Aside from cats, one of my other favorite things is clothes. I just love the new version on Project Runway on Bravo. Sometimes those designers come up with really innovative outfits! Of course, I play the armchair quarterback version of Project Runway and try to think of what I would make for any given challenge. Last week they had a tie-in with the new movie version of Cats that is coming out soon (yes, I am very excited to see it) and I had the winning design (in my head). I call my look Anabel Street Style.
The designers were tasked to come up with a new, street-style take on animal prints. There were some cute looks and this guy who did a mixed-print top combined with a really well-made half-skirt/half-shorts (it wasn’t really a skort because the skirt was only on one side) won. I spent the whole episode thinking about what I would make for this challenge. What would my innovative take on animal prints be? It would be a take on Anabel’s gorgeous markings. What could be more animal print than that?
My look would have a crisp, white shirt dress kind of thing with a ruffled collar front to mimic her lovely, fluffy white chest. The sleeves would have big, oversized ruffled cuffs too and near the wrist of the right sleeve, I would applique a little, black heart. Then over that there would be a grey and black vest/over dress type thing. I was thinking this would be really neat in a tweed or some other sort-of men’s wear suiting fabric to approximate her ticked-tabby coat. But I might get in trouble with Nina for not using actual animal print, so I would have to find a grey and black tiger stripe or something. The skirt of the vest dress would also have tons of volume and movement.
The coolest part of my look would be this leather shoulder-harness/holster/arm gauntlet thing. It would be just a strap over the left shoulder, but a shoulder/arm shield-type contraption would cover the right shoulder/upper arm and then the whole thing would come together in some sort of belt/corset-type thing. This piece might have some cool pockets and other features for the woman on the go. Like maybe there is a cellphone pocket in the shoulder gauntlet.
I would style it with white, high-top sneakers because a cat has got to be comfortable and ready for action after all.
And trust me, my imaginary look would have beaten all of them. Karlie Kloss would want to wear it, and it would spawn a whole trend of interpreting cat markings in fashion. Trust me folks, Anabel Street Style is how you take animal prints to the next level.
Unfortunately, my remedial sewing skills are not anywhere near able to execute my vision, leaving me with my mouth writing a big check that my ability can’t cash. So, cat-wear will have to stay in the land of make-believe for a while longer. But if anyone reading this has the mad sewing skills, I have the vision – let’s talk.