Monday Morning Inspiration/Bryan K. Osburn

This past Saturday I had the awesome opportunity to reconnect with the incredibly talented Bryan K. Osburn. He was our featured speaker at this month's Haute Couture meeting. 

We both studied at Ray College of Design more years ago than either of us can believe. He has not lost his charm. I came up to reintroduce myself after so many years, and before I could say anything, he asked, "How have you done it? You look exactly the same." So sweet :) 

When I first met Bryan, he was an 18 year old kid that oozed talent. What initially impressed me was his incredible artistic ability. The man could draw and design the most beautiful clothes! When we graduated, he was named Designer of the Year, and with that title, he went on to New York and continued his studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology. From there he has traveled the world and created beautiful clothes for many famous names including Diana Ross. 

He is now back in Chicago, designing incredible pieces that impart an escape to a world of fantasy. I thought that you too might enjoy seeing some of his incredible work.

Bryan brought this gown with him. He loves fabric and mixing unexpected trims that create drama.  

Here's the gown in color.

The following pieces are from the same collection.

We also had the opportunity to see the jacket below. It's gorgeous. Lined in pink. Look closely and you'll see the broach at center front. Bryan loves to comb through resale shops and antique stores for incredible pieces. What so many of us marveled at was how he has the talent to strategically place a piece so that it truly accents the garment rather than over power or take away from the design.

The jacket above shown in progress below.

Incredible drama!

He also brought the gown pictured below with him. I had the opportunity to try on the coat. An amazing piece.

A ruched sleeve in detail.

Love this gown.

He enjoys mixing unexpected fabrics. Love the plaid taffeta with the lace gown!

For a number of years, Bryan worked for many of the top bridal firms in New York, ultimately venturing out on his own. 

During Bryan's talk, he showed how his garments are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. He's a true artist. 

What a wonderful opportunity it was for me to reconnect with Bryan. I hope that you too have enjoyed seeing some of his amazing work. If you would like to see more, you can find his webpage HERE. You can also find him on Facebook, just search for Bryan K. Osburn.

Have a wonderful week!
Rhonda

I'm Coming Out Of Retirement, Wedding Gown Retirement That Is!

I've designed and made more wedding gowns than I can count! Working with brides was such a wonderful experience. Many have asked me how I could deal with so many brides. As it turns out, the brides were great, the bridesmaids were a different story. I had one bridesmaid who was especially difficult. At one point I said, "your title in this wedding is bridesmaid, and the emphasis is on maid and not bride." The bride later told me who grateful she was that I spoke up. 

I loved being a part of such a special day. More often than not, I would at least see them down the aisle. What a joy it was to spread out their train, open the doors and see them take that first step toward a new future. After twelve years, I realized that I either needed to expand my business, or close my door. At the time, my husband really needed me to take over his responsibility in our family business, so the decision was easy. 

My niece is getting married in October. Now the truth of the matter is that she is really not my niece, a family member, but really quite removed. She's the granddaughter to my husband's brother-in-law's sister. How's that for a brain teaser?!! She's held a special place in my heart since she was just a little girl. When she was 8 years old, she told me that she wanted to one day live in my house. I think we are kindred spirits. She like me has a deep respect for family heirlooms and antiques in general. 

When she told me that she was getting married, I could not have been more excited than if she were my own daughter. She wasn't sure about her dress, but she did want me to create it.

A few weeks ago, we visited to a small bridal shop in a quaint little town outside of Chicago. My husband had taken me the week before to visit a few antique stores. While we were there I just happened to look through the window of a bridal shop and saw a gown that I thought my niece might like. As it turned out, she did not like the dress, but we found a style that was amazing on her. 

The back is so pretty. 

She doesn't want a train, and no beaded details, just sleek and sophisticated. She would also like the dress to be a non-traditional color, maybe a deep blue. She has a set of antique jewelry pieces that belonged to her grandmother who sadly passed away a few years ago. She would really like to wear the pieces and they will look especially rich against a darker color.

I'll be getting started on the gown next week. I'm so excited to be doing this for her. I feel so honored in so many ways. And this time, you'll get to take the creating a gown journey with me :)