Why on earth did I take on this crazy project? Perhaps I had a touch of the sun – there was plenty of sunshine last summer when I came upon this ‘brilliant idea’! They were (and still are) challenging times, and as president of the California Peninsula Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, I was looking for a way to create camaraderie and energize our membership – and find an antidote to the embattled mentality of our industry, if only for one day.
I convinced Pauline Hsu, our Programs Director, to launch our own version of the Orange County chapter’s hit fashion show. After all, their teams only took 90 minutes to design and fabricate ‘couture’ garments out of trade resources. Considering the fabrics and materials were randomly drawn just before the show, there wouldn’t be much prep time needed. How hard could it be? Well…
As we proceeded, the questions lingered:
· Will our members sign up for the teams and deliver?
· Can we execute a runway show with limited time and resources?
· Will anyone come to see the results of our members’ feverish stapling, gluing, and stitching?
I’m happy to say it was ‘Yes’ on all counts. Everyone who participated took a leap of faith: from the members who joined the teams knowing they will be testing their personal limits, and had to trust that team work will accomplish Mission Impossible; to our Industry Partner who asked her suppliers to sponsor this untested event, and magically turned her trade-only showroom into a fashion showcase replete with a runway for the models; to the sellout crowd of 150 who attended because they believed interior designers can make creative couture garments in short order: it was a journey to the unknown for everyone, and I hope we all made friends, grew, and learnt as a result of this show.
Here is a short photo journal of the six teams as a testament to the creativity of our members, spread over 3 blog posts.
Fab Five Fabricators
Fab Five Fabricators had met for a brainstorming session before the show, and wanted to take their inspiration from period dress of the 1800’s.
Luck of the draw landed them in a teeny L-shaped room, and with it some black sheer fabric, an ethnic print, and a silky co-ordinate. It was amazing what they were able to accomplish in a room the size of a walk in closet, where they could barely gather around to work on the model, and had no room to roll out and cut the fabrics!
The result was truly a communal effort as the tools and materials needed for the night were divvied up among the members, and the decisions on how to use the fabrics were done as a group. The reverse side of the ethnic print was ultimately chosen to coordinate with the black sheer, and yards of bridal tulle was used to form the bell-shaped skirt.
Industry Partner products donated for the show were turned into fashion accessories. The result: gold tassels & black boa feathers adorned the model Lisa’s hair, with an extra tassel tucked into the waistband for effect. Also, black trimming was turned into a necklace, while gold leafed glass tiles were fashioned into a pair of eye-catching bracelets – whimsical and fun uses for our trade resources!
Designing Divas
The Designing Divas initially only had four members. Realizing that it would be a race against time, the team at their initial meeting discussed ideas, strategized, and split the fabrication into two groups: half of the team members would be responsible for the skirt, and the half, the top. Fashion accessories were evaluated for use under different scenarios. After a dry run at their second meeting, they were all set to go. Although the fifth member joined the team late, she was quickly integrated into the group and everyone participated in the decision making process.
They received a soft beige chenille with two red and black co-ordinating fabrics. The palette conjured up images of a flamenco dancer.
Although Irish, the model Stacey’s black hair and complexion was perfect for the role, and a honeycomb shade was cleverly turned into a decorative fan for her hair. Long black gloves and dangling ear rings, together with a member’s jewelry, completed Stacey’s transformation. The team named its creation Spanish Nights.
Eager for a dramatic touch, the team decided that Stacey should pose with her long stemmed rose – held between her teeth – on the runway before throwing it to an unsuspecting ‘eligible bachelor’ in the audience, a fitting finale for the Designing Divas!
