A thinly disguised Anna Wintour on the fashion industry

I think this is the best definition of what is going on in fashion in America

A NEW CORSET IN MY LIFE.

The other morning my grandmother said that she can't wait until I have the baby so that she can play with it. I am not expecting a child! So despite the fact that I have to excuse there verbal diarrhea since she has been diagnosed with dementia, it still does not excuse the fact that she saw what I was in denial about. I look like I came from Whoville.
Yes I know that I need to keep exercising despite the fact that it does not feel like it is working, but if you want to look better immediately you need a corset. Not one of those elastic girdles that only give you the same shape only smaller, not one of those slimming and shaping things that work well until you have to go to the bathroom, but a real corset with lacing and steel.
I browsed my closet to find a corset. I knew I bought some from Passional here in Philly, but after a few hours I remembered that my aunt begged me to sell her those. Then, I remembered that I made a corset sometime back when I had a thing for Victorian clothing (As if I don't wear period clothing already). So after rummaging for a few more hours , I find this beautiful piece of work. The problem is now that it is way too small. Since I promised myself I would not wear anything unless I made it, I guess I have to sew.
I found my hammer, I found the metal thing that makes the holes, I think I have some great dupioni silk and the muslin to back it. I just need the pattern and the busks. Yes, I COULD make the pattern myself, but I think I should go with a pattern based on what was used at the time when ladies actually wore corsets instead of problem solving myself. The question now is I what type of style will fit my body type and the kind of clothes I wear? This could be interesting since I do not wear suits too much any more.
Anyway, when I find out what I finally come up with something I will post it.

Laura Bennett , Queen of the Cloth

Say what you want about Laura Bennett. She is IT. Think Joan Crawford, Shirley Mclaine , Glenn Close , Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, and let's not forget Coco Chanel. Now, once you have that in mind think Laura all the time.

Oh Laura, you accusation throwing, heel wearing, bead sniffing , bi...! From the time Laura made us love her with her fabulous chandelier and rug coat, we were watching her. She showed us that you CAN be a breeder and still know about clothes. She did not come out as a housewife. She came out as a contender who showed you could have swollen ankles and still wear stilletos. Even when she was casual, she was elegant.

Even though I do not believe that she should have won, I certainly believe that she is my favorite and I personally will from now on use her as my yardstick. She has a CLEAR point of view and no one could say that she should not have been on the RUNWAY. Despite the fact that she did not have any formal training in sewing it was clear that she knew what she was doing. I love Laura because she did not apologize for anything that she did. (Except maybe when the hormones really kicked in). She did not expect you to feel any sympathy for her. (And not that many did, why?) I love Laura because she spoke her mind.

Because of Laura:

1) Even in the midst of turtle poop I will keep my calm and wear my best.

2) Even in trash I will not wear jeans

3) I will add beads to most of my clothing

4) I will call a cheater a cheater even if he has tatoos.

Project Runway is OVER, can I move on?

PROJECT RUNWAY is over, can I move on?Many people who have never been a part of putting a fashion show together have no idea of it's highs and lows. IF they see it at all they see the final result. thank you Project Runway for showing people that clothing is not as easy as one might think. Many people have no appreciation for what I do. The show has helped me emotionally and professionally as a designer. Professionally speaking, I stopped making excuses. Some of the people do all of the sewing themselves, live at home, have other responsibilities, have no formal training, and the list goes on. I came up with so many excuses over the years and I have no more.
But you still won't see me trying to compete with them drunken folks...

WHY MICHAEL, WHY????!!!!!

