Sorry for the lack of updates, this semester is pretty intense as I’m involved in creating designs for the Gold Thimble Fashion Show for my school. After a little prodding from my friend Sinclaire, who said that showing the process of design along the way would be much more fun for the readers than a deluge at the end, I’ve decided to post my entries as I go along.
My first entry for the fashion show was a swimsuit and coverup. The constraints were that the theme was “Magical Islands” (whatever that really means. lol) and the coverup had to be see-through and calf-length. This was the winning “Fire Island” (lol) sketch agreed on by both my teacher and me….
Since I felt that cutouts and bikinis could get hoochie in a hurry if it didn’t fit a model quite right, I decided to go a little retro. There were a lot of cheap swimsuit fabrics in the Fashion District in downtown LA, but since most of those were very thin and would require lining the whole inside (and bulkier seams), I decided to bite the bullet for a more expensive opaque Lycra fabric. Quality wins.
The pleating was the hardest to get right, as it was super easy for the pleats to become uneven. As you can see in the sketch the bra portion didn’t have as many pieces , but in order for the top portion of the bodice to provide coverage and support, I had to add another curve to the top of the bra and to stiffen the Lycra with fusible interlining.
The criss-cross straps in the back provides an extra function of support to the bra, in addition to providing a little added interest. I decided I liked the clean lines rather than a continuation of the pleating in the back (as shown in the sketch).
For the coverup, I found this amazing red, black and gold see-through burnout fabric at Michael Levine’s. It reminded me of a Parisian bohemian in her boudoir, so I went with a cocoon shape with pleating reminiscent of the 1930′s.
I did have a “make it work” moment the night before the deadline, as I realized I was short on the amount of fabric I needed for the coverup because of the kimono sleeves. However, thanks to my teacher Mr Alcala who helped me devise a workaround, I was able to finish it with a result that I was happy with.
If you’re interested in coming to the fashion show, then save the date: December 7th at 7pm at LA Trade Tech!
Erin said:
WOW. This looks great Amy!
A Sunny Day in LA said:
Thanks Erin!!
Lisa Aulwurm said:
Love the coverup-very chic
A Sunny Day in LA said:
Thanks Aunt Lisa! xo
Dianne said:
I adore this Amy! Such a wonderful job. So talented
A Sunny Day in LA said:
Thanks D! So glad you liked it! =o)
rebecca said:
,,,i would purchase the bathing suit as is, love it! what great style! you did a fantastic job!,,,
A Sunny Day in LA said:
Wow! Thanks so much! Hearing unbiased feedback means so much to me, thanks for your comment =o)
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Karen said:
Wondering at which store you found the high quality swimsuit fabric? There are so many down there and I only want to hit the few that has high quality.. Thanks soooo much !
A Sunny Day in LA said:
Hi Karen! I found the black swimsuit fabric at Wall Fabric on Wall and 9th St. There were several rolls of black swimsuit fabric, so you have to go thru them and find 2-way and non-see-thru when stretched. It’s more expensive, but I didn’t want to have to line the whole thing. After haggling it was comparable to the price of another black swimsuit fabric I liked at Michael Levine’s on Maple St. As you may know, the price is variable at the small stores depending on how much you buy and your negotiating skills! And, of course it helps to have a wholesale discount…Good luck!
A Sunny Day in LA said:
I should add, the smaller shops have minimum yardage requirements, so sometimes if you need a smaller amount of yardage than 2 yds or more, it’s better to go to Michael Levine’s that doesn’t have that requirement.
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