Chloe by Design: Making the Cut

by Margaret Gurevich

  “You need me to save you from yourself, Cranky Chloe,” she says as she opens my laptop. She’s probably looking up synonyms for cranky that start with C so she can add to my CC nickname. Whatever. As long as she’s quiet. I love my best friend, but when I’m working, I need to focus.

  I figure out the measurements I’ll need for the waist and inseam of my jeans and jot them down. Then I do the same with the measurements for the thighs, knees, and calves. I want to make sure I have everything correct.

  Measure twice, cut once — that’s what Mimi is always telling me.

  Once the jeans are finished I’m planning to add some studded leather fringe along the outside seams. That will provide the perfect modern twist on traditional riding chaps.

  To contrast with the dark denim bottoms, I’ve chosen a bright blue plaid for my vest. As I was studying traditional rodeo gear, the one thing that really stood out to me was how boxy and unflattering the button-down shirts are. I mean, I don’t love skintight tops, but I want my vest to have some definition. Figure-flattering and feminine, that’s what I’m going for. The updated silhouette done in a more traditional fabric is the perfect combination for this challenge. (I just hope the judges agree!)

  I settled on a flattering deep V-neck for the vest, which will be much more elongating on whoever is wearing it, and I’m using cool brass buttons on the front. They remind me of the metal embellishments on the horses’ saddles and bridles, which is exactly what I’m going for. I want this to be an elegant take on rodeo-inspired fashion. Not a costume.

  I spend the entire afternoon sewing. By the time I take a break, my shoulders ache from hunching over my sewing machine. I hang what I have so far on my dress form and mentally play around with some different Western accessories.

  Maybe it needs a belt or something, I think. Or maybe cowboy boots. At this point, my brain is exhausted, and I need a break. I don’t want to overdo the embellishments.

  “Can I help with anything?” Alex asks.

  I glance over at her and rack my brain, trying to remember the last time I thanked her for all her help and for putting up with my mood swings lately. Without answering, I get up and go hug her.

  “What gives? Is someone dying?” Alex asks.

  “I just realized you’re the best friend ever, and I don’t think I tell you that enough at all,” I say.

  Alex shrugs. “Aw, girl,” she says in a silly voice. “You’re going to make me cry.” She grins and goes back to her homework, but I swear she wipes at her eyes with the back of her hand.

  By the time Saturday rolls around, I’m so nervous I can hardly stand still. I barely slept the night before. I kept having nightmares about embarrassing myself on stage in front of the judges and the entire audience. In one, I was standing on the rodeo stage, and just as I was in the middle of explaining my color scheme, I fell right into the judges, who just happened to be eating pie. Come one and all, and witness the spectacle that is Clumsy Chloe.

  My mom, dad, Alex, and I all pile into our car and drive the forty-five minutes to the rodeo grounds in Salinas. The place is already packed with camera crews, booths, food, and rides. This is not typical for June in Salinas. The massive California Rodeo isn’t held until the third week in July. There are parades, kids’ events, and fairs that take place in the two weeks before that. Basically, July is one big funfest. But this special event to promote Teen Design Diva has really drawn a crowd. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised — northern Cali does love its cowboys, and everyone seems happy to start the festivities early.

  “It’s like an appetizer until the real thing comes along,” I heard George say the other day.

  Just then our car pulls into a parking spot. Everyone climbs out, and I spot George and Jim waiting for us by the entrance.

  “Today’s your big day,” says Alex, giving my arm a squeeze. “Look how many people are here!”

  Alex is right. This will be a much larger crowd than the past two rounds. Then it was just the judges. I know she’s trying to be encouraging, but suddenly I feel sick. I’m hot. I’m cold. My hands are shaking. My stomach is doing its own version of riding the bronco, and I close my eyes and swallow to stop my breakfast from coming up.

  The rodeo is not normally my big day. It belongs to the riders and food vendors and Miss Rodeo California. When I was a kid, I wanted more than anything to be Miss Rodeo. That was until I realized I’m more the design-the-outfits-for-the-pageant type than the beauty-queen type.

