Ties to my new bow obsession

I've got a new obsession, and it's bow ties. The one above is Ralph Lauren and the first one I've ever actually tied myself.

I then proceeded to figure out how to make my own and experimented around to come up with the following final first ever bow tie. It's Black & Yellow wool, and not adjustable - I'll get to that with the next tie.

Ankles are the beacon of light for change

Remember when ankles were the sexiest part of the body a woman could show? We were heading in the right direction in fashion. Hemlines were changing, and attitudes toward optional silhouettes fast approaching. I might be optimistic, and there is still a long way to go - but the recent nod and inclusion of ankle exposing slim lined suits and trou' for men are very promising in terms of a design breakthrough I hope will catch on.

Darren Criss for GQ showing how it's done in ankle exposing trousers

It wasn't that many months ago that at being questioned what my thoughts were on menswear in an interview by Amelia's Magazine I outlined my frustration with the fact that men simply do not experiment. I even went as far as to controversially state that most men I've had the pleasure of working for that far "have bigger mouths than the will to be experimental". I went on to say that "There’s not much room for experimentation for me as a designer, as they’re very specific about what they want and even half an inch down or up is a deal breaker. Hopefully I can be proven wrong one day."

A few days ago I had a few insightful discussions with some of my fellow menswear ethusiasts including the graphic designer David McGillivray and a few Twitter friends during which I came to realize that although there is a variety in menswear, the actual consumer varies from person to person instead of within situations as it does for women. As I said, when mentioning my upcoming collection including both womenswear and menswear, women comment "Oh, I can't wait to see what you've come up with" while men say "I hope the collection includes pieces that are basically what I already wear".

Although the experimentation is minimal and only applied in refinement of an already decided on style instead of a full blown experimentation, instead of being frustrated I'm feeling more driven to crack this nut than ever. I'm lucky that I'm still at the stage where I can establish and refine certain key pieces, design features particular to me and a fit I hope a group of guys will be able to incorporate as part of their already established style. Much like they do. In that respect I will be taking inspiration to their approach to styling and apply it to my approach to designing, different to the way I approach designing for women, which very much fits into the way women style.

I can't wait.

Furthermore, I can see the rays shooting through from behind the horizon. Where ankles pointed to a bright future of female fashion, ankles might be pointing at a bright future in menswear. I might not be alive for it, but I'll gladly join in with the first baby steps.

PortmanteauLists - Top five feather dresses

I have a current obsessionn with feather as part of a feature in my dresses, which is an expensive and time consuming taste to have. Helped along by the fact that hand sewing allows me to work in the garden whilst sunbathing, I managed to get a few pieces done lately - however, until further financial notice my enjoyment is limited to the drooling over feathered dresses I've adored in the past, most of which are by the indisputable king of feather detailling, the late Alexander McQueen.

1. Alexander McQueen



Image by Fashionfoiegras (thanks for sharing this piece of perfection with us)

2. Atelier Versace


Penelope Cruz in Versace at the Oscars

3. Alexander McQueen Fall 2008


Image taken from Bare blog

4. Oscar de la Renta Spring 2008


Taken from NY Fashion Mag

4. D&G A/W 2011


Taken from Felifashion

Please share some beautiful feathered dersses if you like, I can't get enough of them.

