The Mysterious Lady Delaney

 

Step into the backroom of Century Girl Vintage Boutique in the heart New Orleans on any given day, and it’s like stepping through the looking-glass. There’s something about the room you can’t quite place, a peculiar other-worldliness. The ghosts of bold, adventurous women with raucous laughs and enviously endless wardrobes fill the room. At first glance you may think you’ve stepped into an artist’s studio. Then you notice the strange objects of Lilliputian ephemera, Gothic intrigue, replicas of historic mansions. You have a slightly uneasy feeling that perhaps you’ve stumbled upon the scene of a murder. Oh, and paper dolls. There are paper dolls, too.

This is the workplace of Lauren Delaney George.

I first encountered Lauren’s talents in 2013, when the young entrepreneur was paying her way through college by selling dollhouse miniatures on Etsy. She began creating miniatures when her Grandpa made a beautiful log cabin dollhouse for her Grandma, called “Kate’s Cottage.” The first miniatures she ever created were Christmas gifts for her Grandma Kate, including family portraits, quilts and a copy of her Grandma’s wedding dress.

Lauren’s Etsy Shop is a book lover’s delight, with books, magazines and records, Doris Day to The Velvet Underground. She can miniaturize anything. (1:12 scale)

At the time, when I started collecting minis, miniature shops were full of shabby chic dollhouse decor and bakery accoutrements. Lauren’s store was quirky. Things you might find included a package of vintage ladies pantyhose, take-out menus, classified CIA files on the Kennedy assassination, a wall calendar from 1926, a microscopic laboratory slide – all in miniature. Her flair for replicating the minutiae of everyday life in 1:12 scale was uncannily exacting.

Her creativity spurred my own, as I let myself venture outside the confines of creating kitchens and Parisian boudoirs. Lauren gave me permission to create vignettes that I found compelling, that told a story.

My homage to the tortured writer. All documents and office supplies come from L.Delaney on Etsy.

When I needed classical sheet music for an October vignette I was creating, I knew Lauren’s shop was the only place I could turn.

“At their essence, miniatures are story-telling tools. As in theater, tiny scenes immerse the viewer in worlds inhabited by ghosts, infused with memory and promising adventure and exploration” Lauren said.

The Haunted Dollhouse

Late last summer, Lauren announced a new adventure she was embarking on, “The Haunted Dollhouse.” I asked her to explain it to us in her own words.

“In New Orleans, truth is stranger than fiction. This is especially true in the case of “The Haunted Dollhouse,” a violent crime involving a 1920s miniature collection. The dollhouse was created by an inmate at New Orleans’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane and is directly linked to a murder which took place in the French Quarter. Appraisers have spent years trying to crack the cryptic messages hidden in its construction. I’ve spent the past year researching it in the New Orleans archives and the inconsistencies of the murder investigation are so bizarre that I felt obligated to make them public. Amateur sleuths, crime connoisseurs, and miniaturists are all invited to take a crack at solving the case and may subscribe to receive the pertinent documents (and bloody artifacts) via www.TheHauntedDollhouse.com.”

Critical acclaim for The Haunted Dollhouse

Those brave (or foolish) enough to assist me with the investigation will receive a series of five packages over the course of 1-2 months.  Each package contains a cache of clues, miniatures, and archival documents.  Clues may take the form of an old telegram, a 1920s newspaper clipping, miniature artifacts, and simple DIY projects.  Each package is like another “chapter” in the deepening mystery, and as the story progresses, investigators reconstruct a dollhouse which is—EGADS—actually a crime scene.”

I, myself, helped Lauren solve a mystery last fall, and it was a one-of-a-kind experience. I couldn’t wait for each new package to arrive with clues. It was like receiving mail lost for 100 years. A cadre of my closest cohorts were just as eager as I was to unravel the mystery! Here we were in Minnesota in 2017, plumbing the private lives of the upper echelon of New Orleans society in the early 1900s.

These sumptuous jazz-age dresses could be plucked right out of Daisy Buchanan’s bedroom.  Shoes, tissue box, letter, book, and shopping bags all from Lauren’s shop, as well.

As you may have gathered from Part 1 of my interview with Lauren, Lauren is to vintage glamour, what Anna Wintour is to Vogue.  So, of course, when Lauren first added her  prohibition-era, paper confections, embellished with ribbon and sparkly bits, I was the first in line to snatch them up.

L. Delaney’s All Dolled Up is a love letter to the women whose dresses now gather dust in antique shops and attics.

They also caught the eye of Dover publications, who published Lauren’s first book in March of this year. Finally Lauren had the opportunity to marry her talents for costume design with her paper artistry, with her book, All Dolled Up.  

