Designer Jennifer Fear’s Willow Bean Studio was the first show to open Runway 7’s NYFW season which took place on their special 10th Anniversary Gala Night.
Earlier in the evening there were a myriad of events preceding Willow Bean Studio’s showcase. The night started out with an award ceremony for CFDA’s Naeem Khan where he was honored with the Design in Excellence award. Following Khan’s award acceptance was a dazzling cabaret number put on by Glammo Production. Nathan Chester, who is no stranger to showcasing his vocal prowess at Runway 7 was the next act to follow the Glammo production group.
The Collection
The Zodiac edit was the name of the collection that Fear brought to the runway for Willow Bean Studio’s segment of the evening. Flowy iridescent organza-like fabric on regal princess silhouettes flooded the stage. A number of models were fashioned with beautiful gold feathered wings that complimented the metallic shimmer of their outfits to perfection. The dresses were customized and told a personal story for each model. Fear based the gowns on the zodiac sign of the model wearing it and also incorporated their time and place of birth into the final designs as she stated during her Red Carpet interview with reporter Andreia Gibau. These factors assisted in the determination of the colors, the form and the details of each dress. When asked what was the hardest part of making her collection, Fear stated making everything cohesive.
Willow Bean Studio’s Design Process
Fear outlines on her website that Willow Bean Studio is “Breathing new life into family heirlooms for the next generation”. Her process begins with a one on one with her clients where they discuss transforming their precious garment that may have been kept and cherished in the family into a new gown for their daughter to wear for a special occasion. Ideas are then bounced back and forth between her and the client during this meeting. She draws inspiration from the story behind the dress and takes careful consideration of the original details to assist her in recreating the new piece. After the consultation, Fear maintains communication with the client as she constructs the new dress and sketches are then provided if she feels that they may be necessary to further convey her vision.
Prior to the redesign, the dress is memorialized in its original form by a final cleaning and is then styled for a photo shoot to ensure that the client has more than just a distant memory of their family treasure. Fear is very hands-on throughout the process of constructing her pieces, she illustrates how she drafts the patterns and does all the stitching herself by machine and also by hand. The production of the new piece is started and completed in her studio located in the Upper Providence Township of Pennsylvania. Additional appointments are required for fittings and adjustments are then done if needed. The final appointment is the reveal – which she describes as her favorite part of the process where she can see the reaction of her clients and walk them through the details of the new garment.
Head on over to https://www.willowbeanstudio.com/ to learn more about
Willow Bean Studio.