show pictures!

These photos were taken by the lovely and talented Anna Thiessen. She really did a fantastic job! The beautiful Karalyn, Amanda and Nicole from PR were a few of my models.

free at last!

Oh joy, sweet joy it is finally over! The long nightmarish days and nights of sewing and trying to make a collection in such a short amount of time are over. And I feel a newfound sense of freedom  and relief of stress in my life that has never felt so good!

In the end I completed only nine looks versus the twelve that I had hoped for. But as the date got closer and I knew that I would have to greatly compromise several looks in order to get 12 done, I decided that it would be far worse to show quantity over quality and decided to cut some. 

Having done this feels like an impossible accomplishment. Still having said that, this is not my best work. I am very happy with what I did in this time, but I know that I am capable of so much more.  Lesson learned: don't try to do so much in a short time frame. I will be starting on the next Spring 2010 collection in the next few days (hopefully), and I will aim to blow people's minds with it. 

I have to thank the numerous, incredibly wonderful people who made this possible and without would not have happened: John Vitale for planning out and helping with the design of the venue, Ana for renting us her wonderful showroom Coolture and being so helpful, Nathan Johnson my favorite makeup artist from Project runway who is the best and nicest guy in theworld! The beautiful models and hair and makeup team. My fantastic interns (especially Jillian Krieger) who helped me cut out those city-scape shapes over and over again and went out and got the shoes the night before the show. Suede, for helping me get interns from Kent State University. Kate Sullivan for all her hard PR work she did for this show and for me in the past. And lastly, and most of all my boyfriend/personal assistant/music composer /event-planner/casting director whom without absolutely none of this would've been possible. There are more probably that I'm forgetting and I am forever grateful for their assistance. 

I'm working on getting some good pictures up soon, but in the meanwhile here's some more of the work in progress and a link of a great review and photos of the show. 

www.stylewhipped.com

the home stretch

In the midst of my 'round the clock-sewathon, I was able to attend a couple of shows last weekend at Bryant Park. This was my first time attending a show there and being able to watch in the audience. I have seen very few fashion shows live as an audience member. It was thrilling and beyond inspirational to watch one in the tents. It made me want to become a fashion designer all over again!

The most impressive show that I saw was the Academy of Art (SF). Not only did they have top-notch models (Anja, Chanel Iman), the designs themselves were very interesting and well-executed. It was a great show, and made me long badly for a tent show myself in the future. 

Next time I will at least have a runway show instead of a presentation. Seeing the clothes move is mesmerizing.

Now, back to sewing my heart out!

aaagh!

One week to go, and I'm nearly halfway done. This is insanity. We're doing the castings today for models, and then I will sew around the clock in a marathon style to complete this collection. Note to self: never try to complete a collection and put together a show in 3 weeks EVER again. 

another challenge

Moving to New York was certainly the toughest move ever. While I flew out here and have been here for almost 4 weeks, my stuff from Portland that was shipped freight, never decided to show up until this week. It's a long, frustrating story.

Alas, I've been without tools, machines, specific fabrics and needless to say, I have lost a lot of time. I've decided to do a static presentation during fashion week and it is about 3 weeks away. I have 2.5 things done at this moment. I want 12 looks. It's going to be hellish these next few weeks, but I'm going to do whatever it takes. And I want it to be good.  This is the challenge of challenges and I'm going to try to document it as much as possible.

To add on top of that, I'm having to work out of our apt for the time being, which I've done for years, so no biggie. The catch is Monkey, Nathan's cat. Well, Monkey has impeccable taste when it comes to choosing a spot to sleep on. Monkey prefers to lie on the most expensive of silks, and scratch her claws on only the finest of wools. Monkey has now been banned from this room, but she always tries to go where she's not allowed. I love Monkey, but she is mischievous! 

This is going to be tough, but I'm excited to be back to work again and I'm excited for the task at hand.  I am not well when I'm not creating, and I fall into a bad rut. It's exhilarating to sit down and sew and drape after having not. It's also reassuring to know that I haven't forgotten a thing, despite silly doubts that enter my mind sometimes. I made some really great boobie-cups yesterday! :)

Hideous

I am steaming-mad over this.  FIDM (my alma-mater) purchased all of the clothes from my final collection on the auction. That's fine, and theoretically they have the rights to do with them whatever they would like. 

This is when I start get mad: They put on a show in DC a few days ago, making it sound like I was having a fashion show there and used the PR collection to do so. They never invited me, and I had nothing to do with it at all. For anyone who attended, it probably was made to sound like I was a no-show or flaked out, for all I know.

Here is the absolute worst of it all: they completely mixed and re-matched up the separates in the worst way possible. It is atrocious. This is no longer my collection or vision at all. They might as well have put on everything backwards and inside out while they were at it. 

Look below. FIDM, I am utterly disgusted. 

Photo by Chris Leaman

I just had to vent my frustrations here. This makes me mad, but I just want everyone to know that I was NOT behind this show. I'm curious to know who in the hell "styled" these looks?

new new yorkers

We've been here only a few days, and Nathan already has a new freelance job working for his friend's production company. They do a lot of fancy work for their fancy clients. Nathan got to help set up for a big party for Louis Vuitton and Stephen Sprouse tonight at the Bowery. 

When I came to check it out, I found Nathan sitting on a ladder that was straddling the Subway stairwell.  He was plastering posters all over the Subway, which I didn't think would be legal. But I guess when you're Louis Vuitton and are dropping millions and millions on one party, you have enough money to do what ever you want. 

I wonder if Nathan can find me a place to hide so that I can crash the party. I have an evening gown, but no invite to the party. Hmmph!