The new question became – how would I successfully convey my creation aesthetic to an audience? I had conversations with several friends about the process. In January, I began to reach out to other artists who would eventually form the team to bring my creation to life.

• Devi Pack – Hair and Makeup Artist – Devi has provided her talents to several photo shoots in the past. I am always amazed at her ability to transform the basic face into extravagance. She proved herself again during this process bringing out the model’s inner Marie Antoinette.
• Justin Taylor – Videographer – Justin has an aesthetic for making memorable pieces. I challenged him a few times with my stubborn nature to time lapse the video. But in the end, he knew best and you will see in the video his talent to transform a drawn out four hours into a riveting 2minute 30second video.
• Shawn Kinney – Photographer – Shawn and I have worked together on several occasions.  I am always inspired by his creativity combined with business.  Shawn helped me conceptualize the logistics for the release of the video, as well as the amazing shots that he took during the process and of the completed dress, which you can view here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4011083923296.2178695.1467183608&type=1
• James Holland – Composer – James writes, arranges, and produces music ranging from pop to acoustic to rock. I was first introduced to James’ talent at Versus and has since fully respected his transformative melodies.
• Jessica B. – Model – When I began to visualize the finished product, I knew that model selection was critical. Jess brought a brilliant energy to the project and radiated her beauty despite aching legs and feet.

Over the course of the four hour production, I found a new respect for deconstruction. I had embarked on the project assuming that creation was the superior option in this dichotomy, but my assumptions were challenged and my perspective shifted. I found that in fashion specifically, there is actually a significant overlap between the two opposing actions. Deconstruction in fashion is more about repurposing and in the end creates something new from taking apart something old. Creation also uses elements of deconstruction. I realized that I work backwards when creating garments by first imagining the finished product and then breaking down each individual step that will need to occur in order for the finished product to be wearable. I mentally deconstruct the design in order to create the final piece.

“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” -Pablo Picasso

Please show Bri how much you love the video by leaving your comments and sharing it with your friends! Enjoy!!!

The blog went into detail about a woman who refuses to engage in fashion, and only ever wears pajamas. She is a professional and wears pajamas to networking events, board meetings, and executive presentations. The post detailed a few reasons for her decision – notably that all fashion was uncomfortable and produced in sweat shops. So let me take a minute to disprove these reasons.

1. It is incredibly naive to believe that all fashion is produced in sweat shops. I agree that there are a large number of manufacturers that do not practice ethical standards. However, there is a HUGE movement away from this, and if one were to do their research it would be feasible to support specific brands and designers that do not use these manufacturers. Take for example – me! The entirety of my first two seasons were patterned, cut, sewn, and finished in my home. Some days my life feels like a sweat shop…… but itʼs not. I contract a few ladies to help me sew, and they are most grateful that I not only pay them a fair price, but also make them homecooked meals during our breaks.

Also, the post featured a photo of the woman wearing her pajamas speaking at an event. The pajamas were a la Walmart/Kmart/Target. There is nothing one could say to convince me that those pajamas were not manufactured using poor ethical standards. Even if the actual construction of the garments was done ethically – what about the picking and processing of the raw materials? If you’re going to stand on this soapbox – Do your research!!!! And please don’t pretend to support something that you are obviously not committed to.

2. If the clothes you purchase are not comfortable – itʼs likely that youʼre purchasing the wrong size! Nothing lights a fire under me more than people claiming ʻcomfortʼ as the reason for their laziness to dress properly in public. We’ve all heard these excuses – I would be that some of us have even used them ourselves! “Oh, but they’re just so comfortable!” while conveniently overlooking the fact that said fashion piece makes you look like a clown, or better yet – the Abominable Snowman. Here are my general rules: Pajamas are not appropriate in public. Uggs should not be worn if you are over the age of 18. Crocs should be outlawed in places other than ones garden.

I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on my wardrobe over the past 28 years, and the only pieces that havenʼt been ʻcomfortableʼ are the ones that did not fit me. I agree that the sizing standards are not perfect, and do not accommodate the immense variety of body types that exist. BUT – thatʼs what tailorʼs are for!!! If one size is too small, and the next size is too big – the best solution is to purchase the bigger one and then seek the help of an expert that can make it fit you.

