Ramblin' Rose Hat Co.

This past August, after years of waiting for the right moment, I was able to fulfill a wish of having a hat made just for me. The idea of doing something like this was planted by my local friend Geninne, who when I shared how my current hat doesn't stay on my head if there is wind, said that if I were to have a hat custom made that would not happen. She then told me about the local hat maker Sam of Ramblin' Rose. I had heard of Sam via the small maker community we have here in Santa Fe, but hadn't explored her work. Once I did, it was clear that this would be the way to go, however the timing wasn't quite right.

Then, in August two things happened collided:

1. It was my birthday month and Greg asked me what I wanted.
2. I received Sam's "first to know, custom hat spots" email, stating that she was now open for new bookings.

The synergy between 1 & 2 was quite auspicious, thus I moved forward with my wish.

First step to kick off the process was making an appointment at her super cute workshop on upper canyon, to nail down measurements and design.

The process can take anywhere between 6-8 months, depending on supply chains, etc., thus, I've been practicing patience, knowing that it likely wont be ready until mid January if I'm lucky.

SHIFTING, thinking circular

Supporting Sam is a step in empowering and investing in a small, local business. Former investment banker Catherine Austin Fitts shares how the most important investment we can make is in our community. This requires a paradigm shift, instead of making purchases in anything having to do with the conglomerates, that invest our money in global companies who do not have the best interest in human beings, the animal kingdom nor Mother Earth.

Since "sen sir ship" has become a thing now, where we are not allowed to speak our minds and our freedom of speech is being threatened, I will begin to use code, like the ancient alchemists who had to hide their work and develop symbols to communicate under the guise of the dark lords.

Supporting and placing our money into specific investment companies (V), is undermining all of us. It' super important to step outside of that box and think in a circular format.

INDIE!

I am also supporting an indie, female maker and the slow fashion movement. Instead of purchasing a less expensive hat, investing in a handmade item that is made for me, by the hands of a local maker is part of the new economy which we all can be part of manifesting.

There's a phrase going around that states fashion is the second most polluting industry after oil, guess what, that's not completely true, another example of why its so important to do thorough research on things before just taking someones (a conglomerate or an organizations point of view, especially when an organization is funded by a creepy computer company.) Getting back to fashion, the most important aspects to keep in mind when making purchases is the follow,  inspired by a list on EcoCult:

• Consume less new, conventional fashion.
• Buy secondhand instead of new whenever possible
• When you have to buy new, buy it from an indie maker, or if its a bigger company choose a more sustainable label that has measured its emissions for the company or per product and is striving to reduce and offset its footprint.
• Support political action to limit global carbon emissions from every source. However, be mindful, once again everything is not what it seems Part of the dynamic here on planet Earth is that duality is everything.

If we each make the effort of spending our time, energy and money in a mindful way, we will be part of the big shift into a circular, holistic based system that holds the micro along with the macro in our collective heart.

Movie Monday: Phantom Thread

On Friday evening Greg and I headed over to the Violet Crown to see Phantom Thread, the latest and supposedly last film of the formidable Daniel Day-Lewis. He portrays Reynolds Woodcock, a British couturier in 1950's London with impeccable taste and a rather extreme and demanding temperament. If I were to choose an astrological sign for him Virgo comes to mind with his obsession to detail mixed with a bit of the cardinal signs of Capricorn and Aires who tend toward control. This compulsion for attentions to intricate parts of a whole, intense work ethic and commanding others is inherent in most genius artists who are committed to mastery and a defined aesthetic, Coco Chanel is a great example.

The film is beautifully rich, threaded with symbolic messages which hid themselves at first, presenting themselves on a conscious level as I continued to ponder and savor all the little details carefully stitched throughout—literally and metaphorically.

Film maker and director Paul Thomas Anderson co-wrote and produced this glamour packed, elegant morsel with Daniel-Day, previously the two had collaborated on There Will Be Blood (2007).  Mr. Anderson also undertook the role of "director of photography" which leads one to speculate that he himself contains some of the same eccentric devotions to quality we see in Mr. Woodcock.

