Tartan Craze a Hommes Collection

I've been talking about this project for a while, and now, finally, I'm ready to present you the complete Tartan Craze collection!

Let's go with 20th Century Fox's  fanfare!!!!

I had to stop at some point as I still have several more ideas, but now with springtime finally coming by I have to move on to something else!
First of all let me show you some of the sources of inspiration for this collection:
Ragandbones, Moschino, AuJourLeJour and Valentino's collection from 2013! (I haven't been able to identify the fourth picture, any ideas?)

The thing that impressed me most while preparing the collection is the versatility of the tartan fabric for hommes fashions, from ultra casual, sport and formal, tartan adds a great accent to every style!

What is missing from this collection are formal suits, but as I'm planning a collection  of formal outfits I will sew at least a couple of them (with a  complete tutorial) next fall.

Having trumpeted this collection so much I also took some time to put together some decent pictures, here are the boys on the catwalk (Note: Nicola is wearing in fact a Prince of Whales , but in scale looked more like tartan):

Enrico, Taddeo, Sebastiano

Armando, Bartolomeo, Giacomo

Carlo, Nicola, Goffredo

Ever since I sew the first suit in this collection I envisioned a "Highlands lookbook" for the guys. Scotland is one of the (several) places I haven't visited yet, and Sasha's pictures are on film, so I had to draw upon stock pictures from the internet as backdrops. I believe these are the perfect setting for the collection!

Highlands Lookbook

Lords of the manor, our Supermodels:

Sebastiano (Valentino) Carlo (AuJourLeJour)

The most elegant dudes of the house in casual outfits

Taddeo (Original Billa) Armando (Unknown)

The trendies ones

Bartolomeo (Moschno) Enrico (RagAndBones)

Classic Brit Giacomo - Goffredo can't resist wearing a tie, even in the middle of nothing

Giacomo - Goffredo (Original Billa)

Sunset on the manor, a pensive Nicola ponders about his upcoming visit to Dublin and the girls he shall meet there

Nicola (Original Billa)

I look forward to hear which is your favourite style and picture!
Kisses Billa

Extra: Some of the guys get a face enhancement

I wasn't 100%  satisfied with the faceup of some of the guys, so I checked all the available internet resources  and found out I had just what I needed:
Caran D'Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Pencils! In fact I have a huge box I used for coloring some of my drawings some time ago.

By the way a sample of my drawings (these are illustrations for a short novel I wrote a couple of years ago for my nephews):

       

       

so, I picked the colours I needed, sharpened the pencils and with patience started working on the guys.

I damped the tip of the pencil with mi tongue, ok, this is not ladylike, but I did it anyway and these are the results:

Goffredo has got his new mustaches

Enrico had such a bland coloring, now with his new lips I think he's really handsome

Armando got mustaches and lip enhancement

Giacomo has got freckles!!!

As with hair styling I limit myself to little touches, just to have the dolls look exactly how I envisioned them when I bought them.

What do you think?

Urban Safari: An Hommes Collection

I've been working on this "collection" for a while, almost six monthts, now the guys are proud to present the Urban Safari Collection for Hommes:

Of course you have seen some of these dresses and you shall see them in the next adventures of the guys, expecially Carlo shall use them in the next travelling dolly posts, but I thought the collection deserved a post of his own!

The guys look pretty handsome, perhaps these colours aren't really befitting for the pale ones, with the noticeable exeption of Carlo, he looks wonderful whatever the colour of the clothes is!

Carlo

Vittorio

Enrico

Orso Maria

Alessandro

Now you know what I've been up to in the last months!

Happy New Year Norma - a photostory

Tecla invited Enrico to her New Years Eve party. He was dubious but I convinced him: I sew  him  a tuxedo with tails, so he obliged.....

It looks like there are no other guests.

Enrico: It looks like I'm a bit early. When are the other guests supposed to arrive?
Tecla: Which other guests?

Enrico: It's going to be a very long evening, I better get drunk soon!

Tecla: Da'aling, how would you like to dance?

Enrico: Uh, dance?!?!? OMG

Tecla: you dance awfully!
Enrico: I know......

Tecla: I think we better rest a bit

Enrico: Finally!

Tecla: We're having such a great time, aren't we?
Enrico: I hope you have a huge provision of martinis

Enrico: Well, it's 10 pm and Tecla just passed away....Happy New year!!!!!

Story: courtesy of Billy Wilder & Charles Brackett

Enrico is going to sneak off and drop at Odette&Carlo's place...coming next!

the fashions are of course inspired by Edit Head's Sunset Boulevard costumes

And if you want to try your hand at a tuxedo jacket, here's the pattern!

Happy new year !!!!! 

The "Redhead Connection" presents: Roman Holidays featuring Carla and Valeria

I've been thinking a lot about showing some love to my MM girls, expecially to Carla and Valeria, who are simply beautiful. At first I simply thought of finding inspiration in some of Robert Best's fashions for silkstone, in particular I adore Market Day Barbie

Then I decided that sewing some floral dresses  and photoghraph them wouldn't do them justice. Ok, they are not poseable but they sure can strike that ONE pose....again Silkstone was a great source. As Mattel's latest campaing for silkstone is set in Rome, and I love Rome,  I decided to make an exercise in photomontages.
But, at least in my mind, Rome+lovely girls=Roman Holidays!!!!
I must add that sometime ago I found on e-bay a  wonderful blue Barbie Vespa for a nice price.
Mix everything together with my Redheaded Dolls Obsession, and you have "The Redhead Connection"!!!

I've been in Rome several times, in fact I have to go there due to work duties several times each year, but I never had any time to take pictures, so the photomontages are on stock images.
But I can tell you Rome is a very special place. Each time I go there, even for a few hours for a meeting I feel elated, there's something in the air.

These are the dresses I sew for Valeria and Carla, they are now ready to see some wonderful places and meet interesting people......

Let me introduce you to Orso Maria. He and Carla are in front of the Coloseum, Orso Maria is one of the new guys and soon you shall see him in all his glory, all the girls here are crazy about him. He's wearing a black tailored suit (D&G style, at least that's what I was trying to do) and a piquet white shirt

Borgo Pio is a lovely neighborood on the outskirts of Vatican City

Beautiful redheads posing in front of Fontana di Trevi:

Valeria and Giacomo visiting the Caracalla's Thermae. Giacomo is wearing a nice blue sweater I made out of a sock, and a pair of simple jeans. So far I can tell you he is Samuele little brother. More about him soon!

And before leaving  Giacomo shows Valeria around Rome by night. This is Piazza di Spagna, the atmosphere is pure magic!

Don't know yet if this is going to be the first of a series, but it was real fun!!! Possibly the Redhead Connection should present the "grand tour of Italy": Cinqueterre, Florence, Rome and Venice, let's see if I can keep up with my sewing and photomontages and all the projects around here!!! Maybe a "yearly instalment" LOL....hope you'll be patient enough....

As it took me ages to prepare this, our soundtrack shall be: Morcheeba "Rome wasn't built in a Day"

See you soon
Kisses, Billa