As if giving our visiting fellow Runway Monday designer Mark G. Harris a hurricane wasn’t enough, Timothy and I also offered to take him to the fabric mecca of Houston: High Fashion downtown. After determining on Thursday that they were open for the first time since Ike blew through, your hardworking designers immediately siphoned gas from a neighbor’s vehicle jumped into the car for the adventure of shopping in a store that sustained hurricane damage. Water-saturated bolts of fabric were stacked throughout the sales floor waiting for the insurance adjuster, and men on ladders tore out pieces of the wet ceiling overhead, but we just shopped around the mess, doing our bit for the local economy. Although, um, when it comes to High Fashion, “economy” is not exactly the word of the day.
Why yes, that price does indicate that the fabric is $179 a yard.
Nothing’s too good for the Runway Monday viewers, right?
Dazzling.
The only time I’ve ever seen Tim bargain shopping.
“Does all that white make me look fat?”
Red is the new…red.
“Nikki will cut this.”
“I wonder if Figaro and Nikki are allergic to feathers…”
“Flashy!”
“Seriously, Becky, Summer would look great in a magenta sequined tube top.”
“Yeah, and here’s something for Figaro.”
“Oh, God.”
“I know!”
“Red. Still the new red.”
Thank you, High Fashion!
Meanwhile, back in the workroom:
Nikki has lost her panties again.
Testing to see how fabrics photograph and look on monitor:
(Note the Starbucks cup. One of our Starbucks is open, although it’s a bitch to get there because of too much traffic and no traffic lights.)
Figaro holds back Summer’s hair when she hurls up peach fabric.
Shelves of fabric:
Some trims:
Back to work!
Now, when I get the urge to go back to that store, I can come here and click! However, since I’m still in Houston, I’ve got a couple of more opportunities to browse with the swells. : )
“Figaro’s (green with flowers) Fabric” Is. To. Die. For. GAH.
I could think of about five designs for lengths of that fabric.
O.o
$179.00 a yard for fabric made me, a former (professional) seamstress and costume designer, choke.
You guys are fabulous. Such fun!
No wonder I asked to “friend” you!!
🙂
EEK–you’re a former professional seamstress? Thank heavens you can’t see my designs in person! I think you should be a contestant on the next Runway Monday!
That fabric store is amazing. And pricey. But when you’re shopping mainly for remnants, it’s not so bad.
Yes, Ma’am.
🙂
I did costume design and seamstressing/tailoring for entertainers (and by private hire) for nigh on fifteen years.
I still do costume design and tailoring (and sewing props, clothing, etc.) for performing magicians, these days… just fewer and further between ~ more for clients who are friends; by way of helping them out.
After a little over fifteen years of doing it ~ I’d found that I’d burned myself out.
🙁
Your designs have been very creative and wonderful! I think that I would give my eyeteeth to go to that fabric store. Just seeing your pictures of it made my heart go pitter~pat.
I’d love to participate in the next Runway Monday!
I always look forward to seeing all of your designs (and it gives me a thrill to see your matching shoes, each week!) ~ I am a die-hard designer, through and through…
You should see me hitting “refresh” on LJ come Monday mornings…
;^)
As said.
You guys are fabulous!
🙂
I really like the black that Tim is holding up!!
Actually Mark and David would look great in drag in any of those fabrics. (When they need to get their shoes, tell them to go to Amazon.com. There are lots of boots and shoes on there that just SCREAM drag queen!)
I don’t think either Harris or Lambert could convincingly drag, they’re way too butch. 😉
Ah, but I didn’t ask for convincing… 😀
Why exactly do you know this, Lisa??? Is there a secret life we don’t know about?
SHIT!! I mean to put “go to Amazon.com. There are lots of boots and shoes on there that just SCREAM drag queen!” before that comment.
Oops, I didn’t see this comment before I replied to your last one.
I got an email a week or so ago that Amazon was having a shoe sale, so I scrolled through to see what they had. (I got an $80 pair of sandals for $20. You should appreciate a deal like that.) Some of their shoes/sandals were quite interesting!
Yay on those sandals! I was good and avoided the Carter Kids yetserday when I was at Opry Mills. Although I did get a pair of dress pants for me for 14 bucks at GAP.
Haha! No. David said once (if I were Mark, I’d find/link it for you in about 30 seconds, but since I’m not…) that he’d like to surprise me once, just so he could say “I just had to!” as I’ve been known to say once or twice. I told him that having the two of them walk up to me in drag would probably surprise me. (I think it’s in the comments on the post about Mark’s NASA mug.)
Chris and I once discussed going for Halloween as Popeye and Olive Oyl. That would have bene my one time in drag.
Right you are, Lisa (as well as demented). Here it is in all its splendor. : )
This brings back memories of the countless hours of my childhood spent following my mother through Jo-Ann Fabrics as she searched for material. Of course, she never did make anything that was runway-ready (and in southern Maryland, where would she have worn it?), but she had a mean way with a Bernina.
Jeffrey R.
I had to look up Bernina! Whoa–sewing machines have come a long way.
I also remember going to fabric stores with my mother, and looking through pattern books for dresses she could make me.
Eeeeeeee, Becks! You saw the suggestion I left for Mark, right? That you should turn this idea into an ongoing community?
Reading the above commenter… look at the talent you are attracting already, with no effort! 🙂
Such a great idea begs for the LJ spotlight! *effuses*
Thanks, I did see your suggestion to Mark. Fortunately,, who’s our producer Heidi Gunn, was on top of that from the very beginning. Several Project Runway blogs, LJ, and other communities have all linked to us and helped build a following for Runway Monday thanks to her hard work.
Our posts, as well as links from our LJ friends in their posts, have also brought many new potential readers to us and to some of our judges, which–other than the sheer fun of “competing” with one another–is why we agreed to do it when we were initially asked. (My work is why I have a LJ in the first place.) The theme of my final collection (which I’ve been doing in little pieces in my spare time) even ties in to my fiction, including the novel that comes out in January.
Fantastic — let it roll.
“The theme of my final collection (which I’ve been doing in little pieces in my spare time) even ties in to my fiction, including the novel that comes out in January.”
How very cool! And…it’s coming out in january instead of February now?? YAY!!
My novel is January. The anthology is February. I think.
I had it in my head that both came out in February.
Wow, you guys must have had a field day in there. (“Thanks, Mood!”)
PS – Get Nikki some knickers!
We did say, “Thanks, High Fashion!” as we left the store. =)
and here I thought it was figaro who always flashed
Wow….what a fabric heaven. Luscious. Scumpscious. Beautiful indeed. Thank you for sharing it all.
You’re welcome. It’s a lovely place to dream of being a real designer.
Why’d you have to show me such a store when it is so close to shopping for Halloween fabrics??? That place makes our local Hancock’s look like crap. I’d kill to run around there.
I haven’t seen a Hancock’s in forever. Here, I really can only afford Jo-Ann’s.
That’s all we have is a Hancocks. I LOVED JoAnn’s when I lived in Lexington. There was one like five mintues from my first apartment.
Don’t mind me. Needed a High Fashion fix. From the future! [echo-echo-echo]
Ha ha ha. It’s like a little bit of heaven, isn’t it?