We haven't heard from Jillian in a while, so we dropped her a line and asked her to fill us in on her doings. Unsurprisingly, her doings are plentiful (and that sounded a little dirty).
"Hi guys,
My business partner Lewaa and I opened a corporation together, Jillian Lewis Inc. , back in November while I was working on my Project Runway collection. By March we had our first collection completed, a mini fall line. We spent the entire months of March and April dragging heavy garment bags to buyer offices. We had great success for our first season, though it was a long and difficult journey to get there. Let me also mention that starting a business during what is being called a recession was a bit discouraging at first, though we have had several trunk shows in Long Island that were so incredibly successful. I guess it proves that if you have special pieces that are desirable, even a recession can’t stop success in the fashion world. Lewaa and I worked together at Searle. Now, Lewaa and I live and work together, are newly engaged and we will be selling our line at the Searle stores among several other boutiques to be delivered at the end of July. We will be having a trunk show in September at the 60th/Madison Ave. location...I will keep you posted on an exact date. Now that our fall line is in the production status, I am working on a more extensive spring line and have private client orders lined up until September. I will be designing dance costumes for Works & Process at The Guggenheim Museum, performance September 21st and 22nd.
I will have some illustrations on display at Gen Art’s Styles 08 event for Tone Skin Care [TLo note: Five finalists who best interpret the theme "radiance" through sketches or storyboards will be featured at the Styles show on May 19th in competition for the Tone Fashion Vision Award. The winner will be awarded $10,000 to put toward their business. Jillian and Allison Kelly from S3 are finalists. Project Runway reprezent, yo!]
and of course I designed 3 dress options for Newsday’s Project Prom. [TLo Note: See below].
We have a few other deals on the horizon that we are not yet ready to announce but there is more excitement to come . Hope that is enough my friends. Again, thanks so much for your interest and support. Hope you are both happy and well. -Jillian"
Here are the sketches and video for Jillian's Project Prom entry.
Vote: Pick Amanda's prom dress!
[Sketches and video courtesy of newsday.com - Photo: WireImage]
43 comments:
Good for her. Baby is coming out of the corner fighting. She will do well.
Oh it's so good to hear she's doing well. I hope that we'll see some of her coats out in the stores soon!
I love Jillian! Glad she's doing well. I voted for the second dress
: )
Great for her that she hit the ground running, and is working at her art, and getting so much accomplished. She continues to surprise.
I hope you'll keep us informed when her trunk show is happening. Given the sweaters and jackets that she's shown, I'd definately want to check it out (& hopefully buy!)
--GothamTomato
So nice to hear about Jillian's successes!!
I voted for the second dress, too!!
----StkrShock
Nice. Thanks for the report, Boys.
I just wish I didn't have to hear the word "pop" anymore (not in relation to fashion and makeup, anyway).
A miniature version of other people? At 5'3" I am the tallest woman in my extended family. My mom and aunt are barely 5'. I know we're shorter than most, but we're certainly not midgets and neither is Amanda.
Love Jillian, love her dresses, and good for her for doing well in difficult times!
That first prom dress looks like a Santino original.
Good for her! Even though she didn't win it really sunds like PR was good for her career. I'd be very interested to see how her work matures and progresses over the next ten or so years. I think she'll be more of a household name in the future.
- edina -
Good for her. I hope her designs make their way south in the future.
Love that first prom dress. I know one teenager (my own) who would rock it.
Thanks for the update TLo!
It is great to know that Jillian is coming out swinging to build her business, recession be damned. And she's right - as long as you can produce "irresistable product" people will buy no matter what the economy is doing. Good for her, and I wish one of those trunk shows could come my way....
Be smart Aamanda, pick the first dress.
That's crazy, because I was thinking yesterday "man, I wonder what's happening with Jillian. We've heard pahlenty from christian and even Rami, but what about miss Jillian"
And you guys delivered! Thanks TLo!
Glad to hear she's doing well, and I still wish her incredible success.
Glad to hear Baby Bueller-Bot 3000 is doing well!
I like the second dress for Amanda.
Am I the only one who is sick of corsets?
I was just thinking of Jillian the other day when I heard that "Dirty Dancing" was coming to Broadway.
