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Fairie-ality
Fairie-ality: The Fashion Collection from the House of Ellwand
Do you believe in fairies? How about high fashion? Enter the exquisite world of fairie fashion – where feathered hats are designed for maximum lift, oak-leaf jackets boast ample wing vents, and flower-petal flats are easily removable for flight.
In the fairie world, there is only one top designer of couture and accessories. . . .
Prepare to be enchanted! While humans go about their workaday lives, there is a secret world of well-dressed fairies flitting about in fragile fashions that would take your breath away – if only you could see them. Well, now you can. For the first time ever, elusive fairie couturier Ellwand allows mortals a peek at his ethereal designs in Fairie-ality , a catalogue so spectacularly crafted it befits a fairie queen herself. Showcased are nearly 150 creations – including dresses, jackets, trousers, shoes, hats, and delicate unmentionables – fashioned wholly from feathers, flower petals, shells, seeds, and other materials from nature. Consider these special
Extraordinary production elements, including three specially selected paper stocks; metallic inks; fold-out booklets; vellum envelope with removable fashion card; and numerous half-, third-, and quarter-pages, notably to showcase garments for a playful mix & match, offering dozens of outfits to create.
Drawings by celebrated fashion illustrator David Downton, capturing the graceful, but rarely glimpsed, fairie attired in Ellwand’s designs.
Witty and delightfully romantic captions by Eugenie Bird.
A breathless narrative by a young fairie guiding us from The Season’s start through May Day revelry and a Fairie Tale Wedding.
Filled with authentic fairie lore that will lure fairie lovers by the legion, this superbly designed volume also offers many clever nods to human fashion history. Its fun, fanciful costume descriptions will amuse the fashion-savvy everywhere, while the stunning array of fashions themselves – a veritable dress-up dream –will leave readers of all ages spellbound.
In the fairie world, there is only one top designer of couture and accessories. . . .
Prepare to be enchanted! While humans go about their workaday lives, there is a secret world of well-dressed fairies flitting about in fragile fashions that would take your breath away – if only you could see them. Well, now you can. For the first time ever, elusive fairie couturier Ellwand allows mortals a peek at his ethereal designs in Fairie-ality , a catalogue so spectacularly crafted it befits a fairie queen herself. Showcased are nearly 150 creations – including dresses, jackets, trousers, shoes, hats, and delicate unmentionables – fashioned wholly from feathers, flower petals, shells, seeds, and other materials from nature. Consider these special
Extraordinary production elements, including three specially selected paper stocks; metallic inks; fold-out booklets; vellum envelope with removable fashion card; and numerous half-, third-, and quarter-pages, notably to showcase garments for a playful mix & match, offering dozens of outfits to create.
Drawings by celebrated fashion illustrator David Downton, capturing the graceful, but rarely glimpsed, fairie attired in Ellwand’s designs.
Witty and delightfully romantic captions by Eugenie Bird.
A breathless narrative by a young fairie guiding us from The Season’s start through May Day revelry and a Fairie Tale Wedding.
Filled with authentic fairie lore that will lure fairie lovers by the legion, this superbly designed volume also offers many clever nods to human fashion history. Its fun, fanciful costume descriptions will amuse the fashion-savvy everywhere, while the stunning array of fashions themselves – a veritable dress-up dream –will leave readers of all ages spellbound.
130 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
8 people are currently reading
2069 people want to read
About the author
Eugenie Bird
1 book5 followers"You may be interested to know that fairies live at my farm in Vermont," says Eugenie Bird, matter-of-factly. "Also, I have asked the woodchucks in the area to stop eating my garden, and I am grateful to say that they have honored my request."
All of this seems appropriate in light of Eugenie Bird's contribution to FAIRIE-ALITY: THE FASHION COLLECTION FROM THE HOUSE OF ELLWAND, where stunning photographs of hand-crafted fairy fashions are augmented by witty captions written by Eugenie Bird herself. Her clever, saucy copy makes it abundantly clear that the feathered hats in FAIRIE-ALITY are designed for maximum lift, the sharply tailored oak leaf jacket boasts ample wing vents, and all flower-petal flats are easily removable for flight.
