With all of my designs, I strive to make beautiful clothing that celebrates femininity and appeals to the confident, stylish woman. Making a garment is similar to making a sculpture; a creative process incorporating dramatic shapes, designs and textures.
When I was first approached by Baileys Irish Cream to create a dress made from the glass of its bottles, I was inspired by the challenge of creating something bold and different -- something that, to my knowledge, had never been done before. The partnership also seemed like a natural fit because the Baileys woman -- like the woman I design for -- embodies style, femininity, confidence and spirit.
Designed and created at my Toronto studio, the dress took 125 hours and a team of three skilled workers to create. The dress is mainly made from old Baileys bottles, as well as other flat glass and multi-faceted beads. The piece is inspired by the redesigned silhouette of the new Baileys bottle and the beautiful "Double B" monogram.
Countless bottles were shipped to me, and were broken one-by-one in order to create a collection of glass pieces to choose from. Additional elements such as the macramé were woven with care, highlighting the beautiful curves and femininity of the dress. The circular shapes in the upper portion of the dress were so detailed that they needed to be hand-woven, and the raw edges from the pieces of glass add depth and boldness -- a striking image that will deliver on the runway.
From my initial sketches to the final product, the dress embodies elegance. It takes a modern shape with a sleek and stylish silhouette that echoes the new Baileys bottle design, beautifully showing off the glass pieces with the model's every turn. Representing women who are confident and not afraid to be noticed, it also celebrates a renewed sense of femininity and style.
The dress is not only beautiful, but symbolic -- old bottles have been broken in order to create this new, elegant piece, similar to the new Baileys bottle. For me, a dress made of glass is unconventional, and using different textiles allowed me to push my creative boundaries.
I am looking forward to featuring the dress on the runway in my show on March 22. Baileys is celebrating the design of their stylish new bottle at a time when all of Toronto celebrates style -- Fashion Week -- and it's exciting to be a part of that. The process of creating the dress was an amazing experience, and I'm excited for my audience to see the craftsmanship and design in person.
