As we move through the seasons of the year, my work on the next book continues.  We are so very pleased that Basinah of San Francisco has once again joined our team for several assiut looks. This August she appeared at Siren’s Fest wearing a vintage robe and hip wrap. 

This ensemble is composed of a vintage assiut robe and coin hip sash.  It’s worn over a black base layer of unadorned bra and a simple black panel skirt. Basinah styled the ensemble with flowers in her hair, sparkling earrings, and her award-winning smile. 

Vintage Assiut Robe

This robe started off its life embellished with crochet and coins across the front. This was a popular style for assiut belly dance robes made during the 1980s and ’90s.

In that era, the assiut industry was in decline, so this style can be difficult to source.  However, you can still sometimes find them for sale on the resale market in various states of repair.

When I acquired this robe in the ‘00s, it was in very poor condition. At some point in its life, a soda was spilled on it.  The result was a swath of corroded coins down the center of the robe. The crochet was ripped and torn and many of the coins were missing. After removing the coins, I was left with this lovely assiut robe.

Vintage Assiut Robe Evolution

After performing in this robe as-is, it’s become clear that it urgently needs some repairs and an alteration to achieve a better fit. While it is unclear how many owners this vintage beauty has had, this robe is going to get some TLC hand stitching a few holes, and open seams.  Then it will get a thorough soak in Orvis, a rolling pin treatment to seal in all the stitches.  Then we will meet up for a fitting for its next owner, the glamorous Basinah.

The final renovation of this vintage robe will appear in our next book “Belly Dance Costume in Detail with Assiut.”

About Basinah

Basinah is a San Francisco-based award-winning professional belly dancer.  She teaches workshops all over the west coast, sharing her retro-fabulous vintage Egyptian stylings. In addition, she is one of the founding members of the “Asheq Collective.”  Asheq is a multi-award-winning, San Francisco/Bay Area dance troupe. The collective is composed exclusively of professional dancers and choreographers.  Follow this link to her website for more details about Basinah.

Stay tuned for more blog posts featuring Basinah. Her next costume is cream with rhinestones and pearls.  And after that, purple assiut!

But now, I’m heading back into the studio to make some more assiut hair flowers.

Until next time – Happy Costuming and Dance,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
August 8, 2022

Watch Basinah in Action

Assiut Hair Flower Workshop

Part 1, Wednesday, Aug. 31 – 7 pm Pacific – 2 hrs – Live via Zoom
Part 2, Thursday, Sept 1 – 7 pm Pacific – 2 hrs – Live Via Zoom
Plus workshop video replay through Sept. 30 & .PDF handout
Sign up via Patreon at the $7 or $15 levels

Come join me for a two-part workshop series live via Zoom and in replay through September 30, 2022.  Help me celebrate my acquisition of a new camera by joining me for this Bonus Workshop. We made our first major Patreon goal of raising $500 for a new camera and we’re going to put it to use in this special two-day – 4-hour long workshop.

If you’re not a Patreon subscriber, you can sign up for the class by visiting Patreon and signing up at the $7 or $15 levels for August and September. That makes this workshop as low as $14!  You will also have access to the growing catalog of replays from the past 7 months.

If you are already a member of my Patreon, THANK YOU!  

At the end of my Patreon talks, I like to ask folks if they are interested in any special topics. I recently received a few requests for “Assiut Hair Flowers.”  This sounded like an excellent idea! So, this two-night workshop is by request and my way of saying thanks to my continuing students. Please let me know what special topics you would like me to cover in future bonus workshops. Message your requests via Patreon messaging.

 

Assiut Hair Flower Workshop Details

• 4 hours – Two Nights
• Live Via Zoom with a replay available through Sept. 30.
• Demo of Three Styles:  Star, Cockade, Single Motif
• Part 1 will cover: Design, Planning, Sourcing, Cutting
• Part 2 will cover: Prepping, Constructing, Embellishing
• I’ll share a complete supplies and materials list in a downloadable .pdf

Follow this link to sign up on Patreon!

