Khaleesi Couture

For my Friday night look for my son’s recent bar mitzvah I wanted a Game of Thrones “winter is coming” aesthetic. I thought of this concept years ago, way before I started planning anything else. I remember watching GOT and thinking this is exactly how I want to look at my baby’s bar mitzvah. Wintery, regal, and dramatic but not costumey. This is my only winter baby and the season was in full force a couple weeks ago, being that it was 3 degrees Saturday morning!!!! Extreme objectively but especially in this mild winter we’ve had so far.

My dramatic but soft braid and makeup offset the outfit, balancing out the mood of the overall statement. Harsh makeup would have looked ridiculous and unnatural and way too theater-ish. I had a trial with my longtime stylist to perfect the braid. It needed to be long, romantic, and just soft enough to compliment the strong statement of the outfit. I bought this incredible Rosie Assoulin black patent leather ballgown skirt 7 years ago. It’s a special, red carpet piece that deserves a show stopping moment at a special occasion. I knew it would be perfect for the look I was aiming for. I bought this velvet L’Agence star blazer off Instagram 3 weeks before the bar mitzvah. The lace turtleneck with the poet peekaboo sleeves has also been in my wardrobe for 7 years. The lace gave breath to the other pieces so the look didn’t get heavy and stark.
I’m so proud that just like for my other son’s bar mitzvah a few years ago, I didn’t jump to buying something new. For both occasions I pulled from my fabulous wardrobe and created special looks for these major milestones. What am I keeping these clothes for, a museum? And no, I don’t work with a stylist. I genuinely enjoy using what I already have to keep creating new interesting ensembles. You can’t see my shoes but they are old black Manolo slingbacks with silver detail. I took them off halfway through the evening and walked around barefoot underneath my huge skirt.

The Friday night Shabbat service and formal meal was the dressiest event over the 72 hours of celebration. It was a magnificent affair for which my team and I pulled out all the stops, from food to decor to the details on the prayer books. It kicked off the weekend and set the tone for a fabulous celebration that my son worked so hard for. This was my last mitzvah event since he’s my youngest and my ex husband and I wanted it to be spectacular and special, which it was. My looks throughout the weekend had to match that energy and I enjoyed every moment of dressing myself and my family. Talia Gollender of Event Styled was the biggest help with styling my daughters throughout the weekend.

This outfit truly made me feel all the things a bar mitzvah mother should feel while honoring herself as the hostess and matriarch of such a monumental occasion: beautiful, sovereign, strong, elegant, and show stopping. I felt like a million bucks. We all deserve that.

**pardon the giant water marks from the photographer :)