Creating A Museum Exhibit
This exhibit will explore the creative and cultural expressions of art and fashion and each dress will tell its own unique story while paying homage to womanhood. Everyday women in the United States and around the world are faced with challenges and adversities. Twelve Months of Healing, the Veil of Womanhood is a way to shed light on and inspire conversations about issues including Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer and Human Sex Trafficking. It is with this exhibit that we honor them, shed light on their circumstances and open the dialogue for their healing.
www.FashionArtFusion.com is creating a unique art exhibit using fashion as its canvas to highlight these issues. Become an ambassador in support of this initiative which unites women around the world and become an advocate for someone you love.
Miniature Museum Inspired Collectible Sorority Dolls
Miniature Museum Inspired Collectible Sorority Dolls
Custom Made Miniature Wedding Dresses in Sorority Colors
” I have met so many beautiful and fascinating women who are sorority sisters making a difference in the world and in the lives of others. I want to honor them by creating miniature versions of my museum inspired “Babwe” wedding dress in the colors of their sororities. These are doll keepsakes that can be handed down from generation to generation.” – Therez Fleetwood
The Babwe wedding dress was designed as an exhibit piece for the Black Style Now exhibit at the City Museum of New York. This gown has quickly become a favorite amongst brides wearing the custom gown from the Therez Fleetwood bridal collection. This miniature version of Therez’s best selling museum exhibit bridal gown, is hand-made and tailored to perfection! It is made out of 100% silk dupioni fabric and adorned with gold trim, a patchwork panel and gold bead accents. Her hairstyle is hand-crafted and uniquely styled in a bouffant bridal braid. And no bride is complete without her floral bouquet!
Many hours go into making one dress and re-styling every doll.
Each dress is made-to-order.
Delivery lead-time: 3-4 weeks.
Limited Edition: $399.99 (+ $12.95 S&H)
Hand-made in the USA. Quality, Care, Craftsmanship, Superb!
For the adult collector.
The production process:
Step 1 – Silk fabric and trim is purchased in the sorority colors.
Step 2 – Miniature paper pattern is made to create the dresses.
Step 3 – Preparing the fabric for quilting by fusing the back with soft interfacing.
Step 4 – Tracing the pattern and cutting the pattern pieces.
Step 6 – Sewing the cut pieces.
Step 7 – Tracing the lines to sew on the gold cording.
Step 8 – Cutting the quilted panel pieces.
Step 9 – Sewing the gold cord onto the patchwork panel.
Step 10 – Attaching a backing to the patchwork panel.
Step 11 – Hand sewing the beads onto the patchwork panel.
Step 11 – Attaching the panel to the dress.
Step 12 – applying horsehair to the hem.
Step 13 – Creating the jewelry with tiny cowrie shell beads and wire.
Step 14 – Hand-painting the flowers
Ohhhh Those Happy Brides!
The Therez Fleetwood Bride marches to the beat of her own drum! Here are some of my favorite pictures of brides “getting down” on the dance floor wearing custom made dresses from the Therez Fleetwood Bridal collection!
Wedding Barbie Doll Keepsakes
Cherish your wedding dress forever. Let us create a keepsake of your wedding dress styled on a Barbie doll of your choice. Send us a picture of you on your wedding day and we can replicate the dress, hair style and accessories. We take care, craftsmanship and pride in creating each miniature gown. This is a great way for brides to enjoy the beauty of their wedding gown and to have a keepsake of their gown on display. Each miniature dress is made to order. These designer dolls make perfect gifts and can be passed down from generation to generation.
Brides and their dolls!
Afro-American Royalty: African Safari Wedding
Jasmine and Therman
Bride: Jasmine D. Cobb
Groom: Therman Cobb Jr.
Wedding Gown Style: Cleopatra
Wedding Date: June 10, 2011
Location: Palestine, TX
Photographer: Felipe Natera Photography
Did you have a certain style in mind when you started your search for a dress?
Initially, I had no idea of which direction I wanted to go with my wedding dress. However, I did know I didn’t want my dress to look like I was going to a prom and I didn’t really want a “ball” gown either. So after I figured those things out, I was sure whatever dress I chose was going to have to be unique.
What made you decide on your Therez Fleetwood gown?
The star’s must’ve been aligning in my favor when it came down to deciding my designer dress because my mom came across Therez’s article in Jet Magazine, which featured her wedding gowns. So I did my research, went to her website and browsed. The dresses on her sight were most definitely unique- which was exactly what I was looking for. Luckily, at the time, Therez was only a little over an hour’s drive away from me and once I went to see the gowns in person it was a done deal. Besides her talented designs, Therez was always accessible. There was never a “middle-man”, she handled all of her business personally and personably. It was almost unreal for a designer of her caliber! For a bride that means alot!
How did you accessorize to make your wedding day outfit unique?
What helped me accessorize to make my wedding day outfit to make it even more unique was the theme and vision I saw of my wedding day. Having a theme is like having the road map to success.
What was the inspiration or theme for your wedding?
The original inspiration for my wedding was my uncle and aunt’s African themed wedding in California many years ago. The dress I chose was also the inspiration for the theme of my wedding because it screamed royalty. I envisioned several running themes which were: African Safari, Afro American Royalty. My family has always had pride for our African roots, but I didn’t want to ignore the American side either so I decided the mix the two.
