Studio Davina  »  Assiut/Assuit • General

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General

Assiut Cloth in Early 20th century Opera

August 8, 2018

In the early 20th century, costume designers chose assiut cloth operatic productions set in the Middle East.  Plays such as “Salome,” “Anthony and Cleopatra,” and “Lakmé” featured exotic costumes and sets that evoked an imagined exotic opulence of these far-away places set in the distant past. Above: Constance Collier as Cleopatra, 1906 Assiut shawls started […]

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Self-Care Tips for Sewing Hands

August 4, 2018

I’ve been a professional costume maker for more than 30 years.  My hands have logged many hours at the sewing machine, wielding an iron, or pulling a needle. In order to maintain and sustain my hands for another 20 years of sewing, I’ve been implementing a variety of strategies to keep my hands in good […]

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Assiut Belly Dance Gig Dress

July 25, 2018

I often talk to dancers who are looking for that perfect gig dress.  The perfect garment to wear to shows, parties, and events. The Ideal dress has to fit loosely, without any compression at the waist. Ideally, it should be dressy, give a great first impression. Extra points if the dress is easy to get […]

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Studio Davina Updates – July 2018

July 20, 2018

Mid Year Business Review Hello Gang! It’s that time again, the mid-year business review.  In June/July and again in December, I make the time in my schedule to sit down and evaluate my business. I gather up all of my business documentation. This includes my journal, planner, sewing log book, and sales figures.  Basically, all the […]

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Mixing Faux and Modern Assiut

June 11, 2018

Swirl is my informal performance group composed of my proteges and myself.  For our spring performance at HaflAdira in Willow Glen, CA, we put together a set of coordinating costumes using a combination of existing costume pieces, faux assiut, and modern assiut.  Here’s how these costumes came together. Pulling From the Closet Before we started […]

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