Belle Armoire

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

[email protected]

senior Managing editorAmanda Crabtree

[email protected]

assistant senior Managing editorJennifer Jackson

assoCiate editorsJana Holstein, Beth Livesay, Amber Demien,

Cynthia Levens

art ManageMent Coordinatormichelle Nolan

[email protected]

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

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Summer 2011

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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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letters to the editor

letters from the editor

submission guidelines

upcoming Challenges

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Features:

fyi:

Belle Armoire

KayTEEPaPuSza

by Ricë Freeman-ZacheryDesigner Collection:

Summer 2011

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KayTEEPaPuSza

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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.

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Summer 2011

“The irony is that they contacted me and asked

me to come to a casting...”

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“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.

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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.”

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“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

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by Shea Jeanne Rae

ClaSSiCally CharmEd

Summer 2011

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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.

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by Gabrielle Knight

SmiTTEn WiTh

RUFFlES

Summer 2011

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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.

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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

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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!


Summer 2011

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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!


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.


AUG 15

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