Portmanteau Preps: Day two at the V&A and Yohji Yamamoto

Image by Mummy Portmanteau

Vintage cream silk blouse

Zara Navy blue silk cardigan

Pringle of Schottland cream pleat skirt

Rupert Sanderson cream and white rimmed leather heels

Lira Leirner yellow-gold and black checked raw silk and leather jacket

Black hair bow

Calvin Klein black watch

Continuing the indulgence of the imaginary sartorial pathway "If I had been a Prep girl", the second day of Mummy Portmanteau's visit to the big smoke took us to see Yohji Yamamoto's collection at the V&A in a brightly lit sterile show space which made me feel like I was back in fashion week and not in a museum. Some of the pieces were truly jaw droppingly beautiful and I found myself drawn to red pieces more than any other. Quite charmingly, I could see faults of finish and methods every now and then, in particular with his earlier pieces - for example, a full - train pure cashmere night gown had moth holes and another garment had it's beautiful front gathering pulling down the corner of the mid- button that would have benefitted from a discreet hook and eyes. Minute details, which always rock my nerves when I see them in my own garments while everyone around me seems to see only the positives, yes details nonetheless - made by a master of fashion sculpting. I know I should make this about myself, but it did make me feel better about the mistakes only I seem to see. However, when it comes to pleating and layering, I had goose bumps.

Isn't this the most beautiful mushrooming pleat sculptured dress you've ever seen? I find it hard to take my eyes off the red sleeveless pleated silk dress in homage to Madame Gres from the S/S 2005 collection

Beautiful red and black distressed boiled wool jacket with gathered front and long skirt from the /W 2009-10 collection and a red asymmetric light wool felt dress with crinoline from the A/W 1990-91 collection.

Black long dress with buttons from top to bottom at the front and on both sides in silk from the A/W 1995-1996 collection. This is a feature I've been meaning to incorporate into my pieces for a while but I never end up having the patience to actually implement it. One day... one day.

Black halter-neck long dress in homage to Madame Gres, with pleat detail in the front and black trousers in silk and satin from the S/S 2005 collection

Lira Leirner Loans: Jemma Austin Photography

Today the photographer Jemma Austin came round to borrow some Lira Leirner pieces to use for her fashion photography project. The wind was crazy and Laura the model had to be rubbed with the jumper in between shots so she wouldn't turn purple. What a trouper! I can't wait to see the real images but here are some "behind the scenes" pictures! It was fun, especially when we ate cheesy chips...

"Just because I work behind the lens doesn't mean I don't like to dress up"

Sleepy time for assistants after lunch break...

Little Miss Fashion prepares for Lira Leirner

Zoe from Little Miss Fashion is one of the sweetest people I've yet to have only spoken on Twitter to. I almost met her once when she came to see me during LFW but didn't actually come say hello as I was talking to someone else. Hopefully that'll be rectified and I'll get to meet her soon. She was the winner of a giveaway on The Stylecrusader and I couldn't have asked for a more grateful or deserving winner!

Have a look at what she wrote on her website: Interview: Designer Lira Leirner

Lira Leirner in Amelia's Magazine

In a long interview, the lovely Sally asked me about my endeavors as a writer as well as a designer. There are drawings by my talented friend Dee Andrews spicing up the back and fro adding to the images. Thank you, Amelia, Matt and Sally for this lovely piece!

Hop over to Amelia's Magazine to read the complete interview.

Portmanteau Dress Crush - Chanel Pearl Dress

A few posts back you saw me swooning over a Rochas dress from the Paris Fashion Week and today I've come across another of these dresses that I have drawn up before in a similar concept and wished I had the funds to make myself. It's always surprising to see something you know more than anybody else has come from your own mind, placed on paper (badly, I'm no drawing genius) and then, suddenly, it has actually been created by someone else, sometimes even decades ago. It's a strange strange sensation, one I have come across a lot as a teenager when I was discovering all these thoughts and concepts I had though of on my own had been thought of centuries before. I had to learn to acknowledge that the cultural situation in which I have grown up were based on the knowledge of the piece of thought or idea I had come up with on my own and therefore laid an easier train of thought for me, but I will never get over hating the fact to an extent that because I didn't think of it first, no matter how much I actually thought of it without outside help, it's rendered void.