Eugenie Bird says that flipping through vintage issues of FLAIR, Fleur Cowles's influential fashion magazine of the 1950s, helped her achieve the perfect fashion-savvy tone. Combing through books such as THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES by Katharine Briggs alerted her to such details as the fact that not all fairies have wings, necessitating the use of flying aids such as special hats. And the author's innate love of fairies and nature went a long way toward helping her shape the background story, written in the voice of a breathless young fairy. Offering details only an insider could know, she follows a whirlwind season of social events that begins with a royal cotillion at the first bluebells' bloom and ends with a Fairie Tale Wedding on Midsummer's Eve.
Eugenie Bird has taught art, edited books for Senator Adlai Stevenson, assisted the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and created a cultural history program for grammar schools. She is also a certified arc welder. In her spare time, she says she enjoys "all sorts of things--reading, art, writing, gardening, cooking--which I try to do as well as I can. I like to surprise myself." The author and her husband raised two children and now divide their time between Chicago and their Vermont farm, which they share with a thriving fairie community.
All of this seems appropriate in light of Eugenie Bird's contribution to FAIRIE-ALITY: THE FASHION COLLECTION FROM THE HOUSE OF ELLWAND, where stunning photographs of hand-crafted fairy fashions are augmented by witty captions written by Eugenie Bird herself. Her clever, saucy copy makes it abundantly clear that the feathered hats in FAIRIE-ALITY are designed for maximum lift, the sharply tailored oak leaf jacket boasts ample wing vents, and all flower-petal flats are easily removable for flight.
Eugenie Bird says that flipping through vintage issues of FLAIR, Fleur Cowles's influential fashion magazine of the 1950s, helped her achieve the perfect fashion-savvy tone. Combing through books such as THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES by Katharine Briggs alerted her to such details as the fact that not all fairies have wings, necessitating the use of flying aids such as special hats. And the author's innate love of fairies and nature went a long way toward helping her shape the background story, written in the voice of a breathless young fairy. Offering details only an insider could know, she follows a whirlwind season of social events that begins with a royal cotillion at the first bluebells' bloom and ends with a Fairie Tale Wedding on Midsummer's Eve.
Eugenie Bird has taught art, edited books for Senator Adlai Stevenson, assisted the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and created a cultural history program for grammar schools. She is also a certified arc welder. In her spare time, she says she enjoys "all sorts of things--reading, art, writing, gardening, cooking--which I try to do as well as I can. I like to surprise myself." The author and her husband raised two children and now divide their time between Chicago and their Vermont farm, which they share with a thriving fairie community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 8, 2008
A gorgeous and stylish book! What fun to explore and savour. The fairy fashions are exquisite, some seem quite contemporary and others very whimsical. The materials are all natural--feathers, flowers, seeds, pebbles, shells--and styles range from ball gowns to swimsuits to daywear to wedding attire. The spread on hats alone will bring huge smiles! The book is beautifully assembled, lots of gorgeous glossy photographs, pretty sketches, vellum, fold-out spreads, an invitation to a fairy-ball tucked inside a vellum envelope. What imagination--and what eye candy! (You might just wish you were a small, winged thing so that you could wear these fashions, too!)
Note that the book is really all about fashion and that the "fantasy" element is that the fashion is for fairies and the materials are so charming and appropriate for this purpose. The book is NOT really "about" fairies so if you are looking for that sort of thing, you will not find it here.
Note that the book is really all about fashion and that the "fantasy" element is that the fashion is for fairies and the materials are so charming and appropriate for this purpose. The book is NOT really "about" fairies so if you are looking for that sort of thing, you will not find it here.
