THE PARTY SEASON!
It’s party season and every girl deserves at least one beautiful little party dress. So let one of Australia’s leading designers, Anthea Crawford, inspire you and let us share some of the ‘how-to’ trade secrets that have made her a ‘Couturier par Excellence’.
Yes, it’s just around the corner! All those office work parties, those special cocktail parties and that very special New Year eve party invitations may already be hitting your mail box!
Anthea Crawford, iconic Australian designer, has just launched her PARTY COLLECTION! Designer for the contemporary woman from early twenties through to ageless women who just want to look elegant!
Festive red and green vie with exotic ikat prints and timeless black.
Styles go from retro red satin – with cummerbund feature and ruched sleeves – ultra feminine and very figure flattering – through to silk georgette floats with waterfall frilled skirts; to jade crossover bodice dresses that show off a gorgeous décolletage; to exotic designer placement print stretch satin shift dresses to elegant must have LBD – in superb organza ribbon fabric with just a hint of sparkle and very cleverly designed with a built in bra for added support.
 ANTHEA CRAWFORD, Fashion Designer celebrates 33 years in Business!
Anthea Crawford was one of those little girls who loved to dress up her dolls and from the age of eight she started making ‘one-off’ designer dresses for them.
It seemed that her destiny would always be fashion.
She left school at fifteen to go into the industry and started her career with Tom Wardle – a very successful company that fostered talent. (Interesting to note that one of her colleagues at Wardle was Perri Cutten.)
She counted buttons, ordered trims, learnt how to cut a pattern and how to cost garments. Armed with this knowledge, she started her own business in 1975 from a tiny atelier in Flinders Lane, which at that time, was the heart of Melbourne’s fashion industry.
Anthea literally designed, cut and sewed her own garments and then knocked on the doors of the boutiques she considered best suited her brand. These trendy boutiques instantly recognised her unique signature and – the ANTHEA CRAWFORD brand took off!
And, what is her unique signature?
Anthea always discovers unique prints, gorgeous fabrics, superb buttons and deluxe trims and then uses them to create garments that are feminine, stylish and wearable! She then adds her own unique use of appliqué, braid and beading.
And her secret – in a word – PASSION – yes, Anthea loves what she does and has been incredibly successful.
Her reputation?
She designs garments for all aspects of a successful contemporary woman’s wardrobe: From dressed up casual – to career wear – to glamorous PM/Special occasion wear.
Her fabrics are sourced from all over the world and she uses only the best, including Australian wool, embroidered and beaded organza, velvets, lace and jacquard satins. She is renowned for her couturier finishes such as printed linings, hand beading and rouleau beaus. Plus, she always goes that ‘extra mile’ by adding accessories such as matching bags and shawls to cover bare arms.
This year Anthea Crawford celebrates the 33rd birthday of her brand and her enthusiasm and creative flair has never waned. Yet, in spite of all her successes, she readily admits her best production to date is her gorgeous daughter, Simone – who is now nineteen.
Sizes go from 8 – 18 and her collections are sold through eight ANTHEA CRAWFORD FLAGSHIPS STORES, selected boutiques and concept stores in David Jones and Myer, nationally. www.antheacrawford.com.au
Or telephone 1800 620 658
TAKE A FEW TIPS FROM THE EXPERT - Sewing Satin
Satin has always held us in its thrall; its luminosity reflecting from every fold with an almost incandescent sheen.
Satin was carried to Europe in the middle ages via the Silk Road, from the town of Zaytoun (Canton, China).
Satin refers to the weave of the cloth rather than the fibre. Satin weave can be found in silk, wool, cotton (sateen), synthetics and blends. The weave brings more yarns to the surface, usually the warp, giving the face its characteristic sheen and creating a heavier, denser cloth. The sheen of satin is intensified because of the denser surface weave but the negative characteristic is that satin is more easily damaged.
15 Tips for Satin Satisfaction
- Pre-treat satin according to fibre content. Use silk wash for silks and drycleaning for wools. Polyester satins can be gently machine washed with cold water
- Use long fine silk pins to prevent snags
- Cut with serrated edge shears to minimize slippage
- Press from the wrong side of the cloth
- Interface with silk organza or Sheerweft (Perfect Fuse Sheer)
- Be careful not to let the iron splatter as satin will often watermark
- Use a size 70 stretch machine needle so that the needle will pass between the fibres and not shred them
- Use a good quality polyester sewing thread
- French seams and hand rolled hems are the classic finish but the four-thread stitch on your overlocker is an excellent modern alternative, as it stitches and finishes a perfect 6mm wide seam
- Rouleau loops and covered buttons or Chinese ball buttons and frogs are beautiful closures for satin
- Satin covered piping adds a subtle highlight to the edges of any garment
- Use a light, cutaway stabilizer for machine embroidery
- Satin is a fabulous base for dyeing, stenciling or painting
- If a satin garment is cut on the bias, then store flat on a shelf or in a drawer. If hanging a straight cut garment use a softly padded hanger to protect the shoulders
- Illusion Dressing: Remember that shiny fabrics reflect light and will make you appear larger. Matt fabrics absorb light and appear smaller. Use this to highlight your best features and detract from anything you would rather hide. Both sides of satin backed crepe are suitable to use and are the perfect compliment for each other
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