For as long as I've know here, Ariana has always been UBER talented, and I'd love to share one of her many talents with you today. Please join me on our interview.
Me: Who are you and what do you do?
Ariana: I am Ariana Bauer and I am a mommy and maker. More specifically, I create amazing couture designs and fun clothes inspired by vintage clothing. I often times use vintage and upcycled fabric to create new modern looks. I have an ever growing stash of amazing fabric and am avid collector of vintage patterns. I also spin, knit, weave, crochet, and program software.
Ariana: I love making clothing because it makes people happy. Seeing women who have never felt good about themselves light up when they see how truly beautiful they are in clothing that truly fits makes me so happy. Women today are taught that they should fit inside of these horrible ready to wear sizes that only truly fit a small selection of women. I believe that clothes should fit you, not you should fit your clothes. All women are beautiful and deserve to enjoy fashion in a way that makes them happy.
Me: What’s your background?
Ariana: My grandmother put me behind the sewing machine at age 6. She taught me how to cut patterns and fit clothes and make the best out of any sewing machine I used. I made most of my clothes up through my teens, where I took a small break from sewing. After college, I picked up the needle and thread again and pushed into more advanced techniques. I have trained under Susan Khalje and other teachers to learn couture. I have also trained online with Hand & Lock in London to learn traditional couture tambour embroidery. I also worked in bridal tailoring for some time where I head lead in fitting.
Me: What’s integral to doing the work that you are passionate about?
Ariana: Details, details, DETAILS!!!! It is said that Charles James once spent 7 days working on just one seam in his gowns. He eventually drove himself mad and broke over the details. The tiniest little changes can change how a garment fits, how it hangs, how it moves. For me, every little detail is important, every stitch. That means that much of my work is done by hand with means I put a lot more hours into my work.
Me: What has been a strong influencer in your experience?
Ariana: Haute couture. I adore haute couture. Thousands of hours in just one dress, every bead sewn by hand in the same way it has been done for 200 years. I love the intricacy, the details.
Me: Explain what you do in 100 words.
Ariana: I create garments that make women of all shapes and sizes look and feel beautiful. Whether it is a simple suit for work or a bridal gown, every garment I make is created to make women feel their best. I create custom gowns, skirts, tops, jackets, and more made to measure and fitted specifically for each woman. I also alter and re-make old clothing into amazing new creations. I sew, embroider, and most of create one of a kind garments inspired by the women who wear them. I love the old and the new and it shows in my style.
Ariana: I create garments that make women of all shapes and sizes look and feel beautiful. Whether it is a simple suit for work or a bridal gown, every garment I make is created to make women feel their best. I create custom gowns, skirts, tops, jackets, and more made to measure and fitted specifically for each woman. I also alter and re-make old clothing into amazing new creations. I sew, embroider, and most of create one of a kind garments inspired by the women who wear them. I love the old and the new and it shows in my style.
Ariana: I used to worry more about how the outside of the garment looked. As I have learned more and more about couture, I have begun to understand that the internal parts of a garment that no one really sees are what makes couture special. It is what makes a garment look truly amazing.
Me: What art/writing/people/traveling do you most identify with?
Ariana: Hmm, this is a hard one. I think in some crazy ways I relate to Frida Khalo a lot. I often times look into myself to create. I am also a big weird, so I identify with that. I am not sure I identify with most of my fashion icons, maybe in some ways Diane von Furstenberg comes to mind. She is an amazing mom, designer, and person.
Me: What work do you most enjoying doing?
Ariana: Bridal. I adore bridal and evening gowns. It is where my skills really shine. I also love that I get to take my time and have more budget to fuel my creativity.
Me: What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
Ariana: My Jiddo (which is Grandpa in Arabic) sitting at the table and telling me stories. I could listen to him for hours. He lived with us growing up when there was war in Lebanon, and every day I would sit by him after lunch in the summer time or after dinner on school nights and talk with him. He taught me so much, I wish he was with me today to see what I have done with my life.
Me: What themes do you pursue?
Ariana: Vintage, most specifically the 1950s. I am obsessed with the New Look and the shape created in that era. It was a time where women looked so feminine.
Me: What’s your scariest experience?
Ariana: My youngest son accidentally stuck an ear thermometer into my older son's ear. We had to get straight to emergency surgery for a graft on his ear drum. We had to wait three months to find out if he had hearing in his ear. Thank God everything turned out fine and he has perfect hearing in both ears.
