Olivia Luca

Want to see more photos of the dresses?

2011-05-06T21:47:00.001-07:00

If you would like to see more photos:

• Go to the right side of the blog and either click on one of the categories under:
"PHOTOS OF DRESSES"

• Scroll farther down on the right side and choose a specific style under:
"PHOTOS OF ALL STYLES".

Please note that not all links have images posted to them yet, but we are working on it and getting them posted as soon as we can. If you can't find a photo of the style you are interested in follow the directions below:

• Design some dresses in the style and/or fabrics you like in the "Design Studio" on the website and save them to your "Dressing Room" 

• Then send an email to design@OliviaLuca.com and include the log in email address you are using to save the dresses, we will then go look at what you have saved and send photos that are the same or similar.

Hope it helps for now until things calm down a bit and we can get more photos posted here!

Olivia Luca

Empire Strapless with Wide Ruched Sash in Fair Trade Silk Shantung

Sustainable Fabrics

2011-05-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Dresses in sustainable and organic fabrics:

Fair Trade Handwoven Silk Shantung

Fair Trade Silk Organza over Organic Cotton

Fair Trade Silk Shantung

Fair Trade Handwoven Silk Shantung

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Organic Cotton Sateen

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse-left, Organic Cotton Sateen-right

L-R, Fair Trade Silk Shantung, Hemp/Silk Charmeuse,
Fair Trade Organza over Organic Cotton Sateen, Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Empire Halter V

2011-05-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

Empire Halter V

Halter with deep "V" neck in front. Compatible with some halter bras with narrow straps and deep-cut front, but best worn without a bra or the new stick-on bras. Neck straps approximately 3/4" wide at shoulder and around back of neck, fastens by tying. Empire waist and princess seams or fisheye darts (depending on skirt shape) for best fit and ease of alteration. Invisible back zipper.

Click Photos For A Larger Image View

Silk Chiffon

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Silk Shantung

Fair Trade Handwoven Silk Shantung

Wool Gabardine

Hemp/Silk Charmesue

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Empire V

2011-05-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Empire V

Deep, wide "V" neckline in front and back. Straps approximately 1" wide at shoulder. Empire waist and princess seams or fisheye darts (depending on skirt shape) for best fit and ease of alteration. Compatible with some bras with narrow straps and deep-cut front, but best worn without a bra or the new stick-on bras. Invisible back zipper.

Click Photos For A Larger Image View

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Silk Dupioni

Empire V Back View

Standard Back Neckline

Deep V Back, Optional by Special Request

Empire Off-Shoulder Surplice

2011-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Empire Off-Shoulder

Deep wide Surplice "V" neck front and back. Straps sit just on the edge of the shoulder, approximately 1.5 " wide. Empire waist and princess seams or fisheye darts (depending on skirt shape) for best fit and ease of alteration. Compatible with most strapless bras, but best with the new stick-on bras. Invisible back zipper.

Click Photos For A Larger Image View

Silk Peau de Soie

Silk Fair Trade Shantung

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Silk Chiffon

Silk Crepe-Back Satin

Fair Trade Silk Tissue

Fair Trade Silk Organza layered over Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Silk Dupioni

Hemp/Silk Charmeuse

Silk Dupioni

Silk Shantung

Silk Satin-Face Organza

Alternatives to Dry Cleaning

2007-02-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Dry cleaning a garment is—plain and simple—not good for the environment and not good for the heath of those exposed to it's traditional cleaning solvents. (Including you, when you bring your garment home and it is still off-gassing chemicals—see the tip below).

The dry cleaning process involves washing the garment in a closed system with a solvent, usually perchloroethylene, or perc for short. The benefits: perc quickly evaporates off the garment leaving it less wrinkled after the “washing” process, it doesn’t usually cause colors to fade or bleed, and can often get out stains that soap/detergents and water can’t, and it doesn’t cause garments to shrink.

