The Crystal Flower

[caption id="attachment_8957" align="aligncenter" width="426" caption="The Crystal Flower vintage brooch bouquet. Photo: Rachel O'Malley."]

[/caption]

Many women will say that the most important day in their life was their wedding date. [Surpassed possibly by the birth of their children.]

A Miami-based designer has created something so incredibly unique and exquisite to help make

your

wedding day even more special. In fact, one might say that

The Crystal Flower

will make your memories eternal!

What if I told you that you could get something old, something new, borrowed and blue all in one amazing, magnificent way?

Lizet B. Gonzalez

, the creator, designer and artist behind

The Crystal Flower

is

redefining tradition through her brilliant concept of creating bouquets from new and vintage brooches. In a most elegant and sophisticated way, The Crystal Flower offers beauty and sentiment.

Tell me about The Crystal Flower and how did you come up with the concept.  These are bridal bouquets right?

Absolutely, but they can be used for more than bridal bouquets. The can be used for proms, gifts, anniversaries; you don't have to stick to just bridal. There are complete brooch bouquets made only of hand-wired brooches and then there are the combinations of brooches and flowers because there are a lot of brides who don't have 40-50 brooches which is the amount that one bouquet requires.

So how did I come up with the concept:

I went to my nieces' wedding and as she was leaving her friend had her bridal bouquet. My niece tells her friend just to toss it. I thought, what a waste. Here is something that will go down in your history as something you walked down the aisle with and you want to toss it! That got me thinking and after a lot of trials and tribulations, I won't tell you it was easy, I put bouquets together and finally came up with the brooch bouquets.

Who provides the brooches? The bride to be?

That's the idea! The beautiful part of it is for the brides to hand me a little piece of their loved ones for their bouquet. Its

their

story.

Who is The Crystal Flower client?

It's a woman who is throwing tradition to the wind and they're coming up with something unique that can be passed down to generations. I design them from my soul and from my heart and if they can see that, then that's my client. They are not going to toss the bouquet! [Brides can purchase a "toss" bouquet from a florist.]

What's in the future for The Crystal Flower? Is there anything new you'd like to share?

Yes! I felt something was missing so to complement the bouquet designs, I want to produce a handmade keepsake book with images of the brooches and who provided them.  People tend to forget details over time which is why I want to do the book.

Another new item that Lizet is experimenting with, that I find very exciting, are glass bead boutonnieres.

Visit The Crystal Flower

[caption id="attachment_8971" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="A stunning Maid of Honor brooch bouquet. Photo: Rachel O'Malley"] 

[/caption]

Lizet B. Gonzalez in her beautiful Miami home surrounded by her sparkling masterpieces. She sees the brooch bouquets as family heirlooms that are rich with love and history.

The Crystal Flower's biggest fan, cheerleader and supporter is

Luis Gonzalez

, Lizet's husband. "My wife used to sleep at night, now she goes to bed at midnight and is up at 4am..." Luis clarifies and with a tear in his eye, that his wife's dedication and love of her family come first, above all.

"LIKE" The Crystal Flower on Facebook!

fashionado

ANNE BARGE for DDG

I can't think of a more glamorous way to spend a Saturday morning than choosing formal wear at Guffey's Anne Barge for a fashion show!

On Thursday, September 30th, eight of the most exquisite Anne Barge evening gowns will be featured in the Drop Dead Gorgeous Charity (DDG) Third Annual Benefit.

DDG Executive Director, Susan Muscari-Komoto and graphic designer, Ellen Harden, joined me in the selection process. This sounds serious, but truly, it was a blast. 

Anne made it easy by separating a number of options for us. Of course, we had to touch every gown in the Atelier. How could we resist the shimmery satins and sumptuous silks, the intricate lace and ornate crystal and pearl embellishments?

 You can still get TICKETS for the Third Annual DDG Fashion Benefit Co-emceed by top model and DDG spokesperson Bre Scullark and V-103's Nina Brown. 

The evening begins with a reception at 7pm, followed by the fashion show and lets not forget the silent auction!

103 WEST Paces Ferry Road NW

fashionado

Tea with the Queen of Brides

I went to heaven today! I have always been attracted to all things shiny, brilliant and sparkly. When I was a kid, I fantasized about shrinking down small enough to crawl into a kaleidoscope just so I could live inside. I thought it would be glamorously exciting. I was reminded of this childhood fantasy as I toured the bridal archives at the corporate office at

Anne Barge

. I'm not sure I can truly describe the feeling, but I said to Anne, "Is there a cot around I can lay down on in this room?" I just didn't want to leave the 20' x 20' space filled with racks and racks of the most beautiful hand-beaded, jeweled, pearled and sequined gowns I had ever seen! I thought that if I took a nap in the room, and awoke to find myself surrounded by all this white, shimmery glamour, it would be like waking up amongst the clouds in heaven. We made it back upstairs to the main room to sit and talk but frankly, I was speechless, and maybe a little numb as well, from all the magnificence I had encountered. So when asked if I'd like tea, I used the few minutes to collect my thoughts. Though normally a coffee drinker, I couldn't pass up enjoying a cup of tea with the fabulous Anne Barge, especially when she was sharing a brand only found in Paris.

Anne and I took a seat. Her precious doggie, Doc, joined us and the conversation ensued.

fashionado:

The Anne Barge Collections offer such a wide range of styles. There is a dress for every woman; can you talk a little about that?

Anne:

Simply put, "I listen to my clients and design what they like." Anne added that

you

have to pay attention to what the consumer wants and that the

"real telling of a great dress will make every woman look absolutely beautiful."

fashionado:

What inspires you?

Anne:

I'm inspired by classic and traditional design.

Jessica Mason Brown

, Anne's VP, agrees that they pick up on trends and they keep themselves informed with what's current, but ultimately, their designs must remain timeless, which is the resonating theme in all of the collections.

fashionado:

What can you say about Badgley Mischka and how long has this "marriage" existed?

Anne:

Oh, they are very nice. Yes, we are friends. They are known for their beautiful and sexy dresses which are great for the red carpet but not always appropriate for a wedding dress. So what I'll do, for example, is take the beaded top of a Badgley Mischka dress and give it an Anne Barge bridal bottom. We have been working together for three years.

Anne really has a dress for every bride. Her designs can be categorized under three stunning collections:

Black Label

,

Couture

and

La Fleur

. Her dresses appeal to a range of body types, shapes and pocketbook sizes.

La Fleur

was a line designed for the bride on a tighter budget who very much wants an Anne Barge dress. The collection does not have the extensive beadwork and embellishments of the other two lines but possess the same elegance and superior craftsmanship as the others. Anne describes

La Fleur

as an architectural line because of its structural style.

On Monday, August 31st, Anne will be high styling as the Honorary Chair of the annual

Jeffery Fashion Cares 2009

benefit auction and fashion show.

Visit th

e

Anne Barge Atelier

f

or your piece of Heaven!

On a personal note, I want to say, that Anne Barge is one of the most charming and delightful people you could ever meet. Her demeanor is warm, gracious and hospitable. A truly good person all the way around!

fashionado