fashion | Petal & Pins

Fashionable Flowers

dresses in an exhibition mannequin dress detail

On a recent trip to Melbourne I saw the 200 Years of Australian Fashion exhibition at the NGV and this wedding dress (circa 1952) designed by Beril Jents was just one of the dresses that not surprisingly caught my eye.

Over the years I’ve made a garden full of flowers from fabric myself – from evening and wedding dress embellishments to adornments for lapels or hats. Just lately I’ve been making ‘spring blossom’ out of paper for part of our petal & pins display at our second trade fair appearance.

We’re launching our new Garden Party card collection, a Black Label range of notecard sets and I have designed a new collection of limited edition prints we’ve called Atelier Pétale featuring a vintage fashion inspired sketch with hats I’ve styled from flowers from our garden.

So our garden flowers continue to inspire me creatively and petal & pins continues to grow! We head to Melbourne next week for the trade fair and Mr Petal & Pins and I are getting excited, thank you for following us on this journey you are part of our story!

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July 4, 2016

Return To The Source

It’s yet another rainy day in Hobart so since it’s not inviting to be in the garden picking flowers I thought I’d share some photos of making a dress with the hydrangeas from my autumn post gathered.

starting a petal & pins dress designer Sandra Alcorn starting one of her Garden Fairy's Wardrobe dresses leaf detail on a petal and pins dress petal & pins autumn hydrangea dress

If you’ve been following the petal & pins blog for a while you may remember that back in February we were planning for our first trade fair, well now we’re busy preparing for our second – this time in Melbourne!

The theme for this one is Return To The Source and it was inspiring to hear futurist, curator, event designer Genty Marshall talk about the inspiration and motivation behind this seasons event theme at a workshop in June.

‘provenance – what is true – materials – tactility – essentialism – legacy – the idea of journey’ – all these things are important to us and what we do at petal & pins from the designs I create, the paper stock we choose and the decision to print locally in Tasmania.

Our garden not only inspires but also provides the materials for my Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe dresses, so the seasons, and like today the weather influence when and what I have to design with but that unpredictable and sometime elusive nature is part of the charm for me – it inspires me to try and ‘live in the moment’ more.

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We’ve added some new dresses to The Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe card range and last week I went to see them start to roll off the press – I can’t wait to share them and some of the other creative ideas I’ve been working on!

If you’re a retailer who loves flowers, fashion and a bit of whimsy we’d love to show you through the petal & pins range – come and say hello – you’ll find us at F24 in First Instyle.

To know when the new designs will be available online and in stores subscribe to our newsletter here.

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April 8, 2016

Hemline

Hemline detail for the Renegade Luxe dress.

March 31, 2016

light & space

I have been wanting to share some photos of sunset as experienced at artist James Turrell’s Amarna installation since I first went to view it but how it connected with a blog about fashion and flowers eluded me…until last night.

Fashion designer Alexi Freeman launched his Autumn/Winter White Noise 2016 Collection at twilight out at MONA using Amarna as the runway.

James Turrell is an American artist primarily concerned with light and space. Amarna is one of more than 80 Skyspace installations he has built around the world and is best viewed at sunrise or sunset.

Alexi Freeman collaborated with shoe designer Preston Zly and accessory designer Kate Rohde to present an ethereal collection.

The evening was enhanced by Byron Meyer’s live soundscapes, Ainslie Walker‘s beautiful bespoke scent Nocturne filling the air and of course those other two fashion show requisites – friends and champagne!

January 25, 2016

Renegade Luxe

Some fashion collections stay with you long after the season has past and the designer has presented others.

It could be the silhouette, the fabrics or the combination of colours – which is what it was for me with Jean Paul Gaultier’s prêt-à-porter Pirate Collection from Spring/Summer 2008.

We were in Paris that Spring and went to the Gaultier boutique on avenue George V.
I lingered at the pieces that caught my eye to drink in the details and gently run my fingers over the cloth. Khaki, brown and olive green in plains, stripes and camouflage prints were given a touch of renegade luxe with the combinations of fabrics and embellishments.

This summer, while looking out my sunroom window down onto the plum tree and the ripening elderberries that memory was stirred by the similarity in colours and contrasting textures.

I pulled out the catalogue brought back from Paris to revisit the collection and was also inspired to design some plum leaf and elderberry dresses for my Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe.

