Circular skirts!

I really love the volume and femininity of circular skirts especially when worn with a petticoat underneath. A staple 1950s look that can be made into dresses or skirts and out of a variety if fabrics. This one I've made is created in a navy cotton with small blue flowers that I purchased as an end of roll sale on eBay. One of my favourite things about my upcoming business venture is that the garments I make are completely unique because the fabrics I buy are often one off pieces I find in auctions or shops.

The best place I've found so far to go fabric shopping is goldhawk road in London. It's just fabric shop after fabric shop and each one is an alladin's cave of stacks of fabrics and there's often a good chance of a barter over the price if you buy bigger quantities or the end of the rolls. I love a good bargain and the chance to get the last of something so I know I've got something really special. 

Kimono making

Spending today making beautiful kimono jackets out of chiffon. I was always told at Uni never to use chiffon "or there'll be tears before bedtime" and it's not till you start using it that you see why your tutor gave you this advice! But once you get used to working with the lightness of the fabric you can really make some wonderful things! This particular print I came across by chance, going into a shop to buy sewing essentials for a project I was working on and saw it nestled among a load of other fabrics calling out to be made into something beautiful. If you're a sewer this will be something you can relate to, if not you probably think I'm crazy! 

I really love these jackets as they are really versatile and can be worn with many different things and can really finish off an outfit. They are made in one size and will soon be available to purchase on my website so watch this space! 

Lavinia loves designing

Designing my own collections has always been something that I've enjoyed as I can make something completely unique that has never been done before. One of my favourite things at university was that my course was both designing and making garments so we got the skills from both sides of the manufacturing process. I really believe that this makes me a better designer as I know what's possible to be created in certain materials and how this will work.

The 1950's is by far my favourite fashion decade of the 20th century as the dresses for women were so feminine with  big, voluminous skirts with petticoats to hold them out or figure hugging wiggle dresses that clung to every curve. It seems to me that women in the 1950's were celebrated for their curves and feminine figures whereas now it is often the case where incredibly slim, model looks are the sought after look for women. I personally prefer to have a curvy figure over a boyish one and want to bring back the celebration of feminine bodies through my collections. It's early days yet but here's a sneak peak of a few dresses I've been working on.