Driving around grey, chilly Seattle today with my cousin after brunch and a stroll, something practically jumped out at me from a shop window and fluttered before my eyes. I exclaimed, “Oh my god, what is that?!” and my very patient cousin (you’ll recall that the Selfish Seamstress has the attention span of a particularly ditzy fly) graciously drove back around the block and stopped the car so I could get out and have a better look at this:
This, as it turns out, is one of the monarch butterfly dresses, a signature silken confection of one of Seattle’s local star designers, Luly Yang. It is utterly dreamy. Subtle it is not, but I’d wear it in a heartbeat if it were mine. Unfortunately the store was closed for the holiday and I think I might have left my American Express Black Card in in my gold wallet in the diamond encrusted glove compartment of my other Aston Martin. My cousin mentioned she has a friend who went to high school with the designer, which I suspect … will not help me at all in acquiring this dress. (Not that she was suggesting it would, it was just an offhand comment.)
What do you think, readers? Is it a hopeless cause, or is there any chance that something like this could be recreated by yours truly, a decidedly intermediate home seamstress with no silk painting experience, without it looking like the cheap drugstore Halloween costume version?? Probably not so much, huh?
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July 4, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Della @ Della Grace's Life
You can do it!!! I think I may have hyperventilated when I saw the picture…did you ever read A Girl of the Limberlost? A character in the story has her outfit designed after a moth. And now I’m entering tangent territory, oops!
July 5, 2010 at 7:52 am
valerie
I read that book ages ago, and loved the idea of designing a dress inspired by a moth or butterfly. Cocoon coat anyone?
July 4, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Stephanie
If you took your time and carefully crafted each piece (the same way a designer would) then I think it would be perfectly lovely. It’s just breath-taking, isn’t it? I feel like I’ve seen this on the blogosphere somewhere a long time ago.. Stupid dejavu.
July 4, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Renay
ARGHG! thats the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I would have smashed the window…. ok maybe not. I think you could replicate this, just think “layer upon layer upon layer”
July 4, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Alethia
It is a master piece, beautiful, breathtaking gown.
July 4, 2010 at 4:48 pm
nikole
This is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. If you attempt it, just remember to make or buy a tulle slip to go underneath
July 4, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Brumby
That is stunning! I would run away to live in a meadow and pretend my life was a fairytale based in an enchanted forest if it were mine!
July 4, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Kim
You’d have to put a RIDICULOUS amount of time and effort into it but if you were willing to do that, you definitely could. I know I would not have the patience.
July 4, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Karen
That is possibly the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen….. I would totally wear it, although I’m not sure where…….
I’d say go for it, just realizing that it will take a ton of time and effort, I don’t have the patience either…. (or the skill…)
July 4, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Lucie
Wow, that is gorgeous. I fully support a copy-cat attempt. :)
July 4, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Kitten
I think if there is any single blogger I follow who could do this dress, you’d be the one. It’s stunning, and if you wore it, you’d be sure to turn heads. I wish I owned it, that is for sure!
July 4, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Rachel
First of all, an intermediate seamstress you are not! That issue aside, maybe you could enlist the help of a talented painter friend for the silk painting? Otherwise the sewing is totally within your reach. And Della referenced The Girl of the Limberlost one of my all time favorite books. If you read it though, it will likely make you want to fashion yourself after a moth and not a butterfly:).
July 4, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Cindy
Enhh. Wouldn’t waste the time. Go for some more nifty skirts and tops. Much more instant gratification, plus more stuff for you with less effort.
July 4, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Vicki
Yes, of course you could do it….but do you really want to? A lot of effort for a dress that would only be worn a very few times. But please don’t doubt yourself – you could do it!!
July 4, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Anonymous
It’s just STUNNING! THis would be my Evil Plan: Contact the designer, through whatever contacts you have. Flatter her with (totally justified) praise. Ask her to make you a dress for a reduced price as she is getting priceless exposure over the Internet. Promise to wear the dress on You Tube! It might work, you never know.