The film also stars Vicky Krieps as Alma, his strong willed, young muse and Lesley Manville as Cyril, the very discerning and observant assistant and sister. Both Alma and Cyril have a similar look, which before I knew of the brother/sister relationship, had me speculating that the two red heads may have metaphorically been aspects of the same character. Something else to note is that the word alma means soul in Spanish.

Viscerally compelling from the start where we get a glimpse into Mr. Woodcock as master craftsman in the fashion house of a post war, London master craftsman and his entourage of assistants as they arrive at dawn and put on their uniforms.

The exquisite scrolling, calligraphic title is what captured me instantly in the trailer, followed by the setting of Londons mid century, high glamour fashion world coupled with Daniel Dy-Lewis and Paul Thomas. The haunting soundtrack weaved throughout was composed by Jonny Greenwood.

SPOILER ALERT

Before continuing, I recommend to STOP READING from this point forward so that you can view this cinematic gem in pure ignorance of the spoilers I am about to share.

As we drove out of the parking lot of the theater, Greg shared that he found the film troubling and was left with an uncomfortable feeling. I on the other hand didn't have that impression, in my mind I thought how in a way it was a modern day Taming of the Shrew in reverse. And to be completely honest, can see how in a partnership there are all sorts of issues going on simultaneously as each person makes concessions, or not, for the other—or over time one becomes resentful of the other. Relationships, especially close ones, are extremely complicated, as I am sure you are keenly aware of. To be the wife of a celebrated artist with a healthy ego can be anguish, daunting and constantly work on your own self esteem, it demands you to stand up and be heard, even when the other has no interest in having his shadowy self revealed.

So, where Greg was made uncomfortable, I relish Alma finding her own way of dealing with the bully and bringing him to his knees in an act of equanimity.

Another intriguing aspect that came to mind was how Alma, symbolic of the creative, circular womb, would go out into the forest to harvest mushrooms. I thought about how in many of the old faery tales untamed nature is so often needed to bring restoration to a life out of balance. There is also the concept of the mushrooms acting as a detox.

I'm sure as I continue to contemplate Phantom Thread and see it again and again, more of its inner linings will be revealed.

Movie Monday: A Single Man

In 2009 fashion icon Tom Ford made his directorial debut with the gorgeous film A Single Man. Our man, who happens to be single, is the meticulous and handsome George, impeccably played by Colin Firth. The film is adapted from the 1964 novel by the writer Christopher Isherwood.

Winner of several awards, the beautifully styled portrait is one of those little gems of film and story that the masses seemed to be fairly ignorant of. In our household we devoured it like a freshly made key lime pie, I invite you to do the same.

Tom Ford is representative of those rare individuals that that has such a clear sense of design and vision that he appears to effortlessly move from one visual medium to another. Besides being extremely handsome, containing exemplary taste and attention to detail he is also an extremely warm and charismatic individual.

The costume designer for A Single Man is Arianne Phillips, best known for being Madonna's stylist. Ms Phillips has received Oscar nominations for Walk the Line and W.E. She is currently working with Tom on his next film Noctural Animals based on the book Tony and Susan.

Fashion, fortune and the future

Just before heading out to NYC, by chance, I was asked to be part of a feature film. It was a random, rather auspicious stroke of luck which I actually declined on and then after further persuasion said yes. The bummer is that the film will most likely not come out for more than and year, I signed a confidentiality agreement and there's always the fate of the cutting room floor.

Thus, until the film starts gets some traction in the media, I'll post a few bread crumbs for those of you who are really paying attention.

Images: Timeless beauty Carmen Dell’Orefice, Emilio Pucci Spring 2015 collection, and water tower at Sony Pictures.

Incorporeal Entity

“The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.”

~ Coco Chanel

In early December Greg was contacted to model for the dynamic color consultant Jennifer Butler. I squealed with delight when Greg mentioned it to me as I am a huge and advocate of her work, having incorporated her principals throughout the branding of Roxana Illuminated Perfume.

When Greg spoke with Jennifer about the details she told him to bring me along as well. Thus, we began to put our outfits together and on December 13th headed down to the photography studio of Mikel Healey.

The shoot was focused on the "Summer" essence, of which Greg and I both belong to, which has the imprint of Twilight and defined on Jennifer's website as "languid and gracious; gentle twilight." Here is more from Jennifer's website:

"Summer is a time when we sustain our energy:  Seeds were planted in Spring, are being sustained through Summer, and will come to fruition in the Fall. The Summer essence comes from the twilight energy, relaxed, diffuse, thoughtful. The lines of summer are relaxed.  Wisteria cascades from trellises and wild roses trail the fences. The world seems brushed with a soft blue.  Days stretch into long rosy twilights and dusks are cloaked in purple shadows.

The Summer personality has a quiet and gentle manner, an air of repose and relaxation.  The Summer Essence typifies humility in its highest form. Sensitive to beautiful things, they love elegance and refinement. They tend to exactitude in their thinking and give meticulous attention to detail. They are precise in their planning and honor order. The Summer essence is contemplative and thoughtful and does not make instant decisions. They tend to see life in an intricate way, and they appreciate and honor art and beauty. They have a great sense of order, timeliness and appropriateness."

"We call the Summer woman the princess; the Summer man the gentleman. We often recognize them for their sense of refinement, and they remind us that we can live life gracefully and graciously. Summers are remarkable at research, engineering, and the medical profession. They make gifted healers, counselors and teachers."

Greg and I had a session with Jennifer back in 2007, just before I began working on my branding so as to integrate what I learned from her so that I could give as "authentic" an impression of who I was and what my business was about.

Based on my skin, hair and eye color combined with my temperament I was cast as a "Tapestry" summer because my eye color was technically Autumnal. Greg is a "Artistic" summer, his palette is a bit more keyed up than mine and includes blues.

The small, street facing studio had a large green screen hanging where the photos of other "Summers" were being taken. I sat down to have my make up applied while Greg was whisked to the back to evaluate the clothing we had brought and put together the outfits we would wear.

The shoot took place in the studio with the green screen as well as a few locations just outside, it was a great amount of fun and very different to be behind the camera instead of holding it and wearing make up. Once Jennifer puts the images up on her site I will give a shout out here so you all can wonder over there and see what they have done with the backgrounds for the green screen and what photos she has chosen.

Portraits by Mikel Healey

Movie Monday: The Eye Has to Travel

Browsing the available "downloadable" selections on Netflix can sometimes be a drag. There are evenings when Greg and I will browse for seems like a ridiculous amount of time before we finally settle on something or nothing at all. We seem to find items that we both are attracted to in the "Eco- Science & Nature Documentaries" but usually I'm interested in action thrillers while Greg prefers documentaries.

Occasionally we get lucky, such was the case with "The Eye Has to Travel." This portrait of the fashion visionary Diana Vreeland was such a pleasure to watch, completely exceeding our expectations.

"Style is everything...style is a way of life. Without it, you're nothing." 

~ Diana Vreeland

As an artist and one whose work falls within the domain of fashion, I am deeply attracted to the creative side of this world and the individuals who manage to survive and exceed in it.

Madame Vreeland was born in Paris in 1903, she was pulled from a traditional education at an early age and to focus on dance, her first love and a respite from her psychologically abusive mother. In both the film and the book "Empress of Fashion" by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart, the shift from the constraints of the Brearley school to a less academic school in the morning followed by afternoon attendance at the Louis Chalif's dancing school made a huge impact on her dreadful home life. In her diary, documented by Ms. Stuart, Diana wrote "...I wish I could do nothing but take a long warm bath with loads of perfume & dance dance dance."

Her career in fashion began in 1936 with a simple, yet outlandish column in Harper's Bazaar titled "Why Don't You...?" The eccentric Vreeland gave advice to women ranging from unconventional mothering tips to fashion pointers.

Soon she became the editor of Harper's Bazaar followed by editor of Vogue and finally a special consultant to the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum. She was pure genius as an arbiter of style, add healthy doses of cutting edge ideas with a keen eye on spotting, or perhaps even creating, trends.

Other films portraying Diana Vreeland's outlandish and unconventional character are Infamous (2006) by Juliet Stevenson and Factory Girl (2006) by Ileana Douglas.

Diana captured my heart because she was so completely authentic, using her creativity to reinvent, empower the arts and inspire others to do the same. Bravo to a luminous, completely unique spirit.

More about at the Diana Vreeland Estate website devoted to her memory.

