Archives for November 2020

A story behind the gown

Often people ask if we only design wedding gowns, so we thought we would share more about the other elaborate dresses we have had the joy of creating! We collaborated with Maui artist Hermine Harman on a Queen of Hearts gown for the annual Imua Family Services Gala last year. The theme was the Carnival de Venice Mascheranda Grand Ball! We wanted to share more about this gown we created and the talented artist, Hermine. Find out more about Hermine, her artwork and the gown we collaborated on with her….

Q: Your artwork is often filled with vibrant and rich colors! Can you share with us your inspirations and influences for your art?

A: I love vivid, bright colors and gravitate to them because they light me up and make me happy! [Influences include] My garden, my home, my beach walks, flowers, animals, travel and photography. 

Q: We collaborated on a Queen of Hearts gown for a Gala you attended. The gown won Best Costume that evening! Can you share more about this event and your glamorous outfit? 

A: The fabulous Queen of Hearts gown was created for the annual Imua Family Service Fundraiser last year. They throw the most fun, exciting event on Maui and raise a lot of money for this worthy organization that supports children and families with challenges. The theme was Venice. I was thrilled to be the winner of a weekend at The Hyatt with a couples massage and a sunset dinner on the Beach cooked to our order. The challenging part was walking, climbing onto stage and learning and dancing the minuet! Working with such a talented artist [Jennifer] who was very detail-oriented was a creative, warm pleasure!  Fittings were just simple. The mask I wore, I had purchased in Venice more than a decade earlier!

Q: What art project(s) are you currently working on? What is driving your artwork today?

A: Currently I’ve completed the first three series of a collaboration with Liat Choucroun soon to be shown at the Enchantress Gallery by Bootzie in the Shops of Wailea. Other new work in my Mid-Century Modern series completed during the pandemic will also be on my new wall at the same gallery. I’m also taking another class from my mentor, Nick Wilton during this time. During Covid I competed nearly 20 pieces.

To find out more about Hermine Harman and her wonderful artwork visit her website at www.hermineharman.com. Also, if you are on Maui go check out her new series being presented at the Enchantress Gallery by Bootzie in the Shops of Wailea! If you have any elaborate, intricate gowns or costumes you are dreaming up, get in touch! We would love to help bring your vision to life. Mahalo Hermine for sharing your art and reflections with us. We can’t wait to see your new series!

Fashion History: Art Deco & Erté

Paper dress by Jennifer Oberg. Commissioned by Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center.

I have always been inspired by the artist and designer, Erté. I love his designs so much! Two years ago, I was commissioned by the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center to create a paper dress for their end of the year, annual shopping extravaganza, Hui Holidays. Erté was my primary influence for creating this dress! Find out more about him below…

Born in 1892 in Russia, Romain de Tiroff, known as Erté designed his first dress for his mother at the age of five–a natural talent. Erté left Russia to go live in Paris with the aspirations of becoming a designer in 1910. He worked for Paul Poiret for a year before entering an esteemed illustration career. In 1915, he began his twenty year work relationship with Harper’s Baazar where the magazine included a color illustration by him every month. He created over 240 covers for the magazine! He went on to create entire wardrobes for theatres, screen actresses and Operas. He even created elaborate production designs at the Paris Opera, New York’s Radio City Music Hall and Casino de Paris. 

Erté’s work captured the art deco movement, which was known for having bold geometry, bright colors, order and glamour. Art deco was a very popular design style during the 1920s and 1930s. It drew inspiration from Cubism, Constructivism, Futurism, Bauhaus principles and the de Stijl movement. A significant amount of the architecture, design and art around the world is inspired by Art Deco. Architects Edward Durell Stone and Donald Deskey drew inspiration from Art Deco when designing the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Look around and see where you notice Art Deco influences in your towns or cities! What art movements and artists are you inspired by? Comment below!

Pictured are some photos of Erté’s work! Click here for more information about the paper dress I made for the Hui! 

 

Sources

https://martinlawrence.com/pages/erte

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ert%C3%A9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco

https://www.art-critique.com/en/2020/02/art-deco-art-lesson/

Meet our Sewing Assistant: Sophia

We have a wonderfully talented sewing assistant, Sophia Gallegos. The world needs to know about her because this young woman is going places! Sophia is currently a student in high school who loves all things fashion and design. She sews at the Atelier two days a week and you will be sure to see her in one of her very stylish outfits. We are so excited to share a bit more about Sophia and her inspirations, future goals and visions. ALSO, we will be having a ‘Sophia Style Day’ once a week on our social media accounts to show off her incredible outfits! Make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram because you won’t want to miss these outfits!

Q: How did you get interested in Fashion? 

Ever since I was very little I’ve loved to dress up and put on crazy outfits (mostly princess and fairy dresses of course) so I guess my interest in fashion has always been there. When I was in 8th grade I did a school project where I basically got to do something that I was interested in, so I made clothes. It was like a whole mini collection and it made me so happy, so after that Ive been in love with making my own clothes and improving my style.

Q: Can you share a bit about your personal style? What are your inspirations? How do you put together your outfits?

Most of my outfits consist of thrifted clothing, things I buy on Depop, hand me down items or things that I make. I luv thrifting because everything is one of a kind and u r bound to find some funky things, and it’s better for the environment. 

I am really inspired by fashion designers who are pushing the boundaries of fashion and art like Iris Van Herpin and Didu as well as young artists on Instagram who make clothes or jewelry that is very colorful and unique like @petri_kitsch or @klobyklo. 

When I put together my outfits I always pay attention to color, sometimes i like to match all the colors in my outfits but sometimes contrast can be rly nice as well. I also get bored easily so I like to try out a lot of different styles and looks. Accessories are EVERYTHING and since I have a lot of them it’s so easy to spice up any outfit and they are the most fun thing to pick out! Fashion is such a blessing for me because I use it as an opportunity because every morning I sort of get to decide who I am going to be using my style choices.

