Apparel | Thursday, April 02, 2009

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MEET THE DESIGNER: Andrew Dyrdahl

By Greg Wang

SEATTLE—“My driving force seems to be contrasts: hard/soft, textured/smooth, unique/ordinary, recycled/new, and historic/futuristic. I love the juxtaposition of it all,” says Seattle-area native Andrew Drydahl, who took home the prize for “Best in Knits/Design” at Supima’s 2009 Competition for Emerging Designers.

Those trademark contrasts played a part in both of Andrew’s entries: a flowing, trained jersey gown paired with a complexly constructed corset and a bustled ballskirt paired with a jersey top. But Andrew really cinched the win by pushing a lightweight, skin-friendly Supima knit by Shanghai Tiquiao to its extreme in a design that managed to simultaneously play up both the strength and softness of Supima cotton.

“I dyed the fabric that I used for my designs: both the denim [by Central Fabrics] and two different colors of jersey [Tuscarora, Shanghai Tiquiao]. The fabric took the dye beautifully and maintained its softness. The fabrics are easy to work with and will be comfortable to wear. The jersey is so soft that it is hard to stop touching it.

“The nature of the knit fabric allowed me to create a unique evening gown that exudes softness, warmth and comfort. The knit construction also allowed me to utilize a beautiful rolled edge as a trim detail for an interesting ‘deconstructed’ look.

“The extreme softness of the knit jersey made it the perfect choice for my knit gown design. I needed a thin knit fabric that was strong enough to support the weight of the full skirt and train while being soft and comfortable for the wearer. This jersey fabric also has a beautiful drape that allowed me to create a gown with a uniquely draped skirt finished with a ‘dove tail’ train.”

Now 40 years old, Andrew first learned his sewing skills from his family: His grandmother taught machine sewing when he was still a child; his mother eventually taught him hand-stitching techniques, fiber arts, and relatively arcane needlework techniques such as lacemaking by tatting. Andrew then received his professional training at Seattle Pacific University and The Fashion Institute of Technology where he graduated Summa cum Laude.

Over the last 15 years, Andrew has also worked his way up in the corporate design world by designing sportswear products for companies such as Unionbay, Shah Safari, Nordstrom, and Tommy Bahama. Most recently, he spent five years as a Design Director at Tommy Bahama directing their denim line and their luxury product division.

Currently he is best known for creating couture bridal gowns and eveningwear. In addition to winning the cover of the Seattle Times’ “Scene” section and coverage in Seattle Weekly, his work has been featured in Seattle Bride, Seattle Magazine, Launch Pad, 303, Inspire and several other magazines and fashion web sites.

Andrew has also become a master in the art of corsetry: Developing his techniques through countless hours of research and experimental pattern-making and construction.

Drawing upon 18th- and 19th-century silhouettes, each of his corsets is built from at least three (or as many as five) layers, a firm waist tape, and 30 to 50 steel stays. He particularly prides himself on using beautiful fabric and finishing each corset with the quality of hand-stitching that makes a piece truly couture.

Explaining how that featured in his winning Supima runway entry, he says: “In the creation of a corset, fabric strength is very important as a great deal of stress is put on the fabric and seams. Because of the strength of Supima cotton, I was confident that the fabric would easily withstand the process of tight lacing and would be a perfect choice for my corset design.”

Contact him at HouseofDrydahl.com.