Shimmer Magazine Summer 2015

SUMMER 2015

JADE MARLIN “THE INTERVIEW”

FASHION WEEK LVSEASON 6

A CLOSER L O O K AT

2 July/August2015

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Letter from the Editor ThisIssue,haslauchedit’sfirstMaleCover,andwithmuchanticipationforFashionWeekjustafewweeksaway,wehaveagreatseasonplannedwithJadeMarlin&4othercelebritydesignerswhowewillbecoveringinsideShimmerMagazineafterFWLVinAugust2015.Wehavemovedourpublishingupto6issuesperyearandwewillofferreadersachancetoseepreandthepostofsomeofourfashioneventswearecoveringinLAandLasVegasaswellasinAthensGreeceandtheNetherlands.,Shimmerisplannedtoattend3internationalfashioneventsin2016andwelooktosharealltheexcitmentthatweexperiencewithyou.Iamalsosoexcitedtobeintroducinganamazingproductby“AngelWaterProject”insidethisissueofShimmerMagazine,takealookatthebackcoveraswellastheinsidecover;whichcontainsalotofinformationaboutthisamazingproducteveyoneshouldown.Wewillbeinterviewingoneofco-foundersofthisamazingmachinethatliterallymakesdrinkablesustainablewaterfromournaturalair.ThearticlewillbeavailableonourwebsiteinAugust.Wehaveanopportunitytosharewithyoutheanswertoourbiggestproblemwehaveglobally.Pleasetakethetimetoviewtheirwebsiteandlearnhowyoucansupportthenonprofitorganizationthatisthedrivingforceofthismiraclemachine.

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COVER STORYPAGE 14

PHOTO BY EDWARD BRATES



MASTHEADPUBLISHER MVR MEDIA GROUP EDITOR IN CHIEF Milka VonRhedeyENTERTAINMENT& LIFESTYLE EDITOR Bobbie Katz FASHION EDITOR Russel Frank BEAUTY EDITOR ReneMaquilleurBEAUTY/HAIR EDITOR ColeBlakeSALES DIRECTOR Taylor Strickland ONLINE SALES David Keller

Sales Team Art Department DelinaSantosDammeonCasalesTinaMarieADCookLillyDrakeAunnieWilliamson

PHOTOGRAPHERS: ROBERT CONNER , TOM REYNOLDS. JONATHAN RECARDO ASHOK PHOTOGRAPHY, CV PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOSPHERE STUDIOSEYEQPHOTOGRAPHY , DAMMEON CASALES , ZACH ADAM PHOTOGRAPHYEDWARD BATRES

STEVIE BOI2016 Collection

12 July/August2015


TABLE OF CONTENT

ON THE COVER PAGE 14 MEETJADEMARLIN “COVERING ALL HIS BASES”CELEBRITYDESIGNERBYBOBBIEKATZ

PAGE 22FWLVSEASON6RUNWAYMODELWINNERSBreanna White -Norelle Bemelman BYRUSSELFRANK

PAGE 48 FASHION WEEK LAS VEGAS FWLV RECAP OF SEASON 6 PAGE 82 Antonella Commatteo Getting A Glow on for a New Career BY BOBBIE KATZ

Shimmer Magazine 3651 Lindell Road Las Vegas, NV 89103 [email protected]

STEVIE BOISTEVIE BOI 2016 collection

2016 collection

14 July/August2015


As a baseball player, Jade Marlin learned that if you want to play in the big leagues, 1) you have to keep your eye on the ball 2) you have to judge the exact moment to swing into action 3) occasionally you’ll strike out 4) sometimes you have to walk before you can run and 5) the right ”pitch” is what gets you to first base and beyond.

Today, as the owner and designer

of Jade Collections, those lessons

are translating into a home run for

his menswear line, which Marlin

began in 2003. Moreover, his Jade

Collection and Lady Jade lines have

recently hit the market and are

poised to take their positions on the

fashion playing field as well.

