For me, one of the highlights of the show was being included as one of the judges for Project O.R. – a competition for design students that celebrates the functionality, originality and design of outdoor recreation clothing.

Six design students from top design programs from around the country were chosen for the competition. On the first morning of the show they were handed a design brief requiring them to produce a prototype of an innovative, original and functional backcountry ski pant for women using performance and eco-friendly materials – within 48 hours! Contestants chose the latest technical fabrics and trims provided by exhibiting industry suppliers.

Because of my experiences of designing such pants for Isis, I was well aware of the multiple challenges this assignment provided for the designers. Problems such as how a woman relieves herself in the backcountry without undressing, how to provide adequate venting, what kind of fabrics to use to help regulate fluctuating body temperatures, where to place pockets so they won’t interfere with a harness etc., would need to be resolved.

Later in the day a panel of judges, comprised of five industry insiders, reviewed the designer’s initial concept sketches and storyboards, fabric selections and garment features and made suggestions that would help improve the functionality of the designs.

Margaret Mussman's storyboard and concept sketches

After the judge’s critique the designers made changes and settled into their personal work stations equipped with sewing machines, cutting tables, tools and pressing equipment to start making their patterns and building their prototypes.

Julia Mangelsdorf starts drafting her pattern

Paula Lam working with her pattern pieces

Lauren Mellor applies seam tape to the inside of her pant

When the judges checked back in with the students, less than 48 hours later, they all had garments ready to present to us. I for one was totally blown away by their ability to pull together such well thought-out and finished garments in such a short timeframe. Grace under pressure!

Project O.R. is a truly wonderful opportunity to introduce students to the Outdoor industry. The beauty is that they can tap directly into knowledgable people who work for well-known apparel and hard goods brands and fabric suppliers, because all those people are all under one roof during the show.

Margaret Mussman from the University of Cincinnati was the undisputed winner of the contest. Her exceptionally detailed bib pant showed a clear understanding of the end-user and her needs in the backcountry. The pant was beautifully constructed – mostly using Bemis adhesive tape, instead of stitching, to bond waterproof breathable stretch fabrics together. Margaret, a former competitive snowboarder imaginatively used her snow sport experience to influence her design.

Margaret Mussman with her winning design celebrates with a glass of champagne

A few of the designers had little or no prior exposure to skiing. It was impressive how all the contestants took the judges first feedback to heart and made some extraordinary changes to their initial designs and fabric selections. All of them created a pant that surpassed their original concept sketches. It was a real pleasure to be in the company of such talent!

Lauren Mellor's pant was highly praised for it's interesting fabric selection and forward styling

Kelsee Morefield's pant included a discreet front to back zipper system, an efficient system for when nature calls.

Jennifer Hirsch's ambitious design took it's inspiration from fresh ski tracks.

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Have a nice weekend!

Design: Janet Emmelkamp,Utrecht School of the Arts

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A vintage postcard-like scene of alpine chalets against a backdrop of snowy peaks and glaciers adorn this simple dress.

The tee shirt graphic appears to be inspired by folkloric paper cut outs of hearts, flowers and deer.

On closer inspection the print on this dress is a beautiful oversized vintage map.

A nod to traditional lederhosen suspenders complete with decorative hardware similar to that found on leather cowbell collars.

Interestingly placed aforementioned hardware. I might not have placed it on the bust myself!

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Satin strapless dress, damask coat with satin bow Sassi Hoiford. Sheepskin wrap, Celtic Sheepskin

Bouclé wool and satin bodice dress, bouclé wool coat with floral collar, Bruce Oldfield

Satin jacket with a bustle trimmed with faux fur and matching satin skirt, Angelina Colarusso. Sheepskin wrap, Celtic Sheepskin

Vintage lace paneled dress, vintage lace coat with appliquéd flowers

Satin Spaghetti strap dress, collarless silk coat with train and silk bar at bust, Amanda Wakley. Fur cape, Vlasta Coilu

Images by Carl Bengtsson via Selvedge 

For more New Year’s inspiration click here

When I suggested that he wear one of these quilted men’s sport coats, my husband scoffed at the price tags, and the look entirely. However, I think the trend of insulated (down or synthetic) button front jackets with lapels is pretty cool. Designers for these high-end brands most likely see the success of the lightweight down sweaters made by popular outdoor brands and are reinventing them.

Getting your ski bum man into a down sport coat, one turn shy of a parka, is another turn closer to a coat and tie – if that’s where you want him to go.

