THE JOURNAL

Fabric, mistakes, and the actual process — not the highlight reel.

Everything I'm learning lives here — fashion school, the trip to Japan for kimono making, the workshops in Italy for couture jackets, all of it. This is where I actually break things down instead of just showing the finished thing.

Have a look through the series below, or just scroll — there's a bit of everything. Hat-making and a smocking class (taught by the same teacher in Italy, just a different trip) are coming soon.

THE FEATURED SERIES

  • Japanese street scene with traditional soba restaurant paper lanterns and wooden shopfront — After Stilettos Japanese Kimono

    JAPANESE KIMONO

    Learning to make a kimono by hand in Japan — every fold has a rule.

    ENTER SERIES 
  • Vintage sewing pattern laid flat with serger machine and pink thread spools — After Stilettos Fashion School Diaries

    FASHION SCHOOL DIARIES

    I meant to take one class. I did the whole programme.

    ENTER SERIES 
  • View of the Arona bell tower and Italian street from The Dressmakers Academy course location near Lake Como, Italy

    FRENCH COUTURE JACKET

    Making a couture jacket by hand in Italy, one tiny stitch at a time.

    ENTER SERIES 

And beyond the series, it's just me writing about making things, mending things, and trying to live a bit more thoughtfully.

WANT THE FULL STORY?

Why it's called After Stilettos, and how I got here.

ABOUT

The After Stilettos Story