Whether one wishes to admit it or not – wearing casual clothing in a professional environment communicates a message. One can say that theyʼre “making a statement” and that their work speaks for itself without needing to dress the part. Let me help you out with this – you are making a statement and it says, “I donʼt respect our interactions enough to get dressed in the morning.” To me it screams lazy, unprofessional, rude, inexperienced, and triggers something in me that will prevent me from ever taking you seriously.

You could be the leading expert in your field, and I can guarantee that your words will not be heard. Wikipedia states that “Sight makes up 83% of the impact on the brain of information from the senses during a visual presentation. Taste makes up 1%, Hearing makes up 11%, smell 3% and touch 2%.” Based on this estimate – 89% of communication is non-verbal. It is also estimated that seven seconds is the average length of time in which a person forms an impression of you. During this short amount of time, people have already made their conclusions about who you are and what you have to say. All of this happens even before you have opened your mouth!!! Researchers at NYU, Stanford, and Tufts concluded that first impressions are formed from two areas of our brains (emotions and values) which process the visual stimuli to create that opinion. Those first impression emotions are triggered upon every meeting with said person. Further research showed that human beings rely more on initial opinions than anything that comes after it because we conclude that what we see represents the truth.

What does this mean for you? Your smile, handshake, clothing, grooming, eye contact, positivity, radiance, etc. are what preliminarily defines you in the eyes of others. And personally, if the message you speak and the non-verbal message that you portray with your dress create dissonance, it is likely that your message will be lost.

Now, I am not saying that everyone has to dress like a supermodel every day. My recommendations? Find a style that works for you and rock it! If you need help with this – I know some wonderfully talented Stylists all over the country and would be happy to connect you with them! Just please remember, if you want to communicate your message and have it heard – it requires much more than words!

And if you’re looking for some fun tips – follow my weekly facebook updates on Stylistically Speaking. I share ideas about how to style garments, silhouettes, accessories, and more! www.facebook.com/briseeleydesigns

Jess and I had finished our Friday afternoon in Montmartre and caught the metro to the St. Paul station to meet John for dinner. We knew we were early, but figured that we would entertain ourselves until he got off work. January is a great time to shop in Europe – most of the stores are featuring deep discount sales to clear their shelves for the new Spring collections. As we got onto the street, we found a store with great sales and each purchased a few pieces.

We wandered down the street towards the cathedral as Jess smoked a cigarette. She had been on the hunt for a pair of low cut, rouched booties. As we walked, I spotted a wall of boots at a vintage store. Jess was checking out the boots as I scanned the rest of the store. I typically donʼt have the attention span for vintage stores, and when I say that I ʻscannedʼ the store – it involved me standing in one spot and glancing over their selection of clothes. My eyes stopped on a glass case that stood about 6 ft. tall. There were five glass shelves in the case, each with four to five pairs of sunglasses. I stepped closer to look and realized that most of the sunglasses were Christian Dior – circa 1960ʼs and 1970ʼs – and some were lesser known designers (or at least lesser known in the present day). Jackpot. I looked on those sunglasses like they were gold.

I had Jess ask about the price since I don’t speak French, thanked the clerk, smiled, and kept on our journey. As Jess and I walked, she asked what was special about the sunglasses for the price being asked. Jess is a writer, so I put it in terms that would apply to her, “It would be like finding a first edition, signed book by your favorite author/poet.” She stopped dead in the middle of the busy sidewalk. “And youʼre not getting them? Weʼre going back.”

I smiled at the clerk as we entered the store for the second time that night. Jess explained that I wished to try on the sunglasses. I began with two pairs of Dior, which fit well and matched my personal style, but I wasnʼt convinced. I put a third pair on and looked in the mirror.

I canʼt even begin to describe what the experience was like. I felt tingles all over as I saw myself for the first time in the vintage André Courréges, a designer that I had studied in my Masterʼs program and the claimed inventor of the mini-skirt. They were perfect. Large frames, light tint, bronze color. Jess whole-heartedly agreed with a smile and a nod, confirming my purchase instincts.

