COUTURE FOR REAL LIFE: Nino Brand by Bela Shehu

It's fun to dish about Oscar dresses and swoon over couture confections.  But the true holy grail in fashion is finding clothes that fit well, function better, look good all day, don't cost a fortune--and wont' be seen on every other woman walking down the street.  What I'm looking for is just what Bela Shehu's created with her new Nino Brand.

On the rack, Bela's collection has the simple, unadorned lines that have always appealed to me.  Pockets hide in seams, plackets cover buttons, nothing interferes with the clean line.  On the body, these deceptively simple cuts flatter in a way you would think required all kinds of fancy tricks.  But no.  "In my clothes, there's no ruching, no gathering," says Bela.  "It's all in the cut.  Fabric--whether wool, silk, jersey--has a certain way it wants to drape. We'll take a trapezoid shape--looks like nothing when it's flat.  By shifting the neckline we redistribute the weight.  When you put it on, it comes to life."

The dress fits, it flatters, it moves with you.  And then, you forget about it and go on with your life.

For years Bela has ghost designed for top names in the wardrobe world.  One morning in bed she started writing out ideas for this new kind of look, based on flat pattern making.  And she's launching it in a new kind of way.  No boutique, as she did in the past.  No mainstream advertising. She's approaching a few exclusive stores, showing at trunk shows, growing through word of mouth. And best of all, Style Maniac readers, she's offering the line through Private Appointments in her studio or a Private Event in your home, for a significant discount off the retail price.  Which means this is actually couture you can put in your closet.

"What I'm building here is a heritage brand.  Forward thinking, but classic.  Timeless, well-constructed pieces that you can wear years from now," says Bela.

Clothes so well done, "they make you forget what you're wearing."

To schedule Private Appointments in the South Philadelphia studio or Trunk Shows in your home contact  
Nino Brand at 267-496-5208.  
More on the Nino Brand Facebook Page.



Top photo by Patrick Ibanez.  Bottom photo via Nino Brand Facebook Page.  All other photos by Doreen Creede.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN with The Pennsylvania Ballet

Pennsylvania Ballet principal dancers Zachary Hench and Riolama Lorenzo in Christopher Wheeldon's Swan Lake. (photo: Paul Kolnik)

We sit in the audience, and the show onstage enthralls us:  the swirl of costumes, the pulsating music, the mystery of lighting in the darkness of the theater.  Astounding moves look effortless and dancers seem to float on air.  A world of fairy tales and feathers and thwarted romance unfolds and we are transported.

Ah, but what drama unfolds behind the curtain?

Perhaps I’ve seen too many movies, because what I expected was not at all what I found when I got to peek into the studios of one of the world’s premiere ballet companies, The Pennsylvania Ballet.

TOP: Principal dancer Arantxa Ochoa. MIDDLE: Arantxa with soloist Francis Veyette and (2nd row) soloist Barette Vance with corps de ballet dancer Andre Vytoptov. Artists of The Pennsylvania Ballet. (photos: Alexander Iziliaev)  BOTTOM: Soloist James Ihde in rehearsal with corps de ballet dancer Evelyn Kocak and onstage with principal dancer Riolama Lorenzo in Jerome Robbins' In The Night. (left photo: Doreen Creede / right photo: Paul Kolnik).

My first surprise was the athleticism behind the artistry.  Up close, in the bright lights of the rehearsal studio, you see the sweat streaming down Barette Vance’s smiling face as she flits through Balanchine; feel the reverberation of Francis Veyette’s muscled legs pounding into the floor, with the thinnest slipper as “protection;” wince as James Ihde’s rippling arms swoop a sitting Evelyn Kocak straight over his head, as if she weighs no more than a pillow.  You think back to that awkward ballet class you took at the age of six, and realize that for every million little girls who dream of being a ballerina, perhaps one actually makes it her career.  Or to put it in terms my husband would relate to: this is the NFL of the dance world.

My next surprise was what I didn’t see:  No drama.  No divas.

During rehearsal, when a “take” [my word] didn’t work, the ballet mistress and dancers had a calm, collaborative discussion.  At a reception after an In-Studio Show, dancers ranging from veteran principals to new young corps de ballet members got along as though a happy family and made us visitors feel like welcome friends.

Perhaps the camaraderie is because company dancers spend more time together than most families, training nine hours a day, five days a week, 10 months a year.  Or perhaps it’s that a quarter of the company literally is family:  three couples in the Pennsylvania Ballet are married, one engaged.

But I think it’s something else.  I think it’s the joy that comes from making a living by every day doing the thing you truly love. The positive energy in those unadorned rehearsal rooms--lined with storage boxes, lights glaring overhead--was simply infectious.

(photo by Alexander Iziliaev)

AT THE MOVIES: The Black Swan Connection
Given the hype, you probably think the movie Black Swan inspired this post.  In fact, it was a letter from my friend Janis Goodman, chair of the board of trustees, that piqued my interest.  Not until later did I discover that 14 of The Pennsylvania Ballet’s dancers appeared in the movie and that the Company will perform Swan Lake this March, followed in April by the premiere of a new work by Benjamin Millepied, Black Swan’s choreographer and Natalie Portman’s fiancé.

ONSTAGE: The Pennsylvania Ballet's Spring 2011 Season
(Unbelievably, tickets start at just $20.)

February 3-6  Classic Innovations
(includes: The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; Polyphonia; In The Upper Room)

March 3-13  Swan Lake

April 14-17  Building On Balanchine
(includes: Agon; a yet-to-be-named world premiere by Benjamin Millepied; and Who Cares?)