“I enjoyed creating paper dresses for my Etsy shop, but I had no intention of creating a book until Dover approached me.  I learned so much through the process of creating the dresses and miniature sets, then photographing and laying them out. It was a huge challenge and I’m really proud of the end result.

I have always loved draping as a method of design, and this process of creating paper dresses is similar.  In fact, there is a whole section in the book about “paper draping” for (tiny) fashion design.  With any creative project, you have to observe the properties of your chosen material and then let it do what it wants to some extent.  Probably the single most important step in the design to fabrication process is choosing the proper materials, whether it be a paper dress, fabric dress, or miniature world!”

As if offering to be Chickadee’s first featured artist wasn’t enough, Lauren has also offered to give away a signed copy of her book. In addition to a great story, paper dolls and richly-detailed backdrops, the book also provides step-by-step instructions for creating your own vintage couture designs. All Dolled Up will delight paper crafters and fashion-lovers alike. For your chance to win, simply comment below. The winner will be chosen by random drawing on May 15th.

Since her creativity seems to flow from an endless spring, I asked Lauren what she saw herself doing next.

“Well, I’m in the middle of working on my second book, and I’m also excited to expand the world that I first introduced in The Haunted Dollhouse. There are more mystery adventures in store.

I love the unpredictability of life. Ten years ago, in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have cooked up my current life. Ten years from now, I hope I’m still working at the things I love – designing and creating.”

For more information on Lauren’s many, many projects, visit www.ladydelaney.com.

Part One of Lauren’s Interview (her background and creative process)

 

 

 

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The Lady Delaney: Artist, Style Icon, Muse

 

I’m so excited to introduce a new feature to Chickadee, a featured female artist who inspires me with her talent, kindness and entrepreneurial spirit. The first woman is Lauren Delaney George. She is someone whom I’ve admired since I first discovered her Etsy shop in 2013, where I was surprised and delighted by her amazing shop, full of miniature delights.

Lauren attended NYU, where she spent 2 years in the school’s prestigious MFA program, and started her career working for E. Jean Carroll of Elle magazine fame, helping with a kooky side project social media game site that she had created, “Catch27.”

Since that time, I’ve discovered that she is a costume and set designer with feature films to her credit. She has worked with the likes of Colleen Atwood, 14-time Oscar nominee, on the film Public Enemies. Lauren’s clients include FAO Schwarz, Monique Lhullier, Erin Featherstone and the Cancer Research Institute. Her original artwork, The Exile of Prospero, debuted at the National Building Museum. She is a style icon with her amazing throwback vintage glamour. And most recently she published her first book, All Dolled Up to critical acclaim, with a second already underway.

Lauren’s office is located in the back of a fabulous vintage clothing store on Magazine Street in New Orleans, Century Girl.

Blog Summary: Lauren Delaney George is EVERYTHING. #allthegoals #ladyboss #shero #girlcrush

Whew. I had to get my fan girl enthusiasm out-of-the-way in order to write any further. Now that you know the gist of my feelings about Lauren, we can get to the heart of the matter…why she should be YOUR creative inspiration, too.

One of my absolute favorite projects of Lauren’s. The Haunted Dollhouse.

To me, there is nothing more inspiring than seeing a fabulous creative woman living her dreams, except for kindness, graciousness and willingness to encourage other artists in pursuing their dreams.

I asked Lauren if she would agree to an interview with me, with her knowing nothing about me and she eagerly accepted. So without further ado, I give you the much coveted interview.

Spooky things happened when I received goodies from Lauren, including this cool haunted mansion.

Melanie: First of all thank you for agreeing to this interview:

Lauren: I was so honored by your email! And holy moly is your blog b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. I’d love to help in any way that I can with a feature.

Melanie: Thank you. I’m so flattered. Well, I asked a million questions, so let’s jump right in. Are there other artists in your family?

Lauren: My dad is a doctor and though my mom received her MBA, she devoted her life to  raising three crazy children.  Both my parents are very creative.  My mom is a jack-of-all-trades crafter; she knits, quilts, cross stitches, etc.  My dad is really into history and has dabbled in state politics. He occasionally publishes articles and has created a couple of historical documentaries. Though I am the only “professional” artist in my family, traveling to Honduras on a medical relief trip with my dad this year gave me an entirely new appreciation of the artistry involved in cutting up and healing a body.  And my mom has really devoted her life to creating beautiful things for her family and loved ones to enjoy.

Her style…iconic.

Melanie: You’ve traveled all over the world. Did that have an impact on your creativity?

