Follow us:

What is COUTURE?

The term “haute couture” comes from the French language. Haute means “high” or “elegant”, Couture means “sewing” or “dressmaking”. Now the term Haute Couture is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing.

The couturier Charles Frederick Worth (October 13, 1826–March 10, 1895), is widely considered the father of haute couture as it is known today. Revolutionizing how dressmaking had been previously perceived, Worth made it so the dressmaker became the artist of garnishment: a fashion designer. While he created one-of-a-kind designs to please some of his titled or wealthy customers, he is best known for preparing a portfolio of designs that were shown on live models at the House of Worth.

Following in Worth’s footsteps were Patou, Poiret, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin, Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, and Dior. Some of these fashion houses exist today, under the leadership of modern designers.
In the 1960s a group of young designers who had trained under people like Dior and Balenciaga left these established couture houses and opened their own establishments. The most successful of these young designers were Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, André Courrèges, and Emanuel Ungaro. Japanese native and Paris-based Hanae Mori was also successful in establishing her own line.

For all these fashion houses, custom clothing is no longer the main source of income, often costing much more than it earns through direct sales; it only adds the aura of fashion to their ventures in ready-to-wear clothing and related luxury products such as shoes and perfumes, and licensing ventures that earn greater returns for the company.

I am inspired by those great designers, and have collected vintage pieces since the sixties. I have also studied metaphysics for several decades and have written many popular books and oracles with my husband, Monte Farber, so there is a lot of symbolism in my designs. The thing that is most important to me when designing, is personalizing the artistry of the garments we place upon our bodies. When you look at the history of most cultures, every piece and detail of clothing had a meaning. Although practical and needed, mass-produced clothes are made in a factory. Hand made couture is really special and it is art. It’s important that the world doesn’t let that go in fashion.

Using Your Jewelry as A Talisman

Talisman: anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions. (Dictionary.com) The quantum, scientific explanation of a talisman would be that you’re training your mind to associate the object with your intention, so that whenever you activate or hold the talisman, that goal energy is triggered and inspired.

Talisman comes from the Greek word telesma, which means to consecrate and to fulfill. A talisman acts as an amplifier of your will and desire. Many people use talismans in their everyday life and don’t even know it. Do you have a lucky piece of jewelry? A talisman is basically any charged object that produces a desired effect.

At regular intervals throughout the day, concentrate on your chosen talisman, for a few moments, while contemplating your wish. When you pour purpose into your favorite object, you are charging it, and creating a talisman. Charge it consciously with your will and your aim.

If you feel stuck or blocked, bored or in need of some motivation; if you need to raise your energy to a higher vibrational frequency so as to manifest your dreams more effectively, then hold your jewelry talisman to improve your mood and create, imagine and picture your future in real terms.

First, have a clear intention such as feeling peaceful, creating abundance, or attracting more love into your life. Focus on the purpose of your wish and the end result you would like to have. Place the talisman against your brow, between your eyes—this is where your powerful and intuitive third eye is located. Close your eyes and go inside the piece to create a personal thought form. Visualize the end result in your third eye. See it, say it, and feel it to make it real. See the colors, hear the sounds, and experience the emotions of your wish. When it feels real, breathe the vision into your talisman; then open your eyes. The vision vibration will be stored in the piece until it is purposefully cleared out.

Step One:  Sit down with your amulet in a place that you’re not likely to be disturbed. Get comfortable.

Step Two: Hold the talisman in your dominant hand (right hand if right handed) and clear your mind of anxious thoughts. Breathe deeply and slowly. Start to focus on your intention for the programming of your talisman.

Step Three: Focus by repeating a mantra of descriptive words aloud. For instance, if you want to program your talisman to bring focus for an important project, repeat the words “I need more focus for this project” over and over again. A whisper is fine, or you can repeat your mantra in your mind’s eye.

Step Four: Continue to repeat your intention while holding the talisman cupped in both hands and until it feels as though it has accepted the programming fully.

Step Five: Open your hands. To access the programming, simply hold and rub the piece and ask for its programming to be released whenever you need it.

Amy Zerner is the Hamptons Number 1 fashion blogger and designer

Advanced Style

Advanced Style is Ari Seth Cohen’s wonderful new book of photos, interviews and advice – an inspiring ode to the confidence, beauty, and fashion that can only be achieved through the experience of a life lived glamorously. It is a collection of street fashion unlike any seen before—focused on the over-60 set in the world’s  most stylish locales. The beautiful women of Advanced Style are enjoying their later years with grace and panache, marching to the beat of their own drummer. This is fashion and empowerment for all ages and proves that age is nothing but a state of mind. Dita Von Teese provides a wonderful interview with one of Ari’s style icons.

