Behind the Scenes - 'Botanical' Photoshoot

It's hard to believe that it's a few weeks before Christmas and I'm shooting Summer already. And I have Fall 2008 in the works too. The fashion cycle is so crazy! By the time Summer rolls around and the goodies hit the selling floor, I've been looking at this stuff for over 6 months and I'm over it! But in order to get the goods designed, sold to buyers, and made in time to be on the floor for next Summer, I have to get an early start!

So this past Wednesday, I shot my little capsule collection for Summer, called 'Botanical' on my pal Judy. My new favorite place to shoot is at my girlfriend's house, a tropical escape behind the walls of crazy Montana Ave. It's the perfect backdrop for my botanical-inspired Summer collection of beach tunics, crochet bikinis, hoodies, and sexy knit dresses. The tropical colors were inspired by mother-nature, of course, with vibrant shades of Marigold oranges, Hibiscus pinks, Waterlily blues, and multi-color combinations named Tulip, Mimosa, and Eden (as in the Garden of Eden.) And thanks to my son's fabulously inspiring artwork (see above), he was the source behind my favorite spacedye color combination in the collection, Tulip. That kid's got a good sense of color at 3 1/2!

Now for silhouette, I've got some great pieces for those balmy Summer days...lots of tanks, halters, strappy dresses, and skin-baring numbers. Some faves are the Tulip vee with it's flattering vee neckline and stretchy cap sleeves (great to wear over a bikini); the Mimosa crochet beach tunic (a Summer staple); the Marigold gathered vee dress (a Summer take on the gathered vee from Spring); and the Hibiscus twisted tank dress with clever drawstring bubble hem. All the dresses are done with a touch of nylon for elasticity so they skim the body in just the right places, but still have great drape so nothing clings in all the wrong places! And just for fun, I love to throw in a crochet bikini. I never sell a lot of these bikinis and boylegs, but they're such fun to do and they look great on. So if you're into poolside lounging this will be for you. I actually think wearing the Marigold crochet bikini halter top under the Mimosa crochet beach tunic will look awfully smart with just a pair of Bermuda shorts this Summer. Who says you can't wear a cute bathing suit top under your shirt instead of a bra, especially when it peaks out from your top a bit - now that's chic!