“Baseball is my passion and inspiration,” says Marlin,

who played in the independent mi-

nor leagues. “My ultimate goal was

to be a superstar. I also had always

wanted to be an architect so I got a

degree in architecture. When it

comes to my fashion, I draw all my

designs from scratch and choose all

the materials and I have a distribu-

tion deal with a company in China

that makes all my products.

“My clothing is creative and an expression in design,” he continues.“Jade

Collections is ‘Aspire to Inspire.’ We are the present and the future.

JADEMARLIN COVERING ALL HIS BASESBY BOBBIE KATZ

16 July/August2015

The designs reflect me – every design depicts how I feel. Quiet and classy, they express the creativity of Jade and identify my character and what I’m thinking – in essence, who I am. In fashion, you can express who you are in your line.”

The menswear collection, which

will be showcased on the runway at

Fashion Week Las Vegas, is heavily

influenced by the brand’s historical

roots in sport and classic and ur-

ban menswear. The clothing range,

including the iconic slim fit polo shirt,

blends British style with the edge and

attitude garnered from the brand’s

unique streetwear credentials.

“The line is urban wear but corporate,”

Marlin explains. “It targets different

types of people, among them

businessmen from 28 to 40.”It wasn’t always like this. At a young age Jade had spent most nights draw-ing and designing in secret. As time went on, he further expanded his knowledge in fashion at Citrus College and later at ITT Technical Institute. With the help of his mother, who had early on recognized her son’s talent, in 2003, Marlin entered the profes-sional designer forum making logoed t-shirts but, ultimately, they weren’t the quality that he desired. “They were horrible,” he states bluntly. “The name – my name – that was on the front of them was real big and the quality of the shirts was bad. So in 2007-2008, I debuted Jade Man, which was the image of me.


2013 Runway Show Schedule on line

It was a character that I drew with

a logo but the fashion industry was

changing and people were not big on

logos then. Still, that was the begin-

ning. I did strictly t-shirts and did dif-

ferent designs with signature logos as

well as the Jade Man logo. I also put

clever sayings on some of them, feel-

ing that people would prefer them

to logos. I sold the t-shirts at swap

meets, colleges, and high schools.

Then in 2009, ” I transferred to Jade Collections.”Of course, that was in the middle of the recession and Marlin ended up having to shut down operations for about two years, from 2009-2011, while he worked two jobs because he didn’t have the money to continue making his products. “I wanted to give up and go back to baseball,” he recalls. “But I kept going to MAGIC every year. My mom was my biggest supporter. She encouraged me and kept me going and gave me strength by telling me that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. I started up again in late 2011-early 2012 and met a manufacturer at MAGIC who agreed to do my t-shirts. He told me that I had a talent and that he believed in me and was willing to give me the opportunity. I came up with a concept and designed eight different shirts in eight different colors. He made 1,000 great quality shirts for me at no charge – I just paid for shipping. “I sold a few shirts at a trade show booth -- at least I was getting out there,” he adds.

Photo by Edward Batres


“I knew then that I had to take things to the next level and have my own business strategy and my own marketing plan. I kept asking myself what it was that I had to do to get my brand out there.” To create the right pitch for his com-pany, Marlin went on the internet and researched marketing and how to get people to support his brand. He knew that he needed to draw attention to his products so he began by creating a website and making up brochures. Then, in 2012, he came up with a very creative idea – using his own money to rent the space and equipment, he started hosting red carpet premiere parties in lounges in the Southern California area in locales such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Anaheim, and West Covina. He would set up tables inside the lounges and sell his products. During this time, he also started building a team.“I just kept putting on all these premiere parties,” Marlin relates. “I wanted to get people asking the question, ‘Who is Jade?” For two-and-a-half years, I strictly did those parties then, in 2014, I did my first fashion showcase at the Anaheim Marriott. “In February 2012, when I went to MAGIC, I had found a hat manufac-turer who offered to work with me at no charge except for shipping,” he continues. “I designed four styles of hats in seven different colors. Now I had t-shirts and hats. Then in late 2013-early 2014, I introduced a polo line, thanks to another manufacturer that worked with me at no charge except for shipping. I was able to add shoes, casual shirts and hoodies to my line that way, all via MAGIC, which

