Fashion Designer Rebekah Adams Draws on Deployment Experience

military fashion
A vintage parachute was creatively repurposed for this flowing dress.
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By Cara Bertozzi

creative officeLife inspires art, and passion stokes the fires of creative genius. When Rebekah Adams of Rebekah Adams Design (RAD) was selected for the Bellevue Collection’s Independent Designer Runway Show (IDRS), she had just arrived from the east coast with her husband. He deployed shortly thereafter, and the challenge of preparing for two shows, Vancouver Fashion Week and IDRS, was just the ticket to staying busy and fulfilled for the duration of their separation.

A framed photograph of billowing Army parachutes transporting heavy tanks like feathers high above the earth provided a mix of contrasts and a dramatic landscape that captured Rebekah’s eye and reminded her of her husband. She purchased a vintage parachute on eBay and began sketching ways to incorporate the material and the Airborne spirit into her designs.

military clothing
Hand-drawn parachutes float on silky grey and blue tops.

Rebekah silk-screened a hand-drawn ethereal outline of the chutes onto some of her pieces. The clothes progress from muted greys and blues with fitted structured silhouettes to the collection’s turning point, a cobalt blue dress with bilateral exposed zippers that can be used to convert the dress into a chic maternity piece. This dress represents the breathless moment of standing at the door of a perfectly good plane at high altitude and choosing to lean out and abandon yourself into the jet stream. Perspective changes as all the senses heighten, and the blues of the expansive sky intensify in the chaos of the initial free fall.

The collection shifts at this point into green and brown tones representing the tumble toward earth. Huge swatches of parachute material and rigging comprise high-drama flowing dresses. Texture plays a starring role in the looks as well, with a range of fabrics from pleather, polyester georgette, and nylon to faux polyester snakeskin, chiffon, and vintage wool.

When Rebekah moved from North Carolina, she was fortunate to be joined by two friends whose husbands were also reassigned to the same unit. The three ladies all share a Midwest connection as well and pitched in on Rebekah’s senior project during their time in NC. They were thrilled for another chance to work together professionally with Rebekah’s selection for the fashion show.

military fashion
Mandy models a transitional maternity dress that can accommodate a growing belly.

Amanda Guydan has expertise in a fascinating range of fields. She has degrees in chemistry and law and has worked as a forensic scientist, but she also has an affinity for planning and directing promotional events. Amanda is the event planner for RAD, coordinating the crew of models and looks in hectic performance environments with aplomb; she is also the official collection photographer, and her discriminating eye for detail helps to differentiate and showcase the products. Her latest venture is as a small business owner of the Lacey-based company Amanda Guydan Photography, which specializes in wedding, event, and portrait photography.

Mandy Rose works in Marketing and Public Relations and brings those skills to bear at RAD. She loves capitalizing on the opportunities that social media creates for sharing content and images. She is also sometimes a model and can be seen bringing Rebekah’s designs to life in Amanda’s photographs.

These remarkable women agreed to let me join them on a blustery day at McChord Airfield’s Heritage Hill fleet, an outdoor collection of the McChord Air Museum. They were conducting a fashion shoot, my first, with the well-preserved retired planes that grace the park. The grounded planes seem to come to life as the wind plays with the copious fabrics of the parachute dresses and Mandy walks in the clothing to demonstrate its movement. The shots are amazing. Everyone is practically giddy.

military fashion
Rebekah (left) directs Mandy (not shown) while Amanda (right) clicks away, capturing the designs in motion.

Rebekah is thrilled with the reception of her clothing in the greater Puget Sound community. She now has designs for sale at Sassafras Boutique, a purveyor of locally made clothing, where her first sample sale is upcoming on Saturday, December 13 from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 14 from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.. She is also busy preparing her Fall/Winter 2015 collection for Seattle Fashion Week 2015, which runs March 4 – 8. The concept is still coming together, but printed fabrics in rich colors are in order. What started as a creative way to repurpose hand-me-down clothing from her older siblings (Rebekah is the sixth of nine children) has turned into a legitimate business gaining traction in the fashion world.

As with many pursuits, Rebekah views her designs as an extension of herself. In addition to creating beautiful yet practical designs, she wants to be intentional in the way she interacts with the world. Textiles can be obtained through fair trade and responsibly sourced without compromising on quality. At RAD, it is important to consider all of the stakeholders that contribute to the final product.

By the end of the photo shoot, Mandy is shivering, Amanda has her photo editing work cut out for her, and Rebekah has to transport the now-hangered looks to their next engagement. But they accomplished what they came to achieve. For these friends, it’s all in an honest day’s work, for which they are paid in clothes.

 

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