Lace fabric is practically synonymous with bridal designs.  Women currently shopping for or who have purchased a dress will recall the flurry of fabric choices that open to them the moment lace is selected as an option.

Here’s the Eve in Eden crash course: all the basics you’ll need to distinguish Chantilly from cutwork, Tambour from tape and macrame from Mechlin.

For centuries, lace was manufactured exclusively by hand; entire cities economies were buoyed by the industry and regions lay claims to certain styles or signatures in the design of their lace.  In 1768, John Heathcoat created the first lace-making machine and turned the industry on it’s head – handmade lace became a hobbyist’s project and industrial lace manufacture took the reins.

Lace exists in many varieties; the broad categories are needle lace, bobbin lace, crochet lace, knotted lace, knit lace and machine-made lace.  Many modern wedding gowns employ antique (ie not machine-made) styles but are in fact machine made; finding a hand-made lace, even when shopping for a vintage dress, is uncommon.  There are exceptions, though! Sonia Kasparian of Urchin Redesign, a Portland-based line of couture-level handmade gowns, jewelry and accessories sources and incorporates antique and vintage laces in her designs, available at Eden and through custom order!

Now, a short primer: needle lace falls into two broad categories which each contain their own subcategories: embroidered lace and cutwork lace.  A few examples of embroidered lace:

Clockwise from top left: Teneriffe lace, Tambour lace, Reticella lace, Filet lace.

A few examples of cutwork lace:

Catherine Middleton’s royal wedding gown was made with Carrickmacross lace.  Top right, another example of Carrickmacross lace.  Bottom right, Battenburg lace.

Bobbin lace also comes in many forms: ancient, continental, point ground, and Guipure.  A few examples of those:

First row: Antwerp lace, a type of ancient lace; Mechlin lace, a type of continental lace; blonde lace, a type of point ground lace. Second row: another example of blonde lace; Point de Venise lace, a type of Guipure lace; Chantilly lace, a type of continental lace.

Finally, a few examples of knotted lace, knit lace and crochet lace:

Clockwise from top left: tatted lace, a type of knotted lace; knit lace; macrame lace another type of knotted lace; and crochet lace.

Eve in Eden has many vintage lace gowns, veils and accessories available for purchase.  View some of our selection here; to see it all, stop by the shop!

I might have been the last person on the planet to encounter Arthur Russell’s music last year.  During a sweltering summer week of repeatedly playing old school disco and dance (along the lines of ABBA, Donna Summer and Dee D. Jackson,) I came across Loose Joint’s “Tell You Today.”  During college, I worked at my University’s student-run radio station.  We’d take the equipment to someone’s off-campus house on weekends and my friends who ran the show paid homage to Russell (and his bandmates in the Loose Joints project) by calling the series of parties they hosted Loose Joints Dance Parties.  It wasn’t your average college-kid-learning-to-use-a-turntable situation; most of the djs brought stuff that wouldn’t get popular for another four or five years (this was when indie-rock was all anyone wanted to listen to, and disco hadn’t yet begun to make a comeback.)

Finding the precious few Loose Joints recordings brought back some memories, and kindled my interest in Russell.  His biography is a sad read – Russell lived during an era when precautions against HIV and public health knowledge were not what they were today – he contracted HIV near the end of his life, though ultimately died of throat-cancer related complications.  A life-long cello player, Russell experimented over the course of his career with countless genres of music – electronic, avant-garde, minimalist, orchestral, disco, tech house, electro-pop.  He also helped foster the careers and music of many underground musicians through collaboration, producing and offering a venue for them to play – Russell acted for a time as music director of The Kitchen, an avant-garde performance space in New York.

One of Arthur Russell’s most well-known – and acclaimed – albums is Another Thought, a series of recordings made during the last decade of his life and released posthumously. 

Via AllMusic: “Compiled from selections from a daunting number of tapes and recordings made by Arthur Russell over the last decade of his life, Another Thought serves as a somewhat unintentional sequel to the majestic World of Echo. While it’s a primarily vocal/cello recording, Russell himself might have arranged and performed a final version differently, given his never flagging interest in the possibilities of dance and disco. Whether seen as a tribute, a collection of demos, or something else, it’s still a truly excellent record, Russell’s evocative, soulful-in-its-own-style singing and performing given a sweet showcase…  His cello performances are jaw-dropping on their own, at once pop and not pop. Brief appreciative liner notes aptly convey his successes and the tragedy of his death, but it’s the songs that serve as the best epitaph for a unique artist.”

You can stream the whole album here.

