Zzouzi Handmade & Vintage

Valentine's Day Baby Headbands

2012-01-25T22:07:00.002-06:00

Last week I made a few baby headbands for Lillie's 1st birthday a gift and they were a hit! One of Emilia's friends ordered some for Valentine's day, so I've been busy as a bee looking for soft headbands in Valentine's Day colors (hard to find!!!) and making these cute themed headbands. I also made some for an old friend of mine, Ashley, who just had a baby girl! I guess I never thought that cute headbands for children would be so difficult to find, but I guess they're all the same lace headband with a bow!

Anyway, I've been super tired recently because I've been trying to exhaust the boys I nanny by running around the park with them but its really been just exhausting me. I'll post more this weekend. I'm going to an Etsy run event on Friday so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of that!

Happy hump day everyone! The weekend can not get here fast enough.

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Zzouzi Vintage at The Vintage Bazaar

2012-01-23T12:09:00.001-06:00

Zzouzi Vintage is excited to announce that we will be apart of The Vintage Bazaar's February Show: Dank Haus! This will be our first Vintage Bazaar show and we can not be more excited! We can not wait to be a part of such a fun event...not to mention we get to spend a whole weekend with some of our favorite people!

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Wear Many Hats

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-06:00


Photography: Allison Williams Clothing: Mignonette Bridal Hairpieces: Zzouzi Hats Jewelry: Due Sorelle and Moira K. Lime Makeup by Angie Nguyen Styling by Shanti Gomez

Pattern Mixing

2012-01-22T20:31:00.002-06:00

Outfit Details:

Skirt: H&M Basic

Shirt: X Generation - Audrey

Tights & OTK Socks: HUE

Bracelets: Vintage & Gift from Spain

Camel Earrings: Piedmont Boutique

Boots: Baking Sota by Aerosoles

Lipstick: Chili by Mac

I've always been afraid of pattern mixing for fear of not matching...and well, just looking like a nut, but I thought I'd give it a go. I bought the skirt and shirt while in San Fransisco last weekend and the combination seemed too perfect to pass up! I've wanted this skirt from H&M for a while but they've always sold out of my size so I just ended up getting a size down and it works fine.

Today was Lillie's birthday party! She turned one! I can't believe its been a whole year since she was born. Lillie is the daughter of Emilia, the owner of Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ. I worked for Emilia at the boutique during the end of her pregnancy and into the following few months and watched Lillie growing up! I can not believe she's already a year old. I remember the day she was born and how little she was.


Lillie's delicious cake

She LOVED her cake!

The adorable birthday girl!

I made her some really cute hair accessories but I unfortunately didn't get any pictures of them. I ended up having to make my own wrapping paper because all of ours was in storage (not very well thought out). I used a stamp, tissue paper, and some paint. Its really too bad when a 1 year old doesn't appreciate the effort of handmade wrapping paper, hahah.

Woody from Toy Story Inspired Outfits

2012-01-20T13:02:00.000-06:00

Woody from toystory by sarahazzouzi featuring saddle bags

BKE plaid top, $14
Cheap Monday tint jeans, 399 NOK
Opening Ceremony bootie heels, £320
Rachel Comey saddle bag, $363
Fendi gold tone jewelry, €110
FRIENDLY HUNTING rabbit fur shawl, €139

woody toy story by sarahazzouzi featuring heel boots

Pleated chiffon dress, €40
By Malene Birger chunky knit cardigan, $130
Heel boots, 449 SEK
Lilac jewelry
Jennifer Meyer Jewelry diamond jewelry, $825
Supertrash wool hat, €60

Today, the boys I nanny and I watched the first Toy Story movie and I really dug Woody's outfit - from the cowhide print vest to the cowboy boots. I love western styled clothes so I wanted to create two outfits inspired by Woody from Toy Story.

Enjoy!

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Saying Goodbye

2012-01-19T21:36:00.002-06:00

Outfit Details:

Dress: H&M Basic (only $18!)

Cardigan: H&M

Giraffe Scarf: Vintage

Tights: HUE

Boots: Baking Sota by Aerosoles

Earrings: Handmade - from Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ

Lipstick: MAC Russian Red

This was my last day in San Fran with Amy. We had lunch at this nice coffee shop by her house and went to an Asian bakery which had this amazing egg pastry (I don't remember what it was called). You'll notice that my hands are in my sleeves for a lot of the pictures, thats because I was foolish enough to think that it was a little bit chilly in San Fran...oh how wrong I was. Chicago today is a teeth chattering -5 degrees. Hooray for home. Super tired today from working for over 13 hours so I wont write much.

I'm planning on starting a DIY once a week for different things. You are totally welcome to email suggestions on what you'd like to learn how to do! I'm pretty well rounded, so it can be anything from fashion, hats, accessories, to hair, make-up or beauty. Email me at Zzouzi@gmail.com if you have any ideas!

Japantown

2012-01-18T21:28:00.003-06:00

On Sunday Amy and I went to Japantown after some quick thrifting at the Mission. We found some pretty neat pieces while shopping, but most were out of my vintage budget and the pieces that weren't were nothing to fuss about. It's always hard to find good pieces in a city since so much is picked through, though there are quite a few places in Chicago where you can find some great vintage pieces.

Outfit Details:

Skirt: Anthropologie

Shirt: Marshalls

Cardigan: Target

Leather Bomber Jacket: Unsure?

Boots: Baking Sota by Aerosoles

Bracelets: Vintage, Forever21, Gift from Spain

Purse: Dooney and Bourke

We headed to Japantown afterwards for lunch and some yummy treats. We had some really good Japanese ramen that really warmed us up after our windy walk there. I was really excited to try it since the closest thing I've had was the pathetic, 25 cent sad excuse for a college meal, ramen. It was really delicious!

Afterwards Amy and I took an obnoxious amount of pictures at PickaPicka, a Japanese style photo booth store. It was so much fun! After taking the pictures (which I was totally unprepared for) you were given 3 minutes to add decoration, boarders, and text to them. It was quite stressful actually since we were on a timer and I am super indecisive. One of the photo booths enlarged eyes so it made my eyes look a Disney character.

Check out how large the photobooth made my eyes!

Siigh. Why do vacations have to end?

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Running from Snow

2012-01-17T22:44:00.004-06:00

First time wearing the adorable bike print skirt I got from Target!

Sarah Outfit Details:

Denim Shirt: Target

Bike Print Skirt: Target

Boots: Baking Sota by Aerosoles

Purse: Dooney and Burke

Bracelets: Vintage, Forever21, Gift from Spain

Earrings: Local designer at Mr & Mrs DIGZ

Isnt she the cutest in her bright outfit?! She got so much attention from it!

Amy Outfit Details:

Shirt: Anthropologie

Sugar Work Skirt : Anthropologie

Socks: Sock Dreams

Frye Maxine Loop Pull-On Boot - Bergdorf Goodman

Purse: Kate Spade

Amos Cuff - Moss Mills

Last weekend I took advantage of a Virgin Airlines Groupon and went to visit Amy again in San Fransisco. Unfortunately I got super sick on Friday so the trip ended up being really low key. On Saturday we went shopping and before we knew it the sun was setting! We were really surprised as how quickly time went by but I guess we were in a bit of a shopping time warp. We spent a completely sunny and beautiful inside a mall. It was sort of a waste of sunshine but we bought some really cute things including a new Mac Lipstick I've been ogling for a while - Chili.

Both Amy and I ended up getting it and we love it!

Anyway - I'll post more about the trip tomorrow!

Zzouzi Hats: Put a bow on it

2012-01-11T23:09:00.001-06:00

I've been itching to start a new collection of hats for the spring since the holidays, but things were a bit chaotic during my two weeks off. After Ismail and I cleaned the entire house (...ok it was mostly him) I finally had a great space to work in.

I wanted to create a hat that can be worn easily in several different ways depending on the hair style or the outfit. This hat does just that - it can be worn on the crown of your head like a small pillbox, tilted to the side with the bow in the back, or tilted to the side with the bow in the front. The color is a very fall color, but I'm still in love with it. The rust, I think, should be an all seasons color. This hat was blocked on a hand carved block, and is 100% wool.

I think I may have to take this hat with me on my visit to Amy this weekend (but if I don't wear it she will yell at me for over packing....sigh) !

PS: Sorry for the crappy photographs :-/

52 degrees in January

2012-01-09T12:04:00.002-06:00

Ismail and I finally both had the same day off! We both work so much that it's really hard for us to spend time with each other. We love brunch and we live right by one of the best brunch places in the city: M Henry.

After brunch we went thrifting. I'm really lucky that Ismail likes thrifting, not as much as me admittedly, but we did spend over an hour at the thrifts. As we were driving home we couldn't help but notice how lovely it was by the lake.

And we ended up watching the sunset on the lake (well, not on the lake since the sun sets on west)

Wearing:

Scarf + Purse: Vintage

Shirt: Marshals

Cardigan: Target

Seamingly Maxi Skirt: Anthropologie

and no coat because it was 52 degrees out.

Sorry for the crappy outfit pictures but we got so caught up in enjoying our day that I didn't think to take pictures until way past sunset. I hope everyone in the city is taking full advantage of the weird spring-like weather we've been having! I wouldn't care if we didn't see any snow this year!

How to Winterize a Maxi Dress

2012-01-03T22:34:00.002-06:00

I love this dress. Since late summer I've been dreaming about maxis and I haven't been able to get over it, even with this harsh winter weather, so I had to find a few tricks to turn a summer maxi, into a do-able winter outfit. Boots, leggings, knee high socks are base of your outfit, then you layer cardigans (or a fur vest as I opted for here) a wind blocking leather jacket, accessories (and maybe a fringe scarf to complete the hippie look) and you've got yourself a warm winter outfit. This dress is a perfect color for all of the seasons, so why not wear it all year round?

