Malvena Pearl’s Emporium

Costume Academy 2011 Sunday May 22nd~ from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

ASUC MLK Student Union, 2475 Bancroft Way, University of California, Berkeley

Come find us in the Tilden Room on the 5th Floor!

Malvena Pearl

Purveyor of Millinery, Ephemera and Artful Diversions to Inspire the Costume Enthusiast

Peruse our selection of handmade & vintage hats from many eras, hair adornments, books, vintage catalogs, as well as accessories for men and women. There will also be framed Godey’s prints, ephemera and a special treat this year: vintage estate jewelry from a hobby collection. It’s all antique or vintage, unique, rare and one-of-a-kind costume jewelry made between 1850 and 1970. We will have patterns, sewing manuals from the 1920s-1950s and theatrical lobby cards. We also carry vintage ribbon, trim, buttons and other vintage notions. Bibliomania and Black Swan Books will provide assorted posters, prints and clothing, including embroidered nylons. We will feature four handmade bags by Wendy Lou in vintage fabrics.

Here are some photos of the completed bonnet. My friend made the lace that I used to trim the inside:

This bonnet is for a dancer who is doing workshops to perform in Fezziwig’s at the Great Dickens Fair in San Francisco.  I built it from buckram, millinery wire and cotton fabric. I’m sewing it  by hand. For inspiration, I used several sources. The Dickens Fair folk provide guidelines for costuming for their event here. I also found  many books to inspire me at Costume College, two years ago. One is a British publication entitled, “Hats and Bonnets” by Althea Mackenzie with photography by Richard Blakey, published by The National Trust, London, UK, 2004. The photos and descriptions of hats and bonnets are wonderful.  I’m looking forward to embellishing this bonnet with ribbon, trim and lace, to match the dancer’s dress, that I embellished for her earlier this year.

After many hours of hand-sewing,  I have completed the embellishments on the Victorian dress. The pattern of the trim is based on a number of photographs and fashion drawings from the 1840s - 186os. It’s two layers of trim: the top one is thin, red velvet ribbon. The collar is antique lace and so is the lace at the cuffs. All hand-sewn onto the garment, which was provided to me by the person who asked me for assistance.

I listened to some great digital recordings of J.K. Rowling’s first three “Harry Potter” books, while I sewed.

Here are a couple of pictures.

back of bodice

completed trim on Victorian dress

Progress! Hand sewing some gorgeous trim onto a cotton dress that will be worn to dances and to the Dickens Faire!

Yes, that is 2 layers of trim: the first layer is three colored and the top layer is thin, red velvet.

On the dvd player: Freaks and Geeks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the Jeremy Brett production.

Wow, a lot of events have been happening and business is certainly picking up since Jacque and I found the studio!

The Beeper Egg Hunt (and Mad Hatter’s tea party) for Blind Babies Foundation is tomorrow. I’ve had some generous help from members of the House Elf Committee, Ms. Dawn-0 and Ms. Helena, in getting the outfits made for Queen Alice, Red Queen and White Queen.  We based the designs on the original Tenniel illustrations from Alice Through the Looking Glass, since that is the theme of this year’s Beeper Egg Hunt. We also found a Mad Hatter this week, Mr. KC3.  Our kind supporter and inspiring pattern and costume-maker Lynn McMasters is loaning us a gorgeous Mad Hatter Top Hat!

Our feline Zac “assisted” with the construction of the White Queen’s dress. We have photographic evidence. 

Now on to the crowns, sleeves, collars for the Red and White Queens, several pairs of bunny ears for the Foggy Gulch Band members and some top hats to cover for them, as well!

I found a studio to share with the lovely and talented Jacqueline Palacios! Yippee! It’s located at the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church on MacArthur Boulevard, in Oakland. More updates to follow as we settle in and set up. We started moving in and I can finally see the floor of my spare bedroom.

A client came by Casa Roo for a fitting/hemming of a pre-bought 1850s-style, cotton dress that she has asked me to embellish. Yay! She came by during the rainstorm, so that’s motivation for you.

Ms. Sahrye Cohen expertly helped us put together an entry for inclusion  in the exhibit at the Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition in Emeryville  March 12 - March 14, 2010.

On March 20, 2010, Malvena Pearl will have a table and display set up at the Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild Costume Academy.

I’m also working on the White Queen outfit, the Red Queen outfit and Queen Alice’s outfit for the  9th Annual Blind Babies Foundation Annual Beeper Egg Hunt in San Francisco.  I’m organizing the first-annual Tea and Raffle with the theme of Alice through the Looking Glass. Come join us!

The cape is sold!

The current owner bought it in London at a jumble sale in the 1980s. It has been in her closet since then. She was told it was created during the Victorian period. The bead work is almost completely intact and just needs a tiny bit of loving care to restore it to near-perfect glory. The owner of Black Swan Books, Bonnie, is the gal to contact about this lovely piece.

Here are the snapshots:

And here is Ms. A. in her Regency finery: