Designers show off fashion amid the Sawdust

The wooden deck surrounded by waterfalls and towering eucalyptus trees was transformed into a veritable catwalk at the Sawdust Art Festival, inviting fashion lovers to get up close and personal with clothing designers.

“Cut,” the title of Sunday’s fashion show, exhibited the newest clothing and textiles from Laguna Beach artists. A second viewing will be held Aug. 23.

Sawdust President Jay Grant, who has been associated with the festival for 45 years, said the fashion show was common in the 1970s, but the tradition of hosting it faded through the years as board members changed. He recently connected with designer Michelle Lance and told her he wanted to reestablish the show.

“The fashion show expresses one of our mediums so beautifully,” said Grant, who added that the festival’s textile artists otherwise go largely unnoticed. “They have a platform here to showcase their work.”

The 10 participating designers, including Lance, Olivia Batchelder, Reem Khalil and Helga Yaillen, each featured three to five pieces, including one piece not standard in their collections.

Lance, also coordinator of the event, said she has been creating clothing for four years, dyeing silks and developing the fabrics into wearable art.

Each piece in her collection, which includes dresses, swimsuits, scarves and belts, takes about a week to finish, she estimated.

Lance, who said she prefers to layer clothing and pair something fitted with something that flows, developed her interest in fashion when she went to art school to become a seamstress. Her husband, sculptor and photographer Roark Gourley, asked her to collaborate on a project to photograph dancers underwater. Lance decided to create silk pieces for the dancers to wear in the photo shoot.

Since then, the mother of three has been designing clothing.

“I want women to feel inspired and beautiful and immerse themselves in an aesthetic that makes them feel good,” Lance said. “They should project that.”

Her clothing collection, which she described as “raw elegance,” features desconstructed edges of frayed silk. She has made silk chiffon pants, a leopard chiffon wrap and a blouse depicting a skull embellished with sequins.

At Sunday’s fashion show, Lance closed her segment by walking out in a red wrap dress that would cost around $400 to $500 through her website or at her festival booth. It garnered applause and prompted whispers of appreciation. “Oh, that’s really pretty,” someone said.

Sue Winner, a fashion show designer and antique dealer who has created clothing and accessories for the past 16 years, said she prefers to reuse fabrics and apparel she has saved over the years.

“It’s wonderful for me to participate in this show,” Winner said. “It’s just so fun to see the models move, wearing the pieces. I’m sharing my toys with everyone.”

Winner showcased a vest and jacket that she transformed into a pair of pants. She also turned Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to transport clothes, gifts and other goods, into a dress. A jacket in her collection was originally a sarong, but she envisioned a different garment, so she reworked the fabric and pattern.

“You were spectacular,” Grant said to Winner.

Grant’s wife, Nikki, owns and operates Nikki of Laguna, which features wire jewelry made from semi-precious stones and shells, a craft she has been involved in for more than 40 years. Nikki has exhibited at Sawdust for 49 consecutive years.

The exhibition is likely not to be the last. Grant and Lance are already thinking of designers for the next show.

“This is the first one for me to help run,” Lance said. “I hope it will get better and better.”

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IF YOU GO

What: Sawdust Art Festival “Cut” fashion show

When: 4 to 5 p.m. Aug. 23

Where: Sawdust Art Festival, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

Cost: $8.50

Information: (949) 494-3030 or visit sawdustartfestival.org