0213 Anna-Laura Luttrell
Hoover teen designer Anna-Laura Luttrell
Hoover resident Anna-Laura Luttrell will show off her glasswork-inspired design this month as a finalist in Birmingham Fashion Week’s Rising Design Star competition.
The top 40 designs, including Anna-Laura’s, will be displayed at the Birmingham Museum of Art until Feb. 10.
To represent the wavelike motion in artist Dale Chihuly glasswork, Anna-Laura made of the dress using colorful acrylic sheets, streaked with acrylic gel paint and supported by layers of colored tissue paper called acetate — all extremely colorful and bright like Chihuly’s.
“I went through three different skirts because the acetate was hard to work with,” Anna-Laura said. “I had to use straighteners and irons to melt the material.”
Under the top layer of the design, she made a bandeau from athletic pre wrap, and on top she crafted a necklace of acrylic sheets cut into circles with a chain.
For the competition, more than 80 middle school and high school students from across the state submitted garment designs using nontraditional items assembled with glue, tape and staples in the place of stitches in the competition.
“The designs we have received this year have blown us away with their fashion sense and creativity,” said Jeanna Lee Fleming, co-founder of Birmingham Fashion Week. “These students, ranging from 11-18 years old, are already well on the way to becoming the next hot designers in New York City, and this competition can be the catalyst that propels their dreams forward.”
From the 40 finalists, 30 will be selected and receive an opportunity to showcase their design on the runway at Birmingham Fashion Week Feb. 23-March 2 while competing for $1,000 in scholarships.
Showcasing designers and top models, the event, held at Pepper Place in downtown Birmingham, has expanded from four days to seven days of runway shows and parties.
The same high fashion found on the runways of New York will grace the city of Birmingham, from the makeup, hairstyles and outfits to the most recent trends. The schedule includes designer runway shows, fashions from Gus Mayer and Saks, and model and design competitions highlighting the latest fashions of the season.
Designers Annie Griffin, Southern Proper, By Smith, Prophetik, Heidi Elnora, Leona Collection and What Goes Around Comes Around, as well as international designers will contribute clothing. Not only will there be local and national celebrities in attendance, but will also be judging the designs and model competitions.
The Birmingham Fashion show benefits many organizations, including Alabama Forever, which aids communities in need, and Camp Smile-A-Mile, which provides a year-round program for children with cancer in Alabama.
General admission and VIP seating are available, with an After Party following each show. Tickets range from $15-$85. For more information, visit bhamfashionweek.com.
