Tag: fashion

Runway Monday All Stars: Flapper Fashion Face-Off

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were asked to create a modern look inspired by fashion of the 1920s for a woman going to one of three vintage events: an afternoon garden party, an after-hours speakeasy, or a social soiree.

My model for this design was a no-brainer: C.A. Cupid has the face and body embellishments I wanted to design for. I chose to dress her for an afternoon garden party.

The fabric I picked out, previously used by Timothy J. Lambert for his final collection in 2008, is subtly embellished with clear sequins which you can barely see in photographs.

Because the fabric is a sheer crepe, I first designed Cupid a strapless lace slip as an undergarment.

To show you the body embellishments I was designing around, here’s a close-up of Cupid’s hands and lower arms.

And her lower legs and feet. The shoes are by Mattel. I chose them not only because they’re black and white, but because their clunky quality grounds Cupid’s ethereal dress.

Stepping onto the runway in her completed design.

A closer view of the asymmetrical collar.

The natural scrunching of the fabric pulls it in at the hemline, an effect I wanted.

A very feminine daughter of Cupid. Hope you’ve enjoyed this challenge. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs on All Stars Season 2:
Episode 7: An Unconventional Nightmare Before Christmas
Episode 6: Green Dress for the Red Carpet
Episode 5: You’ve Got Male
Episode 4: Made in the USA Today
Episode 3: Up Your Aerosol
Episode 2: Put On Your Dancing Shoes
Episode 1: Redemption on the Runway

Runway Monday All Stars: An Unconventional Nightmare Before Christmas

This blog entry has modified photos and text from a previously published blog entry.

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were faced with the unconventional materials challenge. They were taken to a Christmas store and given a budget. One of the rules of the challenge was that the final design couldn’t look Christmasy.

I went to the 99 Cent store and found this stocking:

I decided to stay with the green color palette with my choice of a Monster High model, Venus McFlytrap. I designed a strapless, body-hugging dress using the stocking fabric with the satin finish.

I used the felt back of the stocking to create a double-breasted jacket for the dress.

Venus is ready for a holiday party without looking like a Christmas tree. The shoes are by Mattel, of course.


Hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s look. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs on All Stars Season 2:
Episode 6: Green Dress for the Red Carpet
Episode 5: You’ve Got Male
Episode 4: Made in the USA Today
Episode 3: Up Your Aerosol
Episode 2: Put On Your Dancing Shoes
Episode 1: Redemption on the Runway

Runway Monday All Stars: Green Dress for the Red Carpet

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were challenged to create a red carpet gown using only green, eco-friendly fabrics and materials. They were given Air Dye Fabrics to choose from. In addition, they could recycle some of the trims they’d used on previous challenges to enhance their designs.

I haven’t used any trims this season to add to this week’s design, nor do I have access to Air Dye Fabrics. Since I wanted to follow the challenge guidelines as best I could, I went to Houston’s High Fashion fabric store and was directed to the eco-friendly fabric section. There were no prints to choose from, but I found a coral bamboo voile that I really liked. I chose Monster High’s Ghoulia Yelps to be the model for this challenge, because I think she has a Grace Kelly regal quality–perfect for the red carpet!

First, I went with a ball gown silhouette.

I did actually iron this fabric, but the additional work I did on the bodice while it was on Ghoulia left it wrinkled again. This green-friendly voile is a lot like linen, but it’s a great fabric for any season–cool in summer, warm in fall.

I picked up a small piece of matching trim at High Fashion, with beautiful beading and some rhinestones to add that star sparkle.

A closer look at the back. I love the princess effect at the collar.

Ghoulia’s eyeshadow was perfect for the coral fabric.

Shoes by Mattel, of course.

Though lightweight, the fabric holds its shape very well. It would be lovely at any formal red carpet event. Or perfect for any princess waiting to have her hand kissed.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my eco-friendly design with a touch of glamor. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs on All Stars Season 2:
Episode 5: You’ve Got Male
Episode 4: Made in the USA Today
Episode 3: Up Your Aerosol
Episode 2: Put On Your Dancing Shoes
Episode 1: Redemption on the Runway

Runway Monday All Stars: You’ve Got Male

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were asked to create a look for their models that played with the fashion-forward theme of androgyny. The look should combine masculine and feminine characteristics. The design should also push the boundaries and be avant garde. After beginning work on their new looks, the designers were given a twist. They had to create a companion piece to their look for a male model.

I chose to feature Monsters Gil Webber and Threaderella Frankie Stein for this challenge. With all those gills and fins, Gil looks a little androgynous anyway, and Frankie’s just a great monster to create for because she can wear anything.

On trend for fall: bold prints and sweater tights for women and men.

Both models’ shoes are from Mattel. The sweater tights were repurposed from a pair of Tom’s worn socks, and I chose them deliberately because they offer a contrasting pattern to the looks’ fabrics.

For Frankie, I created a tunic dress with a reptile pattern that could just as easily be a shirt on the male model. The bell sleeves, constructed from a glittery crepe chiffon, are removable. In addition, I used the chiffon to make a man’s tie to enhance her dress.


The clunky boots add to the boyish silhouette.

For Gil, I created a belted coat that would look just as good on a woman as it does on him. I chose a leopard print in the same color palette as Frankie’s design. Beneath the coat, his tank shirt uses the same glittery crepe chiffon I used for Frankie’s sleeves and tie. A woman would look great in this top, too.

Here’s Gil without the coat, beanie, and sunglasses.

With adjustments for size, either of my models could wear either look.

