DESIGNERS IN THE TF WORLD

** Just to name a few...**

Black Lotus Clothing, Est. 2002

“Fashion takes you out of reality, it is the art of being beautiful. Costumes
are as far as you can go with that. A costume takes over your
personality.” -Christina Molcillo, founder

Black Lotus Clothing takes the principles of fashion to their extremes,

blurring the lines between costuming, collage and sculpture. It’s not about
simply tailoring a dress. It’s about taking that dress apart, layer by layer,
until its inner truth is revealed. Sourcing materials. Building textures.
Developing new techniques for finishing… It’s about discovery. Black Lotus
Clothing ranges from haute couture to up-cycled ready-to-wear, often
pulling from color palettes and shapes found in nature. Each is an original
work of art.

The company grew out of the Bay Area belly dance community and
quickly became a trendsetter, providing performance gear to top

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dancers. As founder Christina Molcillo’s vision evolved, she transitioned out
of dancewear and refined the deconstructed and embellished look she is
known for today. She began to apply her methods to set construction as
well, working with a team to create visual fantasias for festivals and studios
alike.

At Black Lotus Clothing, each creation is designed following a rigorous

process:
1. Concept –– choose a theme for the piece
2. Research –– develop a library of images around the theme
3. Source –– materials are cultivated, found in thrift stores, on walks in
forests, or in Christina’s huge personal collection
4. Lay foundation –– construct a base or a form to build on
5. Modify –– the behavior of materials dictate the process, often altering
the original concept

Black Lotus Clothing is loved by performers, musicians, models,

photographers, and anyone who desires not only to style herself, but to
transform. Every finished piece has its own unique personality. When you
wear Black Lotus Clothing, you become part of the art.

Medina Maitreya
Medina Maitreya fell in love with costume design at a very young age.
Raised in the teeming jungles of the Hawaiian Islands, she began dressing
her dolls in flower petals, leaves and moss. She’s been a professional
makeup artist (with a diploma from The Makeup Designory in Special
Effects and Creature Creation), a successful hairstylist, and after spending
time in the design program at FIDM, enjoyed a three-year stint designing
for Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, creating countless costumes for their
touring shows.
After a relocation to the bay area, she furthered her fashion design
education at CCSF. She’s costumed a myriad of world-renowned dancers
and performers, including Ariellah, Kami Liddle, Zoe Jakes, The Belly
Dance Super Stars, Colleena Shakti, Jill Parker, March Fourth Marching
Band, and many more.
She currently resides in a seaside castle with her husband and two cats
where she creates her one-of-a-kind costumes and works towards her
Masters Degree in Art History.

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Rose Harden
I love the challenge of creating custom pieces! Expressing the music, the
theatrical vision, enhancing the choreography...
i'd love to work on something for you, just send me an email and let's see
what we can come up with!
I use the same singer sewing machine my mom learned to sew on.

Dark Fusion Boutique

Welcome to Dark Fusion Boutique- clothing & accessories designed by
Lucretia*Renee Rathmann located in Portland, Oregon. Lucretia*Renee’s
clothing design style was initially inspired by her many years of performing
in Serpentine Bellydance and other theatrical firedance and bellydance
productions. Since 2001, she has been researching and developing
costumes that are striking, accentuate dance movements, and durable
enough for repeated use on and off stage. Her clothing design style has
become an elegant yet edgy fusion of fusion bellydance, goth,
burlesque, circus, vaudeville, and steampunk. What makes her clothing
unique is her form-fitting and sexy placement of seams, layered fabrics
and textures, and her feminine twist on the fetish aesthetic inspired by the
art of dance and the Goddess. Expect to find superior craftsmanship
inside and out. Thank you for stopping by and supporting all things hand
made! www.facebook.com/darkfusionboutique ITEMS SELL FAST! If you no
longer see an item, it probably sold on Etsy or it was a private sale. I *try*
to keep all items available, it depends on availability of fabric and... time.
It's just me and one or two of my assistants in the studio making the
clothing. :)

Melodia Designs
Can Money Buy You Love? Why I Pay for 'Made in the USA' ★

Being an entrepreneur in the clothing manufacturing industry in San

Diego, CA, USA has been an eye-opening experience. After getting a first
hand insider’s view of the fashion industry, I’ve decided to share how my
products are made, from fabric production to cutting and sewing. My

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designs are made primarily of eco-sourced materials and natural fibers
such as modal, bamboo, and organic cotton.

