Tag: dolls

LJ Runway Monday: A Little Bit of Fashion (PR 7:6)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create a look for children. My child model is a friend of Kelly, Barbie’s preschool-age sister, and is named, coincidentally, Becky.

Of course, as is usual with Project Runway, the day after getting their challenge, the designers were presented with a twist. They were also expected to create a companion piece for their models.

Models… No one who knows Summer thinks she wouldn’t be where the action is. Yep:


Vancouver! Before you start wondering why Summer’s with a different guy every week, I should tell you that this Olympic medalist is only a close friend.

Fortunately, the beautiful Gina was available to walk with little Becky down the runway. How do they look?

Please click here to see.

LJ Runway Monday: Run for Cover (PR 7:5)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create a look for a very special client: PR’s own Heidi Klum! Even better, Heidi would wear the winning design on the April cover of Marie Claire magazine.

When I heard about this wonderful opportunity, I knew exactly who I wanted to dress for the runway. So I was almost sad to hear from Summer. What if she wanted to be my model for this challenge? Turns out she was just e-mailing to say hello and send a photo that was taken as she was leaving for her Valentine’s Day weekend getaway.

So who would be wearing my design on the runway?

Please click here to see.

LJ Runway Monday: Design Your Heart Out (PR 7:4)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers had to create their looks in partnership with Campbell Soup’s campaign to raise awareness and funds for the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” movement. Their models this week were heart disease survivors, whose stories the designers found inspirational. The women would be wearing their dresses to a gala event to benefit heart health. The designs also became part of Campbell’s “AdDress Your Heart” campaign, which has enlisted top fashion designers for the last four years to create the red dresses that are now symbols of women’s heart health.

I was unable to find any of the Campbell Soup fabric that the designers were encouraged to incorporate into their designs, but I did use elements of Campbell Soup’s logo.

According to Summer’s agent, she was already booked for a photo shoot for another client. Translation:

No problem; I actually didn’t want Summer for this design. Instead, I chose Tanya as my model. Tanya is named for a woman who I still think of as my little sister. Although her primary health problem isn’t her heart, she has struggled with a life-threatening, chronic illness from a very young age. Her refusal to let health issues daunt her, along with her humor and common-sense approach to life, taught me lessons as a teenager that I still use every day. My design is a tribute to her and to all strong women who deal with health challenges.

And how does that design look? Please click here to see.

Hump Day Happy–Bridge Edition


Seriously? If these dolls are the true 2010 Harley couple, I could probably resist the Barbie, but I MUST HAVE KEN. I think they’re using the Twilight Edward face mold for this doll. Minus the sparkle on the paint job, of course. Team Ken!

For those who want to see how Meesh is meeting the weekly Project Runway challenges with style–and deriving one of her looks from one of my past designs!–you can see her high-end and affordable fashions right here. Tres chic!

Finally, what kind of person would get up in the morning, build a bridge, and risk the well-being of a unicorn named Charlie for YOUR happiness? Me, that’s what kind. Please comment with a page number between between 1 and 611, and another number between 1 and 25, and a trio of unicorns will float through these pages to find you some happiness.


It’s a bridge, Charlie!
A bridge that Becky constructed from toothpicks and burlap string!
She’s an engineer, Charlie! A civil engineer made of hope and wonder!

(Note: I realize Charlie’s in a perilous position due to the length of the bridge.
That’s because between these books is not the bridge’s real destination.
And also, everybody’s a critic.)

LJ Runway Monday: The Highs and Lows of Fashion (PR 7:3)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers went to the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the Charles Engelhard Court, they were given a chance to look at ten mannequins dressed in garments from the curatorial department of the Costume Institute, including looks from Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, Madame Grès, Claire McCardell, Norman Norell, Pauline Trigère, and other American and European fashion icons.

The designers were then broken into teams and given the task of creating a high-end signature look that would be appropriate among the ten iconic designs. After they’d sketched, shopped, and started sewing, the designers were presented with a twist. They had to create a second look that cost less and would be accessible to a mass market. Furthermore, their second look had to be derivative of the high-end look of one of the competing teams–without copying or pirating the original design. For their signature look, they went to Mood to shop for fabric with $500. For their derivative look, they were given $50 and a second trip to Mood.

Since I can’t be part of a team and am not competing with other designers, I decided to take what I think is a high-end look in Timothy J. Lambert’s final collection from the first season of Live Journal’s Runway Monday. For both of this week’s designs, I tapped into my vast collection of fabrics. But was I up to the challenge? And would Summer be available to model either of my looks?

As some of you may recall, Summer isn’t just a model, she’s also a college journalism student. According to her agent, she can’t take any modeling assignments until she finishes a big school project.

