Author Archives: Amy

RESULTS!!!

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Ladies and Gentleman of all ages!  The time has come for the big reveal!  The results are in!  I am pleased to report that intimate apparel managed to get 15 garments into the show this year!  A HUGE congratulations is in order for Francielle, who took home the grand prize of $2,000 for the Cotton Award!

As for me, I managed to get BOTH ensembles into the show! Not going to lie, I totally jumped up and down when I found out!  After three months of grueling hours of hand sewing, the work paid off and I will get to see my creations on real models, wearing real heels, on a real runway to real music, with real photographers from the press taking their pictures!!!!  EEEK!!!!

What’s next?  PACKING!  I leave in 4 hours for the airport!  I am flying to Miami where my family and I will be spending the next week aboard a cruise ship sailing through the eastern caribbean!  All I can say is I NEED this vacation!  One of the small side effects of attending FIT is that you don’t actually have a spring break.  The last 3 years, spring break has merely been a chance to catch up on other work!  Sophomore year we were finishing our garments for the AAS exhibit, and last year I was sewing garments for the Lululemon Athletica Urban Yogini Competition!  This year I am being whisked away on an early graduation present!  So I’m signing off for the next week!  Here’s to hoping I come back with a tan! CHEERS!

 

 

Holy Crap- We Did Good!

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After a grueling 3 months of what some might compare to a fiery pit of hell, our garments were presented today to our critic, Flora Nikrooz.  I can not begin to explain the caliber of work that was on display.  Each garment was unique and truly depicted a part of the designer.  After a brief introduction with Ms. Nikrooz, we were asked to leave the room for an hour while the professor and our critic looked over our garments and decided what would continue on to judging on Wednesday.  After stuffing myself with pizza and a smoothie, I returned to the room feeling better than I had in a long time.  I was full, rested, and felt a large surge of accomplishment.  We were each taken into the room individually, where we were given feedback, suggestions, and told if one or both of our garments would be continuing.  Drum roll please… Both my garments are continuing onto judging on Wednesday!  Ms. Nikrooz was absolutely smitten with my Cotton ensemble and actually offered me a job on the spot!  Of course my mind was in no shape to make a decision like that on the spot, but I was extremely flattered by her words.  She said she truly feels that I am going to change this industry.  Can you ask for a greater compliment as a designer?

When everyone finished their critiques, the entire class was called back into the class for a few parting words, and the announcement of the critic award winner.  Ms. Nikrooz only had nice things to say about her experiences with us and our garments.  So did I end up with book-ends? (I already have a critic award trophy from the 4th semester Associates Exhibition)  No, but a big Congratulations is in order for Nathalie Quirin!  Her ensemble of black chiffon and peacock feathers won her the Critic Award for BFA!

Wednesday brings a new day of doing it all again.  We have to arrive at school at 7 AM to put our garments on the forms for judging.  Then we wait as the slowest and most grueling 48 hours of our lives passes by.  At some point on Friday, the magical list of those students who are in the Fashion Show will be posted.  One professor commented that it is the worst day to be at school because of all the upset and angry students.  I couldn’t agree more.  I intern on Friday, but maybe I’ll take my lunch break to come peak at the list, or just stop by after work.  Until then, I plan on the next few days being full of rest, relaxation, booze, and a hair cut.

I am including a short video scan of all the garments that were displayed today to the Critic. I think you will agree- they are “Beyond.”

 

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And in the Final Hours… She slept.

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Come one, come all, D-Day has arrived!  In a mere 11 hours, we will be completely done with our ensembles for the fashion show and en route to the nearest bar to celebrate.  This experience has truly brought us together not only as classmates, but also as drinking buddies.  I haven’t been to a bar since at least February, and am happy to say that comes to an end tomorrow!  There are many last minute details happening in the work room, but by 2 pm tomorrow there will be 34 completed garments in room C714… I hope. For those who have been following my progress from the beginning, I am including a video of my finished first and second ensembles.  We joke that one is the modern bride, and the other is the 1800′s bride. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell which is which.  For the world to see, here are the ensembles that have captured my creativity, tears, sweat, ambitions, and probably a small part of my soul.  Enjoy.

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In my four years at FIT, it has been a rare occasion NOT to have to pull an all-nighter before a term garment is due.  But tonight I am proud to say, “I sleep.”

Toy Story said it best: Strange things are Happening!

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We are approaching the final stretch!  D-day is only 5 days away, and stress levels have already begun to overflow.  As we finish up our second ensemble, we are already sketching our third.  We are in FULL OVERLOAD mode, and are neglecting classes left and right.  We’ve stopped showering, eating, and sleeping. Our normal body functions will slowly start to fade, and we will forget to do simple things such as blink and regulate our body temperatures.  What keeps us going?  A mix of fear and hope.  Fear of the wrath that comes with not completing a garment on time, and hope that somehow or someway this will all be worth it.  These next days will be filled with sore fingers, ravenous trips to the garment district, and hallucinations of red flags.  Apparently most of us have lost our minds and strange things truly are happening… which makes for great video footage ;)   Enjoy.

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Who wants a 16-yard cotton Petticoat?

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To execute my cotton ensemble, I needed volume and LOTS of it.  I decided to execute the second petticoat of my life using cotton organdy.  Of course, the organdy only came in white so I had to dye it to ivory- which in turn, washed out all the starch.  I spent over 6 hours (actually almost 10 hours)  ironing and starching this fabric over two days.  Now that it feel like paper, it is perfect petticoat material.  I realize it kind of look like little house on the prairie, but it’s so pretty!  Onto the robe at this point.  The robe with be made of sheer cotton tulle which will drape over the petticoat.  8 days and counting friends.

 

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Did someone say Cotton?

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10 days and counting until D-day.  I remember when that looming date of April 11th seemed light-years away.  The general mood among the class: PANIC.  Welcome to the REAL Project Runway.  The Challenge?  Complete an intimate apparel ensemble in 10 days made using at least 95% Cotton.  Now while you’re making this ensemble, make sure you are also interning two days a week and taking at least 12 credit hours to stay a full time student.  Which brings up another good point:  Our professors in other classes ACTUALLY expect us to do THEIR work this week!?!?  I mean, can you say BIG PICTURE?!?!

Well, for all the griping, second ensemble is actually coming along pretty well.  I have the bra and garter finished, and am currently trying to dye the panty.  I would love to start on the robe, but I decided to try to save money and buy my cotton tulle on-line.  Only yesterday did I find out that the guy sent it PARCEL POST after I specifically said I need is ASAP!  Utter FAIL.  I’m trying to knock out anything else that can be done while I’m waiting for the arrival of this grand package.  This includes but is not limited to dyeing, cutting lace, beading, making bows, making a petticoat, and draping the robe.  No big deal.

 

Oh, and apparently we’re asking to much to have the supplies we need actually available in the garment district!  Since Greenberg and Hammer went out of business last year, it has been impossible to find garters!  Steinlauf and Stoller only carries the VERY large vintage ones.  So what do we do?  Typically we do one of two things:  Cut apart a garment from a previous semester that has garters; OR buy a really nasty lingerie piece from H&M or CONWAY and steal the garters!  I bought a DISGUSTING fuchsia pink thing they called a bustier at Conway for $9.99 and cut the clear plastic garters off to be used on this ensemble.  The garters are covered with ribbon anyways so you don’t really see them.  But the fact that there are CONWAY garters on my thousand-dollar masterpiece, well, that will be our little secret.

A Little Recap

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So we didn’t find out we were doing this blog until our first ensemble was practically finished.  Now, it seems a little funny back tracking to write about events that happened 4-6 weeks ago.  So instead I decided to put together a little film that more or less sums up some of the moments of those first 6 weeks.  I hope you enjoy.

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Lace, ripped chiffon ruffles, and diamond quilting- These are a few of my favorite things

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I must admit, 7 weeks ago I had a life. I used to go see movies, I had friends, and even showered on a regular basis.  Now those things are gone and have been replaced with a senior collection.  Is it worth it?  I sure as heck hope so.

These past few weeks have been the hardest to date.  I wasn’t really sure how I was going to knock out a masterpiece in 5 weeks, but BOO YA, it happened.  This semester has already had a couple set backs.  We missed the second day of class due to a snow day.  Then half of the class missed an entire week of class when we went to Las Vegas for the Curve Expo.  Of course, then we had President’s Day on a Monday and there went yet ANOTHER class.  I have chosen to blame this absence of class time for the craziness that ensued the last two weeks.  First off, we come in on Saturday…. every Saturday.  That said, our Professor is just as dedicated as we are, as she also comes in on Saturday mornings to see our progress and make changes.  After all, if you were going to have to start over, wouldn’t you rather know Saturday than Monday?  We’ve also discovered this amazing new feature FIT has introduced called 24-hour lab availability.  With a simple signed letter on an FIT letterhead that lists all of the students names we are able to stay past the restricting 2am deadline, and work up until the next class arrives at 9am.  Longest amount of consecutive hours in C714? That award would have to go to Francielle.  I’m fairly certain that in the last week, she has only left that room for food and energy drinks.  Many of the students prefer to work from their apartments because they are commuters and have dress forms in their rooms.  This is always my favorite because on presentation day, you have about 8-9 garments on the forms that you’ve never seen before.  SURPRISE!

First ensemble was set to be due on Monday, March 14th.  Given the state of everyone’s garments,  the professor extended the date to Wednesday, March 16th.  Our critic, Flora Nikrooz visited on Wednesday to see the finished garments and had only nice things to say about everyone’s ensembles.  She really Oohed and Awed over a couple, but maintained a pretty good poker face throughout.  Thus, the candidates for Critic Award will remain a mystery to us all.

From here it only gets worse.  Most of the class still has to finish up their robes for Monday and EVERYONE still has HOURS of beading to do. Our second ensemble, made of 95% Cotton, is due 3 weeks and 3 days from today.  How am I feeling?  I feel very similarly to the time I flipped my father’s four wheeler into a ditch and saw him RUNNING at me with a look of rage on his face:  I’m shaking in my boots.

My cotton ensemble is actually more difficult than my first ensemble.  It consists of four pieces: A long-line bra, garter, panty, and petticoat robe.  I still have to go shopping for fabric, and if it is any sign of what is to come, I actually DREAMED about buying cotton tulle last night.  In the dream everyone in the city sold out of it and I was forced to buy it from Mood for $183/yd.  (They jacked up the priced because of high demand.)  Hopefully is was only a dream as I will be needing atleast 10 yards.

My roommate questions my existence since I am never home.  Needless to say, the doorman to my apartment must think I’m a hardcore party girl: I come home at 4:30 in the morning looking haggard and slightly stumbling, mumbling nonsense about ripped chiffon ruffles…