To get back to the topic, I came across another such dress in the form of a Chanel dress on Keira Knightley. As most of you know, I'm a pearls girl. I've included pearls (salt water or fresh water, never plastic) in my pieces as features but have from the very beginning dreamed of making a dress like the one I've come across today - made entirely of pearls in a cut that was modern and fresh, exposing certain bits of the body under a layer of loose pearls hanging heavily upon the skin. But could I afford it? No. Here, feast your eyes on the dress I've dreamed up but couldn't afford to make. Some of you will even recognize the features I consistently use - exposed back, cap sleeves, v-neck bust line, buttoned skirt back, contrast hem lines, knee length skirt. For now I guess I'll just have to make do with the thought that I came up with a dress on my own that Chanel made.






Keira Knightley in Chanel at the 'Never Let Me Go' Premiere at BFI London Film Festival. All images taken from Styleite.com

Please vote for Lira Leirner to make Florence's stage outfit

"Florence + the Machine is a Brit Award-winning band with roots in indie rock and soul. Lead singer Florence Welch is known for her eclectic sense of style, often wearing outfits she finds in local second-hand shops."

So right up my street, then, I thought a few months ago. I don't remember exactly who pointed me towards it (which is bad, I'm so sorry) but I have been shown the link a few times by several different people since.

I submitted the clear Royal Mail Dress which got put through to the voting round! Have a look and vote for me!

Now I was made aware that the voting is open! So... As the reward is quite big I thought I'll share it with my lovely voters. If I win, I'll select one of you to receive part of the winning prize! To be entered please make sure to let me know you voted with a comment on the page. Let's do this!

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!

Brazil Look Day 1

Black Proenza Shouler Round Sunglasses
Orange and red gingham Lira Leirner Batwing blouse
Red silk M&S skirt
Red Le Pliage Longchamp bag from the 1990s
Black and white Lira Leirner kimono bracelet
Givenchy tights
Multi red and white patent Prada platform sandals

You'll see quite a few of these outfit posts in the coming weeks. This blog is not really one of these, but while in Brazil I feel it's necessary because every day here is like a catwalk day. The same way normal people in the fashion industry prepare and arrange their outfits for the twice yearly fashion weeks, I have throughout my life, prepared and separated my best pieces for the visits to Brazil so obviously, I want to share those with you.

Today I woke up at 4am and worked on drawing up 28 pieces of my next collection until 12.30 when my mum came to pick me up to go bid a friend of the family farewell - a painter who has known my mother since college years (whose brother was my aunt's first boyfriend) but who I only really met when she lived 15 minutes away from my house in Hamburg for the 10 years I lived there.

I carried a 10 kg heavy paper roll (for the patterns) in those 5 inch Prada sandals, which had three store managers running after me in the want to help me with that heavy thing but I obviously refused. The gingham orange batwings had the porter laughing at me when I made my way to my mum's car but that's part of the fun, eh? I also hung out with my granddad and my great grandmother (my granddad's mum) who kept saying I was the most beautiful thing she'd seen all day. Despite ensuring her it was all based on her genes and that she looks at TV most of the time she kept repeating it. I said my good byes and proceeded to head home and work on creating several patterns until 2am.

Sample Sizing - Let's start a revolution

Most of you know I am tiny. I am five foot one (and I insist on the one!) and not exactly thin but still a size UK6. In fact, that's how the fashion line Lira Leirner started in the first place - I could never find things to wear that fit me.

However, Lira Leirner has evolved and explored and is no longer a petite only dress hub but includes a range of sizes, styles and different garment types. The sizing issue in the fashion industry is one that will always be very close to my heart, though.

Now I've been planning a collection of 28 pieces (so far) and have it drawn up and ready to go. However, that's where I came across a hurdle I could not jump myself on my own.

What should be the sample size of my collection? Unlike other big or medium designers, I can't afford to make a collection which exists merely to be looked at on the runway on models. I need to actually sell this stuff and I don't remember models being exactly rich or falling in love with pieces they've worn during work enough to buy them.