Me: What’s your favorite work whether it be art or writing related?
Ariana: I love Monet. I know it is cliche, but I do. I don't have a specific work, its just the style. I am often times fuzzy about my work and just let my work happen naturally. His paintings feel like that, like they just happened without thought.
Me: Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
Ariana: I am not sure I have one. My boys inspire me to do more with my life, including my art.
Me: What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Me: What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
Ariana: My Jiddo (which is Grandpa in Arabic) sitting at the table and telling me stories. I could listen to him for hours. He lived with us growing up when there was war in Lebanon, and every day I would sit by him after lunch in the summer time or after dinner on school nights and talk with him. He taught me so much, I wish he was with me today to see what I have done with my life.
Me: What themes do you pursue?
Ariana: Vintage, most specifically the 1950s. I am obsessed with the New Look and the shape created in that era. It was a time where women looked so feminine.
Me: What’s your scariest experience?
Ariana: My youngest son accidentally stuck an ear thermometer into my older son's ear. We had to get straight to emergency surgery for a graft on his ear drum. We had to wait three months to find out if he had hearing in his ear. Thank God everything turned out fine and he has perfect hearing in both ears.
Me: What’s your favorite work whether it be art or writing related?
Ariana: I love Monet. I know it is cliche, but I do. I don't have a specific work, its just the style. I am often times fuzzy about my work and just let my work happen naturally. His paintings feel like that, like they just happened without thought.
Me: Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
Ariana: I am not sure I have one. My boys inspire me to do more with my life, including my art.
Me: What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Ariana: A girl must have her secrets, you know.
I totally agree with her on this one!
Me: What jobs have you done other than being an artist/writer/traveler?
Ariana: I am programmer in my day job. I also do marketing and graphics arts.
Me: What memorable responses have you had to your work?
Ariana: I made my brother's fiancee (now my sister in law) her wedding dress. She is from Korea and her mom got here just a few days before the wedding. Her mom was here for her last fitting. She put on the dress and they both just started crying. It was so amazing to see them so happy. Her mom thanked me one thousand times for making a dress as lovely as her daughter. That made all of the work so worth it.
Me: What food, drink, song inspires you?
Ariana: Songs inspire me a lot. I love Lady Gaga, pretty much everything from the ArtPop album. I know, cliche, right? I am my own little universe.
Me: Is the artistic/journalistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
Ariana: I never feel lonely in my art because I work with people. Creating clothing for people is such an intimate process, you get to know people very well. I also work in my living room so I am never alone when I work.
Me: What do you dislike about the art/journalistic world?
Ariana: I hate the way people compete sometime. It seems like so petty how some artists deface other people's work. I just wish we could appreciate each other for our unique talents and let the clients decide what they like. I am guilty of that behavior myself in my younger years. I have learned that it is just silly and to let my work speak for itself.
Me: What do you dislike about your work?
Ariana: It is never perfect enough for me. I am a terrible perfectionist. I doubt anything I do will ever be truly perfect, but I keep trying.
Me: What do you like about your work?
Ariana: It is fun. I love doing what I do. I love seeing the smile and spin when a girl tries on her dress for the first time.
Me: What makes you angry?
Ariana: Being compared to fast fashion, like Forever 21, both on workmanship and prices. I want people to understand that the clothing I make is comparable to Chanel Haute Couture, not Forever 21. No, I will not pay myself $2 and hour just because you can what you think is the same dress at a fashion store for $20.
Me: What brings you profound joy?
Ariana: My children. I adore my boys, they make my life complete.
Me: What research to you do, if any?
Ariana: I am always researching. I watch all of the latest runway shows with a focus on couture weeks. I also have a huge library of vintage images and fashion magazines. I constantly research new techniques. There is always more to learn, my journey will never be complete.
Me: What superpower would you have and why?
Ariana: I would love to time travel. I don't want to change anything, I just want to get a chance to see all of the amazing era's of clothing first hand.
Me: Name something you love, and why.
Ariana: I love flowers, all flowers. I love their colors and size and shape. I love how fragile they are and so beautiful at the same time. They are my favorite inspiration for embroidery and always make me smile.
Me: Name something you don’t love, and why.
Ariana: I can't stand dead things. I don't know why, but they disturb me to the core.
Me: What is your dream project?