As the sales clerk swiped my card and placed my glasses into a protective pouch, my euphoria increased. I was full on buzzing…. Like walking on air, flying through the cosmos, Full-On-Bliss!!! I left that store grinning ear to ear as we met John for dinner. I still donʼt understand how such gems end up in the marketplace – who would ever let go of something so valuable? John explained that it was common for the French to purge their possessions – mostly because of their confined living spaces. I couldnʼt help but think that their loss was my gain….. and then realized that I had caught the designer vintage bug. Now I wonder – when and where will I find my next great buy?

Also featured in this photo is a necklace that I found at a flea market in Brussels.

I began to feel that my hesitations were justified as Jess woke me from a nap on the train, “He needs to see your ID.” I was delirious and figured it was due to crossing the border into another country. The man began to explain something about 26 and telling us that we owed more money. Even though he was speaking English, I had no grasp of what was happening – even as he charged my credit card 55Euro more than the 100Euro we had already paid for our roundtrip tickets. And then Jess clarified – the ticket man had sold us youth tickets. And while he was convinced that we were 25, the man on the train had not been so convinced. Oh, and we’d have to pay an additional 55Euro for the tickets that we had purchased to get home.

Welcome to France. I watched the lush green countryside roll past my window as I recalled all of the stereotypes of the “rude French” that had been relayed to me. This was a sign that I should not be going to Paris…..

We arrived in the train station, bought a three day bus/metro pass, and found the public transportation that would take us from Gare du Nord to the apartment of Jess’ friend John. While sitting on the bus, an elderly couple began speaking to Jess in French. She relayed the translation to me – they were trying to help us as we were clearly on the wrong bus. This bus didn’t go to the Eiffel Tower. Haha. We may look 25, but apparently we don’t look French! Maybe the stereotypes weren’t so right afterall….. we had only been in the city for 10 minutes, and these people were trying to help us.

The remainder of that day involved consuming a pizza ASAP, followed by a lot of walking in a very cold environment. We walked the Champs-Élysées singing one line from the only song I recalled from French class, “Aux Champs-Élysées, Aux Champs-Élysées” to the Arc de Triomphe and onto the Eiffel Tower.

The following morning we awoke – to sunshine! We got dressed and proceeded out into the city to start tackling our list of tourist destinations. First up – the Eiffel Tower. We cut in line with our pre-purchased tickets and were on our way up. The view was good, and the sun felt amazing. Jess and I pondered life while overlooking what has been described as an incredibly ‘magic’ city. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. This is it? I wasn’t impressed.

We made our way down, out to lunch, then in and around Notre Dam. I still felt a void. This is not the experience others had described. Jess humored me by walking around the cathedral to see the back. I love flying buttresses. We sat in a park with a view of the best architectural invention known to man, and plotted our next moves. I wanted to see Chanel and Jim Morrison’s grave, while she wanted to explore the area around the Moulin Rouge. We decided to head to Montmartre for a bit, then hit up Chanel before meeting John for dinner.

While walking Montmartre, we experienced a thrilling display of the city’s best sex shops and peep shows. I was beginning to question Jess’ judgement for coming to this area of town. We turned left up a side street, and began walking towards the Sacre Coeur – a church on top of a hill that overlooks the city. We walked up several of the steps before taking a break. I found some cats to love on, and we continued to the top. Once we landed at the base of the church, we turned and sat on the steps to enjoy the view (as well as some musical entertainment in the form of Bob Marley). Ok, enough sitting – off to our next destination.

We walked around the side of the church to snap one last photo before finding our way back to the subway. And this is where the day (and the city) turned for me. This photo was snapped at the moment that I began to ‘get’ Paris.

All the sudden it wasn’t about ‘seeing’ the city, it was about ‘being’ in the city. I suddenly didn’t care what was next on my list, and turned around to find a cozy little side street with some interesting looking shops. We began to wander towards the shops, then got distracted by an exhibit of local artists in a square. They were selling original art pieces from watercolors to oils, portrait to still life to landscape. It was so endearing – and off the map. We began to follow streets – periodically looking at one another and asking, “left or right?” I fell in love – we had found an area of real Paris and we were the only ones speaking English. Jess and I talked about what our lives would be like when we moved to this neighborhood, and even picked out which apartment would be ours and why. We watched parents pick up their kids from school and stop in to the patisserie to grab some bread for dinner on their way home. We sat in a cafe surrounded by people speaking French and allowed ourselves to just ‘be.’ I knew that this was why I was in Paris. In fact, during part of our walk I looked at Jess and said, “I’ve been here before.” Consciously I knew that I hadn’t, but I had dreamt of the location several months earlier.

