Indianapolis Welcomes Pattern

Last night, fashion professionals from Indianapolis and the surrounding cities got together at the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art to introduce Pattern. Pattern, birthed from the Indianapolis Fashion Collective,  is a new fashion hub fostering creativity, ingenuity and bringing the fashion community of Indianapolis together for networking and growth opportunities.

Five fashion related businesses got to introduce their services to the guest that attended. They were Aesthetic Design Style House (the fashion services company I work for), Bullet Boutfits (a roller derby clothing line), T.Party & The Snappy Dresser (Kaitlyn Elise's t-shirt company and personal shopping/styling boutique), Minx Vintage (a blog and vintage boutique), and LModelz Model Management. 

 

It was great to be in a room with some AHMAZING and extraordinary people. Pattern will be meeting once a month in different venues throughout the city of Indianapolis. If you are in Indy, you have to make sure to attend one of the future events.

 

 Designer, Co-Worker & friend Amber Fitzgerald with her bestie from England, Emma Jesson

The cutest outfit I saw at IndySwank, a boutique located in the Murphy Building in Fountain Square.

The museum was a wonderful place to host this type of event.

Leslie Turner, Owner of LModelz Management & Designer Catherine Fritsch

Professional Makeup Artist, Kathy Moberly & My friend and boss lady, Julia Rutland of Aesthetic Design Style House

To learn more about Pattern and the fashion community in Indianapolis, make sure you follow them on Facebook and visit their website, IndianapolisFashion.org. 

Janelle

Midwest Fashion Week: October 19th - 22nd

One of the things that makes me proud to be in fashion in Indy is Midwest Fashion Week. In it's five year inception, MFW has grown from a small local event to one of the region's hottest fashion tickets. Midwest Fashion Week is hosted twice a year, once in March and the second is in October. Last MFW, I got to meet the AMAZING ladies from Eliza Parker.

The theme for MFW this quarter is Fashion is Empowerment and is sponsored by many of Indiana's leading companies, fashion houses and media. The itnerary has recently been posted for the October's events. I hope to get to at least one or two functions during the short week of festivities. To view the complete schedule, check the website.

Janelle

Local & Weekend Love: Indy Fashion Time Competition & Fashion Show

Indy Fashion Time is one of the biggest fashion events here in Indianapolis; so big the Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, proclaimed last week Indy Fashion Time week. During the week long event, there are two fashion shows, two competitions, and workshops taught my fashion professionals from around the country. This year's big guest speaker was Althea Harper of Project Runway fame.

I didn't get to go to one of the fashion shows, the Tuesday show at the Canal, but I did attend the show on Saturday night. I wish I could've gone to some of the workshops, but I was helping a friend/co-worker with hair for her models for one of the competitions. I did a good job for someone who's NOT a stylist whatsoever.

Here are some pics of Saturday's festivites:

Julia popping her head down so I don't get it...sorry Julia!!

Designer DLang

Project Runway's Althea Harper was one of the judges for the competition.

I don't know the name of this designer, but she was in one of the competitions. Her line was inspired by Christian Dior!

Christian Dior inspired line

Designer D.Lamont

Designer Alyssa Benner ( I helped with hair...doesn't she look delightful!)

Designer Alyssa Benner (helped with her hair too)

Alyssa and her models (She didn't win the competition, but she's a winner in my book!)

A client of Aesthetic Design Style House, Tiffiany Gilstrap-Scott of Clique Da Cour, also entered the competition.

Both Alyssa & Tiffiany with their models

All the goodies Mahogany Charm bought with them

Tina Jimison of Mahogany Charm dressing one of her models.

The crowd

Calling All Size 18s!

One of the creative directors, Truen James, from House of 5th contacted me this past weekend. House of 5th camp are really working on expanding their sizes.

Their first project is a bridal gown for a customer. The diva is a size 18th. House of 5th needs help with research on the fit of a plus size woman, especially with their bridal project. This is where you come in Divas! All you ladies who are a size 18 or flucuate between 16/18 or 18/20, email me rubyleonne@gmail.com, complete the survey below or post a comment about what your measurements are, where you tend to wear your weight and what problems do you find with clothing fit.

You actually get to have a say in what may be put on the market in the future! Don't miss this opportunity!

Thanks guys!

Local Love: Transformations

Friday night, I saw an awesome show. Transformations is an annual show designed and produced by Catherine Fritsch for DivaFest. 

