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S u m m e r 2 0 1 1
Once UpOn A GownThe STory of a VinTage Wedding
classically charmed
beauTifully handmade ruSTic charm braceleTS
how to make your own!cameoS and ruffleS
KAYTEE PAPUSZA
her deSigner collecTion
CONTENTSPubllisher and President
Kellene [email protected]
editor-in-Chief & direCtor of PublishingChristen Olivarez
senior Managing editorAmanda Crabtree
assistant senior Managing editorJennifer Jackson
assoCiate editorsJana Holstein, Beth Livesay, Amber Demien,
Cynthia Levens
art ManageMent Coordinatormichelle Nolan
assistant art ManageMent CoordinatorChristine Stephens
Creative direCtorraquel Joya
lead designerChelsea edwards
assistant art direCtormallory Fisher
graPhiC designerJoy Hsieh
Junior graPhiC designersmykaela riehle, Olivia Kanaley
direCtor of PhotograPhyJohanna Love
senior PhotograPherDianne Sapra
PhotograPhy assistantLauren eatherly
PrintingQuad Graphics, midland, mI
Belle Armoire is published byStampington & Company
by Ricë Freeman-Zachery
Designer collection:KAYTEE PAPUSZA
14
Summer 2011
2
CONTENTSonce upon a gownby Paula Nelson-Hart
smitten with rufflesby Gabrielle Knight
on the surface: Playing With dyeby Debbie Bone-Harris
altered Coutureby Our ReadersOld garments and accessories metamorphize into new creations through the artistic vision of our talented readers.
salonby Our ReadersWinning design and style are infused in this gallery of brilliantly artistic garments, stylish accesso-ries, and beautiful jewelry.
tapestry: a story of shoesby Deb Saviano
scarlet Meets Cinderellaby Mimi Ryan
Classically Charmedby Shea Fragoso
on the surface: Playing With dyeby Debbie Bone-Harris
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32
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58
64
70
76
82
87
letters to the editor
letters from the editor
submission guidelines
upcoming Challenges
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3
93
95
Features:
fyi:
Belle Armoire
Buttons made of birds’ bones pair with
vintage lace and recycled fur, taxidermy
specimens and antlers, metamorphosing
into stunning one-of-a-kind celebrations of
both the whimsical and the macabre.
Some people find some of Kaytee’s peices
unsettling; Tim Gunn of Project Runway
once referred to her work as “disturbing,”
which is not necessarily a bad thing. She ex-
plains that her work is not deliberately dark
but that it grows out of her studies and life
experiences, which, combined, have led her
to an appreciation of the whole wide range
of emotions and ideas.
“I studied creative writing for a while and
then settled into anthropology, which I
found to be extremely fascinating,” she
explains. “I focused primarily on the romani,
or the gypsy culture. I also grew a fascina-
tion with the darker side of life, such as
genocide, warfare, ethnic cleansing—the
darker side of humanity and where pain
comes from. I think this, combined with
other extremely painful experiences in my
life, brought me to feel that making art was
what I needed to do.” She overlaid that
need to address and express the darker side
of life with a lifelong interest in creating
elaborate costumes. Her earliest art-related
memories are about playing dress-up and
designing clothing made from petals for
dolls she created from flower buds.
“I have always loved beautiful clothing—for
as long as I can remember. I have always
been interested in clothing and why people
wear the things that they do.” The walls of
the house where she grew up were filled
with her mother’s collection of antique
millinery, vintage tooled leather hangbags,
lacy lingerie, and nightgowns from the late
19th century. Her mother was a seamstress
and taught Kaytee to sew early on. From
there, Kaytee began experimenting and by
the time she was 11, she was buying vintage
pieces and using them to create her own
patterns, embellishing the dresses she made
with painting and written text.
“By the time I was in the seventh grade, I
was already bleaching my hair and dyeing it
crazy colors, making dresses out of vintage
ties, or wearing colorful old Guinea Sax
[dresses] and combat boots.” She credits
the grunge rage of the Pacific Northwest
and the ‘90s kinderwhore fad as her earliest
fashion influences.
Part artwear, part installation, Kaytee Papusza’s fine art couture blends wearable art with theater and performance, creating garments for a world spun of dreams and imagination.
6
Summer 2011
“I did not shy away from taking
risks,” she says in something of
an understatement. It’s not any
wonder, then, that, unlike design-
ers of commercial artwear who
might be crushed at being dissed
by Tim Gunn, Kaytee was com-
pletely unfazed.
“The irony is that they contacted
me and asked me to come to a
casting,” she says of the show.
“I had never even considered
seeking it out as a viable av-
enue for my work prior to that.”
