Custom Work

Here at Carter Smith Designs we produce a good amount of custom work. We can make almost any custom piece in a matter of days and when one of these comes through, it really is a lot of fun. To see someone else’s vision of the perfect garment go together is wonderful, and the obvious excitement of a client waiting for their custom work is catching. In the end, we are almost as excited as the client.

Here the wonderful and ever so talented Maria works on a butterfly top for a custom order. Maria is an amazing seamstress she is attentive to every detail.

A beautiful Butterfly Top one of Carter's origional designs.

Something old, something new, something barrowed, something blue.

We are so happy to announce that we have some new beautiful boutiques carrying Carter Smith Designs, as well as a few old friends coming back on board.

New work has gone out to:

Lisa Todd, in Coral Gables, FL

Deborah James, Boca Raton, FL

Deborah James, Fort Lauderdale, FL

The wonderful new shops who've come on board are:

Harari, Los Angeles, CA

Harari, Scottsdale, AZ

Harari, Beverly Hills, CA

Harari, Santa Monica, CA

The Katie Gingras Gallery, Milwaukee, WI

Betsy Prince, Birmingham, AL

As promised here is my first pick for the Holidays:

When I saw Maria, one of our very talented seamstresses, cutting out this blue silk I oooed and ahhhed.  When she told me it was going to be edged in magenta I practically swooned.  This is a stunning, show stopper of a piece.

 

If you would like to see the Opera Coat moving check out Style-It Up's video of the Carter Smith Designs show the Opera coat comes on at the 6:55ish point of the video.

Pretty 'n Pink

When this beautiful embroidered coat came downstairs the other day it made me think of Meghan.  Meghan, Carter's beautiful assistant and model, keeps the wheels well greased and rolling here at Carter Smith Designs.  Megan is also a pink girl.  Not rose or magenta mind you, PINK.  She doesn't have a monochromatic wardrobe by any means, and she may be one of the most sweet low maintenance girls I have ever had the pleasure of working with, but I do feel like she smiles just a little more brightly in pink.  Therefore I always think of her when I see it.  So this one is for all of you bold and beautiful  women out there who are not afraid of the most girly of colors.  Some bright pink  fun from Carter Smith Designs.

 Strap K Dress with Wrap Top

 Typically Carter dyes fabric and then has it made into clothing.  This is a very cool example of what happens when he does the opposite this dress was made in black and white mosaic and then dyed.

A beautiful pink scarf coat.

Full length Holly Coat, (Meghan is actually hiding behind this holding it up for the picture :).

Sanity for the Holidays

One of the most effective ways that I have found to be my best self around the holidays, is to have my shopping out of the way.  I find that, if I can focus on baking and visiting I enjoy the whole season more.  Don't get me wrong, I am right there with everyone else groaning when the shops start to put out their Christmas goodies before we've even hit Halloween, but I do shop for gifts year round.  I love pick things up as they remind me of the people I love, instead of going out with a list of names and trying to conjure up the perfect gift for each person on it. 

I encourage you to visit our website and look at all of the colors and shapes.  Each pieces is as different as the woman who ends up the wearer of it.  If you see a fabric or cut that you think would be perfect for someone you love, feel free to make a special request.  We do many special orders and can usually turn them around in a matter of days.  All of our wonderful boutiques are well versed in this process and would be happy to help you get just the right thing for you, or someone you love to shine in.

Keep checking back in as I will be posting some amazing one of a kind gift picks every Friday from now until Christmas.  These will be  show stoppers so if you like what you see make sure that you snap them up right away.

The first teaser for this project is this set the pants and shawl are made using the same piece of chiffon.  The top is separate so it could be pared with several of our different tops giving you short or long sleeved options.  The feeling of the two weights of silk in one garment is luxurious, and the colors are wearable year round.  This is an amazingly beautiful and versatile set.

Custom K Pant with chiffon edge and matching shawl. Shown with Andrea top and sash.

Cut Velvet, a Cut Above.

Cut Velvet Strap K Dress

Mosaic Cut Velvet Shawl

Mosaic Cut Velvet Kimono

Mosaic Cut Velvet K Dress

Cut Velvet Cocoon with ruched placard.

All of the pieces produced by Carter Smith designs are one of a kind, most of them are hand dyed, and all of them are sewn by hand at our studio in Nahant, MA.  Many of our cut velvet and satin pieces go one design step further, their patterns are chosen by Carter from one of his shibori pieces and sent off to be made into the cut or burned out fabric pattern. 

See for yourself!

Though our Boston Fashion Week video is not edited and up yet, Althea of Style It Up managed to beat us to the punch.  Sit back relax and enjoy watching the Boston Fashion Week 2011 Carter Smith Design runway show.

"Would you like to tie me up with some of your ties, Ty?"

A box of beautiful Carter Smith Designs ties headed off to Rafael's Boutique in San Fancisco

Ok, so Caddyshack quotes aside, these are the most amazing ties I've ever seen.  If you are looking for an art to wear bang for your buck, this is it.  Each one of these one of a kind ties has been individually shabori dyed.  A process so intensely time consuming, that we are no longer producing them.  That being said we do still have some stock of these amazing pieces left.  Great for the wonderful men in your life who aren't afraid of color.  Carter designs specifically to bring out the beauty in women, but hey, why not let the men have a bit of fun too.

Carter at Boston Fashion Week.

Website Updates

Embroidered Shibori Dyed Opera Coat in newest silk as promised

We have made some great new updates to our website.

We have added a new FAMOUS FACES section.  If you've seen Carter's work out there on someone you think should be featured in this gallery.  We are always excited to see new people who get jazzed about Carter's work.  There is now a VIDEO section the currently houses an interview with Carter as well as recording of Carter speaking at the University of Nebraska.  Keep looking out as we will soon be putting up a movie of the Carter Smith Designs runway show from Boston Fashion Week 2011 as well as some great instructional videos on how to wear some of our multi-way items.  Also we've broken Carter's press into PRINT FEATURES and DIGITAL FEATURES so that you can link off the site and read blog entries on Carter.  Our LOCATIONS list is always updating as new stores request Carter's work.

Last but not least, we would love to start a fan gallery on the website.  Please send us your comments and photos.  You are the women that Carter designs for, and therefore the best possible models of his work!

Embroidered Shibori Dyed Opera Coat in newest silk as promised

New Store!

We are so excited to share that we have a wonderful new store carrying Carter Smith Designs!  Artwear in Arlington, MA is owned by the talented Gerry Menz, her eye for style is undeniable.  Her store is a wonderful balance of color texture and design.  It's clear to me from the little time I spent in Gerry's shop (on a Tuesday morning no less)  that she has earned a loyal customer base, by filling her store with irresistible and unique pieces.  There seems to be a constant flow of customers stopping by to see what beautiful items new Gerry may have procured.  Please stop by and see some of Carter's latest work in person, and enjoy Gerry's fantastic store. I'm sure you will love the fantastic selection of amazing brands and local artisan made pieces.  I know I couldn't leave empty handed.

Something New for Fall

Carter has been designing shibori dyed embroidered silk coats for many years.  This fall however he's purchased some fantastic new fabrics which add a wonderful unique energy to this effort. These coats are an artistic labor of love.  With a full day in the dye studio, followed up by fifteen+ hours of skilled sewing there is no way to  monetarily recapture the energy that goes into these beautiful works of art.  This is the first of a few new fabrics that Carter has purchased for the embroidered coats, check back as we will be posting more as they are made.

If you have any interest in purchasing one of these lovely coats a custom order through your favorite boutique is a great option.  Due to the demand for these pieces we are often in low supply.

Does your favorite boutique not carry Carter Smith Designs?  If you would like to make a purchase through a shop not on our list please let us know and we will do our best to work with any boutique or gallery to accommodate you.

This is the first of these coats completed which walked in Boston Fashion Week.

 Cuff Detail

 The beautiful full collar of the Opera Coat

 A second colorway of this beautiful coat

Indian Summer

We were blessed this weekend with a most spectacular Indian Summer.  For those of you who live in warmer climates this wonderful event is when the building chill of Fall takes a u-turn and coughs up some unexpected warmth and sunshine.  This causes all of us Northerners to put our woolie sweaters down and run, like small children, out into the sunshine to play.  I personally celebrated the 80+ degree weather by jumping in the ocean.  Something that, as a newly coastal dweller, I feel I will probably be doing far past the point in the season when it is at all reasonable.


In this time of seasonal change when all linen is leaving my closet, and all wool moving in, I am happy to see my beautiful silk stay put.  Silk is such an amazingly dynamic natural fiber.  It is stronger than steel, hypoallergenic, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, odor resistant, flame retardant, naturally temperature regulating, wicking, breathable, and dries quickly.  


Some things are too good to be seasonal.

Boston Fashion Week Show

More to come on this beautiful show.

The Wrap-up

Friday night Carter showed his work on closing night in The Tent at Boston Fashion Week.  In honor of this event, today I thought I'd share links to some of the wonderful bloggers who posted on this event.  More to come.

First in was Benjamin Glassner of Trendarazzi

Followed  by Ron Ranere

Smita of Fashionhogger

Maiaeala

This little beauty which is a bit older was just too nice to leave out.

Thank you Alex Solomon of Trend Nerd