Outfit Details:

1970's Pleated Maxi Dress - Medium $54

Similar Boots Aldo - On Sale: $97

Similar Purse: Banana Republic Mad Men Collection On Sale $179

Similar Vest: Urban Outfitters $98 (Note: Vest can be worn under or OVER the coat)

Similar Jacket: Urban Outfitters $129

Similar Belt: Etsy $24

Similar Bangles: Etsy $28, Etsy $28, Forever21 $3-15

I'm still trying to figure out how to creatively winterize the rest of my summer clothes. I mainly go the straight forward route with the leggings, boots, and cardigan, but I'm trying to figure out more creative ways of doing it. This one seemed more difficult too because its a maxi dress. I have yet to try layering shirts under dresses, so I think that's my next move. What's something that you've turned into a winter outfit that you didn't expect to?

Things not bought

2012-01-02T21:21:00.000-06:00

Thrifting takes a lot of patience and there are many things that are put in my cart that, for one reason or another, don't end up making the cut. I always wonder how other vintage sellers edit down their items from a cart full to a select few treasures so I thought I would provide a little insight on how I make my choices. Here are a few pieces that didn't make it and why:

1.

1. 1980's Adorable pumps with gold bow embellishment. Made in Spain. Size 5 1/2
I thought they were a super cute but they seemed too "holiday-y". Also, the size 5 1/2 is such a small size that I was concerned I would have a hard time finding a buyer for them.
2. 1970's/1980's Coral colored tribal necklace. These silly African necklaces keep following me! I found two in one week, and I loved them. One I have still yet to list (I'm terrible at listing jewelry :-/ ) and one sold a few months ago...I thought this one needed more animals on it!
3. 1980's Acid washed long jean jacket with a tribal print. Kawtar is much better at figuring out which 80s/90s things are cooler. I had to "call a friend" for this piece. She nixed it.
4. 1980's Wolf (?) print sweater coat. The print was super cool, but unfortunately 80's silhouette is not something that looks good on many people...so sadly, it did not make it.
5. 1970's a-line rust plaid skirt - so close to getting it...but I opted out just because I wasn't "in love" with it.
6. 1970's Floral maxi dress with velvet empire waist. This was a tough call too. I had to send Amy a picture and she assured me that it was more "Grandma" than cool.
7. 1980's Star Cardigan. It was a cute cardigan, but it didn't have the "wow" factor. I'm also trying to not buy as many 80's clothing unless they're really unique.

Hope that provided a little more insight on how we select some of our pieces for Zzouzi Vintage!

Sarah

(PS: My New Year's resolution is to update more often!)

Treasure Trove

2011-11-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Kawtar and I went thrifting on a whim last night, and I've got to say that it was one of our best trips! We found so many interesting things. Here's a sampling of some of my favorite. Seriously - we found the BEST sweaters. It was really hard to not buy everything we put in our cart. We don't normally go to this thrift store because it's ALWAYS packed but we thought we would give it a shot and man did we luck out! Keep an eye on our shop - these items will be posted soon!

I also posted some new handmade pieces!

All of these pieces can be made to order with custom fabric/sizing (except the horse pins). The large hair bows are perfect for holiday parties!

Fall Vintage Photoshoot

2011-10-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

1950's Print Dress

1960's Salmon Dress & 1960's Sunglasses

1950's Bike Skirt and 1960's Lace Sweater and a Zzouzi Hat


1960's Feather Print Shirt & 1960's Wool A-line skirt

1970's Shirt Dress

1960's Pleated Skirt paired with a 1970's Printed Shirt and a Dooney & Bourke Purse and 1980's Sunglasses

1960's Escada Pants paired with a 1980's Number shirt and Zzouzi Hat

1960's Salmon Dress & 1960's Sunglasses


1940's Hand Beaded Cardigan paired with a 1970's Shirt Dress

It was such a pleasure working with all of these talented and beautiful women. It was so much fun. We worked really well together. Here's a list of the team:

Clothes - Zzouzi Vintage

Photographer - Nina Pagano

Stylist - Kawtar Azzouzi

Hair & Makeup - Sarah Azzouzi

Models - Jasmine Tabalujan Chong, Anna Gorman, Alicia 'Licha' Moreno, Marie Elliott, Christine Harrison Frei, & Paige Saliba.

Store Inspiration

2011-10-17T09:39:00.002-05:00

It's always been a dream of mine to have my own shop that features handmade and vintage clothes as well as a jumble of other nic nacs. Downtown Portland, Maine is full of adorable little shops that have really unique handmade pieces as well as really creative displays that really combine everything that I love: nautical influence, animals, shabby chic, and found objects!


Look at that stunning chandelier! Find an old lantern and add some galvanized wire to it and attach papers from old novels, childrens books, modern stationary or decorative papers

Look at their great bag holders! AND they're using towel rods to hang tissue paper!

Vintage paper as a back drop is a great way to easily redo the interior of a shelf or desk instead of contact paper!

The two shops above are Blanche & Mimi and Motifs.

These picture's are really not doing the two shops justice. They're super cute.

My Bestfriend's Wedding

2011-10-16T00:50:00.001-05:00

For most people graduating college comes with a lot of life changes including more responsibilities, bill pay, and well...marriage. I went from never attending an American wedding to going to four, in two years (I was a bridesmaid in two of them).

Travis proposed to Sophi in August and they decided that they did not want to wait to have the wedding and since Sophi's childhood home is up for sale, there was no better time to have an at home Autumn garden wedding she's always dreamed of. Sophi grew up on Peaks Island, its about a 15 min boat ride from Maine. The island is 5 miles around and everyone knows one another.

Sophi was stunning in a vintage wedding dress with lace and a pleated skirt!

baby Bella!

Great gift table - bird cage for cards, a handmade sailboat for "money donations"

Photographs were everywhere!

Sophi and Travis had people sign their sail instead of a guest book! (FYI- they live on a boat!)

Sophi & Bella - I made Sophi's veil as well as the hair pieces for the bridal party and flower girls.

Skirt: Ashley Stewart

Shirt & Earrings: Target

Bracelets: Vintage & Spain (a gift from Val)

Shoes: BOBS

I've got to say - this is the most casual I've ever gone to a wedding and I loved it! It was unbelievably hot for an October wedding so I nixed the tights and boots and went for super casual (yet glittery flats). Sophi had asked all of her bridesmaids to wear similar fall color tones and I had such a hard time with it. I originally purchased a dress from ModCloth but I felt I needed to return it because of the poor quality of the dress. I was really annoyed with them because it's one of their best selling dresses. How can people be so fooled?!

I'm really excited about the turqoise bracelet I wore (and I continue to wear with every outfit!). One of my bestfriends, Val, got that for me while she was teaching in Spain. She said it immediately reminded her of me--boy does she know me well! I'm obsessed. Seriously.

Have you guys been to any great DIY weddings recently? Any tips or tricks? I guess I should be starting to plan my own wedding now...

(ps- sorry for the poor quality of these photos - I only had my iPhone for the weekend!)

Guest Blogger: Hello Dodo

2011-10-08T23:48:00.001-05:00

HELLO EVERYONE! This is not Sarah. Sarah is on vacation in Maine and asked me to guest blog for her while she was away. My name is Amy and I run a style blog called Hello Dodo, where I feature my daily outfits and talk about clothing a lot. Sarah and I went to school together and we are close friends, but I am also a frequent customer of Zzouzi Handmade & Vintage.

Unfortunately, I don't really wear hats and headbands very often because I have a weirdly-shaped head that is most unsuitable for headwear. And though I am a huge fan of vintage clothing, I am notoriously bad at thrifting and buying vintage has always been scary to me, because I never know how the fit will be or if the garment will need insane amounts of altering to be wearable. Also, none of my artistic abilities involve crafting anything real of any kind. Therefore, I can't really write about the kinds of things she typically blogs about, her sweet vintage finds, shopping adventures, or DIY projects.

What I can do is show off some of my favorite pieces I've acquired from Zzouzi Handmade & Vintage and how I've been incorporating them into my closet:

Vintage Noah's Ark Animal Pin Set

Okay, COME ON. How cute are these?! I love that they come in a little set and I can split them up or wear them together. Of course, I'm pretty sure I'm always going to wear them all together. In fact, I wish I had one of every animal so I could wear them ALL together. Yes, I would be covered in tiny pins, but I would feel on top of the world.

Vintage Skirts

I got both of these skirts from Sarah when she was still involved in The Mockingbirds. Not gonna lie, both of these were originally horrifically long and would never have worked on my short frame. It's amazing what a bit of hemming can do though. (Hemming not done by me, obviously, since I am still terrified of my sewing machine. Colleen did the honors. Thank you, Colleen!) Both are now breezy summer skirts, easy to throw on when the weather's sweltering.

VINTAGE DUCK SKIRT!!!

(a.k.a. the best skirt in the known universe)

This skirt was made for me. If anyone knows me personally (or hell, even just reads my blog once or twice), they'll know that I am obsessed with animals. I draw animals all the time, I am constantly adding new pets into my furry family, and animals are heavily featured in my wardrobe and jewelry collection. When Sarah bought this skirt, she made the mistake of sending me a photo of it. My first reaction was, "Wait... Are those DUCKS?!" After forcing her to take measurements of it and realizing that was exactly my size and was the perfect knee length for my short legs, Sarah heaved a deep sigh of defeat, and with an "UGH! FINE!" of exasperation, the skirt was mine! It didn't even make it onto her Etsy store.

When I put it on for the first time and the fit was perfect, I also found that it had pockets. Freakin' pockets. My other favorite thing, after animal clothing, is a skirt with pockets. It was like a vintage clothing fairy tale. I was in blissful, everlasting, love. Except my Prince Charming was this awesome corduroy skirt with ducks all over it.