I had been attending for nine years. Things really started taking off. I give all the manufacturers who helped me a percentage of sales.”Today, Marlin has three businesses encompassing 40 employees and over 10 sponsors or investors in his company. In February, he started Jade Collection, a line of tank tops that he plans to expand into dresses, jeans and all kinds of things. Lady Jade, also a recent addition to his brand, is run by Marlin’s mother, Janice Comeaux, and offers full grain, high-quality leather handbags.



He also has plans to expand this segment into perfume, high-heel shoes, boots and more. Additionally, Marlin, who was born in Los Angeles and raised in Riverside, has a children’s foundation called Jade Love Kids, its purpose being to inspire kids in urban communities to become leaders in their communities by teaching them the necessary skills to build a successful life.“I want to reach out to kids in urban cities and give them the incentive to be successful in a bad environment,” Marlin earnestly maintains. “We provide afterschool programs in reading, math, sports, and music and we are creating more. These programs are taught by volunteers – teachers from the community, retired teachers, cops, and local people. We are also working with McDonald’s.”

20 July/August2015

Marlin admits that handling three businesses and 40 employees at once is tough. He says that it is God who keeps him grounded and gives him strength and that he spends time reading the Bible. He also notes that he loves the ocean and the beach, finding them mind-soothing and healing. “I envision going public,” Marlin sums up. “My goal is to be nationwide and to eventually have stores everywhere, even in London. I’m not stopping.”When it comes to being on the ball, no one can top Jade Marlin.

Photo by Edward Batres


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OFF THE RUNWAYFASHION WEEK LAS VEGAS Season 6 By: Russel FrankRunway &Talent Director

FashionWeekLasVegasSeason6!!!Goingintothisseason,Iwasmorethanex-citedwithwhatwasgoingtocome.FromwhatIseenatcasting,whichwasthebiggestcastingwe’vehadthusfar!WehadmodelscominginfromLA,Phoenix,NorthernCalifornia,andChicagocometocasting.Eventhelocalmodels,wereimpressive.Thereweresomanytallfemalemodels,whichwasafirstaswellwiththismany.Withthisseasonofmodels,itwasaconsis-tentfeelingofnewermodels.Modelsthathaven’tdonerunwaybefore,norhavedonethatmanyphotoshootsundertheirbelt.Theirenergywasbright,young,andenergeticwithemotions.

Whenweallarrivedonthefirstday,italwaysisabitofanervousfeeling,notknow-inghowthefirstdaywasgoingtogo,howwellthemodelswillperformforthedesigners,theirwalks,theirphysiques.

Whenthedesignersshoweduponthefirstday,manyofthemhadtheirlistofmodelstheyhadpreselectedfromseeingthemonsocialme-dia.Itwasafeelingofreliefastheysawthemodelsforthefirsttime.Manyofthedesignerswereveryhappyandpleasedtoworkwiththisseasons’ofmodels.

Thefirsttwodaywewentthroughcastingsandfittingswiththedesignersandmod-els.Thisseasonwasasmallergroupsevendesigners,buttwoofthemhadtwosepa-ratecollections.Theseconddaywascutshorter,butweendedthenightwithourFWLVSeason6PressPartyatBlueMartiniatTownSquareMall,inLasVegas.Despitethebackstagesetupbeingsizeconstraint,theeventitselfwasperfect.

