The Prelude — Testing Ideas, Making Art, and a Secret September Shoot

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a dressmaker, it’s that big dreams need room to stretch their wings before they ever touch a runway.

While the official seven-look collection for New York Fashion Week is quietly coming together in the background, I couldn't bear the thought of staying completely silent in the studio until February. My creative brain simply doesn't work that way! I needed a space to play, experiment, and just make art without the heavy pressure of the big stage.

So, I’m creating a special prelude capsule collection—a secret playground of dresses that will serve as the testing ground for what’s to come.

Diving Into the Stash: Making Magic from What’s on Hand

For this prelude line, I am diving deep into my own carefully gathered fabric stash.

There is something so freeing about reaching for textiles I already own—vintage table linens, romantic thrifted drapery, intricate lace, and my hoarded sparkly tulles waiting for their moment.

Instead of jumping straight into final gown builds for NYFW, this prelude allows me to test ideas out in the real world:

• Playing with Silhouette: Trying out new corset designs and skirt drapes to see how they move, sit, and feel.

• Color Story Experimentation: Mixing soft ivories, romantic blush tones, deep burgundies, and classic blacks to see how the palette breathes in real life.

• Refining Details: Working through structural ideas on a smaller scale so the final NYFW collection can be as seamless and polished as possible.

  
  

It’s part trial run, part pure artistic freedom.

The September 27th Styled Shoot

So, where are all these prelude dresses heading?

On September 27th, I’m hosting a collaborative styled shoot with some incredible local photographers and creatives. We are coming together to turn these test builds into living, breathing visual art. This will be a ticketed fundraiser event, inviting local photographers to purchase a ticket to take part in this exclusive event with my designs!

As a filmmaker and photographer, this shoot is where the magic really happens for me. It’s my opportunity to craft rich photography and cinematic videography that captures the mood, movement, and soul of these dresses.

Consider this September shoot your first official tease of the NYFW era. You’ll get to see the drapes in motion, the textures up close, and the overall mood of where my heart is heading for New York—all while the real secret collection stays safely under wraps a little longer.

Get Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Access!

Over the next few weeks leading up to the shoot, I’ll be sharing sneak peeks, design progress, and studio updates as I finish these prelude pieces.

If you want to come along for the ride and catch exclusive behind-the-scenes photos along the way, make sure you subscribe to the blog and follow along on Instagram and YouTube! That’s where I’ll be dropping extra studio updates, progress shots, and early peeks before anyone else sees them.

I can’t wait to take you behind the curtain and let you in on this secret testing phase. It’s going to be a beautiful autumn.

What kind of dress details or silhouettes are you hoping to see in this prelude collection? Let me know in the comments below!