Okay, I admit it. I love seeing the actual prepartion that goes into a collection, where the designers find inspiration, the backstage photos. To me, this makes the actual designs more interesting. Sisters, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte are designers that consistently let me take a peek into their world and I devour the photos.

Back in July, I posted some images from their Fall 2007 show. Here are some behind-the-scenes images including fittings from the Spring 2008 collection.

Rodarte allows me to be a part of their fantastical vision and I’m happier for it.

♥ the alchemist

When I first heard about Poltock & Walsh and saw pieces of the collection, I got really excited. That is until I tried to access their website which was under construction. After checking several times and getting the same message, I finally gave up, relunctantly content to accept the three images I had seen. That is until I got the urge to check the website on a whim and it is finally up. Maybe the website has been functional for awhile but indulge me in showing some images from their fabulous A/W 2007 collection.

this last one is entirely for WendyB: who I feel is on a mission to bring back the boob-bow and has successfully reintroduced the butt-bow. May I present the back-bow:

♥ the alchemist

Wow, Nikoline Liv Andersen is a Danish fashion designer whose 2007-2008 collection is theatrical and intricately over-the-top.

Here are some images from her myspace page:

Everything in this picture is sublimely grotesteque but wonderfully modern. The jacket, the styling with the mask.

Ruffs are popping up everywhere! How 16th century.

The texture of this dress is insane. I just want to reach out and touch it. It reminds me of a wood grain pattern.

♥ the alchemist

I stumbled onto Japanese designer Hidenobu Yasui’s website and what I found interesting is the self-description of the word ‘Shokunin’ which translates to “specialist”.

“When I produce my work, as a Japanese ‘shokunin’, I am passionate about opening up new ways to perceive the world with sense of Japanese beauty, honor, and sensitivity that are passed on from the past.” To read more, go here.

Here are some images from the 2008 collection, titled A Woman in the Wind

Here are some images from the 2007-8 collection, titled Body Movement.

♥ the alchemist

I’ve seen a few other Thin Man movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy but for some reason had never actually seen the original 1934 The Thin Man film. This past Sunday while the snow fell outside and I tried not to think about html codes, I finally caught the classic. While I always enjoy the chemistry between the leading characters Nick and Nora, this time I was swept away with the clothing and the style of the 1930′s, especially this particular dress worn by Nora (Myrna Loy).

Look how beautiful the back is!

This striped, bias-cut dress with layers moved so wonderfully and looked so well-made that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. I missed some of the movie thinking about where to find a dress like that. This is the stuff my vintage-inspired dreams are made of. There’s something about this time period that I just love and am completely drawn to.

♥ the alchemist

Hey guys! Sorry about the lack of posts but things have been hectic here with the unveiling of stylealchemy.com. Well, the title of this post is a bit melodramatic as it has not been that bad. It’s all a learning process as the world of codes, html and css are very complicated. Luckily, I have the help of a very talented webdesigner to help everything make sense. Even though some things tested well, when it was time to flip the switch, some problems occurred. Of course… Well, I am pleased with the pages that are up and as this is an ongoing process, I will be sure to keep everyone updated. Once again, thanks for the support and I’ll be back later with a fashion post! 

♥ the alchemist