Photos from the Rocks Markets: Feb 2011

I had a little bit of time last weekend I was at the Rocks Markets, and I took some photos of my latest designs and colours for Autumn...

Above I am sewing buttons on a dress- I always like to take a little bit of hand sewing with me.



My latest colours: black and gold, cream, purple, and blue, with a little jade green.


Also, I can't forget my favourite colour- RED!


I will be featuring each of these designs on the blog in more detail soon, but for now, this is just a sneak peek of the latest designs, and there will be more to come!



The Penelope Red boutique will be at the Rocks Markets this coming weekend, the 5th and 6th March, 2011. Opening hours are 10am til 5pm.

Creating the new Autumn Collection Part 3: A New Jacket Style

The very latest Penelope Red design is a new jacket style. This style is completely different to all of my other jackets and coats, having a fitted bust and waist area, centre front meets edge to edge, 3/4 sleeve with contrasting detail, and a full flared hip with contrasting detail. The jacket hem will sit around your hips.

I have tken a few photos and wanted to share them with you...


Above and below, sewing the contrasting panel into the sleeve.


When I create the Penelope Red wool coats and jackets, I use interfacing instead of fusing. It is a much better product, it creates a higher quality finish, and I feel it looks better too. You can see the interfacing in the next two pictures.

Below, the inside of the back...



...and the inside of the front.



Sewing the hip area to the waist, and below, sewing the sleeve to the body.



I always like to use contrasting lining- it is more exciting that way! Above, I am sewing the lining together.


When I create wool coats and jackets, I always make sure I clip and trim the seam allowances- this creates a much better quality finish.


Above, you can see the inside of the jacket as I am sewing the hooks and eyes onto the centre front.

This jacket has been made from a brown, cream, yellow and orange wool boucle for the main fabric, a brown wool twill for the contrasting and orange silk for the lining.

I haven't even named this design yet! I am currently in the middle of organising the photo shoot for the Autumn collection, where this jacket will take centre stage- so really looking forward to this range coming together!

Fabrics and Textures for Autumn 2011 Collection

Previously I posted about my Penelope Red Autumn 2011 Collection inspiration. Today I wanted to show you the fabrics, trims and textures that I may decide to include in this collection....



As with any design, my ideas will evolve and change as I go, but right now, I am thinking of using a mix of fabrics, textures, and trims in colours ranging from gold, silver, brown, blue, purple, and mixing them with shades of white, cream and black.

Included in these photos is a brand new print, white silk, black sequinned lace, a few vintage laces, a couple of vintage metallic braids, black ribbed fabric, olive silk, beaded chiffon. This is just a small selection of the fabrics and trims I have to choose from, and I can't wait to get started on this range!



Stay tuned for more updates throughout the next few months.

Autumn 2011 Inspiration

Oh, how I love Gustav Klimt's paintings! Such decadence and over the top decoration- no wonder I love it! I guess I truly became a massive fan once I visited Vienna, and viewed the real thing! The detail and beauty of these paintings do not show up in the photos. Read about my visit to Vienna here.



Ever since I was in high school, I have been intrigued by the mythical and cultural aspects of Ancient History; Egypt in particular. I love their Hieroglyphics (and I still wish I could read them), I love the ancient stories, and the mystery of this foreign and ancient culture.



So... without further ado, I wanted to share with you the first little sneak peak into what I am thinking for the Penelope Red Autumn 2011 Collection. I will fuse the idea of Egyptian costume, with the beautiful paintings of Gustav Klimt!

Above, Portrait of Emilie Floge by Gustav Klimt

To me, I feel like the Klimt paintings actually already have an Egyptian influence... for instance, the painting below: Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer 1

... take a look at the detail in her skirt... note the hieroglyphic-like eyes!



Above, Water Snakes 1 by Gustav Klimt


And of course, as I was researching Egyptian costume, I couldn't go past the costumes and styling used in Elizabeth Taylor's, "Cleopatra". Ok, so I know they are not historically accurate, but I think they are a perfect of example of how a modern interpretation of costume can be achieved.









Now it is my job to create designs inspired by all of this, while still making them functional for my customers to wear! It won't be easy... but it will certainly be FUN!

Centennial Park Autumn Leaves

The weekend just passed was yet another stunning weekend in Sydney! I spent it at the beach and at my favourite park in Sydney, Centennial Park, soaking up the rays. Anyone could be forgiven for thinking it was Spring.

Although the photos of the beautiful Autumn leaves were not taken this weekend (they were taken in June), I wanted to show you how beautiful Centennial Park is. This is just one small part of the park.

Hope you enjoy, and maybe it gets you out to your local park!

New Designs on the Penelope Red Website

Pictured above, one of the latest Penelope Red styles: The Ikat Gold Mini Skirt

I am excited to share with you my very latest designs!

In the past few months, I have been slowly unravelling my latest inspirations, designs, and how they are made. This is a small, more exclusive collection, as they are all made using very individual fabrics, most are one-off's, and they have been created using more 'couture' techniques.

I have also updated the Penelope Red website gallery, as I was hoping that this format would be easier to browse through.

In this post I have placed one photo of each of the new designs featured on the website, as well as the link to the blog entry I did on each (look at this if you want to see the"making of")...


Above: the Penelope Red Ikat Bolero


Above: The Penelope Red Jade Winter Coat


Above: The Penelope Red Kaleidoscope Mini Skirt


Above: The Penelope Red Silk Road Winter Dress



Above: The Penelope Red Silk Road Hooded Coat

Be sure to check these styles out on the Penelope Red website!

These styles will be available in my Etsy store soon.

Follow me on twitter or facebook for more updates of my latest designs and finds!

Meet the Model: Olga Bokalova

I wanted to introduce to you the beautiful and stunning, Olga Bokalova. I was very lucky to be able to have her as my model for the Penelope Red Autumn/Winter Photoshoot, and I couldn't have been happier with how the photos turned out!


Olga was a such a lovely person to work with. Very professional, and very friendly. Beautiful on the inside and out, in my opinion!


Olga has Ukrainian and Russian heritage, and is from Russia originally, but making Australia her home.


You can see more of Olga's portfolio on Model Mayhem.

The Photographer for the photo shoot was: Milena Dekic, from I Love Wednesdays
The Make Up Artist was: Nat Biller

The New Penelope Red Autumn/Winter Range

I am very excited to introduce to you my Autumn/Winter Range, which is currently available to purchase from my Etsy store.

I have placed only a few designs in the shop so far, but there will be more added in the following weeks.

So far, I have added to the store the Penelope Red Black Bowtie Top



The photos included here have all been styled with skirts, but this top can just as easily be worn with a pair of jeans or pants, and still look fantastic! One of my favourite weekend outfits recently has been this top paired together with my blue jeans, bright red belt, and bright red shoes. Effortlessly Chic!







The Penelope Red Barcelona Corset has also been added to the Penelope Red Etsy store.





I also wanted to show you the inside of the corset, which is pictured below. It has been fully lined, and enclosed with a polyester purple/maroon lining.





The third style added today was the Penelope Red Deco Sequinned Top


The scarf included in these photos will be available for purchase on Etsy soon.


If you are interested in any of the above styles, or you would like a different size than what is listed on Etsy, then please contact me at: designer@penelopered.com.au