The Devils in the Detail

Romantic Spring Wedding Details - if you're interested in any of the details below please contact us at info@ricerafferty.com

We make wedding invitations, name cards/escort cards, accessories, pins, veils, bridal belts, garters, bouquets and anything else you can dream of.  Also please check out our youtube video for more wedding day details.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUHrWAbGPvc

www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

Venue: Buffalo Historical Museum
Photographer: Dave Wahl and Amy Lee Resuch
Makeup and Hair: SalonSalon
Cake: Carriage Trade Pastries
Caterer: Oliver's
Florist: Maureen's
Officiant: Monsenieur Leising
DJ/Band: Music Krew
Wedding Dress: Mori Lee
Veil: Rice Rafferty Couture Accessories www.ricerafferty.com
Jewelry: Carolee
Shoes: Poetic License, Nina
Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal
Groom's Suit: Brook's Brothers
Groom's Shoes: Mercanti
Groomsmen's Suits: Brook's Brothers
Stationery: Rice Rafferty
Transportation: Buffalo Limousine Service

 

Double Your Fun with Accessories

Double your fun with the White Iris Hair Comb that can also be worn as a corsage.  I love accessories with options.  We make our accessories so they can be worn and enjoyed numerous ways.  Wear it on your wedding day, then for an evening out on the town.  The accessory above is made of tulle, white iris flower, pleated silk, pearls, and beads. 

www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

Black Friday Madness 2010

Did you go out for Black Friday?  Find any amazing deals?  I have never been out in the middle of the night for black friday.  This year I got so excited while designing this festive Black Friday ad (see above) that I decided to get out there and see what this black friday business was all about.

After cooking Thanksgiving dinner I took a disco nap, followed by a few cups of coffee then headed out the door.  We drove to the Niagara Falls Outlet Mall.  There were surprisingly a lot of people on the road.  Once we arrived I was astonished the parking lot was packed solid.  We had to park in a parking lot across the road and proceed to run across the street to the shopping center. Canadians love coming to this shopping center too so it was extra crowded.  There were police on patrol at the entrance.  We luckily missed some riff raff that occurred moments before our arrival.  We entered the shopping center around 12:15 ad it was jam packed.  Any store that had a huge line outside the door (like Coach, Juicy Couture, Bath & Body Works) we quickly walked by it.  We went to stores that weren't as crowded.  The environment was stuffy and hot because there were SO many people.  I bought a few items from Ann Taylor and Brooks Brothers as Christmas gifts.

I'm happy I went and saw the spectacle of people.  The items I purchased were smart, not impulse buys.  I can see how people may over shop in environments like this - you begin to feel irritable, tired, and hungry, but you tell yourself, "i'm here so i might as well buy something".  You become like a hungry animal in search of a great sale.  I bought some excellent quality items at decent prices (I'd rather spend more for good quality than buy cheap clothes for $5 a piece).  We left around 3:00 am and I began to feel sick from lack of sleep.  Next year, I think I'll sleep in and if I need something I'll order it online.

www.ricerafferty.com

Mood Fabrics from Project Runway

Mood Fabrics was so inspirational!  As many of you may know Mood Fabrics is the fabric shop on the hit television show Project Runway.  Mood is located in Manhattan, fashion district.  The store is two floors full of luxurious fabrics and trims.  I felt like a kid in a candy store.  My favorite part was meeting Denise, a worker there, who was also a textile design major at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology).

We discussed our education, backgrounds, and interests.  Denise told me about her experience working as a temp at Express.  She felt it was a little too corporate for her.  I appreciated her honesty.  One of the most important things when beginning your career is to know about YOURSELF and what kind of environment you can really thrive in.

She told me about Amy Butler textiles which I love!  Amy Butler's designs are Midwest Chic.  She uses a beautiful color palette and exquisite designs full of rich hand painted textures.  If you live in Buffalo, NY you can purchase the fabrics on Elmwood Ave at Elmwood Village Fabrics (which was featured at the Mass Appeal Fashion Show 2010 in the wearable art segment).  Elmwood Village Fabrics is a great place to go for inspiration if you're feeling stuck on your next project. http://www.elmwoodvillagefabrics.com/home.html


Visiting Mood Fabrics reminded me of my old days at the University at Buffalo hanging out in the costume/theater closets drawing shoes, hats, and accessories.  I found such peace surrounded by these fashion items.  Do you ever have those aha! moments (as Oprah calls them)?  Those moments when everything in the world starts to make sense?  That's how I feel when my graphic design, marketing, and fashion background all come together.  Every little experience adds to where you will go and what you will be.

In our studio
Right now at Rice Rafferty we're preparing items for our holiday sale at Chatham University (Chatham College) in Pittsburgh, PA.  We're also getting ready for an upcoming fashion photo shoot - more details soon.  I'm also planning a trip to Toronto soon to investigate their fashion district and report back.  Does anyone have recommendations on where to go?  I also want to check out their shoe museum!

And Yes, the above textile is designed by me.  I hand painted flower motifs and created a repeat pattern.   You can also learn how to do this by taking a textile design class at Buffalo State College, which is one of the best in the United States for fashion.  The class is taught by the head of the fashion department Professor Elaine Polvinen.

The Concrete Jungle

In Autumn 2008, I took a jetblue flight to NYC with fellow Buffalo State College fashion students.  We toured the hottest fashion companies and museums in Manhattan - Trust Fund Baby, The Donegar Group, The Color Association of the US, The FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) Museum, Mood Fabric, WWD, Vivienne Tam, Design Tex, Target, and Diane Von Furstenberg.

We ran around Manhattan 3 days straight up early and to bed late.  It was a really interesting experience being able to see inside the companies, behind the scenes at their store fronts, touring fashion museums, and running around the fashion district.  Any time a rack of clothes was sitting nearby my heart would skip a beat.  We saw everything from the hottest most expensive trends to the clothing vendors down on the streets and in vans selling a knock off Prada for $20. 


Some highlights:
-When we were visiting WWD, Ricky Lizalde, Project Runway Season 4 contestant, happened to be there so he came in to talk to our group. He was dropping off some dresses.
- While drooling over the fabric at Mood I was talking with a worker there, also a fashion student, about how much i love textiles.  She recommended Amy Butler and Ms. Butler's designs have been my favorite ever since.

My fascination at the time was textile design...little did I know I'd be working at a fashion trend book company, art directing photo shoots at a kitchen appliance company, and starting my own cottage industry, rice rafferty couture accessories.  The more we go out there in the world and try various jobs, and meet people we learn where we fit.  Every experience is valuable whether we see it or not.

I'll be posting a separate post about each company I visited soon, so I can give you a more in depth description of each experience.  I loved going to each place and observing the vibe - like when you go on interviews and you think "I can see myself here." It's funny how the congestion on the streets of Manhattan, aka the concrete jungle, give me flashbacks of the tall towering trees from Lake Tahoe.  Both are completely different - one serene, one hectic, but both give a similar vibe.  :)

www.ricerafferty.com

Wine, Yarn, and Animals

Two weekends ago I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival.  The countryside was absolutely beautiful. The Finger Lakes Wine Tasting was also going on that weekend as well as next weekend.  It was warm, sunny fall day and there were scarves, yarn, and animals abound.  They had lhamas, sheep, and rabbits there since they use their hair for making clothing.

After the festival we headed up to through Honeoye Falls, which is a stunning little town.  They have a waterfall right in the middle of the town (that's my kind of place).  Next, we drove up to Rochester.  I really love Rochester.  It's a beautiful little city.  We drove through the suburbs up to Lake Ontario and Irondquoit - Durand Eastman Lake.  Since it's almost Halloween (well not quite but in Western New York we like to start Halloween as early as possible) we drove to Durand Eastman Lake which is known to be the place where The Lady in White appears.  The story goes back to the early 1800s when a woman's child went missing.  The mother of the girl had a feeling the farmer next door raped and killed her.  Every day the mother went wandering the woods with her dogs searching for her daughter.  Eventually she was left so grief stricken she threw herself off the cliffs into the water.  They say on a foggy night you can see the Lady in White rise up from the lake and continue to search for her daughter.

When we drove up to the lake I had a strange familiar feeling.  I knew "this was it."  There was a white swan swimming in the lake which gave an eerie feeling (it was almost dusk too..ooohhh spooky).  It's a gorgeous little spot between two lakes Durand and Lake Ontario.  The story of the Lady in White was also made into a movie.  I recommend checking it out.

Let There Be Light!

We're always cooking up something new in our studio.  Recently, we designed a new bib statement necklace with LIGHTS.

Our new bib statement necklace is made with fiber optic lights, hand dyed and hand burnt out velvet devore, and upcycled jewelry elements - copper wire, beads, rhinestones, etc.  Simply slide the switch and voila! instant party!

Wear to a special occasion or wear it just for fun!

www.ricerafferty.etsy.com
www.ricerafferty.com

We're the Real Gilmore Girls

We're the rice rafferty girls - aka the real Gilmore Girls. We're not the typical mother/daughter we even share the same names. My middle name is my mothers maiden name hence we share the names rice & rafferty. Since neither of us have a sister, we're best friends and actually enjoy hanging out together (i thought this was normal ).  While each of has our own friends we share; inside jokes, love watching foreign and old movies together, attend concerts, cook, garden, work on our designs, and doing our own photo shoots.

We share cross generational information.  Mom took me to see Cyndi Lauper, Leon Russell & Mikhail Baryshnikov. Last week I took my mom to an Ingrid Michaelson concert to meet up with my friends and tonight we're going to see Rusted Root (to support our Pittsburgh roots, go pittsburgh)!

We even went to colleges together (sort of).  When I was looking at art colleges my mom decided she had unfinished business.  The same day I started at University at Buffalo, my mom entered classes at Buffalo State College (yay Cindi Sherman). We joked that day from Romey and Michele's High School Reunion, " If this doesn't work out, you want to fold scarves?" It actually worked out really well because we would share information, critiqued each others work, and share supplies.  My university education was more conceptual and her college program was stronger with craft and technique.  Together we were able to fill in the gaps everyone finds in their education.  This is when our serious art camp began. 

My silk screening class projects were heavily influenced by my mother's fiber background.  While the professor had all of his students printing on paper, I was off silk screening on t-shirts, up cycled denim skirts and even created fabric made into a bras to ward off breast cancer. My mother taught me to make handmade paper which I silk screened my designs then built into lamps for my Senior BFA Thesis Project.  Graphic design became more interesting when I combined fiber elements - embroidery in books, binding handmade books, and scanning in interesting textures.

After graduation I began working graphic design jobs while my mother taught classes for her college program.  Working full time jobs left less time to make handmade items at first, but I quickly learned I'm a maker and it makes me happy.  My mother kept designing her devore scarves, dyeing them, and burning out the designs.  I would assist her with it the process and soon we began a partnership that keeps building.  I design the business cards, labels, websites, work on trend research, and the jewelry. She keeps making new garments, statement necklaces and devore scarves.

Always hungry for knowledge, mother moved to Savannah to attend Savannah College of Art and Design masters fiber program while I stayed in Buffalo working as a designer.  We were miserable apart.  I kept researching about textile and accessory businesses while she was gathering information @ SCAD.  Last June she returned home.  Full of ideas and  armed with more knowledge we started working on more projects together and that is how rice rafferty was born.  We specialize in making one of a kind accessories items; statement necklaces, devore scarves, silk scarves, copper jewelry, hair accessories, aprons and tutus.  Visit our website www.ricerafferty.com to learn more about us and see our designs!

THE CLOTHES BAR, EMPHASIS ON THE CLOTHES

This past Saturday I had the privilege of attending a fashion truck show hosted by Althea Harper from Season 6 of Project Runway Project Runway: Season Six at The Clothes Bar in Clarence, NY.  I had never been to The Clothes Bar before, but I recall hearing the name because it was so unusual.  The Clothes Bar is a clothing store, not a bar.  My eyes went wild the second I got in the door.  I was super impressed with the large selection of hip clothing for women 18-40 something.  They had everything from cute summer dresses to short evening gowns and trendy accessories.  Painted shoes were hung on the brightly painted walls.  I LOVED it!  My mom and I got a chance to talk with Althea and ask her about her experience on Project Runway (This is the second project runway person I have met before, woo hoo!).  Althea was absolutely gorgeous - 6' blonde, perfect hair, makeup and a fab bod.  We told her a little bit about our business, rice rafferty.   We loved that Althea dyed her clothing by hand!  Althea's clothing is made from bamboo!  Overall it was a great afternoon hanging with rockin fashionistas!

To view some of Althea's designs go here http://altheaharper.com/Project Runway: Season Six

UPCYCLED SILK EARRINGS

I was always taught by my mother don't litter, don't waste, so making accessories from upcycled materials only makes sense for our company rice rafferty.

We make things with love and respect for the world in which we live!  

Recently, I designed upcycled silk earrings with vintage jewelry incorporated into it.  The silk was hand dyed with a golden yellow color and the center is a bead pearl.  These earrings are super lightweight so they're easy to wear throughout the day or on an evening out. 

www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

SCAD Fashion Shoot

Savannah College of Art and Design recently posted their fashion photos from their student work this year. These are my favorites. The shoots were put together by professionals in the fashion industry - professional models, photographers, makeup artists, and set designers. I chose my favorite fashion designs as well as my favorite lighting effects and sets. If only we all had this FABULOUS crew!

Skinny Scarves

We've been making devore SKINNY SCARVES in our studio! Skinny scarves are super fun to wear - they're stylish and warm! Wear with all black or dress up a blouse and jeans.

We make the skinny scarves in an array of colors. Each one is hand dyed and burnt out with a unique pattern design (made by us). These scarves are wearable art. Tell us which ones you like. It's also great to wear more than one scarf at a time for a colorful, layered effect. We sell in museum shops and you can visit our online shop at www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

RUNWAY 3.0 FASHION SHOW

The Buffalo State College Runway 3.0 Fashion Show will be held May 1, 2010. Carol Ann Rice Rafferty, an alum from Buffalo State and former professor, designed a line of hip, glamorous clothing for the show. The line is mix and match pieces full of rich, bright colors. Carol Ann's theme is - Ultra Feminine Warrior. The accessories are a collaboration from rice rafferty.

Above is one of the designs by Carol Ann - a white tutu dress.

For more information about the show and where to purchase tickets visit the blog below:
http://bscrunway.wordpress.com/

We'll see you at the show!