  Alex must be thinking the same thing because she says, “Hey! You finally get your wish! You can be queen for the day!”

  The thought of everyone watching me as I try to explain my designs to hundreds of people almost turns throwing up from an idea into a reality. I quickly lean over and put my head between my knees, taking deep breaths in an effort to settle my stomach. I’m really hoping I don’t puke on my favorite boots.

  My dad rubs my back, and I pull my hair back from my face, out of the line of fire, just in case. I don’t have to look to know that Alex is as far away as possible, trying to focus on anything else. Just the mention of someone throwing up turns her face green.

  Thankfully, I manage to not embarrass myself by actually puking, and when I’ve recovered, we all walk to the entrance. A reporter approaches us, but my dad whispers something to him and he says he’ll come back later. I can picture the headline now: “Chloe Montgomery: Sick with Excitement.”

  When we reach the entrance to the rodeo grounds, Jim, George, and some of my grandpa’s other buddies surround us, big smiles on their faces.

  “We can’t wait to see what Chloe cooked up,” George says.

  “Speaking of cooking,” Jim adds, “some of the best baked beans and sausage I’ve ever eaten are under that canopy over there. Can I convince anyone to check it out with me?” He points to the Vendor’s Row.

  My stomach gives another little lurch at the mention of food, but the smells around me are so inviting, I can’t resist following Jim. Some of my favorites, like calamari, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, and Louisiana gumbo call to me, but I decide to start small with kettle corn, cotton candy, and lemonade and save the rest for after my presentation. Nothing like sugar to calm the nerves.

  I grab my food and carry it all over to a bench and sit down. The last thing I need is to dump it all over myself before I’m supposed to be on camera. That’s not how I want viewers to remember me. I concentrate on taking small bites while Alex investigates the rest of the food booths. From my spot, I can see more Teen Design Diva contestants arriving and exploring the fair too.

  Suddenly a shadow falls over me. “That’s quite the breakfast you have there,” a guy’s voice says. “I didn’t realize you were such a health nut.”

  I know that voice, and so do my palms because they immediately get sweaty. I look up and see Jake grinning down at me. What’s he doing here? I wonder. But then he sits down beside me, and I lose my train of thought. I notice he has a big slice of cherry pie on his plate. “You too,” I say, nodding at his choice of food.

  “Yup,” Jake says. “Got my whole grains and fruit, and I bet the crust was made with eggs, too, so I’m counting that as protein.”

  I look down at my food to see how to spin it. “Fruit!” I say, pointing to my lemonade. “Oh, and corn is a vegetable. We’re such health nuts.”

  Jake laughs. “Hey, I like your necklace,” he says.

  I put my hand to my throat. I totally forgot I’m wearing the necklace he gave me at the art fair. Figured it might bring me luck. “Thanks,” I say, blushing a little. “By the way, the stones I got from you worked perfectly in my design. Got me to this last round.”

  He smiles and there is that dimple again. “That’s awesome. One to go then, right?”

  “Yep. Oh, look! They’re starting to display the designs.” I look toward the stage and see jewelry, boots, and other rodeo-inspired
gear being set up. Some of the designs have a lot of embellishments on them — fringe, beading, bright colors, you name it. Others are more muted looking, done in tans and neutrals.

  “Which one’s yours?” Jake asks.

  “The one at the end,” I say, pointing to where my plaid vest and fringed jeans are being displayed.

  Jake studies the pieces but doesn’t say anything.

  “Not your style?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “No, that’s not it at all. I was just trying to think of a way to describe it, like they teach us in marketing. I like it a lot. My mom will too. It’s a really modern take on rodeo.”

  “Speaking of your mom, I tried looking up her website, but it didn’t work,” I tell him. “She looked really familiar, though.”

  “Do you want to meet her?” Jake asks. “She’s here, and I bet she’d be really excited to hear about how her designs helped you.”

