Honey Cooler Handmade is on Instagram!

I'm a late adopter.

Let's face it - I discovered my passion for 1950's dresses thirty years after they were part of mainstream culture. So it should come as no surprise that took me years to jump on the Instagram bandwagon. I thought I'd dismiss it as just another social media time suck - and maybe part of that is actually true - but it's turned out to be a really fun way to share my progress photos and out-and-about discoveries with like-minded people.

Here are a few shots from my feed: honeycoolerhandmade.

Custom Natasha Deco Cami in progress. (via)

Sketchbook detail. (via) 

Street art outside Flax. (via) 

Lucky Star Deco Cami in progress. (via)

Be sure to share your account name in the comments!

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, Part II

More shots from the exquisite Gaultier exhibit at the De Young, including some undeniably iconic pieces.

Moins que Zéro, 2010

The Moins que Zéro ensemble was one of the pieces I was actively searching for while at the Gaultier exhibit. Dita Von Teese famously wore it on the runway at Gaultier's Fall/Winter 2010/2011 show, and while it was gorgeous in all the photos I've seen of it, in person it's enough to snatch your breath away form underneath your bedazzled ribs. Each bone is painstakingly studded with Swarovski rhinestones, right down to the individual vertebrae.

I couldn't find the name of this gown online. It was a stunning, conservative cloud of tulle from the front, with a sexy, extremely low cutout in the back. Gaultier does dichotomy to perfection.

Dita Von Teese wearing the above and below ensembles, photographed by Perou.

Husband: "It must take forever to get into that thing". The lacing on this piece begins essentially at the crotch and then goes all the way up along the back of the head. The bodysuit base underneath the lace-covered corset is hand appliquéd with the most delicate Chantilly lace imaginable.

Lace tattoos... Gaultier is definitely a man after my own heart.

La Mariée Gown, 2002 (top),  Circé Ensemble, 2003 (bottom left),

Detail from skull-embroidered men's sweater (bottom right)

While it resembled a cheetah pelt from far away, the overlay on this gown was actually hand beaded.

I loved this ensemble when it made it to Gaultier's fall 2009 runway show. It's even more lovely on a living, breathing model, though getting up close to it was quite a treat. On the runway it looks otherworldly, as if it was created from some alien mineral. Close up, it's metal mesh overlaid with vinyl and still exquisite.

Hope you enjoyed the photos! Did you visit the exhibit? What did you think?

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, Part I

I'm obsessed with corsets.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I about lost my head when I visited the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the de Young last weekend. There are really no words to describe the intricacy of Gaultier's pieces. I'm the ultimate perfectionist when it comes to sewing and Gaultier's couture is flawless. My sad little iPhone took less-than-stunning photos, but I still couldn't help snapping a million shots.

Gaultier's salute to San Francisco (left), Gaultier's model manifesto (right)

I adore Jean Paul Gaultier's aesthetic and affection for the female form, but what has always struck me is his regular use of non-traditional models in his runway shows, including Crystal Renn in 2005 and Beth Ditto in 2010.

Ex-Voto Gown (top left), Dolorès Gown (top right, center)

Immaculata Dress (bottom) - all 2007

Auréole Gown, 2007

I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite gown from this show, but the Auréole Gown was definitely up there. It was made from a mountain of silk tulle, which was delicately pleated, then topped with meticulous beading. Absolutely stunning.

Apparitions Gown, 2007

Sirene-Reine Gown, 2008

Gaultier's obsession with mermaids is apparent - he used shells and fish scales heavily as motifs for his spring /summer 2008 haute couture collection.

Bal de Sirenes Gown, 2008

A bit of history...

Jean Paul Gaultier's teddy bear is wearing lipstick and eye shadow and that, mes amis, is an awesome thing. The designer made a cone bra for Nana out of newspaper and thus began his foray into all things underwear.

Shots from the Boudoir room...

The entrance to the Boudoir had me falling all over myself. I could see gorgeous steamer trunk-inspired furniture, satiny bullet bras and corsets everywhere. A dream come true.

This corset dress was made entirely of ribbon - paging HCH!

From left to right: Pleated Corset, Corset from the Countryside Babes collection, Madonna's iconic cone-bra corset from her Blonde Ambition tour (1990), Alligator Corset

I have so many more pictures to share, so stay tuned for more.

In the meantime, did you see the exhibit? What did you think?

The Hill Farm

I'm starting off the new year quietly, with a nod to my simpler self (the one that wants to raise chickens, live in the woods and sell plum pierogies by the side of the road).

So if things are feeling a bit too hurried or stressful, sit down and watch The Hill Farm. It will definitely slow things down and make you appreciate your uncomplicated side.

Where is She? and How Doth She?

I'm not dead.

I know I haven't blogged in over a week, but I do have good reason. I was in Philadelphia for one of the most amazing weddings I've ever attended - two close high school pals tied the knot, and our weekend turned into a whirlwind of amazingness, with no time left over to devote to Honey Cooler Handmade.

BUT this blog is not all about HCH, so let's just talk pretty for a moment, shall we? The wedding was on Saturday and mercifully, our Sunday flight out of Philly was at 8pm, so we had all day to recover and regain our composure before our jaunt home. While reeling from my full-body hangover, I trudged all the way from Rittenhouse Square to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, husband in tow. I took some lovely shots there, which I shared on my personal Twitter account.

Edgar Degas' Little Dancer of Fourteen Years, 1881 (one of my favorite works of all time)

The Little Dancer's tutu was the inspiration for the ballerinas' costumes in the musical version of The Phantom of the Opera

Augustus Saint-Gaudens' Diana, 1892

Armor

18th century Eye Portraits

Of course this is a tiny sample of what's available for perusal at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Well worth the trip if you're ever in the City of Brotherly Love. Even if you've got a wicked hangover!

Love Life

Saw this on my walk down Florida Street in San Francisco last week.