Every once in awhile, a designer comes along that makes you believe in the power of creativity. We see them for brief glimpses during the Fashion Weeks and in glossy magazine articles, but still they are at a distance. It’s like seeing a shooting star and, though you’re far away, you can still tell that it’s a magnificent thing. This past week a shooting star (I’m gagging over here with the cheesiness) came right to our doorstep at Haute in Texas, and we couldn’t be more delighted!
You may remember Miss Mandy Bardisbanian from our review of IADT’s Imagine show this Spring. Mandy’s label, Amanda Marie Couture, has since kept her beyond busy, but we managed to catch up with her for the 2011 Talent Expo at Klusoz Martini Bar. Check out our photos of the show, styled by Mandy herself, throughout the interview below. Undoubtedly we are now even more impressed with this emerging talent, and we cannot wait to see how high her star will rise. There I go with the tacky star analogy again, someone get me a job at Disney, this is getting ridiculous.
Haute in Texas: Last time we talked, you were sending your application to Project Runway. What’s the update on that?
Mandy Bardisbanian: I know they send you a rejection email if you haven’t been chosen, and I know they give you three days’ notice when they’re coming to your state. I haven’t heard anything back from them, so hopefully that means I’m still in the running!
HIT: What are you working on currently? What’s next for Amanda Marie Couture?
MB: Right now I’m working on my next collection for San Antonio’s Fashion Week in November. It’s going to have large broquets with sheer black fabrics. I’m also doing a lot of custom design work for musicians, dancers. I work with a lot of male musicians, which is cool.
Photo: hauteintexas.com
HIT: How did you get started? What made you realize you wanted to be a fashion designer?
MB: It’s kind of a funny story. I grew up on a horse ranch, wearing boots and Wranglers all the time. I was the ugly chick. My mom would dress me in these outfits that were just terrible, and I was a total rodeo queen. Eventually, I started buying my own clothes, and it was crazy to me to see the power of one’s appearance on other people. It made me start thinking, “What kind of person am I?” So I got into music, piercings, tattoos, and here I am today. But the fashion design stuff really came about when I was a senior in high school and joined DECA [Distributive Education Club of America] where I had to create this entire fashion marketing plan. After that, I was hooked. I was like, “Yes, this is what I want to be doing.”
HIT: What are your inspirations? Where do you go when you have a “writer’s block” for fashion designers?
MB: I get inspired by random stuff. A tree, one time I was inspired by a car. Definitely music inspires me, I will listen to a musician’s stuff and I immediately know exactly what I want to make for them. But when I’m really frustrated and stuck, I go smoke hookah. I’ll go with some friends, and right after I’ll just start sketching, and all of a sudden I’ll have a whole collection sometimes.
Photo: hauteintexas.com
HIT: What are your long term plans? Where do you want to be in five, ten years?
MB: I want to launch my own line obviously, but I want to take a whole year and go on tour to every major city. We’ll show up and have a showcase with local artists, bands, and showcase their talent with my show as the headliner. In a few years I would love to be designing for celebrities, bands, and doing couture pieces. Costume design would be amazing, too. I would love to design for one of Tim Burton’s movies.
HIT: Alright, last question. It’s an Haute in Texas tradition. Pancakes or waffles?
MB: Neither! I hate pancakes, I hate waffles! The only thing I will eat is my mom’s secret pancake recipe. It’s not even pancakes, it just tastes like something totally different. And I have to have them with Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup.
Photo: hauteintexas.com
XO,
A