Dolce and Gabbana Fall 2012

As you probably know all the major fashion houses have been having their shows. Today on Tumblr I came across a photo which turned out to be the stage for the Dolce & Gabbana runway show in Milan. That took me to their site where I was enchanted by the 2012 Fall collection.



The rich, ornamental fabrics combined with a Victorian flair have me swooning. If I were to translate these visuals into a perfume it would be a heavy incense oriental. A typical oriental fragrance is characterized as having a fresh top note in contrast to a heavy floral heart and rich base notes.


From my ready to wear fragrances I would choose Cimbalom for the women and Aumbre for the guys and To Bee as the unisex selection.


Of the perfumes in the works the Sherlock Holmes fragrance I have been working on falls nicely into this genre as well as the yet to be named Jasmine Noir and the one that has been kept a secret.

Chroma Spring 2011

The 2011 Spring Fashion Report from Pantone has arrived featuring lots of soft pastels with some contradictions to the colors showcased by the large fashion houses. Where as the colors for Fall 2010 seemed to be based on the themes and trends in popular culture and current events, this assemble feels very traditional and specific to the season. The colors look as if they were choosen directly from Greg's illumination for Gracing the Dawn, take a look.

The Colors are:

Honeysuckle link
Russet link
Coral Rose link
Regatta link
Peapod link
Blue Curacao link
Beeswax link
Lavender link
Silver, Peony link
Silver Cloud link











The trend is featuring lots of complimentary neutrals juxtaposing each other with typical icons of Spring like: florals, whites, shades of blue evoking water and nautical, soft earthy tones, tribal with flow, adventure and far off lands, dreamy feminine, morphing realities and vagabond bohemia.


Since I have a color palette based on my own eye, skin and hair color triad I don't BUY according to what others dictate as the "latest" fashionable colors. I DO however pay attention to it as a designer and creator of imagery.

Of all the designers I am feeling most aligned with Carlos Campos palette harmonizes the best with my own, Rebecca Minkoff "ultimate vagabond" works well with my artistic creative and I rather like Monique Lhuillier inspiration of a "dreamy state of mind."

Lavender: Gracing the Dawn Natural Liquid Perfume

Beeswax: Mindful beekeeping here in the wooded hills for solid perfumes

Silver Peony: Vera Liquid Natural Perfume


Blue Curacao: GreenWitch Liquid Natural Perfume and upcoming solid

Related post: 2010 Fall Report
Images are ©Roxana Villa and ©Greg Spalenka

Comic Con: Costumes

The costumes at the San Diego Comic Con(vention) each year are pretty spectacular, a true testament to the creative spirit. Although we weren't browsing the show as much as we normally do this year, we did catch some fun peeks from our booth.

Leelo, from The Fifth Element, "Multi Pass"

Wonder Heros

The Green Hornet (Pretty cute huh!?)

Gladiators, they remained in character and never smiled. Yes, those are their muscles, drool.

Fred Flintstone, YAH-BAH-DAH-BAH-DO!

Cat Woman, strike a pose, MEOW!

QuanYin or Asian Princess?



Pink was a popular color for hair this year.



and the most clever, in my opinion....

AquaMan and one of the guys from BP!

Photos by me-self (Roxana Villa), Eve Neuhart and Maestro Gregorio.

High Art

We are in full Comic Con prep mode here. Only two more days and time to pack up the car and head South. Besides all the product there are the elements for the booth. This year we are going for more of a shabby chic, Victorian quality. The store Bountiful in Venice is a huge influence on me, I love Sue's style so very much. We have borrowed from her, as best we can considering the circumstances.


We are fortunate that both Greg's color palette and mine are almost identical to what one sees at Bountiful. We have some sheer fabric curtains to hang in the back, a big banner of Gracing the Dawn, an antique candelabra with beeswax candles (only for show), silver platters and a glass dome.


Then there is what to wear!?! If circumstances are like years past it will be hot outdoors with icy winds bearing down on us at the booth. Thus layers need to be considered while formulating outfits. There is also the comfortable versus stylish factor to ponder.


Images: Opening image and last two are from on Bienenkiste on Tumblr, the Bountiful image was taken by moi while in Venice, CA.