September 3, 2017
This is probably one of my most favourite books from my childhood. My mother bought it for me when I went through a huge obsessive period of loving anything magical and fantastical (and honestly to this day I still feel the same way). There are some incredible designs in here that are seasonal and different occasions like weddings etc., with the attire ranging from shoes, hats and even complete outfit sets. Whenever flicking through this book my imagination creates little scenarios in my head of little fairies in different social situations wearing these outfits. The designs are beautiful and are made with such a sense of realism as the materials used are parts of nature like leaves, twigs, grass, petals and feathers. I've never seen a book quite like this one and I know it's something I'll hold onto and share with my children and their children to come.
March 21, 2023
This is so much fun to look through. The writing occasionally verges on vapid, but luckily the book is mostly photographs--and what photographs! The little fairie clothes are almost impossibly beautiful and detailed.
June 11, 2021
This enchanting book is more pictures than text but it is a one of a kind delight! Looking forward to exploring this book over and over with my grandkids.
June 12, 2021
Love, love, love! I first encountered this book ages ago when I was a broke teenager with no income source while I was at a local book store. I was entranced. I wanted it so much, but big, beautiful hard cover photobooks were definitely not a thing I could afford. Fast forward to a little while ago when I was remembering this book and I suddenly realized that I am a grown up with a good job now and I can buy books if I want to. So I did.
This is a fashion album of beautiful, whimsical creations all made of flowers, plants and other natural materials. They are arranged in sections with micro stories about and where the fairies would wear the outfit. The illustrations and the photographs are amazing. The book design and production are incredible as well. Different kinds and weights of paper are used. There are little fold outs and pockets. Colours and foil. Lovely.
My daughters have being pouring over the book as well and how we have to go out walking every day so that we can pick up little bits of plants and things so they can make their own fairy fashions.
This is a fashion album of beautiful, whimsical creations all made of flowers, plants and other natural materials. They are arranged in sections with micro stories about and where the fairies would wear the outfit. The illustrations and the photographs are amazing. The book design and production are incredible as well. Different kinds and weights of paper are used. There are little fold outs and pockets. Colours and foil. Lovely.
My daughters have being pouring over the book as well and how we have to go out walking every day so that we can pick up little bits of plants and things so they can make their own fairy fashions.
August 30, 2012
I was most pleased with the book. This is such a whimsical tribute to Faery art! Ellwand has fashioned the most petite, realistic, gowns spun from delicate flower petals, tender new leaves that appear to have been dried in the summer sun. The diminutive shoes are so imaginative, everything from high-heels to boots fashioned from feathers offered here are for the most discerning faery. Included in the complete bridal collection are not only home-grown gowns for the sprites that serve as bridesmaids, to botanical attire for the parents, and of course for the bride, feather gowns and veils of air. I have worked as a floral designer for over 40 years, and have a deep appreciation for the incredible amount of work that went into these tiny designs. It's truly a wonderfully, delicious and most unique art book! Here's to Ellwand.
October 12, 2009
This is a marvelous book of finery designed to be worn by faeries. Materials include pressed flowers, feathers, seashells, and other natural objects. Fashions have drawing concepts to go with the finished products. The photography is fabulous. The writing is witty.
To give you an example of the feel of the book, here is a quote from a review on Amazon:
The descriptions for the designs are each more breath-taking than the one before as evidenced by this commentary for the astonishing Maid of Honor dress: "Silky crow feathers and a single green parrot feather gather in layers, creating the touch-me velveteen look of the skirt - spellbinding. The bodice and straps are lily leaves; the overbodice, a whispering tracery of skeleton leaf. Sumptuous."
To give you an example of the feel of the book, here is a quote from a review on Amazon:
The descriptions for the designs are each more breath-taking than the one before as evidenced by this commentary for the astonishing Maid of Honor dress: "Silky crow feathers and a single green parrot feather gather in layers, creating the touch-me velveteen look of the skirt - spellbinding. The bodice and straps are lily leaves; the overbodice, a whispering tracery of skeleton leaf. Sumptuous."
