Redress Raleigh 2013
I am so excited to be a part of Redress Raleigh this year! Redress Raleigh is an Eco-Fashion and Textiles Conference taking place in the Raleigh Marriott City Center from March 22nd to the 24th. They’ve got speakers coming from across the country for lectures and workshops, a marketplace on Sunday and the fashion show is Saturday night at 9 pm with a pre-show cocktail hour starting at 8. Purchase your tickets now!
My part in all this is showing a collection from edie kaye on the runway (on the catwalk, on the catwalk, yeah) The gowns will be made from eco-friendly materials, including some wacky stuff like industrial size wicks, plastic grocery sacks, reclaimed fabric and garments I found at goodwill (and yes, Thrift Shop* by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis has been in my head for weeks, now).
The collection is inspired by The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern and will be black, white, gray, and silver. I will show ten looks that I’ve had a lot of fun designing. I’m so excited to see them come to life and to be a part of such a good event. The challenge is to create beautiful gowns using material that may not be beautiful in and of itself. The process of making custom clothing lends itself well to using “green” materials. Incorporating used garments is an aspect of my business that I love – it gives me a challenge, it adds an extra layer of meaning and worthiness to the clothing I make (which, for a wedding gown, is something to be strived for), and most importantly for Redress Raleigh it showcases the ease and beauty of dressing green. My goal for the garments in this collection is that you will only know that they are made “green” because they are in this show, not because you can identify some of my wacky materials. Reimagining the idea of what formal wear is made of is one of the principles of this conference that I gravitate the most towards. Formal wear has a tradition to it, that I think even the greenest of girls might adjust their standards for. A formal gown is a rarely used item in the closet, it’s not readily available in an eco-conscious form and when you need a formal gown, there’s really no substitute. I want to show that remaking an old gown or using fabric that is manufactured conscientiously still creates a garment that is beautifully, uniquely, and uncompromisingly perfect for the customer.
Stay tuned, I’ll show some sneak peeks in the coming weeks!
*I linked the youtube video from The Ellen Show so it’s “radio edited”