admin @ Fri, 2006-09-15 11:00
Drama Queen Style designer Danielle Orsino offers these tips on how the average gal can inject a little drama into her wardrobe - without going overboard.
Love Yves St. Laurent's Muse purse, but don't have an extra $1,300 lying around? Grab a bag in a similar shape and color. "If you like a trend, but can't afford it, don't think you can't still do it."
Skinny jeans are fashion's hottest item for fall, but Orsino says they won't flatter everyone. Not even her - and she's a size 4. "I'm a little heavier in the leg, and it's not a good look for me," she shrugs. "Have confidence in yourself, but know when to say no."
"She could run around in a corset. She could match silver and gold and have it still look good. She'd run around in knee-high boot stilettos, and never have a hair out of place."
The girl-power flair of Orsino's favorite superheroine is apparent at her online boutique, DramaQueenStyle.com. The site carries the Mount Kisco resident's own brand of flirty dresses, flashy jewelry and funky accessories, along with wardrobe staples like Spanx shapewear, Hue leggings and Sweeties tank tops.
Orsino's profile has skyrocketed in the past year, scoring mentions in Elle Girl (a $95 strapless, polka-dot frock was a favorite prom dress before the mag folded), Vibe (her rhinestone hoop earrings, $11, and bracelet, $247, were in a spring fashion spread) and Teen Vogue (a $39 utility-style tote bag was praised as an affordable alternative to Chloé's pricey purses).
Orsino sent Jennifer Elise Cox of Lifetime's "Lovespring International" to last month's Primetime Emmy Awards in a bright-blue, ruffled number adorned with peacock feathers. "Guiding Light" star Beth Chamberlin loved her coral silk-satin and black leather Emmy gown so much, she asked Orsino to make her wedding dress.
Even the Pussycat Dolls are fans. When choreographer Robin Antin spotted one of Orsino's friends in one of her signature Carly trench coats at a Las Vegas lounge, Antin had to have it for a Pussycat performance later that night.
Stylist Jorge Ramon — former fashion director for the now-defunct Teen People — recently showed teen singing sensation JoJo a hot-pink, mod-look dress with a diamanté collar from Orsino's latest collection. She "thought it was so cute," he says. "And her mom loved it."
Ramon says Orsino's Drama Queen Style label has appeal because the clothing is moderately priced and well-made, with a "celebutante feel" that helps "channel your inner Paris (Hilton)."
She hopped from job to job — working as a private investigator, bodyguard and personal trainer — but she was always sketching on the side.
With the encouragement of her financial analyst husband, Philip Delin, Orsino set up a cyberspace shop in 2001. She started small, selling items like homemade lip balms. Two years later, she threw a fashion show to generate interest in the Web site — and sent a few of her dresses down the runway.
She also showcased her Carly coat, named on a whim after a "General Hospital" character, Carly Corinthos. A few weeks later, she got a call from stylist J.R. Stewart from the "Soap Talk" cable talk show, who wanted to feature the $165 coat in a makeover segment.
Orsino became a regular guest on the show (which was canceled earlier this year) and her business immediately took off. Soap fans bombarded the Web site before the Carly coat was even available online.
"I've worked with designers where the piece is fantastic, but it doesn't move when I move," says Hutchison. "We all sacrifice for fashion, but it's much nicer if I don't have to."
"Just because something is trendy doesn't mean it's for you," she says. "So many times I want to grab women and say, 'Just because it's on the runway doesn't mean it's real-way.' "
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