Oct 12, 2011

Fashion Houston: 5 questions with Barbara Tfank

Los Angeles-based Barbara Tfank showed her Elizabeth Taylor-inspired collection on opening night of Fashion Houston. The event continues with fashion shows through Thursday at Wortham Theater Center for ticket information.
We caught up with Tfank after the show:
Your collections are show in New York and Los Angeles, why come to Fashion Houston 
There’s so much energy here, and people enjoy getting dressed up. That’s the type of clothes I design.
What’s it like designing for famous women, like the curvaceous singer, Adele?Vogue asked me to design a Grammy Awards’ dress for Adele. She was 19 at the time. I can’t even count how many wedding dresses I’ve done for her. I am really happy to be able to help shape her image. Adele has empowered a lot of young women, showing them that you can have style and sophistication regardless of your size. Adele is very happy with who she is.
And what about working with First Lady Michelle Obama?   The First Lady wore one of my dresses for the Wounded Warrior Project. It was such a poignant occasion. To see her among the troops in this floral dress, looking like a beautiful blossom, was such an honor.  
Are your clothes New York or LA?My clothes are really more New York. People are starting to buy them in LA, but they are dressy. In LA, people are either in jeans or gowns. I try to set an example. I’m not going to dress down just because everyone else does.  
Are you pleased that ladylike fashions have returned?The pendulum has turned toward me, and I’m glad of that. I hear this all across the country: Women want femininity. People are embracing feminine curves. That makes me happy.     
“There a few big names in the fashion industry that are notorious for ‘sampling’ the models before they took the job. Basically, it comes down to a choice of whether you are willing to throw your principles overboard to accelerate your career,” said former model Ariane Sommer. “It becomes more problematic, however, if the model in question is extremely young and impressionable. These girls often don’t know how to stand up for themselves and are like a deer in the headlights.”

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