Phoebe: Nov 16

"All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afriad she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off" -J.D. Salinger

I felt that the gold ring was something that my Phoebe needed. There's a point for many people who are hardworking and driven, when they reach what they believed was their goal, only to find that the reward does not live up to their expectations. Displayed proudly as a central element to the costume she wears while performing her role as successful adult, the gold ring, although still close to her heart, bears little resemblance to the large and glittering prize of her childhood dreams.

Phoebe: Nov 10

"That's a deer shooting hat."

"Like hell it is." I took it off and looked at it. I sort of closed one eye, like I was taking aim at it. "This is a people shooting hat"

-J.D. Salinger

The fabric selected for this piece is of paramount import. 

The image of the hunting hat in this novel, is one that has always stuck with me.  It's an object designed for adults, for a specific and practical purpose, but the protagonist re-appropriates it for his own devices.  He hides behind it, develops it into a kind of costume for independence. It felt only natural that my 30-year old Phoebe should hide behind her own "adult costume,"  developing the performative identity she believes is expected of her.  She unsuccessfully attempts to stifle what she once believed, during her years of childhood innocence, to be an exceptional intellect and unique spirit. 

While, in the sartorial world, adulthood is often marked with a passage into the realm of tailored suits, this fabric falls far from suggesting maturation.  Chosen materials, in this case, might be described as a marriage of the hunting hat, the black wool uniform of Phoebe's New-York-Professional peers, and the extraordinary character that still exists within her.

Phoebe: Nov 6

“Sometimes you’d forget she was around…but she’d let you know. She’d interrupt you all the time.”-J.D. Salinger

I am in the beginning stages of my newest piece, "Phoebe." I'll likely post more about the process of construction, rather than the meaning behind the piece, until I'm near the end of this project.  Today, I went shopping for fabrics.  My materials always inspire me.  I was hoping to find a very particular red plaid suiting, but ended up with something a little different.  I have 3 different black/white/red plaids that will be going into this piece, along with some beautiful embroidery threads for details and for a garment to be worn underneath the main piece.

I'll be patterning and mocking up the jacket part first, and then creating the under-stucture for that.  I figure it's best to get the hardest part done first! (plus, jackets are my favorite!)

Full speed ahead!