Show at the California Art Institute

Two of my sculptural dresses were on display for a month at the California Art Institute. Students in the fashion department were very interested in the techniques and process I used to design the dresses.
It was rewarding to inspire and encourage the students to experiment with an open mind.

Swirl in Black and White

I was asked by the St Vincent De Paul Society to design a dress for their Discarded to Divine fashion show. The dress will be on display at the De Young Museum Friday April 17 between 5 and 8:30. It will be auctioned on Thursday May 7 the day of the fashion show, at the Gift Center Pavillon, 888 Brannan St at 4:30.

The Lalique dress

I chose this fabric to design a dress because the pattern

reminded me of a Lalique design. The dress is shaped by

means of several darts radiating from the center. I asked

Sebastian Parker, a wood sculptor and furniture designer

to design a wooden buckle for a belt. He came up with a

wonderful buckle made of brazilian rosewood.

NESTING

I was asked to design a piece inspired by a show of Asian American art from the 1900 to the present at the De Young Museum. In creating this sculpture I was inspired by Ruth Osawa's wire sculptures. Because I am a dress designer, I used fabric instead of wire. I cut curvilinear shapes out of organza and tulle and joined them to form a soft and opaque sculpture. The form hangs from a tree-like metal stand made to my specifications. The origami cranes made of shoji screen paper are also an homaje to Ruth Osawa. Her daughter Aiko taught me how to make miniature cranes. In my piece I wanted to convey the need and necessity to nurture.

My daughter's Wedding Gown

This dress is made of silk, silk organza, and french lace.  I used pleats for the high collar and the bottom of the gown.  This dress involved a lot of handwork and the design evolved with each fitting.