Q:  What do you hope to be doing in the future? What are your goals with design and fashion?

I would love to be a fashion designer and hopefully have a small line of clothing:)

Q: Are you working on any design projects now? Can you share a bit about your current project?

Lately I’ve been very focused on creating things for my Halloween costume. I am going to be a fairy so I made some painted wings and added some little dangly beads which hang off the wing tips for an extra flourish. I’ve also been very interested in jewelry lately, mostly funky and colorful almost childish looking pieces, so I made a necklace to go with my costume as well. It’s very pink and has little butterflies and hearts on it to give it that fairy aesthetic.

 

Thank you Sophia!! We can’t wait to see where your future takes you! Until then, catch Sophia and her unique outfits every Friday on our Facebook and Instagram! Follow us at @jenniferobergatelier 🙂

Q&A: featuring local clothing shops of Maui

1.0 – Jana Andrews, Owner of TRIBE Maui

What a year it has been! Small business owners have not had it easy during this pandemic. We have been sad to see so many local stores close their doors. To keep things light, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite boutiques of Makawao and Paia for this ongoing series. In this series, you will hear about the passions and inspirations behind these local shops, some words of encouragement for the future, and reflections/lessons on navigating a business during the pandemic. Starting off our series is a Q&A with the owner of TRIBE Maui, Jana Andrews

Q: Tell us about your shop, your ethos and your inspiration for starting your boutique!

A: My love for fashion started very early on….From the age of 3 I was picking out my own outfits and was pretty decisive about what I wore from then on…just ask my mother! Choosing what to wear—and how to wear it—was a type of creativity that I gravitated toward without really understanding the significance of fashion. I could channel Madonna one day and Janis Joplin the next…the inspiration never ended! But as I got older I started enjoying styling other people as well, and I guess that’s where my career in retail was born.

My husband and I moved to Maui 4 years ago and every Friday we enjoyed a date night at Casanova’s. Year after year I would look across the street and tell my husband if I were ever to open up a retail store…the location across the street—where Tribe is located—would be it!   Styling is my passion and both the window expanse and the exposure of this particular space was absolutely perfect for me. When the location became available I jumped at an amazing opportunity…and within 6 very busy weeks, Tribe Maui opened in September 2018. I had been in retail for over 20 years and worked for Urban Outfitters for 13 of those as a Visual Merchandiser overseeing 40+ stores at one point. I learned so much from that career and was able to apply much of that knowledge into the opening and running of Tribe.

Tribe Maui embodies the playful, yet fearless side of our island “Tom Girl”…seamlessly merging retro beach and streetwear with flirty and classic silhouettes to create a unique and unexpected vibe. Her body is an ever-changing canvas representing an innovative and creative sense of style through risk-taking and being true to her imagination. Our Tribe girl enjoys being outdoors and strives to make healthy choices for her mind, body, and soul. She surrounds herself with encouraging and loving people and embraces their individuality. She is bold…she is the leader of her Tribe.  

Q: What are you most looking forward to for the future of your shop and the community?

A: As I continue this adventure, one of my biggest goals is to bring in more pieces that are made locally. There is such an amazing talent base here on Maui—and on outer Islands—and being able to support that within my four walls feels extremely fulfilling. While I love styling and merchandising…I really love buying as well! We’ve got a handful of diverse shopping options in Makawao and I strive to always offer something different and unique.  I adore researching new and upcoming brands and introducing them into Tribe.

Recently, one of my associates showed me a beautiful jewelry line called Kisiwa Designs out of Oahu.  I immediately fell in love with her work as it’s so different from any other local jewelry line I’ve carried so far. Gaeda uses Japanese glass beads to intricately create colorful patterns which can be seen on necklaces, bracelets, earrings….and now face mask straps! I love that no two pieces are the same so you can buy one and gift one to your bestie and never feel like you are wearing the same piece! So clever!!!

While I wanted to bring new brands to Maui and to support local artisans, I truly wanted to create an environment where people could come, hang and decompress. Tribe has become so much more than just a retail space…it has become a second home to me—and my puppy Aiko—and hopefully to many of my customers as well. The absolute biggest win for me on any day at Tribe is watching someone try something on and seeing them absolutely glow in confidence. Their smiles and sheer delight in feeling beautiful not only energize me, but also fuel my desire to continue to do what I do.

Q: What is the biggest lesson you learned from the pandemic so far?

A: As I anniversaried my first year open…I breathed a sigh of relief as so many people said that the first year would be the hardest; however, my relief was short-lived… Covid hit quickly and by March we were forced to close our doors. For the next six weeks I felt like I was in a battle I just wasn’t sure I could win. There were many prayers and many tears… and little by little the darkness began to lift. I taught myself how to build an online store which was my saving grace throughout this process. I evaluated and re-evaluated my business plans and took risks so that Tribe could sustain this uncertain time. But the biggest take-away from all of this is how much I realized I love and adore my community in Maui. I have been supported in so many ways which has encouraged me to keep fighting even when times have been rough. 

Words cannot express the gratitude I have for this amazing community…and their strength has given me the strength to persevere. I have been blessed and am excited to share that communal love and compassion for many fashionable years to come!

~Mahalo Maui

Thank you so much Jana for sharing your story, your reflections, and your hopes! We are so lucky to be a part of this very special community. We wish you much success as you venture forward in your business both online and in store. If you haven’t checked out TRIBE Maui before, then check out their Boutique in Makawao or visit their website at www.tribemaui.com. Now you can purchase their beautiful collection of clothes from anywhere!! Thank you again Jana! Stay tuned for the next Q&A!