Nattura

I'm always annoyed when I see Björk and her swan dress on the worst-dressed-in-Oscar-history lists. Without launching into some sort of uncomfortable defense for animal-themed clothing, let's just say bizarre and different does not necessarily equal bad. Anyway, I'm sure Björk wouldn't be on such lists if she had been wearing this less-swan-ish dress by Sylvio Giardina (above left). However, Björk would never be expected to wear the same thing twice, even if the second time is actually just something similar and not the same. And so, for Björk's next Oscar performance, I would definitely suggest someone introduce her to Eleanor Amoroso, particularly Eleanor's A/W 12/13 collection (see above right). And my apologies if none of that makes sense. I'm not entirely sure being stuck in a tiny apartment for a week and a half with a humidifier as a best friend and all meals being served in a bowl is what you would call 'healthy'. 

Eleanor Amoroso, A/W 11

It seems as though I'm subconsciously looking for some sort of quirky maxi dress for the warmer weather, as those are the pieces I've been bookmarking and adding to my Etsy Favorites lately. So this morning's email is more than welcome, as I've never seen maxi dresses quite like this before. Well, except for in the same designer's previous collection. Remember the gorgeous handmade graduate collection of Eleanor Amoroso which consisted of macrame dresses and accessories? Well, the London-based designer has done it again with her A/W 11 collection, this time sticking mainly to black fine fringing to knot together some spectacular pieces, accented again with metal clasps and piping. Make sure you click on the photos to see the details (well, except for that first dark photo - that one is here more for the interesting silhouette possible only with a dress made of fringing). I'd love to see these pieces styled with some mesh dresses, leggings, and bodysuits underneath, a great cardigan or jacket on top (perhaps something by InAisce) and possibly some Dr. Martens. Specifically, I'm going to be dreaming about the dress with the cap sleeves (also seen below), and try to convince myself that I wouldn't let it get more knotted up if I were to get my hands on it.

For those of you that are interested, the clothing pieces can only be ordered directly from Eleanor herself, while the accessories are available now from NJAL's The Shop.

Eleanor Amoroso

Last week I saw a couple of new pieces in NJAL's The Shop that looked interesting from afar. However, I didn't want to take a closer look since they looked like they were made from hair, a material which may be a trend on the runway, but which just makes me feel icky. Good thing the designer of these pieces is being featured on the front page of NJAL. For these pieces, along with the rest of this fashion student's graduate collection, are made not of hair but of fringing, cord, and metal, thus warranting a much closer look than I previously though. The designer's name is Eleanor Amoroso, and the painstaking technique of macrame is how she handmade every single piece of her collection, including the accessories. I'm going to be staring at these statement pieces for a few hours. It's a comforting thought to know that craftsmanship isn't yet a lost art, isn't it? Sigh.

On a completely unrelated note, please check out my shop for some new listings of (mostly) handmade pieces I've never worn before. There are fourteen items up for sale in total, with all but one of them from $10 to $50 until December 31st. There also may be an Alexander McQueen piece you'll want to check out...