So the moral of this story is, if I can find the perfect vintage duck-covered skirt of my dreams, so can you! Vintage clothing isn't as scary as I'd always thought, although I have to admit, it's been really helpful to have Sarah holding my hand through it this whole time.

Signing off until the next time Sarah lets me hijack her account,

Amy of Hello Dodo

Fall Vintage Photoshoot Sneak Peek

2011-10-02T22:00:00.001-05:00


Paige and Anna looking glamorous

Paige is wearing a 1960's sequin dress.

Anna is wearing a beautiful 1940's wiggle dress.


Christine embodying Twiggy

Christine is wearing a 1960's pleated dress.


My blogger friend Marie from So What if I like Pretty Things- who was our go-to gall for casual wear! Ironic because she is very skirt-centric!

Marie is wearing:

High waisted red pants from the 1980's

Her blouse is from the 1970's

A tooled leather handbag from the 1970's


Jasmine looking too cute in her school girl chic outfit!

Jasmine is wearing:

Headband by Zzouzi Hats

1960's polkadot blouse

1960's pleated skirt

The photoshoot went so well! All of the models were wonderful and it was SUCH a fun team to work with. These are just a small sample of photos taken by me and Kawtar but our main photographer was Nina Pagano and I can not wait to see her photos! Kawtar was the stylist for the shoot, I did hair and make up and we had SIX lovely models to work with: Anna Gorman, Christine Harrison, Paige Saliba, Marie Elliot, Jasmine Chong, and Alicia Moreno.

More amazing photographs to come!

Toms VS Bobs

2011-09-21T14:53:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to find comfortable shoes to wear to work for a while now. I need something that I can slip on and wear to work, run around in, and still be stylish. I've wanted these gold Toms for the longest time, and I love glitter (as you might be able to tell some of the items in my etsy shop). They just seemed a little out of my budget - expecially since I'm running after a 1.5 year old in the playground. I also read some reviews stating that they only last about 2 months, and I usually wear my shoes to the bone, so I needed something that if it did get ruined, I wouldnt feel totally guilty about spending $60 on. So I went to Famous Footwear to find some $30 keds or something and I found these knock off Toms there. I was outraged! How dare they copy a style (which lets be honest most fashion is just a direct copy of something else) of Toms shoes with out the actual and most important thing - the meaning behind them. For those of you who are not familiar with Toms (which, might be no one at this point) they're a wonderful company that started in California and with every purchase of Toms shoes a child in a developing country gets a pair of shoes.

"In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers."

An awesome missions statement. So awesome that other companies are copying them. Bobs by Skechers is ultimately the same. Skechers partnered up with Soles 4 Souls and is promising two pairs of shoes donated for everyone one sold.

"SKECHERS USA, Inc. a global leader in the footwear industry and the Number 2 footwear brand in the United States*, today announced that for every pair of BOBS alpagarta shoes sold, the Company will donate two pairs of BOBS shoes to children in need through the Soles4Souls shoe charity organization."

Although I felt kind of crummy about Skechers totally copying the idea, the ultimate point of this is that now there are two great companies that are donating shoes to children that really need them.

So okay, I bought the pair of Bobs shoes from Famous Footwear after doing some research on them. They're super comfortable, and glittery, and look EXACTLY THE SAME. I kind of wish they looked a little different. Then I wouldn't feel like I was the one copying Toms. Oh well. (pssst - the Bobs were half the price)

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Sister Saturday in the Suburbs!

2011-09-18T19:14:00.000-05:00

Since Kawtar started school, I haven't been able to see her much so last week we planned a big trip to the suburbs to go thrifting and exploring. Since we're both from a fairly small state, having suburbs that are large and like a city of their own is very new to us! We went up to Chicago's richest suburb (according to the internet) and it turns out they don't have any thrift stores! We should have known! The rich don't thrift! Anyway, after some exploring, we found an awesome flea market and some thrift stores and had a super awesome day!

Coffee Studio coffee at hand--ready for the day!

Kawtar and I are now forever drawn to things that look like junk. The more the better! Treasure hunters!

So many amazing pieces! What a collection!

This was our favorite booth (the above three images). She had the most personal amazing collection from the 1940-60's. I know Amy is just dying over that elephant belt now.

Kawtar:

Dress/Leggings: Target

Moccasins: Minnetonka Moccasin

Scarf: Urban Outfitters

Me:

Shirt/Cardigan/Pants: Target (sigh)

Scarf/Bracelets: Vintage

Boots: Charlotte Russe

Purse: Dooney and Bourke


We saw cows on our drive home...cows.

The suburbs were really refreshing. I can't believe how used to the anxiety the city gives me! It was calming, there was always parking, and people were really friendly. (Although, I will admit, most Chicagoan are super nice!) They remind me of Maine, the quiet family life, open space, overall peacefulness. I think this is going to become a frequent thing!

Nanny Chic

2011-09-15T21:06:00.000-05:00

I'm a full time nanny for two little boys, ages 3 and 1.5. They're adorable, fun, cute....and super messy! Last time I tried to dress up before going to work I ended up with apple sauce and spaghetti sace all over me. I need to be able to run, jump, play, and get messy with them so being cute, just isnt an option. Sooo, on my days off, although I'm resting, I like to dress up a little!

Skirt was upcycled - it was originally below the knee.

Blouse, Skirt, Purse, Belt, Bracelets: Vintage

Boots, Cardigan, Socks: Target

Sunglasses: H&M

I've also been working on listing and photographing things for the Etsy shop all day!

Well, I guess I need to stock up on some yoga pants and sweat shirts. Sigh.

How to Modernize Your Vintage Look - Without a Sewing Machine!

2011-09-13T21:32:00.003-05:00

It's really hard to dress up and look cute when you're running around after kid all day. That's probably the main reason I haven't been updating my blog. When I had my old job at the boutique, I had to look nice and represent the store (I failed at doing that sometimes too!) but now...3 year olds don't really care about what I wear. I'm going to attempt to do non-outfit related blog posts during the week, and maybe one or two during the weekends when I have some time to get dressed in the morning.

Today I had an afternoon sitting job, and I thought, why not look cute! It was way too hot to wear any form of pants or sweater so I threw this on. I found this dress while thrifting a few weeks back. Originally it went way past my knees, but I chopped it up to make it more modern. The only problem was when shortening the dress, I failed to measure it correctly and I cut it about an inch too short - so now I have to hand hem it.

I was taking these pictures and Ismail had to jump in... not really sure why. I don't really know if he understands why I take so many outfit pictures. (check it out -- this dress has pockets!)

I just listed this necklace...but I'm really debating on keeping it. It's just so cute and unique!

Dress/Belt: Vintage

Necklace: Zzouzi Vintage

Shoes: Target

A lot of the time I'll find a dress that has an amazing print on it, or a great silhouette, or color (like this one!) and I don't buy it because it falls under the bad 80's/90's category in my mind but I found some simple tricks to modernize the look:

The easiest one is to shorten the dress/skirt. Even if you aren't an expert sewer, just buy some stitch witchery and iron that hem up. Make sure you measure it correctly (remember measure twice, cut once!). tip on measuring: If its a circle skirt measure from the base of the skirt up how many inches you want it shortened.

Next - Remove the shoulder pads! Simple! Easy! Voila!

You can also remove the sleeves - Often, even if you remove the shoulder pads on a dress, the shoulder spacing will be so far out it still makes you seem broad shouldered. Simply make your dress sleeveless by carefully removing the sleeves from the shoulder seam using a seam ripper (or small scissors). Turn the dress inside out, and at the shoulder seam cut the thread that is surged on there carefully and hand stitch it back in place.

But the easiest way to transform a look is to just simply add a belt! The 80's were full of drop waist dresses that work so well for many people (not me), so whenever I encounter a drop waist dress, I just add a belt and make it a blousy top! (Okay, this dress is really not the best example because the waistline isn't that low - but give it a try with a real drop waist - it makes a really cute mini dress!)

Studio

2011-09-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

Before:

After:

Well folks, this is where the magic happens-- vintage and handmade creation magic that is. Ok, so not much has changed but I actually just redid this to include that large table that you see to the right. I realized that my small desk was not large enough for me to sew and did not have enough space for me to spread my supplies out. I longed for a corner table, but since I have that silly heater in the corner, I had to find another solution. The long table also doubles as a table for craft and vintage fairs! It folds up and fold in half with a handle! They've seriously thought of everything.

What I'm most excited about is the Babar et Les Balloons Water color poster that is in front of my desk. When I was a kid I loved Babar and my mom used to always read me his stories. I scored this large scale water colored poster at the thrift store the other day. I knew it was the just the thing I needed to replace those records. (Although the records will probably end up on another wall).

Quickie

2011-08-30T23:16:00.002-05:00

Shirt & Sandals: Target

Skirt: H&M

Purse & Earrings: Vintage

Went out to a fabulous Persian restaurant last night with my friend Paige. I wanted to try mixing my denim shirt with something other than black shorts! This floral skirt seemed like the perfect remix. Tying the shirt up and exposing a little stomach gave it a vintage-yet-casual feeling. I've always been afraid to bare my stomach because I'm not exactly the thinnest gal on the block, but I felt great in this outfit! It showed just the right amount of skin for me to feel sexy and yet confident. I've tried to wear tankinis before but it just never felt right! A more vintage approach is definitely more my forte. Also please note how white my stomach is compared to the rest of me. It clearly does not get exposed to the sun very often - hah!

6th Chicago Models and Photographers Meet Up Hosted By Diem Angie Nguyen

2011-08-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

This shoot was so much fun! What a talented group of people to work with! See if you can spot me and some of my hats!

