#15- Book Launch Party
Thursday was a very busy: from 10 am – 1:30 pm I was in Salem, MA with Jess McDougall getting professional Head Shots (photographs.) From 3 pm – 8 pm I was at the School of Fashion of Design preparing for, enjoying and then dismantling, the Creating Couture Embellishment Book Launch Party. It was terrific but a long day.
The School of Fashion Design www.schooloffashiondesign.org is where I learned about Couture Embellishments and later taught a course about Couture Embellishments; it seemed right to have the book launch party at the school. Dr. Denise Hammon and Jennifer LeClerc arranged everything: Evite, mannequins for displaying the bodices, snacks, bartender and wine… What more could I ask for?
I drove to The School of Fashion Design (SFD) directly from my photo shoot( see post #14) with Jess McDougall www.jessmcdougallcreative.com still wearing my hair and make up as done by Shannon Rouvel www.shannonrouvel.com. (Clever me to have booked the dates on the same day!) I got a parking space in front of the school, which was a blessing as I had a lot to carry in: bodices and skirts, sleeves filled with new muslin arms, a clothes steamer, a box of books, a large poster of the book’s cover, a bag of assorted junk and dress-up clothes for me.
SFD window
I dressed the 6 mannequins in bodices and skirts, laid out the sleeves filled with their new muslin arms, put up my 24” x 36” poster of the book’s cover. I used the steamer to un-wrinkled the bodices and skirts, which have been in storage for quite a while. Jennifer LeClerc had already set up table with lots copies of Creating Couture Embellishment, waiting to sold and signed. Ready, set…
GO: by 5:15 pm there was a line of people waiting to buy Creating Couture Embellishment!
A line of people waiting to buy books
There were some alumni, some current faculty, some current students and some good friends – all standing in line to buy my book and get it signed! WooHoo!
Me -signing books, Martha with the Square.
My friend Martha used my Square™ to sell the books while I signed them.
Q & A with Denise Hammon
At 6:15 pm Dr. Denise Hammon, the director of SFD, and I sat down for a Q & A session.
We had a good time: Denise asking questions and me answering. I explained the pitfalls of making and photographing embellishment samples, how the samples came to be the colors they are, why “writing” Creating Couture Embellishment took so long. If you want to hear the naswers to these questions you’ll have to come to an event. (See Master Classes on the bar at the top of the page.)
After the Q & A there was time to mingle and be photographed. Jay Calderin took the pictures seen here. Jay is a teacher at SFD, a designer, an author, a photographer and more…. calderin3.com . Thank you Jay!
Ellen & Denise Hammon
Ellen & Denise: the beauty shot.
Jane Conway Caspe & Denise Hammon
Jane Conway-Caspe, Board member at SFD, with Dr. Denise Hammon.
I’m sorry there are no pictures of the mannequins dressed in their couture embellished finery. Note to self: take photos of the mannequins and sleeves or whatever at future events.
A family photo.
By 7 pm it was time to undress the mannequins and pack up back into the car. To cap off this long day there was family was waiting to take me out for dinner. A great ending to a great day!
I purchased your book via Amazon – amazing! Congrats on a job well done.
Thank you!