Welcome to the Dark Side

     This is not a blog about what I'm wearing today or what I'm doing.  That is partly because I no longer live in the glamorous city of NYC where there was so much to do, but now in what I refer to as the "armpit of Arizona", 15 miles away from any type of civilization, where people like to walk around in dirty sweats and Duck Dynasty apparel.  I work from home designing cabinet layouts so I also don't dress up as much as I used to and get out of the house.  Another reason is that I don't have as many people in my life now out here that I could sit with over a glass of wine and discuss the beauty in the drape of a dress or the execution of a very-simple, yet well-constructed basic tee.  I feel like when I talk to people about fashion out here, I either get a blank stare, or come off as obnoxious. I have so many thoughts and ideas in my mind, so many designers that I love who are never spoken of in the mainstream, and so many designing ideas. This is my way of speaking my mind. This is a blog about my love of individual style, the fashion industry, my pattern designs and the beauty of constructing a garment.

  The title of my blog is Architects of Style because I see garments as a form of architecture.  Architects have to be precise and detailed in their measurements and design, and the same goes for fashion designers.  My true passion is pattern design; I majored in Pattern Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and for many years took pattern design lessons with my mentor, and a genius designer who just recently passed away, Mr. Lawrence Nicolosi, I miss the days spent in his studio, analyzing the details and construction of everything from a Dior suit from the Galliano years, to a simple Liz Claiborne dress. I see pattern design as creating the blueprint for the final garment, similar to the blueprint for a new building.  A dart that is 1/8" off, a side seam that is 1/16" off can have damaging effects on the final piece.   A good designer has an eye for precision, details, simplicity, and above all else, wearability.

  The more I post on this blog, the more people will learn about my own style and ideas.  I have my own unique look; I tend to only wear the color black, always wear dresses, usually a beautifully draped maxi dress and love a big statement piece of jewelry.  I've lately been obsessed with all things Rick Owens and no matter how many pieces I have in my closet, I always gravitate towards his designs because they are easy, light, unique and go great with just about anything or for any occasion.
I practically live in this dress:

  It is very rare to find me in colors, patterns, tightly fitted garments, and jeans (I have always hated jeans from the time I was a child). This is who I am, this is my individual style, and I will never give in to trends or what others are wearing or tell me I should wear.

Some of the other things I love:

I'm a lover of a dress that moves:

All black everything:

Minimalism and a beautifully cut maxi dress:

Exaggerated silhouettes:

And of course statement jewelry:

I hope people can see and feel the passion that I feel for style, individuality, and garment construction through my blog!