Lauren: I spent my junior year of college abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France.  I knew that I would never improve my French unless I was submersed in the actual culture.  Several years out of practice, I’m pretty rusty at the skills I picked up there, although I can still mostly understand when it is spoken to me.  When I was in 8th grade, my dad taught anesthesia for one month at a hospital university in Moshi, Tanzania.  My entire family accompanied him and I attended an international school with my siblings (International School of Moshi).  My ISM classmates were from all over the world. 

Melanie:  So you grew up surrounded by culture, art and history?

Lauren: We grew up really spoiled in the sense that art and creativity were always encouraged in our house.  In fact, our house has always been a bit of a circus, bustling with whatever people’s current projects are!  My brother would often film movies with his friends there, and once even built a “submarine” film set in the garage.  My parents tend to adopt our friends, so there are always people coming and going when we are home.  

My parents are outgoing, creative people, unafraid to try new things.  They don’t operate under the idea that you must have a degree in whatever you decide to pursue.  Their fearlessness has been a major shaping influence in my life.  

One of Lauren’s exquisite dresses, that she generously shows you how to make in All Dolled up.

Melanie: Have you always known that you wanted to be a designer/artist/author?

I definitely didn’t grow up knowing this was what I wanted to do.  I’ve always enjoyed arts and crafts, but it didn’t even occur to me until I was graduating from college that I could make a career out of a creative field.  My interests and projects continue to evolve and I am curious to see what is in store!

Melanie: Who or what inspires you?

I’m really inspired by creative people and New Orleans happens to be filled with them!  The history of New Orleans also inspires me, because it feels like traveling back through time with all the history and interesting characters who populate the city today.  I also love just discovering other artists through the rabbit holes of Instagram and Pinterest.

Melanie: The best part of social media to me! I read that you met Costume Designer Colleen Atwood on the set of Public Enemies and she influenced your decision to go to NYU. 

Lauren: My encounter with her was hugely significant, because it got me thinking about that possibility. Meeting her was just such an awesomely weird and surreal experience.  It got my brain working on how costume design was this beautiful tangle of all the subjects I loved: history, fashion, and psychology.  

Melanie: Your artistic resume is so long and varied. You seem to have an ever-flowing river of ideas. Do you ever get stuck? Have you ever felt afraid to try something new?

Lauren: Yes, I definitely get stuck and I think that every human does at some point, regardless of their career choice. For me, the hardest part is sitting down to begin a project. 

Before I dive into something really consuming (like All Dolled Up or The Haunted Dollhouse), my soul gets a little weary thinking about how HUGE it seems. It always helps to break these monsters down into more manageable daily tasks. You need to be disciplined without being too hard on yourself.  Just set yourself up to be moving the project forward every day with small steps. 

For example, if you wake up and say, “I’m going to create a book about paper dolls today,” it’s never going to happen. Instead say, “Today I am going to rough draft a table of contents.  Tomorrow I will outline the introduction. The day after tomorrow, I will create a rough storyboard for the pages.”  The key is that none of these things has to be perfect. Just get your idea on paper and then keep refining it as you bring in new elements.

I am afraid on a daily basis. Fear is a completely normal reaction when you are confronting the unknown.  For a creative, this means not being able to envision the end product at the beginning, but trusting the process will bring you through to the end. 

One of Lauren’s miniature libraries available in her Etsy Shop.

Melanie: How do you approach a new project? Is your approach methodical, researched, experimental? Is there a Lauren Delaney process?

Lauren:  When starting a new project, I spend a lot of time exploring images and reading.  I am gauging my own reaction to things like tone, color, and setting. I make a lot of notes, collecting quotes from other writers, as I begin placing the images next to each other.  Finding the thread through this collection I’ve assembled is how I discover my own opinion about the world that I am creating. 

Melanie: Oh my! I still haven’t even tackled all my questions about your many projects that I REALLY want to talk about. Your miniatures, The Haunted Dollhouse and your new book, All Dolled Up. I think this is going to have to be a two-part interview.

This is Zelda, one of the guests at Lauren’s book launch party at Century Girl.

Lauren: Thank you so much again for caring about my work and sharing it with the world.

Lauren has very graciously offered to host a random drawing for a signed copy of her book, All Dolled Up. No purchase is necessary to enter. Simply follow my blog (not mandatory, but I hope you’ll come back for Part 2 of Lauren’s interview) and leave your email in the comments section, so I can notify you if you win. I will not use your email for marketing purposes or solicitation. The drawing will be held on May 15th.

Finally,  I want to end with what I think is one of the coolest things about Lauren. In 2013, during the height of Gatsby mania, when the remake of the classic movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan was coming out, Lauren won first place in the costume contest at The Gatsby Garden Party in Oheka Castle New York.

“Lauren is so cool,” said her #1 fan.

Photo Credit: Christopher Lane

To be continued…Part 2 coming soon.