Fleurotica on Friday was too much
fun! It was like Project Runway using floral and plant material, but without
the judging.
Jenny, Jen, and I started our
day hustling about in our studio trying to finish what was left to do on our
design. We had set out to create a look that was a little rough around the
edges. The theme of this year’s Fleurotica was “Where the Wild Things
Are” - so we envisioned a wild thing – part Corpse Bride, part Lady Gaga,
part vamp.
We created a pattern of galax leaves up these fabulous thigh
high platform boots.
And then it was on to
our biggest challenge, the skirt. We layered up heather and waxflower to create
a textured and full mini-skirt. Then we added a bit of whimsy in the lining by
adding baby’s breath. Since Jenny was about the height and weight of our model,
we did a test run on her. Jen and I stood back to see the full picture - it
just looked flat. Hmmm, what to do? Add more! So we ran up to the front of
Kennicott and picked up 5 more bunches of heather. After a few more tweaks (and
another hour of work) we were happy.
The final touch – a crown of aloe leaves for her head.
We packed up the car and headed over
to the Garfield Park Conservatory. We were directed to the back where we were
surrounded by all the other fabulous designers (just like Project Runway).
Fleur sat beside us to our right and Blumgarten was close
by (pictures to follow), and we were just across the room from Kehoe
and Dilly Lilly
It was so inspiring to see
what everyone had created!
Our model was brought to us shortly
after we arrived and we got right to work with her fitting, makeup, and hair
design. It was so much fun!
Thanks to everyone for a fabulous
experience and the chance to support such a great Chicago treasure! We can’t
wait until next year!