Fristch speaking with the audience

 Fritsch is owner and designer of Mercurious Designs and Sweet Revenge Lingerie. She has 18 years experience in designing, pattern making and sewing services. In my book, she is the one of  the gurus of design AND she is one of the most humble and nicest person you will ever meet. She's also one of our clients at Aesthetic Design Style.

In the Transformation show, Fritsch takes off the wall objects, like styrofoam from bean bag chair and balloons, to make modern Victorian pieces.

Models were supplied by LModelz Modeling Agency. Makeup was done by Aesthetic Design Style's own Julia Rutland and Christopher Thompson of Re-Creations and Kathy Moberly of faces by klm. Hair styling was provided by Geneva Hair Studio and jewelry by Cheeky Couture. 

I was excited all week about this show. Here are a few of my favorite.

To find out more about Catherine Fritsch or Sweet Revenge Lingerie, go to her website.

Midwest Love: I Got a Sweetooth for Sweetooth Couture

While blogging for Aesthetic Design Style (ADS), I happened upon a plus size independent designer from Cleveland, OH. Anytime there's a designer from my own backyard I have to showcase them. Here is a reprint of the interview I did last month for ADS with Sweetooth of Sweetooth Couture. I did buy two pieces from the designer. I should get them soon. I will post them when I do!

Full name?

Rachel Kacenjar

How long have you been designing?
About 3 years.


Where are you from?
Cleveland, Ohio

How did you come up with the name Cupcake Cuddlebunny? Sweetooth?
Cupcake & Cuddlebunny was just supposed to be a temporary name when I came up with it. I started out just doing alterations and someone was interested in a garment that required an invoice, so I thought I should probably have a name/logo/separate bank account. One of my nicknames was "cupcake" and I called my cat my "cuddlebunny" all the time, so I just threw it together. I'm actually changing the name of the company to "Sweetooth Couture" in the coming weeks. Too many folks think my business is a bakery or a kids clothing store, so its just easier that way.

Sweetooth Couture is meant to still sound sassy like C&C, and embody the campyness, fun style, and daring lines my clothing offers. I really only came up with it because I like the idea of a tooth as a symbol for ferociousness!

Petal Pink Frock (retail $38)

Why plus size? Why vintage? Why couture?
I started doing plus size stuff because I've been a plus sized person most of my life and up until recently, have always struggled to find the type of clothing I've wanted to wear. I've had a deep love for vintage clothing for as long as I can remember, and so much of it is really small in the bust and waist even if you're lucky enough to find it in larger sizes. Vintage clothing has so much to offer that today's clothing doesn't have- impeccable construction, glamour, fine details. What's not to love?

The dilemma here is that when you're a modern size 18 like I am, you end up searching for cute stuff in vintage size 22-24, which is basically the chupacabra of clothing. Its hard to find, and when you do find it, its usually overpriced at an actual vintage store, as opposed to the cheaper items you can score at the thrift store or at estate sales.

When I moved to New York City to finish my psychology degree in 2005, I found that there were basically no thrift stores that carried plus sized vintage (Re/Dress NYC wasn't open yet), so when I'd visit my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, I'd thrift my little heart out and come back to NYC with garbage bags full of dresses that needed repairs or alterations. This is basically when I began to teach myself how to sew.

Lollipop Dress (retail $72)

I moved back home a couple of years later and my friends and acquaintances noticed my style and I started to get a lot of requests to do personal shopping and make stuff for folks. I think a lot of people have that special garment that they have a lot of sentimental value wrapped up in, and often our bodies grown and change and that garment sits in some one's closet for the rest of their lives. I really wanted to unearth those garments for folks and alter them to fit again, so couture ended up being part of what I offer. I certainly am no couturier by the strictest of standards, but I believe that one of a kind, hand sewn, custom garments are special, and people of size deserve them!

By the Summer of 2008, I had a 6 month long wait list for custom garments, and I thought I should probably open an Etsy store to make my order management easier, so that's how Cupcake & Cuddlebunny was born.

Zoetrope Keyhole Dress (retail $48)

I started designing the Sweetooth line last year because I had so many customers get irritated with me when I'd only offer one of a garment. I had never designed before, and quite honestly am a terrible drawer, so I took what I knew about pattern making (very little) and tried to create a line of 12 pieces that embodied a lot of the requests for custom clothing that I'd received. Working with a manufacturer to produce pieces brought on a whole new set of challenges that I've never dealt with before, but it was a really great learning experience. I've received a wonderful response from the Winter 2011 line, and am working on a Summer line right now.