These are all great reasons for it’s use, but they don’t justify it in the bigger picture.

Another benefit of “dry cleaning” is when you take a garment to the cleaners you also get a professional press job on the just cleaned garment which is more than half of what makes your just “cleaned” garment look great when you go to pick it up. (See the tip below.)

So, how to avoid the nasty chemicals? And why do most garments (including ours) have “Dry Clean Only” labels on them?

To answer the second question first, labeling laws and lawsuits! It is difficult for a manufacturer to control how an individual might clean their garment at home—it is really unpredictable! Manufacturers are required by law to put certain information about the care of the garment that will lead to a predictable result. Hence the labeling of many garments with a “Dry Clean Only” label that could realistically be cleaned at home or with alternatives to using perc at a professional cleaners.

Answering the first question, avoiding the nasty chemical—perc, is more involved. Below we have provided lots of links to where you can read more about the issues and options available. Olivia Luca is in the process of testing it’s garments and fabrics using these alternative methods. We will post the results here as they come in; and as labeling laws change and allow, we will be changing our labeling to the meet the most environmentally conscious options.

TIP:
If you chose to use an alternative method of cleaning an Olivia Luca garment, let us know first and we will be glad to provide you with samples of the fabric that your Olivia Luca dress is made from to test before you subject the dress to the process. Just send us an email! (And realize that we can’t be responsible for any problems that arise, you are, unfortunately at your own risk in deviating from the label on the garment.)

TIP:
This goes for any garment that you choose to clean at home, take it to the cleaners after you have cleaned it for a professional press job. You will be amazed at what they can do with a wrinkled garment.

TIP:
If you do have a garment cleaned using perc, as soon as you bring it home remove it from the plastic bag and let it air out for a day or two—preferably outside or in the garage or near an open door or window. Don’t put it back in the bag. If you want the garment protected, use a cloth bag. (See our blog entry about storing your wedding dress.)

TIP:
When washing most “washable” garments, the less agitation the better, the garment will last longer and will look better after washing and be easier to press. If you are washing it by machine use a gentle cycle, particularly in the spin cycle. This is especially true if you are flat or line drying the garment. (If you are drying it in the dryer, it can take longer and possibly use more energy, so there are trade-offs to a gentle spin cycle.) If you are washing by hand, use a sink or container large enough to handle the garment easily and simply push the garment up and down in the water and cleaning agent as opposed to ringing and squeezing it.

TIP:
The temperature of the water is critical in reducing possible shrinkage and color fading or bleeding. Cold is best, and avoiding temperature changes is critical. Most garments that shrink do so because you have washed it in warm or hot and then rinsed it in cold and then stuck it in a hot dryer. It is the temperature change more than anything that causes the shrinkage. (Don’t put anything you don’t want to shrink in the dryer, always flat dry or line dry!)

Cleaning Methods:
Perchloroethylene (Perc) (Standard Dry cleaning)
Carbon Dioxide (New professional method)
Silicone-based (New professional method)
Wet-cleaning (New professional method)
Soap/detergents and Water (Home method)

Sources for more information and alternatives to perc-based dry cleaning:
Follow these links to read more about dry cleanng and it's alternative options; and where you can find a greener cleaner in a city near you.

www.consumerreports.org

www.greenerchoices.org

www.environmentalchemistry.com

www.greenhome.com

www.stretcher.com

www.ecocycle.org

www.eartheasy.com

www.greenearthcleaning.com

www.hangersdrycleaners.com

Thanks for considering alternatives to dry cleaning.
Our earth and it's future generations will appreciate it!

Storing Your Wedding Dress

2007-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

The last thing you may be thinking about on your wedding day is storage and preservation of your gown. But it is wise to make this part of your wedding planning, especially if you are leaving for a honeymoon shortly after your wedding day.

If you have all the arrangements made ahead of time, you are more likely to get it taken care of sooner, as opposed to weeks or months or even years later!

