Art You Can Wear

Nothing to wear? Nothing to worry about. Just add a necklace. Or a hair band. Now, you've got a HOT look going!
We've been seeing lots of flowers in hair, headbands with a hippy look ...... this look is more of a mixing up of artsy stuff with your apparel and accessories.

SUSAN CIANIOLO - This fabric rosette hair accessory, above, is made from vintage and thrift remnants by Susan Cianiolo, a distinct, multi talented woman. The other photos are of Cianiolo's recent fashion show. The black dress (I agree, it could almost be a black sack with holes for neck and arms) look has an American Indian style, note the hair braids. The bulls eye symbol on the dress brings to my mind objects and symbols the American Indians painted on horses and on tee pees. Take a good peek at the foot apparel. The shoes might just be white sneakers and Cianiolo has painted lines criss crossing up the leg. We're not seeing criss-cross tie wrap shoes, we're seeing sneakers with painted on straps. Oh, and, the model's hands - one, green, one white.

The photo of the white dress is also tribal looking - this one has more of a flair, one shoulder strap is of the black and white fabric, one not. The bodice has female shape but is trimmed in a thick fringe, almost a trim for furniture. The skirt hem is uneven, more earthy than neatly hemmed.

It's an art collage. The model's hands are again painted and both model's eye makeup consists of distinct markings, more subtle though done in the bold rose color. I like the repetition of the paint affects.

Anything that makes you think, "I could make that" is a winner. Besides being a fashion designer, Cianciolo is a painter and filmmaker and she makes artsy collage stuff that you can wear.

LIZZI FORTUNATO - These fabric-and-baubles jewelry and accessory pieces are from a little company that grew out of two sisters Elizabeth Fortunato, 23 and her sister Kathryn, out of a Duke University dorm room. It was time well spent because their work has hit a sweet spot on the fashion runways. Major designers are using the artsy accessories to add that important flair to their own collections. I've never seen anything like these pieces you can wear.