Sometimes you just gotta step back

And that's exactly what I did! I have the nasty habit of expecting too much of myself.  I'm sure that never happens to anyone else!  And when too much is taken on it's nearly impossible to make the work GOOD!  And I just don't want to settle.  So here is a little of what has been happening!
I took a break for SS13.  BECAUSE, for FW13 I began working with a sales rep.  And I wanted to focus on making that debut one that represented who I was and wanted to be as a designer.  And let. me. tell. you.  I wish I could shake myself from two years ago and say just do it!  It's a daunting thought, but it was truly the smartest thing I could have done for my line.  Cabana Reps is awesome!!
I also changed day jobs.  Which was huge.  It was the backer of my passion for 7.5 crazy years.  I now have a new backer which I LOVE!  In fact, that job just took me to Iceland!!  Though I wish I could focus 100% of my time on my line, money doesn't fall like glitter. Sooo, I consider myself quite lucky to not only work in the industry, but be in an industry that takes me all over the world.
My website also got a make-over.  I love you Sarah Giffrow!!  She also did my gorgeous logo.  You know when something just feels like?  Great jeans, sexy heals... Amazing art!  It's very reminiscent of Studio 54.  I will also be doing First Thursday with Sarah at her new location in Old Town.  There will be wine.  And I am wine drinker!
So, here is a sample from my FW13 line.  I love it from the bottom of my heart :)

A favorite

Happy 2012! I thought I would start off 2012 with something from the past. I came across this dress that I made a few years back. This was one of my favorite creations. The photo doesn't quite do it justice. It took 12 yards of fabric in total to create it. It's 100% silk and wasn't wide enough so I had to piece it together in order to make the skirt portion how I wanted. It was draped on the bias which is why it took so much material. This dress literally feels like it has a life of it's own!

A work in progress...

Today I draped garment #1 of my year long project to create one unique piece of clothing every month. This is a challenge I'm placing upon myself so that I never settle and take the easy, plain old road!

As I was draping this dress it began to speak to me and I strayed a bit from my sketch book. But that is my favorite part of designing. Yes, I will color outside of the lines if I really want to! I can't wait to see the final product already. I will post my original sketch along with the end result. (I apologize for my mess in the back ground but Zoolander had to say hi)

Happenings

Here are some fun events to keep in mind as you plan your holiday activities!

"Little Boxes" ~ Please shop local business come Black Friday. Check out the site for a handy dandy list of who is involved.

www.littleboxespdx.com

"A Bowlful of Hearts" ~ As you are out and about holiday shopping and sipping cocktails pick up some doggie or kittie supplies and donate to this awesome cause. I will gladly pick up the donations if you can't drop them off at one of the drop-off locations. (If you work at adidas, bring the donations to work and I will retrieve them from you.)

www.bowlfulofheart.org

"Small Business Saturday" ~ Yeah yeah, it's sponsored by Amex but the subject is what matters. Shop local! xo

My pretty website

With many thanks to the fabulously talented Sarah Giffrow, my website is now updated with photos from my Fall/Winter collection. Seeing the garments come to life on "film" makes everything so alive and worth every single sewing needle prick!

Most pieces can be found at Union Rose & Mag Big in Portland Or.

http://www.carolynhartdesigns.com/

First Friday Oct 7th

I am doing a First Friday event with Sarah Giffrow Creative and Elizabeth Jewelry! Sarah photographed my FW11 collection which will be on display at this event. I absolutly adore her and feel so lucky to have worked with her. This will be the first time working with Molly of Elizabeth Jewelry and I couldn't be more thrilled. She makes gorgeous handcrafted silver jewelry I could see my self wearing everyday. Feel free to pop by and say hello and have some wine!

http://www.sarahgiffrow.com/

http://elizabethjewelry.blogspot.com/

Ally 33 Fashion show

OK friends, this is going to be a fantastic fashion show! Not to be missed! Some of Portland's greatest designers will be showing their yummy collections.