My own ageless fashion advice for women? Recognize and embrace your inner goddess — that is the beautiful, timeless soul energy that illuminates each of us from the inside out. Buy Advanced Style here:

Amy Zerner is the Hamptons Number 1 fashion blogger and designer
 

1960′s Fasion Looks

The fashions that helped to define an era of self-expression have found their groove again in 2012, thanks to MadMen. The 60′s era’s sweeping social, political and cultural changes made everything from skirts above the knee to knee-high boots a cool look; counterculture groups like London’s “mod” scene and America’s “hippie” sect influenced the styles and clothing types produced by mainstream fashion brands.

MOD: Who could forget the amazing London looks, long legs and iconic poses of Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton?  Look to these styles for an update on a mod look:

  • Long-lashed eyes & light lipsticks
  • Colorful abstract graphic patterns.
  • Short, “Sassoon” hairdos.
  • Flat loafers
  • Swing coats and capes.

KITTEN: Softer than a mod look, & sexy. The inspiration? 60′s era’s stunning screen stars.

  • In at the waist, accentuating the bust and hips
  • Kitten heels
  • Pencil skirts or full skirts
  • Monochromatic cream & black.
  • Effortless hair ala Bridgette Bardot and dramatic eyeliner.
BOHO: Elements that include daring color and modern safari styles that are upbeat and easy to wear.
  • ankle-length, brightly colored maxi skirts
  • textiles & beads from around the world.
  • crochet and lace tops.
  • Boots & sandals
  • fringed handbags

Amy Zerner is the Hamptons Number 1 fashion blogger and designer

Special Dates To Celebrate

Spring is a time to create a ceremony or two with your friends and family. Acknowledge that you made it through another winter, a symbolic passage through the darkness to the light. Honor old traditions and create new ones with rituals, delicious food, and colorful decorations. Here are some of the holidays to mark on your calendar:

April 1st – April Fool’s Day
Here in our Enchanted World, honors the Enchanted Tarot whose first card is The Fool, symbol of innocence, adventure, and new beginnings. Do something that brings you child-like joy!

Sunset of April 6 through nightfall of April 14 – Passover
Passover is all about giving thanks for being free from bondage. Be thankful for all of your freedoms, both those protected by your government and those that you have earned, whether by giving up a bad habit, getting out of a bad relationship, or helping another person to free themselves. It is a time of charity and sharing.

April 8th – Easter
Formerly known as Eoster, the name of the Goddess of The Dawn and where we get the word “east” from, the direction from which the sun rises, a symbol of resurrection if ever there was one. Though some people think that Christianity is against astrology and “pagan” goddess rites, they have honored them since Christianity began, knowingly or unknowingly, by celebrating many of their main events on days sacred to The Goddess and based on astrological calculations. A main example is Easter, Easter is  celebrated on the Sunday following the full moon that follows or falls on the Spring Equinox.

April 22nd – Earth Day
Since April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and our responsibility toward it. Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof. Organize an event where you live. Change a habit. Help launch a community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives. The possibilities are endless! Do something nice for the earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference.

April 27th – Arbor Day
Trees are the beautiful lungs of the Earth. The ancient Celts used Ogygia, the tree alphabet, known as the Beth-Luis Nion tree alphabet, both for recording information and divination. Named after the Celtic Deity of Literature, Ogma, it is was traditionally believed by the Celts that it was he who created the letters which were made to represent the different trees and their special characteristics.

May 1st – May Day
May Day, which was also called Beltane (Bright Fire) by the Anglo-Saxons, was considered the first day of summer. May Day was symbolic of a return to life, of the defeat of the hard winter, with new hopes for good planting and rich harvests. Beltane was the time of milk and honey, the primary time of pleasure, of blossoming and blooming, of desire and satisfaction, so the cow and the bee were both significant symbols for this celebration. In Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day. Everyone gives the gift of a lei to another, putting it around the receiver’s neck and accompanying the gift with the traditional kiss.

May 13th – Mother’s Day
Mother’s day is obviously a time to honor our mothers and our roots. The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. In the United States Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second anniversary of her mother’s death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By 1911 Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

May 28th – Memorial Day
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. We like to think of Memorial Day as a day to remember that freedom is not free, but those we oppose are people, just like you and me.

