About the story...
When I was young , I was given Barbie dolls for play. It was the thing to do for girls at that time in history. I never really played with them, but created many outfits for imagined occasions, accessories to match, purses, shoes, and hats, even the rooms I would design in which the special ensembles would be worn.
Fast forward to today, it's the 50th Anniversary of Barbie. Designers celebrate her tremendous influence on the world of fashion. Never suspecting the Woman's Lib Movement would tax her for wrong doing, I too, thought her an ill wind. But now, I finally see, she was the seed that grew in my mind, she inspired me, and I now create beautiful gowns for live , real women. And so I would like to honor her too, by presenting a magical story of how a mixture of enchantment, imagination, and the mind can blossom into extraordinary possibilities.
Montana Dreamwear has received numerous awards for their art couture collections, including Exhibitors Choice at the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, and the Best Collection at the Cody High Style Show at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody , Wyoming. Movie stars, many influential people and those who believe in the beauty of the individual own the many art couture works created here in Montana
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This story is featured in the Distinctly Montana Summer 2009 Magazine
Photography and story by Celeste Sotola
Models : Elizabeth Kelly as the doll
Christine Opar as the young girl
Make up Artist: Christa Hahlbohm
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| Distinctly Montana Summer, 2009 Magazine |
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She gazed at the beautiful doll when it arrived, unwrapped and dreamed herself as a bride.
-Parisian Gown: White hand laced deer suede, boned bodice with corset tied back, hand twisted fringe everywhere. Delicate flower lace and netting pendant, garnished with fresh water potato pearls hang in a pendant fashion. $2,900.
-Halo Hat: Hand made parisisal hat with vintage pleated netting, silk velvet cording, lace and silk flowers. $1,200
-The Ruby Sapphire Mini; Hand laced deer suede with copper coin embellishments, fringed for booty movement. $700
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Playing with her doll all day and into the night, dressing her by the moonlight...
- Ode to Anna Pavlova: Hand laced deer suede, ruche silk skirt overlaid with hand twisted deer suede fringe, pleated silk chiffon belting and vintage corded lace embellished with fresh water potato pearls, silk brocade, lace. $ 4,800.
Ode to Anna Pavlova hat: Hand made European parisisal hat with lace and netting.
$ 900.
- Blue Heaven: Hand Dyed deer suede, hand laced and fringed . $1,200.
- Blue Heaven Hat; European parisisal hand made hat with blue netting, English netting and silken fringe around the brim. $725.
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As she fell into a long dreamy sleep, tiny cowry shells tinkled around, willow leaves covered the gown, the doll of the Golden Willows came to life!
-Golden Willow Dress: Hand laced deer suede, Golden Willow leather hand made leaves, cowry shells, fresh water potato pearls. $4,600.
-Golden Willow Toque: European parisisal hand made toque, covered in silk organza hand dyed leaves, silk velvet dyed trim
and veiling. $500.
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| She pulled on the boots of calf skin leather, catching her veil in the tree,
Covered with shells, silk and feathers..she became a Gypsy, dancing free!
-Indian Princess Dress: Deer suede hand laced, fringed. $1,200
-Indian Princess Hat- European parisisal , silk and English veiling. $500.
- "Lynn's Favorite" hand made acid washed boots. $1,400 Tres Outlaws
-Queen Anne's Lace Gown: Hand laced velvet deer suede, hundreds of abalone shell embellishments scatter across the gown,
drifting down to a silk Dupioni ruffle overlaid in hand dyed ostrich feathers, freshwater potato pearls, silk netting, biat feathers and 24 kt gold plated coins. Bodice is draped in vintage lace, and fresh water potato pearls. $8,600
Queen Anne's Lace Hat: Hand made European parasisal, vintage netting, silk organza and ostrich and bleached white Pheasant feathers.$960.
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In the blue gossamer gown she floated around, dancing and twirling without a sound.
-Moonlight Water Walk : Hand dyed deer suede, vintage pleated silk organza, embellished with biat feather trim, hammered patina copper coins, fresh water potato pearls, hand laced , silk organza bodice with dyed ostrich feathers $7,200
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She smiled as she took a long sweeping bow, then stood quietly thinking, what will I do now?
I'll try on this shawl!
-Beargrass Blossom Gown: Hand laced deer suede, long leather tendrils of gathered biat feathers, silk organza ombre dyed pleated bodice with scattered blush fresh water pearls. $7,400.
-Bear grass Blossom Shawl: Hand laced deer suede with copper hammered flower original art. Pleated silk organza, fresh water potato pearls. $2,800.
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The fragranc e of rose scented the air, petals were flung everywhere.
-Wild Rose Petals Gown:: Hand laced deer suede, silk organza, ostrich feathers, fresh water potato pearls, and fringe gathered up into a gown os cascading hand made leather rose petals. $6,800.
-Rose petal toque hat: Parisisal toque hat with hand made silk organza petals, silk netting and feathers, vintage lace crown, veil. $525.
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A veiled hat of ostrich feathers haloed her face, she wore a gown of deer skin leather and French lace,
Now, she was the heroine in a Great Western story, stealing men's hearts with beauty and glory.
-American West Gown: Hand laced deer suede mini dress trimmed in fringed lace, skirt of cotton lawn, trimmed in Chinese silk buttons,lace, tied with silk Dupionni sash. $2,400.
-American West Hat: Hand made parisisal hat with sinamay veiling, trimmed in white ostrich feathers, dyed silk pleated crown. $ 980.
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A soft butter light ended the enchanted night, as sunlight haloed her doll, wild flowers scattered around her gown as the wispy fog left the room, the beautiful doll stood silent with her secret, and the girl dreamed of her groom.
-Parisian Gown: White hand laced deer suede, boned bodice with corset tied back, hand twisted fringe everywhere. Delicate flower lace and netting pendant, garnished with fresh water potato pearls hang in a pendant fashion. $3,200.
-Halo Hat: Hand made Parisisal hat with vintage pleated netting, silk velvet cording, lace and silk flowers. $1,200
-The Gypsy Flower Dress:Teal dyed deer suede, hand laced, embellished with hand made leather flowers and hand tied fringe. Pleated Silk velvet bodice with hammered copper Art Nouveau embellishment around the neckline. $1,800
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