Did your gown style relate to any other design elements of the wedding?
My gown style related to every element of my wedding from the flowers- all white roses, fabric-gold, down to the centerpieces on my reception table. Everything was about royalty.
What was your favorite part of the day?
My favorite part of the day was seeing everything come together. Up until the wedding day you have these ideas, and you collaborate with other creative people, but when everything comes together it’s liking looking at the “big picture.” I really mentally felt like this was a production that I produced/directed. I am an artsy person so it was really like putting together a show and hoping everything goes as planned on opening night.
What tips do you have for new brides picking out their wedding dress?
A few tips that I would give to brides picking out their wedding dress is to start with how you imagine the scene. For example, picture yourself in your gown on that day- decide what you want your gown to say while you are walking down the aisle, imagine the setting/location of the ceremony and or reception- what vibe would you like to give off or set. Everything should flow and tie in to one another in some form or fashion, from the bridesmaids dresses, to the decor, to groomsmen, to the wedding party.
Are there any other anecdotes you’d like to share?
Again, my scene was Afro-American Royalty. So when I found my dress, I thought about what other things are associated with what I was going for. In my mind, I associate African royalty with a safari- my ceremony was outside, animals- I incorporated leopard and zebra print into my theme, colors that I felt were royal- black, gold and ivory. You don’t have to go overboard with ideas, and if you do narrow it down to make things easier.
What other elements did you include into your wedding to make it special?
Besides the people that were there with me to share my day, the other special element I included in my wedding to make it special was jumping the broom, which is apart of the African culture. The broom was decorated to match my on-going theme and I am a rose fanatic, so I also had a rose ceremony.
Congratulations 2013 Brides-To-Be!
Congratulations to all the brides who got engaged over the holiday season! How exciting! And for those brides-to-be who have begun their journey or are in the mist of their wedding planning, don’t forget to “breathe” . Planning a wedding can be one of the most exciting and frustrating events in your life. Make sure you cross your “t’s” and dot you “I’s” with everything that you do.
Have a vision for what you want your wedding to look like. Go to bed at night and envision your big day. See the venue, the decorations, your guest’s smiling faces, smell the flowers…. Yes, that’s right, if you close your eyes and visualize hard enough you will began to capture the aroma of these beautiful blossoms. Envision your music, your cake, your groom’s handsome face, and ahhh, last but certainly not least… your wedding dress….. to be continued…
"The Kiss" – Beautiful Brides wearing Therez Fleetwood gowns
2013 Black Bride Bridal Showcase in Atlanta, GA.
Designer Therez Fleetwood prepares for the 2013 Black Bride Bridal Showcase in Atlanta, GA.
"Preparing for shows and launching new collections is always fun. I love the creation process… finding sources of inspiration… sketching new designs… shaping new fabrics… watching garments come to life!".
The creation process is done in three phases.
Design Phase: designing gowns, selecting fabrics, sourcing trims and other embellishments
Construction Phase: creating mock-ups and patterns, sample making, hand-beading, pricing
Show Prep Phase: selecting models, garment fittings, styling and accessories
The Black Bride Collection by Therez Fleetwood will also premier at this event. These styles include, Vintage Inspirations, Boho Chic and African Elegance – all inspired by the beautiful brides of color from around the world.
Barbie for Breast Cancer
The PINK WEDDING DRESS – Fashion designer Therez Fleetwood creates a miniature verion of her pink wedding dress for Barbie in Honor of Della Harvey, the survivors and the beautiful women who lost their battle to breast cancer.
Therez Fleetwood’s Indian Inspired Wedding Dresses
Indian inspired weddings can range from subtle and simple, to colorful and exuberant. Based on whether you want to go for an all out Indian wedding, or have a wedding that has some Indian influence, you can figure out the right balance while planning and designing. Therez Fleetwood designs wedding gown with nuances of different cultures from around the world. Her Indian inspired gowns are perfect for brides seeking to add these ethnic elements to her big day.
CLICK HERE FOR INDIAN INSPIRED WEDDING PLANNING IDEAS
ASHA - Ivory two-piece silk brocade dress with cowrie shell trim.
OSUN – Gold silk organza sheath dress with lace trim front slit and chapel train.
TARAI – Ivory bustier dress with attached shawl sweep hemline and silver embroidery and trim.
JADE - silk shantyung two-piece wedding dress with ruby, cowrie and gold trim.
ZARAH – silk satin wedding dress with cowrie shells and pearls
ARIANNA – soft pink wedding dress adorned with gold trinkets, crystals and pearls.
Barbie Gets Married…. In Culture!
Barbie has been traveling the world and is embracing design influences from Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, India, and Spain. Fashion designer, Therez Fleetwood is taking Barbie to a new level of glamor and is creatind dresses for her that are exotic and exciting! Barbie is walking to the beat of her own drum and is making a powerful statement with her wedding attire. Therez takes the same amount of care, craftsmanship and pride in creating each miniature gown that she does in her bridal collection.These designer dolls make perfect gift and can be passed down from generation to generation. All dresses are hand-made and hand-beaded. They are fully lined and stitched directly on each doll.
*For the adult collector.
*All dresses are made per order. Delivery lead-time 3-4 weeks.
*All dolls are purchased from the Mattel corporation and re-styled by Therez Fleetwood