Congratulations Jeffrey, I knew you would win! (I don't have to like it though)

There is a big difference between who I thought would win, the who I hoped would win, and who I think should have win. *sigh* .
Just like most of America, during the whole show I was rooting for Michael. His pieces were beautiful , modern, and thoughtful. His claim to be straight did not hurt either. (Cutie pie) The problem is that if you saw his collection, (which most people who were not at Bryant Park saw on the internet weeks before the Finale aired on BRAVO), you looked at it like a parent at music recital whose child couldn't play. You still loved Micheal , but you couldn't lie to yourself. Some of the pieces were good, but it was not a collection. What I hate is that you left room for Jeffrey.
Oh Jeffrey you rude, unapologetic, Angela's mom hating, tattoed freak! Now matter what any one says about you. You did a great job. My eyes actually teared up when I saw one piece. Some of your pieces were both edgy AND soft at the same time. Very Japanese samurai. Like the balance of the warrior and the artist. I loved it. The thing is though, I really did not want you to win. Yet, you gave everyone a wide range to look at. Everything had the perfect details that many others might not have thought of. You had what Santino lacked in his final collection, the marriage of your personal style and the knowledge of what the public wants. Of course, you have been doing this for a while. You are a true designer. That is hard to be in a time where you can stamp your name on a t-shirt and call yourself a designer.

P.S.
1) I understand how Tim might have been overwhelmed by Jeffery's work, but Tim seemed to be loving Jeffrey a little too much. LOL
2) I miss the fact that most people did not get to see Kara Janx's Project Runway decoy collection in Season 2 . I was the best. I think that is why they had the final four this year.
3) I assumed the fan favorite contest would be based on personality only. I would have picked Kayne. Michael had it all though.
4) I hope another female wins in the future. (Cloe does not count)
5)Uli, Good Luck. I would love a dress from you.
6)Laura, you are IT.
7) Michael , kiss your family for me. You deserve the best.

GINGER , SPICE and everything nice.

Ever love an idea so much that you were anxious about making it?
A couple of months ago my brother came up with this great idea about this travel bag and I absolutely love it. Unfortunately, sometimes when something is so great I get anxious about it and I procrastinate. So his idea has been sitting for a couple of months. Why is it that we can do so much for others but when it comes to our own stuff we get crazy?!
Thanks to one of my friends at the Philadelphia Sewing Collective, I found this cute site Called Wild Ginger . This site lets you print out patterns for simple bags, hats, and other stuff. Less drafting for me! Yay! We will see how everything turns out. This guilt is killing me.

SEW ON, AMERICA!

I remember at looking in the label of my burnt orange sundress and thinking how cool it was made in the same country of my brother's cap.. So, of course I knew that there were clothes made in other countries but I never knew what that meant before. To me, it now means that we as American women have put control in other peoples hands...
I was only a child during the age of protests and sit-ins (where ARE those people now?), but I think that American women made a mistake when they threw away their sewing machines at the same time they burned their bras. We thought is was cute to not know how to cook, but we put our health in other people's hands. We thought it was brave that we were promiscuous, but now we made our bodies as valuable as cubic zirconias are compared to diamonds. We thought we were doing something by shedding the old. but instead we are told what to wear by people who do not care about us and are wearing things made by people who want to be us. You do not gain power by throwing away your traditions. I believe you gain power by keeping what is good , you just have to redefine it once in a while.
I think about this more and more when the people I know who sew complain about lack of sewing jobs. I hated when the place that made covered buttons and pleating in Philadelphia closed down. Now I have to go to NYC. A guy who at my favorite notions store in NYC said that as things become global more places will shut down. The ironic thing is that the some of the same people who used to benefit from sewing factories being here in America are the same people who buy the $10 pants that were made in India. We do not pay attention! I just hope that I personally will be where I need to be and not be the one who did not make it when the pied piper played his instrument.
Does anyone look for the "made in the USA" label anymore?

Hi people, I am a 34 year old female who wanted to be a fashion designer since I was 18 years old. I have always allowed things to get in my way. This blog will have my thoughts about the whole process being on the bottom rung of what you want. Hopefully my journey will help a person or two who wants something but it keeps eluding them.
My design mentor "jokingly" said that the song by Annie Lennox " Legend in my living room" might apply to me . Maybe he is right. Maybe not. We will see...