• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Ann Williamson

Handmade Designer Women's Apparel

  • Home
  • Designer Apparel
    • Special Occasions
    • Coats & Jackets
    • Ensembles
    • Tops
    • Scarves
    • Archives
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • About
    • About Ann
  • Videos
    • Ann’s Video
    • One scarf
    • Pink
    • At Holocene
    • Pieced Coat
    • Black, White and Red Striped Ruana
    • Fireside Chat Video
    • ArtBeat Video
  • Events
  • Contact

Real People

Not a Trench Coat After All

January 12, 2020 4 Comments

I thought it was a trench coat, but this beautiful lady saw different.

With a tweak here and there and the addition of a belt, we can see what it was all along.

It’s a dress.

What good idea!

Below, a snap shot, taken when I thought it was a trench coat. Although now, looking at it with fresh eyes, it does look more like a dress doesn’t it?

Sewn from two beautiful kimono silks. A black, white and red fan design paired with a black with red dots.

My customers! They are so clever! I learn from them every day.

New Years Eve at the Met Gala

January 5, 2020 6 Comments

What a way to welcome the 2020s!

Beautiful Nina and handsome Clif at the Metropolitan Opera’s New Years Eve Gala. Wow!

Nina’s wearing ‘Beaded Burgundy.’ A jacket and skirt I made from a gorgeous layered silk organza. The jacket is embellished with appliqué, piecing and many, many, many beads.

Perfectly paired with a beautiful pin and earrings from Nina’s collection.

Sparkle, glitter and glow, these two know how to ring in our next decade!

Holiday Show 2019!

December 15, 2019 4 Comments

Last weekend was our Holiday Show. Whew! So much fun. It was a two day party. So many good friends stopped by, some from way back [grade school no less!] some brand new.

My space all set up and ready to go.

Maybe our guest of honor? Little Manny stopped by. I mean, how cute can you be? He’s such a sweetie.

He brought Joan, his mom. This lady knows knows how to style! She tried on this shawl collar coat and found all kinds of ways to wear it.

Below, the way I had envisioned it, the collar laid out wide across the shoulders.

A new way, the collar folded over showing the bright red underneath.

I love it!

This pretty lady showing off her new trench coat. Can you see? It’s covered with cranes. Cranes, for good luck, long life and fortune.

What a treat! Carol arrived wearing a gold swing coat she took home a few years ago.

I love seeing my pieces out and about!

You must remember Junko. I’ve never seen her in anything but a beautifully put together kimono. Needless to say, I am always blown away by her gorgeous combinations. She always looks fabulous!

These fabrics, so subtle, up close you see the amazing detail.

There was so much energy bouncing around. Energy and fun. I wish I could bottle it.

Thank you everyone for stopping by!

RBG and Me

October 13, 2019 23 Comments

Every fall, the Smithsonian’s Women’s Committee puts on Craft2Wear, a fundraiser for the Smithsonian. It is held in the magnificent National Building Museum.

It’s a spectacular space, enormous columns in a four story tall atrium. The Women’s Committee knows how to put on a grand show.

All set up and ready for the evening Benefit and Preview party, my booth is in the lower right corner of this picture.

Thursday evening, the night of the party was so much fun! Lots of people came to support the Smithsonian, check out the clothing and jewelry of the some 70 artists and find treasures to bring home.

The next day, Friday, started as usual. Customers and friends stopped by.

But there was a buzz, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was going to come to the show.

The news that she had arrived spread fast. We were all hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

The Women’s Committee had thoughtfully provided a buffet and I was piling up a plate with sliced cheese and carrot pieces when I heard that she was close to my booth. I rushed back just in time.

She stopped to look and I showed her what I had in her size.

She quietly said, ‘OK, we’ll come back.’ And off she went with her security guards, the chairs of the Women’s committee and her assistants.

I thought, ‘Wow.’

I caught any breath. And did my best to remain standing.

People say they’ll be back all the time. Sometimes they really do return, but often something happens. They find another treasure, their phone rings and they have to leave, they tire and decide to go home.

