Flowers in May: Lolita Flora Editorial

At the dawn of Spring I did a shoot with a talented little crew of ladies, and enjoyed the blossoming of the season in the whimsical hills of Berkeley. I created an editorial around a small collection of dresses, embellished with silk flowers. Shoot day was every bit as dreamy as I had imagined... our team was truly full of magic, and enchanted with flower power. If you would like to purchase clothing from this editorial it can be found for sale in my etsy.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer: Regina Marie
Model: Neon Lolita
MU/Hair: Becky Brazier
Wardrobe Stylist: Kaytee Papusza
Wardrobe Designer: Papusza Couture
Flower Crowns: Katie Burley Millinery
Jewelry: Taxil Hoax

Sending Love Letters to NYC in Spring | A Fairytale in Photos by Ashley Garner

As many of you know, my love affair with NYC has been going on for about 8 years now, since 2006 when I decided I was going to move to Brooklyn. At the time I was ripe, eager, in my early 20's and as I would have said back in that day; "Ready to take the bull by the balls." After living there for about 5 years I peaced out and moved to Cali... which has mostly been great for me. But I definitely have those days where I miss that beautiful babe of a Big Apple city. I remember when I was living in Brooklyn I once heard someone say, "New York is a drug, and I'm addicted." I 100% concur, and this sentiment has remained with me in the past few years since coming back to the West. I've never stopped loving her and I hope I never do.

Recently my talented muse, fellow creator and friend Ashley Garner moved to NYC-I was stoked to be able to see her and do some work with her while I was there over the winter, she is kicking so much ass already. I mailed Ashley a box of dresses for an editorial last week, including the magical Love Letter Dress. I was so pleased to see her create a fairytale through photos with it in Central Park. Have a look at this magical story below.

Special thanks to Sanaz Gangei for the beautiful script on the textiles of this gown.

"Pleiades" Collection Lookbook by Gemma Fleming

I am pleased to present the complete lookbook for my "Pleiades" Collection. Please email me for price inquiries or to place a custom order inspired by the designs that are part of this collection: papuszacouture@gmail.com.

Big love and thanks to talented Gemma Fleming for capturing all the looks and laying out such a gorgeous lookbook. If you haven't seen her beautiful fashion film, conveying the magic of the collection, please watch it here. 

CREDITS:
Director: Gemma Fleming
Assistant Director: Susanna Patrick
Couture by PapuszaCouture

Couture millinery by Katie Burley Millinery

Models: Ashley Garner and Alaia Baldwin
Hair: Hikaru Hiranu
MU: Tara Lauren

Custom textiles fabricated by Keelan Kelly. 

Ransom & Mitchell's "Temperance" at Last Rites Gallery, Wardrobe by Papusza Couture

In October I had the pleasure of working with the talented duo Ransom & Mitchell on a shoot for a show entitled "Tarot Under Oath" at Last Rites Gallery in Manhattan. The opening for the show was at the end of January, and I was fortunate to be in NYC preparing for my show "Pleiades" at the time, allowing me to attend the opening and view the piece. It was absolutely stunning, and stuck out with Ransom & Mitchell's unique and otherworldly aesthetic. The couture pieces I created for "Temperance" where among some of the first pieces I created as part of my "Pleiades" collection. I loved the way that this image came out so much that it was used in the flier promoting the NYFW debut of the collection. Please have a peak at "Temperance" below. I felt truly honored to be part of the team that worked on this project.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer/Director: Jason Mitchell
Set Designer/Retoucher: Stacey Ransom
Model: Kate Connely
Hair: Jaymz Marez
MUA: Lisa Zomer

                                    

                                    

Papusza Couture "Pleiades" Collection at See Me for NYFW

As many of you may already know I recently debuted a new collection of art couture, entitled "Pleiades", at the See Me Exhibition Space for NYFW. I worked long and laborious days for months straight, creating this new collection of work and prepping for the show. The pieces of couture included in this collection are primarily made of metal, plastic and acrylic-with the use of fabric textiles as accents. I used a combination of mediums in producing these pieces of couture-ranging from old world to futuristic techniques-and I was fortunate to collaborate with laser designer Keelan Kelly on custom producing fibers for several of the pieces. My talented milliner friend and collaborator, Katie Burley, created some beautiful millinery to accompany the collection including a couture metal burka, an ice veil and a silvery jeweled turban.

The catch phrase of the collection is "If All the Gold in Egypt Turned to Snow", thus encompassing a sleigh of stunning models and magical performers, all adorned in icy colors and frosty textures formed into strong and dominating silhouettes. The muses and performers conveyed an aire of Egyptian magick meets Nordic surrealism and allure, and the couture was sharp and powerful armor, composed of elements such as sacred geometry and ice. I feel honored to have worked with so many talented people on this show, and hope to have the opportunity to work with all again on future projects.

The couture was shown alongside sculptures and installation of artist Rosanna Scimeca. Stay tuned for the fashion film of the collection, shot and produced by Gemma Fleming, which had it's screening debut at the opening, just before I presented the collection. Other credits for the show are listed below. I was truly and deeply moved by the magic that came out of this show, and am delighted to have had an opportunity to share this work with the world.

Performers:

Playing Milk-Sanaz Gangei
Playing Saw-Kendalle Fiasco
Singing Bjork-Rachel Grivas
Fan Dancing-Christine Geiger

Models:

Ashley Garner, Kate Verb, Gennie Glahn, Eugina Williams.

Hair:

Ariane Garcia and Jeanise Aviles.

Makeup:

Tiffani Argentina and Melissa Grisby.

Special thanks to William Etudni and See Me Gallery for hosting our event. Additional thanks to Dorothy Trojanowski, Kendalle Fiasco, Gemma Fleming, Benjamin Cerf, Rachel Singer and Ryan O'Conner for helping us with this show.

If you did not get to view the collection and would like to it will be on exhibition at the See Me Exhibition Space until the end of the week.

Photos below taken by Ariane Garcia:




Photos below taken by Raymond Haddad

Papusza Celebrates the Year of the Horse with Isharya

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the talented creative director and stylist Michelle Rivet of Isharya, who pulled a couple of pieces from my collections to use in a shoot and fashion film she was doing in honor of the Chinese New Year/Year of the Horse. Michelle styled some of my couture pieces with a few pieces from Free People and jewelry from the stunning "California chic meets Bollywood" designs of Isharya. To make the shoot even better they where worn by my beloved muse, Alexis Carene Hutt, who frolicked with and rode a beautiful, blue eyed horse named Checkers down the stunning coastline of a Central Cali beach. See the fashion film and a few of my favorite images, capturing the magic of the shoot below. The black silk chiffon and lace dress seen below will be for sale in my etsy later on today!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photographer: Genesis Martinez
Model: Alexis Carene Hutt
Stylist/Art Director: Michelle Rivet
Stylist Assistant: Reina Marroquin
MUA: Vlada Fomenko Haggerty

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.

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