Wehadthemodelsuponplatformsinrotations.Theyposedforthecameraswearingdesignerslooksforasneakpeakatwhattoexpect.Themodelswerewalkingadvertisementforthepressandmedia.Hand-edoutbusinesscards,de-signerlookbooks,mingledandtookphotos.Someofthemodelsalsochangedlooksevery20minutes,tostillshowcasethedesignerslooks.Wehadagreatturnoutforourpress,buyer,andmedia.Therewereevefree-lancephotographersinthevenuetakingphotos,pullingmodelstodoquickphotoshootsessions.Reallywasasuccessfulturnout.Theeventwasrunbymyteamofinternsforthemostpart,betweenKeyskaDivaandMichaelNorsworthy.Keyskahasbeenwithmeforovertwoyears,whilethiswasMichael’sfirsteventwithmeandFWLV.Buthejumpedrightin,andwasreadytogo.Thethirddaywewentintorehearsal.WefirstwentwithNinetyNine,fromAustralia.Thedesigner,AidaZhen,wasfullofenergy.Thisclearlywasn’therfirstshow.Sheknewexactlywhatshewanted,thetempoforthewalk,thelook,thesmiles,everythingwasalreadypre-paredfortheirrehearsals.



TM

A CLOSER LOOK AT SEASON 6




Ninety9 by Australian Designer by Aida Zein won the title of Break Out Emerging Designer for Season 6 , the duo are planned for a re-turn for August 2015 to showcase again on the runway another exciting RTW Denim Collection. www.ninety9.com


DHSTUDIOSINCbyDANIELHERNANDEZ

PHOTO BY EYEQPHOTOGRAPHY






cont.page34Wehadthegirlskeepdoingthewalk,ifitwasn’tright.Forthemodels,itwastheirfirstrehearsal.Theyhaven’twalkedtogetheronthisrunwaybefore,sotheirsyncwasn’ton.Forthisrehearsalitwasverybeautypageantwalk.Lotsofsmiling,hipmovement,swingofthearms,andhandsonhips.Someofthemodelshavethatbeautypageantback-ground,soitcameeasyforthemgetinto“character”forthisrunway.Theothergirls,itwastoughforthem,sincethiswalkisoppositeyourtypicalrunwaywalk.ThenextrehearsalwewentintowasforDHStudios,DanielHernandez.Thiswasmythirdshowwithhim.Ialreadyknowwhathisexpectationis,buthisshowsarereallysimpleandclean.Thestopsatthecornersaresharp,headon,posesarefrontshotsandbackshots.Theimageswillcomeoutverycleanandsimple,asifitwasforalookbookshot,frontandbackofthegar-ments.Hiswalkwasnohips,noarms,walkonbeat.Itwasperfecttypicalrunwaywalk.Thesegirlslookedlikemod-els.ThefinalrehearsalforthedaywasforTwistedLiar.

IMAGE BY JONATHAN RICARDO




Continued from pg 41

This show had a story to tell. With “twist-ed liar” guards, the models walking with weapons, knives, guns, malice, ending with a “twisted liar” king and queen.