Uh-huh. Translation:

Okay, Summer’s out. But am I in?

Please click here to see.

Hump Day Happy–Substitute Edition

Heidi Gunn here. Becks is busy finishing a project and getting her house back in order. Knowing that I’m often called upon to fill in for the ever-pregnant Heidi Klum, Becks asked if I could fill in for her. I agreed on the condition that I be allowed to wear something from her Edith Head Collection. So here I am! All you have to do is give me a page number between 1 and 611, and another number between 1 and 25, and I’ll give you something from the happiness book.

Also, while I have you–another designer, Meesh, is doing the Project Runway challenges with her beautiful model Merisel. You can see her “Back to New York” design here. As soon as she posts her design for “The Fashion Farm,” I’ll provide the link. Enjoy!

Designing Women (and Mark G. Harris)

In my recent LJ Runway Monday post, I mentioned fabric that I was given by Lynne and Lindsey. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of Lynne’s donations, but there are some other people I’d like to mention, too. Kathy S saved a couple of bags of fabric scraps from being thrown away and brought them to me. I’ve gone through them and found some delightful little pieces that will be fun for designs. There are also a couple of pieces that are too large a scale for Barbie, like this one:

but you never know what use my trusty sewing machine and I might find for that. Be afraid. Yes, I’m talking to YOU.

Then, last night, I thought to go by the post office, where I found packages from Mark G. Harris and my LJ/FB/Twitter buddy Rain Wolfe. Mark sent some fabrics that he knew I’d love–thanks so much, Mark! There was also fabric in Rain Wolfe’s package. Of course, I’m not going to show y’all ANY of these fabrics because then it wouldn’t be a surprise when I use them in my designs. But I bring all this up for a reason.


Included in ‘s package was a book I’d never seen called The Art of Barbie. As described by the Daily Telegraph, the book, which came out in 2000 just after Barbie’s 40th birthday, presents “Unique and individual interpretations of Barbie by a diverse and glittering range of artists, photographers, designers and sculptors.” These include such fashion icons as Missoni, Prada, Jimmy Choo, and Paloma Picasso, among dozens of others. Considering my enjoyment of Barbie and fashion, it’s a perfect fit! Even better, all of the sales of the created designs and art, as well as all of Mattel’s licensing royalties, went to The Elton John AIDS Foundation. What a brilliant gift!


There is one distressing note. Tucked inside the book was this fantastic bookmark made by MouseRug. Their products are not just for mouse pads and bookmarks. Abby happened to be here because I was photographing her for a Flickr contact, and she pounced on my bookmark and claimed it for her loft apartment.

Oh, well, it is the Qashqa’i shekarlu rug, copied from the one that was draped over Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic couch. Maybe this will give Abby some interesting dreams.

Thank you all for the terrific surprises. I think you were instrumental in making my headache go away so I could finish my last painting well before the end of the week!

LJ Runway Monday: The Fashion Farm (PR 7:2)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were given the challenge of creating a party look from a burlap potato sack. They could use dyes, trims, and other embellishments, but the largest part of the design had to be from burlap. Since the models would be wearing the designs to an industry event, they were the designers’ clients for this challenge.

Summer’s agent once again had bad news for me. Summer had to rush to the bedside of her ailing, elderly aunt, so she couldn’t be my model this week.

Translation:

Fortunately, Ava, one of Mattel’s Birthstone Beauties who helped present my final collection last season, was available and willing to be my client. Could I prove true the old adage that a woman as beautiful as Ava would look good in a potato sack?

Click here if you’d like to see.

LJ Runway Monday: Back to New York (PR 7:1)

Boy, that was a fast break, and now Lifetime’s Project Runway has returned to New York for its seventh season. It was good to see Heidi and Tim again, and apparently Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are back to being permanent judges. This week’s theme was “Back to New York,” and Nicole Richie was the guest judge. You get to be MY guest judges, so feel free to add comments on any part of my design. The contestants–and I have no idea yet who they are; I always spend the first few episodes trying to sort them all out–were asked to create a look that provided their point of view.

Sadly, I was unable to book my model muse, Summer, for this challenge. Her agent says she’s ill. Visual translation from Agent Speak to Reality:

That’s okay. I’m sure we’ll be seeing Summer at some point this season, and my new friend Noelle was happy to work with me this week. Noelle was the model for Mattel’s 2008 Holiday Barbie, and she’s gorgeous.

I chose to go with one of my favorite dress styles with a few embellishments at the hemline and the collar. To mix things up a little, I decided to move away from the mod fabrics that I love and time travel to the 1980s.

How’d I do?

Please click here if you’d like to see.