Morning was almost a relief but the tiredness didn’t help. I got dressed, putting every effort into my outfit as I did the rest of the competition. I wore a polka dot red dress, draping my neck with fake pearls and completing the look with a white bow in my hair. To someone else, I might have looked weird. But I knew the fashionistas would get it. The judges would totally understand what I was going for.
“I’m leaving,” I called out as I headed for the door.
Mom stepped out of the kitchen. “Where are you going?”
Like I hadn’t been talking about it for weeks? “The competition, it’s today.”
It took her a moment to access the memory before she nodded with recognition. “Oh, right. Well, have a good time. And remember that there will be a lot of great entries. Even if you don’t win, I’ll still be proud of you for entering.”
I nodded and left. So Mom still didn’t think I had a shot at winning. I wanted to prove her wrong, but a small part of me believed her. I had never won anything in my life before, it was a long shot today.
It took three subway rides and a bus to shake the encounter with Mom. By the time I entered the doors of the Academy of Design where the competition was being held, I was totally focused on the task at hand.
First off, I needed to find Jane. Holding my head up high like I owned the place, I searched through the bodies and dresses. It also gave me a chance to check out the competition.
And man, the competition was fierce.
Beautiful dresses were being readied for judging everywhere I looked. Taffeta, silk, lace, embroidery, it was all there in abundance. My confidence took a punch, that was for sure.
“Truly! Over here!” The sound of my own name snapped me back from Panic Land. I turned to see Jane holding a garment bag – our dress. My feet couldn’t get to her fast enough.
“Oh my gosh, Jane. Have you seen the dresses here? It’s crazy, they are amazing.” The words poured from my mouth without a filter.
Jane smiled. “Good thing we have our own amazing dress then, isn’t it?” How could she be so confident while I was freaking out? Ugh.
“Get it out then, come on. We don’t have much time before the judges come around,” I urged her. She gave me a look that said ‘be patient’. Patience was not my virtue.
We readied the dummy – which was just a torso in the shape of a female which dressmakers use. When I was satisfied it was clean and snag-free, Jane opened the garment bag.
She slid the dress out slowly and carefully as I held the bag and made sure it didn’t catch on any of the material. We couldn’t get this far only to ruin it before judging. That was not going to happen.
I was lost in a sea of fabric as we guided the dress onto the dummy. It was quite possibly the scariest thing I had ever done. Just one wrong move could have torn something and we would lose mega points.
When it was safely on and buttoned up, Jane and I stood back to take our first real look at it.
And I was furious.
“What have you done?” I demanded. There were several swear words I would have liked to have used but refrained considering I was dressed so much like a lady.
“What do you mean? You don’t like it?” Jane asked. How could she not see the changes she had made to my design? There was embellishments that shouldn’t have been there, an extra ruffle that was nowhere in my drawing.
I pointed out exactly what I was talking about. “These were not in my design. You added them. Without telling me.”
She had the decency to look taken aback. “I thought they made it better. You don’t like them?”
“You weren’t supposed to change the design, Jane. I spent hours on it, it was perfect as it was.” I realized my voice was too loud when the girls around me started staring. I lowered my voice. “You’ve ruined it. There is no chance we’ll win now. You’ve ruined everything.”
“Truly, relax, seriously. When I finished the design like it was, it didn’t look right. I added the pieces and it looked better. I’ve increased our chances of winning,” Jane said, trying to defend herself.
How dare she!
“Everything hinges on winning today, Jane. You just don’t get it, do you? If I don’t win today, my entire future is over. I will never have a career in fashion.”
“You’re being very dramatic-”
“That’s because this is such a big deal. It’s fine for you, you have all the money in the world and a perfect life. You have no idea what it’s like to need this.” I may have sounded like a crazy person ranting. Actually, there was no doubt I did. I was beyond caring.
Jane took a step back from me. “I don’t have a perfect life and I need this competition just as much as you do. I might not need the money but I care just as much. You’re not the only one with problems, Truly.”
“Ahem.” Neither Jane nor I made another sound. We turned around slowly, dreading the source of the interruption.
It was the judges. Three of them.
And they heard us shouting at each other.
CHAPTER 9
“And you girls are?” Marigold Parker asked. I recognized her from all the pre-competition research I did. She was a big time, for-real, fashion designer. I almost curtsied in her presence.
I took a breath before I answered, trying to push aside all the anger I was feeling. I needed to switch on, go into professional mode. “I am Truly Winx and this is Jane Davis.”
Marigold checked her clipboard and made a tick. “Wonderful. So, is this your entry?”
For a second, I considered telling her that it wasn’t. I didn’t want to be associated with a dress that wasn’t my full design. I didn’t want to be a laughing stock.
Yet stupid Jane didn’t get the memo. “This is our entry, yes.”
“Take a step back please so we can have a good look,” Marigold instructed.