Amy Zerner is the Hamptons Number 1 fashion blogger and designer

The Romance of Lace

I am in love with lace. I’ve been collecting all kinds for 35 years. I have pieces boxed in categories of “wide trim”, “narrow trim”, “collars” “black lace pieces”, etc. And now fashion has fallen in love with lace all over again: this season Valentino, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabana have pretty little day dresses, sexy blouses and high-drama, beautiful gowns in mauves, blacks, charcoals & cream.

Here is a lacey cover-up I created. My one-of-a-kind couture pieces are available in the Evening Dept. on the 4th fl. of Bergdorf Goodman.

Read about Amy Zerner, the Hamptons’ number one fashion blogger and fashion designer.

Color Forcast For Spring Of 2012

Although we’ve only just reached the beginning of 2012, I checked out the Pantone Spring 2012 forecast and it is very pretty!

 

Read about Amy Zerner, the Hamptons’ number one fashion blogger and fashion designer.

My Jackets Were In The Liz Taylor Auction At Christie’s!

I was so thrilled that Liz Taylor collected my one-of-a-kind couture creations, she had nine of them. When she turned 75, Bergdorf Goodman commissioned me to make her a fabric collage Healing Blanket as their birthday gift to her, as she was such a special customer. I meditated on her energy and came up with this beautiful fantasy landscape, see below.

When I found out that two of my pieces were included in the recent Liz Taylor Auction at Christie’s, I was happy, but sad, too. She was such a beauty and a legend, and it seemed like the end of a very glamorous and creative period of fashion, movies and big personality. I poured over every item in the auction, to gain more insight into her life and fashion adventures through the 60′s, 70′s and beyond. What a trip!

Read about Amy Zerner, the Hamptons’ number one fashion blogger and fashion designer.

Twinkle, Twinkle Your A Star!

The holidays make it fun to dress up in glittering, glamorous, gossamer outfits. Accentuate your inner sparkle with a little bit of shimmer. If you’re headed to a holiday party in the coming weeks, stand out with sequins that reflect love, light and laughter. A sequin ensemble or accent piece creates the perfect holiday look that will have you glowing all season long. Shiny clothes are just plain fun to put on!  I love sparkle and sparkly clothes.  I love sparkly anything! I design clothes that glow: luxury women’s wear that combines classic, feminine shapes with striking fabrics and embellishments. Sequins, beads and metallics can add a whole lot of drama to your look. Why do women like sparkles? It’s almost innate. But many of us lose our inner sparkle as we hit the painful challenges of life, and that happy light that shone so brightly begins to dim a bit.

It’s so easy to forget that we ALL have inner sparkle. Sometimes we forget who we really are. We forget to be ourselves. And then our inner sparkle disappears. Why not, just for fun, give a playful boost to your inner light by mixing some glitter and sparkle into your wardrobe – can be anything from a  starry night–on-the-town twinkle to a more understated shimmer. Whether you’re going for a subtle radiance or a vivacious va-va-va-voom, there’s no reason not to shine!

Read about Amy Zerner, the Hamptons’ number one fashion blogger and fashion designer.

The Perfect Piece Of Jewelry

The wonderful and fun thing about jewelry is choosing it and feeling fantastic when you wear it, to make the most of both your inner and outer beauty. Anyone can wear jewelry, however some styles that are flattering to some, might not look right on  others. The perfect piece of jewelry can make you feel protected and empowered. You can also accentuate your best features with jewelry, just as you would with clothes or makeup.

The shape and size of the necklace or bracelet needs to be considered. One’s neck and wrists are beautiful parts of the body;  bracelets draw attention to your wrists and should be delicate if you have a delicate figure.  Chunkier styles look better on larger figures. Necklaces have to work with your face, neck and bust, all at once.
Everything I design is made with love and positive energy to accentuate the beauty of a person’s true essence. I just created a great necklace that will look good on everyone, and it is for a great cause: My ”Love Conquers All” Necklace is part of the OCRF’s Shopping for Hope campaign.

When you purchase gifts for yourself or for others through Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, you are helping to fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for ovarian cancer.

If you look closely, you will see that this necklace, a plated medallion pendant and chain made of 14K gold plate over bronze, spells out the word L-O-V-E. On the back it is inscribed with the quote “Love conquers all.”

10% of the retail price of each necklace sold will be donated to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

Purchase:

http://www.amyzerner.com/spiritsymbollovenecklace.shtml

Read about Amy Zerner, the Hamptons’ number one fashion blogger and fashion designer.