Everyone is a fashion designer these days, right? Or are they?

I finally was able to watch the movie titled Valentino-The Last Emperor, last weekend. Now THERE is a designer!  In 2008, Valentino celebrated 45 years of fashion designing. He was able to design fabulous couture fashions for many famous women over these last 5 decades. And after his big anniversary celebration, he decided to retire in his late seventies. This film follows his every move, and really shows you how he created beautiful fashion, and how he lived, and lives, which is very well. He owns 6 homes around the world. Pure elegance. Incredible design. And a film worth watching, if you have any interest in real couture fashion. It is out on DVD. Rent it!

Then I tune in to Dancing With the Stars this week, and am faced with the unfortunate. The costumes worn by the stars and their celebrity partners were designed by the stars. Obviously with lots of help with the shows resident costume designer, Randall Christensen and his crew of very talented cutting, sewing and embellishing professionals.

Yes, I know that you do not need to be a trained fashion designer to acknowledge good or bad design. Non professional designers can create good costume design. But not always. And sometimes they really fall short.  Obviously the real costume designers for the show helped to influence the final designs, as they should. Most professionally trained fashion designers cringe when we hear that Lindsay Lohan has a line of whatever. Of course we are all clamoring for the latest from Paris Hilton or her sister. And so and so has a new line of this new thing. Come on. Give us a break! These days, anyone who has any celebrity seems to have a clothing line, or at the very least, a fragrance. See my designer fragrance blog, for MY designer fragrance!

Let us talk about celebrity designers, shall we?

It is SPOOKY this time of the year, at Satin Stitches! WHY?

The NBA season starts this week. We have been preparing sassy new outfits for the Portland Trailblazer Blazer Dancers, Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks City Dancers. It is Show Time! Not to mention all of our HS Dance Teams needing their new competition costumes and Show Choirs getting outfited for their upcoming season!

Oh, but there is a holiday right around the corner. Oh yes, it is Halloween!

Being the head designer of a custom design costume manufacturer, you would think that my kids and myself must have had incredible Halloween costumes, right? Well, not so much. As the saying goes, the shoemakers children usually go barefoot. I usually do not have much time for spending on personal, family Halloween costumes.

We are into our busiest, most stressful 4-weeks of our year RIGHT NOW. So there is usually not very much time to devote to what most people think about in late October. But there have been a few glitzy-bright spots! Read more to find out.

You want THE PERFECT SOLO COSTUME for your next dance performance. You have not been happy with your last custom costume experience.

Where do you turn?
Who should you entrust with your vision?

You do not feel you have the talent and expertise to handle it yourself. Maybe you have never commissioned a custom garment.

What do you need to consider?

I was watching a show giving tips to brides, for planning their wedding. The term CLASSIC came up, when discussing wedding gown designs, hairstyles and the design of the wedding cake.

What is the meaning of CLASSIC?

Timeless, ageless, traditional, archetypal, standard, superior, masterpiece, excellent, consummate were various words that popped up when I checked my Thesaurus.

During the wedding tips, it was mentioned that a bride should choose a CLASSIC hairstyle and dress, noting that lots of 80s brides are now, NOT thrilled with their obviously 80s dresses and hairstyles. Giant puffy sleeves and bangs were mentioned! They may be wishing that they had chosen more CLASSIC styles, to now show their children and grandchildren!

One of the more popular television programs that showcases CLASSIC 1960s style, is MAD MEN on AMC. It has won awards for its acting and directing, and is a visual treat as well.

Being a costume designer, programs such as MAD MEN, always catch my eye. I have mentioned many times, in my Blogs, that inspiration for new dance costume designs can come from many influences, including all types of television shows.

OMG, its my birthday today! After a challenging day at Satin Stitches, I had to stop at the Post Office to drop off some eBay packages before I could come home, change and go out with my husband, to my favorite Minneapolis restaurant for dinner. The restaurant is called Erte, after one of my favorite graphic and costume designers of all time, and they have great food!

We had a really good dinner, but the best is yet to come! With my remote control handy, and my tape in the recorder, I am settled down to watch some exciting television! I just caught the last few minutes of American Idol to see my fav-Adam sing, while now switching it back to see Lady GaGa performing in a fun, funky one-legged unitard with, dare I say-huge shoulder pads and a 3-D zippered butterfly on Dancing With the Stars, of course!

Since I have not been able to be two places at once, and I do not have a screen in screen television, I will now concentrate on the Finals.

Then, just to make it more difficult, a new musical drama is premiering today-right now, in fact. Glee, is a show about Show Choir!-A MUST watch. I will replay my tape of that show, after I watch American Idol sometime.

Whew! I am sure there is a serious drought coming this summer, for television excitement, but it does NOT get much better than this. Yes, I know I will enjoy-So You Think You Can Dance, but I have to check the listings to see when it will be on.

I am enjoying seeing all the contestants from this season on DWTS, reprise their dances. It seems so long ago, that it started! So many dances and so many glitz costumes! It was a fun season, so lets get on with last nights costume critique, before we find out tonights winner!

It is the Semi-finals on Dancing With the Stars this week. When you look at dancing skills, you know that we are missing one of the best couples with Lil Kim and Derek being voted off. But by now, we know that Reality television shows are popularity contests, after all.

This week has been recapping the highs and lows, and especially the best dances, both Ballroom and Latin, for all 4 semi-finalists. It was a nice chance to see some of my favorite and least favorite costumes!

This weeks 8 costumes were fun to see, as usual. Randall and his crew do an incredible job, yet another week!

It was godet night for the Ballroom dancers. Do you know what a godet is? According to the dictionary, it is a triangular shaped piece of fabric that is inserted into a garment to create extra fullness. Actually, it can be a rectangle or a half circle, not just a triangle. Take note of the sectioned-in pieces of black and white print, inserted between the black sequins in Melissas Quickstep dress that added flair. Also, the sections of fabric in Cheryls elegant, traditional white feathered and rhinestoned Waltz gown, and the godets in Chelsies minty-aqua Viennese Waltz gown. The godet is a very versatile pattern piece that I love to work with.