Bridal Photoshoot

2011-08-28T20:51:00.001-05:00

Kpoene invited me to be a part of another photoshoot! The location was an amazing downtown condo and there were about a dozen photographers running around taking pictures of four models. There was also a stylist and a jewelry designer, a videographer, Luis Boss Herrera from Skylight Promotions did the advertisment for the event. It was a great collaboration! Kpoene made all of the beautiful bridal dresses and the veils and hair pieces are made by me.

Models:

Jolene Palmer

Rebecca Rae Votta

Liz Harvey

Jasmine Jade

Me, The Stylist, Jeweler, Kpoene

I was excited to go out and actually socialize for once and wear my new Asos romper! This came in the mail last week and I've been dying to wear it, but I had no where to go.

Romper: Asos

Bracelets: Vintage

Shoes: Kelly & Katie

Zzouzi Hats & Mignonette Bridal

2011-08-27T11:54:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I met NYC designer Kpoene of Mignonette Bridal. She is a transplant and moved to Chicago after her decade designing in NYC. Her work has been in the Washington Post, Magazines, and quite a number of TLC shows, but most importantly she loves her work and she has stunning designs. She kindly asked me if I would like to be involved in a few photo shoots she has coming up to promote the grand opening of her very own bridal boutique here in Chicago! I am so excited to be working with someone so talented. Here are a few outtakes from the shoot on Thursday. Actual pictures from the photo shoot soon to come!

Vintage Humor

2011-08-26T16:07:00.002-05:00

Monday night my sister, Kawtar, invited us to an open mic at Shambles in Wicker Park. Normally I wouldn't trek all the way across town, but I jumped at the chance to see her perform again! Christine, Paige and I sat through a lot, and I mean a lot, of performers before Kawtar finally got to go up but it was well worth it to see her hilarious set.

(We were in the front - so it really isn't just an audience of one!)

I've got to say, I don't head over to Wicker Park too much because its such a long drive and pretty inconvenient, but because of work I've really come to love the neighborhood again (even in its altered state of yuppieness). The neighborhood really takes advantage of summer and Division street is lined with creative and beautiful outdoor seating arrangements. I can not think of anything better than sitting outside with a cold beer and a good meal in this city.

These stunning ladies are a great example of how to rock vintage in an every-day way.

Kawtar (left) is wearing an adorable floral teacher dress from the 80's. Hits right above the knee, and is perfectly flattering and cute for a summer day.

Christine (middle) is wearing an Asian inspired satin floral mini dress from the early 90's. She paired it with leggings and flats to modernize this look.

Paige (right) actually bought this dress while I was working at Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ. I've been waiting for someone to snag this stunner. It's a 1960's inspired wiggle dress, that I believe was from the early 80's. We removed the shoulder pads, added a belt, and voilà! Instantly modern!

I was the only one who did not sport a vintage dress! I felt so left out but I was really excited to wear this dress. It's my first animal print! (I actually wore it three times this week - hah!)

Dress: Target (This Season)

Belt: Target (Three years ago)

Bag: Vintage

Bracelet: Vintage via Vintage Heaven

Shoes (see here): Kelly & Katie (DSW - Spring)

Chicago Street Style

2011-08-18T14:05:00.002-05:00

Spotted: Adorable child sporting a curly bob, gold toms, and an Andy Warhol-like print dress. She finished her look with mod sunglasses and an elephant backpack. Accessorized with a simple beaded bracelet and purple hair bow.

I've always thought of starting a Children's Style Blog. ChildChic? Trendsetters under Ten? Although - I'd be pretty worried asking for their parent's permission to put them in a blog post. Thankfully, this girls identity is hidden behind her hip sunglasses. (I also asked her dad...)

Anyway - I always love seeing what kid's wear because they're so daring with their colors and patterns. I wish adults were more like that (myself included).

Zzouzi Vintage @ Vintage Heaven

2011-08-17T14:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend was my first weekend selling clothes at Vintage Heaven! My sister and I are actually doing these things together. It was so much fun to meet other local Chicago vendors and to spend the entire weekend with her. My favorite part however was really talking to all of the vendors. Everyone does things so differently, and has so many different styles! It was great to see that much of a range of vintage!

Prepping for the sale and unpacking was the most difficult part though. I have a rather large 4 door compact car, but it's always full of stuff! We some how fit my dining room table, two clothing racks, two suitcases, four bags of clothes, two boxes, and a huge duffel bag as well as three people in the car. I had no idea we had so much stuff. It took us three hours to unpack and set up. Needless to say we're really going to have to rethink our organizational technique. I think we may need to buy some of those large storage bins. Anyone have any advice?

Skirt: Handmade Shirt: Target Purse: Dooney and Bourke Vintage

** This was taken at Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ, a vintage, new, used, and handmade boutique in Andersonville before the Vintage Sale.

Running around town

2011-08-11T23:08:00.001-05:00

What a hectic day! I nannied two of the most adorable kids today but wow am I not used to waking up before 8 am. Talk about leisurely lifestyles. No time to dress so I changed when I got off of work so I could run to a meeting then run the rest of my errands.


Shirt: thrifted Skirt: Handmade/re-styled Purse: Vintage Dooney and Bourke Belt: Target Sunglasses: F21 PS: this skirt used to be a dress that I chopped up in half and added elastic - itll be much more useful to me as a fun skirt! PPS: I don't look this grumpy all the time!!

I'm preparing for Vintage Heaven's Big Sale this weekend so I wanted to get a bit of last minute shopping before it! Sad to say I only had an hour to search (usually need at least 2) but I found a cardi for the sale, and some fun jewelry!

Well for those of you in the area - come check out the sale! There are always amazing finds!

A dollar can go a long way...

2011-08-11T00:44:00.003-05:00

Dress: Thrifted Belt: Target Shoes: DSW: Kelly and Katie (Most comfortable shoes ever!) Earrings: Vintage Sunglasses: F21

It's been a lot harder to get your monies worth these days. With America facing further economic down fall and the job market not expanding, its a wonder that anyone can make it these days. I've been lucky enough to be able to thrift and find some real treasures, and this dress was one of them! I'm generally a size 16 (this dress is a bit bigger I think) so it's very difficult for me to find things while thrifting. Vintage is especially hard, so I make it a point that when I shop vintage for my shop, I include a wide range of sizes. Anyway, I was lucky enough to find this dress a few weeks back! It had a broken zipper, but otherwise seemed almost new! After a few zipper tricks (it was simply off the track!) I got the dress to function and look pretty great. I've worn this dress to interviews, shopping, and nannying now. It's the perfect all around summer dress: Comfortable, stylish, and flattering! The key when thrifting is to find things in a size range.

Tips and Tricks:

       - Although you may wear a certain size at your favorite store, you need to understand that things
at a thrift store are from different decades, companies, and countries - so dont be afraid to try
          things on!

      - You're hunting for the bargain so make sure you go and take your time!

      - Make sure you look everywhere. Things are often miss placed and scattered around the store so
        keep your eyes peeled for fun prints, textures, and styles!

      -Lastly try and go with a friend. Just because things are at a low price doesn't mean you should get
        everything. Make sure what you get is flattering and you have room in your wardrobe for it.
        Don't be a hoarder.

Let me know your latest (or greatest) finds!

Life is but thought

2011-08-09T19:54:00.004-05:00

My first life-style post in Zzouzi Blog! How exciting! This is a pathetic "I'm going to nanny all day so I need to be comfortable" outfit, so to make up for it, I thought I would share my beautiful walk to the bus stop.

F21 Striped Plus Size Dress, Gap Jean Jacket, F21 Sun Glasses, Iman Purse (more like a suitcase), Handmade Feather Earrings

Gethsemane Garden Center is such a pleasure to walk by every day! I think thats one of the reasons I love Andersonville so much - it feels so small town. As you guys may or may not know, I'm from a fairly small city (Portland, ME) and it just reminds me of home so much.

After work I whipped myself up a cocktail (Skinny Girl Margarita- even though I'm more of a Belgian beer kind of girl) and a fruity snack and set to work re-doing my dining room to look more like an office workspace. It is still a work in progress, but I'm pretty pleased with it. I have such a hard time finding a place to work in my house. It is either too loud, too hot, or too messy. Thankfully that makes the dining room a perfect haven for me, my crafts, and vintage.

Check out Lena keeping me company!

New Beginnings

2011-08-08T19:27:00.005-05:00

Zzouzi Hats has seen some changes! With this expansion I hope to give you guys more updates. Hat making has been put on a slight pause due to the financial difficulties (they cost a lot!) and I've been working a lot more. I hope by including vintage and other handmade things I will actually be able to sell more items in order to fund my hat making! Always invest back in yourself, right? Anyway - I started a small etsy shop that I hope to add more to with time. I'm just excited to be doing something other than working, looking for work, interviewing, or well...working.

Spring 2011 Collection

2011-04-07T18:56:00.002-05:00

Photographed by Melinda Myers
Vintage clothes by The Mockingbirds

Here is a peek at the Spring 2011 collection. To see all of the images check the Zzouzi Hats Facebook Fan page.

I hope you guys like them!

Spring Craze

2011-04-04T11:16:00.002-05:00

Zzouzi Hats is in the middle of a whirlwind of projects! This month I have a lot going on, and I can not be more excited for it! I've recently felt that I've been neglecting my hats a lot but not anymore! Lets recap a bit of whats been going on.

In March I taught a Spring Hair Accessory Class at Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ - a wonderful boutique the showcases local talent, as well as new and vintages items. The class was a hit! The ladies that showed up were naturals! We ended up creating so many beautiful pieces with so many combinations of different styles, textures, and materials! It was great!

Towards the end of March I had to photoshoots scheduled that completely snuck up on me. They were wonderful though! The first one was with MVK Photography and the second one was a Columbia Student that was in her last year. Both Photographers were unbelievable. They each had a very different style, so I am very excited to see how these turned out!