Hope you enjoyed a little autumnal androgyny. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs on All Stars Season 2:
Episode 4: Made in the USA Today
Episode 3: Up Your Aerosol
Episode 2: Put On Your Dancing Shoes
Episode 1: Redemption on the Runway

Legacy Writing 365:330

There wasn’t an episode of Project Runway All Stars this week because of the holiday, so I have no Monster design to share. I thought you might enjoy a bit of Thanksgiving night fashion. I had a VERY reluctant model, because she wanted me to go upstairs at her house to view the fabulous costumes her grandmother made for her. I wanted to stay downstairs (so all of us could see), and sometimes when Aries Meets Aries, the older Aries wins.


Lila, barely disguising an eyeroll as she shows me the “Cinderelly” costume G made for her. She looks a little pensive about the Aurora Sleeping Beauty dress, perhaps because she’s outgrowing it–or maybe because, like Merryweather, she thought the dress should be “Blue!”


She loves her Belle dress, and so do I. Great job, G! Lynne didn’t actually make the Tiana dress, Disney did. But I’m sure when Lila outgrows it, G will replace it with an even prettier one.


She’d started to forgive me and smile by the time she showed us her Tinkerbell costume. I think Snow White is the newest of Lynne’s fantastic creations. There is Ariel fashion, too, but I wasn’t allowed to see it. So the younger Aries thwarted the older Aries, after all!

It’s easy to see why Lila’s excited about spending a week at Disney World in December. I know she’s going to have an amazing time in the Magic Kingdom. We talked about it quite a bit when she and Lynne visited on Saturday to watch the Alabama-Auburn game with us. Lila helped us continue the decorating we’d begun the night before. She was Tom’s helper in hanging the Barbie ornaments on the garland:

Lila has her own tree at her house. Laura said when they were decorating the big tree, Lila was helping. From time to time, she’d take a fancy to an ornament and disappear with it–to hang it on her tree. She definitely gets her love of tree decorating from her grandmother! I spotted at least one Barbie ornament on her tree that matches one of mine:

She helped Lynne and me add ornaments to my tree, and she was so careful with the fragile ones that belonged to my mother. She’s wearing her Snow White shoes in this picture in front of The Compound tree.

Keen eyes may spy a Winnie the Pooh with Christopher Robin ornament that Lila hung near the bottom of the tree. I have dozens of Pooh ornaments given to me through the years by Lynne, but they don’t go on the tree because they’re actually on display all year long in a curio cabinet in the guest room.

The Tigger tree skirt reminds me of a photo I’ve shared before from my own visit to Disney World. I was a little older than Lila, though.

Perhaps more age appropriate is this wonderful old photo of Tom with his brother and two of his sisters and their mother at Disney World. The unknown child with her back to the camera is a PHOTO BOMBER who blocked Pooh’s Kodak moment. Tom’s youngest sister was an infant, too young for Disney World that year, but I’m sure the rest of the kids had a blast. They’re SO CUTE!

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

Runway Monday All Stars: Up Your Aerosol

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were taken to a location in Long Island where they watched aerosol (a/k/a graffiti) artists at work. After talking to them and getting tips on techniques, the designers created their own wearable art using spray paints, stencils, and either chiffon or cotton. I feel that perhaps I’ve done challenges like this in years past…

To give myself a little more of a challenge this season, I decided to design for a ghost. I wanted to dress Spectra Vondergeist in a look that would transform modern pop art into something that seemed not only vintage, but ethereal.

I began with a cutting from a piece of pale grayish-lavender silk chiffon I had in my fabric room. I believe this was a remnant I found at High Fashion a year or so ago.

Taking spray paints I had in the garage, I used the techniques the PR designers were taught to color the fabric.

Then, with strips of unhemmed chiffon of varying lengths and widths, I created Spectra’s gown.

The PR designers were allowed to buy extra fabric at Mood to enhance their looks. I chose a cutting from an old piece of tapestry that was used on the border of The Compound living room for Spectra’s bodice, then I made “faded roses from days gone by” from knots of the painted chiffon to adorn the bodice.

Is she live, or is she after-live?

Shorter, narrower strips of painted fabric under the dress help make it fuller. I thought you might enjoy seeing Spectra’s translucent legs in her gray heels from Mattel.


Hope you’ve found Spectra’s dress hauntingly lovely. See you next time on the runway!

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

Runway Monday All Stars: Put On Your Dancing Shoes

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars, the designers were asked to create a look inspired by disco. Taking a Nine West Shoe as their inspiration, their outfit was to be appropriate for a current-day disco party.

Though Nine West doesn’t design for Monsters, Mattel had exactly the shoe I was hoping for.

I chose as my model the werecat sister Purrsephone. I wanted to give her an updated look, creating in white lace the body-hugging silhouette of 1970s disco jumpsuits. But instead of letting the design flare into wide-bottomed pants, I gave her a younger look with a flared black crepe skirt at the drop waist of the dress.

Old school disco.

She wants to put on her boogie shoes–and boogie with you.


Hope you’ve enjoyed the look. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs on All Stars Season 2:
Episode 1: Redemption on the Runway

Runway Monday All Stars: Redemption on the Runway

The second season of Lifetime’s Project Runway All Stars kicked off last week. As I did last time with All Stars, I’m letting the Model Muses take a break and the Monsters come out and play. The show’s designers had to work as teams and create a collection inspired by one of the attitudes listed on a board. I don’t have a team to work with, so I created one look using the “Bold” theme.

I couldn’t think of a better model than Operetta because of her striking hair, tattoo, and scar-like “beauty mark” running from her face to her upper left arm. She’s perfect as a bold lady in red satin.

<


Hope you’ve enjoyed the look. See you next time on the runway!

Clear crystals gift of Kathy S.