Valkyrie

This concept collection was created for the radically inclusive Celebrate Your Body 2019 fashion show.  Focusing on mythical representations of female empowerment and strength, and inspired by my own Nordic bloodlines, I began to research the Valkyrie, Odin's warlike handmaidens.  These powerful women had the power to manipulate the outcomes of battles, choosing who may live or die, and assess the worthiness of slain Viking warriors to enter the gates of Valhalla.  They were the ultimate deciders of destiny.  I was especially taken with two paintings from the 1800s, Johan Gustaf Sandberg's "Valkyries Riding Into Battle" and Peter Nicolai Arbo's "The Wild Hunt of Odin", which can be seen depicted on custom fabric created specifically for this line.

This collection, designed for the 2017 Celebrate Your Body group fashion show, was heavily inspired by my love of the hard and soft gothic punk aesthetic.  Featuring a series of hand painted crocheted skull appliques, Venice lace yokes, lace overlays, and black and grey palette, this collection is suited to the spookiest of women who prefer the dark side of fashion.

This 2005 collection was directly inspired by a red and white Japanese sun pantsuit from Alexander McQueen's 2003 Fall Collection.  Juxtaposing contrasting large scale prints and colors to create figure flattering scenes was the focus of this capsule collection designed for a group show at club Mighty.

Born of faeries and star dust, this collection for the 2004 Cloud Factory Design Collective group fashion show featured handkerchief hemlines galore, hair designs by the late great Laura Adams, and a very pregnant faery bride!

When designing my first full collection, I was spending my days working in Corporate America and my off hours deeply entrenched in the San Francisco EDM/Rave subculture in the early aughts.  The pieces from this line showcased an eclectic mix of fun fabrics, fancy furs, and rave gear to keep you dancing the night away.

doof. doof. doof.

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photo by Claudia Goetzelmann

In my 2003 debut fashion show with Cloud Factory Design Collective, I fell in love with fleece and the sculptural volume of this versatile fabric.  Whimsical hoods with serpentine tendrils and spiny spikes were the highlight of the collection.

This series of four looks was created at the behest of fashion photographer Claudia Goetzelmann for her AvantGuardian photo essay on consumer waste.  Using household discarded packaging, coffee filters, trash bags, newspaper, and construction floor liner, this was certainly an unconventional materials challenge.  Hair by Nicole Giannini.