Beautiful Women Edition ( 6th Issue ) - Claire

It's my special monthly post once again, this month I picked a reknowned Fashion Designer from Ireland.  This daughter of a Scottish painter woman tells us about her quest to succeed in the fashion industry, despite my very ordinary status, I gathered up the courage to send her an e-mail asking for an interview.

( A dress she designed, and the necklace came from an antique store in Paris)

ABOUT CLAIRE:

Name:  CLAIRE GARVEY

Profession:  Fashion Designer

Nationality: Irish - Scottish

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EDUCATION:

- studied Fashion Design at the National College of Art & Design ( Ireland )

-  Masters in Fashion and Costume Design

 in the Vgik University of Performance Arts ( Russia ) in 1994

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EDUCATION AWARDS:

- Smirnoff Young Designer of the Year

 - represented Ireland in Amsterdam at the International Smirnoff Fashion Awards.

"For a young designer starting off, Amsterdam was an amazing start", says Claire.

- First Class Masters

"This was an amazing college, almost like FAME on television"

(The doll dress she's wearing was inspired by her time in Russia,  she collects Russian dolls and when she saw this fabric, she just had to design a doll-like dress.  The fabric was chiffon ,taffeta, with a rubber edging.  The same rubber is dyed and used in stripes on the outfit beside it.)

( One of her 2010 favorites in her doll dress design.)

THE SUCCESS:

After Claire's college in Moscow, Russia, she returned to Dublin and set up her own label,

supplying the Powerscourt Centre and other outlets.

She opened her own shop ten years ago in Cow's Lane Temple Bar.

Her shop : CLAIRE GARVEY

 address: Dublins City Centre, 6 Cows Lane Temple Bar,

Dublin, Ireland

( This is one of my favorites, the Mona Lisa dress on Claire.  )

The photograph above shows "The Baby Max Ball" event in December 2010. 

It was an annual ball to raise funds for menningitus research,

little Max died 10 years ago ,and the foundation has raised so much money.

Claire was delighted to take part.

PUBLICATIONS / FEATURES:

- Vison France

 -German Elle

- The Observer

 - numerous Irish publications including : 

Fabric and Form: Irish Fashion Since 1950

( This purple dress was designed from rubber and stretch pvc.  

She never designes for anything but her own joy.

This one was then commissioned as part of a group for The Celtic Rising Show in Dublin. )

Claire also had the privilege of showing her collection at the New York Fashion Week in 2008. 

She was one of two Irish designers to design a Nokia phone cover for auction.

She won the Kilkenny Cream of Irish Award for fashion design.

(This was at The Twisted Pepper Show, in Dublin,

organised for The Polish Community. There is a huge Polish community in Dublin .)

Last year (2010) she has the privilege of designing all the dancers outfits for the show

Celtic Rising in The Burlington Hotel, . The outfits where similar to the type of thing she sells for 21sts,

which are to design Bollywood Celtic and Flamingo Celtic outfits for the dancers.

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HER ICONS OF STYLE

People who are not afraid to be different, such as 

Bjork, Florence and The Machine, Goldfrapp, Thierry Mugler ,

Christopher Kane, Vivienne Westwood, John Galiano.

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THE CLAIRE GARVEY COLLECTION

or see everything @ http://www.clairegarvey.com/

( One of my favorite models in her design,

my friend Piyanuch Chanphet whom I featured here before.)

Ice Queen Collection for December 2010

The Peacock Collection

Sunday Indo Collection

The Wild Birds Collection

All of my thanks to Claire, I felt very much honored to conduct

a welcoming and friendly conversation with her... 

The Making of My Header

I just want to share a piece of artwork, which is something I know I have neglected to post for a while.

My blog is supposed to contain art features regularly...

Next month, I will start to focus more and be more serious on my blog goals for my readers....

This time I am posting the making of my header.  I started with this one below:

Subjects contained:

* The Nursery Rhyme of the "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe"

* The Pixie Fairy which was digitally made by my cousin Nell Venegas which she took from my original photograph from my vacation in Lake Odell in Oregon ( trace here ).

* The dress form mannequin, an object I consider a part of my soul and one of my future must-haves.

Thus, I incorporated those subjects and the finished product turned out like this!

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The Remake

In November 2010, I was sketching over and over for a new header that would be clear

 and speak of myself.  Something more artistic than I was currently using.  

So I decided to utilize my own calligraphy skills on the title.

Dear Girl has always been symbolic of my name "Dhee-Ghee", that is what my name meant. I used the watercolor, one of my fortes, as the medium. . This new header was first used in January 2011

-- yes, for the new year.

