Music or Silence

I was once asked, "If you had to give up ever listening to music or ever seeing the world around you again, which would you choose?".  I use both sight and sound to inspire me in both my personal and professional life, and hopefully I will never have to answer that question.

Music plays a huge role in being a fashion designer. It takes the clothing from being lifeless fabrics to animated artwork. What would the runway be without music?

Even when creating my original sketches, music begins to take a foundational role.  I know that many designers work well with silence, but I love how music takes my designs into something I never would have imagined without it. 

Emotion is continually drawn from music. Whether it be ecstatic, depressed, solemn, balanced or any other state of being, music can take us there and back!  That is why I could never choose between sight and sound, and also why I definitely use music to inspire me.

To see my inspired looks for SS2011, check out http://www.belladonnamarie.com/.

French is IN when it comes to Fashion

As most of you know, I am a designer from French descent. In France, everything is fashionable. The woman go to coffee in the morning, and somehow look like a million bucks!

Belladonna Marie is inspired by French woman, in fashion, culture and everything that entails being a beautiful European. Or, at least trying to be European. ;)

Last Saturday, we were downtown Portland, exploring Meet the Fleet. We were in the middle of all the action, when this beautiful woman on a bike rode by. All I could think of was, "Have we been warped to Europe, somehow?". She was like a picture out of a beautiful storybook or great international, fashion magazine.

Not only was she a sight to see, but it was also in the way she carried herself that made her so iconic. If only we could all be so fashionable...Here is the inspirational photo. Good luck!

Sunday Mornings...

Sundays are special days, to me. Most Sundays are special in and of themselves, because for must of us we don't have to work. Although this is not entirely true for me, I at least get to see my husband on these days.

Last Sunday was Mother's day!! Being a mom for almost 2 years now, I was extremely appreciated yesterday; dressed in a distressed denim mini and a royal blue, ring-collared tank, I felt like a beautiful, yet comfortable mommy.

Sunday is a day for relaxing, celebrating the weekend and embracing the chance to be with the people you love. Where fashion is concerned, however, for most people all sense of sheek goes out the window. There is nothing entirely wrong with this. I love seeing people out in there yoga pants and windbreakers. I must admit, thankfully, that Mother's day brought out the fashionista in everyone.

Everywhere I went, I saw women celebrating themselves on the most special Sunday of the year. Floral, strapless dresses, Designer denim and strapless, flowy blouses, and more than any garment strutting Mommy Sunday was the maxi dress. And why not - having the most flattering cut and extremely breathable material, mom's dream about garments like this.

Sundays are great. Use them not only for relaxing, but also for showing off your style. Happy Sundays!

Portland's NYC

Whenever I think about Portland's fashion dynamics, I relate to NYC. Of course Portland has an incredibly unique flava' and style, but in some ways I see how it mirrors NYC.

For instance, last week I invited my friends to go to this great fashion show (Mercury) in Portland. The first thing one must decide on when doing anything 'fashion' is, "What will I wear?". Considering my taste to be classic and sophisticated, maybe even Manhattan-worthy, I thought and thought about what I should wear to stand out. I finally decided on this mini black dress, with modern bows and twists. Topping it off with tights and wedges, and I was happy with the completed look. Or so I thought....

Most fashion events I have been involved with occur on the west side. However, this event was happening on the East side. The more I thought about it, the more my fashion mind began redirecting my choice of garments into something entirely different.

When it comes to Portland, this is how it breaks down - NYC style. The Pearl district, where I consider home, is Manhattan. The SW side is like NYU - intellectual, casual and sporty. The eastside is like Brooklyn. Edge is everyone's middle name; be prepared to rock individuality. And then there are the suburbs - New Jersey.

In the end, I turned in my Manhattan-Pearl district classic dress, wedges and headbands, for a great pair of Brooklyn-Eastside tights, stilettos and a leather belt. Diversity is important, but in Portland, understanding what side of the water you are on, during a great fashion event, may be even more. Trust me on this one...I love rocking personal style, but wearing the wrong accessory in the wrong part of town could cause a staring fest...or maybe more!

Thank God for indecision and fashion insights!