Project Runway

On Saturday I was able to attend an American Sewing Guild (ASG) meeting. At the meeting Amanda Valentine spoke with the members. Amanda was on season 11 of Project Runway. She spoke about her experience on the design show as well as how she first got started.
It was interesting to hear about the inside things from the popular show. The show is 13 weeks long but is filmed in a total of 5 weeks. The designers do not get paid either. During New York Fashion Week (NYFW) several Project Runway Designers are select to design a decoy collection so the winner is not reviled. Amanda Valentine was one of those selected to show her collection at NYFW. Amanda shared with us that Project Runway gave each decoy designer ten thousand dollars to use to but sewing related items to complete their collection for fashion week.
Amanda was very nice and also inspiring. She shared with us were she likes to buy fabric from as well as where she gets her design inspiration from. Amanda made a statement about the best designers are those who continue to learn skills after formal education has ended. She is so right about that. Those who want to design bad enough will continue to learn and grow.

A Catwalk Through History Fashion Show

Recently the Tennessee Tech University Merchandising Association, along with the History of Dress class organized a fashion show. The show highlighted outfits from different decades, some as early as the late 1800s. I was one of the many who was able to model. It was a wonderful experience learning about the different garments. Some students also made dresses that had inspiration from a previous decade.