Over the last few months, I’ve been rebuilding much of Atèlette behind the scenes in ways I was not anticipating at the start of the year. After nearly three years with our previous production partner, it became clear it was time to move on which ultimately asked me to slow down, reevaluate, and go back to the drawing board.
It was a really disappointing season for me creatively and emotionally, thought it did give me the opportunity to think more about how I want Atèlette to grow moving forward, which is with more intention and alignment with this chapter of my life.
Thank you for continuing to be here through this quieter season and unexpected transition. I’m (cautiously) excited for what’s ahead! LOL. Just have to be real!
“With every broken vessel comes the possibility of a new form.”
— Ate Lette
Hello. 🤍✨☀️🐌🍅
It's been a while since I've done an introduction.
I recently rewrote the about section on the website (and redesigned it and currently working on updating our branding as well).
From our about page: "My name is Rodellee Bas. I am a collector, maker, and more importantly a lifelong student of beauty, craft, and the natural world. The way I see and make has been shaped by the places I have called home: from the Philippines, where I was born between the sea and rolling farmlands, to the Hudson Valley, the wide open skies of Texas, the dimly lit streets of Budapest, the bustle of Los Angeles, and now the vast varied landscapes of Oregon, which I find the most inspiration in."
P.S. - I honestly no longer know how to talk like myself or about myself on this platform. There's something about "creating a brand" that feels like I have to show up a certain way and I struggle with it, but I also don't put that much energy or worry about it too much. I have a lot of energy, but it is finite and I'd rather spend that energy on things that matter to me.
So, hello there. Say hi! Thank you for meeting me where I am. I appreciate your presence so much.
POV - You come across a consciously crafted slow fashion label that prioritizes natural earth friendly fibers, timeless vintage inspired silhouettes, and creates custom reproduction prints and embroidery inspired by antique heirlooms and keepsakes. Welcome to Atèlette, I'm glad you found us, glad you're here!
Yesterday, I was wearing the Florenzia Dress (released in 2023) and a woman came up to me and said "I have that dress too!" I was tickled! I said "I designed this!" She responded with "I know, I have a few of your pieces!" She was an older woman and paid me this compliment, "I just think it's great your clothes also fit me."
Later that afternoon, I was casually chatting with another woman and then realized she was also wearing one of pieces, the Hansen Jacket. She said she had been looking forward to wearing it since she bought it last winter at one of our stockists.
These interactions meant a lot to me and your kind reviews and feedback really brighten and lift my spirits. Thank you for taking the time.
While I have assistance in other aspects of Atèlette, all of the designing, research, fittings, tweaks and fine tuning is just me. It is an enormous amount of labor and honestly, sometimes I get really discouraged (for a myriad of reasons, which I'm sure any small business/maker/artisan can relate to).
Coming Soon | Lourdes Top
I named this top after my Lola, Maria Lourdes.
Inspired by an Edwardian era corset cover, though with a bit more tailoring with curved seams in the back and darts in the front. She looks simple, but this style went through so many iterations to get here — from color and dye experiments (leftover indigo dye from denim) to lace trim, buttons, and sleeve changes. As she is now, I love her. A beautifully tailored timeless summer top with a touch of romantic details.
Join the waitlist on the website. Expected release is mid May.
Note on Sizing: This top is meant to be fitted. If you want a slightly relaxed but still form fitting silhouette, I recommend sizing up (especially if you're a C cup or larger). I can wear the 32 or 34 (I'm a 32 with a 31B" bust) but I was feeling rather bloaty when I took these photos, so I opted for a 34.
✸ New Journal Post ✸
Quick intro! Good morning! This blogpost of our short and sweet trip was so much fun to create, I felt like I was making a scrapbook of my camping trip, and well in a way, I did! I have always loved journaling and scrapbook making (I got into digital scrapbooking in high school, but prior to that was an old school scrapbooker). Full entry and more photos are in the journal. I also included links and resources.
A Midweek Reset in High Desert
"Time feels as if its moving slower and I also feel transported back in time. Just for this evening, it's the 90s again. The internet barely exists. Everyone has a landline. We still write letters."
Link: /blogs/journal
Lots of feels as of late. We're currently hosting our Spring Equinox Sale on the site and while I SHOULD be promoting it more, I'd rather share these thoughts that have been on my heart as of late.
P.S. - We removed the password lock for the sale as so many people were having issues accessing the website. These thoughts were written down throughout the past few weeks in my journal and it seems so ironic that of course we have technical issues (that didn't exist the last time we hosted a password access sale) during this season's sale.
Scenes from the atelier from the last few weeks.
1. A preview of four new additions for our mid Spring chapter. The Marin Skirt, the Lourdes Top (named after my Lola), the Bellecombe Dress (we experimented with using leftover indigo dye to achieve this color), and the Idyll Dress (similar to the Andes Dress in spirit, but ankle length, will be a true maxi if you're on the petite side).
2. A special sneak peek at the Louise dress that I shrieked over when trying on. It is absolutely so perfect. I love romantic dresses that are more on the simpler side, I don't really like a lot of ornamentation on garments and this one I feel like I really found that balance and I love her so much! Most likely a summer release.
3. Details of Spring/Early Summer. Cotton, cotton, cotton. A new print! Lots of eyelet. Love, love, love!
4. Team shipping out your orders.
5. From our sample fitting. The past 3-4 weeks it has been really cold, rainy, and miserable so I'm almost always in fleece lined sweats, woolen socks, and layering old sweaters. This was our first sample fitting where my fit notes were minimal. I almost wanted to cry. That has never happened and it felt like a testament to how much time I have spent trying to improve my self-taught designing/technical skill set.
A little reflection for the weekend and a small introduction to new faces around here.
The name Atèlette is derived from the Filipino word Ate (pronounced A-tey or A-tee depending on your region) meaning “older sister, sister figure”. It is both a term of endearment and a word that denotes respect. It is what my little sister calls me. It is what I call my cousins or close friends who are slightly older. Lette was my childhood nickname. I’m really not sure how Lette was derived from Rodellee, but Filipinos are affectionately odd about nicknames.
I didn’t go to design school or fashion school. I’m self taught though having been an antiques and vintage clothing seller in a previous chapter of my life really gave me the foundation about clothing construction and silhouettes. My mother was also a seamstress and dressmaker, though I did not inherit any of her sewing talents, sadly.
I did inherit her ability to be able to look at things and figure out how they go together and that’s been incredibly useful. 🤎
If you’re new here and curious or just want to chat or get to know me or the line/brand better, feel free to ask me questions!
Some reflections on softness, where my mind has been at (which runs tangent with my heart), and my hopes as we step into a new year.
“Harshness vanished.
A sudden softness has replaced the meadows' wintry grey.
Little rivulets of water changed their singing accents.
Tendernesses, hesitantly, reach toward the earth from space,
and country lanes are showing
these unexpected subtle risings
that find expression in the empty trees.”
- Rainer Maria Rilke
On the horizon…
The Theodosia took me so many, many tries before she finally felt right. She’s different enough from the original design, I actually had three different patterns made. My main sources of inspiration were two dresses that featured lace necklines and waistlines. One was from the 1940s and the other from the 1970s. Initially this was going to be made in a double cotton gauze, but it made it a bit too bulky, so I opted for a single gauze delicately striped cotton and now she feels airy and poetic as I intended.
Join the waitlist online to be notified when the Theodosia will be available for pre-order.