I stood with Jane by the wall, hoping she could feel all the angry waves I was sending her. It was difficult keeping it up while watching the judges though, so she got a momentary reprieve.
Marigold was co-judging with Richard Webb, a fashion critic that wrote for the newspapers, and Veronica May, a professional fashion buyer.
They had their hands all over the dress, making me die a little on the inside. I didn’t want them to ruin it, not after everything we’d gone through to get it here.
But, then again, they couldn’t ruin it any more than Jane had.
“Interesting design,” Marigold said to the other judges. They nodded in agreement before quickly whispering amongst themselves.
“Stitching is even and quite good quality,” Veronica said.
“I like this embellishment,” Richard commented. “It really lifts the overall appeal.” Marigold and Veronica both nodded in agreement.
“I’m not a fan of the color. I would have chosen something more pastel. Blush is a huge trend this season. I would have liked to have seen it more current.”
“Totes agree, Marigold,” Veronica chimed in. “The ruffle can only do so much. The fabric is good quality, it feels great, just not the color.”
The color? Seriously? That’s what they were having the trouble with? Jane and I had made that decision together. So much for our taste.
Richard let go of the dress and pursed his lips while he looked at it from more of a distance. “It might be the wrong color but it would sit beautifully on a model. The fabric would skim the curves and accentuate the figure. It’s very well done, really.”
They made a few notes on their clipboards. I tried to get a look but they were angled away from me. The judges then moved onto the next dress.
I could finally breathe again. I think I was holding my breath the entire time they were judging us.
“So what do we do now?” Jane asked as she fixed the dress from the judges’ touches.
“We don’t do anything,” I replied, still angry with her. “I’m going to find some food.” I stomped off in true dramatic fashion.
The judges weren’t going
to announce their decision until four o’clock. That left three hours to fill in. We weren’t allowed to pack anything away so it was just a case of sitting around until then.
I grabbed some hot chips and ate them by myself. Jane was smart enough not to follow me. When I was done, I took a better look at the other dresses in the competition. I wanted to see what other people were designing, what kinds of fabrics they were using, and how they differed from mine.
Every dress was completely different. And I was pleased to see not many people had realized pastels were supposed to be in. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get that memo.
One of the things I loved about fashion was the diversity. There was something for all tastes in the competition, each dress as individual and unique as its designer. There was no discrimination, it was simply that everything went. For every dress made there would be someone that would fall in love with it.
I, for one, fell in love with several of them. None were as good as my original design, of course. But there were some stunning dresses there that I would have been more than happy to have in my closet.
The afternoon completely dragged by. With an hour still to go, I sat in the rows of seats and just waited. I hated sitting still so it was torturous. I watched every minute pass by.
Jane joined me at some stage. She could have sat in any seat in the rows, but she chose the one right beside me. Like we were still a team or something.
So the judges liked her embellishments and that darn extra ruffle. That didn’t mean anything. I still didn’t like them and she shouldn’t have changed my design without asking me first.
But, then again, maybe I shouldn’t have yelled at her either. Not in front of everyone. And definitely not in front of the judges. My mom always said there was a time and place for everything, it was a piece of advice I rarely followed and today was no exception.
We sat there in silence anyway. The closer it got to the announcement, the more my nerves crackled with anticipation. I so badly wanted to hear my name being called as the winner. Everything I ever wanted was in my grasp and hinged on that one moment.
I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if I didn’t win. It would mean that I probably wasn’t ever going to have this opportunity again. It would mean I wouldn’t be a fashion designer. Which would suck, considering I was born to be a fashion designer.
Finally, four o’clock came. Everyone gathered in the chairs. Five painful minutes later, the judges took the podium set up at the front. I was terrified, literally terrified.
Marigold spoke for all three of the judges. “My, what a day we’ve had! So many great talents out there. Thank you to everyone for entering, you’re all winners.”
Yeah, yeah, we’re all great. Get on with it.
“I’m sure you’re all eager to hear the winner so I won’t drag this out.”
You got that right, Marigold. Now come on. Tell us. I crossed each of my fingers and toes. I would have crossed my intestines if I knew how.
“And the winner of the Young Designer of the Future competition is…”
Oh my God. I was going to die.
CHAPTER 10
“… Melody Bairnes,” Marigold finished. Who on earth was Melody Bairnes?
A girl with perfect golden hair jumped up from the row behind me and ran to the stage. She took the trophy and made some speech about thanking the entire world and everyone in it.
We lost.
The reality came tumbling down like a wall full of heavy bricks. My mom was right, I shouldn’t have expected anything more. Girls like me rarely got to have their dreams come true. It was the golden haired perfect girls with money that won competitions and had things go right for them.
I couldn’t sit there any longer. Everyone was leaving anyway so I hurried back to our dress. Where, I had to admit, that darn extra ruffle looked really cute. I wanted to tear it off.