TuesdayThird day was also our first night of the runway show, which is always nerve wreck-ing. Like it is my first night from start. The first night is our ready-to-wear. We featured Ninety Nine, DH Studios Inc, and Twisted Liar. This was a new venue for us at the Boaba Theater at Town Square. It is normally for theater plays and performances, how-ever, they have an attachable runway that they add to the stage for runway shows. We were jammed pack in the back of house. With 60 models in the back, a team of 20 hair and makeup artist, then my team of back of house interns of 10 people, we were pretty full. None the less, we were very intimate in the back. The good thing was that we were all together, while they were in hair and makeup, the designer’s rooms were right next door. We were able to be close and manage the models easier, than in the past. We started our runway show with the model introduction. They all wore solid black tshirts, dark denim blue jeans and black shoes. All in a cohesive look. Follow-ing, we went into our first designer show, Ninety Nine, followed by DH Studios. Both shows went through smoothly. No issues, no hiccups, it was almost too good to be true kind of feeling. We then had an intermission with a magician show to keep the guest entertained. This time frame allowed our hair and makeup team to give the models a different look hair and makeup. Dark makeup, and wet hair look. Their show was a knock over! One thing with Twisted Liar, they had been heavily promoting their brand via social media, and local press were promoting them as well. There was a lot of anticipation for this brand to be on our runway. After the show, the press wanted all the models and designer to come out to the runway for final shots. We must of stayed an extra 30 – 45 minutes after everyone was gone, taking photos. It was a great night for our opening night. To end it with Twisted Liar was an icing on the cake for the night. Wednesday Our next night was our second night of ready-to-wear. We started the day with re-hearsal with Viced Man men’s underwear, followed by Flee God urban street wear, then with VHK Fashion. The two menswear lines we had, Viced Man and Flee God had the models excited. Male models tend to be excited to walk. They don’t get to walk as much, so for them it was more exciting to get their chance. Some of the male models walked the day before for Twisted Liar, but the second day was all male models. The guys were intense and eager to do good. They didn’t want to disappoint me, nor the designers for their show. It makes the show that much more fun when the male mod-els keep at for rehearsal and keep trying to improve. VHK’s show was our only wom-ens wear showing for the second night, so I wanted to make sure the rehearsal went perfect. The female models were only walking once this night. As normal, we went from rehearsal to hair and makeup. We started the night with model introduction first, followed by Viced Man. This was their first show for Viced Man, they have done many club shows at night clubs and bars around Vegas and in LA, but this was their first runway show at a fashion week , let alone a fashion show. The show went smooth, but at the same time there were some areas could of gone smoother. Viced Man had a lot of synchronized walking with the models. There was a lot of looks where we had the models walk out on both ends of the stage and onto the runway.



Sometimingwasabitoff,butwewentthroughthere-hearsalsomanytimeswiththeguys,themodelsweresynced!Theyreliedalotonreadingeachother’sbodiesandfacialexpressionstoleteachotherknowhowtokeepuptheirwalkpace.OurnextshowwasforFleeGod.JustlikeTwistedLiar,thisbrandhaddidalotofpromotingandgotalotofattentiontobeseenontherunway.WetooksometacticsfromDHStudiosintoFleeGod’sshow.Withgraphicsanddesignsonfrontandbackofthewardrobe,wehadthemodel’sposefrontandbackforshots.Westartedtheshowwithaviolinistplayingfirst.Nowkeepinmind,youareexpectingstreetwearandurbanwear,hearingclassicmusicwithaviolinplayingwasclearlynotamatch,notexpected.Itworked,itwasagoodperfor-mance,thecrowdlovedit.Themodelswalkedsidebysidewithhim,ashewalkedoffthestage.WithFleeGod,wemadethemodelsbemorecomfortableandintoacharacter,anurbanstreetwearguy.Theyflexed,theydidthetoughguyposes,urbanstreetlooks.OurlastshowwasVHKFashion.Thisshow,Iwatchedonthesidelines,whileKeyskaDivarantheshowfromtheback.Thegirlslookedamazingontherunway.Theirtimingwason,theirposeswastimedcorrectly,theyhitthespotoneverymarker.Twonightsdone,andbothweresuccessful.ThursdayClosingday,wentintorehearsalsfirstwithWassaCouture.Iworkedwiththedesigners’assistant,wheretherewasalotofbreakdownsasfarashowtheshowwastolook.Atthesametime,forthesakeoftheshowandofFashionWeekLasVegas,wehadtomakeadjustmentstohaveastrongoutcomeoftheshow.ThefinalrehearsalwaswithDHStudios.Hisrunwayforhisredcarpetnightwasthesameashisready-to-wearshow,frontshotsandbackshotsofeachofthelooks.Weaddedthemalemodelsinhisshowasprops.Thestagewastransformedintoastagetheater.Themalemodelsusedashalfnudepropsinthebackgroundwhilewehadthefemalemodelswalkingtherunway.Themalemodelsweretobeinlustoverthefemalemodelswalkingby.Forthisnight,wehadaspe-cialguesttowalktherunway.BetweenmyselfandDanielHernandez,wewereabletogetDerrickBarryasBritneySpearsappeartowalkforhisshowtocloseit.Itwentperfectwiththemusicandthethemeweweresettingupwiththeshow.