Sure enough, Gunn’s objection
seemed to be that Kaytee’s work
was “not commercial,” something
that might be an insult to some
designers but that was quite the
compliment to Kaytee, whose
goal has never been widespread
commercial appeal. While she
does create ready-to-wear pieces
using vintage lingerie that she
dyes and hand paints, and while
she designs Papusza Limbs, her
line of hand-dyed tights and
dyed vintage gloves, the pieces
at the heart of her work are al-
ways one-of-a-kind works of art.
These over-the-top art couture
creations are commissioned and
created for a specific client and
were never meant to appeal to a
commercial audience.
“I do not design clothes for
shrinking violets or wall flowers,”
she explains. “People wear my
pieces to make a statement and
get noticed. I design clothes for
the bold, those who like to think
outside of the box and are not
Kaytee’s pieces often end up using great textures, such as this layered lace minidress, shown here with an
Anthropologie woven belt and rough Vanessa mooney’s Diamond In The
rough necklace collection.
8
Summer 2011
afraid to be noticed—the rebel, the
art girl, the unconventional woman,
unconventional brides, singers and
musicians, circus performers, avant-
garde performance artists, art his-
tory professors, acrobats, writers and
curators.” She goes on to explain that
individual responses to her work vary
widely.
“People have mixed reactions to the
macabre stuff. Some love and others
hate. People who are into it love the
details made from unconventional ma-
terials—taxidermy, for example. The
bloody swan—long white lace dress
with red spattered on it—has actually
gotten me some of my best commis-
sions,” Kaytee says. “I spent nearly
100 hours making that dress.”
Originally from Oregon, Kaytee
moved to manhattan in her twenties
and took on various jobs to make
ends meet in order to launch Papusza
Couture in 2005. “I have worked at a
diner in union Square in manhattan,
which brings with it all sort of crazy. I
have been a cigarette girl at a speak-
easy in Brooklyn. I have worked in the
library reading books to children. my
jobs haven’t always been pleasant, but
they have always been interesting. I
worked really, really hard and made a
lot of sacrifices,” she admits. “I guess
it’s not such an uncommon story
for twenty-somethings in New York.”
There were the inevitable ups and
downs along the way, from the disap-
pointing 2009 trip to Iceland, where
“Iceland Fashion Week” turned out to
be a less-than-promised experience
of ineptitude, to a dream-come-true
couture installation of 2010.
“Last fall I was reaching the pi.vnnacle
of frustration with working other jobs.
I had a wonderful client, who is an ad-
vocate for the arts, give me what I can
only refer to as a magical commission.
It paid pretty well so I was able to quit
my job.” That was right before Hallow-
een, always a time of multiple com-
missions for one-of-a-kind couture
costumes, and together they helped
propel Kaytee into freelancing.
“I am seeing every day that it is a
learning experience, but i try to stay
optimistic and keep moving forward.
A lot of opportunities have come to
me as a result of taking the leap of
faith into freelancing—I think a huge
part of that has panned out because I
keep a positive attitude.”
Kaytee is currently working on a new
collection, Paramicha, collaborating
with couture milliner Katie Burley and
photographer elizabeth raab.
“It is a series of garments made out
of tarot cards, fair trade fabrics and
charms, and symbolic emblems from
other cultures.” She explains that the
concept is deeply rooted in current
social issues—Katie Burley is working
on couture Burkas—and allows the teo
designers to explore shared beliefs.
“Katie and I both understand the im-
portance of using cycles in our art to
process darkness and tell stories. This
is another way in which I feel that my
art is expressing the pain I feel about
these specific social issues.” When
she was in college, Kaytee became
obsessed with genocide to the point
of depression. At the time, she was
too busy with school and work to
make things, and it wasn’t until she
once again had time to work with her
hands that she was able to process
the thoughts that had been plaguing
her dreams.
“I think going into this depression is
what triggered me to start making
clothes again. Through this use of
creating things with my hands I have
found a voice for all the painful things
I have experienced, and this allows
me to fully embrace happiness in all
the other aspects of my life. In a way I
guess you could say my art saved me
from myself.”
Kaytee works out of her home studio—
currently in New York, but soon to be
relocated to Los Angeles.
“my studio is always in my home. I like
the place where I dream to be close to
the place I create.” The new studio will
be part of her loft near Venice Beach,
with high ceilings and skylights. She’s
looking forward to having a little yard,
something she missed while living in
New York.
“i do not design clothes for shrinking violets or wall flowers. People wear my pieces to make a statement and get noticed.”
Belle Armoire
9
“I’m also excited for the beautiful sun-
light that will fill the space during the
day and the quiet at night, which has
also been a luxury I have missed while
being in New York.” In those quiet
morning hours, she will begin with
coffee and computer work, taking
care of email, Facebook, and her blog.