June 2-11  La Fille Mal Gardee

Artistic Director: Roy Kaiser  |  paballet.org  | 215-893-1955

BEHIND THE LENS
The contrast of Paul Kolnik’s flawless performance pictures and the natural beauty of Alexander Iziliaev’s studio shots completely captivated me.  Then came my third surprise of this post: photography is a hobby for Alexander.  His longtime "day job" is principal dancer with The Pennsylvania Ballet.  

That's him, at left, in Balanchine's Agon.  Talk about talented!
(Alexander's photo by ... you guessed it ... Paul Kolnik)

BEHIND THE SCENES: Kevin O'Brien Studio

Have you ever looked at a drop-dead gorgeous fabric and wondered how it came to be? From the moment I met the burnt-out silk artistry of a Kevin O'Brien Studio scarf I tried to imagine how that complex pattern and iridescent shimmer could possibly be achieved.  Ten years later, I still delight in the lush texture and ever-changing color of the scarves I've snagged over the years at KOB Studio's holiday sales in their Old City, Philadelphia workroom.  So when I came upon their booth at last month's High Point Market, I felt like I was meeting an old friend, now grown up and expanded into pillows, bedding, rugs and very soon upholstery.  And it occured to me:  why not ask if I could take Style Maniac readers (and myself!) on a behind-the-scenes tour of the studio that supplies luxury goods to Neiman-Marcus, ABC Carpet & Home and Antrhropologie?

"Sure," was the quick and easy answer.  And despite it being Thanksgiving week--and the heart of the retail season--Kevin O'Brien personally greeted me, chatted over coffee at a table piled with luscious velvets and then gave me a tour of the studio.  A trained architect, accomplished painter and successful entrepreneur in a tough retail niche, Kevin's so talented the words "Renaissance man" come to mind--except that he's so easy-going and down to earth that would give you the wrong impression.  When asked how his studio has survived and thrived, he gives the credit to his staff, a tight and loyal group of mostly women, who chimed in often during our tour.  "The best parts of this job," Kevin told me, "are designing ... and being their 'boss.'"

The designs--medallions, twirling vines, snakeskin, woodgrain--begin in Kevin's head.  They are then transferred to a computer for refinement and to work out various colorways.  Despite the kaleidoscope of finished colors, fabrics all start out the same way:  as solid white velvet.  A screen print and acid process erases away parts of the velvet to create the various patterns.  Color comes from non-toxic dyes sprayed on one at a time using a myriad of recipes and techniques developed over the years.  A steamer sets the dye, fabrics are rinsed in a large sink and then put in a regular old washing machine for a final rinse (the part of the process that surprised me the most).

From there the glimmering fabrics take on life as pillows, duvet covers, throws (and still some scarves) destined for high-end retail stores, custom designer projects ... and lucky homes. (This year select items will also be sold at holiday pop-up stores and sample sales in Philadelphia and New York.)  Pillows retail for $100 to $400.  Pricey for a pillow, perhaps ... but not for a work of art.

Kevin O'Brien Studio
www.kevinobrienstudio.com   215-923-6378
Year-round boutique at ABC Carpet & Home, New York City.   
Pop-up holiday shops & sample sales at these locations:

Kevin O'Brien Studio Shop 
Annual Holiday Sample Sale offering scarves, pillows, robes, bedding, fabric, stuffed animals and more. Up to 75% off retail.  Through December.  8428 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118  215-923-6378

 
Echo Of The Dreamer Holiday Sample Sale 
Handmade jewelry plus Kevin O'Brien wares.  Through December 18, 2010.
242 West 30th St., 14th Floor, NYC 10001  212-594-8022  www.echoofthedreamer.com

Kevin O’Brien Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Store 
Up to 30% off retail.  Through January 3, 2010.  215-684-7960  www.philamuseum.org

Stacked bedding, closet and blue pillow collection images courtesy Kevin O'Brien Studio.  All other photos by Doreen Creede.

ONLINE ART SHOW: Patricia Burns

I discovered Patricia Burns twice--in one week.  First, while working on a client project, a store owner (who happens to be her neighbor) recommended her art.  Then, a few days later, a friend invited me to a show at Muse Gallery where, it turns out, Patricia was the featured artist.  That kind of coincidence is simply meant to be.

While I found them pretty when viewed online, in person her paintings positively pulsate with rich, vibrant color palettes ranging from Blues to Bubble Gum. [#2 & #4 above]  "I paint purely from the passion of the paint, the moment and my guts," says Patricia.  "Whatever happens in my life inspires my paintings. Family, friends, romance, world events, adventure are all tucked in there.  My personal emotions are in each painting and I can tell what I was feeling in each one. They are never the same."

"I don't have any plan in mind when I start," she adds.  "Sometimes I think the painting paints itself and names itself too!"

After confirming that Patrica Burns' mysterious midnight blue Nights In White Satin would indeed be the perfect counterpoint to my client's neutral color scheme, I found plenty of art I'd love to have in my own home.  In particular a red piece bursting with energy and happiness for my sunny second-floor loft.  Or perhaps one day, in the beach house of my dreams, a collection of her works hung on soft white walls, with rustic ebony floors, giant cushy sofas, a long table with bright and funky unmatched chairs ... and not much else.

Patricia Burns is an artist, filmmaker and, yes, a Moody Blues fan.  
To see more of her work visit www.patriciaburnsartist.com 
or contact her at pfburns@comcast.net
phone: 610-649-1748
Muse is an artist-run gallery in Old City, Philadelphia.


All images courtesy Patrica Burns