The Katacomb: Vintage Blog #4

I've been a busy girl over here at The Kat and a lot of great things are coming up :) Yay! So here are some things to look forward to...

The Kat is going to be hosting "Open House at The Kat" about every two weeks starting Wednesday, March 16 from noon to 9 p.m. It will be an informal invite to all friends new and old to just stop by and enjoy everything in The Kat at 40% off. I want to make room for the new inventory, so come and scoop up some great deals on some amazing vintage finds. Each open house will feature a designer, with the first one being the fabulous Bela Shehu for Nino Brand. Which I absolutely LOVE! And I wore her harness piece about 5 times in the last week, obsessed!! So many looks can be made of that one piece and I LOVE LOVE that! 

As always, we will have yummy treats and tasty drinks being served all day. 

The Sophia, has been patterned and is ready to make as soon as I place the order for the faux fur.  For anyone that has not tried on The Sophia, it's a must! So stop by during the open house and try it out. The Sophia is my favorite vintage find to date.  I found this fur coat in Montreal for $10. What a deal! However, the back was mangled and was not able to be repaired.  So I decided to have it patterned and reproduced because this coat looks amazing on everyone and can be dressed up and dressed down just as easily.  What makes The Sophia a little different is that when you decide that you need this coat, you are able to pick your faux fur (color/texture/length) and then you pick from my selection of vintage silk linings.  So each Sophia will be unique to the owner.  If you want a real fur one, we can make that happen too.  

Stayed tuned and I will keep you posted on the events coming up!

Quote of the day: "I don't design clothes, I design dreams." Ralph Lauren

Vintage piece of the day: A Balenciaga Ensemble, what can be more fabulous?

Fashion find of the day: I love this designer, One Teaspoon, out of Australia and the best thing is their summer things are now on sale since they are on an opposite season schedule :) Here is one of my favorite dresses from this designer.

http://www.oneteaspoon.com.au/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=760

Take a look through the website, they have some really great things. 

Photograph of the day: 

Fashion fact of the day: G-strings are the oldest form of clothing known to man. They have been worn by tribal peoples for over 75,000 years. The G-string was originally designed for men, and it only came to be worn as an undergarment for Western women in the 1980's.

On that note, head over to Coeur (which means heart in french)  and see my friend Mona for the best selection of the G's in town. She will also fit you to the perfect bra! Love her!

132 S. 17th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

215.972.0373

Wednesday is Model Inspriration Day: One of my new favs is Caroline Brasch Nielson.

Have a great day and check out the new Philadelphia Style Magazine (page 52) :) 

xxoo bd

p.s. Please take a quick moment to answer my one question survey :) thx


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D9FXC73

The Katacomb: Vintage #3

Hi there loyal Kat blog peeps. I know I know, I had a nice two day flow going and then I just stopped... Unacceptable, totally. I apologize about the hiatus, but I have been so busy mixing up some other ideas, that this kinda tumbled to the end of my list, but no excuses. I can't have you all getting mad at me again. So I'll try to keep the blog going on a daily basis.

I've been looking over Spring and Summer fashion trends that we have to look forward to if we ever get out of this wintery, arctic-type weather. To be honest, my first flip through, I thought it was dark and too much going on. When you think of spring, you think airy, light, whimsical. Not so much on the runways this year. However, I do have my favorites. Balmain and Chanel topping the list. Balmain with it's edgy glam and Chanel's resort collection with their floral dresses, jumpsuits, 60's denim on denim, wide brim straw hats, the deeper hues of red, gold and brown mixed together but still light. Yea, this collection is why I must head to St. Barts... Now... With all of that Chanel lined up in my closet when I get there. In the mean time... Even through the darkness of other designers there was light with Blumarine lovlies, Dolce & Gabbana lace details, Chloe neutrals, Nina Ricci fluid ensembles, and Valentino's (I can do no wrong) sophisticated sexiness.

Overall, I think spring will be fun and interesting. Because if you don't like the trends, do your own thing and just add the one, two or ten that you do like. That's the best way to go anyway. You create your own unique style and throw in a trend to keep it fresh. Simplicity always kills it, so when in doubt keep it simple. That is my Tuesday Tip of the day :)

That brings me to a lovely quote for the day by the beauty Sofia Loren.

"A woman's dress should be like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view."

