Etsy's Handmade Blog
Fashion Sense: Alison Kelly's Picks for Fall
Story by alisondahl
Published on September 15, 2009 in Spotlight 		Photo by

Elissa Raymond & Bravo TV

You may remember Alison "Dahl" Kelly from Season 3 of Bravo's hit television show (and perennial Storque favorite), Project Runway. Today the woman behind Dahl by Alison Kelly recounts her experiences as an up-and-coming designer, gives the dish behind Project Runway (and tips on getting your designs out there), and gives her expert take on this season's hot fashions. Alison will not disappoint!

I've always had an interest in clothing, seeing that my mother made matching outfits for my sister, me and our dolls when we were little. I made my own 25-minute outfits (literally: I'd rise 30 minutes before I had to leave for school and make something) throughout high school — primarily dresses that were tied shut by piercing holes with the scissors' tips into the fabric and lacing it onto my body, and countless elastic-waist hippie skirts à la Stevie Nicks.

It wasn't until my second year of college that I began to take a serious interest in fashion design. I had grown eager to learn how to drape and make proper patterns to obtain a custom fit. I moved to Florence, Italy, and enrolled in an intensive fashion program at the Lorenzo de'Medici Scuola d'Arte and became thoroughly immersed.

After college I began toting around my mini-collections of one-off dresses to shops in Los Angeles. I'd walk in wearing one of them, and as luck would have it, the shop girl would normally ask about it — so I kept about 10 more in the car to show them! Matrushka Construction on Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake was one of the first shops to pick up my first line, Run R1ot (the "1" symbolizing one-offs), on consignment.

I moved to New York city in the winter of 2006, feeling that it was time for a change of scenery. My sister came with, as she wanted to move back east from San Francisco. My plan was simple: to launch a new line. But how was I going to do that? I did not know.

My mother and sister urged me to try out for Project Runway; conveniently, auditions were taking place as we were apartment and job hunting. I hadn't had a television in my house since high school, and reality TV wasn't even a part of my vocabulary (nor my psyche) — it was a joke to me. However, I had noticed the rise of some of PR's past contestants, so I put my morals aside and auditioned with one goal: exposure for my line.

One thing led to another, and before long I was filming the show — which was like being in jail while being overworked, underfed and sleep deprived. I would literally wake up to boom mics leering over me with film crews next to my bed — does that sound conducive to creativity? However, I harbor no resentment; on the contrary, it was an interesting journey, to say the least, which has provided me with valuable experiences and brought a name to my line.


There are various methods to launch a clothing line and some organizations that speed up that process, like GenArt, Ecco Domani, CFDA and scholastic competitions. Most big-name designers today were working under various fashion houses before they were confident (and obtained the capital) to go off on their own. But today things are a bit different; I honestly believe one could launch a career online. If you have talent, something you're good at and you create a collection you love, you can definitely succeed online. For instance, you can build an Etsy shop without taking expensive risks, so there's very little to lose.

My Top Picks for Fall:


The Carly Dress by mydearthing, $118.


Slinky, edgy, refined not-so-basic basics with a twist — and most of her pieces are eco-friendly! The Carly dress is the perfect in-between-seasons piece for playing dress-up.

 

Two Piece Magenta Dress by janeyclothing, $75.
Gem colored clothing is what I dream of this autumn. Cute, realistic, wearable and photographed well, this magenta dress is lovely and would be great with lace leggings and a little black jacket — and a designer from Dublin is hard to come by!



kool.moedee military jacket by joodito, $160.


Anyone can wear a beat-up leather jacket and look cool, but I want more of a twist. The asymmetry of this jacket made from salvaged materials is what I find interesting — yet is still has clean tailored lines.



 oatmeal soopascarf by Yokoo, $150.


I went wild when I first saw Yokoo's knitwear. I very much dislike the shoulder pain knitting gives me, so I appreciate someone crazy enough to make these fantastic, sculptural pieces. I want them all in purples, oatmeal and black.



crocheted fingerless gloves by Catwalk7, $30.
These gloves are wonderful. I love anything to do with crochet and antique lace, and these gloves have just the right amount of elegance and quirk.



Luxe lace & sequence leggings by iheartnorwegianwood, $49.
I like all of these leggings, and this season you will see more fashionable legs in lace and decolletage than ever before.

