Happy Holidays from Papusza in Whoville

Happy holidays everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this cozy time of year and staying warm. I recently got to style a Cindy Lou Who editorial with a crew of talented ladies. Enjoy the festivities and see you all in 2014, with lot's of new and exciting projects in store.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer: MVK Photography
Model in images 1, 3 and 5: Jordan Popovich
Model in images 2, 4 and 6: Annie Montgomery
Hair/MU: Foundations Hair & Makeup
Wardrobe Stylist: Kaytee Papusza
Tops and vest: Papusza Couture
All bras: DW Danielle Wood Designs
Jewelry in image 5: Mad Elegance
Jewelry in image 4 and 6: The Littlest Feather

The Love Letter Dress/"No Such As What I Want" by Ransom & Mitchell

Over the Spring I had the pleasure of creating a piece for a shoot with the incredibly talented team of masterminds Ransom & Mitchell. This was the first time I had a chance to work with the genius duo-and really a whole team of ass kickers at that-and I truly enjoyed every moment of the creative experience. The piece was titled "No Such As What I Want" and was created to be a part of the Troublesome Houses Show, an ode to brilliant singer/songwriter Will Oldham.

I created The Love Letter Dress for the piece... a super romantic gown inspired by the music of the artist, and the dreamy, rustic, haunted atmosphere of the gorgeous set that Stacey Ransom built. I adored making this gown, it was deeply inspired, and I spent many, many hours fine-tuning every detail of it. See pics of the dress and the final image for "No Such As What I Want" below.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer/Creative Director: Jason Mitchell (see website via Ransom & Mitchell link above)
Set Designer/Photo Illustrator: Stacey Ransom (see website via Ransom & Mitchell link above)
Model: Alexzandria Jade
Hair/MU: Jihyun Kim
Wardrobe: www.papuszacouture.com
Gaffer: Joseph Mendoza

Supercalifragilistic... Photos by Regina Marie

I started working on a new line of witchy clothes entitled Supercalifragilstic... a few months back. This wildly wicked collection is full magical pieces including sultry dresses, long flowing skirts, warm and wintery capes and jackets, and hypnotically foxy tops and bodices. As I work on the pieces from this I will be selling many of them on my etsy. Below you will find photos from my first shoot of this line, with a very talented crew of ladies... many of the pieces from this shoot are available in my etsy right now.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer: Regina Marie
Models (listed in order they appear in photos): Laura O'Neill, Lizzie Gunst, Audra Horridge
MUA: Becky Brazier
Hair: Celia Racicot
All apparel designed by Papusza Couture and jewelry in this shoot by Illustrious Light.

"She tastes like nectar and salt. Nectar and salt and apples. Pollen and stars and hinges. She tastes like fairy tales. Swan maiden at midnight. Cream on the tip of a fox’s tongue. She tastes like hope."

Laini Taylor

"Under the snowdrifts the blossoms are sleeping..." -Alexander Smith

“I myself have seen this woman draw the stars from the sky; she diverts the course of a fast-flowing river with her incantations; her voice makes the earth gape, it lures the spirits from the tombs, send the bones tumbling from the dying pyre. At her behest, the sad clouds scatter; at her behest, snow falls from a summer's sky.” 
― Catullus

The Ghostory Dresses Part 1-Photos by Mark Elzey and Sarah Elizabeth Brickey

"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself." -Charles Dickens

Nearly two years ago-upon deciding that I would settle in California and not return to live in New York again-I conceived of the concept for my collection The Ghostory Dresses. This collection is still in the early phases of being a work in progress... many more ghost's and their stories will weave the echos of their tales into the threads of my dresses. Rich in concept-dabbling into various mediums I am passionate about and enjoy practicing-this art couture collection will fuse an intricate web of fashion, literature, anthropology and the haunted into a cohesive journey of my aesthetics. In the meantime, I'll be posting photos of the pieces I have been working on. Have a glimpse at some of the photos from my first shoot of these gowns-a shoot with a very talented and inspiring crew of individuals.