July 23rd ~ Doors open at 4:00, show is at 6pm.

Alley @ 33rd and Hawthorne Blvd

Get tickets ahead of time here ~ http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/180803

xo

What I love

You will be hearing this a lot from me. I have been putting what I love most on hold, not really sure why, but probably because I had to give that other side of me a chance to shine. Well, that being said, I did it and I'm ready to give more to this side. The side that lets me drape fabric like the most delicate and loved piece of ceramic pottery you own. I don't think words can really translate the passion. It just is. Here I go!

I can't stop looking at this beautiful piece by Elie Saab!

New job! This year is definitely starting off on the right foot. I am a big fan of "new" which almost always goes hand in hand with "exciting and brain over-load" in my case! I will be faced with new challenges, an array of new fabulous co workers and of course new product. I am not moving far from where I was before - but my responsibilities will grow and I will dive into more aspects of which I most affectionately call Apparel Mania. I am so lucky to be working and living my passion!

I'd like to leave you a few my latest favorite looks from The Satorialist.

I'm Official!

Yes I am! My website is up! http://www.carolynhartdesigns.com/ I am so excited about this. It brings me closer to the fabulous ladies I cater to!! It also allows me to display my art to any curious on lookers. Today, without a website, it definitely puts you a step behind the next guy. God, I love making clothes!

I know it' s been ages and ages since I last posted anything. So busy I've felt the last few months have turned me upside down. I recently took a trip to Tennessee to visit family. We all took a day trip to Nashville. I was blown away by the down-to-earth yet very well put together looks I saw on the street. This city is the Hollywood of the south. Of course this was the day I didn't bring my camera! I loved how on the sidewalks there would be people singing country music hoping to get discovered. They were good too! There is also shops selling cowboy boots for 2k!! Love it!

back to work.

New Adventure ahead!

So this past Saturday Alyson (with Clair Vintage) and Jennifer (with Billie Jean Retro) went to Seattle to meet with a boutique called Velouria. Long story made short - we are all going to be selling there come fall! I am SO excited!! This means I need to bust out all grading and get my site up and running soooon! But I am so excited and know this is going to be an incredible experiece. I will be in a total of 3 stores. I am going to cap it at 3 stores for a while. I want to nourish my relationship with each boutique. After all, it's not quantity but quality!

Fall '10

My fall '10 collection has been shot! The photo shoot was yesterday and I could not have asked for a better team of people to have worked with! I will soon have photos up to show you. I've been working on this non stop for the past couple months - and I cannot wait to see everything in print. It always makes things seem a little unreal (in a good way). Next up - I'm taking it on the road. To Seattle that is. I cannot wait to meet you beautiful boutiques!

Growing Up

Yes I am! Well, I feel all "big girlish" because I just got a lap top computer at work. I can now take it home with me and on trips when I travel for work. Basically it just makes things a little easier and less stressful - like if I'm home sick or don't feel like working late at adidas... I will just work late from home!
Yay for big girl moments! xo

Nuremberg

Well, it has been quite a while since my last post. My only excuse is that I have been incredibly busy and when I have down time it is almost always spent in my studio. I need to get in the habit of writing something every couple of days at least - even if it's only a few sentences. It's always fun to look back on the past posts and know what I was up to that day.

So, right now I am in Herzo, Germany. This is where the main headquarters of adidas are. Along with a few co-workers, I am here for the MLS '12 season kick off. I am always working 2 years ahead. Needless to say, I am usually stuck for a second when I need to write the currect date on a check.