What type of woman is a Sweetooth Couture woman?
I think a Sweetooth Couture woman (and I don't just want to cater to women- I want anybody who likes my clothing to wear it) is bold and confident. I don't make clothing to hide people's bodies, I want it to enhance people's bodies. Coco Chanel was at the forefront of breaking women from wearing corsets and girdles from day-to-day, and I really try to embody that spirit. I'd like to think that when people wear my clothing, they feel liberated, sexy and stylish no matter what their size or shape.

Chips Ahoy Dress (retail $78)

What's special about Sweetooth Couture?
Sweetooth Couture is special because it makes people feel special. I try my best to run an ethical business as well. I'd say about 95% of the fabric I use is vintage or "upcycled" as fancy folks like to say, and most of my zippers, buttons, appliques, and trim are vintage as well. My new line uses a lot of recycled cotton and sustainable wool. I promote altering old clothing so folks don't go out and buy new stuff that's made in a sweatshop. I pack things in re-usable envelopes as much as I can, print on only recycled paper, and try to make things as affordable as possible. I employ a non-profit pricing structure that pays me $15 an hour for my work + materials costs and that's it. I'm a one-person show, so that helps to keep costs as low as possible. I am very serious about providing honest and reliable customer service, too! It gets really hard to compete with big box stores on that type of thing, but I really do try my best.

Explain how you construct your pieces? Vintage?
I am a huge proponent of doing custom fittings. Obviously I don't always have the luxury of that when folks are ordering online, but having an accurate set of your own measurements is almost impossible to get by yourself, so when I can fit someone and then fit them a second time during construction of a garment, I know it will fit as accurately as possible. If I just have measurements to work with, I crank my adjustable dress form to those measurements and make it work.

After a fitting, I take into consideration where the customer will wear the garment and what it is for, and try to find the best fabric to suit their needs. I end up making a lot of garments out of vintage polyester, which most people despise even thinking about, but in reality, it doesn't wrinkle, has a good amount of stretch, and does not lose shape or color after several washings. (Its also never going to biodegrade, so I think its great to have people wear it instead of throwing it out.) I usually have a customer send me links to garments they like or provide me with pictures, and I go from there. I tend to put my own design spin on garments, which most people really like. If someone wants me to make a reproduction of something, I usually turn the job down. I'm a designer first, seamstress second. I don't really want to spend my time making stuff that already exists.

What are your inspirations?
My main inspiration is the social and political implication that fat people should be ashamed of their bodies. I want to defy that notion, and I do, each and every day with the way I dress AND what I do for a living. My friends also have a huge impact on what I design. I am lucky to have many gorgeous, plus sized, confident people in my life and I feel honored that they think the art I make is special enough to actually wear out in public. They inspire me to keep plugging away when I feel like I can't do it.

Taffy Pull Dress (retail $62)

 Do you prefer independent designers or mainstream designers?
Independents, definitely. I think what happens a lot of the time is that Independent designers grow weary of constantly scrapping and scraping for things like food, rent, and health insurance, and end up selling out to mainstream lines and stores. That's the nature of the beast, and I don't judge anyone for doing what they have to do to get by or get ahead in this industry. Its hard to get your voice heard, you know what I mean? Some of my favorite independent clothing designers are Bertha Pearl of Size Queen, Valerie Mayen of Yellowcake, Mondo Guerra, Lucy Peterson of Hissyfit, Leanne Marshall, and Rodarte.


Who are you influences?
Though it doesn't show much in my clothing, I am undeniably in love with the more outlandish couture fashion giants. Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Heatherette, oldschool Karl Lagerfeld. I think my fashions most reflect Mary Quant and Coco Chanel, or at least I hope they do.

What is the average price of your pieces?
$14-$78 with some "couture" or super fancy vintage that needed a lot of work going a bit higher. Custom work is $15 per hour plus the cost of materials.

Divinity Dress (retail $68)

What is your favorite piece?
The Divinity Dress. It's really simple if you take off the epaulettes and really fancy when you attach them.

Do you have any side projects you want to share with our readers?
Yes! I am working alongside Valerie Mayen, from Project Runway Season 8 to build a sewing co-op and fashion incubator in Cleveland, Ohio called Buzz and Growl. (You can check it out at www.buzzandgrowl.com) Its her brainchild, but I'm working with her to establish it as a non-profit and secure funding for youth programming. I'm really excited to see how it turns out!

Thanks for doing the interview Rachel!!

Stop by Sweetooth Couture's website and Etsy page to view more looks from this designer!