ElizabethAllenStudio

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A THING FOR FABRIC AND IT HAS BEEN THE THREAD (NO PUN INTENDED) CONNECTING THE VARIOUS PATHS OF MY CAREER. THE MOST TANGIBLE BENEFIT OF MY FRENCH LITERATURE DEGREE WAS THAT IT PROVIDED AN EXCUSE TO HIGHTAIL IT TO PARIS AFTER COLLEGE. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO LAND THE POSITION OF PARIS BUREAU CHIEF OF WWD AND W MAGAZINE. IT WAS A THRILLING LIFE SPENT OGLING UNBELIEVABLE DESIGN AND TEXTILES BEHIND THE SCENES AND ON THE RUNWAY. AND A LOT OF POSH SOIREES. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING MANY DESIGNERS AND GETTING TO KNOW SOME QUITE WELL, LIKE CHRISTIAN LACROIX AND KARL LAGERFELD. I LOVED BEING AN EDITOR AND JOURNALIST BUT WANTED A LOOK FROM THE OTHER SIDE SO I WENT TO WORK WITH KARL LAGERFELD IN THE HALLOWED CHANEL ATELIERS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS "A TRIP". IT WAS IN PARIS THAT I DISCOVERED THE PLEASURES OF DIGGING AROUND FLEA MARKETS.

FLASH FORWARD TO NYC WHERE I SPENT SEVERAL YEARS AS A FASHION EDITOR AND FREELANCE STYLIST, ALL THE WHILE CRAMMING MY FIFTH FLOOR WALK-UP WITH VINTAGE TEXTILES AND EPHEMERA. I BEGAN WITH SWEET 1930'S DITSY PRINTS AND ENDED WITH GORGEOUS 19TH C. FRENCH TEXTILES. NEEDING TO JUSTIFY MY FABRIC BINGES, I MADE UP SOME PILLOWS AND TOOK THEM TO ABC CARPET & HOME AND THEY PLACED AN ORDER. YIKES, I SUDDENLY HAD A BUSINESS AND A LOT OF SEWING AHEAD OF ME.

20YEARS LATER, ELIZABETH ALLEN ATELIER IS A CUSTOM BED LINEN COLLECTION AND A BIT MORE. MY CUSTOM FABRICS ARE PRINTED IN INDIA AND LOVINGLY SEWN IN CA AND NYC. WE OFFER BABY TO KING SIZE BEDDING AS WELL AS PRECIOUS DRESSES AND DOLLS, HAND MADE BY ELSIE IN TENNESSEE. WHILE EAA WILL NEVER LAUNCH AN IPO, I AM PLEASED THAT MY BUSINESS HAS STUCK TO ITS CORE VALUES- GREAT QUALITY, PERSONAL SERVICE AND INTEGRITY.

MY TREASURED VINTAGE TEXTILE COLLECTION HAS BEEN PACKED AWAY FOR A FEW YEARS, WAITING FOR A RAINY DAY. I AM NOT SURE WHEN THAT RAINY DAY IS COMING SO I HAVE DECIDED TO SHARE A LOT OF IT. IT WAS WONDERFUL TO OPEN UP THE BINS AND REDISCOVER ALL THE WONDERFUL PIECES I COLLECTED. I WAS ACTUALLY IMPRESSED WITH MYSELF! SEEING THE PIECES BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF WHEN AND WHERE I PICKED IT UP AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, I HAD MADE WITH IT. I REMEMBERED SITTING IN MY NYC, AC-LESS APARTMENT, SWEATING UNDER A QUILT, PICKING OUT THE STITCHES OUT TO SAVE THE FABRIC. I SCORED A GORGEOUS TICKING PILLOW IN A DUMPSTER DOWNTOWN, UNSTITCHED IT, REMOVED THE ROTTEN DOWN AND BOILED THE FABRIC OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THAT PILLOW ENDED UP ON THE PAGES OF COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE AND SOLD FOR $250! I I LITERALLY SAVED EVERY SCRAP AS IT SEEMED TOO PRECIOUS TO THROW AWAY. EVEN NOW IT IS DIFFICULT TO PART WITH THESE FABRICS BUT MY HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE (MAYBE YOU), WILL MAKE SOMETHING FABULOUS OUT OF IT!