Uniqua Hardy

When costume design instructor Ann Chandler isn’t teaching, she brings fashion to life through her label “By Ann Collections.”

She uses her label as a creative outlet, but you won’t find her clothes on the racks of any boutiques. Instead, she designs exclusively with fashion shows in mind.

Her newest collection called “Cosmic Cowgirls” will go down the runway Dec. 18 at the Marlene Yu Museum along with this season’s trendy looks from Ciao Bella Boutique on Pierremont Road. The show is inspired by Western fashion and “Star Wars,” which might sound a little bizarre at first, but Chandler has pulled the two together in such a fascinating and imaginative way, that you’ll be quickly lured in.

Cosmic Cowgirls got its start last summer after Chandler began developing her new collection by combining inspirations from two of her favorite film genres: science fiction and old black-and-white Westerns. “My interest in cowgirl fashion stems from growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, watching Westerns and Western-themed network shows. I also have always been interested in science fiction,” she said.

Some of her favorite films include “Bonanza,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.”

“These two ideas merged last year when I heard about the new ‘Star Wars’ movie premier. I decided to take cowgirls to space,” she said.

The storyline is based around a group of Western geologists, who in search of metals and minerals, travel to a planet in space called “Ponderosa.” Their spaceship is called the “Ranch,” and the mission’s quest is “to try and replenish resources that are becoming extinct on earth.” All of the elements of the story will come alive during the show through the atmosphere, fashion and makeup, which has been planned in collaboration with Ntornette Robinson, campus manager at Regency Beauty Institute.

Consisting of two separate sets, casual designs accessorized with boots from Youree Drive’s Boot Barn will kick off the show. This reflects the cowgirls landing in space, and as the storyline unfolds, the second set will feature formal looks that incorporate current beauty trends with metallic, gemstone and mineralcolored costume makeup. Chandler has also planned an exciting grand finale, which remains a secret until the event.

Though Chandler’s educational background is in home economics, she’s been teaching design at Caddo Career & Technology Center for 12 years. She started as fashion design instructor. “While I was teaching design,” she said. “We opened up a new class, fashion styling and makeup art, to train students for work in the film industry. When the teacher moved, I took her position and added costume design to the curriculum.”

Since the first silent films, movies have relied on wardrobe as a visual storyteller, which means the process of designing costumes doesn’t revolve around trends and cute looks alone. Chandler teaches her students to capture and communicate a mixture of storytelling elements in their designs, including moods, eras, cultures, environments and traditions.

Chandler’s expertise is seen clearly in By Ann Collections, and she said while teaching her students, she continuously learns and gets inspired herself. “I have a minor in history so the research involved in developing the units is the most interesting part. I’m able to teach the way clothing developed from ancient cultures to modern day. I also love teaching the many embellishing techniques that we use to decorate garments. Embroidery, sequin and bead application, applique, weaving, crocheting, and patchwork add an extra dimension to the costume design process,” she adds.

Chandler designed pieces for the Agora Borealis Mardi Gras Fashion Show last year, but Cosmic Cowgirls is the first fashion show that is all her. She said that after she developed the storyline, collection and vision, she experienced a few bumps in the road with finding the right venue and collaborators. However, it came together like a match made in the stars – her designs look divine and fit perfectly against the abstract natureinspired works by Marlene Tseng Yu.

“I have been very fortunate to connect to people that are willing to take a chance on this style of performance art,” she said.

In addition to launching the collection, the show is a celebration of the anniversary of The Rainforest Foundation’s Marlene Yu Museum. Tickets costs $10 per person and may be purchased online here or at Ciao Bella located at 855 Pierremont Road, Suite 148, Shreveport.