Roro for ‘Nude’ by Emilia Paunescu.

I took these photos with Roro (Roxana Lupescu) for the ‘Nude’ spring 2008 collection catalog that day when I photographed my fall 2008 collection look-book. It was a Saturday and we got up early to have more time for the shooting. Emilia, the designer for ‘Nude’, had only about 14 looks in her collection, so I thought it won’t take a lot of time to finish. But she had a hairstylist friend working on Roro’s hair (for her own hairstyle look book) and that ate up so much time, that I could have shot a bunch of other spreads in the meantime (if only there were more models there).

Anyway, so then the batteries ran out and I panicked a bit, because I knew that I had a lot of looks to photograph for my look book (fifty that is!) and it was exhausting to get so many garments to the studio, I didn’t want to have to do it all over again. We searched a lot for batteries, as it was a Saturday afternoon. Eventually we got them and resumed work and after 13 hours of work, I finally finished shooting the look-book for my collection too (it took only about 2 hours). I was a bit sad because we wasted sooo much time on useless stuff, I literally got incredibly bored at one time, and I never did before at photo shootings. The most important lesson learned was that next time I will surely book Roro and the studio for myself only, in a day of work; it’s so much funner when you don’t have to hurry, while you are super exhausted, to get everything done.

Just to see how amazing Roro is, here are some snapshots I took of her wearing the last look of my fall collection. After 13 hours of work, after sitting through a lot of pain caused by the hairstylist (I really felt sorry for her at one point, I could feel her headache), after almost 70 outfit changes and a long search for batteries all over Timisoara, after walking/jumping/posing in high heels all day long, she still had a lot of energy to end the day on a positive note and have a lot of fun fun fun!!!

Roro is such a doll! She is the best model to work with, I got to know her so well that it comes so natural when we work together. Love Love Love!! Can’t wait for the next collection look-book photo shoot.

Do click to read the full post and see the whole editorial featuring Emilia’s spring collection, photographed by me. Of course I want your thoughts and opinions!

Diana Bobar Design Fall 2008 ready-to-wear collection.

Modeled by “Roro” - Roxana Lupescu; designed, sewed, styled and photographed by myself.

Finally, after months of work, my second ready-to-wear clothing collection is finished. We managed to take the photographs and I am quite pleased of how everything turned out. The starting point for this collection was my first spring/summer 2008 collection, which was about me and my feminine, flirty style, wearable clothes, with a bit of quirkiness to them, my weakness for pleats and love of draped fabrics. I didn’t want a huge departure from that, but I did want to evolve, to be more dark, sophisticated, however still adorably feminine. I designed pants that emphasize the hips, most shapes are belted at the waist to make my favorite silhouette even more obvious: tight (most of the times strapless) at the top, flowy, with a lot of volume at the bottom. Draping, pleats, ruffles, crocheted and painted details, made from satin-cotton-jersey-tulle-plastic-y fabrics create a contrast between the rigid and the flowy, the heavy and the light, the grays/ neutral colors and bold cobalt blue and hot pinks.

It’s funny how it all works out sometimes. Four months ago I had no idea what I would do in this lifetime, I was actually pretty desperate, with no ways to support myself, only one hope that ‘everything will be Ok’. Then, I started the fashion blog and now I have a clothing business running, orders from real stores, fabulous fashionistas wearing my designs in all corners of the world, future trade-show events to attend to, professional labels and new sewing machines, plans for opening an online store real soon, collaborations with talented handbag and shoe designers and a future spring 2009 collection to think of! Heads up, learn from mistakes and go on. The most important thing is to work hard and go on, no matter what!

All the garments are available for purchase, in all sizes (some of them, however, are available for limited orders). The price range is 40-100 Euro + 15 Euro shipping tax (for more details about the prices for each design contact me at diana[at]sofashon.com). Orders over 150 Euro have free shipping. Paypal is an available paying option for my designs, which can be shipped internationally (all around the world).

Look 1: White jersey dress with plunging neckline; flower printed elastic-textile belt at the waist.

Look 2: White jersey dress with pleats at the the sides, knit fabric, voluminous, butter-color sleeves; flower printed stretch-textile belt at the waist.

Look 3: Butter color knit top with pleats at the sides and a big collar, silver, wrap skirt with a wide waistband; flower printed stretch-textile belt at the waist.

Click to read the full post and take a closer look at all my fall 2008 designs. Don’t hesitate to comment and tell me your favorite looks!  

“There is melancholy in the wind and sorrow in the grass.” (Charles Kuralt)

“Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow—
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream .[…]”

Photography (& styling): Diana Bobar; model: Roxana Lupescu; location: “Botanic” Park in Timisoara, Romania. Click to read the full post and enjoy all my latest photographs from the “Poetic Melancholy” photo shoot.  

I am so glad to announce that my gallery (featuring all my work until now) is up an running,  finally! It was exhausting to organize everything, but it was worth it. While browsing through my work archive, I found this drawing that I made for a children’s book a long time ago. Of course I didn’t post this drawing in the gallery, but it does bring up happy memories, that’s why I’m sharing it with you!

Anyway, you can find the link for the Gallery at the top part of the blog or just click here to browse it; do leave a comment and tell me what you think! Enjoy.

“Nude” Clothing Line by Emilia Paunescu; Photography & Styling: Diana Bobar; Model (made her own hair & make-up): Roxana Lupescu aka. Roro.

See all the photos of the “Nude” Collection by reading the full post!