Chloe by Design: Measuring Up

by Margaret Gurevich

  “Not really,” he says. “I mean not now. I don’t like to give away what’s behind the genius. Trust me, though, you’ll be amazed.”

  “I’ll wait to be awed,” I say, trying not to laugh as I move on to the other contestants.

  The ones that interest me the most are the designs inspired by The Sound of Music and The Devil Wears Prada. When I pass Nancy, the designer for The Sound of Music style, she’s working on a white peplum dress. I’m about to ask her more about it, but think about what Lee said and decide that being surprised is not a bad thing.

  I move over to Becca’s The Devil Wears Prada design. It’s a little hard to figure out. The fitted sleeveless top has a large bow at the collar that looks odd.

  “I’m working on the sleeves,” Becca tells me through a mouthful of pins.

  “Can’t wait to see,” I say. I hurry away, afraid she’ll choke on the pins if I keep talking with her. I walk around the other designs and wonder which one the judges will like the most.

  “One hour!” Hunter announces, but no one seems fazed or hurried.

  My phone vibrates, and I look down to see a text from Jake. I know he wants to hear how my FIDM tour went, especially since I told him about my application anxiety last week, but there’s a reason I haven’t texted him yet. I don’t want to tell him that it went great, and I’m loving LA, especially since I know he’s hoping I’ll come back to New York for college. I’ll have to talk to him soon, but not now. At this moment, I need to keep my head in this room.

  Just then Hunter calls, “Thirty minutes,” and the cameramen converge on the contestants and their designs. Even though the contestants’ faces don’t show much emotion, I notice beads of sweat on their foreheads. I also see them wring their hands, bite their nails, and play with their hair — all signs they’re just as nervous as I was during the judging process.

  Hunter, Jasmine, Missy, and I do one last lap around the room. The contestants’ attention shifts from their fabric to the clock and back to the fabric as they all hurry to put the finishing touches on their designs.

  “I love this last-minute tension,” Jasmine says, rubbing her hands.

  I frown. “I don’t. Their anxiety is actually rubbing off on me. I totally get what they’re going through.”

  “That’s why we have you here, Chloe,” says Missy. “I used to be the softie, but I’m afraid I’ve gotten tougher. You help balance things out.”

  I frown slightly. I guess that’s a compliment.

  Hunter laughs. “Ignore them. You’re just more humane. Like me.” But then, in a loud, booming voice that makes me jump, he shouts: “Time’s up!”

  So much for softer and more humane.

  “Lee,” says Hunter once all the contestants have gathered in the center of the room with their mannequins, “we’ll begin with you. Tell us about your piece.”

  “Well,” Lee starts, “the guys in Men in Black were secret government agents, so I thought it would be fun to put a spin on their boring black suits. I chose to create a more modern, feminine version.” He points to his fitted sleeveless blazer and ankle-length pants. “I also added a metallic top underneath to give it a futuristic vibe.”

  “When you said to trust you,” I say, “I didn’t think you’d come up with a design that’s so put-together. Nice job.”

  Lee gives a slight bow and looks relieved. Vicki’s Star Wars design is next, and the judges look at each other warily.

  “What’s your inspiration for this?” Missy finally asks.

  Vicki straightens the khaki fabric. “It’s a tent dress, modeled after the clothes the little furry Ewoks wore in the Star Wars movie. It gives it a modern spin, don’t you think?”

  Jasmine purses her lips. “It looks a little shapeless to me.”

  “I’m really sorry, Vicki, but I have to agree,” says Hunter. “A tent dress can look modern and stylish, but it looks like you just pieced the fabric together without really doing measurements.”

  I want to say something positive, but they’re right. There’s no definition, and I wonder how this even took her three hours to make.

  Fortunately, I’m saved from speaking when Vicki steps back, and the judges call Becca forward. Her finished outfit is glaringly different from what I saw before. The added sleeves complement the bow collar, and she’s paired her top with a striped skirt for balance and contrast.