I could not agree more. Keep it simple and classic.

My fashion find of the day is this ring by Shaun Leane at:

http://www.shaunleaneshop.com/Buy-Online/Hawthorn-Interlocking-Rin

g-/625

Photo of the day is a peek at Balmain's Ouchie looks. These are also a must have, need'em pieces.

Since my two favorite houses for spring were Balmain and Chanel, it only makes sense to tell you a little fact of the intersection between the two. Karl Lagerfeld worked for the designer Pierre Balmain who famously said "dressmaking is the architecture of movement." which seems to have a clear connections to Lagerfeld's style for all the house for which he designs.

Thanks for reading today! Alexis and I are going to be putting together some open houses here at The Katacomb and major discounts shall apply. Stay tuned for the first open house!

This past weekend I picked up a few fabulous pieces from Bela Shehu and her Nino Brand. I absolutely love love love them! Thanks Bela. If you haven't yet, make an appointment to see her pieces at bela@shehu.net.

Have a great day and stay warm. Think Spring!

xo bd

Worldwide Fashion Wednesday: The Kat Blog Day #2

Today I took a nice little trip to KOP to take back my coveted black suede Gucci thigh-high boots which the little zipper came off of. I ordered these from the Rodeo Drive Gucci store because KOP didn't carry them (half a** store). So anyway, I was told that they would have to send them away for 6 weeks. Yea that didn't sit well... I quickly pulled out my LV calendar (that my wonderful mummy bought me years ago and every year buys me a new filler for xmas, thanks mummy, love you!) and in my strong yet cute personality kindly showed the young man that 6 weeks is nearly summer, and that would just not be acceptable considering the price that was paid and the zipper came off. So I'll have them in 2 weeks. Not a life or death situation, but annoying none-the-less... End of story.

p.s. Where is the quality and where in the h*ll is the service???

p.s.s. I needed a replacement, so these Lanvin numbers ended up coming home with me... Especially since they were on sale :)

Worldwide Fashion Wednesday:

Here are two fabulous girls from Sweden. I love their styles! They both look unique and ready for a day out that leads into a fun night. I love a convertible look, that can go from day to night.

Also, I'm obsessed with the oversized blazer, vintage jeans and large leather bag. I wonder what she has in there???

Quote of the Day:

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slave of the ordinary." Cecil Beaton

Sir Cecil Beaton was a fashion and portrait photographer and took pics of ladies such as Marilyn, Audrey and Greta. He was also a costume designer and won International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1970. He is pretty fabulous!

This photo taken by Sir Beaton of Miss Monroe is my photo of the day. Enjoy my little sister (Samantha Daisy).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Beaton

Fact of the Day:

An Hermes scarf is sold somewhere in the world every

twenty-five seconds.

Vintage Piece of the Day:

This is a 1960's maxi dress that is in The Kat collection. If you are interested in trying it on. It is for sale! Just send me an email to set up an appointment,

brooke@thekatacomb.com.

My beautiful and wonderful friend Sarah Jean Berry took this photo this summer in Fairmount Park for The Kat's first photoshoot :)

I found this dress out in Cali and it's really fabulous! Can't believe it's still here...

What am I wearing today??? Hummm, not sure yet... Once I figure that out, I will put up a post.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

xoxo bd

Day 1... A little on the late side... But here it is :)

Today is the first day of The Kat blog! And it's Tip Tuesday :)

I hope you all enjoy the blog and even find it useful in your daily life or at some time in the future. The blog will have little features like fact of the day, quote of the day, etc... I thought this would be a fun way to design The Kat blog and it comes from one of my favorite memories of high school. My freshman year math teacher would post a fact of the day up on the board for the entire school year and I've been very surprised as to how many I've actually remembered over the years and come in handy at weird times in life. So thank you Mr. T!

Today ended up being a very long day out at appointments, so to be honest, it was a navy Juicy jumpsuit day with sneakers. This outfit, which is reserved for the gym and couch only, was all over the place today. But once I got home and ready I put some of my favorites on...

Today I'm wearing...

: A very girly style military jacket with ruffles on the back that I got at Anthropologie on sale because there was something wrong with it (which I never found, yay!).

: A black fur vest by Yves Soloman from Intermix in L.A.

