Making Moves

Working on theDesignLab Fall 2013 Lookbook; would love feedback, check out some ideas for the cover and see my last lookbook here.  Amazing photography  by Steven Forster.  Also set up a meeting with a local factory, NOLA Sewn, owned by a great designer and friend, Lisa Iacono.  Planning on having her offset what Neslye, Marci and myself can't complete in-house for orders!  Stay tuned for theDesignLab  in stores soon...

3rd Place Overall​

You can't win em all ;)  Disappointed, but proud.  So glad I got to show on two nights during Fashion Week New Orleans, what great exposure!!  Lots of interest and feedback from buyers, and now have to get to WORK...Production starts Monday!  Neslye is ready to get started and so is everyone else at theDesignLab, so start putting your orders in!​

Here is a video from Thursday night, and stay tuned for a photoshoot by Steven Forster..

MADE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR!

Out of the 12 designers selected to compete in the Top Design Competition during Fashion Week New Orleans, I was one of four selected to advance and compete on Saturday, March 23rd!  Have to whittle it down to only 4 looks instead of 10 to represent theDesignLab...that's going to be TOUGH...take a look at some of the models getting prepped for hair and makeup and outfit selection process... All hair was done by Paul Mitchell School and Makeup was applied by Magnolia Makeup

Taylor Jones

Headpiece by Kristy Kernan

Hair by Paul Mitchell School

Iman Shervington

Melanie Powers

Meghann Harney

Nadiya Kahn

Magnolia Makeup

Megan Peck

Backstage!

WWL PRESS & VIDEO

Couldn't be happier with the recent interview and press coverage by WWL which can be seen here.  Getting so excited for the Runway Competition on Thursday at the Sugar Mill!  I was able to grab some behind the scene's shots of my girls at WWL station and wanted to share some of the fun!

Hope to see you at the show on Thursday, there's MUCH more to see!!! Also be sure to check out my blouse in the interview ;)

Model Taylor Jones

Taylor Jones is showing off a brick orange silk jersey pleated maxi skirt with a High-Low hem blouse that has a hand woven yoke from the CTTC in Peru.  She's also wearing gorgeous accessories created by Douriean Fletcher of Eklektik Ekhos.

Models Backstage at WWL Station

Hand woven accents from CTTC on Taylor Jones and Nadiya Kahn seen left and center.  Also on Nadiya is a hand knit sweater from Toto Knits of Kenya, silhouette and knit patterns designed by Kallen Forster.  Beaded hip yoke on Emelie Wilson was also created by Toto Knits from patterns by Kallen Forster.  Emelie is also wearing a vegan leather fitted v-neck bodice and flowing silk hemp skirt.

Local Collaboration

Prepping for an appearance on WWL tomorrow morning, so a little frantic, but quickly calmed down when I picked up the jewelry from local artist, Douriean Fletcher of Eklektik Ekhos.  I sat down with Douriean a couple weeks back to talk about potential collaboration for this show and we bounced some ideas back and forth and this is what was created...couldn't be happier!  Our collections truly compliment each other.

Custom Pendant by Eklektik Ekhos

Earrings by Eklektik Ekhos

Model, Taylor Jones, sporting a custom piece by Eklektik Ekhos

Things I'm excited about...

Fashion week is less than a week away, and I'm just so excited about all my FABRICS!  I've taken a lot of time to select and design each fabric, from material to the patterns/prints you'll be seeing.  It's very graphic, and invokes the spirit of historic art and textiles...without giving away too much, wanted to give you a little preview of what you'll see on Thursday March 21st at 630pm at the Sugar Mill :)

Found an amazing woman in California who has helped me transfer my pattern on to silk :) it is GORGEOUS...

CAD pattern I created for textiles

My pattern on Silk Habatoi 

Cal State Printing Process

Also experimenting with knits for Fall !

Discovered an organization of women in Bolivia who recently lost their jobs at a factory, and they decided to pool together with the help of a local businessman to buy their very own knitting machine and are creating some of the most complex knits and jacquards I've ever seen!!

I designed the pattern, selected yarn and thickness and experimented with some dyeing and I am extremely pleased with the result...this is one of my favorite pieces :)

My pattern machine knit in Bolivia

FIRST RECRUIT: NESLYE F.

FIRST RECRUIT: NESLYE F.

Here at the​Design​Lab it's our mission to take an under-served population women here in New Orleans, and TRAIN, EMPOWER, AND EMPLOY THEM! Our first recruit is Neslye F.  She is currently studying to receive her GED, and is intensely interested in Fashion (and merchandising more specifically!).  Neslye will be learning to sew and work on projects to aid in the development of ​the​Design​Lab​​ Fall 2013 Collection which will be released on March 21st, 2013 during Fashion Week New Orleans!

learning to press/steam/woodblock

checking her pattern

Neslye's first sewing project ever = success!

seriously impressed...