July 4, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Fourth Daughter
If you consider yourself a ditzy fly, why not make a fly costume? I’m picturing it worn with big googly sunglasses and long black gloves so that you can rub your hands together a lot, as is the wont of flies.
July 4, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Sandi
Oh. Wow.
That dress is stunning!
July 4, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Sherry
Just beautiful – how could you not feel graceful in that?! It is an idea that could be very tacky, but this designer has made it with wonderful taste.
July 4, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Meg
Okay, so here’s what I think. This should be your wedding dress. You haven’t yet gotten married, have you? I found you only a couple days ago and I’m trying to catch up.
Seriously. Wedding dress. Think about it. If that doesn’t work for you, buy it and elope. You need this. You really do.
July 4, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Amy
Years ago I saw a sign at a craft fair that read, “Of course you can make it. But will you?”
That dress is probably one of the most beautiful dresses that I’ve ever seen. I don’t think that I’d make it, but if you decide to? I’ll cheer you on the entire way.
July 4, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Gorgeous Things
OMG – that is so gorgeous!!! I’ll be in Seattle next week. Can you please tell where that boutique is? As far as whether you can recreate it, if anyone can, you can, trust me.
July 4, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Mae
To me, that dress is either ‘wearable art’ or costume. Perfect for a ballet competition, or the “talent” segment of a beauty pageant.
July 4, 2010 at 8:23 pm
KC
It is really beautiful. But butterflies don’t eat! Maybe, not being a real butterfly, you could eat in that dress, but you couldn’t sit down! Perhaps you should dare Peter to make one up for Cathy?
July 4, 2010 at 11:41 pm
BMGM
My you have good taste. That is a totally covetable dress, but do you really want to copy an independent designer? Perhaps you can make your own rendition that is ‘inspired by’, instead of a copy?
If you want to make your own butterfly silk dress, you may want to pick up a quilting book by (name of quilt designer forgotten). She is famous for her gigantic silk butterfly quilts, done in applique and reverse applique. She came to talk to my quilt guild. She has patterns, a book and gives classes in the technique.
July 5, 2010 at 2:24 am
lin3arossa
OMG Buy it or die trying to recreate it!
July 5, 2010 at 3:02 am
Auntie Allyn
Wow, I woulda stopped the car to look at that dress, too! I agree with everyone else that you certainly have the ability to create it; if you choose to do so, be careful that the dress doesn’t totally overwhelm your petite figure!
July 5, 2010 at 3:56 am
Gail
Mind bogglingly beautiful …tick Achievable…tick Wearable…not sure. Are you planning a fairies and elves ball?
July 5, 2010 at 4:48 am
Hatty
Mmm, well if you were going to a fancy dress party withJeff Goldblum (in costume). Frankly, I think it’s “wow!” in a kind of pleases-my-inner-three-year-old kind of way, but it’s the kind of thing that having worn it, you cringe about ten years later. Ask me how I know!
July 5, 2010 at 7:37 am
groovymama
OMG – I haven’t seen anything like this – ever….it’s stunning….I would love to see the Selfish Seamstress version …go for it!!
~Trine, Denmark
July 5, 2010 at 7:42 am
Emmy
It’s beautiful and I can see why you got your cousin to drive round again to look at it properly but I agree that a) it’s a local designer’s work and therefore slightly tacky to rip off wholesale, and b) that as beautiful as it is, it would be an enormous amount of time, money and effort for something that you may never wear often enough for it to be worth it.
A butterfly inspired wedding dress would be gorgeous but may not fit in with your stated low-key plans for your nuptials.
July 5, 2010 at 7:59 am
Drsue
Hmm. . . . It is gorgeous. If you make it i’d start off with tutu patterns and go from there. See, it kind of looks like a ballet costume to me.
July 5, 2010 at 8:19 am
Karen
Sweet! I don’t know about your painting skills but your sewing skills are up to the task. Yes, it would take some time and effort.
