TABITHA ANDELIN- A REVIEW
The TABITHA ANDELIN brand, is synonymous with Tabitha Andelin, the woman. The model tall designer with a fiery ginger mane, wearing one of her creations, spoke to me post-show. On the edge of a crowded runway, Tabitha gave me insight into her clothing and design process. Andelin, is a native Californian who studied fashion design in Minnesota.
As fashion brands emerged from the Covid-19 lockdown, Tabitha expressed how some positive can come from the negative. "I took advantage of the lockdown to close myself away in my studio and experiment. I wasn't as concerned with making clothing as developing my process and exploring my artistic expression."
Andelin's process, is inspired by fabric and the customer she is dressing. TABITHA ANDELIN is a sustainable fashion brand, and Andelin uses fabric she sources from "everywhere". A tagline from the brand's Instagram reads, " Fashioning clothes from any left behind materials I can get my hands on...". The question I now ask myself once you gather these materials, where do you go from there?
Where Tabitha goes is to create a brand that serves the discerning, savvy customer she caters to. The ANDELIN TABITHA customer is described as fashion-forward, driven by comfort and style; wanting unique, well structured clothing that fast fashion cannot supply.
The clothing that hits the runway is a Spring/Summer collection that is youthful, fun, and sexy. The first look is a red and white large-scale gingham print fashioned into a cropped top and short shorts. This whimsical look with cap sleeves and a row of buttons running down each side of the bodice incorporates fabric strings, a device that adds movement and bounce and recurs throughout the pieces. A standout look is a blue and white denim crop top and low-rise jeans with accentuated ruffles running down the side seams. The designer's background as a Californian beach girl and her studies in the mid-west give Tabitha an ability to blend these two perspectives, L.A. chic meets mid-west college girl.