Finally APRIL. This month I will be participating in the MNFashion Week. Their Spring line is a collection inspired by the tragedies of 2010, so it should be a very interesting show. I am also assisting two SAIC students with their Fashion2011 looks for the May fashion show that will be in Millennium Park. Both designers have really exciting collections so I am really excited to help them carry out their visions!

And last but not least - Studio Total - has contacted me for a special project. I can't really reveal anymore about that, but I can tell you about their great company. They are an alternative advertising company that focuses on a-typical advertising, such as social media, spectacles, and other ways of generating word of mouth from their audience. They became popular by doing outlandish and unexpected things and "guerilla marketing". You can read more about them on their website - HERE - or on WIKI. What do you guys think? Sounds pretty fun right?

.

Spring is in the Air!

2011-03-20T01:22:00.003-05:00

Hey guy!

Long time - no post. I think I am going to continue doing once a month posts because between this, The Mockingbirds, and Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ, I'm going a bit crazy. Social media madness.

Here is what is going on with Zzouzi Hats though. Next week I have two professional photoshoots set up with some amazing photographers. One is a Chicago photographer with a bit of an indie feel to her - we're doing a very vintage shoot. Another D.C. based photographer and I will be doing an outdoor beauty shoot.

Zzouzi Hats will also be participating in a few Spring fashion shows, one of which is Minneapolis Fashion Week in April!

Tomorrow I will be hosting a class at Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ on how to make your very own spring hair accessory. I'll be sure to post pictures on Facebook tomorrow, so make sure to check!

Us Trendy

2011-02-06T00:06:00.002-06:00

New Spring Accessories

It's been quite a long time since I posted, there have been some crazy things happening in my life. Anyway - that's life.

Us Trendy contacted me a few months ago about listing some of my products on their site and I have just now gotten around to it. It is an amazing site which promotes independent fashion designers in a great way. They advertise in Nylon Magazine as well as on the Perez Hilton website, so it is a great opportunity for Zzouzi Hats!

I've done a few things with Zzouzi Hats in the past few months including making some new pieces and Zzouzi Hats are now availible to buy on Us Trendy as well as Etsy.

Zzouzi Hats giveaway!

2010-11-29T00:00:00.007-06:00

Hello lovelies!

I hope you guys have been doing well. I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone and I am already putting up Christmas decorations!

My great friend Lisa is hosting a giveaway of one of my handmade pieces! All you have to do to enter is reply on her blog with your favorite hat/accessory design of mine!

Please feel free to follow Zzouzi Hats via Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin, or here on Blogspot!

Christmas is almost here and I thought a nice winter-y piece would be a great to accessorize with!

Feather Starburst

Actual (please note the button change)

Enter the contest here

Good luck loves!

Google Alert: Zzouzi Hats

2010-11-09T12:05:00.003-06:00

I got a nice little surprise when I set up my Google alert for my millinery business. Other than the large amount of Twitter posts I make a day, it alerted me about a lovely little blog called INFLUENCE.

Influence had a great article about how hats were making a come back, with photos from various runway shows from NYFW 2010, and a few from local designers. I was surprised to see that one of my images had made it up there, along with millinery friend Tonya Gross.

"Hats are finally making a comeback. Not just any old winter beanies and baseball hats, but artistic creations with intricate flowers, feathers, and sculptural shapes. Slowly but surely, they crept up with fedoras a few seasons ago and now, thanks to Sarah Jessica Parker’s show stopping hats, Aretha Franklin’s bow hat at the Inauguration, and the outrageous creations worn by Lady Gaga- they have become an outlet for self expression once again. Fabulous hats are not just for the Kentucky Derby and any trend-setter can feel confident in a one of a kind creation." - Influence

Our hats off to you Influence.

Have you started incorporating hats into what you wear normally? I find so many more people wearing such interesting pieces when I go out - vintage, handmade, or even store bought. I'm glad to see a millinery come-back!

Sorry about the lack of posts folks- I've just been so busy actually making hats and things, that I haven't had time to sit down and write. I have a new project I'm working on- and I will let you know as soon as it launches, although it may be some time from now.

Things still to come in the future:

Flat Patterned Hats
Vintage Inspirations
Zzouzi Hats Logo

Anything you'd like to see from me? Let me know! I am totally open to suggestions!

♥

James Prinz Shoot

2010-10-26T10:42:00.003-05:00

This shots were done in May of 2010 of a few of my hats that were exhibited in the Curiouser and Curiouser gallery show. The first hat was based off of the New York Chrysler building with the different tiers and studs. I some how never got a good picture of this hat, so I'm really thankful it was part of this shoot, especially since it just sold at Mr. and Mrs. Digs!

Based off of the Chrysler Building in NYC - black felt and studs -

Based off of the Eiffel Tower with the lace "iron" arches - grey stiffened silk and black lace.


Twig Hat - Hand painted live leaves and twigs on black sinamay.

I am currently working on a commission for Halloween night. It's based on Casablanca's

Ingrid Bergman.

I will take pictures once it is done. What a long process!

Also if you have not done so yet, check out my new blog Contemporary Vintage! It's about every day life, fashion, and the struggles of becoming an adult (including starting my own little label - Zzouzi Hats!)

♥

And the Hattiest of them all...

2010-10-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

My old teacher Eia finally received the great photographs from spring semester of the Raymond Hudd Millinery Award Judging. What a nerve racking day! We had no idea what was in store. It was after our gallery show, so we had the stress of the show finished but then the nerves of the judging.

We were asked to tell them what year we were in, the techniques that we used to create our pieces and our inspiration.

Dean Lisa Wainwright trying on my hat that she ended up wearing to graduation

The recipients of the dean's hat award - Myself and Sophia Khan

The Dean trying on the Golden Twig hat.

Explaining to the judges my technique of silkscreen printing on hats

Advanced Headwear Class

Advanced Headwear class with the judges and our teacher, Eia.

The Award Winners and the Judges


The six award recipients

Millinery Animal Use: Fur trimmed hat

2010-10-20T10:57:00.003-05:00

Milliners have never been very good friends with animals. We used to use beaver to make the wool hoods but due to the popularity of hats in the 14th century beavers were being over used. Using beavers to make felt lasted until the 18th century because it was the preferred material. By the 1600s Europe had used an extraordinary supply of their own beavers and many began to look to America for the supply--and thus, exporting hats and wool began.

Independent hat makers were whittled down because of the big boom of factories, and to meet the factory supply, imports had to be made from further and further away. Needless to say, fashion has had a huge impact on the fur trade and the use of living creature as accessories should not even be an option anymore. We've made great advances in technology, different ways to replicate fur, different ways to get the texture and feel of faux fur, and even better ways of keeping ourselves warm. Now that we have the knowledge of different insulation solutions, why do we need to use animals?

I began thinking about this when someone tried on this recent hat and asked me if the fur I used was real...and she seemed aghast when I told her it was, and she immediately put the hat down. On that note, my own practice: I do use Rabbit felt because it is the only wool I feel comfortable enough working in for my hats. The rabbits are shaved and only their underbelly is used for the wool. Beaver is a lot more expensive due to the great decline in that population. The fur that is used in my hats is strictly vintage.

It makes me very happy to see a lot of fashion is moving in the way of the FAUX. Elle magazine, after receiving a very upsetting letter about it from a reader, has printed a page dedicated to fur fashions 7 out of 10 of them are faux!

I am not a vegetarian, nor do I know if the beauty products I use are tested on animals, but I believe that I am working my way into finding out a better way to go about treating our furry friends the way they deserve to be treated...especially since I have a baby of my own.

Mr. and Mrs. Digz

2010-10-10T19:15:00.002-05:00

It's been a very busy weekend for Zzouzi Hats!

We had the great opportunity to be one of the showcased designers at Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ, a great little boutique in Andersonville, as part of Andersonville's Art Weekend. This weekend is dedicated to showcasing artists and shops in Andersonville. You walk up and down clark st, drinking champagne, eating, and enjoy art work. What else could you ask for?

They had various sorts of performences and music going throughout the evening. When I stopped into Mr. and Mrs. Digz I met a few lovely ladies who thought my hats were a hit! I am always so relived to hear that people (other than artists) like my hats! I ended up selling one which is wonderful, and now I have to make more for another event Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ is hosting!


Fall 2010 Hat Display at Mr. and Mrs. DIGZ

Well this looks like a very busy week ahead. On Wednesday my friend and I some how both landed tickets to see OPRAH! I am trying to figure out what hat to wear now. I might bring up a back up hat in case they tell me that my hat is too big. I hope it's a good episode.

Anyway - I am so sorry for such a late update, but nothing has been happening in the "Hat World"...which is partly my fault. My sister was here to visit and I dedicated a week to spending time with her. Between that and working, I was wiped out. Anyway folks, I will try to do better... I am just wondering, what is the next step? Any suggestions? I think some advertising, and press is necessary. Any leads?

Fall Collection

2010-09-29T12:59:00.002-05:00

Well, after J. Slater and I diligently worked last night over dinner (which ended up giving me food poisoning hah) we FINALLY got all the pictures. We had this unbelievable bout of bad luck last night when none of the pictures would burn on to a disk, an external hard drive, or anything else for that matter. Anyway, it was all worth it for these amazing pictures! All of these hats will be available for sale through zzouzi.com and via email at zzouzi@gmail.com.

I would like to thank J. Slater, Anna Gorman, Christina Dougherty, Cecca Morrone, Shannon Marks, and Lisa Burback for all their help getting this together.

Fall 2010

Let me know what you think! :)

PS: If you haven't done so already - enter the BelindaBilly contest to win a free t-shirt! All you have to do is fill out a survey that takes about 5 min!

New website for Zzouzi Hats!

2010-09-24T10:40:00.002-05:00

My wonderful friend Amy has been working diligently on my new website and last night she finished it! I've been anxiously waiting to revile it to all of you - and now I finally can (well I did quite a bit last night on facebook too! hah) I just want you all to see the unbelievable amount of detail she put into this site. She worked so hard and I am so happy with it.

I did have a little panic attack midway through when I asked her if the site looked to rectangular *cough*theoatmeal*cough - but it is perfect. My friend Nami also wrote my mini bio for the site! (Aren't my friends wonderful?! ) I honestly could not have started this small business with out them - they are my photographers, designers, models, and best critics (not to mention customers!). So this post is dedicated to all of you who have helped me get Zzouzi Hats off the ground and on to someone's head (or browser - hah). Driving me from location to location - carting my hats - prodivding me with press and countless other things. I don't want to name names because I KNOW I will forget someone, and that would be terrible. I also really want to thank all of those who follow and comment on my blog, thank you for all of your support.

Ahem - now that I've gotten all emotional, I want to geek out and show you all the wonderful details some of you may not have noticed on my new site!

The font matches my business cards (which were made first)

Amy took the time and DREW little pictures of my hats behind each banner

She also made little social network top hats!

And with out further notice, I present to you Zzouzi.com

I hope you all love it as much as I do.

Photoshoot for the Fall Line

2010-09-20T12:00:00.008-05:00

Anna in a vintage inspired black felt hat
bird cage netting, and a vintage broach.

Saturday afternoon we had a studio book for the evening and we were ready to get on our way! We shot most of my fall collection that night and it was fantastic. My models this time were Anna Gorman, Cecca Morrone, and Christina Dougherty and the photographer was Joshua Slater, we were going for a very commercial look this time around and after a grueling seven hours in the studio we were done. I think the pictures turned out great but they still need editing so they wont be ready for another week, but here is a sneak peek of some of the pictures! Let me know what you guys think of this look! Again thank you to everyone who helped me this weekend!

Christina in a black felt hat. Printed scarf by Jes Stadler

Anna Gorman in a vintage inspired black felt hat

Blog Feature

2010-09-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

Zzouzi Hats was featured on this lovely blog today! 5 More Minutes is Meghan McNally's lovely blog where she explores a variety of things from French women, to Brad Pitt in tweed. Her recent fascination has been hats (who can blame her?!) So go check it out, follow her, and let me know what you think!

Also - Photoshoot pictures should be up in about a week! Weee!

Anna Gorman being photographed by Joshua Slater

Do I wear hats?

2010-09-17T18:44:00.002-05:00

I really enjoyed this Target commercial. Maybe I'll do a tutorial on how to wear different hats properly. A lot of people think that they are not "Hat People" (whatever that is) - but they just have not found a hat right for them. The only people who aren't hat people are those with out heads...(All I can think of is Nearly Headless Nick).

All you need is some time, different style hats, and some courage in order to find the right type of hat for you to pull off a hat! (And a hat pin if you live in a windy city -- aka Chicago)

Life without a computer

2010-09-16T00:24:00.002-05:00

Life with out a computer feels like no life at all. My hard drive crashed in the early days of September, marking my computers fourth birthday. I wake up in the morning, watch television, make breakfast, go for a run, clean a bit....then go to work, sleep and repeat. Okay, so it's not that bad, but thankfully my boyfriend found a great used computer for us to buy temporarily, so I can continue working on my Zzouzi Universe!

Anyway, I am preparing for a photoshoot this weekend with a new photographer. I am going to be the stylist, and my friend Lisa donated some of her vintage clothes for the shoot. I am so excited to get my new stuff photographed and shown! I feel like nothing has been moving forward at all because things keep getting in the way! I am very frustrated with this. I am a very "go go go" person so waiting things out is, needless to say, painful.

On a side note: I now have to relearn Mac hot keys.

Anyway, the photographs here are some ideas that I am going to play with in the photoshoot. It is so difficult finding good pictures of fur and hats, believe it or not. If you guys have better luck, please share it!

Also, any ideas on make-up?

War time illustration

This photograph has nothing to do with this post, but I just had to share it because of how beautiful she looks here:

Marylin Monroe

On that note, I will close off this post. Tomorrow is Local Lookbook's grand opening and I need to figure out what I'm going to wear! What hat?! What shoes?! Pants or Dress?! It's going to take hours.

(Post dedicated to my old computer, R.I.P. big guy. You put up with a lot.)

Local Lookbook in Chicago Social

2010-09-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

The store where my hats and headbands are sold, Local Lookbook, was featured in Chicago Social this month. They wrote about the popularity of the clothing designers as well as what a great community builder the store is. You can read the article here, on page 80.


You can see my headbands, bottom center.

In other news I'm working on getting some photoshoots set up and done so I can finally upload more images on the Sears website as well as have catalog images for my newer items. I have three photoshoots set up with a variety of different photographers who all have very different styles - this should be very interesting. :)

By mid September I would like to have my fall collection done in order to put in stores and make available online. If you are interested in any fall headwear, or a specific style of hat, let me know! I'd be happy to make it for you. I am also still debating on what to do with a bright red felt body.


(Photo from website Judith M Supplies)

I would love to get some feed back on what to make next!

What would you do to improve this blog?

2010-09-02T19:48:00.004-05:00

Hello all! I was just wondering if you had any feed back on the blog, what I can do to improve it, or just helpful criticism. If you like it the way it is-- just let me know and not a thing will change! I am primary using this blog to show new work and write about upcoming shows and sales, but I would be willing to add more content if you feel its necessary.

What can I do to improve this blog?

If something isn't addressed in the poll, please post what you think in the comments!

I really appreciate all of your dedication to reading, and following it.

xoxo
Sarah

September Issue

2010-09-01T20:54:00.007-05:00

Well, the summer is officially over...and I don't have to go back to school. That is a very odd feeling. Meanwhile, I've been using my free time to create a fall collection with my hats. I also need to organize a photo shoot in order to photograph hats to sell on Sears and my website (the website is looking REALLY good...I just need it to be done now *coughamycough*)

I redid one of my old hats, and I'm thinking to wear it to one of my friends upcoming shows.

I'm still not sure about the shape or how its worn, but I'm still playing around with it. That's probably the best thing about working with straw, you can re-work it a lot.

My kitten has no idea whats on my head

As some of you know, I nannying in order to support my everyday life...and my art (hat supplies don't come cheap!). Well I've recently introduced the kids to Mary-Kate and Ashley movies. Talk about flash-back! Toys, video games, Mary-Kate and Ashley animated? But lets talk clothes; You never realize how bad some fashion items are until you look back on them ten years later.

I wanted to focus in on the hats though. Though the hats weren't much better than the clothes people seemed to actually WEAR them! I suppose the age of Blossom helped.

Well, this is the only photograph I found of them as kids wearing unique hats. If you do happen to relapse on your childhood, keep and eye out for hats...and those hideous shoes we all seemed to wear at that age.

The hat habit for the Olsens' has not changed however. They are still rocking beautiful hats, whether it be to hide themselves from paparazzi or simply for fashion, they know how to wear them.

BelindaBilly Fashion Fridays Interview!

2010-08-20T12:40:00.001-05:00

Here is a snip it of the interview I had with designer Belindabilly on Thursday.

...Accessories!

What’s the best way to make an outfit unique? Accessories - which is the topic of today's Fashion Friday. Let’s start at the top with hats!

Sarah Azzouzi, the proprietor behind Zzouzi Hats has been concocting creative headwear since she started studying in the fashion department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She focuses her energy on high end hat-making, but also creates dozens of dazzling hair clips, headbands, and fascinators for the more faint at heart. I sat down with the milliner on Thursday to learn more about her business and her designs. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

BPC: So, what made you first decide to get into headwear?
SA: While attending The School of the Art Institute of Chicago I took a variety of different Fashion classes, and I realized I liked sculptural hands on fashion, so it was suggested to me that I try a Millinery course. When I first took it, I was a bit unsure, but I fell in love with the process, and I've been doing it ever since. When I told my mom what I wanted to focus on a while later, she laughed because she always used to put me in hats and I hated them; I guess that's just irony for you.

You can read more of the interview at Belinda's blog.

Also remember to sign up for the Zzouzi Giveaway!

Give away!

2010-08-18T20:37:00.004-05:00

Zzouzi Hats is hosting a give away!

All you have to do to enter is to follow Zzouzi Hats on Facebook and share the contest with others, then comment informing me that you did!

Once you do, you're entered! It's as simple as that! The deadline to enter is until next Wednesday - so you have an entire week, and I will announce the winner on Friday the 27th.

The prize is this lovely grey satin headband with glass beading detailing.

Good Luck <3

Photoshoot

2010-08-18T14:57:00.007-05:00

Last Saturday my friend Lisa invited me to tag along in a photoshoot that she was doing for her new small business, Archives Chicago. Our model was Jamie Lynn Henderson, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a contestant Bravo's TV show Work of Art.

The heat index was over 100 degrees and Jamie was such a good sport about everything! She even changed in Lisa's car. I know I was dying.

A lot of people don't realise the true potential in vintage clothing, raise the hem, add some new accessories, and modern pumps and you've got yourself a trendy look!

Here are some photos from the shoot - dresses available on sale on the Archives' website and the headbands are available through this blog.

I've joined bloglovin'

2010-08-13T19:27:00.004-05:00

Hi all! Hope everyone has been doing well to stay cool and avoiding the high heat. I've forgotten to take my sunglasses with me to work all week so I've had to deal with the blazing sun every day. Anyway! Today is Friday- that means I have the whole weekend to work on hats, blogs, photo shoots and more!