Steps to successful storage of your dress:
1. Do some reading about the best options for storing your gown. You can easily do-it-yourself, and it is usually less expensive. Especially if you want to take it out and look at it in the future (which is strongly encouraged!). If you have packed it yourself in the first place, you will be more confident repacking it again later. You will find links to some articles on textile storage at the end of this post. Also, an on-line search will result in lots of options for learning about and purchasing the needed supplies.

2. If you are going to do it yourself, budget for it in your wedding planning and purchase the supplies well ahead of the wedding. This will make it easier to accomplish after the wedding.

3. Ask one of your bridesmaids or a parent to be responsible for wedding gown the day after the wedding. Even if that only means making sure it is carefully hung-up or folded until you return home from your honeymoon. Better yet, make pre-arrangements for it to be cleaned, have that person be responsible for getting it to your specified cleaners as soon as possible. (Please read the post about Dry-Cleaning before going to just any dry cleaners.)

4. If you have had it dry cleaned, make sure to let it air out for several days—outside of the cleaners plastic garment bag—in a well ventilated area before packing it away. Cleaning solvents, especially perchloroethylene (a.k.a. perc), off-gas for some time after a garment has been cleaned. This is true for any garment that has been dry cleaned! What ever you do, don’t leave it or any garment, in the plastic bag—especially for long periods of time.

5. Take your dress out and look at it often! Then carefully re-pack it using new materials if needed. There are two reasons for this, one, for the fun of looking at it again and having it bring back memories of your wedding day! The second reason is to make sure that it is not being eaten by moths or other critters, or getting moldy, and also to slightly change the way it lays in the box, which can help prevent permanent wrinkles. It won’t hurt it to take it out, as long as you repack it carefully and properly.

6. After you have carefully packed it, be sure that where you store it doesn’t negate all your efforts of careful packing. The storage area should be a neutral environment that doesn’t change drastically in temperature or moisture. This means that the basement or attic are the worst places to store the box! It’s best to store it in a closet or cupboard in the central part of your home. (And not a cedar one.)

7. If your dess is of a style that can be worn again, do it! Cut if off to cocktail length, add some color embellishments or details to take it from "wedding dress" to "party dress". This is obviously done more easily with less formal dresses, but choosing a style that is wearable again with just a few changes can make spending that chunk of change on it more rewarding. And really, all nostalgia aside, do you honestly think your daughter will wear it? Did you wear your mom's?

Basic tips and a few definitions:
• Make sure the garment is clean. Dirt, stains, body oils and odors can cause damage to the fabric over time.
• Remove any jewelry or pins, metal or plastic, colored ribbons or trim and other items that may discolor over time.
• Acid Free: Paper that has been specially processed to remove the acid. (That does not mean it will remain acid free. See "lignin free".)
• Lignin Free: Lignin is the substance that binds wood fibers together. Choose archival paper products that have been chemically processed to remove the lignin.
• Non-buffered: Tissue, paper or boxes that have not had any chemicals added to it during the manufacturing process.
• Buffered: Paper or boxes that have had chemicals added that neutralize other potentially harmful chemicals.
• The best choice for tissue paper that WILL come into direct contact with your garment is acid free, lignin free, non-buffered tissue with a neutral pH, especially for silk.
• The best choice for the box that WILL NOT come into direct contact with your garment is acid free, lignin free and buffered. Although non-buffered boxes are also appropriate for silk and wool garments.
• Add a sufficient amount of tissue paper to fully cushion the garment above and below it. Gently stuff some of the tissue into the sleeves, bodice and skirt to prevent creases which can lead to the breakdown of the fibers in the fabric.
• If you fold the garment use tissue paper betwenn the folds as a cushion to help avoid creases.
• Use a large box with plenty of room for air circulation. Lightly pack tissue around the edgs of the garment to keep it from sliding around in the box.
• Do not store the garment in a cedar chest or cedar closet or in a regular cardboard box.
• Don't use moth balls! They stink and the smell is almost impossible to get out. Besides, they don't work all that well.
• Do not store the box or garment in an airtight container or plastic.
• Avoid storing textiles in a damp basement or near direct heat sources.

