When you step in the door of CHAR DESIGNS two-story studio, it is just the beginning of a delicious visual romp. Every piece of her hand-crafted clothing stops you in your tracks. The hand-painted coat with its flock of blue birds is stunning and one-of-a-kind.
And who knew that a simple man's shirt could be transformed into a wonderland with lace and pinwheel quilt pieces.
But, these gorgeous fashions didn't bring me to Char's atelier, I came to see a simple jeans jacket...
transformed into a
COUTURE JEANS JACKET while I watched and photographed the alchemy.
transformed into a
COUTURE JEANS JACKET while I watched and photographed the alchemy.
T H E W O R K S H O P
Josefina's charming 'pin cushion' at the ready...
Char & her assistant Jan Butchofsky model the jacket for
Kat who makes a final adjustment to the flounce cuff.
And so on throughout the afternoon...
at the White Studio
206 McKenzie Street - Santa Fe
(near the O'Keeffe Museum)
505.988.5969
www.saintestate.com
www.ooososantafe.com
AND YOU ARE INVITED to
THIRD THURSDAY AT CHAR'S
REFRESHMENTS & SHOPPING
THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
2 - 6PM
20 -60% OFF SELECT ITEMS
AND A SPECIAL SURPRISE!
At the back of the studio, a large work table was a buzz of activity.
Char, Ooo So Santa Fe designer Kat Schilke and seamstress Josefina
were working in tandem to create a one-of-a-kind jacket.
(Kat lft. Char rt Josefina below)
When I asked Char to tell me about the gorgeous fabric pieces for this jacket, she said that the lace was an alter cloth that a friend brought back from Paris; and the flowered fabric on the bronze leather, she bought in Rome. Each remnant of fabric that goes into these jackets holds a special memory for Char.
She's saved fabric for years and can pull a piece from a bin or box and tell you - with a bit of nostalgia in her voice - exactly where and when she found it. "I've had this piece for twenty-five years; this one came from a tiny shop on a narrow street in Barcelona"...and so on with each swath of fabric.
When a new piece of fabric is added to the design and Kat & Char give it their thumbs up, Josefina does her 'magic' stitching it onto the jacket so the next piece can be added. It's like a lovely creative dance with all three moving to the same tune...
Does a lace cuff work?
Kat who makes a final adjustment to the flounce cuff.
A PAIR OF VERY CREATIVE HANDS...
206 McKenzie Street - Santa Fe
(near the O'Keeffe Museum)
505.988.5969
www.saintestate.com
www.ooososantafe.com
AND YOU ARE INVITED to
THIRD THURSDAY AT CHAR'S
REFRESHMENTS & SHOPPING
THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
2 - 6PM
20 -60% OFF SELECT ITEMS
AND A SPECIAL SURPRISE!