Ariana: A couture wedding gown with a massive budget so I could work with handmade lace and silks, fabrics I would not be able to afford otherwise. A girl with an eye for classic beauty and worksmanship.
Me: What jobs have you done other than being an artist/writer/traveler?
Ariana: I am programmer in my day job. I also do marketing and graphics arts.
Me: What memorable responses have you had to your work?
Ariana: I made my brother's fiancee (now my sister in law) her wedding dress. She is from Korea and her mom got here just a few days before the wedding. Her mom was here for her last fitting. She put on the dress and they both just started crying. It was so amazing to see them so happy. Her mom thanked me one thousand times for making a dress as lovely as her daughter. That made all of the work so worth it.
Me: What food, drink, song inspires you?
Ariana: Songs inspire me a lot. I love Lady Gaga, pretty much everything from the ArtPop album. I know, cliche, right? I am my own little universe.
Me: Is the artistic/journalistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
Ariana: I never feel lonely in my art because I work with people. Creating clothing for people is such an intimate process, you get to know people very well. I also work in my living room so I am never alone when I work.
Me: What do you dislike about the art/journalistic world?
Ariana: I hate the way people compete sometime. It seems like so petty how some artists deface other people's work. I just wish we could appreciate each other for our unique talents and let the clients decide what they like. I am guilty of that behavior myself in my younger years. I have learned that it is just silly and to let my work speak for itself.
Me: What do you dislike about your work?
Ariana: It is never perfect enough for me. I am a terrible perfectionist. I doubt anything I do will ever be truly perfect, but I keep trying.
Me: What do you like about your work?
Ariana: It is fun. I love doing what I do. I love seeing the smile and spin when a girl tries on her dress for the first time.
Me: What makes you angry?
Ariana: Being compared to fast fashion, like Forever 21, both on workmanship and prices. I want people to understand that the clothing I make is comparable to Chanel Haute Couture, not Forever 21. No, I will not pay myself $2 and hour just because you can what you think is the same dress at a fashion store for $20.
Me: What brings you profound joy?
Ariana: My children. I adore my boys, they make my life complete.
Me: What research to you do, if any?
Ariana: I am always researching. I watch all of the latest runway shows with a focus on couture weeks. I also have a huge library of vintage images and fashion magazines. I constantly research new techniques. There is always more to learn, my journey will never be complete.
Me: What superpower would you have and why?
Ariana: I would love to time travel. I don't want to change anything, I just want to get a chance to see all of the amazing era's of clothing first hand.
Me: Name something you love, and why.
Ariana: I love flowers, all flowers. I love their colors and size and shape. I love how fragile they are and so beautiful at the same time. They are my favorite inspiration for embroidery and always make me smile.
Me: Name something you don’t love, and why.
Ariana: I can't stand dead things. I don't know why, but they disturb me to the core.
Me: What is your dream project?
Ariana: A couture wedding gown with a massive budget so I could work with handmade lace and silks, fabrics I would not be able to afford otherwise. A girl with an eye for classic beauty and worksmanship.
Ariana: I am seldom compared to other designers because most of my work is custom. I would compare myself to a young Dian von Furstenberg, Zac Posen, and Elie Saab.
Me: Favorite or most inspirational place?
Ariana: Paris. I am in love with Paris. After that it would a lovely yacht just sitting on the open ocean, just at the edge of where you can see the shore in warm waters.
Me: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Ariana: While I was training with Susan Khalje, I was nervous and worried my work would not be up to her caliber. I took my jacket to her and showed her a seam, very sheepishly. She looked up at me said "Why do you doubt yourself, you don't need me, you are amazing." It threw me a bit, I had never realized how much I had learned over the year. I learned to believe in myself more so than I had before and I gained a new confidence that day.
Me: Professionally, what’s your goal?
Ariana: To to do couture full time and support my family doing something I love.
Ariana: My husband. He keeps me sane, he makes me laugh, he makes me happy, he helps me clean up at 1 AM when I am too tired to move. He is what keeps me going every day.
Many thanks to Ariana for taking the time for this interview. I hope you've enjoyed our interview today. I hope that Ariana inspires you all to go out and hone your craft and pursue your dreams! Here craftsmanship is absolutely beautiful! She truly is amazing! I hope you all will get to stop by Rabbits and Rags in Columbia, IL in the near future. Ariana showcases some of her vintage pieces in this shop from time to time. Everything she makes is seriously divine!
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