Countdown ... 13 Days to Go!

We've been busy these last few weeks ... really ... really ... busy.

As of today, we're less than two weeks' away from our trip down to San Diego.

Just yesterday, I finished the 10th Look for the Collection.

Here's a peek of the shoes:

sorry ... for now, all I can show is the box.

As for the actual garment ... here's two more sneak peeks:  

 
To show the finished look would spoil the Surprise!

I CAN show you these amazing shoes that Hourglass Footwear created for one of our very first looks ... a look we released in June and in July ...

 
it's a pretty incredible overall Look ... one that is super comfortable to wear ... all in organic cotton

18 days until Fashion Week ...

13 days till we travel ...

We're pretty excited!

September's Sneak Peek!

This week's Sneak Peek from our 2014 Eco ArtWear Collection to launch on the runway

 during Fashion Week San Diego!

Uber comfortable t-shirt crafted from walnut-dyed, hemp knit. Cropped pants made from a beautiful hand-crafted, rayon batik from India.

From our 2014 Eco ArtWear Collection:

Model: Crystal Geller
Hair/Makeup: Beigeblond - Brett M Allred, Molly Miles Hickman, Aliya Chaidez
Accessories: SteamCircus.com
Photo: Barbara Hill Photography, Barbara Hill
Location: La Bottega in Vancouver, WA
From our 2014 Eco ArtWear Collection:
Model: Crystal GellerHair/Makeup: Beigeblond - Brett M Allred, Molly Miles Hickman, Aliya ChaidezAccessories: SteamCircus.comPhoto: Barbara Hill Photography, Barbara HillLocation: La Bottega in Vancouver, WA

Click ... Click ... Snap!

We've successfully completed the shooting of all garments that will be contained in our Look Book.  The online site for this book has been created and will be available for viewing the last week of September ... for launch during Fashion Week San Diego. 

We've also sent the hard copy of the look book to print ... we anticipate having the book in hand within the next two weeks.  Lot's of photos ... a few words ... all on glossy paper ... we're pretty excited!

Our Final Press Conference for Fashion Week San Diego is this evening at Roppongi in La Jolla, CA.  It is during this PC that another Sneak Peek from our 2014 Collection will be released to the Press and General Public.  We're excited about this release ... as it's a completely different look from the overall feel of the rest of the collection.  It's attached to this update ... kind of a pre-release of a pre-release  ;)

The countdown to our Travel Date is official ... less than 30 days' remaining.  We will be posting updates on our social media pages all through the next month as we get closer and closer to the runway debut.

Enjoy your week!

=) Caryn

In the News!!!

It's been an exciting week!  Handed out more than a few fliers at our events this week to those interested in learning more about the project.  And our story was published in Saturday's Columbian, our local newspaper.

In the Living Section ... above the fold!

and if that wasn't cool enough ... we were featured in the upper right corner of the front page, right under the banner!!!

I don't know about you ... but I think that's pretty damned cool!!!

And ... in case you haven't been following along on our Facebook page ... this goes hand in hand with our Kickstarter Project.  Which, by the way, we're excited to announce that we've reached 1/3 of our goal with only 14 days to go  =)

If you have a moment, please check out our project and share it forward ... we'd appreciate it immensely if you did.

Just wanted to share ... and if you would be so kind as to please share this with your friends and families ... I'd really appreciate the love.

xoxoxoxo

Countdown to Hollywood!

We're in the last days before our trip to Hollywood for the LA Press Conference ...

These last couple weeks have been split between preparations for this event and re-stocking our organic body products.

This morning, the shoes for our debut garment arrived via FedEx from Hourglass Footwear!
[gotta love them ... always so quick with their deliveries]

Of course ... the contents are Top Secret until after the 19th  =)

And ... doncha know ... a Designer HAS to have something new to wear ... just in case a photo [or two] is taken.  So ... I've been working on a new look just for that occasion.

Might need some sort of handbag ...

Took all afternoon to create ... but I think it will work well with the shoes.

Oh ... and it's all from recycled materials that I received from one of our Sponsors:  Rose City Upholstery!

Can't wait!

A Sneak Peek!

A Sneak Peek at the Designer Line-up for 2013 Fashion Week San Diego

The ride of a lifetime has now begun ... please keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times!

More to come ... so please stay tuned!

365 Days of Creativity - Day 1 - Gypsy Skirt

I dug into my endless supply of Thrift Store Treasures to create today's spark of creativity.

A women's pair of size 18, mauve colored silk pants was the first item to be dismantled into usable pieces of fabric ... followed by over-sized t-shirts, a beautiful cotton velour top in a dark camel, and a remnant of lightweight, cotton madras plaid.  Offcuts of pink and white, patchwork stretch lace and a chunk of synthetic suede in a light mauve completed the color array.

All of these pieces of fabric were then lovingly cut up and stitched together to create one of our signature Gypsy Skirts ... in a women's size large.  I figure this will be perfect for the new store that's opening out in Lincoln City the first weekend in March.