PHOTO CREDITS (Below):

Photographer: Mark Elzey
Clothing Designer: Papusza Couture
Millinery Designer Look 3: Katie Burley Millinery
Model (Looks 1 and 3): Kate Coneely
Model (Look 2): Alexis Carene Hutt
Hairstylist/Headdress Designer Look 1: Celia Racicot
MUA: Melissa Grisby

PHOTO CREDITS (Below):

Photographer: Sarah Elizabeth Brickey

Clothing Designer: Papusza Couture 

Millinery Designer Look 4: Katie Burley Millinery

Model (Look 4): Alexis Carene Hutt

Model (Look 5): Kate Coneely

Hairstylist: Celia Racicot

MUA: Melissa Grisby 

"It Will Be Ours" and the Magical Ransom & Mitchell

Several months ago I had the pleasure of spending the day working on a couple of projects with the insanely talented Ransom & Mitchell. I have been admiring their work from afar since I was a young designer who had just moved to NYC, over 7 years ago. When I moved back to the left coast/Cali I was delighted to see them here and still in action, and even more delighted to have the inspiring opportunity to create art for a couple of their stunning projects. I am amping up to work with them again next week.

Below you can see the final result from the image "It Will Be Ours". I created the plant dress using a variety of flora, ferns, berries, burlap and made the corseted bust from actual bark. The stick fingers where created by Stacey Ransom (who is a prop genius), and affixed/moss-covered with the mad makeup artistry skills of talented Jihyun Kim. The full crew on this one was brilliant! Credits are as follows:

Photographer/Director: Jason Mitchell

Set design/Photo Illustrator: Stacey Ransom

Wardrobe: Papusza Couture

Hair/Makeup: Jihyun Kim

Talent: Alexzandria Jade

Gaffer: Joseph Mendoza

Find more behind the scenes magic from this shoot on Cartwheel Art.

Nomadsland; A Story of Oakland-Photos by Sean Murdock

I recently had the pleasure of doing a shoot with Sean Murdock in which he captured the nomadic sense of transience that seems to fill the Oakland air, and California as a whole. We worked numerous epic spots from around the east bay into our shoot, including the notorious 16th Street Station and the Cement Factory in West O. It was a really awesome day, and I enjoyed working with every person who was part of the talented crew.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer: Sean Murdock
Model: Vera Gushanksky
MUA: Lauren Warner
Hairstylist: Celia Racicot
Wardrobe Stylist: Kaytee Papusza
Apparel Designer: Papusza Couture
Jewelry Designer: Mad Elegance
Cuff and Chocker Designer (Worn with red dress): Surrender Love Letter
Glove Designer (Worn with flowered leggings): Lamia Akar
Red Barracuda courtesy of Classics by Steve
Gold Bike courtesy of Tall Paul

If you are interested in purchasing any of the apparel from this shoot you can find most of it for sale in my etsy shop.

Save The Mermaids: A Debut in Couture from Papusza

I recently created a small collection of mermaid couture, which I hope and plan to build upon in the future. I have always felt connected to mermaids, from the time I was a small child, splashing in the icy ocean waves of the Pacific Northwest's rugged beaches. I still feel the same freedom and kinship when I swim in the ocean as I grown woman. It is a part of me I know will never disappear. I need to know that the ocean exists in order to function as a balanced human being.

Below see a debut, told through handmade clothing, beautiful treasures of accessories and exquisitely composed images. In this magical land the sirens are muses, with locks of hair so intricately placed and countenances so perfectly painted that you would think their beauty had been licked on by the sea.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer: Regina Marie
Clothing Designer: Papusza Couture
Accessories Designer: Mad Elegance
MUA: Becky Brazier
Hairstylist: Celia Racicot
Models: Sarah Rose Butler and Audra Horridge

If you are interested in purchasing any of the clothing from this shoot some items are currently for sale in my etsy.

"A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls." -Coco Chanel

"But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more." -Hans Christian Anderson

"I am a siren, a mermaid; I know that I am beautiful while basking on the ocean's waves and I know that I can eat flesh and bones at the bottom of the sea." -C. Joybell C.

"I must be a mermaid... I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." -Anais Nin

Papusza Goes to Toxic Mermaid Land

I recently had the pleasure of working on a project with talented blogger, stylist, artist, photographer, model-and beyond-Ashley Garner. Ashley has a great style blog called Elegant Idiosyncrasy, and she recently did a fabulous short story and editorial in two parts featuring some pieces from my new streetwear line, Papusza S´eANCE. Check out the editorial/short story here and here. Ashley also interviewed me.... throughout all of these blogs I was remarkably impressed with the great concept and gorgeous (well styled and modeled) photos included of my clothes. Ashley did all the styling, photography and conceptualizing of the story herself... which I find really impressive. See some of my favorite shots from the photos she took below. You can also find wares from the story available for sale here in my etsy store. Most importantly... don't forget to follow Ashley's wonderful blog. She always has great thoughts to share and insights about fashion-I'm so glad to have been able to work with her and get to know her over the years.