I took on an exciting project this season (and a walk down memory lane), mentoring the incredibly talented students at my alma mater, Otis College of Art and Design. Here’s Part One for a peek into the design process, from design direction, sketches, muslin fittings, all leading up to the juried show voted on by the leaders in the fashion world. I’m so proud to report that all of my students made the cut for their work to appear in the gala scholarship benefit and fashion show to be held this weekend at the Beverly Hilton. I’ll be attending, and will report back with final show photos and my winner for the Golden Thimble award…tough choice, the students all did a fabulous job!

to be continued…

For more information about the college: Otis College of Art and Design

Classic cameo sweets and the elegant Thalia gown add a touch of sophistication to a rustic wedding.

Photographer: Briana Marie Photography via the Jose Villa Mexico 2012 Workshop (more of the shoot here!)
Cameo Cookies: SweetAmbs
See more of Thalia and the entire collection at Clairepettibone.com 

We can’t get enough of these lovely photos of beautiful bride Emma, wearing the Sky Between the Branches gown.  The beaming couple got married at their home in Old Agoura, California, under the same oak tree that the groom’s parents were married under 30 years ago! We couldn’t imagine a more perfect setting, it was simply breathtaking,

Be sure to see the whole story with tons of gorgeous images photographed by Katie Shuler here.

Congratulations to Emma and Joey, may your lives together be just as beautiful as your wedding day!

Photographer: Katie Shuler   (also here  and here)
Wedding Coordinator: Mia Bella Events
Florist: Stella Bloom
See the entire collection at Clairepettibone.com

Alma, from the Latin, meaning soul, spirit, heart. Guipure lace framing her neckline and trailing down her sheer illusion back…Alma has stolen a few hearts already! A lovely blend of elegance, romance, and natural beauty, the organic ivory floral motif flutters with touches of champagne.

Love this feature from Style Unveiled, we can’t wait for some of our first real brides to wear Alma in this summer’s weddings so we can see more!

Please view both parts of this beautiful Emerald & Gold feature here and here.  Lovely!

Delicate lace with touches of champagne…we’ll toast to that!
See the full story at Style Unveiled
Photographer: Mike Larson Estate Photography
See the entire collection at Clairepettibone.com

When I see the ocean in the distance, the wreaths in the hair, and the nonchalant, effortless beauty portrayed in the paintings of Victorian artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, I can literally feel the sun and smell the flowers on the breeze. I wanted to take you all with me to this Earthly Paradise, from the gowns to the styling of the show. Of course there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes…Heaven wasn’t created in a day, right?!

Fabrics to drape, embellishments to design, cookies to bake (yes, those are cookies!), programs to paint, and chai tea lattes to drink…some very talented collaborators joined me in this process, and crafted quite an experience for our guests.

We created our own “painting” for the backdrop, combining petals, sea and sky, and continued the illusion with the addition of over 100,000 rose petals. When the massive canvas was unfurled during NY market week, and we began to scatter the petals on the runway the morning of the show, even I was amazed (and thrilled) with how perfectly our blank slate was transformed!

Hair and make-up were key in fashioning our modern goddesses, and I made these wreaths for each model while casting at the hotel (nothing like a little multi-tasking!) We even enlisted a few gorgeous immortals to escort our guests to their seats…and of course I made wreaths for them too!

Finally it’s time to welcome our guests with champagne flowing, programs ready on the chairs, models dressed, and a final word of direction before they cue the music, and the whole thing is over in about 15 minutes! Literally 6 months of preparation to make it all happen…kind of like a wedding!

Claire Pettibone An Earthly Paradise from Claire Pettibone on Vimeo.

I owe the artists and poets who have come before me, and the Earth and the sea and the flowers, my deepest gratitude. A huge thank you to our partners behind the scenes:

Photography & Video: Collective Edit

Rose Petals: Petal Garden

Programs: Kristy Rice of Momental Designs

Cookies: Sweet Ambs

Wine: OneHope Weddings

Hair: Giselle Modeste for Ojon

Make-up: Romero Jennings for MAC Cosmetics