Notes on The 2011 California Fashion Symposium Runway Show

Ixchel Amor's

Ixchel's 1st Place look

Nancy Diep's

Nancy K's 2nd place look

Nancy K's

Nancy K's

Larry Wu's winning look

Larry Wu

It was a great show! Seeing my garments on a leggy model with 'tude strutting down a runway was pretty nerve-racking but oh-so exciting! The production value exceeded my expectations and overall, the Long Beach CC student production team did a very impressive job selecting models, conducting fittings and styling them. The music was upbeat and everyone who had a stake in this thing was on the edge of their seat. There were quite a few hiccups and not everyone left happy... but that's fashion right? It's personal. It's nerve-racking. There's an ugly side to glamour.

1st place - It looked well made and fit like a glove - a black, latex glove. Very Pam Anderson!

2nd place - I came in 2nd. YAY! I was not crazy about the Snookiesque hair bump but my biggest gripe was that the model didn't take off the detachable cape during the runway show. I had specifically rigged it with snaps so that it could be torn away and had given them instruction to do so, but despite all of these efforts, it didn't happen.

3rd - I felt genuinely threatened when this look appear on the runway. It isn't something I would necessarily wear but I thought the fit, proportion and the styling was very impactful. Of all the sportswear garments on the runway, this one I predicted to be a serious contender.

Honorable Mention - YAY! Larry Wu! He's like a little brother to me. I'm very proud!

Things I've learned:

Styling is key! Students were given the opportunity to provide accessories or make suggestions. Larry provided the model with a motorcycle helmet and goggles. The 3rd place look had also come down the runway with a motorcycle helmet. Hair and accessories help tell the "story" of your girl and where she's going. We gravitate towards stories and they make things more memorable and emotional. Ixchel's winning look was accessorized with a giant floppy, sun hat and a matching handbag. The girl looked ready to go from the runway to a swanky beach resort! Larry's model and the 3rd place winner looked ready to mount their hogs and take off! Nancy D. had provide the production team with a photo of exactly how she wanted the model to be styled and I think she pretty much got exactly what she wanted. I provided a genuine panama hat to be paired with my white linen garment hoping that it would give it a cool, Cuban flair but without a photo of exactly how I wanted it to be worn, the model instead, looked like she was on her way to a hoe-down. Her hair was big and it didn't fit. She had to hold down the hat with her hand to keep it from falling of. My mistake...

Think like a Showman! You might believe that the garment will speak for itself but on the runway, it's about showmanship. You may have done a ton of intricate and couture handy work, but if the viewer can't see it from where she/he is sitting, it doesn't exist. Think theatrics! The garment needs to perform! Think Color! Movement! Convertibility! Innovation! Out of a 100 looks, why is your's memorable?

Make it idiot-proof! As I had mentioned, I rigged the cape with snaps and gave them very specific instructions to take it off but it still didn't happen. I made buttonholes non-functional where-ever I could substitute with snaps or ties because watching a model attempting to undo  a million buttons is agony. There was one model who struggled with a single button jacket for what seemed like minutes. Not only was it awkward and distracting, it made the garment seem fussy and annoying to put on and take off. Make the dressing process as simple as possible and it will be more likely that you'll get the model to do what you want. Also, if something is to be taken off in the middle of the runway, the transitional will look much smoother and more natural.

Next year PCC will rule the show!

My 2 Front Teeth... How the new "It" girls, Georgia May Jagger and Lara Stone are helping me with my buck teeth complex

Madonna; Georgia Jagger; Lara Stone
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/13/ny-fashion-week-gappy-teeth

What better to demonstrate the mercurial nature of fashion than the recent onslaught of gap-tooth fashion figures? For as long as I can remember, it was considered a major flaw, and at best, an endearing and even cute one, but none-the-less, an imperfection requiring many years of painful and expensive cosmetic dentistry.

But, in all it's ironic glory, the fashion media have been reporting of people paying cometic dentists to make gaps between their 2 front teeth.  I suppose, it's no doubt, with Georgia May Jagger and Lara Stone starring in ad campaigns for Chanel and Calvin Klein, respectively. They're gorgeous, svelte and ooze sex appeal and glamour to no end, but their buck teeth add a dimension that makes them look interesting and slightly strange. It throws people off a bit which isn't such a bad thing. Though buck-toothed pillars of style such as Kate Moss and Madonna have survived and stayed relevant through-out many decades despite their "imperfection," it's been reported that modeling agencies and designers are now looking specifically for new, buck-toothed, "character" faces.

Now I don't feel so bad for not wearing my retainer...