Von der Muse geküsst

Hi dolls,

I've had my etsy shop now for quite a while, and I'm very content with how things are going. I can't complain about not having enough or too much work, and I have plenty of ideas for the future.
So far, I only used fabrics I found at the fabric store or online. Which is okay, as there are tons of pretty fabrics around. However, especially since it is a big part of Lolita fashion labels, I wanted to have a print of my own!
Since I love books and everything book-related, but most Lolita book prints are very dark (nothing wrong with that though), I had the idea of a pastel-coloured book print. I'm not good at drawing myself, so I looked for an artist to collaborate with. After looking around the internet, I discovered the work of Sherrae (check out her fb or deviantart!) and fell in love instantly. I was so happy when she agreed to make a print for me, and I think she did an amazing job:

I got the fabric printed at stoffn.de in Germany. They have amazing fabric quality and use organic cotton. I got it printed on cotton sateen, as it has a beautiful fall and a luxurious feeling to it...

I sewed a small collection, consisting of a jumperskirt, skirt, cutsew and headbow. I named it Erato, after the muse of lyric poetry in Greek mythology.

The background in the print fabric is not whte but rather off-white, so I used soft, off-white dotted tulle for embelishments.

I chose a rather simple design, because I wanted the print to stand out, and I think it's more versatile like this, it can be worn very casual, but also offers many possibilites to coordinate it with.

When the garments were finished, I also wanted to shoot them properly, with models and a photographer and everything, because I think they look so much better when actually worn by a human being instead of my crappy dressing form.

I asked Lea and Magali to be my models, they're also Lolitas from Switzerland and, most important, super photogenic. Céline Stucki took the photos, and she introduced me to her visagist friend Tanja Jungen who did make-up and hair. We did the photoshoot at the Hotel Belle Epoque in Bern. The location is so beautiful, decorated with great Art Nouveau pieces and I think the atmosphere matched the dresses really well. The staff of the hotel was so kind and generous, if you're ever staying in Bern I can highly recommend the place!

I was a bit afraid that something might go wrong with the photoshooting, as it was the first time I organized something like this, but luckily everything went smoothly. I was proud of myself for successfully going through with the whole project (especially for doing some scary phone calls xD).

I was really glad that both models I asked had the time to come. Don't they look divine together? Looking back, we should have at least done a scary-twins-in-the-hallway-like-in-the-shining-photo, just for fun, but Céline took so many gorgeous pictures, so I'm not complaining (^.^)

love this detail shot

When selecting the photos for this post, I couldn't decide, so you're being spammed. I posted more on Medusa Coutures Tumblr blog, if you're curious!