Mirror, Mirror: Tutus, for that fairy-tale look
A Northern Liberties boutique is outfitting little princesses -and grown-ups, too.
By Elizabeth Wellington
Fashion Columnist
Infants are precious, yes; but a teeny-tiny babe in a tutu? That's just pinch-your-cheeks adorable.
That's why Leah Wright was shopping late last week at Fiona's Fairies, Karen Clarke's Northern Liberties boutique. Wright heard Clarke's clothing was magical, and because her baby girl, Kalea, turned 1 on Thursday, she decided her pudgy-faced princess needed something in which to preen.
"I want her to stand out," Wright said as she purchased a lacy eggplant tank and matching pettiskirt. "I want her to be special."
And if there's one thing a tutu accomplishes, it's standing out. The ballerina-inspired froufrou, once reserved for kids and, obviously, dancers, is now making star-studded appearances in the wardrobe of grown-ups, too.
In Philadelphia, that's largely Clarke's doing.
"They make women feel pretty," Clarke said in a hushed, arguably fairylike, tone. "They feel transformed."
It's easy to offhandedly refer to all of the flouncy skirts Clarke stocks as tutus. But if you do, the 59-year-old grandma will look over her glasses and wiggle her nose in the manner of Bewitched's Samantha. And that's some fairy dust you don't want any part of.
Technically, Clarke sells three distinct poufy garments: a classic ballerina skirt, with several layers of tulle over a satin lining; a pettiskirt, which features rows of frothy chiffon stacked so tight it resembles a cancan skirt; and a traditional tutu, a short skirt fashioned from mounds of tulle.
Clarke also makes fairy skirts - they are much longer, with asymmetrical hems - and sells sparkling boas. Everything comes with matching wings.
The clothing is available from infant sizes to a girls' size 12, which, because of the generous cut, can fit most women. (I tried on a soft-as-a-cloud petticoat and almost floated out of the store.) Clarke, however, will custom-fit customers, too. Prices range from $30 to $100.
Most of us didn't think about wearing tutus until Carrie Bradshaw wore one when she first got splashed by a New York City bus in the opening credits of Sex and the City back in 1998. I remember thinking, "What in the world is she wearing?"
But the ensemble proved to be perfect. Carrie was a New Yorker living a fairy-tale life.
Six seasons and two movies later, we too can be modern-day princesses. And designers are promoting the look. Last September, Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo for Commes des Garçons, and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel sent gauzy skirts down the spring 2010 runways. I've seen billowing high-waisted skirts in my favorite stores as well, including H&M, Zara and the Gap.
Pop culture's love affair with the mystical also has had an impact on tutu popularity. Thanks to the Twilight series, we're well-versed in vampires and werewolves and now, with HBO's True Blood, fairies, too. (Although fairy Sookie Stackhouse prefers cutoffs, I'm betting we'll see her in full fairy regalia next season.)
Two weeks ago, aesthetician Samiyyah Staten of East Oak Lane wore a beautifully tiered gold tutu to a launch party for Uptown Magazine. Her makeup sparkled. She looked in fashion, not in costume.
But while tutus are big with fashionistas, Clarke was inspired by the birth of her now 1-year-old granddaughter, Hayden. When Clarke's daughter-in-law was pregnant, she decided the baby would have to have a ballerina skirt.
Clarke was living in Sarasota, Fla., at the time and searched online and in children's stores - but she came up with nothing. Clarke's grandmother had taught her how to sew, and having taken a few fashion and design classes, Clarke decided to make a skirt.
She was hooked.
She started buying bolts of fabric and whipping up ballerina skirts and miniature tutus. In June 2009 Clarke moved to Philadelphia to be closer to her family and started selling her creations in local stores including Pipsqueak in Haddonfield and Gia Bella in Manayunk, as well as the Nestology pop-up store in King of Prussia Mall.
Then a retail space opened at the Piazza at Schmidt's, where Clarke was living. She opened Fiona's Fairies in March with an initial $3,000 investment and, in the beginning, made all of the pieces with the help of her mother, who sent items from Georgia.
Since then Clarke has picked up a line of pettiskirts by Kaiya Eve, as well as the Llum line by Amanda Reichert. The magic wands come courtesy of Port Richmond-based artist Donna Jordan.
"I love seeing all the happy little - and big - customers," Clarke gushed. "When you combine glitter and feathers and flowers, girls just love them."