August 18, 2014
Oh my goodness! As soon as you open this book you know it's special. There's a few pages in the beginning that are interactive & I found myself catching my breath or whispering, "Oh!"with each page I turned. From the textured cardstock pages, thick vellum paper, the font, the illustrations, the photography, the writing you can't help, but notice every captivating detail. And then we come to the magnificent fairie fashions. Art & imagination know no bounds in this beautifully presented book. Anybody who loves fairies & fashion will be blown away. The artistry is so unique & exquisite. I was completely enchanted. Oh, to be a fairie. I didn't give it 5 stars because I selfishly & simply didn't want the book to end. I wanted more.
February 10, 2018
Do you build fairy gardens?
Do you have a fairy door in your house?
Do you watch the Tinkerbell movies and admire the artist's attention to detail?
If you said yes to any of the above, you will likely enjoy this beautiful fairy fashion book!
Do you have a fairy door in your house?
Do you watch the Tinkerbell movies and admire the artist's attention to detail?
If you said yes to any of the above, you will likely enjoy this beautiful fairy fashion book!
August 11, 2019
Absolutely gorgeous fairy fashions! The imagination that went into creating these enchanting pieces is incredible!
February 14, 2025
A gorgeous collection of fantastical fairy gowns and garments, for every occasion. Lovely illustrations.
October 24, 2025
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous! I love the imagination and use of natural elements in every creation.
September 10, 2016
This book is not about art, it is a piece of art! I'm don't usually go for fairies but I could not walk out without this book once it caught my attention. It is a fashion catalogue from the House of Ellwand, top fairie couturier...
Designed like a genuine high-end catalogue with fashion illustration and fancy inserts, Fairie-ality is rich in textures, whether from the different papers used or the beautiful photography, always consistent with what the aesthetics of a tiny nature-dwelling people might be. The star, of course, is the collection itself, a treasury of tiny outfits made of natural materials– feathers, leaves, petals, shed snakeskin, you name it – and photographed for the catalog. The ingenuity of the creations and the dazzling presentations still make me squeak at every page. There are dresses, hats, bathing suits, jackets, shoes, and just when you think you can't be stunned anymore... the wedding dress. Who'd have thought fairies could be so trendy?
The one things I regret, to nitpick a bit, is the somewhat cheap-looking drop shadow used for the pieces – such a beautiful product deserved better!
But don't let that deter you if you love fairies, fashion or simply beautiful things, this is a bouquet of inspiration and wildflowers.
Designed like a genuine high-end catalogue with fashion illustration and fancy inserts, Fairie-ality is rich in textures, whether from the different papers used or the beautiful photography, always consistent with what the aesthetics of a tiny nature-dwelling people might be. The star, of course, is the collection itself, a treasury of tiny outfits made of natural materials– feathers, leaves, petals, shed snakeskin, you name it – and photographed for the catalog. The ingenuity of the creations and the dazzling presentations still make me squeak at every page. There are dresses, hats, bathing suits, jackets, shoes, and just when you think you can't be stunned anymore... the wedding dress. Who'd have thought fairies could be so trendy?
The one things I regret, to nitpick a bit, is the somewhat cheap-looking drop shadow used for the pieces – such a beautiful product deserved better!
But don't let that deter you if you love fairies, fashion or simply beautiful things, this is a bouquet of inspiration and wildflowers.
August 12, 2009
A beautiful book of fairy couturier clothing for every occation. All the outfits are made from items found in nature.
The dresses are so beautiful, I wish I could have one for real.
Which one would you wear if you were a fairy?
*The Fanciful Pheasant for fall?
The Fanciful Pheasant-Pheasant feather skirt, beaech leaf bodice, and the unexpected Chinese lantern puff sleeves.
@Titania Gown for dancing?
Skin-tingling combination of pigeon (the skirt) and pheasant (the sleeves) with constricted snakeskin bodice.
*Stargazer Spring Dress for running thru spring roses?
The skirt is a carnival of stargazer lilies; the top, a wrapped lilly, secured by narrow lily straps.
^The Rhubarb Skirt goes with everything for going everywhere.
Wide-wale rhubarb leaves topped with an oak leaf belg, rosebuds, and a red rum seed. Decorous yet earthy.