“Truly, I’m really sorry.” The voice came from behind, but I knew it was Jane’s. I looked around, she was crying just as much as I was. “I shouldn’t have made the changes without asking you first. I’m so, so sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have exploded like that. The ruffle is nice,” I sobbed back. We stood there staring at each other like blubbering fools for a moment.
In the next minute, we were hugging. It was in that second that I realized Jane had wanted this as much as I had. The tears weren’t fake, they were all real and reflected all my own disappointments.
And she was holding me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
I wrangled myself out of her grip. “We should probably pack up before they kick us out of here.”
We started to put away all the things we had brought in case something went wrong with the dress, not to mention all the accessories I thought might complement the outfit. It turned out we brought way too much junk with us.
Considering my dreams were crushed and I would probably end up working as a checkout chick for the rest of my life, I was amazed I could even still function. The thought of going home and telling my mom she was right about me wasn’t a happy prospect.
I didn’t see Marigold before she spoke, giving me a heart attack. “Girls, I’m glad you’re still here.”
Spinning around to face her, I instantly wondered what we had done wrong. “Did we have to sign some paperwork or something?”
“No, no, it’s all in order. I just wanted to say how impressed I was with your entry. If I had got my way, you would have won.”
Did I hit my head and stumble into the world of bizarre? Perhaps I had somehow been run over and didn’t realize it? I was too afraid to talk in case it would break the spell and I would realize I was standing naked in the middle of the supermarket.
Jane apparently wasn’t under the same enchantment. “Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say.”
“Oh, I’m not just saying it, I mean it. You should stick to it.”
“Truly has, like, a million other designs too. They’re really good,” Jane said. Again making me wonder what kind of drugs had been slipped into my drink.
Marigold nodded, a smile plastered onto her face. “I would like to see them. Do you have any with you?”
I still couldn’t move, I may as well have been one of those stupid mannequins holding up the dresses. They both stared at me, waiting for me to get out my sketchbook.
Jane finally gave up and reached into my bag herself. She pulled out the most important thing I owned and handed it to Marigold. The designer flipped through the pages with an expression I couldn’t read.
I was about to throw up. Because Marigold knew what she was talking about and she would hate my designs. I mean, she was a professional, she would be able to see how amateur and childish my designs were. Seriously. Any minute now I would have my dreams crushed for the second time that day.
It wouldn’t have been the first time.
Marigold stopped at a dress. “This is similar to your competition entry.”
I should probably say something before they called the men in white coats to come collect me. “It was the original design we worked from.”
“But it’s been changed,” she pointed out. Why did she have to notice? “You’ve added these embellishments and ruffle to the final version.”
“That was her idea,” I said quickly, pointing an accusing finger at Jane. She pretended to look at the ceiling to avoid my gaze.
“Well, it certainly has completed the dress,” Marigold concluded. “You two make a great team. I’m sure there is a bright future ahead for you both.”
“Uh, a great team?” I muttered, because surely I had heard wrong. “We do nothing but argue most of the time.” Jane shot me a warning look but didn’t say anything.
“Yes, a team. Some of the greatest fashion houses have been born out of a partnership between two friends. Trust me, you’re onto a wonderful thing.” Color me speechless. “If you don’t mind, I would like to look at these designs in more detail and when I have more time. Wo
uld you mind coming by my studio next week?”
“Um, yeah, sure.” Was I speaking English? I think I was, but my brain was too addled to think straight.
Marigold gave me her business card and told me to make an appointment before we dropped by with my sketchbook. She insisted we both had to come, considering we were a team and all.
Packing up didn’t seem so bad after that. The last thing we put away was the dress and Jane was given the task of taking that home – she was the responsible one after all. I was likely to get it crushed on the bus.
I got home after dark but in time for dinner. I wished I could tell my mom I had won. It would have been really nice to have her look at me proudly like I’d seen moms do on television.
“We didn’t win,” I said, may as well get it over and done with.
“Oh, Tru honey, I’m sorry. Did you have a good time anyway?” She slopped some mashed potatoes on a plate for me.
“It was okay. The best part came afterwards though. One of the judges wants to see more of my designs. She thinks they’re really good.”
“That’s good, sweetie,” she replied. She wasn’t paying me any real attention. I guess with all my siblings to take care of, she had enough on her plate.
I didn’t mention it again. It was stupid anyway. Marigold was a huge designer, she was probably just being nice to me seeing as though we were the big losers and all. She probably asked a lot of the competitors about their designs.
CHAPTER 11
“I don’t think we should go in,” I said. Sure, my hand was on the buzzer for Marigold Designs, but that didn’t mean we actually had to go through with it.
Jane stood stubbornly, crossing her arms. Ever since we lost the design competition, she had developed this angry attitude, like we were robbed because we lost. “We have an appointment, of course we are going in. Now press the buzzer or move and I will.”
Fashion Fraud Collection Page 4