: My favorite black cashmere pashmina that I broke the bank for about 5 years ago, but has proven its worth and I love it more and more every time I wear it, which is about 3-4 times per week in the fall and winter.

: My vintage Chloe cardigan.

: 7 for all mankind black leggings which I found in Vegas.

: A vintage jersey that I found in L.A. on Melrose.

: My 1980's gold Chanel dog tag chain, which was for sale in The Kat, but a few friends convinced me to keep it. This necklace I found in Paris and will always have special meaning to me. It was one of the first pieces I acquired for the store. Oooppss ;)

: And last but not least my Fiorentini and Baker boots from Headstart on 17th and Sansom.

Tip of the day:

As you can see I've mixed a lot of colors in this outfit, there are really no rules when it comes to mixing anymore, except when it comes to patterns. So if the pieces feel right together, mix and match away your favorites to create a fun and great look that can become your own unique style that you feel most comfortable in.

When I found this, I had to make this my vintage find today. This is a 1958 1st edition hardback of Breakfast At Tiffany's by Truman Capote. Not only is this one of my favorite movies for the fashion (tha

nk-you so much Mr. Givenchy) among many other reasons, but this book is a classic and this rare copy is meant to be

treasured. This book was originally sold for $3.50.

Here is the link if you are interested in bidding on it :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350426950182&category=29223&_trksid=p5197.c0.m619#ht_1386wt_907

Quote of the Day:

"How many cares one loses when one decides to not be something but to be someone." Madame Chanel

This is one of my favorite quotes from my favorite powerhouse woman. Get out there and be somebody today! Every second is another chance to turn it all around...

Fact of the Day:

Why did Christian Louboutin decide to paint the soles of his shoes red?

"It is the color of love. It's the color of passion. Even if a woman is wearing all black, she might choose a red lip or red nails." Christian Louboutin

I couldn't agree more! When in doubt, throw on your CL's, a red lip and your go to handbag and you are ready to rock, just about anywhere. And don't forget your sunglasses, they will always make you feel and look fabulous!

Photo of the day: Charlotte Kemp Muhl

One of my favorite models and inspiration is Charlotte Kemp Muhl. I love her look and her individualistic style. She is fabulous for a million reasons. I just can't get enough of how incredible she is.

Finally posting... Took me forever to arrange the pics... Kept messing up my paragraphs... Live and learn... Till tomorrow...

xoxo bd

Happy New Year from The Katacomb: Vintage

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all the best for a beautiful year in 2011.

2010 was a year of learning, growing, excitement, and new opportunities for me as I started my own business for the first time. And I'm looking forward to bringing them all together in 2011!

As of tomorrow, I will be doing a daily blog that will feature some cute and creative fashion ideas I hope you all will enjoy. There are so many blogs out there, I really wanted to create something that is a little different while still providing some of the favorites. The Katacomb Blog will feature:

Daily

~ What is Brooke wearing today? And where did she find that?

~ Vintage piece of the day.

~ Fashion find of the day.

~ Quote of the day.

~ Photo of the day.

~ Fashion fact of the day.

Weekly:

Monday: List Day (Top 5)

Tuesday: Fashion Tip Tuesday

Wednesday: Model inspiration of the week and Worldwide fashion

Thursday: Favorite beauty product of the week

Friday: Celebrity street style of the week

I will continue to do a weekly fashion segment on NBC 10 here in Philadelphia that can also be seen on the website at http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/around-town/ or on The Katacomb Facebook page. My NBC peeps are so amazing and I'm so appreciative for the opportunity they have given me :) Thank you so much Kelly, Karen, Teresa, Justin and Brad! You all are the best!

I will also be working with Ashley Cook who is the editor of Phlare Magazine to create a really fabulous fashion section of the magazine. Thank you so much Ashley and I look forward to working together on your wonderful magazine!

The Katacomb is also going to have an open house every other week from 1 pm-6pm (Wed/Sat rotated) with crazy discounts! This is a great chance to come in and check out The Kat and get some great deals on vintage pieces.

When I was younger my favorite jean store used to send out monthly newsletters that were really fun to read and had some great info in them. I am going to continue this tradition and send out snail mail newsletters. If you are interested in receiving one, please email me your address to info@thekatacomb.com.