  I shoot Becca a discreet thumbs-up, and she smiles. Jasmine makes a few suggestions about better stitching, but even she’s stumped to give any other criticism. Lucky for Jasmine, Tina’s Cruella De Vil-inspired dress gives Jasmine and the other judges plenty to discuss.

  “Notice the contrast of black and white,” Tina says, pointing to her dress, which is half-black and half-white. “The jagged asymmetrical hem is a nod to Cruella’s villainous spirit.”

  “And the high, spiky collar is for the villainous spirit too, I assume?” says Hunter.

  “That’s correct,” says Tina.

  “Here’s where I’m struggling,” says Missy. “The stitching is perfect and professional. The difficulty of the design is impressive too. But I’m just not feeling this dress. It’s so over the top.”

  I think about my goal of keeping the contestants inspired and telling them to stay true to themselves. I open my mouth to say this when Tina stomps her foot.

  “Your opinions aren’t law, you know,” she snaps. “Maybe you just don’t get creativity.”

  Missy grits her teeth. “Our opinions may not be law,” she says. “But they decide your fate here.”

  Tina turns her back to us, and Hunter sighs. “Moving on,” he says.

  Bubbly Lexi barely lets Missy get the first syllable of her name out before she launches into the description of her Glinda-inspired dress. “For the bodice, I made a plunging V-neck of gathered silk crepe. This is draped into a wide, gathered waistband with an organza bolero jacket,” says Lexi.

  “It’s really lovely,” I say. “You did a beautiful job on the skirt as well.”

  “Thank you,” says Lexi. “I imagined Glinda’s dramatic entrance and was trying to mimic that drama with the yards of organza gathered and pintucked into a skirt.”

  “This makes me want to see the movie again,” says Missy.

  “I’m just glad you didn’t do anything wizard- or munchkin-inspired,” Jasmine adds.

  “Thank you guys so much,” gushes Lexi.

  “Two more to go,” says Hunter. “Peter, you’re up.”

  “Yes, so as I was telling Chloe, I have a sister who loves all things Peter Pan, so she was my inspiration for this dress,” says Peter. “She loves lace, flowers, and ruffles, so I included all of those elements in my design.”

  “The flowers fit beautifully with the tulle,” I say.

  “And I like its romantic quality,” Hunter adds.

  Peter grins. “Thank you.”

  “Finally,” says Hunter, “we have Scott with his Father of the Bride design.”

  When I see Scott’s finished design I’m both surprised and impressed. I’d never match his design with his current style. Unlike the Yankees jersey, baggy shorts, and high-top sneakers he’s wearing, his dress design is both fun and elegant.

  “Seems like sisters are the theme of the day,” says Scott. “Mine just got engaged and wanted me to design her wedding dress. The movie I got was like, crazy coincidence.”

  “Totally,” says Hunter. “Why the two-piece?”

  “My sister isn’t super formal, so I wanted something more off-beat but still elegant. I think I did that with the full skirt and lace halter top,” says Scott.

  “I agree,” says Missy. “I hope she likes it.”

  “Thank you all,” says Hunter. “We will let you know our thoughts soon.”

  As the contestants get a breather, the judges and I head into another room to discuss the d
esigns, although there’s not much to discuss. Our favorites are Becca’s The Devil Wears Prada design, Nancy’s The Sound of Music inspired dress, Peter’s Finding Neverland design, Scott’s Father of the Bride two-piece wedding ensemble, and Lexi’s The Wizard of Oz Glinda-inspired gown. That leaves Tina’s Cruella-inspired dress, Lee’s Men in Black suit, and Vicki’s Star Wars sack — I mean dress.

  “Well,” says Jasmine, “I think we can all agree we have to let Vicki go. That leaves Lee or Tina.”

  “Tina’s was definitely more inspired than Lee’s,” says Hunter, “but —”

  I interrupt. “She’s kind of rude, and it seems like she doesn’t really want to get better if it means messing with her vision.” I learned a lot from my experience on Teen Design Diva and during my internship. It’s important to stay true to yourself, but you also have to be willing to see that there might be a better way to do things.

  “Exactly,” says Hunter. “I’m sure she’ll go places, but she’s been giving us attitude from day one. This experience is about learning, and it’s clear she doesn’t think we have anything to teach her.”

  “I completely agree,” Jasmine says, “but every show needs a villain.”

  “I hear you, Jazz,” says Missy, “but I’ve had enough of her too. At least Lee will take direction, and I know he’ll create something more daring next time. We have a situation here where both are talented. I’d rather talk with Lee again.”

  Jasmine sighs. “You’re right, I know. She’s gotten on my last nerve too.”

  “So it’s decided,” says Hunter.

  We all nod and head back in to break the news to the designers. As the producers and cameras get into position for the elimination, I brace myself for Tina’s reaction, doubting it will be pretty.

  At least it’ll be good preparation, I think. Because I’ll soon have to tell Jake my own bad news — that after seeing FIDM, I’m not so sure FIT is my only dream school anymore.

  “What do you mean you haven’t told Jake yet?” Alex asks as we walk through the mall back home later that week.

  I admit, I’m kind of being a coward. I’ve been back in Santa Cruz for three days, and so far all I’ve told Jake about FIDM is that it was “okay.” And even that was through texts.

  “I just know he’ll be bummed if I tell him how much I liked it,” I say. “It’s the kind of conversation you want to have with someone in person, you know?”

  “True, but when is that happening?” Alex asks. “You can’t avoid him forever.”

  “This weekend, apparently. Liesel is having a fashion show in Santa Cruz, and he’s flying in to help her.”

  Jake’s mom, Liesel McKay, is a famous fashion designer and Design Diva winner. She even acted as my mentor on the show during my season.

  “And you just found out?” asks Alex.

  “It was a last-minute decision,” I reply. “Jake wanted to surprise me, but I guess he could tell something was up, so he broke down and told me.”

  “Geez, Chloe, cheer up. It’s not the end of the world,” Alex says. “First of all, you know Jake just wants you to be happy. Second of all, as much as I’d love for you to choose FIDM, you’re still going to tour Parsons and FIT. Who knows what’ll happen?”

  I give Alex a hug. She always knows what to say. “You’re right. My FIDM visit made me feel better about this whole college thing. I feel less out of the loop now. I mean, I’m still no closer to making a decision, but at least it’s a start.”

  “Exactly,” Alex agrees. “And in the meantime, we can focus on more fun stuff — like looking for clothes.”

  We walk into a store that’s more Alex’s style than mine, but shopping is shopping. I can’t complain. After all, a year ago I would have had to drag Alex to the mall.

  “What do you think of this?” Alex asks, holding up a knee-length dress with thick peach and white stripes. “Maybe with my brown suede ankle boots?”

  “I love that,” I agree, marveling at how far Alex’s style has come. “You just need the right accessories.” I spot a long, gold chain on a jewelry rack and hold it up against the dress. “What do you think?”

  “Oh, I love that. You have such a good eye for these things.” Alex tosses the dress over her arm and flips through some more hangers.

  I smile. “Thanks. It kind of reminds me of going through the racks during my internship. I had to see what went together, why people liked it, stuff like that. Jake went on one of those trips with me. Can’t say he loved it, though.”

  While I’m thinking about him, I decide to text him. I take out my phone and type: Thinking of you while rack shopping!

  Jake writes back in seconds. Like in NYC. I’d totally suffer through it again if it meant we could hang out.

  “He’s so sweet,” Alex says when I show her the text. “You guys will make it work, wherever you go.”

  “I hope so. But that reminds me — I still need to find a way to pay for my flight to New York. Too bad they’re not taping another season of Design Diva there,” I joke.

  “Your dad travels for business,” Alex says. “Maybe he has frequent flyer miles or something.”

  “Maybe,” I say, but I’m not as optimistic as Alex about it.

  “Well, if there’s one thing you’ve shown me, Chloe Montgomery, it’s how hard you work at something you want,” Alex says with a grin.

  I laugh. “That is true. Speaking of, I want to see what Bloomingdale’s has on sale.” I pull Alex into the store and head for the dress section.

  “What about this?” asks Alex, holding up a cute A-line dress with lots of flowers.

  I shake my head no. “It’s pretty, but too flowery for me. It’s kind of a Nina dress.”

  Alex makes a face and puts the dress back on the rack. She slaps her forehead. “Oh! I forgot to tell you. She’s been asking about you.”

  My stomach jumps. “What now? I thought she and I had moved on.”

  “I don’t think it’s bad. She said something about college applications. She seemed frazzled. Honestly, I kind of tuned her out.”

  I frown. “Nice, Alex. It wouldn’t kill you to give her a chance, you know. People change.”

  Alex raises an eyebrow. “Says the girl whose first reaction was ‘what now?’ when I mentioned Nina’s name?”

  I hold up my hands in surrender. “Fine, we’ll both work harder at seeing the new Nina. I need to talk to her about the Winter Formal dresses anyway. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Those three days in LA really set me back. And then there’s the portfolio stuff on top of that. Lots of pressure.”

  “You’ll get it all done,” Alex says confidently. She picks up another dress off the rack. It’s a black, off-the-shoulder, A-line dress that hits at the knee. “This one is definitely you.”

  I love it. “It would look cute with my chunky black sandals.”

  “With this chain,” says Alex, grabbing a silver necklace off a display.

  “Done! Maybe this will be my outfit for Liesel’s show,” I say. “Jake got me a ticket.”

  “Maybe you can swing an extra ticket for your BFF?” Alex nudges me with her elbow.

  I put my arm around her. “Not this time, I’m afraid. Besides, Jake and I have to talk.”

  “Riiight,” says Alex. “Well, when you’re famous, I expect to have a ticket to all your shows.”

  I pretend to think about it. “If you’re lucky.”

  “Chloe!” Liesel exclaims when I arrive at the fashion show venue — an industrial-looking loft — on Saturday. “It’s so wonderful to see you again!” She stops making last-minute adjustments on one of the models and hurries over to give me a quick hug.

  “Same here,” I say, hugging her back. “Thanks so much for inviting me. Jake said the theme is biker ballerina? That sounds so interesting! I’m not really sure what to expect.”

  �
��Well, I have to admit, I’m glad you can’t quite picture it. That way when you see the designs you’ll have an entirely fresh perspective.”

  I laugh. “Fair enough. Have you seen Jake? I’m supposed to be meeting him here.”

  As if on cue, Jake comes around a corner. When I see him, I can feel my whole face brighten, and I give him an excited wave.

  Jake grins and walks over, sweeping me up in a hug. “I can’t believe I’m finally seeing you in person!” he says when he pulls back.

  I blush. “I know. It feels like it’s been forever.”

  Just then the lights flash off and on. “Well, that’s my cue,” Liesel says. “You two better get to your seats. See you soon! Enjoy!”

  Liesel hurries back to her models, and Jake takes my hand. My stomach gets butterflies. It’s been so long since he’s held my hand. The way we left things in New York was with the understanding that the time wasn’t right for us then. But holding Jake’s hand reminds me how much I’ve missed him.

  We hurry to our front-row seats, and the spotlights surrounding the runway flash on. The audience quickly quiets down, and the music cues up. As soon as the first model steps onto the runway, I’m transported to the world of Liesel’s fantastic designs. Biker ballerina turns out to be a combo of tough and feminine. It’s such a great concept. All the designs have an element of leather, and the models’ faces are stoic.

  As cool as the local fashion show my friends and I atteneded was, this is even better. There’s pressure and tension in the air. Photographers are snapping photos from the sides, and the front row is filled with reviewers. It’s like the New York hype but in California. Not just in California, but in my hometown.

  A model in a brown leather skirt with contrasting blue leather pockets struts down the runway. The skirt is paired with a tight, cropped sweater and strappy sandals. I like the edginess of the look.

  The next look is more monochromatic but equally chic. It’s a black leather trapeze dress with contrasting piping on the collar and pockets. Liesel has it paired with sandals that lace up to the knee. The dress is both fierce and feminine.