ready for their close up

Fashions Night Out! and the official start of Fashion Week!



a doll defile for passers by on a rainy monday in new york 


Jess Brown was in town on Monday to install windows for Bottega Veneta, who commissioned her to make full size versions of her signature cotton, muslin and linen rag dolls for select stores around the world, each fully accessorized with pieces from Bottega's Fall 2011 collection!



fashion week tete a tete; please note the heart shaped mouths hand stitched in felt


Perfect timing for Jess who herself launches her own women's and home collection later this month!



lint roller at the ready for a hair touch up!



This all started for Jess 11 years ago, with dolls she made (by hand) for her children out of old sweaters (cashmere) and antique bits and pieces. 

look closely and you can see jess in the window, also doll sized....

The dolls are now sold in specialty boutiques around the world, including Paris and London, and Jess collaborates with other designers from time to time on fashion collections to wardrobe them!

signature bottega minaudieres in the laps of  fashionistas

Jess works from a humble studio in Petaluma, California, where she also has her own store with a friend. Her dolls are hand dyed in Persian black teas and filled with sustainable cotton fiber stuffing, making them all the more fashionable by any eco standards.

I can't spill the details yet but there is more big news in store (and in stores) coming soon for Jess!



the dolls have a stylist to get every detail just right for their fashion week close ups

You can follow her fabulous Fall season on http://www.jessbrowndesign.com/ where 'events' will be posted and a slideshow sharing more details on the design and production process for the collaboration with Bottega Veneta, too.

Until then, do like the dolls, sit pretty at the shows this week, enjoy tea time, and don't forget to wear a touch of Fall's requisite red!