She likes to move to the actual studio
work while the light is good, starting
each piece with sketches from her
notebook. She doesn’t rely on pre-
liminary muslins but moves directly
from sketches to the fabric, draping or
pinning hand-dyed yardage to get the
effects she sees in her mind.
“I am inspired by concepts, stories,
culture, mythology and history—which
oftentimes leads to an imaginary
world, one which is somewhat surreal
or dreamlike.” Some of her favorite
collections, such as one inspired by
the idea of having birds living in the
bottom of the ocean, have come from
her own dreams, which is one of the
reasons she wants to work near where
she sleeps, minimizing the time be-
tween living the dream and capturing
the dream. Although it’s taken a lot of
work—many 80-hour weeks when she
was working the day job and creat-
ing artwear in the wee hours—Kaytee
wouldn’t change any of it, not even
the darker bits.
“everything that has happened in my
life seems like it has happened for a
reason, and I can’t imagine doing any-
thing other than making things with
my hands—the things that make me
feel alive. I am lucky because people
seem to really like it, and I work well
with others, which has brought me
incredible opportunity.”
Kaytee’s soft sundress paired with a denim jacket would be
great for casual fall outings.
To see more of Kaytee’s work, visit her web-
site at papuszacouture.co and her blog at
papuszainbirdland.blogspot.com. Rice Free-
man Zachary is the suthor of three creativ-
ity titles published by North Lights Books,
including the best-seller, Living the Creative
Life: Ideas and Inspiration from Working
Artists. She lives in midland, Texas. You can
reach Rice Freeman Zachary through her
journal at voodoonotes.blogspot.com.
Summer 2011
10
As artists and designers, we are always looking for inspiration for the next creation. For this collection, I was lucky enough to have inspiration strike twice: once in the choice of materials, and again by an introduction to a wonderful technique!
the Perfect ProjectI have the distinct luxury of having my mother as my partner. It’s both a
nurturing and educational partnership. Her desire for knowledge about our
industry has been a blessing for me on my creative journey. She always has
the scoop on cutting-edge tools of the trade. It was no coincidence when she
steered me to the Ice resin booth at CHA. When I ran my hand over the cool,
smooth domes of resin set into beautiful bezels, I was instantly smitten.
After a long chat with the owners at the booth, I was n my way with a complete
kit. I couldn’t get back to my studio fast enough to start to play! Armed with
the resin and my other favorite new skill of torching metal bezels, I proke out
my printer’s trays and went to work.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with all things
european. I have collected charms and trinkets from my travels and saved
them for the “perfect project”…
less is not More; it’s lessFor the bracelet, my first step was cutting 3/8-inch-round copper plumbing
pipe into 1/4-inch-tall peices. I then cut 1/2-inch circles out of brass sheet metal
to cap the bottom of the copper pieces, leaving a lip around the edge. using
lead-free solder, flux, and a hand torch, i fused the two pieces together. In the
center of each bezel, I placed a vintage rhinestone button. mixing the resin
together, I let it sit for five minutes before I did the pour to complete the bezels.
I set those aside and let dry for 24 hours.
The second step was to embellish and resin the hanging bezels. First, I used
various decorative papers from one of my favorite manufacturers, graphic 45.
I cut the paper to fit the 25mm antique brass bezels and used a cat eye to
distress. From there, I chose some of my favorite charms that I had gotten on
a trip to Paris. Again, using the same resin from the torched bezels, I poured
these to complete. They were also set aside to dry.
The next morning, I got to really play! I began by soldering jump rings and
adding patina to the torched bezels to give a more “antique” finish. Next,
and because my philosophy in life is “Less is not more, it’s less,” I added
tiny crystal chain to the outer lip. I then found one of my favorite chains and
divided it up into sections, allowing the bezels to join the chain back together.
From there, I began adding charms and estate jewelry and pearls and
Swarovski crystals to the chain to complete my vintage treasure bracelet.
To learn more about Shea, visit agildedlife.com.
Belle Armoire
13
sheer luxury ruffle topWhen I think of what women’s clothing should be, I
think about ruffles, soft draping fabric, and a shape
that accentuates the beauty of the woman wearing
it. I just happened to find a way to merge all those
things into one top, the sheer ruffle luxury top. my
inspiration was mainly the fabric this time—I saw it in
the fabric store, then touched it and then wanted the
whole bolt! It’s soft, light, and has a beautiful sheen
to it. You can pair it with a dainty rhinestone bolt or
a white skinny belt and a pair of jeans and ballet flats
for a comfortable casual look.
For your own ruffly shirt, make a pattern for the top
to fit you or the person who will be wearing the top.
Place pattern on fabric and cut it out. Sew it up. For
the ruffles. do a baste stitch on a 3” x 80” piece of
fabric (can be longer or shorter depending on how
long you want your ruffles). Hold both threads on
one end and one thread on the other and pull that
one thread until you get the ruffles you desire. On a
serger it is much easier: just adjust the tension set-
tings according to what your instruction manual tells
you in order to achieve the desired ruffle effect.
Belle Armoire
15
gunmetal gray & Pink Petals dressIt was the middle of winter, and it had been a cold one so far. I
was sitting around one Saturday morning, which is usually my
sewing day, thinking that I wished it were spring already! New
england winters can really drag on. I took out the fabric I was
going to work with that day, with spring in my mind, and the
thought of petals popped into my head. So, I started researching
how to make fabric petals and found some really great tutorials. I
watched them and then tried the techniques out myself, and the
Gunmtal Gray and Pink Petal Dress is the result!
make a pattern to fit yourself or whoever will be wearing the dress.
Cut it out. Sew it up. make the petals somewhere in between and
glue (with fabric glue) or sew them on. For the petals, sear the
edges: let the fabric just lightly touch the flame while quickly turn-
ing the fabric.
the ruffled-up JacketIt all started with a trip to my favorite off-the-radar fabric store. As
I browsed through the rows of bolts and hanging fabric, my eye
caught a bright pumpkin orange fabric. I went over to see what it
was made of and turns out it was a soft and gorgeous wool, per-
fect for the fall season that was quickly approaching. So, I picked
it up and brought it home. I looked at it for a while, as I normally
do, thinking “What is this fabric supposed to be?” Sometimes I
feel like michelangelo trying to find the sculpture inside the square
block of marble. It doesn’t always happen with ease; sometimes
it takes months for me to figure it out. Though, with the pumpkin
wool fabric, it came quite easily—a short jacket with a medium-
sized wooden button popped into my head. The ruffle on the side
was something I played with after I had sewed most of the jacket
together. I love ruffles and I try to incorporate them wherever it is
possible. They’re just so feminine and beautiful. So there you have
the birth of the pumpkin wool ruffled-up jacket.
make a pattern to fit yourself or whomever the jacket will be for.
Cut out the pattern. Sew it up. embellish it however you see fit
(ruffles, rhinestones, flowers, petals, etc.).
Gabrielle Knight is a self-taught seamstress whose inspiration and
talent are all credited to God. She lives in Rhode Island with her
husband, Dillon, who is a cabinet/furniture maker. Gabrielle has a
couple of stores online: ikvothamashiach70.etsy.com, which is a
high fashion couture style women’s clothing store; reconsumed.
etsy.com, which is an all-fleece women’s clothing/accesories
store; and zareya.etsy.com, which is her casual everyday women’s
clothing store.
Summer 2011
16
art to Wear for valentine’s dayIn this issue, Shea Fragoso shared a coat she wore for
her wedding day—deep red and romantic, we’re sure this
coat took her new husband’s breath away! In preparation
for Valentine’s Day, we’d like a piece of wearable art
that speaks to the romantic in you. Will you wear a soft-
as-can-be sweater for the chilly holiday? A fancy dress
to go out on the town in? A fancy new romantic scarf?
Whatever your choice, we want to see your wearable art
for Valentine’s Day!
DeADLINe: August 15, 2011
uPCOmiNgChallENgES
Perfectly PinnedBecky Sander’s cute Heart Pins sure made a
statement in this issue. A pin seems like the perfect
canvas if you’re looking for a fun project —after
all, a pin has to be small, so it can’t take too long
even if you do use complicated techniques. Pins
are also a great starting project if you want to try
out a technique but aren’t ready to make an entire
garment. We challenge you to try your hand at
creating a pin. use whatever techniques you’d like!
DeADLINe: August 15, 2011
Summer 2011
18
uPCOmiNgChallENgES
on the surfaceYou can’t go wrong with playing with surface
treatments on a piece of fabric or your favorite
garment. From dyeing to painting to burning and so
much more, surface treatments are an easy way to
personalize an artistic garment. Whether you’re a pro
at surface treatment, or have never tried before, we’d
like to see what you can do on the surface. Play with
one treatment or several, show it off with a jacket,
dress, or scarf—whatever you decide to do, we can’t
wait to see what you can do with surface treatments!
DeADLINe: August 15, 2011
fabulously feltedSo inspired were we by Kate ramsey’s felted scarves
this issue that we decided to create a challenge for
you to see what you can so with felting. Whether
you’ve never felted before or are a felting expert, this
is your chance to show off your skills! Do you want
to felt an old sweater, then turn it into a purse? Do
you want to create felted works of art like Kate did?
Whether you create a small accessory or an entire
garment, it doesn’t matter. We just want to invite you
to try your hand at this ever-popular technique.
DeADLINe: August 15, 2011
AUG 15
Belle Armoire
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