How I did it:

It's easy, I am sure any blogger can make headers using their own ideas and skills! 

I took a photo of my painting pallette placed over my sketch pad -- this pallete is one of my important tools. ( Showing an old photo showing the painting I did in this post here.)  I then took a photo of my shoes (Ralph Lauren), the shoes were brand new and used only for this photograph.

So, I went through 3 header designs, until I finally felt I had the best one.  It is the one I am using now with the caption , "Confessions of a Wallflower".  I just felt that "Dear Girl" sounds too common, and I felt bad that I did not work hard to do something with my blog title.  The addition of the "wallflower" was derived from Mellisa Walker's book "Violet on the Runway", because when I showed the book to my husband,

he said, I am a "Wallflower".  I always have been.

Thus , my blog header is finally this (above).  I love my cousin's art work, she gave it to me as a gift, it was my idea to use it on my old header.  I think that I want to explore my fashion from vintage, to the crazy world, to a more creative way, and not just solely in my fantasies - which the fairy stands for, plus I had my hair cut short...

If you have any suggestions and advices on my page, please feel free to comment,

 I really need your point of view.

Nars and Sephora Runway - The Update

Gals, remember I told you about the NARS Runway on my previous post? 

As soon as I read about it, I called my friends Teaeasha and Amanda right then and there.  I was so glad that we were able to make it and we had so much fun!!  I am not a make-up person, never been very good at it.  I wish I had more ideas and more make-up materials on my vanity, but I am confused which colors would best suit me.  I guess it takes courage to try!

When first confronted with these varied sets of make-ups, my eyes rolled in awe.  I have never been one to use lipstick.  This time I asked the make-up artist to use something with a matte finish and super pink.  It turned out pretty.  In the words of my husband and my friend, the best color so far they've seen on me. 

So I am guessing I will go for the matte dark pink lisptick, when I turn thirty!!

Let me know what you think by imagining this photo below where I don't have make-up on. (??)

 Teaeasha              Dhee-Ghee                  Amanda

After we had our make-over, we went shoe shopping and checked out the other stuff in JCPenny. 

I definitely love the selection of jewelries they had!

( what I'm wearing: Forever 21 jacket, Victoria's Secret lengerie, a present from aunt sweater top,

vintage lace up boots, Michael Kors bag & a book I'm reading: 

 Curing the Blues with a New Pair of Shoes by Dixie Cash)

Then after strolling a while, we picked what we wanted, purchased our choices,

and off we went to the fitting room!

I was so impressed by the muscles my friends have going on, did you see?  This is the kind of figure I love in women, athletic and muscular.  If I say I love it, I mean it is something I desire to obtain badly for myself.  

I am dedicated to working out and getting back into shape after giving birth.  

 I think, staying in shape is the best investment of one's lifetime...it promotes health and self-esteem. 

Don't you agree?

Today , I burned 192 calories in cardio alone - excluding the weights I lifted afterwards!

  I am down to a trim of 103 pounds, I was 110 in the last couple of months, and 120 last December!

(Dress and shoes - JCPenny, Necklace- vintage, Handbag- Mickael Kors,

 rings - JCPenny, vintage and Sears)

It was fun, we felt better !

Things I've learned, clean your make-up brushes with an anti-bacterial brush cleaner

 everytime after you use them, and use an eye moisturizer before applying an eye make-up!

Cure for Addiction - January 2011

  I thought that "The Cure for Addiction" would be the appropirate term to call my purchases,

what do you think?  As far as I can recall, these were all I got for my shopping cart last month...

My Spring cure for my addiction came early this year, but that's how I organize my closet...in advance. 

 My closet should be seasonally set well in advance of the sales.  As Spring approaches the racks tend to get more limited.  I am a very apple green lady, so you see I had to purchase an apple green brooch, an applegreen spring / summer tote and an apple green ring from Sears.

All these clothings and scarves are vintage !

I also made the smartest decision of purchasing this pair of Rainboots from Urban Outfitters!  Oh!  If you only knew how much I needed them in the rainy winter here in Oregon! Also, one can never go wrong with tights. I absolutely loved these prints....plaid, lace and very springy florals - all from Sears.  I've worn the lace in my Wardrobe Post, White. Of course, I should not fail to mention my  new pair of Nikes !

(I also bought myself some vintage hats but I was unable to find the file =(,

I'll share it on next month's blog posting.)

Also I would like to thank Guaxara of Pasión NAÏF blog for passing me an award !

I am passing this award to:  StyleMeFab, Red Soled Fashionista, Jenna Nolten,

Rockin' Sweetness, The Kimmie Chronicles, Secret Life of D, and My Style Canvass.

fitting room