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Rodeo fashion designs in Vogue: Brush Prairie woman's creations featured in French magazineApr 22, 2009 (The Columbian - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Susan Rummel did not design the "Lil Miss Rodeo" ensemble with Claudia Schiffer in mind. The German supermodel doesn't fit anybody's definition of little miss anything. And Schiffer seems to have a pretty vague concept of rodeo apparel, since she buckled the leather chaps on backwards. Rummel's reaction? "We were pretty pumped," the Brush Prairie designer said. That's because Rummel's line of rodeo fashions got a major international showcase when the Paris edition of Vogue magazine featured five of her creations in a layout. The photo spread put Rummel and her design business -- Riding High USA -- among some pretty elevated company. "Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel: to be with those people," Rummel exclaimed. "We didn't get the cover, but to have a supermodel wearing our designs in a spread! Claudia Schiffer has been on 300 magazine covers." The other model wearing Rummel's clothing in the Vogue layout, Eva Herzigova, has been featured in three Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. Rummel got pretty good display by rodeo standards a few months ago when she outfitted Vancouver's Jessica Crouch for the 2009 Miss Rodeo America competition. Another Rummel design, a floor-length leather dress designed for Miss Rodeo America 2008 Amy Wilson, recently was loaned to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Rummel's creations also are getting spotlighted in some high-profile, invitation-only exhibits of Western wear. But Paris is a whole other breed of bucka-roux. "This shows there is an acceptance in the high fashion industry," said Scott Rummel, who does a lot of the leather work for his wife's designs. The magazine exposure has even led to discussion of another fashion line, Susan Rummel said. The label would feature non-Western styles, but retain her design flair. Rummel actually started out designing Western apparel for her daughter, Rachelle Sparacio. "I didn't like what was out there," Rummel said. "Now she's our top model for our limited-edition wear." The link between Riding High and high fashion was provided by an Iowa company that supplies leather for Rummel's shop. When Vogue went to work on a Western-themed layout, a staffer in the magazine's New York office contacted the leather company, which forwarded the Vogue representative to Rummel's shop in Brush Prairie. "They wanted chaps, and it kept getting better," Rummel said. Seamstresses Natalya Pilipchuk and Lisa Ransford, who lead her fabrication team, fired up their sewing machines. Oksana Koloyarskaya did the custom beadwork by hand. "We sent eight things to New York, and all eight were sent along to London for the photo shoot," she said. Five items made the Vogue layout: a champagne-and-flame leather pants suit; chaps, shirt and belt buckle in the "Lil Miss Rodeo" outfit; red-and-black-flame chaps; and two blouses. The Vogue layout wasn't the last time they came across Schiffer. The Rummels were watching the romantic comedy "Love Actually" on video recently and Schiffer, who had a part in the film, popped up on the screen. "It was just bizarre," Susan Rummel said. They'd just seen photos of Schiffer wearing their clothes. The Vogue models didn't wear all the clothing chosen for the layout, by the way. "They sent the pants back," Rummel said. "They didn't wear any." Tom Vogt: 360-735-4558 or [email protected]. To see more of The Columbian, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbian.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |