Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Gerber Technology's annual Ideation Conference and The Darnell Collection bring fashion history to Caesar's Palace, Vegas

Past, Present, Future 

How 250 years of fashion history became 21st century inspiration and Vintage became Cutting-edge!

Gerber Technology hosted a bespoke and truly cutting-edge fashion parade bringing to life CAD software during its annual conference at Caesar's Palace on the 30th October

Students attending fashion schools across America, who are taught fashion design using   AccuMark software programs, were invited to draw inspiration from five vintage dresses,   representing five decades of fashion history, 1940 to 1980, all sourced from the Darnell   Collection, and submit their creations to a team of judges. One winning garment was selected for each decade from diverse and truly inspiring submissions. The five winning garments were modelled on the catwalk, along with the original vintage dress, in front of a 350 strong audience of industry experts and in the presence of Tim Gunn, host of Project Runway USA. It was exciting and thought provoking event for me, the students and the conference attendees!   

May this become a conference tradition and continue to grow and inspire the industry. 

                                                               
PAST: Balenciaga
PAST: Horrockses of London
PAST: Adolfo
PAST: Oscar de la Renta
PAST: Unlabelled
                                                                   
Dress by Balenciaga, late 1940s, modernised by Brittney Castillo (Art Institute of California - Hollywood)

Dress by Horrockses of London, 1950s modernised by Natalia Hendricks (University of the Incarnate Word)

Skirt and top by Adolfo, 1960s, modernised by Natalia Gilca (El Centro College)

Dress by Oscar de la Renta, 1970s, modernised by Kenneth Espinosa (El Centro College)

Unlabelled dress, 1980s, modernised by Mildred Aroche (Art Institute of California - Hollywood)

Young designers stand alongside their garments and I stand alongside Darnell vintage garments.
(Hair and makeup by students and educators at Aveda Institute of Beauty, Las Vegas
and models represented by Envy Models, Las Vegas)

I just love this photograph of the beautiful De Jay modelling Kenneth's chic jumpsuit