Lastly, I would like to give a big thank you to Alexis, my friend and publicist. You are the best and I'm so lucky to have you in my life! Great job this year and I look forward to many more with you! Love ya! xo

xxoo bd

NBC: Fall Trends by Brooke Dillon: Style Expert

I just want to give a big thank-you to Kelly Bayliss and NBC 10 here in Philadelphia, who have given me such a wonderful opportunity to be their style expert on a daily fashion segment. The segments started today and can be found at http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/around-town/ and on Philadelphia's NEW 24 hour news channel on a program called "The Scene" channel 248.

Everyday will be something new and fabulous! Please check it out and feel free to send your style and fashion questions to my email at brooke@thekatacomb.com

The Katacomb : Vintage VIP Cocktail Party and Preview of the Collection

You’re invited!

An appointment-only boutique located 1514 Pine Street (Floor One), The Katacomb: Vintage is a collection of beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing, accessories and décor, that owner, Brooke Dillon has hand-selected throughout her international travels, to showcase and sell in her Philadelphia showroom.

Possessing a true knack for style, Dillon’s knowledge for fashion extends back from the Victorian age to present day. And, after many years of studying the art and commerce of couture clothing, she has finally been able to implement that familiarity and creativity into her extraordinary Philadelphia showroom.

A boutique with something for everyone, Dillon features high-end designers such as: Diane Von Furstenberg, Prada, YSL, Christian Dior, Valentino and Nina Ricci; an assortment of cost-friendly labels including: Rebel Yell and American Apparel; as well as new fashion houses: Sophomore NYC & The Heiress, which are exclusive to The Katacomb: Vintage.

To celebrate the launch of The Katacomb: Vintage, Owner & Stylist, Brooke Dillon is pleased to welcome guests to a VIP Cocktail Party and Preview on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, from 5:30-8:30pm.

In addition to the complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails that will be served throughout the evening, guests will also enjoy the scintillating sounds created by Philadelphia renowned DJ Aiden Scott, as well as a sampling of the beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing, accessories and décor that are exclusively available at The Katacomb: Vintage.

The Katacomb Website is up!

Check out The Katacomb's website @ www.thekatacomb.com : Each day I will post a different piece from The Katacomb collection to be sold on my Etsy account. Please feel free to email me (brooke@thekatacomb.com) if you have any further questions about the One and Done or the pieces that get put up for sale. Enjoy!

Daily Candy visits The Katacomb

After getting back from LA last week from an extremely successful buying trip (Valentino and Chanel, just to name a couple of the 30 + new beautiful and unique pieces that have been added to the racks), and going right into an all day photo shoot with some of my favorite girls, I got some great news! The Daily Candy editor wanted to come in and take a peek around The Katacomb. Here is the link to take a look at The Katacomb featured today on the site. And they also used a picture taken of one area of The Katacomb by my really talented and beautiful friend Sarah Jean Berry.

http://www.dailycandy.com/philadelphia/article/84543/Philadelphia-Events-and-Diversions

The website has taken longer than expected due to me being very particular, but I'm hoping for it to be up this week. Fingers are crossed... It will have a feature on the site that I will put up one item from the collection each day and sell it off. Once it is sold, that's it for the day. The next item will be posted the next day. It's called the One and Done.

Stay tuned :)

www.thekatacomb.com ~ Coming this week~

Thank-you all for following The Katacomb blog in its early days. I apologize for not posting more or really at all... but I don't want to post just to hear myself or I mean... read myself in eblogger world and waste anybody's time, but only for when I have something of quality and new to say to my peeps about The Katacomb: Vintage. So thanks for being loyal and it would be really cool to pass on the info about The Katacomb to get people in the know of the fabulous life or at least fabulous vintage clothing, handbags, jewelry, accessories, and etc that I find and put into my beautiful showroom. Did I mention, when you come to The Katacomb you have your own private appointment with me, your stylist, and I will help you shop through the collection for beautiful and unique pieces to add to your wardrobe at all price points. However, I have been working like crazy with my publicist to get The Katacomb and myself ready for a press party which will be hosted at The Kat on Wednesday, July 14th. A private press hour from 5:30pm-6:30pm, and then a VIP party for my guests from 6:30pm-8:30pm. If you haven't already, please private message me over this my email brooke@thekatacomb.com or facebook your email and real address so I can make sure you get an invitation to the event. Right now, my publicist and I are planning an amazing event (celebrity dj, veuve, semi-private tours of The Katacomb, a give-a-way, KatSwagBags, and much more) you won't want to miss this event! Stay tuned for more details :) The website will be finished this week (the only thing that will not be working is the lookbook which will be working by the end June). A bunch of my beautiful and talented friends are coming together to work on a beautiful and unique lookbook for The Kat. A really great feature that will be part of the website is the "One and Done'. Each day I will upload an item from the showroom or from my private stash to be sold off my website at a percentage off from the showroom quote. I'll keep ya posted! Have a great week! And clear your calender for Wednesday July 14 from 6 on :) B. Dillon

