The Making of A Fantasy Bernina Fashion Show Ensemble LUANA RUBIN INVITES US TO HER STUDIO In the Fall of 2002, a little white envelope arrived in my mailbox, informing me that I had been chosen as a 2003 Bernina Fashion Show "Fantasy" designer. It was the realization of one dream, and the birth of another – the opportunity to use the draping and patternmaking skills that I had learned in design school and the garment industry, but also the chance to explore my own private fantasy of making a wearable art costume! This year's show premiered in Houston in late October, 2003, produced by Quilts, Inc. (parent company of the International Quilt Festival) and sponsored by Bernina of America. After submitting portfolios and resumes to the entry committee, the final 49 designers were notified in the fall of 2002. The due date for finished garments was in early June, 2003, so the ensembles could be photographed for the show book. This annual collector book is published by Primedia; with photos, designer bios, materials used and construction details for each piece. The beginning of the design process starts with a concept and a careful choice of fabrics. I am lucky to have the eQuilter.com warehouse available for my fabric selection. Because I also have first pick of the eQuilter scrap pile, I already had a great stash of silk, velvet and metallic novelty scraps to play with. I envisioned a dramatic gown inspired by Erte, in a future where vintage silk scraps would be a priceless luxury. I wanted to create this garment in a very spontaneous way – much like a painter approaches a plein air painting on location. I laid out my palette of fabrics and scraps. I pinned up my concept sketches – none of which I had given a firm commitment. Then I began to drape the silks and velvets on the dress form – making my final choices for the larger skirt/bias fabrics based on how they draped. I knew that I wanted to make a very fitted and elegant bodice shape – with a layered collage of various textiles and embellishment techniques. The first step was to style and drape the fitted bodice in muslin. In order to have an accurate drape, you must have a very high quality dressform. The garments for the Bernina show are for a size 10, and I decided to invest in a professional-grade dressform, the same kind that is used in the sample rooms of the garment industry. After draping, cutting and pinning together my muslin, I carefully checked the fit, and then used this muslin as my basic pattern for the bodice.