-Marika

Last September, Eden introduced Kiowa Rose Jewelry – an ornate hand-beaded jewelry line that, like many of our other jewelry lines, also happens to be local!  We also interviewed designer Rosie Long about her passion for beadwork and jewelry here – check it out, it’s a great read!  This Spring, a few Eden staffers travelled out to Rosie’s country house for a visit.  Her studio is incredible – stockpiled from floor to ceiling with new, vintage and antique findings beads and other jewelry flotsam and jetsam.  Her decor is equally unbelievable – treasures from the Victorian through Nouveau and Deco eras adorn every room.  It was completely inspirational for us – here’s a sneak peak at our studio visit with Rosie Long.  All photos by Carlie Armstrong for Eden.  Special thanks to Rosie for letting us come visit, and for being kind enough to allow us to look through all of her collections!

Even more exciting news… Kiowa Rose will be presenting a line of bridal jewelry at Eve in Eden along with several of our other designers!  Here’s a preview of some of the amazing pieces she made, exclusively for us!

 

We debuted the first Look Book for Eve in Eden just a few weeks ago, and talented photographer Eric Rose has shared with us more images from that lovely day – enough for a second look at what’s to come from Eve in Eden.  This collection of images is so filmic and reminds us of glamorous silent film era brides, a theme no doubt amplified by the beautiful theater in which these photos were taken.  Enjoy!

This look book was shot at The Crystal Ballroom by photographer Eric Rose with models Annie Montgomery, Haley Robison and Lyla Rokoff.  Art Direction by Cindy Rokoff.  Styling and set design by Carlie Armstrong, Jesseca McCloskey, Brehan Todd and Marika Emerson.  Hair by Jessica Adams, Makeup by Marta Heitz.  Gowns by Urchin Redesign and Eve in Eden vintage.  Jewelry by Acanthus, Ay Marieke, Brehan Todd, Demimonde, Jesseca Anne, Kiowa Rose and Sahlia.  Shoes provided by Solestruck.

In celebration of tonight’s perfume event, we have a close-up with two of our hosts, Josh Meyer of Imaginary Authors and Sarah Stuart of Demiscent.  Josh has put together a shopping guide for men and a suggestion of unisex fragrances for guys and gals.  Sarah introduces what she does – a world of decanting fragrances – in an interview with Eden staffer Consuelo.

• • •

FRAGRANCE SHOPPING FOR GENTS AND APPLICATIONS OF UNISEX SCENTS: AN INTRODUCTION FROM JOSH MEYERS OF IMAGINARY AUTHORS

As a perfumer, I use the term perfume too often and too loosely where I should instead use the term fragrance. It’s nothing short of devastating when I am asked if I make “colognes for men” too.  Dude perfume is a real thing.

Colognes are two things 1) a concentration and 2) a structure of fragrance – just like an IPA is a structure of a beer. Perfume is the term for a stronger concentration, whereas cologne is a predominantly citrus fragrance with a few florals to hold them in place or simply a much weaker concentration of a perfume.

Fragrance as a rule is not strictly masculine or feminine. An analogy for this variance is color: pink may be representative of ladies, but who doesn’t know that a man wearing pink can be the pinnacle of masculine? The color ‘light green’, depending on the exact shade and perhaps your current mood can be seen as unisex, slightly masculine, or incredibly feminine. There are general guidelines for who can wear what: big white florals are generally feminine, while notes like oak, smoke, leather and sandalwood lean more masculine.

With independent (and Portland-based!) fragrance houses like Imaginary Authors and Slumberhouse coming into the light, the boundaries for unisex fragrance is widened or completely absent. My more masculine creations (including Memoirs of a Trespasser, The Cobra & The Canary and Bull’s Blood) are much more popular with the ladies than I could have ever expected. Understandably, many women crave a scent more unique than something marketed towards “every girl” at Sephora. With a little searching, one can find niche brands and small fragrance houses with fragrances that not only smell like no one else you know, but also present a completely new and unique olfactory experience.

Here are a few of my own notes:

• Ladies, give Slumberhouse Norne a spray or two on a cold February evening when you’ve got a fire burning and a book in hand.

• Dudes, give Norne a try when you’re wearing a scarf and are out on the town.

• Ladies, give Imaginary Authors Bull’s Blood a spray when you’re feeling particularly saucy. This is a late night happy hour with a third date type material.

• Dudes, give Bull’s Blood a try on Friday at the office. Pair it with a red shirt and an expensive watch.

• I’d like to see more ladies and more fellas wearing Serge Luten’s Gris Clair – this is contemplative and creative during the day, and alluring and soft during the evening. Fantastically unisex and easily wearable.

• Ladies, The Cobra & The Canary by Imaginary Authors is a leather scent waiting for destruction. Wear this to take over the world.

• Fellas can wear The Cobra & The Canary anytime, it is distinctive and can be worn with a leather jacket or a blue blazer.

• • •

INTO THE REALM OF PERFUME WITH SARAH STUART: DECANTER & PERFUMISTA

Consuelo Wise

I wasn’t sure how to go about introducing Sarah Stuart of DemiScent. I knew that I wanted to let her tell her own story. She seemed she had to have one, to have such a vast collection of fragrances and a knowledge that one would think only a perfumer could have. I asked her to tell me how she developed her interest and what her background in perfume was. She sent me this account, addressed to you.