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August 12, 2014

Butterfly Wings & Other Things

I have been wanting to do a post about butterflies for a while now.

Ideas and inspiration swirled around gathered momentum and somehow got away from me – just like a butterfly flitting, just beyond reach.

There are silk butterflies from Paris pinned on my notice board that were given to me several years ago. Occasionally I ‘release’ them from the cellophane bag to contemplate a myriad of possibilities.

The teacups I bought for my serendipitous friend and I are adorned with flowers and butterflies.

I stumbled on this quote –

‘Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued,is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you’

And I photographed some real ones in my garden.

One summer many moons ago my cousin was given a butterfly net. I don’t remember catching any when my sister and I trailed along but I do remember the ones he’d already caught pinned and displayed.

Years later, visiting a National Trust house in Sydney I was mesmerized by a picture of a floral arrangement which was created out of butterfly wings on black velvet.

I wouldn’t advocate butterfly collecting now and I feel very lucky they visit my garden and simply delight in the random moments when I get to observe one.

I reminded my cousin of his butterfly net and it elicited a smile – he’d completely forgotten about it. The hobby I suspect only lasting one summer. We pondered whether there are less butterflies about these days and I said I thought we are less inclined to stop and notice such things as adults.

Soon after that conversation I heard a fascinating interview with a butterfly farmer on the radio.

And then butterflies seemed to be everywhere – from Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2014 Haute Couture collection shown last January, ‘ Miranda Kerr for Royal Albert‘ tea sets, to fabric prints and an invitation to a birthday party.

I decided it was time to finally do my butterfly post before the moment escaped again.

Spring is tantalisingly close in Tasmania so picking from some of the early arrivals I made a flower arrangement inside my teacup and set the silk butterflies free.

Are there butterflies in your garden?

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May 1, 2014

Real & Imagined

I’ve loved purses since I was a child and have a fondness for vintage ones.

This is a lino-cut I did inspired by the shape of a black Cornnelli embroidered one I have with an imagined floral tapestry pattern.

November 26, 2013

Georgie’s Dress

If you read my previous posts The Beginnings Of A Dress and Embellish And Adorn you will find the story behind the creation of this dress.

These silk organza flowers are handcut and embellished with a Swarovski crystal in the centre.

The dress does up with small silk covered buttons down the back.

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September 30, 2013

The Beginnings Of A Dress

In my post ‘An Elf In My Letterbox’ back in June I mentioned one of my nieces would be visiting in September so I could create her school leavers dress.

We’ve been planning and plotting for several months with idea and sketches going to and fro and Marinella Rauso’s stylish blog I Love Green Inspiration provided some inspiration.

I had already chosen the fabrics and ordered a selection of beads and sequins in preparation. Last Wednesday she arrived and Friday we embarked on stage 1 – dye the fabric. The first attempt gave a pretty result but wasn’t colour fast so we re-dyed and now it’s a richer colour.

Yesterday I saw a picture of Diane Kruger in a Valentino ‘poudre’ tulle illusions gown from the Resort 2014 collection – the colour and ‘feel’ is similar to what we’re creating.

Of course it hasn’t been all work and no play! – Saturday we went to Salamanca Markets and found a gorgeous cocktail ring and earrings to go with the dress and on Sunday we went to MONA and ‘feasted’ on fabulous art.

But today it’s back to ‘The Dress’!

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September 18, 2013

The Enchanted Florence

For ten days at the beginning of September the David Jones department store in Elizabeth Street Sydney celebrates the arrival of Spring with a fabulous flower show, now in its 28th year. The whole of the ground floor and all sixteen of the stores windows are given over to exquisite themed displays of flowers.

By chance in one of those earlier years I happened to be strolling past late at night with my ‘serendipitous’ friend when final touches to the displays were taking place. We stayed and watched, mesmerized by the activity within as three metre tall branches of magnolias were put in place.

The last two Septembers I have visited Sydney perfectly timed to see the David Jones Spring Flower Show – this has been purely coincidental but I’m now planning to mark it permanently on my calender.

This years theme – ‘The Enchanted Florence’ – takes inspiration from the iconic colours and patterns of the designer Florence Broadhurst. More than 300,000 flowers from all over Australia were used in the display and the result was magical.

These are just some of the photos I took – maybe you will be inspired to plan a September trip to Sydney too.