Honoring her Heritage

May 5th, 2010 by SocialStylists 1 comment »
Renee Denomme Street Savvy

Renee Denomme Street Savvy

With a name like Renee Denomme, you are almost obligated to your French heritage. And what better way of honoring French roots than translating that family background into this kind of style?

At the IADT Chicago’s Imagine 2010 Fashion Show, I got to take a look at a few of Renee Denomme’s designs. In the French tradition of pushing the fashion envelope while remaining feminine, Renee mixes surprising color and fabric combinations with classic silhouettes.

Here in the Street Savvy segment of the Imagine 2010 IADT Fashion Show, Renee pairs electric blue with fuchsia. It could have been an overwhelming color pairing, but when Renee adds the layer of white eyelet, the look is transformed to restrained elegance.
Opting for a flirty skirt against the punk-ish color combination creates an impression that there is more-than-meets-the-eye.

In the Social Soiree segment of the show, Renee showcases her ability to design perfectly tailored looks. Her inspiration came from the 20s and the Gatsby flapper-esque time when romanticism ruled. Pitting the delicate lace against the strong colors reminds us that behind every sign of femininity there is also strength.

Renee Denomme

Social Soiree Look in Amethyst, Model Chelsie Hart

Social Soiree Look in Gunmetal, Model Chelsie Hart

Social Soiree Look in Gunmetal, Model Chelsie Hart


Graduating this July
, Renee is already interning with two Chicago designers – Anna Fong and Christina Fan of C/FAN. She is working on getting as much as experience in the garment industry as possible.
School, two internship and a job on the side…With this kind of drive and talent, success is a given.

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Ms. Mary Mac is More Than A Nursery Rhyme

May 3rd, 2010 by SocialStylists No comments »
Janis Middleton

Janis Middleton


Huge thank you to Janis Middleton for today’s post on Atlanta shoe designer Ms. Mary Mac. Follow her on Twitter @CaMillionShoes all the latest in shoes.

Most women can relate to not having or finding the right shoes to go with that certain outfit or dress. What lengths have you gone to have the perfect shoes? An Atlanta shoe designer ran into that same problem before her senior prom. She designed and created her own shoes for the special occasion and her life has never been the same.

Ms. Mary Mac

Ms. Mary Mac Rose and Gray

Ms. Mary Mac, Maryetta Finkley, has been designing shoes ever since she was 17 years old. The self-taught seamstress strayed away from the idea when she decided to attend college at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Not until she was about to receive her B.A. in Psychology did the idea resurface. She was interning and really needed to make ends meet. She never gave up on her passion for sewing and making shoes. She sold 2 pairs of shoes at $150 each and realized her potential and how much money she could really be making. It was then in 2007 when Ms. Mary Mac, the business, was born.

Finkley’s designs
are innovative and one of a kind. Most of her creations are original, but if she does make a replica of another shoe she usually limits it to two. Some customers come to her and want exactly what they saw on her Facebook page, but the majority of her customers trust her natural instinct for fashion and allow her to create from her heart. She loves to see the smiles on their faces when she reveals the shoe that she has created for them.
Ms Mary Mac

Pairing Fushia and Green

Ms Mary Mac

Working with Florals

Ms Mary Mac

Purple and Green

Ms Mary Mac

Ms Mary Mac

If you look around your house, you probably see a few pieces of fabric, scissors, glue, and maybe some pearls and ribbons. Those are the main ingredients that go into her creations. After the order is placed, it takes only three to five hours for the shoes to be created and ready for shipping. Prices start at $120 with shipping and handling. She carries many sizes and all you have to do to order is log onto Facebook or email her.
She uses a high quality manufactured shoe that comes with a built-in platform, so you don’t have to worry about using your own. Just place the order, give your vision and size, and she will bring a smile to your face and style to your feet. It doesn’t take much to see that Finkley puts her all into each and every creation. She still amazes herself with some of the shoes she has designed.
As her slogan states, “you’re not a simple, so why wear simple shoes.”


ms.marymacshoes@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ms.marymacshoes?ref=ts

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Chrystal’s Clear Balancing

April 30th, 2010 by SocialStylists 1 comment »

You know how you go shopping or flip through a magazine, and there is one piece you cannot get out of your mind? The one you keep thinking of, and obsessing over? Well here’s mine from the IADT Chicago’s Imagine 2010 Fashion Show. It’s by Chrystal Alexander.

Chrystal Alexander Woodstock

Chrystal Alexander Woodstock

Done for the Woodstock theme segment of the show, Chrystal created this look in her textile design class. Each layer was hand-dyed, then pleated. A total of 18 yards of cotton was used in the making.
The decision to make a sleeve on a one-shoulder dress is brilliant. It balances the fullness of the dress below.
The colors are soft, and the palette is representative of desert hues – which then complements the Egyptian symbols.

To make the finishing touch of hieroglyphics, Chrystal created her own stencils, and then painted directly onto the fabric. The symbols she chose mean love, happiness, and rebirth. On the back of the dress, the symbols spell out Chrystal. (I like to think she did that to symbolize the passion put in to creating such a phenomenal dress).

Chrystal Alexander "Petal to the Metal" Collection

Chrystal Alexander Petal to the Metal Collection


For the Subtle Shimmer segment, Chrystal created this 3 piece collection, Petal to the Metal. Here she focuses on uniting feminine and masculine influences – both with color choices and use of hardware.
In the gray shift dress, Chrystal uses zippers to create the seams. It gives the dress an urban edge, while the structure remains feminine. For the waist of the pink top, Chrystal opted to appliqué zippers using them as a masculine balance to the flirty shape. For the entire collection, she works the charcoal against pink showing like she did with the Woodstock dress, her awareness of the power of color.

Having just graduated from IADT Chicago this past week, Chrystal is working on expanding her web presence and is interning with Chicago lingerie designer Stephanie Kuhr of Dottie’s Delights (currently a Designer-in-Residence at Chicago Fashion Incubator).
My bet is that with Chrystal’s fantastic understanding of color, materials, and juxtapositions, we are going to be hearing a lot more from her.

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