Embellishment Brings Bling from Red Carpet to Main Street

By Karen Lawson
Fashion Design School Review Columnist

Few can afford the glamorous fashions worn by celebrities. But more and more designers are producing lines that are both stylish and reasonably priced. Bob Mackie, best known for luxurious designs featuring intricate use of sequins and beads, brings the same glamour to his ready-to-wear collection—at a price the average consumer can afford.

Beads, Luxurious Fabric, and Metallic Touches Add Fashion Cache

Mackie’s wearable glamour reflects a trend in couture design. Recent ready-to-wear fashion collections feature luxurious embellishments using beads, embroidery, and metallic thread. Accessories may include shiny charms and heavy hardware.

These glamorous details add excitement to everyday attire. A business professional may have little use for a revealing floor length evening gown, for example, but may welcome a scarf or twin set featuring a touch of beading or sequins. A smartly designed handbag or briefcase featuring highly polished hardware can add bit of bling to a business wardrobe.

Art School Background Contributes to Success in Fashion Design

If you enjoy accessorizing and embellishing your wardrobe, you can use your creative flair to design fashion-forward apparel for those who want a touch of glamour that doesn’t break their budget or business dress code.

Bob Mackie has built an artistically fulfilling and financially successful design career on his crossover fashion designs. He initially studied art before becoming a sketch artist for fashion designer Jean Louis. Mackie later joined the fashion design team of legendary costume designer Edith Head. After striking out on his own in the mid 1960’s, Bob Mackie became famous for his fashion designs for movies and TV. But his career really took off once he expanded the scope of his fashion designs to include ready-to-wear clothing and interior design items such as linens.

Designing for the masses is an increasingly popular way for fashion designers to broaden their impact and increase profitability. Through embellishment and other details, designers enhance the appearance of practical fashion design while providing a welcome touch of luxury for consumers.

Source

Bob Mackie Biography

About the Author

Karen Lawson is a freelance writer whose interests include topics in post secondary education and popular culture. She holds BA and MA degrees in English from the Univeristy of Nevada, Reno.

Posted on May 5, 2007 at 03:06 PM