Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529398
44 WINTER 2025 before starting this show, I put to good use in terms of creating items that would be decade-appropriate and very functional." Cetina would read vintage books and go to museums and thri stores to look at vintage clothes to see how vintage clothes were constructed. "Some people actually have split open gowns just to show students or researchers what it looks like on the inside. It's very important to see what the foundations of these garments are, being able to see it and study, that goes a very long way." Having come from an industrial and couture manufacturing background, Wallace spoke on the crawork of vintage clothing. "I've looked at so many beautiful antique clothing and couture pieces, and it looks like Mama made it at home. They didn't have overlocks and they didn't have the cover stitch machines. It was all hand-turned seams, it was just beautiful work and it took hours to make." The silhouees of all the costumes were a lot different from most contemporary clothing. Wallace tells us that "They were much more fied. It was up to the designer to get the correct bra to give you that '50s look. Most of it is foundation, then from that foundation, you create your paern from that to get that look and that feel. We went back to the old basics of paernmaking." Wallace bought the Sure Fit paernmaking system when it was released and had initially rejected it but aer giving it another try, it's a system he now uses frequently. "I have to tell you, that has saved me a lot of time on all my jobs because that system does work. You have a basic block, and you trace off that block and the size that you need, because most people are not proficient when it comes to grading, so it's oen nice to have exactly. It's nice to have a master block that's set out for you in grade." Wallace explains that he was able to create different styles of skirt blocks and use the system to grade multiple sizes. "I trace them off and cut them out. It's finished, no thought process or anything because it's so easy just to get the paern paper on top of it, trace it off, get your sizes, add whatever you need to it, and you're done. It takes no more than half an hour to trace off a skirt and cut it and get it ready for somebody to sew. It's not that difficult with that system. It worked for me beautifully." Cetina used draping methods when starting the process on new projects for this show. "When you drape, it's always a challenge to get that 3D sculpture into 2D and onto paper. It's kind of tedious because there's a whole process and you have to make sure that everything aligns in the right place. I did that several times, and I hope that I inspired the designer on a number of occasions, because I would simply be playing around with the dress form and drape something where I was just adding huge pockets onto the hips of the dress form and maybe a stylized collar. Then the designer will come over and be like, 'oh, this is really great … let's try to bring that collar into the coat and that sort of thing." Sequined- collared lab coat (above) copied from a Dior dress; (right) fitted period dress.