944

Mog & Rue and FIDM Team Up to Help Junior Designers Shine

In my role as managing editor of 944 San Diego, I admit I've enjoyed some pretty cool perks and opportunities that come with the job. But the invitation to weigh in on fashion sketches by nine aspiring young designers as part of a contest orchestrated through Mog & Rue boutique in Encinitas and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) ranks at the very top of the cool list in my book.

Meet nine fashion-savvy young ladies: Annmarie Delfino, 12; Sophia Farmer, 12; Kirra Hughes, 17; Jaclyn Kershek, 16; Natalie Lam, 13; Kelsey Maloney, 12; Brittany Midgley, 18; Kendall Morris, 12; and Rachel Provenzano, 14. I argue that if the brains behind Project Runway ever did a spin-off for adolescents, all nine would qualify to compete. The girls recently took part in an advanced fashion sketching course in which they learned about everything from fashion careers to style trends to dressing tips to how to properly sketch fashion designs, even down to small details like buttons, collars, pockets and seam lines.

Taught by FIDM graduate and personal stylist Angela Saint Laurent and hosted by Mog & Rue, the six-week session culminated with a design contest in which the students were asked to sketch a wearable day dress for the summer season that would appeal to a stylish, contemporary woman - i.e., myself (small joke). They were allowed to choose from three silk prints and five trims, and each was given nothing more than Prismacolor markers and pencils, whiteout pens and marker paper for her illustration.

"We wanted the students to be creative and express themselves through their designs, but we also gave them parameters, as the final product needed to be a wearable, sellable dress you might actually find hanging in a women's clothing boutique," explains Saint Laurent.

The girls didn't disappoint. Finalists submitted sketches ranging from romantic halter dresses to strapless, open-back numbers. The judging panel, comprised of Mog & Rue owner Annie Loos, FIDM professor Kelly Richardson and myself, had a tough decision to make. After considerable deliberation, our final consensus was that the sexy, paisley, silk-print summer dress with braided straps, designed by Kershek, deserved top design honors. We named Lam a runner-up for her sophisticated design of a yellow-accented silk dress with an empire waist, high-neck front and peek-a-boo back, along with Hughes for her feisty, gorgeously sketched mini-dress with a corseted waist and bell skirt.

As our top winner, Kershek had her sketch made into reality. The dress was hand-made by Saint Laurent to be featured and modeled in the pages of 944, then auctioned off to 944 readers. Bids will be accepted through the end of July (starting bid is $200) and can be made by calling Mog & Rue directly at 760.635.2664 or by stopping in the store at 937 S. Coast Highway 101, Suite C102, in Encinitas. The size-2/4 dress is on display at the boutique through the end of this month.

And the best part? The winning bid will be donated entirely to the FIDM Scholarship Foundation to support future designers. How cool is that? A chance to give back and sport a one-of-a-kind design at the same time ... I may have to bid on it myself.

Channel your inner fashionista at

http://www.fidm.edu and www.mogandrue.com

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