Some links to archival textile storage:
Follow these links to read more about storing special garments to presreve them for the future.

Kent State Textile Musuem

Stanford Library

The Textile Museum

Hertiage Gown

Discover Nikkei

Lensbaby creates lovely soft edges

2006-11-10T23:04:00.000-08:00

Enjoy these soft edge photos from our photo shoot this spring; it was a lovely day at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon. Individual areas within the grand scale garden provided varied backdrops and vignettes to highlight the dresses. Each of these dresses can be created in the Design Studio on our website, simply click on the link below and then choose the Design Studio from the menu.

OliviaLuca

Love those slightly blurred edges? Aisha Harley—photographer extraordinaire—and her assistant Shawn Linehan achieved that effect using a Lensbaby™ selective focus camera lens.

I have one too, and I have had so much fun playing with it for personal shots. While my photograhy skills are far from that of Aisha's it is still easy and fun to use if you are just a casual photographer snapping pics of friends, family and pets! (I took the photo at the end, that's my sweet old dog—fun shot huh?)

Lensbabies™

Maids: Silk/Coton, Bride: 4-Ply Silk Crepe, all three with Charmeuse trim

Maids: Silk Taffeta with Silk Organza trim, Bride: Silk Satin-face Organza

Bride: Silk Satin-face Organza

Maids: Silk Taffeta with Silk Organza trim, Bride: Silk Satin-face Organza

Bride: Silk Satin-face Organza

Bride: Silk Faille with ribbon trim and poof crinoline

Bride: Silk Faille with ribbon trim

Puppers: Siskiyou!

LAUNCH!

2006-11-10T00:18:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

I am thrilled to announce the launch of my second company...

Olivia Luca

It’s a fabulous on-line design tool for creating your own dress. From the Design Studio on the website you can create the dress of your dreams by choosing the bodice style, the skirt shape, then fabric and color. Next add a detail that will give that extra spark to your design.

Once you have created your design you can save it to your own private dressing room. Then email it to friends, print it out or go back to the Design Studio and design more dresses!

After designing and saving several dresses you can then compare and contrast, choosing the one that’s just right for your special event or for the lucky recipient of your delightful design.

Do you have bridesmaids that have different personal styles and body shapes? Design a dress that’s perfect for each one, while still retaining your wedding theme and colors.

Having trouble finding the perfect modern wedding dress that’s not over the top with lace and poofy skirts?

Design your own!

Olivia Luca

Visit the site today!

You will find more information about the company and our sustainability goals; our designs, and the fabric and color options. Then view the Boutique to see accessories and other garments and the Gallery to see beautiful photographs of the dresses.

Item Labels 1

2006-01-01T20:26:00.004-08:00

Item Labels 2

2006-01-01T20:26:00.003-08:00

Item Labels 3

2006-01-01T20:26:00.002-08:00

Item Labels 4

2006-01-01T20:26:00.001-08:00

Item Labels 5

2006-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Item Labels 6

2006-01-01T20:25:00.003-08:00

Item Labels 7

2006-01-01T20:25:00.002-08:00

Item Labels 8

2006-01-01T20:25:00.001-08:00

Item Labels 9

2006-01-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

Item Labels 10

2006-01-01T20:24:00.004-08:00

Item Labels 12

2006-01-01T20:24:00.003-08:00

Item Labels 11

2006-01-01T20:24:00.002-08:00

Item Labels 13

2006-01-01T20:24:00.001-08:00

Item Labels 14

2006-01-01T20:21:00.002-08:00

Item Labels 15

2006-01-01T20:21:00.001-08:00

Item Labels 16

2006-01-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

Label Options

2006-01-01T18:44:00.000-08:00