• • •

From Sarah: My love of perfume has developed over the years to the point where it is not possible for me to have just one favorite scent; too many wonderful options exist in the realm of perfume, and it is increasingly difficult to keep up with the plethora of fragrance launches that flood the market each year.

I believe in the idea of a fragrance wardrobe, a concept that may appeal to the modern consumer of fine fragrance, as there are different styles of fragrance for different moods, occasions, and changing seasons. But how to distinguish what is worth even sampling?

For years, I have scoured department stores, online resources/blogs, read hundreds of perfume reviews, and questioned local and distant perfumistas in order to obtain knowledge about what are, in fact, the most worthwhile fragrances to spend time with. These include fragrances which have earned top five star rating, fragrances both new and old which have withstood the test of time and will remain classics (according to the “experts!”). Some are difficult to come by, either being discontinued or non-export (those which cannot be purchased in the United States).

I offer my customers an excellent selection of the very best in fragrance, from traditional to niche brands, in small quantities so that more than one fragrance may be chosen to embellish a given wardrobe. Each is hand decanted into small spray vials or bottles, to give as a gift, or to add to oneís personal collection. The vials are conveniently sized for carry-on air travel.

I hope you find something that appeals to what is your most intimate of the senses. This particular selection I have chosen as appropriate to the artistic sensibility of Portland’s Eden, scents you might reach for as you would a favorite accessory or piece of clothing.

If there is something in particular you are searching for, please let me know and I would be happy to seek it out for you (It may very well be something I have in my inventory that is not on the event’s fragrance menu).

Thank you and enjoy!

Sarah Stuart

 • • •

On reading Stuartís statement, I was struck by several things. First, I still want the backstory! How does one enter the ìrealm of perfumesî? What was the moment when Stuart realized she was attracted to fragrance in such a big way, as to start a business of decanting? How does one gain access to the world of fine fragrances?

Here is just a fragment of my conversation with her.

Eden: Sarah, I’d like to go back to the beginning, how you made your way into the world of perfumes – can you talk about that?

Sarah: Yes, it was the year that I lived in France, in my 20′s. Well, I had received two gifts. The gift, that my mother brought back – a bottle from France, I think she went on a trip with my dad. I was quite young to have such a sophisticated bottle of perfume and I loved it!

Then my very first boyfriend, my first love lived in Germany, and we traveled to Paris together and he bought me a little bottle of Diorissimo, the pure perfume, which is this beautiful Lily of the Valley, not complicated or anything, just that one note. I think that’s where it first started. I lived in France and that’s when I, you know,  I would walk by people and everyone just smelled so good, there were so many fragrances there that I had never heard of, or seen, and so I started collecting them. I wore, basically one. I had one favorite one for a year, and then I’d move on to another. Then I started being unable to choose any longer, which one was my favorite one, because my mood – I had maybe 5 or 10 bottles and I would get to decide which fragrance to wear that day.

So anyways, over the years I collected and I started reading and reading and reading blogs. There is this whole sort of culture of perfumistas; perfume lovers, and I just followed what came out. Any time I went by a store that sold perfume, I had to; I felt compelled to go in and smell everything, what was new. So it just kind of got to the point where I realized I wanted to share what I had. I had the idea of just starting to decant, and then of starting a business of decanting. What I love most about it is finding women who love fragrance and who are like you, enthusiastic about it, and curious. Also, I love introducing people to that world.

And, you CAN narrow it down! There’s a moment when someone finds their scent and they’re like, YEAH! (She laughs.)

E: I love the idea of what you’ve called a “fragrance wardrobe,” because it seems to normalize fragrance. Can you talk more about that?

S: Yes, you know you reach for a scarf, or a pair of gloves, or a pair of shoes, or a hat. How can you do all of those things and not have a perfume?

There’s a lot out there that is really wonderful. I am really glad to be affiliated with Eden in any capacity because I love what you’ve chosen. There are so many fragrances that are coming out, new houses, and you have some of the really good ones. I think you’ve made good choices! It’s important for people to be able have access and exposure to stuff thatís not in department stores, that are in a store like yours. I am glad to have the opportunity to share what I’ve collected and what I think is worth it.

To me it is such a great part of life. Every day at some point in the day I really breathe something in, and it gives me so much pleasure. It is an exquisite sense that we have as human beings. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go through life, without a sense of smell!

• • •

The 50 perfumes Stuart will be bringing to EDEN are just a small fraction of what she she has collected over the past 20 years. (That is not to say that they are vintage, that is itself an entirely different subject.)  Stuart says, “One day down the road I’d like to make perfumes.” I hope we see her fulfill that. If not, her gift to us has already been in sharing what she has gathered, curated, and found to be some of the most wonderful scents.

I want people to experience it, to know about it, and to be able to have little vials, and keep it going.

Thank you Sarah and Josh! We look forward to tonight’s event!