Quintessa Goodley

Quintessa Goodley chose a designer with whom she already had strong affinity.

“I was inspired by Emanual Ungaro’s wide range of beautifully constructed, feminine garments that show rich color and texture,” she explained. “I chose him because our styles are similar.”

Ungaro, who retired and sold his brand in 2005, was especially popular in the ’80s and ’90s  and was noted for bold colors and patterns as well as draping silhouettes that hugged the body.

Cathy Horyn, a fashion critic for the New York Times wrote in an August 20, 2010 article: “Men loved a woman in an Ungaro dress, it was said, because the style and the vibrant colors made them imagine what she had on underneath — in a way that an Armani pantsuit did not …”

While Quintessa was drawn to the bright colors, textures, and femininity that are hallmarks of an Ungaro design, she chose to keep her silhouettes more simple than her muse might. She wanted the prints to really stand out.

The Ungaro label.

The runway look that Quintessa created with the boldest print also has Ungaro’s draping feminine touch thanks to a luxurious silk blend that Quintessa picked out. But that silk also proved to be a challenge. Sewing the slick fabric was delicate, but lining it was particularly difficult.

“It was a learning experience,” she said. “But now I know what to do when I work with fabric like that again.”

She used a silk blend on her second look as well, but this one is thicker and double sided. The skirt of the dress is not lined and it is cut short in front and longer in black to show off both the double-sided nature of the fabric and the wearer’s legs. Quintessa did, however, line the top and had to be very agile while piecing the bodice and the skirt so they would appear seamless.

In the end Quintessa is proud that she was able to focus in on an idea, learn all of the different techniques required to construct and realize that idea, and finally see her full collection come to fruition—and throughout she enjoyed the journey.

Detail of illustratino and fabric swatches.

“I love sketching because it allows you to be creative and express yourself,” she shared. “And the construction process brings the sketch and the expression to life.”

Quintessa has journeyed from the challenges and transitions of freshman year through her major classes to completing her final project.

Her creative expression is now a collection and two pieces from that collection will come down the runway on May 13.

There are still some tickets available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.