If you decide it is too much buck for the bang, then I second the notion, to utilize your online “celebrity” status and see if you can work with the designer on providing you with said dress (or another version) to wear to a high profile event (something slightly more upscale than textile sourcing, or an online blogging session.) I can see you floating along in it now!
BTW, I’m the other “Karen.”
July 5, 2010 at 8:58 am
Scandal! « The Selfish Seamstress
[…] in patterns, her sweet and gentle partner, and now her adoration of the beautiful monarch dress, a work of art by internationally renown and respected Seattle designer, Luly Yang, quite frankly, she’s […]
July 5, 2010 at 9:57 am
D
I hate to be the dissenting voice, but it’s just too costume-y for me. Like, as in Halloween costume….
Lovely and beautiful, yes, but I can’t picture myself seeing the dress worn by anyone without thinking ‘what the feck?’
I did take a look at the Luly Yang website, and watched her latest show, and some of her other pieces are just stunning
July 5, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Angela
Oh my… I’m in awe! What a gorgeous dress!
July 5, 2010 at 1:51 pm
orata
Maybe you could use custom-printed fabric from Spoonflower to copy it?
July 5, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Amy
If you’re going to have a flower girl in your wedding – have you thought of making it for her? But… that would mean not being selfish. :)
July 5, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Top Posts — WordPress.com
[…] Dazzled by a dress Driving around grey, chilly Seattle today with my cousin after brunch and a stroll, something practically jumped out at […] […]
July 5, 2010 at 5:30 pm
chinatownnavy
That is BEAUTIFUL! My heart quite possibly might have skipped a beat when I saw it! This will be a lesson to never leave the AmEx black card at home or your on-call thief.
July 5, 2010 at 5:51 pm
deb
That’s a lovely photo too! With the chandelier and the starry lights that mirror the bodice…
July 5, 2010 at 7:02 pm
ezby
The Seattle Times did a profile on Luly Yang earlier this year & it has the story behind the dress: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2011372195_pacificpluly28.html?cmpid=2628
July 6, 2010 at 11:38 am
Tasia
Gorgeous! Of course you could create your own, but you’d have to have an event to showcase it properly. It needs to be worn with purpose!
July 6, 2010 at 12:03 pm
The Slapdash Sewist
Such a beautiful dress! I’d have had to take a closer look as well.
July 6, 2010 at 7:43 pm
mjb
It would be worth making just to have it sit on a dress stand in the corner or your home!
July 8, 2010 at 7:35 am
Natalia
It is lovely, but I’m afraid all I can think is
“How many monarchs had to die to make this dress a possibility?”
July 13, 2010 at 10:33 am
Anonymous
What about another dancing skirt for grown-ups?
July 16, 2010 at 1:55 pm
amber
I was halfway through your question and thought “well, if you can paint…”, then I saw your answer. Well, even without those skills, I think if anyone would have a shot at recreating it, it would be you. Such a gorgeous gown. Le sigh.
December 30, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Amy
I absolutely love this dress and have been dreaming about where I would wear it if I could afford to buy it. I’ve been searching all over the web to see if anyone has made another with the essence of the original. Did you pursue this project? Would you have any successes or stories you could share regarding your journey with this dress?
January 12, 2011 at 3:58 pm
The Ceilidh Dress – The Butterfly Idea « 2 Quakers, 1 wedding, 0 hats!
[…] dress, and imagine that you had this particular image stored in the back of your brain from a blog post that you read months ago. Would you be able to ignore it? Would […]
January 16, 2012 at 5:56 pm
kristin
Omg!!! I have winter formals soon and i wanted to know of that dress if for sale!!!!!!
July 1, 2013 at 11:13 pm
tanaya
Yea 25000 dollars. I wanted it so bad for my wedding.
July 1, 2013 at 11:02 pm
tanaya
I want to get married in this with the brides maids wearing blue and different butterfly dresses. Beautiful idea but money wise it wont happen for me. I took it to seamstress they said they could try but it will not look like this. If u can do it. Do it. Bless u. My dream will stay a dream.