Wv’e been silent for a few days but not by choice. Unfortunately, when you work in the world of fashion, it’s sometimes too easy to become disconnected from the world around us and that was driven home hard this past weekend when we had to evacuate our atelier and home due to major brush fires. While we weren’t in any immediate danger, the authorities wanted us to leave as a precautionary measure. However, given the high winds and the extreme volatility of the local vegetation to flame, that could have instantly changed. In either case, we were faced with having to pack and leave quickly.

Angus is not happy…

Fortunately, as things worked out, we were in danger and after staying with friends and at a hotel for four days, we were given the all-clear to return home. It’s been a bit unsettling and it’s going to take a few days to sort everything out and get back to normal with our orders but we’ll do it, we’ve survived worse.

Back in his house again…

Angus, our creative consultant, is not happy having to leave the Atelier…

We are eternally grateful that we were spared any damage, others were not so lucky and that’s a very sobering experience.

We want to wish everyone a happy Halloween out there! Yes, Fall has finally made it’s appearance, albeit California style, and with it comes Halloween. Victorians were fascinated by the supernatural and the occult and they even dressed up for the occasion. Here are a few examples:

Sometimes Halloween cards seemed to take on a romantic theme that would seem more appropriate for Valentine’s Day:

And of course, we couldn’t let the day pass by without something fashion-related:

And even if it was a costume, a proper corset was an essential requirement. 🙂