Yeah, Yeah…I Know…EVERYONE is a Designer These Days!

Satin Stitches | Nov 06, 2009 | 0

DWTS-Celebrity Costume Designers This Week!

Everyone is a fashion designer these days, right? Or are they?

I finally was able to watch the movie titled Valentino-The Last Emperor, last weekend. Now THERE is a designer!  In 2008, Valentino celebrated 45 years of fashion designing. He was able to design fabulous couture fashions for many famous women over these last 5 decades. And after his big anniversary celebration, he decided to retire in his late seventies. This film follows his every move, and really shows you how he created beautiful fashion, and how he lived, and lives, which is very well. He owns 6 homes around the world. Pure elegance. Incredible design. And a film worth watching, if you have any interest in real couture fashion. It is out on DVD. Rent it!

Then I tune in to Dancing With the Stars this week, and am faced with the unfortunate. The costumes worn by the stars and their celebrity partners were designed by the stars. Obviously with lots of help with the shows resident costume designer, Randall Christensen and his crew of very talented cutting, sewing and embellishing professionals.

Yes, I know that you do not need to be a trained fashion designer to acknowledge good or bad design. Non professional designers can create good costume design. But not always. And sometimes they really fall short.  Obviously the real costume designers for the show helped to influence the final designs, as they should. Most professionally trained fashion designers cringe when we hear that Lindsay Lohan has a line of whatever. Of course we are all clamoring for the latest from Paris Hilton or her sister. And so and so has a new line of this new thing. Come on. Give us a break! These days, anyone who has any celebrity seems to have a clothing line, or at the very least, a fragrance. See my designer fragrance blog, for MY designer fragrance!

Let us talk about celebrity designers, shall we?

Even some traditional recital costume catalog companies are now touting their-designer option-for custom. Yes, yes, there are talented costume designers at recital costume catalog companies. I do not doubt that. BUT, they have been employed to design mass-marketed, generally simplistic costumes, available in a minimum of sizes. At Satin Stitches, we have SPECIALIZED in ONLY custom design. We really know how to work with each individual dancer or dance team, to achieve a truly unique costume design for their performance. And we have been doing it for over 31 YEARS. With our computerized patternmaking and cutting, we are able to cut any style in literally hundreds of sizes. Not so, with other companies! If you REALLY want custom dance costumes, not customized dance costumes-yes there is a difference, give us a call.

So how did they do? The stars from Dancing With the Stars?

If you refer to the accompanying photo, I will start from left to right.

If you saw the show, you know that THANKFULLY, the fringed man-pants of Louis were tear-away and came off, along with Kellys print skirt, during their Salsa. A little scary as you see them, no so much, when the bottoms were removed to reveal a nice fringed jumpsuit for Kelly and standard black pants for Louis.

Derek had on a semi-interesting shirt with some sheer cut-outs that seemed a little loose, and Joanna wore a too-bare, too-much-going-on, white dress for their Rumba. Her white lace appliques were sparsely placed on too much of an area of nude fabric, with a drape starting in a weird location. Remember to imagine that the nude area is really skin. Should you have a drape starting from the upper middle of your chest? Too weird for me!

Mya and Dmitry danced a Foxtrot. Dmitry wore a dapper white suit with wine shirt and tie. Myas costume really disappointed me. It had a nice silhouette and pretty color, but it was not showy enough. The cut of the halter neckline was extremely boring, and the edging the neckline looked like a cheap row of sequins on either side of the bodice. It was beading, but it did not look lavish and sophisticated.

Ah, then we see the jewel of the evening. Who knew? Michael, our token football player danced a very nice Foxtrot, and his double-breasted purple vest and pant ensemble with pink shirt was manly and attractive. His design for partner, Anna was superb! It was stylish, sophisticated and very beautifully embellished. The charmeuse skirt flowed beautifully. This is my favorite design!

Kym and Donny Quickstepped with Donny looking VERY debonair in his tailed tuxedo. . Did you notice that his open jacket was attached to the shirt/vest? This is what makes a costume work, versus off-the-rack garments. If you are a guy, and you have danced in a rental tuxedo, you know what I am talking about! Dance tuxedos are cut so differently from the wedding tuxedo, and various parts are usually sewn down, so things do not move and flop around while you are dancing.

Can anyone say OVERDONE? Kym had bunches of nude toned straps on her dress, connecting the collar to her hips. VERY distracting! A simpler bodice would have been so much more elegant. There was also too much texture. I was not thrilled with all the stuff going on, with her dress. And then just for a little more distraction, way too many bracelets were added. Shame on you, Donny. Better stick to singing, leave the designing to the professionals.

Replacing Lacy, because she was ill, was Anna, wearing a mish-mash of a fringed, draped Samba costume. There was no real visual flow to this costume. Mark wore a black sheer shirt, which was open at front. It was a little bare, but he could handle it. His costume was adequate, hers was not, in my opinion.

Karina and Aaron danced a Jive. Aaron created his costume with the essence of a Zoot suit, modernized with a burgundy, brocaded jacket with black lapels.  He put a cute little pink, fringed dress on Karina. It was short enough to show off her body, but not too naked. Her bracelets were not so distracting. All, in all, a good job by Aaron.

Thankfully, the real costume designers were back working their magic for the rest of the costumes for both shows this week.The dance-off was fun to see, and the team challenges were dramatic! I cannot wait until next week, to see more dancing, and of course, the costuming by the professionals!

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Broadway, Ballroom, Teacher, Enthusiast, Parent, Costume Design, Costumes, Dancing With the Stars (all tags)