I played the waiting game like a hopeful girl waiting for the phone to ring.

Wonders of wonders. After what seemed like an eternity, Justice Ginsburg and her entourage did return.

She tried on quite a few pieces. Me helping her.

Let me say that again: me helping Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of our nine supreme court justices, to try on the clothing I had designed and made.

I could feel her strength, hidden within her small frame, like a super hero. She’s sharp and chuckled at my little jokes but her focus was on which piece she liked best.

No wishy washy, maybe, maybe not, Justice Ginsburg was as decisive as you would expect. After trying on the various options, she chose this one.

What an experience! I felt higher than the moon. Such an honor.

We had one more day for the show. Although I was floating a few inches off the floor, I did manage to stay tethered to the earth enough so I could visit with and help all the wonderful people who came by that final day.

Thank you Women’s Committee for creating such a fabulous event!

Last Photo Shoot, 2019

September 29, 2019 2 Comments

Days before I pack my bags for the Craft2Wear show in Washington DC, I had organized a photo shoot with my long time photographer Dan Kvitka.

I rounded up a model, Catherine Dart, from Option Agency and an awesome stylist, Kirstie Wight. I set a date, finished the clothes and arrived at Dan’s studio ready to go.

I knew Dan was on the road to retiring, looking forward to spending more time traveling, relaxing and especially photographing birds. Although he’s planning on the occasional on site photo job, he was giving up his studio. What I didn’t realize was that my shoot would be the last in his space.

Although there was a tinge of bitter sweet, we mostly focused on the shoot. Lights flashing, music playing, makeup applied just so and Catherine looking gorgeous.

We worked through all the jackets, coats and skirts that I had brought. Even with all the clothes changes and the adjustments to hair and makeup, before our time was up and even better, before we were too tired to move, everything had been photographed.

I came home with some stunning pictures. As soon as they’re cleaned up and ready for viewing I’ll post them.

I’m sending Dan wishes for a fantastic retirement, full of joy and delight, exciting adventures and sleepy afternoons. And especially, to find the most perfect spots to see the most amazing birds. And with each click of the shutter getting that most extraordinary and perfect picture.

Below, Dan with his so very adorable dog, Manny.

This isn’t goodbye, we’ll hang out,

we’ll even maybe [fingers crossed] for old times sake, have another shoot.

Love you Dan.

Newer Posts
Older Posts

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Ann Williamson, Designer

Ann Williamson, designer, with models
Clothing Designer Ann Williamson — Oregon Art Beat video.

Upcoming Events

Smithsonian Craft2Wear 2023

Advance Chance Preview Party
Thursday, October 5, 6pm - 9pm

Show Opens
Friday, October 6, 11am - 7pm
Saturday, October 7, 10:30am - 5pm
Sunday, October 8, 11am - 4pm

National Building Museum

https://smithsoniancraft2wear.org

Subscribe

Follow on Instagram @annwilliamsondesigns

Photographing new work for the Smithsonian’s Cra Photographing new work for the Smithsonian’s Craft: Fashion + Home
Coming up! October 5-8
@smithsoniancraftshowsswc 
Thank You
Photographer @mariogalluccistudio 
Model @aerial.angel 
Stylist @cleechez
Photo shoot! Pieced and appliquéd coat. Thank y Photo shoot!
Pieced and appliquéd coat. 
Thank you 
@mariogalluccistudio
@kerrin.Mia
@aerial.angel 
#annwilliamson
Hokusai waves Beaded vintage Japanese kimono silk Hokusai waves 
Beaded vintage Japanese kimono silk 
#annwilliamson
Celebrate our birthday! Celebrate our birthday!

“I measure the success of my clothing by how it looks and feels on the woman who wears it.
I want each piece to flatter and enhance the body it adorns.”

  • Shop
  • Special Occasions
  • Coats & Jackets
  • Ensembles
  • Tops
  • Scarves
  • Archives

Footer

Contact

ann at annwilliamson dot com

Follow

  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Studio

Portland, OR

© 2023 · Ann Williamson Design · Portland, OR