Well first off...
Follow my blog with bloglovin'

Or if you're not following me already on blogspot make sure that you scroll down and follow my blog! By clicking follow, it'll ensure that you get the latest on whats going on with Zzouzi Hats and probably a bit more ;)

Though, I'm not quite sure what the "more" is!

Upcoming events this week:

Sears.com has one Zzouzi item for sale right now! Go look me up!

Photo shoot tomorrow with Archives's Lisa Burback and THIS lovely lady as our model.

Zzouzi Hats website due to be finished so soon! I can't wait for you guys to see it Amy Amok did an amazing job!

Anyway - a friend of mine just posted some pictures of some work I did during my last semester at SAIC, and there should be a blog post about that soon.

Colleen's Wedding

2010-08-09T09:56:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I attended my friend Colleen and Josh's wedding. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. It was outdoors in, in an opening in the woods. as we entered we were given bug spray and bubbles. We sat on logs as they retold the story of how they met, and how Josh's romantic proposal and surprised was thwarted by Colleen's focus on her art followed by their vows.

We went to the reception which was in a beautiful old church that has recently turned into a hall for parties. The dj played a mix of classic wedding music along with a few choice songs that reminded us of some funny college memories.

Anyway - pictures speak a lot better than words, so here are a few:

Here are some close ups of the veil I made Colleen:

The entire wedding was so beautiful, needless to say I was a tearful mess.

The Big News

2010-08-07T13:47:00.005-05:00

About two weeks ago I got an e-mail from a representative at Sears. More specifically she was the Local Marketplace Acquisitions Manager. She wanted me to be a part of Sear Online Local Marketplace.

"..We are rolling out a program where the products from local retailers will be listed on Sears.com, and customers will be able to purchase on Sears.com and then choose to either pickup from the retailer’s location, or have items delivered to their home. One of the product categories that we are focused on is accessories, and making Zzouzi Hats an ideal partner for the release."

My automatic reaction - This had to be fake, right? Wrong. It is totally 100% real. So real that I am signing contracts and things on Monday.

Sears is trying to expand their company by incorporating local designers, a delivery service, and much more. The company's website gets over 3 million viewers a day (more than I could ever hope to get in a lifetime!) and this will allow Zzouzi Hats to be put on the market.

I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful opportunity and I will let you guys know as soon as I get my stuff up on their website!

Tsuki: Ladies Night 2

2010-07-30T21:16:00.005-05:00

Well, Amy and I didn't sell anything. We got pleanty of compliments though, I guess it just wasn't the right time for people to spend the money. We both got free manicures and free drinks, so the night was not a loss! And - I got to spend a lot of time with Amy...and take really obnoxious pictures while people tried to dine.

Amy modeling my newly made headband!

Now I must go to sleep because tomorrow is Colleen's Wedding. Completely crazy to think about, she is the first person I spoke to *in person* at SAIC, with her silly white/grey hair, I cant believe she's getting married.

I will be back Sunday with beautiful pictures of her wedding!

Tsuki: Ladies Night

2010-07-29T14:00:00.007-05:00

Well last night around 11:30 my friend Minami called me and told me that the restaurant she works at, Tsuki, is hosting a ladies night and one of their vendors isn't going to show up so they had an opening for me to sell some stuff! I have most of my things at Local Lookbook, so I had to make a lot of stuff, fast.

It ended up being okay because I worked from 11:30 til 2 am, then woke up again at 8:30 and worked til 2.

Here are a few of the things I'm selling.

Hope to see you guys tonight at Tsuki
1441-43 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

from 6-10

Colleen's Veil

2010-07-27T17:19:00.007-05:00

I threw a "surprise" bachelorette party for my ex roommate last Sunday. We held the party at a local french restaurant Rendezvous Bistro off of Lawrence Ave. We had the whole place to ourselves to eat, drink, and play games. I think we had a little too many mimosas while playing janga, but it was still a lot of fun.

I worked on her veil after the party, and after a cup of strong coffee. Her veil had two hand made silk tulled flowers in ivory with pearl stamens. The veiling is an ivory bird cage netting and there is a triangle pearl detail that you can only see when viewing the piece sideways. Colleen has a slight obsession with triangles so I thought it would be a funny little thing to add to her veil. The actual veiling took a long time because she didn't want it to drape over her eyes, so I had to make it just right. At 2 am the next day I was finally done, and I am very proud of my work.

I will post more images when I get back from her wedding on Sunday.

Colleen came and picked it up the next day and she said she loved it. She also helped me come up with a Mission Statement for my line, let me know what you guys think! I personally love it.

Zzouzi Hats is always seeking the new and
innovative design through vintage
and alternative inspiration.

Weddings Weddings Weddings!

2010-07-23T12:18:00.008-05:00

I've started working on a veil for one of my bestfriends in Chicago. She is getting married on July 31st (Harry Potter's birthday!) in central Illinois. This is not only a momentous occasion because she is one of my first friends to get married, but this will also be my FIRST American wedding.

Last summer I went to three Moroccan weddings (my home land) and they were all so beautiful. I have always dreamed of having a traditional American wedding, since I grew up in generic Disney-fied pop culture, but last summer changed me a bit. I began to see the beauty in my overly decorated culture. The brides have an array of clothing, matching jewelry, and make up. Depending on the family, the bride will wear up to ten different looks throughout the 12 hour celebration (from dusk to dawn). Traditional clothes with embroidery and beading are worn in a multitude of color. Western white dresses have even come into the celebration.

It is wedding season and I've been working on a few different wedding accessories. This is a Veil that I have recently made for a really great bride that had her dress designed by a fellow student of SAIC. She was very excited to have everything made to exactly what she wanted.

Katie's veil was made out of her grandmother's vintage veiling, a silk hand made flower, and an ostrich feather. We made mock ups, and met three times, and came out with this beautiful veil for her special day!

Next up - Colleen's Bachelorette Party and Wedding!

Headbands part deux

2010-07-19T12:37:00.005-05:00

I've made some more headbands. I guess I'm just buying some time until my hat supplies arrive and I can let loose on my fall collection.

Here is a lovely silk ruffle on a headband wrapped in sea foam green satin ribbon. The silk ribbon is an ivory, and the silk allows the folds to appear very delicate when gathered.

The next one is a grey satin hand beaded headband. The ribbon effect gets larger as it gets to the top of the headband.

Sorry for the poor quality of the image, satin does not seem to like to photograph very well.

Headbands

2010-07-09T21:55:00.004-05:00

So I've been working hard creating new, fun, summer headbands for the store and for my own shop.

I've been trying to expand on my ribbon work, and I'm trying some new things! It's amazing how much you have to compromise when trying to fit something on to a tiny headband, but I think so far, these peices look really great.

Detail: Vintage anchor button

This nautical pinwheel flower is perfect in the summer time for some flirty fun. My boyfriend called it "Wearing the sunshine on your head" when he saw me try it on.

Grey satin ruffles with gold glass beads
hand sewn and beaded

Ruffles are really trendy right now in shoes and clothes -- lets not stop there -- they look great as a hair accessory too. The beads give it a big of sparkle, for evening or day looks.

Local Lookbook

2010-07-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well Zzouzi Hats have finally hit stores (a single store really...but it's a start!) Showcased are thirteen hats and some headbands and clips.

The store is Local Lookbook and it focuses on Chicago designers with a range of prices. It is in the heart of Lincoln Park, right by Oz Park, a very cute area.

The owner wants to showcase Chicago talent, and show that we are as good as, if not better than all of the fashion capitals. Chicago's fashion scene is little to be desired, but with the talent the city produces, definitely up and coming. We have the talent, now all we need are the venues and events to expose our products.

Here is my set up:

Here are a few other things available at the store:

Evil Kitty

Also a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,
Evil Kitty Designer is inspired by Animated project she made
while attending SAIC.

I saw her stuff at the store yesterday and she already has gotten offers to make more dresses (the one pictured specifically).

Marisa Swyston

Very simple, very clean, unbelievably elegant.
Marisa uses her talents in painting to paint
on different silks and uses them in her different
collections.

BelindaBilly

A very fun line inspired by rockabilly style designed
by Belinda Cook, a classmate and fellow graduate of
the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Belinda uses a
combination of different screen printing and heat press
printing in her clothing lines.
Definitely someone to keep eye out for.

The soft opening of the store is today, next week we're sending out our announcement to the press, and our grand opening party is August 5th. If you guys are in the area - I would love for you to go check it out!

Local Lookbook
773-525-7421
1211 W Webster Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

Hours:
Closed on Monday
Tue-Sat 10am - 6pm
Sun-12am - 5 pm

Updates

2010-06-27T00:21:00.004-05:00

Well - I updated the look of the entire blog and the hat collection page. My friend Amy made the banner. What do you guys think?!

Time for a new..

2010-06-26T16:53:00.001-05:00

Blog revamp time.

Please bare with me!

Dean's Hat Award

2010-05-18T17:36:00.003-05:00

Oh and I forgot to mention that I won the Dean's Hat Award and Lisa Wainwright, Dean of SAIC, has purchesed two of my hats. She wore one to the Fashion show, and she is planning on wearing another to my graduation!

Lisa pictured below with Nick Cave, Fashion Chair, at Fashion 2010.

Long time- no post!

2010-05-18T16:52:00.004-05:00

Well it seems like its been so long since I posted. Here are a few things that I've been up to!

I participated in the Modern Shop's Trunk show on May 7th. It was a lot of fun, a lot of people seem very interested in the hats, and it was great seeing people try on so many!

I also worked at an Art Institute event teaching people to make little satin flowers. The interaction, and teaching was a lot of fun. It was nice to see people be so interested in creating their own corsage and boutonniere.

I have also started a Fan Page on Facebook. Fan "Zzouzi Hats" if you're interested and keep up with my latests happenings.

I am also working with a close friend to create a website, so keep an eye out for that!

