Louisiana in September was like an obscene phone call from nature. The air–moist, sultry, secretive, and far from fresh–felt as if it were being exhaled into one’s face. Sometimes it even sounded like heavy breathing. Honeysuckle, swamp flowers, magnolia, and the mystery smell of the river scented the atmosphere, amplifying the intrusion of organic sleaze. It was aphrodisiac and repressive, soft and violent at the same time. In New Orleans, in the French Quarter, miles from the barking lungs of alligators, the air maintained this quality of breath, although here it acquired a tinge of metallic halitosis, due to fumes expelled by tourist buses, trucks delivering Dixie beer, and, on Decatur Street, a mass-transit motor coach named Desire.
It’s a party!
While in New Orleans for a Vanity Fair shoot, Summer was invited to a party taking place next month at the Queen Anne Ballroom in the city’s Hotel Monteleone, famous for its literary associations. Rumor has it that an editor from a New York publishing house will also be there. Summer’s been working on a behind-the-scenes tell-all about the models of LJ Runway Monday, but she knows everybody corners editors at parties with their book ideas.
“I need to lure him to me,” she explained when she called her favorite designer, Becks. “Then ensnare him!”
“You sound like a spider,” Becks said, but agreed to meet Summer near Jackson Square to discuss design ideas. While walking to the Café Du Monde for a beignet and café au lait (Becks) and bottled water (Summer), Becks saw this sign.
Photo copyright JennAn idea was born. And as an editor might say, “Then what happened?”
The white tile with its royal blue and gold colors is repeated in Summer’s dress.
Anyone familiar with the Gulf Coast climate understands the appeal of linen. The crisp, wraparound skirt of Summer’s dress stays away from her legs and breathes, helping her triumph over a sultry New Orleans night. The gold gossamer flowing around Summer as she moves gives the illusion of a breeze–and is ready to be spun into a web to catch her editor!
The bodice of the dress is a modified bustier. The stiff linen front pulls away from Summer’s chest, allowing her skin to breathe–no smelling salts needed!–before hugging her body under the bustline. Across the bodice is the top petal of a fleur de lis (or “flower of the lily”), and the stems of all three petals adorn the front of the skirt. The fleur de lis, from the Court of Louis XIV, is a New Orleans symbol seen everywhere, including the Saints’ football helmets, French Quarter balconies, Garden District iron fences, and handcrafted jewelry.
The bottom petals of the fleur de lis wrap around Summer’s sides and connect at her spine. The entire fleur de lis is trimmed in gold braid, reminiscent of the gold trim on the tiled street sign.
Along with gold gossamer, Summer’s hair has an iridescent bead band to keep it off her neck. It may be months away from Mardi Gras, but you never have to look far to find beads in New Orleans.
Last week’s “hay” has been spun into this week’s gold.
The complete look.
On Bravo’s Project Runway, the designers were sent into the Manhattan night to take photos inspiring them to create a “night on the town” look for their models. Our own Heidi Gunn gave the LJ Runway Monday designers a twist on this challenge. They had to find a photo that inspired them to create a look for a night out in the Crescent City.
You can see Mark G. Harris’s design here, and Timothy J. Lambert’s design here. Beginning sometime Monday, you can also keep up with what the judges are saying on Heidi Gunn’s LJ.
I revised this entry with a quote about New Orleans from one of my favorite authors because that was another part of the challenge, as Heidi Gunn so gently reminded me after I posted the first time.
For my previous designs:
Oh man… so much similarity…
I not only need to redo my dress, but I also need to rewrite my design defense. I wanted to use sultry! UGH!!!
Well done, fellow competitor (or doll dressmaker).
THANK YOU. But I think you are lying. Let’s see it.
Coming right up. I need to nix all my sultries.
Okay, the entry’s posted. I kept my sultriness and my spun and said, “Screw it.” : )
Great minds, you know…
Use ‘moist’ instead.
ewww…
Did you see that Tom Robbins used “moist?” I know I’ll catch hell from Marika for that.
Ha! It slipped my notice. He’s freakin’ brilliant. “Barking lungs of alligators”… it’s enough to make me consider writing instead of fashion design– what a mad idea!
You know, the gators are on a rampage down here…
That means you’ve typed moist twice now!!!!
What a fun dress. And it’s hot, too. Or, not hot, because it’s linen…erm…you know what I mean!
Thank you.
I love the flare of the skirt. So pretty. I need to reread all of the Tom Robbins novels. They helped me survive high school.
Perhaps the real mark of their success in Becky World is that they survived the fact that I shared them with the person who made 1983-1986 such a living hell.
UNTAINTED–that’s what they are.
P.S. Thank you for the praise of the skirt. I actually worked quite hard on it. I think that Mark, Tim, and I are all surprised at ourselves–as silly as this whole thing is, we want to create something more than a halfhearted effort. Maybe some of that stems from a genuine respect for the creativity of the real PR designers–and the creative process in general.
Personally, putting an artistic effort out there for commentary is very motivating, too.
How lovely.
I’d like to see a close up of the beads.
Will provide as soon as I go to my desktop. (Currently on laptop at Tim’s–no photos here!)
Here you go, Judge Miranda Priestly:
great job! I love all the inspiration that went into this dress!
Thank you so much!
Becky, Becky, Becky– When you were little, did you have those Mary Janes that came with an assortment of clip-on jewels and bows so that you could customize your shoes to match your outfit? It seems like you either had some or really wanted some! I like the gold trim this week much better than the raffia last week.
Seriously though, Mary thinks you knocked it out of the park with the fleur de lis bodice. Mary thinks you must have worked as hard on this one as Suede did on his week two dress. So Mary likes yours the best, but don’t tell Tim and Mark.
When you were little, did you have those Mary Janes that came with an assortment of clip-on jewels and bows so that you could customize your shoes to match your outfit?
Unlike you and Suede, when I speak in third person, this is who appears:
“Becks personally believes… that U.S. Americans are unable to match their shoes to their outfits… because…
“Uh… some people out there in our nation don’t have Glamour Don’ts…
“And… uh… Becks believes that our shoe fashion sense, like such as in South Africa and… uh… the Iraq, everywhere, like, such as…
“And Becks believes that they should…
“Our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S… uh…
“Or, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries…
“So we will be able to build up our fashion future… for our children.”
Okay, seriously, thank you for the praise of the dress, and I promise to tell Tim and Mark nothing. They seem to each think you like their designs best! Crazy, huh? =)
Bah! Silly boys!
Ha haaa on the user pic.
What a fun little number this is! (With accessories too!) My favorite part? The crisp linen; You know how I hate wrinkles! 😉
Sweetie, your dislike of wrinkles has put many a man in the chair for Botox injections.
(Thank you! I ironed! Twice!)
Sweetie, your dislike of wrinkles has put many a man in the chair for Botox injections.
It’s like you can see right through me.
Summer’s been working on a behind-the-scenes tell-all about the models of LJ Runway Monday
Does she reveal that Figaro used to be a GI Joe?
That’s a blatant lie! Figaroid doesn’t have a grip on anything, much less a kung fu one.
Good point.
loves it!
Thank you, kind sir!