 

Further Resources:
See More Fashion Posts on Etsy's Blog | More Posts About Project Runway
Tags alisondahl, Alison Dahl, Alison Kelly, autumn, Bravo, celebrity, Clothing, Dahl, Dahl by Alison Kelly, design, designers, dresses, entertainment, fall, fashion, jackets, knit, lace, leggings, Project Runway, shopping, Spotlight, style, television, trends, tv shows
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110 comments     Login to add your own!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. foamywader

Great choices!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. 28Crash

I'm in all kinds of love with that futuristic bodysuit.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. foamywader

Don't forget jewelry though ;)

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:27 p.m. blackbirdtees

Such great picks. I love all of the flirty leggings. Off to get me some.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:28 p.m. Ferociter

Love your work and your picks!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. pinkytoeclothing

love your pieces, thanks for the article!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. evihan

this is my styleeeeee

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:33 p.m. VintageinBohemia

ooh herringbone boots! Everything is better in tweed!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:34 p.m. Baghy

Gorgeous combination of materials and design. It's a pleasure to read such inspiring articles.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:42 p.m. beautifulbridget

so awesome!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. HibouCards

I love the pieces... I love Fall too because it always means new clothes somehow :)
So here we go, I'm going to look at all of these tonight and shop!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:46 p.m. SewnNatural

love it. i want the magenta dress.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:48 p.m. whatmedia

I absolutely LOOOOOOVE the featured designers. Looking forward to featuring them on my blog.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:49 p.m. M0SS

Alison was picked as my favorite from the start of season 3 of project runway. Very nice article with some killer fashion picks.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:54 p.m. VintageEye

So nice to hear from you! My all time least favorite
"auf" was your far too early exit from PR!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 1:54 p.m. crossstitchnerd

Awesome picks!! I enjoyed this!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:01 p.m. bylynnkrestel

love project runway!
love alison!
great pics and commentary!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:04 p.m. CositasSeriasVintage

She was definitely my favorite!!! Glad to see what she's up to!
Wonderful article.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. poppyswickedgarden

some lovely choices here! Fun article too!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. ModernMeetsWhimsy

great to get some more insight from Alison! AND I love these picks!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. knowingphotography

the crocheted fingerless gloves are harmonious. I love these picks! Thank you for sharing _ the fall should be very exciting! :)

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. Avistudio

Great style!!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. lovelygifts

Very nice selection. Love the crocheted gloves.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. LoveandDream

awesome!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. spacejam

awesomely great choices!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:11 p.m. bobnstitch

Love Alison!!!!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:18 p.m. Piruli

Faaaaabulous, love your selections Alison ! Great article.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. paramountvintage

i absolutely loved alison on project runway. her fall picks are great!!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. SewBeans

thanks for the article!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:28 p.m. emilybidwell

YAY Alison! I love these picks. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:33 p.m. blueberryshoes

sooo yummilicious

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:35 p.m. VixVintage

I love your style Alison!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. vivikas

great choices!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:43 p.m. olivebrown

great picks!
i have the dress by mydearthing, it's awesome!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:46 p.m. HelloVictory

You were my favorite on the show! I'm am so excited to see you on here! Great picks too :)

Sept. 15, 2009 at 2:48 p.m. Balanced

So thrilled to see Janeyclothing in there.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. BeadinBabe

Oh wow, I love that purple dress!!! Yikes! Beautiful choices!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:04 p.m. recycledwares

what unique designs. love all the shapes and textures.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:11 p.m. TheJoyofColor

Great outfits, very nice and smart selection of itmes

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:14 p.m. chainchainchained

very nice choices!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. Morado

SUper cool picks!!!
http://twitter.com/MoradoShop
http://www.facebook.com/MoradoShop

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. mythunderstood

You were one of my favorites!
Great picks and best wishes!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 3:55 p.m. artlab

very cool picks! and great to hear your story!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. ovgilliesdesigns

Gorgeous selection with so many wonderful items! Love Carly dress!

Thanks for the story & the best of luck!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. thinkoflaura

Sept. 15, 2009 at 4:15 p.m. steinschmuckdesign

Absolutely stylish Pics,
thanks so much for sharing!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. jenniferdarezzo

Great choices and very pretty! Love that plum dress!!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. Tias

Joodito is one of my favorite shops! I featured them on my blog and absolutely love their clothes, styling and photography. Great shop!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 4:39 p.m. ToadLillie

Thanks for sharing your inspiring story with us Alison! Edgy yet completely wearable choices. Love those lacy leggings!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. FrillyButts

Awesome! I love the fingerless gloves!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:23 p.m. danielabesso

Great article !!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:26 p.m. voleurdebijoux

Fabulous! lovelove!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:27 p.m. girltuesdayjewelry

Love these picks! I am fond of Yokoo's creations as well!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. breadandroses

Lots of great picks!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. KalliopeJewelry

Love the textural and clean lines of your picks!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:35 p.m. Vintage50sEyewear

Gorgeous!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. thelovelythings

ah! this made me so happy. alison was my favorite season three contestant.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 6:18 p.m. mydearthing

Thanks for including my Carly Dress in such good company for fall. Great article with fantastic picks! Oh Alison, you have been inspiring me since waaaay back when. I am so happy to see you here on Etsy and your shop looks amazing! Keep it up!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 6:21 p.m. OwlandMouse

I always thought alison was sooo cute!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 6:31 p.m. helenaemmans

love the crocheted gloves, very cool.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 6:40 p.m. SmallEarthVintage

It's lovely to hear from Alison, whose work and personal style I loved viewing on Project Runway. These are fun choices for fall.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 6:41 p.m. CarlaTinn

Find Quality Salvia Divinorum

Sept. 15, 2009 at 7:49 p.m. eclettica

Fantabulous picks!!

