There is nothing as exhilarating in the world of design as being put to the test, a fire drill of sorts, to conceive of and create by hand a one of a kind piece for a celebrity client....in 72 hours.
This is the story of a bag, aptly named "Plume", that made my fingers bleed and my heart pound.

My original sketch...not my forte, but at least the idea was there.

Feathers were collected from my personal stash, many of them from 1940's millinery adornments. Everything was hand dyed and then painted or lightly dusted with metallics to give the illusion of smoke. 

I have a wonderful resource which stocks 1920's - 1950's sequins and stones in unique shapes and colors. Many of these items would never be made today, but might be found in the archives at Maison Lesage.  I was able to find a wonderful assortment of old and new, with of course a smattering of beautiful crystals from our beloved Swarovski.

With beads selected, materials prepped and the rough sketch done, I enlisted the skilled hands of a favorite artisan of mine who worked for Bob Mackie for 25 years. There is nothing this woman can not do with a needle, thread and a hand full of beads. I was a student that needed to learn the fine art of beading very quickly if we were to deliver the bag on time.

A studio portrait of the finished confection...

And of course, how else do you deliver to an icon but on a bed of yellow roses?