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Look Pretty in Pink with some of the most sugary sweet designs by Los Angeles designer, Deborah Lindquist. Summer Rayne Oakes is like a kid in a candy store trying to pick out her favorite environmentally-smart girl-meets-world designs from this hip U.S. west coast designer who has been and definitely will continue to be the flavor of choice for many seasons to come.
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Tired
of the age-old adage: Reduce.Reuse.Recycle? Of course it brings back memories
of bulky blue bins and "paper here, plastic there," but what
you should know is that Recycling has turned up in some of the unlikeliest
places: in miniskirts bending over bars, on sari-wearing sippers of peppermint
cappuccinos at the local café, stirring up catcalls on the street,
and in my case, at Lucire's launch party this past month in New York City.
Leave it to L.A.'s hot-to-trot designer, Deborah Lindquist, to prove that
you can have cake, and…well…wear it too. Her technique? She
takes the finest old clothes and fabrics and re-incorporates them back
into fashion's mainstream. This recycling-and-reincarnation of ready-to-wear
is by no means a new technique to the industry, but Deborah has been doing
it since the early 80s, and her pretty pieces have caught the eye of many-a-buyer.
Her pieces are both totally "in the green" and "in the pink," and when I say that, I mean that they are not only environmentally-cool, but they are perfect for girls who go gaga for pretty things. Deborah started in New York with a high-end belt line, but had dreams of doing a design line of her own. In 1989, she headed out to Los Angeles and began using old drapery fabrics in romantic florals and tropical prints. From there, she incorporated vintage kimono fabrics and has now ventured into recycled cashmere, cotton, jeans, silk scarves, laces and even some organic fibers. "I want to do my best to take care of the planet by designing with recycled and eco-friendly materials. I think we all have to start with what we know because it can seem like a daunting task since I feel the world is in crisis. I design clothing, so I figured I'd start there." Amen… And
does Deborah know how to design! Lindquist is a Pantone Genius: the
combination of feminine, fun, vibrant colors, particularly among her
dress collection, was the first thing that caught my attention. "Because
I work with vintage fabrics a lot," comments Lindquist, "I
buy what appeals to me personally and the colors in the fabrics make
the color palette…I also feel that women look better in color than
in too much black; pinks, peaches, corals add more life to your face."
Of the radiantly warm rainbow of color, staring back at me in my closet,
I felt like the fashion equivalent to one of the indulgent characters
in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: I couldn't decide which dress
would suit me for the evening - I wanted to try them all out.
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Her pieces are totally "in the green" and "in the pink" |
The
eye-candy creations are so delectably cute. Ruffled hemlines, little laces,
backless bustiers, beaded blossoms, bodacious baby dolls, and cute-appliqué
cashmeres speak sugar, spice, and all things nice. I finally decided on
a beaded bustier with dual-color ruffled satin skirt: Perfect for a playfully
coy party girl who only drinks Shirley Temples at night…and hugs
trees…in the daylight. So if you're looking at throwing on some girlish
charm while sprinkling some sugar on sometimes-salty eco issues, ask for
some extra cherry juice and go with Deborah Lindquist: Perfect for girls
who are "in the pink," "in the green," or a swirl
of both. See her exclusive designs this year for the Mercedes Benz LA
Fashion Week on October 18th at Smashbox Studios.
Hidden Treasures: Guaranteed to get you hitched? Maybe so. Throw away those hoopla-of-horoscopes. Deborah says that people have been proposed to and married in her designs! Forget diamonds, ladies. Deborah is our best friend. |
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Summer Rayne Oakes is head of Summer Rayne Oakes, LLC and a spokeswoman for socially responsible and eco-friendly projects. She first appeared in Lucire's April 2005 issue and in Lucire Romania in May 2005. For more information, visit her site at: www.summerrayne.net and www.gen-s.net. |
