Project Dollway "Red Carpet" Challenge

Project Dollway is a fun new on line contest for OOAK fashion doll designers, which was developed to resemble the Project Runway TV show. Although I was not selected as a designer in the online contest I am participating in the “AT Home” challenges each week. I simply do not have the time to spend making doll clothes at this moment in time.... but I am finding it very rewarding to brush-up on my drawing skills and work my brain to meet the challenge requirements in the form of illustration. So for the most part I will be addressing each challenge in a drawing form. http://www.projectdollway.com/MainPage.html


The First challenge was using the Gene doll as a model. The challenge was to design for an event...not a personality. The question everyone asks at a red carpet event is ...”Who are you wearing?” http://www.projectdollway.com/Gene%20Challenge%20Main%20Page.html

My approach was to go with my gut and make the color speak first to the challenge. I am an interior designer and I have access every day to what is hot it the home market and I have, as always, fallen in love with all of the newest fabrics which are coming out for the fall. Brown is the NEW black. So I knew chocolate would be the most appropriate for a formal red carpet event. Because I wanted to make a statement to WHO I, the designer, was and Lime green is my ”NEW” favorite color . Yummmmm.... that is a yummy combo of colors...so brown and citrine it is!
It is no secret that I also adore working with silk for my dolls. Nothing scales better and drapes more realistically than silk. I am a snob in this area. So I went to my fabric piles and pulled the yummiest of Citrine and the richest of chocolate to inspire my design.





My Instinct knew that the back of this gown was as important as the front. I wanted the front to look simple, yet unique, sort of Julia Roberts red carpet style. So I designed a tailored neck line with a deep cut and a empire waist. I wanted all of the emphasis to be on the back.

See for yourself and tell me what you think. I may do this gown at some point in time but not for Gene.. maybe a 11 ½” model.

This is the description I sent into Ted, the mentor, for the Project along with my drawings and fabric selections.
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Thanks for the Dollie fun!!!
Here is a description of my Home “Red Carpet Challenge”

This dark rich Hershey Chocolate taffeta silk is an over dress wrap.
The over dress meets only in back and is joined together with hooks and eyes, which are covered with a citrine color rhinestone jeweled pin. The back is then split to the hem at a slight angled and also shortened to expose more of the underskirt. The back split and hem is all banded a quarter inch with taffeta silk in citrine. The straps over the shoulders continue down the back into a deep “V”. The straps are very delicately pleated and are the same citrine silk.

Under this over dress is a skirt made of doupionie silk in a rich citrine color. This skirt is created with a multitude of flat layered folds to craft a pleated effect. (I have pleated up a sample on my idea board to visualize the look) The back is somewhat longer to affect a small train but does not show in the front of the dress.