Celebrity Guest Derrick Barry


Veselka Krachunova The Talented, Bulgarian International Designer showcased her Ready To Wear Collection on the Runway at Fashion Week. Unique and Exquisite looks with a touch of Old Hollywood Veselka Krachunova was a hit in Las Vegas !

Model Shelbi Byrnes

Phohto by EYEQPHOTOGRAPHY




Designer Veselka Krachunova









“Skimz “Edward Ortiz

owner & founder Flee God Clothing


PHOTO BY

ROBERT CONNOR










DHSTUDIOSINCREDCARPETCOLLECTION2015

PHOTO BY EYEQPHOTOGRAPHY



78 July/August2015


DHSTUDIOSINC

Hisdesignscelebrateavarietyofskincolors,back-grounds,andbodytypes.Bycombiningaclassicwell-structuredgarmentasthefoundation,coupledwiththeabilitytocustomizeit;hehasmasteredthedelicatebal-anceofprofessionalismand“couture”.

IMAGES by EYEQPHOTOGRAPHY

80 July/August2015www.alexvinash.com IMAGES BY JONATHAN RICARDO



Priortothenightopeningact,Ihadpartneredupwiththerunwaymodeljudges.Theywerestuckonfinalmodelsforthecompetition,sincenotallthemalemodelswerecastedtowalkforVicedManunderwear,theydidn’tknowwhatthemodelslookedlikefortheirphysiqueandtherewasnoswimweardesignerforthefemaleemodels.Togetherwecameupwithacompromisetohavethemodelswalkwiththeirshirtsoffformalesandshirtstieduponthesideforthegirls.Fortheshow,wehadWassaopen-ingthenight.ShehadAfricanpercussionistplayingtheopeningnumber,followedbythemodelswalkingoutbetweenthemonthestage.Wassahadakingandqueenatthemiddleoftheshowforthefirsthalfoftheshowfollowedbytherestofthelooks.Itwasagreatbreakfromyourtypicalrunwayshow,withthepercussionistplaying,andWassaherselfcomingoutintheenddancingincelebrationofherfirstrunwayshowonafashionweekplatform.ThenextshowwasourDHStudiosredcarpetshow.Themalemodelsopenedtheshowbywalkingonstage.Theygotintopositionsallwear-ingblackunderwearbriefs.Littledidtheaudienceknow,untilthecurtainswentup,twomalemodelswerepositionedincageswithsheercurtainscoveringthemnaked.WethenhadeachofthegirlswalktherunwayliketheydidforhimontheTuesdaynightshow.Asrehearsed,DerrickBarrywalksoutasthefinallookforthenight.Hecameoutgracefully,didhistwirlandspun,playingtheroleofthemadamofthebroth-elhouseofthemalemodelsand“dismissed”themtowalkofftherunwaystage.Theshowwasmemorable.

Closing Wehadallthemodelschangeintotheirblacktshirtsandbluejeans.Theyallwalkedoutonthestagewaitingtohearwhowasgoingtobethewinner.AllweekIhadhearfromthedesignerswhotheywereanticipatingonwinning.Therewasalotofengage-mentaboutthemodelcompetition.DanielMahhanfromEnvyModelManagementcameupdidhisspeech.Afterallsaidanddone,heannouncedthewinnerBreannaWhiteandFabianLopezasSeason6RunwayModelWinners.ForourDeluxeVersionMediaModel,wasalsoBreannaWhiteandFabianLopez.OurSocialMediaModelwasannouncedbyourhostoftheseason,DanielHernandezaccompaniedwithseason5winnerShelbiByrnes,fromArizona,NorelleBemelmanhadwonoursocialmediacom-petition.Iknowforfactthatallthreemodelswereexcitedtowin.Allthreewerenewtothemodelingindustry,Fabianhadafeweventsunderhisbeltforexperience,buthewasthemostemotionalonstage.Itwassorewardingandmovingtoseehisemo-tionsplayoutonstage.Iamsoexcitedtoseethesethreemodelsjointheothercastofwinningmodels,andwatchtheircareersblossomandgrow.ImagesbyJonathanRicardo

