Margot Robbie wearing an assiut gown in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a delightful period murder mystery set in the 1920s.  It was released in the fall of 2022 and starred Margot Robbie.  The costumes designed by J. R. Hawbaker perfectly capture the look and feel of how assiut was transformed into gowns during the 1920s. 

I’ve found a pair of videos that have clips of this gown in action.  Be sure to watch the film on your favorite movie streaming service and see the full scene with this luscious dress!  Wanna see more assiut garments?  Check out my Assiut Pinterest Board with thousands of images collected during my research for The Cloth of Egypt through to today.

Happy Costuming and Dance,
~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 2023

 

Toroz – Modern Egyptian Design
Traditional Assiut Details

I recently discovered an amazing young designer Lobna Zogheib, founder of the label Toroz.  These lovely garments are modern and fashionable featuring accents of traditional embroidery from Sohag and Siwa oasis.  Lobna strives for her garments to be, “a gateway between cultural iconic craftsmanship and modern-day fashion style.”

Toroz is making an impact in the Egyptian fashion scene, with key figures collecting and wearing her pieces.  One of the most prestigious collectors of Toroz is the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Dr. Ines Abdeldaym.

If you’re interested in learning more about Toroz, or even picking up a piece for yourself, visit the company’s Instagram account follow, and DM them directly for more information.

Until The Next Post!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 2023

 

 

Can You Write a Novel?
Challenge Accepted!

Many years ago, my mum challenged me to create a work of fiction. Of course, I said “Yes!” My mom wants to read a non-DIY or History book by her one and only daughter. How could I possibly say no?

We brainstormed together and settled on a few key features for this project. These general parameters were going to inform the shape and scope of the book. 

• Cozy Mystery.  Both mum and I enjoy reading a silly-fun cozy-style mystery.
• “Write what I know.”  I took this excellent advice and set the event at a belly dance festival.
• An Exotic Setting. Let’s put it on a cruise ship! Many years ago, I attended a belly dance event on a cruise ship.

Shimmy On The High Seas

I bounced the idea around with my co-author and cruise travel buddy Alisha Westerfeld, shown below looking out onto a ship’s wake with my mum. She gave it two thumbs up and the work began. Between Alisha, my mum, and me, we came up with the title of our mythical event, “Shimmy on the High Seas.”

The story takes place on board a 15-day round-trip cruise to Hawaii.  The belly dance event, Shimmy on the High Seas would take place on days 1 – 5, and 11-15.  Between the 6 – 10, the ship visits several ports throughout the Hawaiian islands.  But this fun event is interrupted by the tragic death of one of the event instructors!  *gasp and clutch pearls here*

NaNoWriMo 2018

In November, I took on the Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge and managed to get nearly 30,000 words of the novel completed. Raw and unedited, it needed plenty of work, but I set it aside in early 2019 to work on the rewrite of Costuming From the Hip, getting it ready for its 30-anniversary rerelease.  

Booked a Cruise & Personal Writing Retreat

In 2019, after much nudging from my mum, I booked a cruise for her and me to set sail from San Diego to Mexico. The mission was to eat a bunch of food and work on Shimmy on the High Seas.  We picked our ship, and we bought tickets, for March 2020. 

I don’t think I need to explain why THAT trip got canceled!

In 2022, mum and I decided to finally book that replacement cruise, so we booked for March 2023. The main mission is to eat a lot of food, see a lot of great entertainment, and make significant progress on the unfinished manuscript for “Shimmy on the High Seas.” 

Let’s get this book finished in 2023!  CHEERS!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
February 13, 2023

 

 

 

 

Who Dunnit?

~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Style File: A Visual Vocabulary of Middle Eastern Belly Dance Costume

After more than 20 years, we’re going out of print with our little booklet Style File.  This useful little publication was like a field guide to belly dance costuming. I wrote it with my students in mind.  Imagine going to large belly dance events and wanting a handy reference guide to help understand the costumes and performances. This was that little book.

Fast forward 20 years.  Times have changed, the terminology has shifted, and styles in costumes have come and gone.  This book was starting to feel clunky and dated.  We decided to pull the booklet off the market.  Some of the content will shift over to the next version of Costuming from the Hip.  Parts of this book will also come to live right here on my blog. If you need a digital copy, they will be available for sale on Etsy through Midnight of Feb 1, 2023.  

It’s the end of an era, but it’s time.
Goodnight Style File, it’s been a blast!
~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina