Burda Style For people who sew

We are so excited to chat with designer, artist, and long-time BurdaStyle member Esther Boller (aka: Melonhead), who has recently won a National Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her Masking Tape Dress – an amazing creation made entirely out of masking tape!

This summer we were invited to Las Vegas during the market trade shows Magic, Project and POOL to set up a DIY booth on the floor of the women/teen contemporary show, WWDMagic. It was a great opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the fashion retail industry and also a chance to check out some fantastic up-and-coming designers in the process. One in particular who caught our attention was Detroit-based Fotoula Lambros. A self-taught designer who focuses on eco-friendly fabrics and avant garde design, we were instantly attracted to Fotoula’s easy yet interesting style not to mention the enthusiasm she exudes for her city of residency: Detroit, Michigan.

I started making handmade, high-end gem jewelry in late 2007, early 2008. I was bored, working for an energy company and feeling like this couldn’t be where I was going to end up. I knew that there was something more in store for me.

I have always been creative. My mother says that as a child I would stay up until all hours of the night and into the morning creating, cutting, pasting, drawing, sewing and painting – which got me in trouble more than not seeing that it was 3:00 am and I had school the next day. I would create everything from paper dolls to greeting cards, I never limited myself on my creations, the sky was the limit and I believe it still is.

Reese is another talented designer we met during our fashion show adventures in Austin, TX during SxSW. She puts her spin on found objects – reconstructing clothing and creating mixed media projects, and spends her days immersed in fashion, music and art.

What is your name and where are you from?

Reese Juel, Philadelphia, PA – USA

What is your design medium of choice?

Accessories and reconstructed clothing, using found objects and mixed media.

We met Julie Pinzur when she wowed us with her fun and whimsical designs at our indie designer fashion show in Austin, TX during SxSW. Drawing heavily from Japanese culture and style, Julie’s line Mokuyobi Threads is a fresh take on bags, accessories and clothing that encompass a youthful and modern sense of humor and we are excited to share her talents with the BurdaStyle community!

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Julie Pinzur and I grew up in the North suburbs of Chicago.

What is your design medium of choice? Clothing, handbags, accessories, etc?

All of the above. There really is no limit to what I can and want to make.

Editor’s Note: I met Melissa Tabor a few years ago while I was living in Atlanta, Georgia and was (and continue to be) so incredibly impressed with her talent as a designer. She has since moved to Nashville, Tennessee where she continues to build her label and after hearing that Melissa was showing her line at the very first Nashville Fashion Week, I wanted to give her the opportunity to share her experience with our community and show that designers don’t have to be in New York or Paris or Milan to be successful. I’ll let Melissa take it from here…

My name is Melissa Tabor and I am a Nashville based womenswear designer. I initially started my clothing when I was living in Atlanta in 2006—(that is where I met Lindsey Ibarra who asked me to share my experiences with the BurdaStyle community). Looking to relocate my line to a new city in 2009, I moved to Nashville and relaunched my line last Fall.

How many of you have dreamed of quitting your day job and sewing full time? Well, Kristen Elmer did just that when she left her job as a buyer at Lord & Taylor to focus on her dream of designing. A year later, Kristen has set up a pop-up shop in Nolita where she will be selling her line, Silk & Cyanide, through the month of April.

We love it when our members are recognized for their amazing talents, especially when it’s something huge like Project Runway! Mari Koppanen (aka: maryy) has been with BurdaStyle since almost the very beginning and it’s been so fun and rewarding to watch her sewing progress over the years. Mari is currently participating in the latest season of Project Runway in Finland and we caught up with her to see how she started, what it’s like being on the show and what the future holds for this talented creator.