That night we experienced the second best meal of my life – warm goat cheese over a bed of lettuce with raspberry vinaigrette, ravioli with a cream sauce, and three desserts shared (berry crumble, chocolate explosion, and creme brule). I had died and gone to heaven. John took us on a driving tour of Paris on our way home. He indulged us in driving around the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs-Élysées as we returned to the apartment for rest.

View of the Arc through the car window

The next morning we decided to hit up a Parisian garage sale/flea market, then experience the Pére Lachaise cemetery where several famous people are buried. It was a cold day, and I barely made it through our full cemetery experience. Aside from the immense cold, I loved wandering the ruins. The art in this particular cemetery was incredible – ranging from marble tombs and crypts from the 1800′s to more modern interpretations of tombstones (Oscar Wilde’s was very Art Deco). I wondered what the lives of the inhabitants had looked like, and mourned for the abandoned, moss covered, and shattered tombs that clearly were not visited on a regular basis. Plus, it’s clearly where the zombie apocalypse will begin…. so it’ll be cool to someday say “I was there.”

That evening we were invited to the home of some of John’s friends for a quaint dinner party. It was a very engaging evening highlighted by amazing food and drink. The conversation bounced between several different languages – English, French, and Italian – as we paused occasionally to enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower through the kitchen window as it sparkled once per hour. And again it hit me – THIS is Paris! These were the experiences and feelings that people had when falling in love with the city. I couldn’t help but feel spoiled and blessed. I was able to experience Paris from a real perspective – not just the standard tour of the city, but the behind the scenes, exclusive VIP tour! Seriously amazing.

…..And then we drove around the Arc de Triomphe listening to my new favorite song by Jay-Z and Kanye West about being in Paris. Best. Trip. Ever.

One oddity about Europe for me is the language. Can you imagine every state in our country communicating in a different language? Upon landing in the Brussels airport, I felt inspired to dust off my Italian and begin speaking to strangers. Except – I’m not in Italy. People here speak a different language. One that I don’t know (ok, after giving me about 12 hours…. I was able to recall the numbers one to ten in French). Luckily Jess is able to communicate well in French, and a lot of people speak English. But I have found myself instinctively reaching for my Italian, and after uttering a few words I realize that the person I’m attempting to communicate with has no idea what I’m saying. This is the first time I’ve traveled to a country where the language isn’t similar enough to Italian for me to understand/communicate. The only other non-English/Italian countries I’ve visited are Spain, Mexico, El Salvador – all of which speak Spanish which is mostly similar to Italian (enough to understand and communicate basics). I did feel slightly useful today when we asked directions to the flea market and the man didn’t speak French, he spoke Spanish – which I understood and guided us in the right direction. I do have to say that I miss speaking Italian. Maybe I’ll be inspired to find some Italian meet-up groups in Seattle when I return.

My next conundrum is this book of mine that I have been inspired to write. I have started….. kinda. I wrote the back book cover synopsis, and have organized the chapters. But now I actually have to write it. And relive the emotions of the experiences I had. I’m getting a bit teary just thinking about it. Yes, some of it will be cheeky and sassy….. but the beginning and ending are very raw. Still. I’m am blessed to be visiting a most amazing and inspiring woman who is a writer herself (the reason she moved to Brussels in the first place). She has challenged me to lay it all out on the table and not spare any details – as hard as they may be for me to write, and for some of you who know me to read (sorry Mom!!!!). I’m not always the most emotionally available person….. which presents a bit of a struggle inside. I think I’m going to take this evening off, and start fresh tomorrow. My plan is to write the most emotional parts (the beginning and the end) first, because then it will be easy to finish the remainder with my sass and humor. But I guess that is to be seen….. I just ask for inspiration from the Gods, and probably a few bottles of wine!!!!