Everyday here has been incredibly busy. We got here on Saturday afternoon, so Sunday and Monday (which was a bank holiday) were play days. On weekends the shops are all closed - so it was a perfect day for the museums. Our hotel is in Nuremberg and there are lots of museums for tourists to check out. There is SO much history here! Our first stop on Sunday was the Albrecht Druer Haus. He was an incredible artist from the late 1400s to early 1500s! Next was a medieval dungeon and torture chamber dating from the early 1300s!! Can you believe that?? I love that creepy stuff. I am coming from a place where 1800s is considered ancient! After the torture chambers we hit up the Nuremberg museum. After 5:00 the renaissance section is free. Let me tell ya, if you can make it thru half in that time you are lucky. So needless to say after that we were exhausted. Dinner was at Sushi Light across the street.

Monday was planned for the zoo but it turned into a 'sleep late and nap' kind of day. That night we meet up with the rest of our co-workers who flew in that day and had some amazing Thai food for dinner.

The rest of the week has been work, work, and more work. With always something planned for the evening. We are always taken such good care of by our fellow counter parts! I slept like absolute crap Tuesday night, which made me comparable to a zombie on Weds. So I popped a couple tylenol PM's last night and slept like a baby.


Man, the German's really know how to dress!! I am always inspired to take more risks when I'm here. PLUS the adidas here store has way better stuff so I'm going to stock up on as much Stella McCartney and Y3 stuff I can possible afford. Which won't be much so I will try to narrow it down to the key peices.

Okay, back to work. Will keep you posted on any cool shoppings I find.

I did it!

So my garments are finished and dropped off at Union Rose! I am so happy, excited and nervous that I am now officially in a store. This was something I always thought of but wasn't sure I wanted to do it. You know - be safe and do the occasional fashion show and special project for someone I knew was always the safest route. I will still do that. BUT it's now time to take my passion to the next level. And I am so lucky to live in a city that is so open and excited about locally designed and manufactured garments. This is just the beginning!

Lets DO this!

So I didn't exactly blog and twitter while I was in Vegas. It was just too much to cart around a laptop. But all in all this trip was most definitely productive. I am so glad we stayed an extra day. Along with our trip to the Textiles Expo, we were able to do lots of sight seeing as well as much needed dancing in the evenings. This week my fabric should start arriving. I was much more serious, if not frugal, when choosing my fabric this time. I knew what I needed, did inventory before I left and know my limits much more! I find that knowing my limits makes me so much more productive - I can't even begin to tell you how important this is!

Las Vegas and 2 days!

YES! Alyson and I go to a fabric show every year in LV. Besides having incredible amounts of fun we also get fantastic deals on fabric. Basically I never buy fabric any more in the actual store - mark ups are a bitch. Anyways, I am going to do my very best to blog and tweet along the way. It's a fun trip and I want to share as much as possible. I am so glad we're staying 3 nights i/o of 2, there is just to much to pass up! xo ALSO, 4 other super fab chicks are joining the trip! We're definitely hitting up old Vegas - Dallas style!
Also, I will soon be selling my line in Union Rose! 2010 is shaping up to be pretty good!

RIP Alexander McQueen

A. McQueen passed away on Feb 11th. I still can't believe that such a talented man has ended such a short life. At just 40 he was already a household name. Something a great many of us within the fashion industry hope achieve in a life time. These are some of my most favorite McQueen pieces/collections. It seems rude to only name a few but these specific ones are always in the back of my mind.


These shoes, AMAZING!

I am in love with this jewel studded dress.

Strong shoulders, amazing job on the silhouette

The clutter in the center of the runway are elements from past shows.

Doom Town Productions presents Sweet F.A.

Come see a sweet rock n roll fashion show with some of Portland's most creative designers. It's the sixth time I've done it and have to say it's always the most fun and entertaining show I do.

Please come and show your support!! xo

Yup!

I just wanna give a huge shout out to all the super happy and positive people there are in the fashion industry! OK, I know no one can be happy and positive ALL the time but ya get the idea. There are enough snooty self gratifying "know it all" individuals within the giant family that it's actually quite boring now (I really did just yawn). Anyways, Alyson and I were talking about this and there are quite a bit of people out there that just skip that debbie-downer business and I say a big thank you to you!! You will soon rule the world! haha.