Runway Monday All Stars: Made in the USA Today

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were shown a collection of photos that had been Tweeted by fans to be used as inspiration. The idea was that every picture tells a story; the designers were asked to create a look that would tell a visual story that evoked a headline. The winning designer would be featured with photos and an editorial piece in USA Today.

Since I didn’t have access to the photos collected by Project Runway and USA Today, I browsed photos from my Instagram, Flickr, and Twitter contacts. You can click here to see a photo that caught my eye at the beginning of the month and that I decided to use for my inspiration. This is a photo taken by Keri of a few days’ worth of eggs she collected from her wonderful backyard chickens, Maggie, Henrietta, Ruby, Etta, Ethel, and Winifred. Autumn being my favorite season, I love the colors of the eggs, as well as the shapes. I appreciate the idea that spring is not the only season that offers us gifts from nature. Plus I think Keri is a terrific photographer. If you click that Flickr link above, I highly recommend checking out the rest of her photos, especially her fantastic BuNnY*MoNsTeRz.

The egg photo reminded me of a vintage fabric (circa mid 1970s) that I’d been wanting to use for a while: leaves in autumn colors on a metallic blend. Skull Shores Lagoona Blue is the perfect monster to show off this fabric.

I created a dropped waist dress.

The neckline is asymmetrical, with a cap sleeve on one arm.

I love Mattel’s gold shoes. And note the scalloped hemline, which mimics the shapes of the eggs.

Hope this helps make the shorter days of fall a little brighter for you. See you next time on the runway!
Thanks, Keri, for the inspiration!

To see previous designs on All Stars Season 2:
Episode 3: Up Your Aerosol
Episode 2: Put On Your Dancing Shoes
Episode 1: Redemption on the Runway