The Katacomb Vintage by : B. Dillon is on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thekatacombvintage

Stayed tuned! I am still working with my photographer to get all the pictures and detailed pictures to put up some great pieces on my etsy store. If you have any questions or are looking for anything in particular, please do not hesitate to email me.

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A pic of The Katacomb

New design project

So about two nights ago as I was awake at 2:30 as usual for about 2 hours. I was first thinking about what to say to my extremely rude landlord over a very annoying situation... and then I got to a little inspiration thinking... Nothing I can really talk about now, since I am in the beginning process of the design, but I'm sure it will become a favorite of yours. Stay posted. Also this weekend my very good friend Sarah Berry, sarahberryphoto.com, came over to hang out and do some photography of a good amount of the stuff here at the Katacomb. In about two weeks, I will be posting one piece a day on my website www.thekatacomb.com to be sold, ONE and DONE. She is also displaying some of her art work here. She focuses on the power and sexuality in the femininity of the woman. Very inspiring and beautiful. Please check out her website to see her stuff. She is also available to do commission pieces. She has done one of me and is finishing up the piece very soon. I'm very excited to see it! I might share it on my blog... Not sure yet... She uses photography and mixed media art (wax and paint over her photography). Very feminine and beautiful.

Things are coming together...

Tomorrow my friend Sarah will be coming over to take pictures of all of the pieces here at the Katacomb. This is really exciting because we will be able to start the One and Done on the website thekatacomb.com. One and Done is a little way to see a bit of The Katacomb collection each day. In the morning I will post an item from the showroom. At that time you can buy it if you love it or wait for the next day's piece. I hoping this feature will be up in about 2 weeks. Enjoy the weather peeps.

Welcome to The Katacomb Blog

Hello and welcome to The Katacomb Blog. Please read the profile that I posted on the side to get an idea of the concept of The Katacomb. To briefly reiterate, The Katacomb is a collection of beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces that I have found all over the world. I have been really excited to share with you all what I have been putting together over the last year. Some final details are still being taken care of, but for the most part The Katacomb is ready for you to visit. When you book an appointment with me in The Katacomb (at that time I will release the private Rittenhouse location of The Katacomb), I'll provide you with my personal styling service as well as a private place for you to shop at your leisure. I also encourage you to try on every piece I have. Since I usually have a wait list, please be courteous if you can't make your appointment and need to reschedule, and give me at least a 24 hour notice which would be greatly appreciated. Below I have included some more details that will be helpful to you for your appointment. I'm always brewing La Colombe coffee, tea and have a freshly brewed pitcher of ice tea ready. Wine and/or cocktails are always welcome and I have been know to pop a bottle of Veuve after a successful visit to The Katacomb.

Please allow for the appointment to last around 2 hours. I do prefer to keep appointments to 1-3 clients. So if you want to come alone, that is wonderful and if you want to bring a friend or two, that is wonderful too. I like to keep it small so I can focus on my clients needs and wants. Also, since most of what I have is vintage, we may need to fit the garment to you for the perfect fit. I have a master tailor who is wonderful and gets the alterations done very quickly for me, so don't worry about waiting too long for your new fabulous addition to your wardrobe. Everything in the Katacomb has been hand selected by me, organically dry-cleaned and will be fitted to perfection for you. I encourage my clients to come to the Katacomb as if they were going on a date. Clothing always looks better when you have your hair done and face on. Also, please wear either a plain black or white shirt, bring or wear your favorite jeans/pants/leggings and your favorite heels. Having these items makes it helpful to see the whole picture. I look forward to meeting you for your private appointment at The Katacomb. Please email or call me to set up your appointment.