Eco-Partnership with French Quarter Linens

Saturdays are always good days in which to receive news ... especially news that is exciting in nature.

But this story goes back to its origins on Thursday.

See ... I found myself wandering into this incredibly amazing shop in the Pearl District of Portland.

An exquisitely lovely bedding and bath shop called French Quarter Linens.

I wandered in with the intention of talking to them about certified organic cotton sheets.
'Cuz there's this company that I work with that creates some incredible fabrics that would be to.die.for as a set of sheets ... and ... I know a seamstress.  Personally.

Never even got to mention the subject ... I was sidetracked by the incredible tranquility, the soft music, the vibrant colors, and the luxurious textiles found at every glance ... in every nook and cranny of that glorious store!

I was swept away to Wonderland ... 

And then ... I saw the display cabinets filled with sample fabrics ... swatches of every imaginable textile any one could wish to have created into one form of amazingness or another, for the personal spaces within their homes.  The Creativity Muse made her appearance ... gave me the proverbial push toward the sales counter.

So ... I wandered up to the counter and had the opportunity to speak with a member of their Sales & Design Team.  I asked him what their store did with their textile samples once they were discontinued.

His answer met my surprise head on:  they threw them away.

!!!

In our subsequent conversation, I explained that I am a clothing designer, creating two clothing lines for next year's Baltimore FashionWeek.  Eco-friendly clothing lines.  He explained that his store was very eco-oriented; doing whatever they were able to reduce their overall ecological impact on the environment.

I offered to take their discontinued fabric samples to be used in my clothing creations ... in exchange for advertising that they will be a primary sponsor for Second Star Designs.

An Eco-Partnership.

In today's email, was a response that French Quarter Linens would love to work with us on this project!!!

Yay!!!

We're very excited ... we're helping to change the world ... one pretty, textile at a time  =)

Our Main Ingredient is Love!

We are currently directing the company into having a more ecologically aware and environmentally friendly product base ... changes such as these will take time to blossom into something incredibly amazing ... and we won't be excluding anyone with the new direction of our clothing designs. We will always be searching for the best possible options in materials from which to create our products for our customers.

Our raincoats & umbrellas will continue to be a staple product until a better material is available from which to create them. In fact, our entire 2012 clothing line was sourced from 100% cotton, organic knits, or bamboo/cotton blend fabrics. Not a single textile was synthetic ... already a positive ecological footprint.  Over the course of the next few years, we will be switching over our fabrics from the conventional textiles used in our garments to fabrics that are more organic in nature and better for the environment ... better for the people who choose to wear our garments.

That is not to say that the products we currently make are not good for you ... because they are.  The main ingredient which goes into each garment made by Second Star Designs is LOVE ... which is an ingredient that you won't find in any big box store ... and an ingredient that turns any negative vibration or aspect of the materials used into one that is positive ... one that you will love just as much as we do!

As we move into 2013 we will continue to create those products which you have come to know and love ... improving them as we are able, at a price that is reasonable for everyone ... and wrapping them up with a generous sprinkling of Love ♥

Harmony Art Organics & Second Star Pair up for Baltimore FashionWeek 2013

We're pretty excited around here ... okay, over-the-moon excited!!!

First off ... we've been invited back to participate in 2013 Baltimore FashionWeek.  With two collections.

That's right ... TWO!!!

Riley Blake Designs will be returning as a sponsor for our children's clothing line with their incredibly brilliant cotton fabrics & laminates.

Our second collection will feature an entire line of clothing designs for grown-ups ... created entirely of organic and eco-friendly materials.

Harmony Art Organic Designs has graciously accepted our sponsorship offer ... incredible fabrics from an incredible company that is doing all the right things with regard to making a difference in changing the world.

Only a month home from showcasing on the runway our 2012 collection ... and already, we're gearing up for 2013.

More collections ... and hopefully, more showcases at one or two more FashionWeek events.
It's just the beginning ... the future is the brightest star in the sky!


If you're interested in participating as a sponsor of Second Star Designs for 2013 ... or know of anyone who might be, please send us a message ... we'd love to talk with you!

~C

The Name Game

With the dust from 2012 Baltimore FashionWeek still settling around our machines, we've been trying to come up with a name for next year's collection.  You see ... we've been asked to showcase next year ... and instead of just children's clothing, we'll be adding an entire line of eco-friendly clothing ... for grown-ups.

Two collections.

30+ total "looks".

And with consideration for the grown-up line of clothing, we've selected a name for that collection ...

Eco Art Wear

Sounds pretty cool!

We might just use the same name for both collections and just add "for kids" at the end of the second line.

Because it's cool enough for both ... and with the new name, design ideas are just falling out of my head.

Literally.

Now ... all I need is the fabric to put these clothing lines together.

Can't wait to get started!!!

~ C