Sometimes I utilize remnant rolls of fabric found on closeout. This allows me to

add a splash of color and novelty to my collection while reducing the potential for
carbon imprint. Even though some of said materials many not be considered eco-
friendly in the traditional sense, I consider the use of salvaged materials to be an
eco-minded practice.
All of my production is cut and sewn in small batches. I personally source
materials, deliver fabric to the cutter, deliver the cuts to the sewing contractor,
and finally, I unload my bounty to my home office/workshop.
Some of the contractors I’ve worked with long enough to have held their new
grandchildren, so it’s not uncommon for me to greet my production friends with a
smile and a hug. Having such an intimate relationship with my contractors has
developed a great appreciation in me for their hard work. They show pride in the

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quality of their craft and work long hours to meet deadlines and provide for their
families.
Running production in San Diego is my choice, because not only do I value these
relationships, local production allows me a personal hand in quality control, which
ultimately has an impact on the outcome of each piece. There is, however, a
price to produce in my home town. The cost of living in the U.S., particularly in
Southern California, is especially high. In order for my contractors to afford the
costs of insurance and benefits, their labor costs must be many times higher than
those of the apparel companies operating from foreign countries. There are also
labor laws in the U.S. that protect human rights. Implementation of the laws to
insure worker rights, such as paid breaks and overtime wages, results in higher
manufacturing costs. I am very grateful my contractors take care of their staff, for
if not for them, none of us could enjoy my creative visions actualized.

I am shocked and saddened when I see cheap, disposable clothing sold for $10.
I know first hand what it costs to buy fabric that is responsibly milled and to pay a
fair price for sewing. Basic math proves that selling “cheap” can only afford the
use of toxic materials assembled by slave laborers ….and unfortunately, that is
exactly what is happening in much overseas manufacturing. I cringe in disbelief
at such a claim, but after participating in a survey that quantifies “how many
slaves do you own,” based on your purchasing habits, the results were evident.

Kathleen Crowley

California born and raised, I started my career in the fashion industry at

the tender age of 5 by designing fairy dresses for my paper dolls. This and
the diverse and eclectic influence of the San Francisco Bay Area in the
60's and the 70's led me to a passion for dressing up and making costumes
and unique clothing for myself and my friends. Creating well made,
beautiful, fun and sometimes funky clothing and costuming has become
my art - my living - my driving force.

My interests in Fashion, Couture, Wicca, Spirituality, Herbology, History,

Anthropology, Fairy Tales and Myths, Music and Art, Dance, Folkwear, and
Empires of the Past, have created who I am and lead me to where I am
going.

Not to mention the fact that my ancestors were tapestry makers, feudal
landlords, warriors, cowboys, pioneers, poets, and magicians.......I was
doomed to a life of drama, lofty imagination, and creative living.

I was bitten by the tribal belly dance bug about 15 years ago and was
smitten by the grace and elegance of American Tribal Style as taught by

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Carolena Nerricio. I have costumed Carolena, FatChanceBellyDance,
Rachel Brice, Samantha Hasthorpe of the Belly Dance Super Stars, Wendy
Marlatt, just to name a few. Hundreds of dancers from around the world
are now gracing the stage in my dancewear. I understand a dancers'
needs. I know how to make an entertainer stand visually above the rest. I
know how to make anyone look better in their garments. Custom fit is my
forte. My aesthetic is unique. My creations are fun. They transform.