief.  The pathway was divided by really large old growth deciduous trees with water soaked dark bark, no leaves and silhouetted against a moonlit sky. I keep trying to find my way back and each time the house would disappear….and all the time I have on a long and loose black turtleneck sweater with no pants on….why is that….so disturbing..

In trying to define this upcoming season; Spring/Summer, the imagery that keeps coming back and almost haunting me is this moss covered world of water, dark trees, new growth and the world of green…loose clothing, in light fabrics.  I have always defined my work  by the form following the function, utility and longevity. 

The words that describe this upcoming season are all that and also a bit of frivolity; kimono, muumuu, wrapped and tied, easy, buttoned up, buttoned down and not buttoned up and  down, shirts, shirt dresses layers, rolled up sleeves, small collars and cuffs. white, indigo, blue,  black, and cream; cotton, denim, linen and voile.

Stay tuned and enjoy!

…SALE….

Okay…my first SALE! 

Bringing 2014 to a close, wow such a busy and amazing year, it is great to put it to sleep but not before I have a sale to make space for what's coming!

Please come by…I am taking 30% off most things and 50% off the rest. This is the time to pick up one of my basic black dresses for a better than good deal and I have a few short mill skirts left and many long ones.

I am in the studio most days from noon to 7, however please call, text or email me to make sure.

206-375-7446

3320 Beacon Ave. S.

miafioravanti.fioravanti@gmail.com

SEE YOU SOON and enjoy…. 

…loyalty and faithfulness

…walking is an amazing activity..I just got back from a walk in the rain and I started thinking about what it means to be loyal and faithful on this day of copious consumption..it occurred to me that we are all loyal and faithful to something.

The park I walk in is on Beacon Hill and the view to the north is of the downtown skyline. It looks very impressive and somewhat ominous with all the severe rectangle shapes reaching. One of my Waldorf teacher friends and I were talking about mineralogy one time and she was giving me her take on it...

Remember when you were a child and there was a rhyme that went like this, here is church here is the steeple, open the door and here are the people. Well it sort of looks like that, but imagine that if you turn your intertwined hands to the ground, here are the minerals of the earth and when you turn your hands up, here is what we have extracted from below to manifest on top…

That which is represented, as in the downtown skyline, represents those minerals and this is often the place of commerce, business, representing what has been made manifest from what was extracted from below the surface. It is pretty tripy when you think about it for a while.

So back to the original thought of loyalty and faithfulness…and the question is what are you loyal and faithful too in all areas of your life? That question alone can be a driving force behind any aspect, any question, any activity...

Here's to taking a walk in the rain...

Stay tuned and enjoy!

…a garden at rest

My garden has been designed by B. Wilson and he also helps me maintain it…he is brilliant... if you need an organic, permaculture, biodynamic gardener….he is your guy!

Yesterday I was sweeping up the last of the leaves, pushing them into the garden beds so those fallen leaves will decompose and help create healthy soil for next year's growth. The straw has been layered on top of the old and everything feels cosy and protected from the winter months and cold that we are already experiencing here in Seattle. As I finished I thought about this as metaphor for a life. The life cycle of a garden is very similar to our own human cycle. This year has been a whirlwind of activity for me and a lot of growth has happened. A lot of understanding of process, getting organized in the physical and mental. Completing conversations with self and acting on them. It has been great to say the least and very difficult and challenging…wouldn't have it any other way. 

The next 30 days are going to be very busy for me…I have four shows coming up, I am teaching a block of art to 5th graders and keeping my studio/store in motion. I have a busy life, and I also recognize the need to put it all to rest for a bit so I can go deep into my roots and regenerate for the coming year…That is what this time of year is all about I think...

So looking at my garden at rest out my front window is not to see a garden dead, but rather a deeply active working going on beneath the surface... very actively alive, only we can't see it..but we can feel it if we listen closely...

Stay tuned…and enjoy.

…milton glaser

…long ago and in another age I was in design school. I was 21 and took off for a week to attend the Aspen Design Conference. That year the keynote speaker was Gail Sheehy and her book Passages had just come out. More remarkable personally for me was that somehow I found myself in the company of some of the biggest names in the world of design; Milton Glaser, Saul Bass, Moshe Safdie,  Jacquelin Robertson…to name a few. I didn't really get how important all these people were at the time. I was just riding the wave of youth and good fortune.

I recently saw a piece on Milton Glaser the other day and just had to share it because I think so highly of him. 

There is a wonderful essay on genius by Robert Graves in which he talks about how we’re born with genius and it becomes our companion in life…This genius accompanies you throughout your life and if you respect your genius and listen to it and nurture it, it will grow with you and guide you…Your genius can go away if you treat it badly or have contempt for it…When people talk about “selling out “ what they’ve really sold is their genius.  They might have said, “I’m tired of listening to you,” or “I don’t like what you’re telling me,” or “I need money,” or whatever.  The sellout of the self, I guess, is the sellout of one’s genius.  It really means you no longer care about your best self, about your talent, or about your ethics, or about your belief.   -Milton Glaser

This is so brilliant and true and what I have been trying to do; not selling out…how difficult that is in this world we live in today...

Stay tuned...

…changing gears, staying in neutral...

I have been having really interesting conversations with women about clothing lately…I have loved clothing, fashion, the craft of making and being a maker all my life. I don't remember a time when I wasn't making something; clothing, art, shoes, gardens, interiors, photographs…pretty much that has been the common thread, no pun intended, throughout my life…and it continues.

For years I loved making very special, beautiful, pretty, clothing..there was always a twist but at the core of the garment was that it was good…on all levels; good fabric, design, color, fit etc. etc. etc. I still love making those same types of garments however the landscape has changed, I have changed, women have changed. These days I am much more interested in exploring how women get dressed in the morning and for what reasons. What is their uniform, is it of their own choice or is it chosen for them due to job, position, expectations? 

I have been making a wardrobe for an executive lately, and at a moment when we finished she said, "You design clothing for women, not young girls." I took that as a supreme compliment. That is who I am designing for…women. There isn't really an age put on that word, it is more of an attitude and a standing in life. Women of all ages wear my things, however it is doubly important to be making things that not just young women can pull off. 

So I am still into making those pretty designer dresses, and I am also currently in love with making things which are pretty everyday clothing..clothing that sets you apart from the crowd but in the best way. Not too loud, but certainly worthy of a look, finding that edge but not so edgy that it makes you unapproachable…on the contrary..it invites approach…the best kind.

Stay tuned...

….IDRS 2014

I just got home from my big night out with the Independent Designer Runway Show at the Bellevue Collection. It was another chapter in my ongoing quest to create clothing with an eye toward design, function, and beauty.  it helped push me to define the essence of my vision.  

What was so encouraging tonight was, I had interactions with women from all walks of life and the demographic spectrum. These interactions were an affirmation of what I'm striving for in my professional career. 

Stay tuned...

..the mill skirt

I am officially introducing my Mill skirt. Read all about it on my website.

This skirt has been the cornerstone of what I have been working around for the past year or so. I am offering it in a denim twill, wool of various weights and colors and eventually Japanese Selvage Denim. It comes in three lengths: mini, mid-thigh and long (mid-calf).

Following are a few new pics and there are more to come….

enjoy and stay tuned...

Here comes the bride….

I love making wedding dresses. I would love to cultivate this business because it is so much fun to collaborate and create something interesting, sensational, forever loved and potentially a usable garment for the future. 

Now that Elizabeth is married, I feel I can post the pics of her wedding dress I just finished last week. What I love about this dress is that it is three pieces each great on their own and fab together. 

Enjoy…and stay tuned.