The January Dress. January is a fresh start to a brand new year. The dress had to be white…and it had to be underwater. January is a time for reflecting on the previous year, and the reflection from the top of the water portrays this. January is also the start off a new year completely fresh and washed clean. I picked white thin chiffon to represent a blank page, a new year ready for goals and resolutions. The dress needed a little sparkle, so I added a crystal belt for the final touch. The belt represents a goal for the new year. Not just any goal, but that really ambitious dream you hope to achieve in this new year.
I have been so excited and so nervous about this one. When my photographer and I talked about the idea of shooting a dress under water I couldn’t get it out of my head! There was a lot of thought and planning that went into the construction of this dress and the logistics for the shoot, and I am so grateful to have an amazing photographer that is up for all of my crazy ideas and isn’t afraid to work for the right shot! For the dress construction it needed to be elastic along the top and the belt was extra secure. I tested out various fabrics in the water before actually constructing the dress (I had to make sure it wasn’t too see through!). We shot this dress in our backyard pool! There is so much I could tell you on the backstory of what we went through to shoot this dress, and I will be posting a “behind the dress” video of it all next week! It’s worth it’s own blog post!
Here is the full time-lapse video of how I created The January Dress…
in the video: HEART TOP (on sale for under $20!) || JEANS (on sale!) || SIMILAR FLATS (also loving these ones)
The inspiration board for the dress isn’t full of shoes or accessories, I wanted to keep the whole look clean and let the water act as my main source of inspiration.
The January Dress inspiration sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration (she is so talented!)
Make sure you don’t miss my previous dresses in The Monthly Dress Series. Click the images below to view them:
If you don’t know how to sew but are interested in learning, make sure you check out my online sewing courses for beginner and intermediate sewers.
photography by Jordan Zobrist
This is so freaking amazing!!!!! I look forward to your dress of the month every month now and you just blow me away every time with your creativity and design!
Thank you Heidi!
That is stunning. It could be on the front cover of a magazine – amazing!
Thank you Melanie! What a kind thing to say!
You have amazing raw talent! I get so excited each month for a new dress! Your creativity is astounding! Keep up the great work!
Xo Jenna
Thank you Jenna!
This is AMAZING!!!! I love this shoot more than any of the others. It’s so beautiful!!!! Every dress I love and then the next one comes and I love that one more lol You are so talented!!!!
This makes me so happy Becky! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me such a kind comment!
Amazing dress and images!
Liz @ ShoppingMyCloset.com
This is amazing Leanne!!! It’s crazy that you pulled this off in your own pool. Breathtakingly beautiful and wonderfully accomplished!!! To top it off your words for the new year is something I’ll remember all year long! Thank you for starting this series. I am always full of anticipation!
Thank you Hannah! I’m SO happy that you like it!!
Leanne,
This is unbelievable. I thought the red from December was unbeatable, but then you do this flowing white dress and shoot it under water. How awesome is that? It just keeps us in suspense each month. Thanks for sharing your creativity.
Jenn
Thanks Jenn! I am just blown away at how excited people are about it! It makes all the crazy late nights worth it! haha!
I would love to see you on Project Runway!!! So beautiful!! ?
Thank you Kara! haha! Project Runway was actually one of the reasons that sparked the idea for the Monthly Dress concept! I wrote all about it in my October Dress post!
thia is unbelievable, so beautiful and magical! Be blessed beautiful person inside and out and God bless your talent!
What a kind thing to say Kristina! Thank you! God bless you as well!
I’ve been so excited to see this month’s dress and my mind is literally blown!! Amazing!
Thank you Carmie! I’m so glad you like it!
Thank you so much for sharing!
huh…not sure about this…Apparently I’m the only one.
It might not be for everyone! It’s a good thing there will be 12 dresses 😉 plenty of others to hopefully strike your fancy.
This dress/concept/post just BLEW ME AWAY Leanne. Absolutely breathtaking. The whole idea and symbolism behind it actually made me emotional. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful creativity.
Oh my gosh Jessica, Thank you! I get so emotionally invested in these dresses, haha! Thank you for leaving such a kind comment!
Nice Dress!
You are so creative! The video is amazing I only wish you had a warmer pool for this shoot so you could have enjoyed it more!
This is so stunning!! The underwater shoot is dreamy and perfect for the white chiffon dress. You look like a goddess! <3
https://www.instagonline.com
Where are some of your favorite places to get fabric? I live in LA and I want to start making clothes again and teaching some friends to sew as well.