Beauté Noire

Daniel Jon Walker, Carolyn Kallenborn, and Maria Kurutz
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Keywords: Design, Patternmaking, Draping, Runway

Growing up on a small dairy farm afforded me unique opportunities. I spent summers showing cattle at local, state and national dairy shows and participating in 4-H dairy judging competitions. In addition, I assisted my family with farm chores in the mornings and evenings, whether it was feeding calves, milking cows, bailing hay or cleaning barns. While it was by no means a glamorous life, it fostered my imagination for a more opulent existence. My aesthetic pays homage to my childhood fantasies of attending lavish events and designing daring and beautiful garments for high society women.

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These childhood fantasies are representative of my design aesthetic today. I design dresses for women that have the opportunity to attend high-end events and dare to be the finest dressed individual in the room. My designs are clean and modern, yet unabashedly feminine and always overtly elegant. Particular themes I explore include the recurrence of geometric patterns and graphic prints, the skillful use of fabric to create dramatic silhouettes, extravagant embellishments and a distinctive palette of black, white and red. I believe fashion should enhance an individual's beauty and that is what I strive to accomplish with my creations.

In my most recent work, beauté noire, I hold true to my design practices by patterning and constructing an extravagant mermaid gown. The 12-gore dress I designed showcases the exquisite
fit of each feminine curve and accentuates the beauty of a women's figure with plunging 'v' necklines in the front and back. The fitted bodice explodes in movement at the knee, cascading into an 18-yard sweeping hemline and six-foot train. Overall, the evening gown was constructed using 50 yards of black satin and the trumpet base was supported by 20 yards of tulle. It was completed on May 11, 2013, and is made for a body with measurements of 34" bust, 25" waist, and 35" hip.

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