Deep in the dark woods of what is now Norway, a young girl marries a white bear to bring wealth to her impoverished family. This is a good arrangement because every night the bear takes his true form, that of a handsome prince, living under an enchantment by his troll stepmother and obligated to live as a bear or marry the Princess-With-a-Nose-Three-Yards-Long. (Note from the editor: In real life, it is more common to marry a handsome prince and discover later that he is actually a bear)

When our breathtaking heroine tells her mother everything, breaking her promise to keep the bear's identity a secret, the white bear and his magnificent castle disappear leaving the silly girl alone in the dark forest with nothing but her beauty for comfort.

As she walks along, sobbing over her fate, she decides she will find and win back her Bear Prince who lives in the castle east o' the sun and west o' the moon. The way is treacherous and she will arrive too late or never but she is as determined as she is silly and off she goes into the dark forest.

Along the way she finds the four volatile and ill-tempered Wind brothers who eventually blow her all the way to the door of the troll's castle, on the very eve of the royal troll wedding day. All the aristocratic trolls are awaiting the event, some of them wearing teapots and toilet bowls on their heads as the troll upper classes are wont to do. The silly girl, who has learned a few things since marrying a bear, challenges the Princess-With-a-Nose-Three-Yards-Long to a laundry duel for the prince and as trolls can only make things dirtier, she wins, getting the princely shirt clean of tallow and whiter than the winter sky that ever blankets the land of the trolls. At last the enchantment is broken.

The troll and her daughter are so enraged at being foiled that they explode on the spot and the Prince and the girl, who is so lovely, there is no end to her loveliness, marry, inherit the troll fortune and stroll into the sunset to live happily ever after, in the fairytale tradition.

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Our collection for summer 2011 is based on the journey, west of the moon, illustrated so delicately by Kay Nielsen...the sunset colors, some bright and others muted, the luster of silk and apricot glow of the setting sun through the the shadows of the forest. We hope you will love the clothes we have worked so hard to create for you!

This fairytale was photographed by our fantastic photographer, Andrew Swaine. Our lovely and tireless models, Ashley and Katie, were slightly enhanced by Alanna of Smoke Show Makeup Artistry ...many thanks to all.

Take Note: Our designs for summer 2011 are being made in very limited quantities and when they're gone they will become a part of history....not even a Time Machine will bring them back...!

View the Gypsy Moon Summer 2011 Collection, West o' the Moon.