Pleated Wool Dress x Britex Fabrics Guest Blogging

Jamie Lau Designs Pleated Wool Dress 1

The subtle blue and green coloration of teal is perfect for fall

With fall upon us, I thought that a dress in a midweight wool with some sleeve coverage would be a good transition piece. The teal color has a warm, vintage feel to it and the skirt features inverted box pleats for a little bit of fullness.

Jamie Lau Designs Pleated Wool Dress 2

This designer wool fabric has a nice drape to it and works great for a fuller skirt

Jamie Lau Designs Pleated Wool Dress 3

A great transition piece for fall

Jamie Lau Designs Pleated Tombo Dress Photo Shoot

A sneak peek from our latest photo shoot featuring our Pleated Tombo Dress with cap sleeves in a Japanese fabric – follow us on Instagram for more behind the scenes footage

Visit the Britex blog for my full article, featuring this pleated wool dress, which includes tips on working with wool!

Jamie Lau Designs x Madesmith Product Launch

Jamie Lau Designs Aubergine Floral Kimono Sleeve Top

Photo courtesy of Madesmith Photo by Garry Waller

We’re excited to announce the launch of our exclusive product collaboration with Madesmith, a site that highlights stories of makers and designers and also brings you limited edition products from its featured artisans. (Check out the Jamie Lau Designs interview here.)

Our Aubergine Floral Kimono Sleeve Top is sewn in a textured ivory cotton dobby fabric from Japan that I picked out in Tokyo. This printed top features a minimal aubergine floral print, relaxed short kimono sleeves, and a pleated neckline.

Jamie Lau Designs Aubergine Floral Kimono Sleeve Top

Photo courtesy of Madesmith Photo by Garry Waller

Jamie Lau Designs Aubergine Floral Kimono Sleeve Top

Photo courtesy of Madesmith Photo by Garry Waller

Photo by Jamie Lau

Behind the scenes with Madesmith

Get your hands on this effortless top while it lasts – so perfect for spring and summer! Check out my full interview feature here and get a sneak peek into my design studio. Happy Spring Equinox!

Check out my interview on Madesmith

Check out the full interview feature for a peek into my design studio Photo by Garry Waller

Windowpane Pleated Top and Wool Shorts Duo x Britex Fabrics Guest Blogging

Jamie Lau Designs Windowpane Pleated Duo 1

I selected a cream windowpane check black and carmine wool crepe for my checked ensemble

For my first Britex Fabrics guest blogger post of the new year, I decided to branch out from dresses and into the world of separates. I designed a pair of pleated shorts in one of my prints a few months ago (coming to the web shop soon!) and wanted to make the same cut, but in a nice, pebbly wool crepe.

For the overall look, I was partially inspired by the geometric designs of André Courrèges and the playful, mod aesthetic of Foale and Tuffin and decided to make a windowpane pleated top and wool shorts combo.

60s Inspiration

(Left) Dress by André Courrèges, 1968; (Right) Marion Foale at the sewing machine, 1963

For the top, I designed and sewed an easy-to-wear pleated neckline top with relaxed short kimono sleeves, similar to my Pleated Tunic Dress, styled here with my A.P.C. cat brooch that I picked up in Belgium back in 2007 at their Antwerp store.

Jamie Lau Designs Windowpane Pleated Top 1

Front neckline pleating detail

Jamie Lau Designs Windowpane Pleated Top 2

Fully lined and easy to slip on without the hassle of a zipper

And for the shorts, I added front pleating and hip yoke pockets.

Jamie Lau Designs Windowpane Pleated Duo Details

The devil’s in the details – checks meticulously aligned

We shot this look with photographer Liz Clayman the same weekend as the photo shoot for my new textile designs. Check out my Instagram for more behind the scenes glimpses of other looks from this shoot, including new Jamie Lau Designs prints which are coming to the web shop at the end of this week!

Jamie Lau Designs Windowpane Pleated Duo Behind the Scenes

Thanks to my model Ming for the behind the scenes snapshot!

Visit the Britex blog for my full article which includes a tutorial with tips on sewing shorts (and naturally, can be applied to sewing pants as well)!

Textured Geometry Dress x Britex Fabrics Guest Blogging

Jamie Lau Designs Textured Geometry Dress

Textured Geometry Dress sewn in a striped cotton and linen blend styled with colorful oxfords

With New York Fashion Week just around the corner, I was inspired to create a high-fashion fall look using a heavier weight fabric for my latest Britex Fabrics guest blogger post. When I saw the thick, bold charcoal and oatmeal colored stripes on this textured cotton/linen/lycra blend, I immediately thought of playing with stripes and creating a strong, structured silhouette.

Jamie Lau Designs Textured Geometry Dress

Pattern play with stripes

I added asymmetrical style lines and cut the front bodice on the bias, keeping in mind the rule of thirds…

Jamie Lau Designs Textured Geometry Dress

The perfect prisoner’s (wardrobe) dilemma?

And paired it with an inverted box pleat skirt design for a fit and flare dress, with all the horizontal stripes lining up perfectly.

Dieppa Restrepo Cali Oxfords

Classic round toe oxfords by Dieppa Restrepo in red metallic leather

To complete the look, I’d add a pop of color with my red metallic Dieppa Restrepo leather oxfords for a more casual look. To dress it up, I could see this styled with some black and gold accents.

For a more “behind the seams” look at my pattern making process, check out my full article on Britex Fabrics. Love this dress? Email me at jamielaudesigns@gmail.com to place an order.

Jamie Lau Designs Textured Geometry Dress

Thanks again for the amazing fabric, Britex!