My point is, creating an entire collection to FIT MODELS and then to be merely looked at by buyers, PR's, journalists. stylists and bloggers is something only the rich and mighty (or those with a loan) can do. I know it's a vicious circle, but why are we meant to create stuff to fit people whose job is to fit into whatever it is we make? How about we use a better size and the circle becomes the same but on a better scale?

I want to go with a size that won't require TOO MUCH pinning that it would effect the garment but is also a size that fits those who would actually buy the pieces. Surely the fashion industry can "understand" and like a piece just as much when it's a few inches bigger?!

I am thinking a size UK8 or UK10 / US6 or US8.

This, I know, is still relatively small but I think is also the widest used size.

Please help me and tell me your thoughts on this matter by commenting below or sending me a tweet with #NewSampleSize. I do want to stick it up to the man but am I shooting myself in the leg? Which size would you suggest I use?

I'm going to count the votes, so make sure to leave a concrete size either UK or US. I created a poll as well to make it easier, please vote!

THANK YOU!!

Image of Chrystal Renn taken from Adventures in Heels, image of skinny model (gross) taken from Komo News

My last few weeks in Twit pics

This last week, as you may have noticed, I was virtually absent from this blog. There were the two announcements - "Lira Leirner introduces new collections" and "Lira Leirner Pop up shop during London Fashion Week" but that was about it.

This was mainly due to the fact that this week saw me extend my usual 20 hour days onto 48 to even 74 hour "days" at one time. I created twenty pieces to make four new collections, completely restructured my website to offer 22 options of shops which I had to create individually as my CMS is still Dreamweaver, painstakingly photoshopped over a hundred images, organized and had the photo shoot with the fabulous photographer Terence the Fashionographer and prepared the pop up shop.

I do have some catching up to do but until then here's my last few weeks in twitpic or iPhone pics, whichever you prefer.

Gabby Young comes to pick up her Lira Leirner stage dress

Wearing the Charlotte Taylor scarf I won in the Young British Designer competition

Amazingly simple yet effective marketing strategy

Observing my muses in their habitat (Clothes Whisperer and Fashion Foie Gras)

And the master in his (Fashionographer)

An amazing little park in the middle of London

Yummy lunch in John Lewis top floor with my Yorkshire Pearl before the Benetton store launch

Charlotte's earliest fashion memory - the pink Chanel Jacket

Lira Leirner signature sleeve teardrop pleats

Detalling, lined in crinkled embroidery satin

Collection Black 'n White and Sculpting Class

Autumn Leaves collection

Wearing Karl Lagerfeld boyfriend jeans reduced from £160 to £17

Leather skinny tie with Crossword puzzle detailing and custom Lira Leirner box

Lira Leirner box and leather tie alongside

Terence happy with his Lira Leirner tie (although not apparent here haha)

Terence modeling the Lira Leirner men's shirt (and loving it, incidentally)

Skinny Terence modeling the Lemon on Salmon leather shorts!

Trying to pack for London Fashion Week pop up shop. Need another suitcase.

Exciting first print of limited edition Danielle Andrews drawings

Pop up front a la fete style

Complete set up

Lovely couple enjoying the draw your dream dress activity with Danielle Andrews templates

I Want You to Know and Fashion Day Dreams scouting the Lira Leirner rack

Alex in ever amazing outfit

Mariana in her own winning Charlotte Taylor scarf

Wolf Whistle, Save our Shoes and Mediacation

Rhys Bentley and Kate Lawson

Aiden and Jemma

My one and only helper. I heart Lola

Yummy sherling

Oh sheeeeerling

Best sherling combo EVER

I am so on board with this shirt. The guy was lovely, too.

One of the dresses I sold (to this lady)

Wearing the outfit I'd tried/ decided on to land in as I forgot to get changed

The QR code dress finally, finally ready after ca. 50 hours of work

Butters the Fashion Dog in Lira Leirner Chanel jacket

The Clothes Whisperer in her first custom made Lira Leirner dress

And it fits like a dream - Butters, Baby Whisperer and Fashion Foie Gras like!