Run-up to the runway

Sure, you can count on Project Runway to deliver drama week by week, but what’s the actual reality of creating a collection? Here, three local designers who’ll be participating in Boston Fashion Week share the ins and outs of the rag trade. 

SAMUEL MENDOZA
Samuel Mendoza has earned a cult following among the young and fabulous with his colorful, raw-edged silk dresses. The self-taught BU grad’s rough-around-the-edges aesthetic has captivated fashion-forward women and the press for several seasons now; we can’t wait to see what he has in store this time around. What was your inspiration for this collection? I knew I wanted something dramatic, sophisticated, exotic, and sexual. The original inspiration was literary. I’ve been reading a lot of Colette and Rimbaud, and I got caught up in their worlds . . . in lavish worlds that have a sense of delirium and sexual tension, opulent dens that open up after hours to all types of characters doing all sorts of things. I always create worlds in which my collections live. What’s most difficult about creating a collection? The most difficult part for me is getting started. The first dresses are always the hardest because it’s the first time you see your visions and ideas become something tangible; it’s the first test, and it’s when you have to trust your instincts most. Once you get started . . . it’s just a matter of time and coffee. Do you have a signature piece you reinvent every season? Every season I challenge myself to make a different one-shoulder gown with only one seam. There’s something so sexy and modern to me about a simple gown you just slip on and feel beautiful in.

NIRVA DERBEKYAN
She’s finishing up her fourth collection for Boston Fashion Week, but Nirva Derbekyan first toddled down the fashion road at the tender age of three with her sketch of a patchwork boot. She hasn’t looked back since. Known for working with exquisite fabrics and delectable trims, the Mass College of Art grad has kept her spring 2010 collection closely under wraps, but we’re giving you a sneak peek. What was your inspiration for this collection? My inspiration will be revealed at my show, but I will say my spring/summer collection will have many layers of color. What’s most difficult about creating a collection? Editing is the most difficult part. It’s easy to become attached to a certain piece because it transforms into a work of art as you spend time on it, but you have to look at the bigger picture, at the collection as a whole, and make that important decision that it just doesn’t belong. Do you have a signature piece you reinvent every season? I incorporate lace in interesting ways in various forms in each season. Lace is a delicate fabric but can be used in bold ways so that it makes a strong statement, and the texture makes it so luscious. I love the duality of the soft and strong together.

MAYA MEIRAV
The granddaughter of a Chilean designer and pattern maker, Maya Meirav has design in her blood. Meirav realized that she wanted not only to make clothes, but also to make women feel amazing in them. Her haute couture pieces fit impeccably and have garnered her a reputation for knowing just how to dress a woman. What was your inspiration for this collection? Glamour — our collection is titled "Fall into Luxury." A big part of the dialogue with our customer is introducing luxury in every item she brings into her wardrobe, be it a great suit or an over-the-top gown. What’s most difficult about creating a collection? The hardest stage is always editing down the collection. We have so many amazing fabrics that provide us with inspiration for designs, and there are just not enough hours in the day to create all those pieces! Do you have a signature piece you reinvent every season? Our silk chiffon wrap cocktail dress has been the bestseller for years! It’s so versatile. [Another one of our] signature items is the corset. . . . It looks and feels so luxurious, but most of our clients wear it with jeans. It’s fully boned, but using the right boning, it feels very natural on the body and creates a really flattering silhouette. Women who have our corsets become addicted!