IMAGES BY JONATHAN RICARDO

82 July/August2015

Antonella Commatteo: Getting a Glow On for a New CareerBy Bobbie Katz


Sometimes when you start a new fashion trend, it can just get too darn hot too fast.Such was the case with Alpaca Couture, uniquely beautiful alpaca fashions created by hand from start to finish and designed by Antonella Commatteo, which were showcased at Fashion Week-Las Vegas in 2014. The beautiful shimmery material, even when mixed with lighter fabrics, proved to be simply too hot and heavy for the warmer seasons and climates. And as the saying goes, if you can’t take the heat, mind your own business, which is what Commatteo is currently doing as Alpaca Couture becomes an entity now sold via an online store by her former partner Wade Von Giessen.The talented designer’s cool new business moves started with her leaving Alpaca Couture and Wisconsin to relocate to Long Beach, California, and begin her own fashion line called Commatteo. Out here on her own, she is creating pants, shirts, and jackets for men and plans to design for women as well.“I love designing for men,” Commatteo enthuses. “I enjoy the challenge of creating something new. There is only so much you can do with men’s clothes while women’s clothes are so diverse. The pants, shirts, and jackets I’m designing for men are not your normal fare – they have a little twist to them. I have chosen Wisconsin badger colors to work with, from cream to light brown, tan, dark brown, and even a touch of black. I’m going to mix fabrics. “All the clothes will be handmade,” she continues.

84 July/August2015


“I want to try and make 21 complete outfits, pants and a shirt or pants, a shirt, and a jacket, for each season. I’ll probably end up doing 40-44 medium men’s and a 32-34 waist. Once they are done, I’ll try to get them to Las Vegas. Fashion Week in February 2016 and also to L.A. Fashion Week a month later and I’ll try for San Diego as well. . I want to show the line complete.” Remarkably, Commatteo has no one helping her. She gets her fabrics and notions from the Garment District and does all the design, sketching, cutting, and sewing herself. She first makes a prototype for each garment out of calico.“When I look at the prototype, I can see what fabric and color I will make the garment in,” she reveals. “Calico lets me know how the material will fold and whether to choose a light-weight or medium fabric. I won’t use anything heavy for the Spring/Summer collection.” Citing the fact that there’s huge competition in the L.A fashion arena, Commatteo reveals that it’s really scary for her. She says that her first collection will be an all-men’s Fall/Winter mixed collection.“I will always do all-men’s in a mixed collection,” she relates. “They complement each other. Within the next six months, I want to do a complete collection from start to finish.We always work six months to a year in advance – I’ve already designed the Spring/Sumer 2016 collection, which is the one I will show in February.”As for her designing process, Commatteo says that she spends,

average, six hours a day creating her fashions. She claims that she feels no pressure and that the most fun is watching her designs on the runway or seeing them on the models at the photoshoot beforehand. Now 51, she has been designing off and on for 30on years ever since she was in school. Still, she admits that this is her first time ever out here in the big world by herself. “I think what makes my clothes unique is the handmade personal touch and the fact that they are tailored,” she maintains. “I will be taking custom or-ders. The collection can go for manu-facturing if a store wants to sell pieces or if a buyer comes along. I’d like to bring someone in to help me but right now I have to do it by myself.”In terms of her woman’s collection, she says that it will be dependent upon the colors and trends for a par-ticular season because each season the colors will change. In designing her clothes, she works from her apart-ment, cutting her designs on the floor.“I have a sewing machine but I don’t have a male mannequin, which makes it a challenge to get the sizing cor-rect,” she admits. “I only have a female mannequin. So I make my own basic patterns from an already made shirt, for example, or I’ll take a basic shirt and strip it.”It has long been said that success can only be achieved if one is willing to take risks. The talented Commatteo is working towards feeling the heat once again but, this time, in a much different and year-round permanent way.

Documents

Shimmer Magazine Summer 2015