Hello Dollfaces!
When it comes to fashion designers I'm all for independent designers. They make the most unique pieces and they are generally handmade and one of a kind pieces. I recently came across an
AMAZING independent fashion design by the name of Gwen Beloti.
Gwen was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. were she later got her Master's Degree in Psychology then, always having a keen eye for design, she explored fashion design. Gwen stated in her blog, "It all started from online tutorials, design textbooks, and her mother's 15 year old sewing machine". If you would like to read her full story you can check out her website at
http://www.gwenbeloti.com/, and also you can take a look at the new Spring/Summer 2010 Collection.
The Spring/Summer 2010 Collection has bold colors, unique shapes, and a range of different styles. My favorite piece is the haltered bubble skirt dress with black buttons. The bubble skirt is checkered multi-colored and the halter is all black.
After reading her story, looking at her work and chatting back and forth with her through email, I'm truly inspired.
If you have any questions you can contact me at
FashionQueenCk@hotmail.com
or
Gwen at
info@gwenbeloti.com
Candace: When was the Gwen Beloti Brand founded and how did it come about?
Gwen: The Gwen Beloti Brand was founded toward the latter part of 2007. It came about really as a spontaneous something. I was going through a lot at the time, just dealing with life and somehow I decided I wanted to make my own clothes. This new found interest and hobby gave me a sense of relief. So, with only tutorials some home sewing lessons I began making garments. It got to a point where I wanted to do more than what I was able to teach myself. I decided to go back to school and today I am an emerging designer with a growing brand.
Candace: When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?
Gwen: I never thought about or considered being a fashion designer. I've always had things planned out. I did things very much by the book, school, college, Master's and a job. Somehow this creative outlet which was somewhat of a stress reliever found me. I think it was truly a blessing, though I'd always loved fashion I never fathomed the thought of being a designer. Surprisingly, this newly found creative outlet quickly turned into my everything.
Candace: What's the price range of your pieces?
Gwen: The price points for my pieces on average range between $50 and $350 dollars, handbags $100-$400 dollars.
Candace: What kind of women is the brand geared toward?
Gwen: The Gwen Beloti brand is meant for the woman who is looking for style in her wares. This woman can be old or young, slim or thick, trendy or classic. My priority in designing is fit. All women want their clothes to flatter them and we take that into a great deal of consideration when designing the collections. I try to fuse various attributes of different genres of fashion, in my collection pieces. Its nice to be able to wear a classic look that is fun, which it something I strive to achieve in my looks.
Candace: Have you ever tried out for any designer reality shows such as Project Runway!
Gwen: I have never auditioned or applied for any reality shows. I'm not sure if T.V. is my thing. But who knows what the future holds, lets wait and see.
Candace: What advice would you give someone who wanted to become a fashion designer or be apart of the fashion industry?
Gwen: I would tell them to continue to enjoy what it is that they do. So long as you continue to love your craft the fight to make it prosperous will be a lot easier to endure.
Candace: I looked at the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection in the press kit, I love the bold colors, every piece was unique, totally impressive. What inspired the looks?
Gwen: Thank you, this collection was full of color and asymmetry. What is similar between this collection and the past collections is the use of color. I love color and think we should have fun with it. As for the asymmetry which was prevalent in the SS '10 collection, I incorporated it to add a tasteful fun edginess to some of the pieces.
Candace: I think it's wonderful that you have larger sizes up to a 14. Do you feel that you'll reach more women with your size ranges?
Gwen: I couldn't see myself creating a line that didn't go up to a size 14. My size personally has and does range between a 10 and 14. I think it is very important to sell garments that are true to size, and to cater to a range of shapes and sizes.
Gwen Beloti Collection
http://www.gwenbeloti.com/
http://www.gwenbeloti.blogspot.com/