Sounds like she is as industrioous as ever. Good for her!
The prom dress skecthes are cute, fun & flirty. I like them so much more than all the hoochie mama dresses out there and the gwons that often read too old for HS girls.
Congratulations to Jillian! I has to be hard starting a business right now. I sure hope she puts one of her fabu fit and flair coats in the line up for her fall collection.
The Prom dresses she designed are perfect for the client. I think the pink one would suit her best, and show of that tiny waist.
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I just finished doing a prom dress myself. I almost laughed when the client said she wanted "brown", but I think it turned out pretty well. She was certainly delighted.
i'm thrilled to hear that baby-bot is doing so well. i really like her designs. interesting to see her doing a prom dress when her forte is really more sportswear & coats. nevertheless, i loved the turquoise chiffon one, although the fuschia is really cute too. boys, please be sure and publish pictures of the finished product when it's all done! thanks!
I voted for the third dress, which seems to be the least popular choice. Oh well.
Glad to hear Jillian is doing so well. She was my favorite designer last season. Bonne chance, Jillian!!
I voted for the third one too, but was thinking of what my glamorous daughter would want to wear. She likes that color, and I like the dance-craze skirts. Nice job, Jillian -- keep up the good work!
LOVE HER! I'm so happy for her!!!
Fab post, guys! I can't wait to buy some of her clothes. I love her designs!
Jill is one of those "quiet" contestants who will do very well, just like Emmett. I think her clothes are beautiful, very feminine and the kind of clothes women love to buy.
Great news!! Jillian's been one of my favorite designers on the show. I voted for #3. I think it's sassy w/out being vulgar.
Is there something wrong with prom dresses that cover one's underpants?
Jillian has so much talent, I know she'll be very successful.
I love love love her coats. I hope she starts producing them soon. I would save money just for that. They are fabulous and classic at the same time. Thank you for the update, kittens.
"Sewing Siren said...
I think the pink one would suit her best, and show of that tiny waist."
That's what I was thinking. I hope that's the one she picks.
This is exactly what girls in my school want to wear, that kind of dress. I would totally wear anyone of them, they're pretty.
Well, good for her. Sounds like she's working hard. Can't say I love any of those prom dresses, but I agree with others that they are a relief from the porn-star dresses many girls seem to be sporting.
Bomber, I hear you, sister - I'm also pooped of things "popping"
Lastly, I, too, would be interested in a Jillian Jacket of my very own. TLo, please see if you can keep us in the loop!
Glad to hear she's doing well and is successful. I vote for the second dress!!!
So happy for Jillian. Hoping to see her stuff in a store near me sometime soon!
Oh, and since I'm also vertically challenged (although I've got a few inches on Amanda), and since it looks like dress #2 is in the lead, I'd like to request the fuschia number for myself. Okay, so I'm a wee bit old (only 20 years or so!) for the prom, but still, that dress is HOT. I want.
Wonder which dance company she is designing for?
Congrats to Jillian, and well done on her hard work.
As for the prom dress, I am leaning toward the second dress, but with higher, fuller cut cups. The girl she is fitting has a serious rack (my guess is a DD or larger...I'm a D and she has got to be bigger than me), and I really don't think the baby doll will look good with those proportions. I think the third dress (halter) might draw too much attention to the girls as well and I think the design is a little harsh.
Voted for the first/fuschia. That third dress has something odd going on in the back... Too constructed, not soft enough? Not my area of expertise, so I'm not sure what it is.
Now that Jillian's engaged, I wonder if she'll design her own wedding dress.
Goodness, Jillian does lovely sketches. I never noticed before, but she's really quite an artist.
Amanda is so cute. I love all the dresses, but I voted for #3. It's great to see Jillian doing so well.
Tlo, keep us informed about her trunk shows. I'd love to buy one of her jackets. Thank you for the update, you guys rock!
BTW I voted for the fuscia.
She will be the envy of Lawngilind.
Good for Jillian! Glad to see it all paying off.
I like the shape and movement of the first one, but prefer the color of the second. I think that color would be more flattering.
All those prom dresses look so fun to dance in.
I love Jillian!
third dress!
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