  “Sure!” I agree. I quickly wipe the cotton candy from my mouth and hope I look presentable. “Bring it on.”

  As Jake leads me across the fairgrounds, I see Alex examining some clothes on a vendor’s table and motion to her to come along. As soon as she realizes who I’m walking with, her eyes grow wide and she hurries over.

  “You have to spill later,” Alex whispers in my ear. Thankfully, she leaves it at that and doesn’t nudge Jake or ask anything embarrassing.

  Suddenly, I see her — Lisa McKay, the season three Design Diva winner. She was one of the few winners who really made it big after the show. Not only is her clothing line amazing, but she also has her own jewelry line now.

  “Oh, my gosh,” I squeal, grabbing Alex’s arm and pointing. “It’s her!”

  Alex may not be much for fashion, but she’s as big a fan as I am and immediately sees who I’m talking about.

  “OMG!” she says, grabbing my hand. “Lisa McKay!”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jake biting his lip like he’s trying not to laugh at us. Whatever. I don’t care if he thinks we’re acting like groupies. It’s Lisa McKay!

  “I know her,” says Jake. “I can introduce you.”

  My eyes bug out, and Alex and I can’t do anything but nod and follow him. In seconds, we’re standing next to Lisa McKay’s table, and I’m too starstruck to even look at her pieces.

  “Hi there, girls,” says Lisa, extending her hand. She’s so calm and sweet and not unnerved at all by our gawking. She’s probably used to silly fangirls.

  “Um, hi,” I manage to say. I look to Alex for help, but she seems to be at a loss for words for once.

  Jake looks at us, waiting for us to say more. When he sees we won’t, he takes matters into his own hands. “Mom, this is Chloe, the girl I was telling you about. The one who was really into your designs. And this is her friend Alex.”

  Somehow Jake’s words penetrate my starstruck brain. Mom?

  Suddenly I realize why I didn’t recognize Lisa from her website. In the photo online, her hair is super short and spiky. Now, it’s past her shoulders and wavy, just like it was on the show.

  Alex finally pipes up and points out the other thing that was confusing me. “But your card says Liesel,” she says, clearly just as confused as I am.

  Jake’s mother chuckles. “That’s because Liesel is my name. The producers kept getting it wrong on the show, and after a while I just stopped correcting them,” she says with a shrug. “I mean, who cares what they call me as long as I win, right?”

  “I owe you big time,” I say, finally finding my voice. “Well, you and Jake. Your pieces really put my last design over the top. Thank you so much.”

  Liesel waves her hand like it’s nothing. “I can’t wait to see what you did with them. Oh!” She looks at my necklace, clearly just noticing it. “That looks stunning on you! And to think I wanted to chuck it. Shows what I know.”

  Just then, the static of a microphone interrupts our conversation. We all turn toward the stage and see Jasmine standing there, waiting for quiet. “Designers, we’ll be starting in five minutes,” she announces. “Please take your seats at the front of the stage.”

  I let out a nervous, shuddering breath. “That’s me,” I say. “It was so nice to meet you.”

  “You too, sweetie,” Liesel says with a smile. “Knock ’em dead.”

  “Good luck,” Jake adds. “You’ll be great up there. I know it.”

  Alex and I walk to the stage, and she squeezes my hand. “You’re going to be amazing,” she says. “Just remember to be confident. Your designs rock.”

  I take a seat with the other design hopefuls and see Nina is already there. She’s the only one I recognize, which isn’t that surprising since the contestants have come from all over. We nod at each other. I can tell she’s nervous too.

  When we’re all seated, Jasmine makes her way back to the stage and picks up the microphone again. “Welcome, everyone,” she starts. “Let me begin by saying what an honor it is to be here. I know many of you were surprised when you found out about the nature of this challenge. After all, rodeo clothing isn’t usually something you’d see featured on Rodeo Drive.”

