A Photo Shoot by Artistic Expressions

My incredibly talented cousin, Elisabeth Harrell, is a brilliant photographer with a fabulous eye for detail, light, color, and mood. She recently launched Artistic Expressions by Elisabeth and writes a blog on her latest work and experiences. Support her as she supports me. She is FABULOUS!

Enjoy some photos of my first gown ever created for my sister's wedding earlier this summer. This gown was for Lea's reception. Elisabeth's work does not disappoint!

This dress is the beginning of many more to come. I really enjoyed this gown.

Some things I've made...

When I applied to design school, I had to send a portfolio of my fashion artwork and constructed garments. Just thought I'd share a few pieces I made...

I actually wear both of these a lot. This beige one is my go-to work dress for meetings and special work events. I wore it just last week at the Banca Civica event where the Princess of Spain was in attendance. I'll have to tell you more about it on another post.

This black and tan dress I made from some fabric I purchased on a trip to Hawaii. I wore this to a friend's wedding last year. I also let a friend wear it for an event. She's on the board of directors for a South African dance company. She said the dress was well received at the opening of their dance season.

... this one is to be completed (TBC).

I made this one without the assistance of a pattern, and I was very pleased with the outcome. After making a few sheath dresses (think Michelle Obama's style), I think I got a better handle on the fit through the waist and hips while experimenting with the details around the neckline.

I'll finish this and wear it to a going away party, so you can see the final product. I'll post more pics of the things I've made soon.

I often get the question: what kind of clothes do you make?

I'd love to hear from you. What do you think? How would you describe the clothes?

My sister got married!

My younger sister, Lea, just got married to an awesome guy, Chris, just about a week ago. They are an awesome pair with an awesome name, The Porches. Like the car, without the 's'

I can't quite remember how this came about, but I wanted to design something special for her since she was getting hitched and all. Maybe a dress for her bridal shower - something short and sweet. When she saw it, she wanted to wear it where everyone could see - at the reception!

The dress actually began as a knee-length frock. Here are the before and after pictures.

...but at the request of my sister it turned into a gown - my first time making a gown. Thank God for her! It turned out fabulous, and it pushed me to do something new. I still love the original design, and I will probably do it again in a different color. The gown, however, was perfect for the occasion.

This is the first Nina Harrell reception gown, and I must say – she looked stunning!

She looked so beautiful!

I know this is the teaser... but I have to wait for the pics to come back from the wedding photographer so you can actually see her in the dress. For now, I borrowed a pic from a new friend, Ali, who attended the wedding.

I promise I'll get better shots of the dress in a later post! Promise!