Don't forget the hats, shoes, and swimwear!
The dresses are so beautiful, I wish I could have one for real.
Which one would you wear if you were a fairy?
*The Fanciful Pheasant for fall?
The Fanciful Pheasant-Pheasant feather skirt, beaech leaf bodice, and the unexpected Chinese lantern puff sleeves.
@Titania Gown for dancing?
Skin-tingling combination of pigeon (the skirt) and pheasant (the sleeves) with constricted snakeskin bodice.
*Stargazer Spring Dress for running thru spring roses?
The skirt is a carnival of stargazer lilies; the top, a wrapped lilly, secured by narrow lily straps.
^The Rhubarb Skirt goes with everything for going everywhere.
Wide-wale rhubarb leaves topped with an oak leaf belg, rosebuds, and a red rum seed. Decorous yet earthy.
Don't forget the hats, shoes, and swimwear!
February 10, 2011
this book is SO incredibly breathtaking! There are no words to describe it, iv'e owned it for 3 or 4 years now and i still am awed by the beauty of all the amazing faerie clothes!
If you love faeries, and love art that go buy this book! It will take your breath away. Iv'e been desperately trying to get my hands on the new Faerie-Ality book that came out a year or so ago, but its hard to find in canada.
If you love faeries, and love art that go buy this book! It will take your breath away. Iv'e been desperately trying to get my hands on the new Faerie-Ality book that came out a year or so ago, but its hard to find in canada.
October 31, 2013
Another one of the books that fell in line with the fairy trend. And I bought into it every second. The outfits are cute, yes, but who honestly has the time to craft and painstakingly arrange and photograph and then assemble them all in to a book? It's a good book to flip through while you're waiting at the library for your mom to pick you up, but I wouldn't buy it to flip through more than once. Good for creativity, yes. Good for longevity, no.
June 15, 2008
What will the fairies be wearing this season? Calla lilies and rose petal dresses, rhubarb skirts, gerbera daisy bell-bottoms, or snakeskin bikinis? This fashion catalogue for the wee folks will set the trends, in a very beautiful coffee table book that several readers asked for as a Christmas present.
February 27, 2009
Beautiful illustrations and photographs of the tee tiniest fashion line on earth.
Garments made from flower petals, moss, acorns, bark and fern- vivid colors and textures, sure to delight all the Thumbalinas and Tinkerbells in the world.
Now, if only these natural items could be made large enough to fit human!
Garments made from flower petals, moss, acorns, bark and fern- vivid colors and textures, sure to delight all the Thumbalinas and Tinkerbells in the world.
Now, if only these natural items could be made large enough to fit human!
May 17, 2013
The creations are incredible, but it would be better if there were instructions as to how to make your own 'fairy fashions'. It's also a shame that when you do make them they don't last long, as the petals dry out etc.
September 14, 2013
This is one of my favorite books. It brings me back to my childhood to when I believed in fairy tales. Also, I'm an art minor and find the clothing in this special book to be very inspiring. My paintings include many of the outfits in this book.
August 24, 2009
Beautiful, great gift for fairie lovers.
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March 19, 2010Little things can be the prettiest things. Sometimes the most unlikely things can be the prettiest.
December 15, 2010
A fun little book perfect for anyone who loves fashion and fairies.
August 13, 2011
If you love fashion, whimsy and fantasy, this is the book to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 17, 2011
Meh. That's about all I have to say for this book. Meh. It was boring and I was expecting more. I'm not sure what sort of photgraphs I wanted to see... but it wasn't this.
It WAS pretty though.
It WAS pretty though.
January 18, 2013
This was a cute book. It would be good for individuals interested in fashion and little girls who love to play dress up.
May 26, 2013
I really love this book. It is so beautiful and imaginative, making me wish I could join the fairies with their parties and amazing outfits :)
August 2, 2013
clever
August 15, 2013
What a gorgeous book - so creative! If you like plants and flowers, fairies, photography, fashion, and art - this book is for you!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews