A few days ago I had the chance to pose for photographer Gabriele Re in a photoshoot among autumn leaves. Autumn is a season I love so much – especially those days that give you a bit of melancholy and serenity at the same time.
There's something special about walking through park paths wearing garments from other eras, even if not original antiques but historically inspired pieces. In my case, I finally had the opportunity to pose wearing my SYLVA jacket, inspired by an 1892 model from the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
The Work Behind SYLVA
There was so much work behind this jacket, which has some flaws I would change today (I'd like to redo the central closure, for example – originally I wanted a hint of red to show between the two openings, but now I'm not so sure about it anymore), but it also holds so much passion and a touch of creativity. As always, I drafted the entire pattern from scratch, using the museum photos as inspiration. What's specifically mine compared to the historical original, besides the customizations in the cut, are the cord embellishment designs, created and sewn from scratch for my brand. The tutorial includes two types, and while the original antique piece features an application created at the time with different techniques and designs, for me it was really fun to apply soutache – a technique widely used in the Belle Époque – creating with it a reference to stylized flowers and leaves. That's why I was so happy to finally photograph it not just on a dress form but actually worn in such a beautiful setting, and the photos came out really lovely!
About the Silhouette
For those paying closer attention, you'll notice the shape is slightly different from what you find in the tutorial listings, as I usually use a really large bustle pad for this jacket to emphasize the side curves and the backside itself. This time I didn't have the model I usually use available, so I wanted to try a more natural shape for me (closer to my actual body), but obviously less historically emphasized and probably less typical of the period. As you can see, the jacket still works perfectly, remains wearable and beautiful, but personally I prefer it with the emphasized bustle.
The Photoshoot Experience
But back to the photoshoot – it was a very exciting morning. We were able to take shots among these autumn trees and also some more artistic photos with a couple of special props. On this note, if you follow me I'll be sharing those photos soon ;) I'm not very good with words, but I'm happy when I can share my passion and thoughts about both my work as a craftsperson and historical costume curiosities through my posts or videos here on social media.
Thank you Gabriele for capturing all of this with such sensitivity and skill. Can't wait to show you the rest! 🥰
Disclaimer: The images contained here are the sole and exclusive property of Gabriele Re©. Any disclosure, copying or distribution of the images contained is prohibited and will be considered illegal and prosecuted for copyright infringement.
You can find more photos by Gabriele Re at: https://gabrielere.zenfolio.com/
The photoset will be posted on his website around next month ✨
You can find the SYLVA pattern Clicking Here.