  Jasmine pauses, and the audience laughs at her pun. “However, being a successful designer means being versatile, and that’s something we want our teens to learn early on. If you want to win this competition, you must be ready to tackle any challenge — no matter how unique. And just like a fashion show, rodeo is a performance. There’s an art to it. I hope the forty designs we see today do justice to that.”

  I like how Jasmine phrases that, combining the beauty of designing and the rodeo. I draw little circles in the dirt with my boots, waiting for the competition to begin. Finally, it’s time. The stands fall silent as the first designer takes the stage.

  First up is a girl named Daphne Corral. A burst of nervous laughter escapes me as I think about her last name. Corral, rodeo — maybe it’s a sign. Her design involves embellishing the existing uniforms with studs, beading, and small gems. It’s not the route I would have thought to take, but her result is pretty amazing. She chose earthy tones and used bright blues as accents. At the end, she even makes a joke about her last name, and the crowd laughs.

  The next contestant, whose name I don’t catch, freezes on the stage. I can totally sympathize. When she finally speaks, she describes the mauve she chose as periwinkle and gets flustered. Missy tries to talk soothingly to her, but it doesn’t seem to help much. In the end, Hunter has to explain most of her pieces, but it’s clear he doesn’t fully understand what she was going for.

  One by one, more designers take the stage, and the crowd filters in and out. It takes a long time to go through forty designs, but the contestants and their families don’t move. We all want to see the competition. Some of the designs I like, others I don’t, but it’s hard to tell which direction the judges will lean. Everyone’s taste is so different. That was obvious the night Jim and George came over.

  Soon, it’s Nina’s turn. Even though she seemed nervous before, you can’t tell from her confident strut to the stage. Nina chose to change the color of the rodeo clothing and decided to use various shades of green in her design. The judges ask her about her color choices, and she says she focused on greens “to be one with nature.” That’s so not Nina, but I doubt anyone will know or care. All that matters is how the designs look, and even though it pains me to admit it, hers is one of my favorites.

  Finally, there’s only one designer to go before it’s my turn — a guy named Derek Bonnell. Derek walks easily to the stage, but he doesn’t strut like Nina did. He chose to focus on the boots for his design, which is not an easy task. I love to buy shoes, but I definitely don’t attempt to make them. Derek talks about how he dyed the leather and stitched the looped design on the side. He also did something to the sole of the boot to add traction.

  Derek’s functional alteration gets some approving buzz
from the rodeo riders in the audience. Up until now, the designs have focused on the aesthetics, not anything functional.

  It’s amazing to be a part of this and witness so much talent, but to be honest, I’m getting a little discouraged. I like my designs, but there are so many good ones here. What sets each one apart? What is that one thing that will make the judges choose mine?

  “Thank you so much, Derek,” Jasmine says. “We have one design left to go. Let’s welcome Chloe Montgomery to the stage.”

  I smile and don’t realize I’m not moving until my mom leans forward and gently nudges me. I don’t remember walking to the stage, yet suddenly, I find myself looking out into hundreds of faces. The sun beats down on my skin, and I clear my throat. Speak, Chloe, speak, I think.

  Suddenly I see Jake give me a small wave from the audience. I see my parents and Alex smiling and giving me encouraging thumbs-up signals. I take a deep breath. Confident Chloe is back. I can do this.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Chloe,” Missy says. “Tell us about your design.”

  I’ve answered this question about all my other designs so far, and I’m ready with an answer. “I think the rodeo attire used today serves a purpose, but from what I heard from some riders, the uniform could use some spicing up,” I begin. Who cares if some was really one? There have to be others who agree. Whoops come from the audience, so apparently there are.

  “My grandpa was very involved in rodeo, so honoring the tradition of the sport was really important to me,” I continue. “When I was planning my design, I wanted to create something that acknowledged that but added a modern twist. That’s why I decided to use a traditional color palette but create something with a slimmer silhouette. I also added studs and fringe to embellish the outfit.”

  Jasmine nods. “Why did you decide to add the studs and the fringe?” she asks. “Did you not think the jeans were enough on their own?”