By A. Scott Walton
Atlanta, GA _ AnnakaMarie, the made-to-measure clothing line for career women of discerning tastes, debuted to great acclaim Wednesday at the Commerce Club.
After staging their runway presentation of spring/summer styles, the label’s co-creators – Regina Mixon Bates and Cleah Murray – received a standing ovation from the 200 guests gathered.
One attendee – “Real Housewives of Atlanta” scene-stealer Dwight Eubanks – summed up the AnnakaMarie collection as “an overall look that’s crisp and precise.”“You saw ‘pretty’ combined with ‘power’,” Eubanks added. “There’s definitely a market for that.”
Distinctive features of the AnnakaMarie styles previewed included: blouses with impeccably pleated sleeves, jeweled French cuffs and elongated collars; pants with waistlines as high as the models’ navels and flared cuffs at least two inches deep; and whimsical variations on vested suit silhouettes.
Anchoring the collection was a seersucker suit with short pants, “power” padded shoulders and a brushed gold gladiator belt. All the outfits were accessorized dramatically with custom jewelry Atlanta-based crafter Cerese Dolman.After the show, local fashion stylist Juliette Johnson observed enthusiastically: “AnnakaMarie speaks to the female executive who’s looking to rise above the rest. Granted, she needs a strong personal sense of style to wear it. But that’s what power-dressing is all about.”
Prices for AnnakaMarie’s made-to-measure apparel ranges from $150-$450 and most garments are made from fabrics selected by Bates (a former model) and Murray (a couture bridal designer) on their semi-annual trips to China.
“I approached this collection with the thought, ‘What would Giorgio Armani do?’,” said Murray. “I wanted the look to be feminine, but strongly infused with masculinity.”
Added Bates: “To me, it’s all about the finest quality and timeless elegance. A business woman needs clothes that transition from the boardroom to the ballroom. And I think this collection captures that.”
To learn more about AnnakaMarie, or to schedule a fitting: call 888-660-6672, visit www.annakamarie.com, or e-mail Style@annakamarie.com.
To view exclusive images by JimiFlix Photography, visit: http://www.facebook.com/AnnakaMarie
(Photographed below: AnnakaMarie co-creaters Cleah Murray and Regina Mixon Bates)
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