By Luna Bonneau
Arizona Fashion Week Media Day was an amazing opportunity to speak with the designers showcasing their work at the runway shows. I had the privilege to speak with two of the designers, Blase Raschke and Tiffany Rae.
Blase Raschke is a local evening wear designer right here in Phoenix. When asked what we can look forward to from his collection, he said “I’m going to be bringing a lot of 1950s couture glamor with a little bit of a dark edge to it.”
There will be a lot of “brocades, dark blacks with bright colors mixed in. It’s going to be very dark, but romantic.”
When asked what his advice is for aspiring designers, he said “Find someone who is working in the industry to guide them because they try to teach as much as they can in school but there is so much more outside of that. It’s really hard to get into the industry if you don’t have someone who really knows what’s going on today.” Find “an internship or even just ask a professor you like if they know anyone.”
Raschke will be showcasing his work on November 15th, at the Jetset Magazine Hangar.
Tiffany Rae
Tiffany Rae is a self-taught fashion designer who specializes in creating wearable art and is based in Phoenix. Rae will be showcasing two different collections at Arizona Fashion Week.
She describes her previous collection that will be on the runway on November 16th as “really futuristic, it’s going to be really avant-garde and wearable art-like, it’s really going to show off the creativity side of fashion.”
She will show off her new collection on November 17th, which will have “a taste of the wearable art, it’s going to have some retail pieces for people to purchase, [she] is going to debut a handbag line.”
Her new handbag line is a way for people to own pieces that are inspired by her wearable art. According to Rae, they will be unique statement pieces that are artistically driven
Her inspiration for her previous futuristic collection was The Great Gatsby. She created many beaded pieces as wearable art.
Her newest collection was a way to grow and challenge herself to be creative in a way that allowed consumers to have pieces to put in their own wardrobes. This allowed her to “transfer that creativity but in a more wearable way for fashion lovers.”
What is Rae’s advice to aspiring designers? “Always be consistent no matter what you are pursuing in life, whether it’s design or anything else, you’re always going to hit bumps in the road, that’s always going to be there, but if you know in your heart you're on the right path then you just have to work through it and keep going.” “You have to be consistent in your work ethic, whatever’s in your control, and you also need to put yourself out there…network, meet people, be a part of the community. Not only are you going to make connections that will help you on the business side of fashion, but you are going to make friendships.”
Her last piece of advice is, “don’t compare yourself to other designers.” “You are your own person, you’re going to provide your own unique perspective on things so you have to own that and be true to yourself.”
Both of these unique and creative designers will be showing their work throughout fashion week. Be sure to watch all of their hard work come to life on the runway.
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