Buon settimana e un bacio da Bruxelles!!!

Neuhaus Chocolates - Yum!!!!

Jess and I enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of Brussels

I woke up on Wednesday morning at 2:30am. I knew that there was snow in the forecast, but it really couldn’t be that bad….. right? Wrong. After showering, doing my last minute packing, and making the bed for my housesitter – I hit the road. Well, I should say that my friend driving me to the airport hit the road. I sat in the passenger seat trying my best not to backseat drive. What is usually a 45 minute drive took us over 90 minutes. Why? Full-on blizzard. No joke. We couldn’t see the lines in the road and were directed only by the paths made by tires that had come before us. The windshield wipers had so much ice on them that they stopped doing their job. But if we stopped to clear them, would we ever get started again?

We made it safely to the airport and I made my friend come inside with me. I had found out during the drive that my flight had been cancelled. So I was worried that if I didn’t get onto another flight that I would be stranded at the airport for who knows how long. Luckily I was able to catch an earlier flight into JFK. I said my goodbyes, made it through security without issue, and boarded the plane.

The bad news is that Seattle is not equipped to handle the amount of snow that we received. They have limited equipment to allow the airport to function at full capacity in snowy weather conditions. Which caused us to sit in the airplane for nearly three full hours before even making it to the runway. Fun, right? Especially when there are two ornery small children sitting within your near vicinity….. ugh. And did I mention that my delay between my two flights was only three hours?

We finally make it to the runway. The pilot kicks in the engines and we dart down the runway. Only to have everything shut down a few hundred feet into our takeoff. WTF. We taxi along the remainder of the runway and turn back towards the airport. The pilot informs that one of the indicator lights wasn’t working, so we had to be checked by maintenance. This was officially the point at which I knew I wouldn’t be making my connecting flight. But I have to admit – I still held out hope that my flight out of JFK was delayed, or that there was an alternate flight.

The flight to JFK went without incident. Well, except the kids near me. Anyway, I arrive at JFK to find out that since I was transferred airlines, I have to change terminals and go through security all over again. I arrive at the Jet Airways ticket counter to find it completely empty. Abandoned. The help desk was able to connect with the manager, who came down to help and inform me of the sad reality – I wasn’t leaving JFK until the following day.

At this point I had already logged 12 hours and just wanted to sleep. I booked a room at the Doubletree JFK and decided to relax for the night. Bad choice of hotels. The restaurant was awful and dirty, the TV barely worked, and the heater banged loudly every time it turned off. I guess I should be happy I at least had heat – I talked to two other people who didn’t have heat at all. Anyway, all of this I could look past. Until 8am this morning, when a work crew began to install carpeting in TEN surrounding rooms. My plan had been to sleep in until 11am, and then take my time getting ready for the 1pm shuttle. That did not happen. I endured the banging and hammering for about four hours, and then had to leave. When I walked out of my room, I was shocked to find all of the furniture from all of the surrounding rooms lining the walls of the hallway. And when I brought it up to the manager I was told that I should have requested a new room – at 8am this morning! ha. She tried to rectify it by offering me a discount for my next stay there. I calmly explained to her that there would be no ‘next stay’ for me at that Hilton, or any other Hilton for that matter.

The good news is that I made it to my flight and am here – with only a few other annoyances. I had to pay a fee for changing the date on my ticket, they didn’t have my gluten free meal on board since I had switched flights, the baggage handlers in Brussels were on strike, and the taxi driver didn’t know the address that I needed to go to…… I was greeted by a familiar and friendly face once the taxi driver finished studying his map and delivered me safely to my location, the proceeded to take the best shower of my life.

Jess has already taken me out to the local grocery and bread shops. We plan to hit up downtown Brussels tomorrow – in search of lace, chocolate, a great dinner, and then possibly a pub and/or some dancing. We’ll have a few more days in Brussels which will be filled with writing, reading, exploring, cooking, and most likely laughter. Then we depart for Paris for a few days. It’s going to be a quick trip, but I feel so blessed to be here. Even more so after finding out that the SeaTac airport is closed due to weather conditions. I’ll post a few more updates and photos throughout my two weeks here.