Jacket | $1,495, Barneys, New York

Nylon Quilted Coat | $1,347, Etro, New York

Z Zegna Outerwear | $1,195, zegna.com

Moncler Gamme Bleu Jacket | $2,780, Moncler Boutique, New York

Ralph Lauren Black Label Quilted Down Filled Jacket | $995, mrporter.com

Via: Wall Street Journal

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In the Swiss village of Törbel, cobbler Titus Karlen came up with the idea to reuse the blankets by hand stitching them into heavy-duty tote bags and knapsacks. Their leather straps are recycled from straps and belts from the Swiss army.

Family run Karlen Swiss, the largest employer in the village of Törbel, contributes to the local economy by providing jobs to women who would otherwise have to travel beyond the valley for work. Their work is synonymous with Swiss quality and ingenuity.

My passion for Swiss mountain culture (edelweiss, cheese, skiing, cow bells, mountain huts, yodeling) is embodied in the blanket bags. So many aspects of this collection appeal to me; the recycling of vintage, yet new, blankets into practical, rugged and attractive bags and accessories, all bag components are handmade, and that the “hand” of the original craftsperson is evident in each individual piece. Guess what’s on my Christmas list?

Photos via Deken - another Swiss company making bags and household items from vintage Swiss Army blankets.

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It’s been so warm and snowless in Vermont I’ve been having a hard time believing the holiday season is upon us. In New York people were dining in outdoor cafes and the roses were blooming!

However, the Bergdorf Goodman holiday window displays on 5th Avenue nudged me into the spirit. They are absolutely magical and it was worth ogling them shoulder to shoulder with the throngs of onlookers.

This year’s theme is “Carnival of the Animals“. Each mannequin is draped with the most exquisite couture dress and surrounded by multitudes of antique and hand crafted animals. Some are taxidermy intricately hand decorated with beading, sumptuous fabrics, papier-mâché, paint or needlework. I could have spent an hour with my nose pressed to each window and still not have seen every intricate detail!

Built around a vintage collection of mixed-metal birds and jungle animals, “The Brass Menagerie” is set in a stylized tropical forest of metal and mirror and glimmers with leafy foliage of brass and steel.  Within this forest is a fantasy recording studio, with vintage microphones and a brass “primate” jazz combo.  The floor is covered several inches deep with a secret quantity of copper pennies and hundreds of fishing lures hang from the walls and ceiling.  For this window, a special dress was created by Naeem Khan.

“Breaking the Ice” is my favorite window.  It invites viewers to a mid-afternoon arctic garden party whose guests include “couture plush” animals such as polar bears, a moose, an arctic mountain goat, a seal, and a of pair wolves.  All the animals have been upholstered in luxe white textiles and appliquéd with icy crystals, beads, and sequins.  A Baccarat chandelier adds luster.  The party hostess is the focus of attention in her specially designed dress and one-of-a-kind cape, all by J. Mendel.

Completely encrusted with hand-cut Italian mosaic tile, this intensely blue window is truly an undersea fantasy.  A single mannequin, in a seashell dress from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 collection, appears to be floating amid a massive collection of mosaic sea creatures. Everything is highly patterned, with swirling textures and oceanic colors. The ocean floor is dotted with a treasure chest worth of jewelry. “Testing the Waters” is quite the aquatic triumph as its production was 10 months in the making and is the most labor-intensive single window display in Bergdorf Goodman history.

“Teacher’s Pets” is an inspiration for book artists as it takes viewers inside a 3-dimensional paper classroom filled with black and white paper animals, including a life-sized paper zebra, ostrich, panda bear, aardvark, white peacock, and more.  As the “students” pose within a cascade of zoological textbooks, the teacher – dressed in a black and white lace Marchesa gown – presides over the paper bestiary.  Noted New York calligrapher, Bernard Maisner, provided hand-lettered labels, in Latin, for all the animals.

In the final window, “Artists and Models,” a diverse collection of wood and leather folk-art animals from all continents gathers together.  The setting is a sculptor’s studio out of a folk tale, with an enormous assemblage of wooden creatures and woodworkers hand tools.  A mannequin, dressed in a mélange of designers, assumes the role of sculptor, assisted by several antique wooden artists’ models and by a quartet of antic leather monkeys.

 Bravo to David Hoey, Senior Director of Visual Presentation at Bergdorf’s and his team who devote an entire year to the production of the holiday windows! This qualifies as a dream job!

Info about the windows from 5^th/58^th. The full window photos were taken by Ricky Zehavi. I took the detailed shots and wish I’d taken more!

In case you missed yesterday’s post “How To Hand Wash A Wool Sweater” click here. (I don’t think subscription notices went out – at least I didn’t get mine!)