Here are a few more images of the Modern Shop Trunk show:

Curiouser & Curiouser: A Gallery of Hats

2010-04-13T19:48:00.002-05:00

In a two day showing, thirteen students from SAIC's Advanced Headwear Concepts class will showcase their work in the Tom Robinson Gallery space, located at 2416 W. North Avenue.

The opening reception begins on April 23, 2010 at 5 pm and lasts until 9 pm. On the following day, visitors will have a chance to not only mingle with experimental hats, but the student artists as well. Between April 21-26, 2010 viewing is available by appointment at 773.477.7913.

Featured artists:

Kylee Alexander
Sarah Azzouzi
Samantha Brunson
Andrew Cruz
Jessica Cepele
Nicole Joy
Rosemary Farrell
Christine Jo
Sophia Khan
Shannon Marks
Gigi Ghering
Angela Morano
Sarah Reagan

Advised by Eia Radosavljevic, SAIC faculty, students have combined traditional millinery technique and alternative materials to create a collection of whimsical, practical, and aggressive designs.

Guest artist Cheryl Pope will feature a video installation in conjunction with the Alice in Wonderland-esque theme.

BFA Show

2010-03-27T19:20:00.009-05:00

Well the BFA show was a big hit! There were so many people and an unbelievable amount of great work (I expect nothing less from my peers!)

So a little about the group show with in the BFA show:

[Kartag'refe] brings together four artists exploring the mapping of ideas as well as historical and personal narratives. In each piece the artist has assumed the role of cartographer by defining and editing the view of information presented.

And here was my piece:

Each hat was a representation of different cities in the world. From left to right: Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, New york, London, and Paris. on the bases of the hat stands were the maps of the cities printed and the table covering was silk with longitude and latitude lines printed on it as well as old style boat drawings. The silk was dyed/stained with organic tea to give it more of a vintage feel.

and the rest of my groups pieces:

Sabrina's Piece:

Jeni's Piece

Caitlin's Piece

If you haven't had the chance to see the show- there is still time! It is up until April 9th! For more information click here.

If you want anymore information about any of the pieces or artist, please feel free to email me! - zzouzi@gmail.com

2010-03-24T19:45:00.003-05:00

Here are some new hat photographs all taken by my wonderful friend Beverly Jensen and my beautiful friends modeled. I will add more once I get some more time.

Mini Life update: it is bfa time and my group put up our show! I will have pictures after friday, which is the opening. Wish me luck! I hope it goes well. eek.

Post Pilsen Market Recap

2010-02-22T11:43:00.008-06:00

Well the sale was really great. I only sold a few things but I got a couple of custom orders, which is fantastic. It was a tight squeeze for those seven hours, but it was a lot of fun. It was a really good experience because there were a lot of people from all stages of their business careers (There were 15-20 vendors there!). It gave me a lot of display ideas and it made me realize what I would need if the space did not provide anything. I still have a ton of my headbands and clips, so I will be saving them for the Spring Art Sale in April!

Here are some more pictures.

Oh and the most exciting part of the day was I got into the Chicago RedEye! It was a complete surprise, but there was a picture of me and my green leaf printed piggota hat in the metro mix section!

One of my hats is also on display at the drake hotel! If you get a chance, swing by and take a look. It's in the back by the Chanel Boutique.

Post Pilsen Market Items for Sale

2010-02-13T13:17:00.004-06:00

Here are some of the things I'm planning on selling at Post Pilsen Market.

Gallery Show

2010-02-07T13:53:00.003-06:00

So, I'm going to be in a gallery show in April, from the 20th-27th, and my teacher Eia wanted us to come up with some names for the show. It's going to be all hats, and I love hat puns (as you can see from the title) - but I am a bit unsure about what to suggest.

Any ideas?

I am also adding things to my blog such as the pages under my banner. Take a look! If you want your website to be shared in my links please email me with a sentence about your website and the URL.

:)

PS: Hatlife Newsletter I just found this!

Post Pilsen Market

2010-02-04T22:44:00.004-06:00

Hey Bloggers!

I am going to be participating in an artsy crafts fair this month, and if you're in the Chicago area you should stop by! The even is totally free to attend, and there will be djs as well as some refreshments for you to have while you walk around and check out the great art pieces we have for sale. I will be selling some of my hats and little clips. I'm going to try to make some more little things. If anyone has anything in particular they want me to make, please let me know so I can order supplies!

Date:	Saturday, February 20, 2010
Time:	12:00pm - 7:00pm
Location:	1816 S RACINE Chicago, IL

These are the confirmed vendors:
SARAH AZZOUZI (Me!)
SARAH NEWMAN
WHITNEY ALLEN
BRIAN STARR
THE BLEEDING HEART BAKERY
CHASE MARKOVICH
BECKY NIXON
BELINDA COOK
MARSHA SPANIEL
JOY WILLIAMS
SABRINA SEVERNS

Here is the facebook link for the event: http://bit.ly/c10dMG

These are the things I'm thinking of selling:

If you are interested in a particular hat, please let me know so I can bring it! Hope to see you all there!

Twig and Sinimay hat

2010-01-25T23:29:00.005-06:00

Well, I really liked the twig idea so I thought I would continue painting things gold. I continuously asked my roommate if she had any objects I could paint gold; it became obsessive really.

Here is my lovely roommate modeling the hat for me:

And here is a closer shot:

Twig Embelishment

2010-01-21T22:54:00.002-06:00

Gold twig embellishment on the Pillbox hat.

New Pillbox and Petal Hat

2010-01-21T18:13:00.003-06:00

Well I've been off of this for too long! I've been trying to get hats done for my independent study in order to create tons of hats for the upcoming shows I will be in. Classes start in a week and I want to make two more hats by then!

Here is what I've been making so far:

A larger style pillbox - I will be adding some crazy embellishment
to this, just you wait and see. I'll post the final picture when I'm done.

I'm calling this one my petal hat. It is three structured petals on a small pod. Their are two different color sides to them, if you could not tell in the picture. They remind me of Frank Gehry (I wish).

Art Sale things

2009-12-20T15:21:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos from the art sale. Toni and I sold the little clips like wild fire! It was wonderful. I love this little zipper flower I made. It's really encouraging to hear how much people love the things you create. I could not believe how great all of the hair nic-nacs looked worn.

I'm really hoping to do the SAIC Spring Art Sale in April, if I don't get too bogged down with the unbelievable amount of work that some how always presents itself in the spring semester.

I was told by my Millinery Professor that we're supposed to be in a gallery show in February, which means all of our hats need to be done just as the semester is beginning. We are also planning on being in a fashion show at the Garfield Park conservatory, so we're asked to create a hat using the plants they have. I am also supposed to make hats for a friends fashion line (which I am very excited for!) as well as finish all the hats for the BFA show (see last post).

Phew. It is going to be a busy three months. I am fully going to enjoy my "vacation" starting Tuesday!

Toni Mardosz and me in front of our table at the sale

cartography (kär-tŏg'rə-fē)

2009-12-18T20:41:00.004-06:00

It has been a while since I updated with new hats but I'll have some new photos up soon. We just had our Flat Patterning class final and I made some pretty exciting hats. I will post them once I get the professional photos in. Today I submitted my proposal for a group show for the SAIC BFA show; all very exciting stuff! Our group consists of Jeni Crone, Sabrina Severns, Caitlin Schriner, and myself. We are all working with a different form of mapping, wether it be mapping memory, a lifetime of an object, or just conquest.

Here is the new Artist Statement I submitted:

I am very interested in exploring different cultural hats, the importance of hats and their role in society. Research for my pieces is generally gained from my own life experiences, allowing a strong connection to the piece for the viewer and me. Art and function have always gone hand in hand in my practice and so I. I began exploring millinery two years ago and now it is my main practice. Hat making to me is a form of combining the fashion and fiber techniques I’ve learned at school. I have recently been experimenting with designing my own prints for my hats and that has allowed me to take millinery into a new level. I attempt utilize heat press techniques for embossing and printing on my hats, as well as investigating more sculptural build up in hats. I use a variety of different materials such as straw, rabbit felt, and sinamay.

2009-12-05T11:22:00.001-06:00

A printed Pigotta hat.

Millinery Awards

2009-11-22T23:55:00.000-06:00

HatLife post on last year's Raymond Hudd awards.

Houndstooth Beret

2009-11-15T02:29:00.003-06:00

I love houndstooth-- and I cant stop buying it in different wools!

I'll put up pictures of my black and white one soon. It's made from the same wool my pillbox is made from! I made this one specifically for the Holiday Art Sale. I'll post info about it soon!

Pillbox and Fasinator.

2009-11-05T15:09:00.006-06:00

Leather and Feather fasinators

Houndstooth Pillbox hat

We made a pillbox this week and Ive been working on little head pieces for the art sale here at school.

I think I had a bit too much fun with the pillbox pictures though!

Pigotta Hat

2009-10-22T15:58:00.002-05:00

The latest hat I've been working on in my Flat Patterning Millinery Class. I think I prefer sewing by hand, but this turned out a lot nicer then I expected!

Mono Print Hat

2009-10-22T15:10:00.006-05:00

So this is the hat that was awarded "Best Hat in Show" for the 2009
Raymond Hudd Millinery Awards.

sheared beret

2009-10-11T20:13:00.002-05:00

This is the first completed project from my pattern making hat class!
I am in love with this plaid.
More to come!

Wednesday Wings

2009-10-08T01:00:00.004-05:00

I had the most frustrating time in class today trying to figure out the pattern for a beret. Siiigh. I work so much better with blocking hats.

Anyway, here are some old hats again:

April, 2009

October, 2008

This is the first hat that I ever made!


Photo by Lew Arceo, Dress by Mignonette Bridal, Hat: Zzouzi Hats