To all my friends in the Pac NW – stay warm and safe! Enjoy the snow, and make a snowman for me :-)

Not a flattering shape.

Again - not flattering, and quite boring (no style lines).

You definitely wouldn't catch me in this number.

Not impressed Natalie..... But I do love the color.

Seriously - who thought this was a good idea?

Ok. Now that that’s over. Let’s talk about the *few* who did it well.

Interesting texture, gorgeous shape, flattering to her body. Bravo!

Stunning - variety, contour, flare. Love it!

Hands down my favorite of the night - well done Tilda!!!

Maybe I’m being a bit harsh. But when I think of red carpet – I definitely don’t think of beige/nude (which there was *far* too much of this evening!!!!!). And I don’t think of minimalistic. I guess there is a place for such looks, but the red carpet is a rare opportunity to dazzle and surprise. Here are a few looks from the past that are the epitome of ‘red carpet’

Intricate details..... play with volume.... even though it's beige - it's eye catching and memorable.

I saw this dress in person in NYC and will *literally* never forget it. Love the play on volume and the laser cutting.

Glamorous, fun, and exciting!

I know that some of you will disagree with me on this - but you can't deny that this dress made a statement. People are *still* talking about it 11 years later.

Here’s to hoping that the stars step it up a notch for the Oscars!

1. Michael Kors – I love his products. What can I say? I got my first purse in 2005, and have followed his designs ever since! This year I was fortunate enough to invest in two pieces – the most comfortable wedges I’ve ever worn, and a fabulous purse that doubles as a briefcase (pictured in silver – mine is black). Oh, and I invested in the KORS stock – so you should go spend some money there too!!!! :-)

2. My *finally* decorated bedroom. According to the Feng Shui bagua, this is the travel section of my home. So I decided to deck it out a la India/Bollywood.

3. Layer Cake – I am unsure how many bottles of this I consumed this year. But I can tell you that exactly one bottle of this wine fits in my pink water bottle. And it tastes delicious.

4. Noir Jewelry – I love their bling. And as you may know from a previous post – I love their HUGE bling rings. I just can’t help myself! Here’s the biggest ring that I got this year:

5. Seattle Chocolates – The design project that I did with Seattle Chocolates this year was possibly my favorite project of the year! I had such a blast using their graphics to create beautiful garments – and rekindled my love of chocolate. Seriously – a mimosa truffle??? Best. Ever.

6. Bri Seeley – Ok, how could my FIRST retail collection not make the list? It officially made me an “award winning” fashion designer, and brought an increased visibility to the brand via two magazine publications (Seattle Magazine and South Sound Magazine) and several blog posts. Thank you for all of the support and I am so excited to continue dressing all of you (and your families and friends too!!!).

Shawn Kinney Photography

7. Girl with a Dragon Tattoo – I not only read the book this year, but I also saw both movies. I was highly captivated by the book, which I recommend reading before you see the movies. I could pass on the Swedish version of the movie….. but if you enjoyed the book – definitely see the American version. Well done!!! On my list for 2012: The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest……

8. How to Love by Lil’ Wayne – this is quite possibly my favorite song of the year…. I just can’t get enough of it! I listen to it on repeat while I’m driving.

9. Tattoos – I got my third tattoo this year…. and may be inspired to get my fourth shortly. I notice tattoos more than ever now and have seen some of the coolest ever this year. Here’s my new one, “Live in Love”

I hope that your 2011 was fabulous….. and I wish you all a prosperous 2012!!!!

Seattle's Own Rent-A-Butler

It’s the holidays. And we’re ALL stressed out. So why not treat yourself to some pampering? If you ask Rags Madison, the reason you are overwhelmed and your life is in chaos is because you are without a butler. Seattle’s Rent-A-Butler will iron your clothing, prepare your bath, make your coffee, chauffeur you to your appointments, run your errands, preparing your clothing choices, etc.

Sorry guys, Rags is only available to us ladies. He works for women who; 1. Have a transcendent talent… 2. Have an insatiable desire for fame, fortune or both in sharing that talent… 3. Have FINALLY come to the realization they need a team on their side… that success never occurs in the vacuum of doing everything by oneself.

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