Other Patreon Classes,  August 2022

Thank you for supporting my ongoing work in research, writing, costuming, and design. It is my pleasure to share my experience and know-how with you via these ongoing classes.  To learn more about how my Patreon classes work, click here to learn more.  Check out this past blog post on the same topic.

I look forward to seeing you at a chat, sewing demo, history talk, or workshop soon!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
August 4, 2022

“Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy”
Now on the San Francisco Legion of Honor

On July 10, 2022, I had the privilege to visit the Gao Pei exhibition at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco. This special exhibition, “Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy” features highlights of this couture designer’s most stunning and influential garments and runs through Sept 5. 

There’s no way to describe the thrill of seeing one of these garments up close to see the amazing design, fitness, and exquisite application of rhinestones, synthetic pearls, ribbon, thread, and more.  Photos cannot do these garments justice.

Guo Pei: An Experience in Two Parts

There are two parts to this show.  On the main floor of the museum, European fine and decorative arts are presented chronologically. A regular museum viewer will experience Gao Pai’s couture work displayed throughout these galleries. 

The curator carefully selected the perfect dresses to juxtapose with the Legion’s permanent collection. These pairings create smart, effective, and often thought-provoking, visual conversations.

For example, take a look at the photo to the right. Notice how one of Guo’s cartridge pleated minidresses is strategically positioned. This dress placement, next to a Reubans portrait “Sara Breyel” c. 1611 visually demonstrates the global historical influences on Guo’s work creating a shared design DNA.

As a bonus, the display notes sometimes shared the number of hours it took to craft one of these magical garments.  Some as many as 10,000 hours of labor! I felt humbled and awed by the sheer complexity, the quality of the workmanship, and the beauty of the design.  

The curators have strategically selected some of the most expansive and volumetric garments for exhibit in the main halls.  These pieces are given plenty of space and allowing visitors to experience them in the round. For me, it was a real treat to see how Guo Pei visualized and executed her garments in every dimension and made them beautiful from every angle.

Gou Pei: Special Exhibition

The lower-level special exhibition gallery features more of Gou Pei’s work. There are six exhibit halls filled with some of the most iconic pieces of Guo’s work.

The show is dazzling. The textiles are sumptuous. Guo Pei’s garment shapes expand beyond the boundaries of the human physique. It’s almost overwhelming how impactful Guo Pei’s works are in person. They are ethereal, spellbinding, jaw-dropping, and utterly inspiring.

In the special exhibition space, the gowns, robes, and dresses are presented as mini-collections. Gou’s most striking and avant-garde pieces take centerstage surrounded by more wearable pieces.

These garments displays have a delightful theatricality that echos Guo Pei’s fashion shows. There are dramatic and often moody lighting effects, subtle music, and beautifully painted scrims that often use the interplay of light and shadow to separate and connect the displays. 

Rhinestones, sequin, beadwork, and so much more

If you are planning a trip to the Legion of Honor museum, and don’t mind seeing about 1/4 of the full Guo Pei experience, simply purchase a regular ticket. You will enjoy more than a dozen of her exquisite creations in the main halls.

You can also purchase a separate admission ticket to the special exhibition and experience many more Guo Pei pieces. It’s well worth the investment. 

If you can’t make it to the museum, but still want to experience this exhibition, I recommend picking up a copy of the exhibition catalog “Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy” available now at the Legion, through Amazon, and at other museums and art-centric book stores.

I bought the book at the Museum, and I’m absolutely smitten with it! I really hope that I will get to experience this exhibition one more time before it closes on Sept. 5.

Now, back to the studio to put this inspiration to work!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
July 11, 2022

PS: Follow me over on Instagram for more stunning photos from this exhibit and more!

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A post shared by Belly Dance Costume Design & Construction (@davinadevine)

 

I recently got a message from a dancer/costumer who was bummed that they couldn’t afford assiut fabric!  The request: My top tips for purchasing assiut, but on a budget!

The hard truth is that times are tough and inflation is hitting us all hard. Gas is expensive, and shipping costs have skyrocketed.

Here are a few of the ways that I’ve acquired affordable assiut garments and accessories over the years. One or more of these approaches might be helpful for you to bring some modern assiut into your life.

Buy Used Assiut

Belly dance as a hobby can be quite a thrill, but when the thrill is gone, a lot of folks like to destash. Join resale groups here to see if you can spot – and nap – a second-hand deal.

Buy Seconds or Damaged Pieces of Assiut

Tell your favorite dealers you are looking for a stained, torn, or damaged piece.  If you are cutting it up for costuming, you might be able to cut around those parts.

Put out the Word & Ask Your Community

You never know when you might find someone with an affordable used gem in their closet. Old costumes circulate on the used market, but some folks don’t think about selling until they have a reason.  So be sure to ask around.

Buy Scraps & Off-Cuts

You never know when some scraps, bits, and pieces are lurking in the stashes of your costuming friends. Make friends with costumers who enjoy working with assiut and watch ebay, etsy, and costuming destash groups for bits and pieces.

Team up on an Assiut Purchase to Split the Cost 

Choose simple styles, like the one I made for Basinah, that only use half or a quarter of an assiut shawl.  This one shawl made four bedlah sets!  

Buy Lower Quality

Not all assiut is the same.  While I would love to have lots of top quality assiut to work with, to save money I’ve chosen to work with less expensive pieces.  These pants below were made from a very sparse, and thus affordable, piece of assiut.

Use Sparingly as an Accent

If funds are tight, invest in just one smaller piece, and choose to use it as embellishments and focal points.  Rather than covering the whole bra, think of just the tops or center of the cups.  Instead of going all the way around a belt, think appliqued motifs at front and center.  One shawl can cover most bras and belts, with scraps left over for accessories.

Team up with Friends and Buy in Bulk

Sometimes you can team up with groups of folks in your community to make larger discounted purchases.  Contact your favorite dealers to see if they have bulk discounts.

Set up automated alerts

Be sure to like shops on Etsy and eBay.  Sign up for newsletters from dealers announcing product launches and sales. While you are signing up for newsletters, why not sign up for mine too?  Just click on the sign-up bottom at the top of the right column.

Remember the Mantra “Search and Research”

Researching and sourcing materials is an important step in the design process. Put together a mood or style board with images of costumes that inspire you.  You can find lots of assiut costuming images on my Pinterest board. Take a moment to flip through your social media accounts to see what’s happening in assiut costuming today. And of course, I’m always going to suggest exploring all the amazing images, like the ones above, in my book “Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut” available on Amazon or direct from me via the Studio Davina Etsy Shop.

Photo:  The assiut I’m wearing in this photo was purchased bit-by-bit over many years.  There’s a base robe, a shawl, a double-triangle hip treatment with hair flower scraps you cannot see tucked into the back of my headdress.

Be Patient, Be Persistent, & Best of Luck

I’ve used every single one of these strategies at various times in my dancing and sewing journey.  I hope that you find the perfect piece to complete your next design.

Be well – Dance well – Costume Fabulously,
~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina
June 20, 2022

This month I’ll be sharing practical tips for building, editing, or revamping your belly dance wardrobe.  During this hour-long slide presentation, I’ll be sharing professional-grade wardrobe planning strategies taken from the world of fashion.

Thinking strategically about your complete dance wardrobe will help you effectively craft your dance image, cover all of your event and appearance needs, and ultimately, save you money and time!

Join me over on the Studio Davina Patreon, home of my costuming and history workshops, talks, and lectures.  This talk is included in the $3 level or above.  Allow an hour for the slide show and Q&A live via Zoom, Monday, May 23, 3:00 pm Pacific. And if the video recording turns out, I’ll upload the replay for future viewing.

Maybe I’ll see you there!
~ Dawn Devine
May  12, 2022