The Most Popular Fashion Icons

Last month, TIME Magazine compiled a list of the top 100 fashion icons in five categories: Designers & Brands, Models, Muses, Photographers, and Editors & Stylists.

Here is a preview of the Top 10 from the Designer & Brand, Model, and Muse category:

Designers & Brands

1. Azzedine Alaïa
2. Giorgio Armani

3. Cristobal Balenciaga

4. Manolo Blahnik

5. Sara Blakely

6. Pierre Cardin

7. Jacques Cartier

8. Hussein Chalayan

9. Coco Chanel

10. Christian Dior

Models

1. Gisele Bündchen

2. Naomi Campbell

3. Cindy Crawford

4. Linda Evangelista

5. Iman

6. Beverly Johnson

7. Heidi Klum

8. Kate Moss

9. Jean Shrimpton

10. Twiggy

Muses

1. Josephine Baker

2. Brigitte Bardot

3. The Beatles

4. Jane Birkin

5. David Bowie

6. James Dean

7. Farrah Fawcett

8. Zelda Fitzgerald

9. Jean Harlow

10. Audrey Hepburn

To view the full list for each category, click here. 

Training Interns in Fashion Design

My interns are learning the importance of accuracy and patience as they work on the design project I gave them. They are to design a 12 x 12 inch pillow but it has to have at least 4 pieces on the face side. From there they have to develop the pattern pieces adding seam allowances, matching notations, grainlines...all the minute but important parts of bringing a design from the page to 3-D reality. Once they've perfected their patterns, they're going to actually make the pillows...and they get to keep them!

The Adventures of the Interns at the Sewing Design Studio

Things are moving along and picking up speed as my trusty interns, Brittany, and I pump out costumes for Sound of Music. We'll fit the principals' costumes on Thursday.

My interns learned the intricacies of pattern sizing and tracing this week as they prepped the uniform patterns for the Von Trapp girls' dresses. They learned to use a serger, too!

We reviewed and discussed their design projects this week. They're learning it's not so easy to bring a 2-D design from a sketch on paper to a 3-D reality. They have to show the front and back views of their designs and then come up with a materials list. The final step is to describe in detail how it will be constructed.

In all, a very interesting day! But then, nothing's ever dull at the Sewing Design Studio.

Budding Designers

I have a couple of young students in my Saturday afternoon class and I must tell you, I am impressed with their dedication and talent.
Each week they bring their sketch books with the latest sketches and we sit for a while and review them together. So far, they have sketched everything from shorts and tanks to evening gowns and accessories. We've talked about the fabrics for each design, sewing techniques to use, sizing, pricing, custom vs. RTW, including back views and more.
A good part of each lesson focuses on sewing techniques so we work on lots of stitching samples, machine issues, edge finishes and pressing techniques. Each of them has produced something usable at this point. (they've only been coming for a few weeks) J has made a tote bag and is finishing her first dress and matching purse while K, who only joined 3 weeks ago, was so anxious to "make something" that she turned one of her stitching samples into a little clutch bag. She can't wait for her next lesson so she can add rhinestones to it.
In the course of creating these things the girls have learned to use sergers, embellish fabric, fuse interfacing, edge finish seam allowances and create or adapt a pattern.
And to think they are 11 and 13 years old! Watch out, Vogue, these girls are coming!