I adore the works of Yokoo, Joodito and IheartNorwegianWood, love 'em love 'em love 'em!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 8:14 p.m. beachhouseblues

Very interesting picks!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 8:18 p.m. thebestvintage

The knitwear is FABULOUS!!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 9:10 p.m. topsyturvydesign

allison! you are such an it girl! wonderful to see you on etsy.

Sept. 15, 2009 at 11:21 p.m. MyMoms

Definitely different and unique. Thanks for sharing!

Sept. 15, 2009 at 11:44 p.m. Tina669

Love Alison!!!!!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 12:16 a.m. FreshEra

♥'ed you on Runway. Own your season on DVD. ♥ it. ♥ your work. ♥ your picks here. Viva Alison!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 2:12 a.m. KateEmersonDesigns

Inspiring...

Sept. 16, 2009 at 6:01 a.m. Maykela

lovely selected items,great picks!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 7:51 a.m. TanyaMac

Wonderful picks! I LOVE JaneyClothing ;)*

Sept. 16, 2009 at 9:22 a.m. cassidycay

I love fall. It is so relaxed and breezy and the colors are so warm and inviting! Great choices!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 10:09 a.m. StitchnStudio

Whats new in purses/bags?

Sept. 16, 2009 at 10:09 a.m. StitchnStudio

Fabulous selections.

Sept. 16, 2009 at 10:13 a.m. Amievoltaire

The fingerless gloves do it for me!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. alisondahl

wow etsy readers are fantastic, thank you for the nice words;)

Sept. 16, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. bythewayside

Those luxe lace leggings are gorgeous!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. norakaren

this is my kind of feature,being a PR lover I can't just be more than excited about this articl.Finally some real fashion!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 11:29 a.m. janeyclothing

Lovely article, I love those crochet gloves. I loved you on Project Runway too, and I'm so thrilled you chose my magenta dress for fall. Thanks so much!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 11:37 a.m. missbatch

Beautiful work and selections, thanks for sharing!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 11:55 a.m. saintesmariesjewelry

the leggings are awesome!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. MeghanT

I love that two piece magenta dress. It's very me and I'm going to go check it out right now! Thanks for highlighting some awesome new designers and their fall collections. :)

Sept. 16, 2009 at 12:38 p.m. revelry

I LOVE the colors in this collection. Really like the colors that are being used for this fall.

Sept. 16, 2009 at 12:44 p.m. swakdesigns

Awesome selection of pieces!!! love your choices

Sept. 16, 2009 at 12:48 p.m. edor

lovely drapes and knits!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. sweetsmilesbaby

I was attending the SF campus of FIDM when you were on PR. We were all outraged when you were eliminated! Love your clothes! Love your fall fashion picks!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. posiesforlulu

I love you! Thanks for the cool article! :)

Sept. 16, 2009 at 3:55 p.m. SimplySassySupplies

I am always amazed at the talet and artist I see here on Etsy..these are fabulous selections.

Sept. 16, 2009 at 4:08 p.m. patkas

Great style,love it all and so great colors

Sept. 16, 2009 at 4:24 p.m. ABoxForMyTreasure

Gorgeous choices - I want all of those items!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 4:53 p.m. mascarajones

Great selections!!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 7:02 p.m. friedasophie

Love the magenta t-shirt, so pretty

Sept. 16, 2009 at 7:24 p.m. bhangtiez

Great finds! Love the jacket!

Sept. 16, 2009 at 8:15 p.m. MeadowbelleMarket

lovely artful pieces that really make a statement! The practicality of items such as the knit fingerless gloves and cowl is a huge plus.

Sept. 16, 2009 at 9:38 p.m. dayslonggone

Great article! Love your choices!

Sept. 17, 2009 at 3:35 a.m. TheShabbyPinkCottage

Now that is a scarf!

Sept. 17, 2009 at 4:37 a.m. SlimHands

gorgeous!!!

Sept. 17, 2009 at 7:39 a.m. lavenders

great choices!!

Sept. 17, 2009 at 10:36 a.m. worksandfinds

Nice. Thank you.

Sept. 17, 2009 at 11:05 a.m. iheartnorwegianwood

Having one of my items picked by a fellow designer is the ultimate compliment, thanks so much for including my leggings!

Sept. 17, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. suzannekagan

love the look! Great job everyone!

Sept. 18, 2009 at 2:44 a.m. Stompz

Show us some over 40 size 16/18 women

Sept. 18, 2009 at 7:09 a.m. chocolatecreative

LOVE this selection!! I already made some my favorites!!

Sept. 18, 2009 at 2:19 p.m. theninestories

How beautiful!

Sept. 18, 2009 at 6:53 p.m. clodaghmolloy

Go janeyclothing. Come on you dubs!!!! So proud!

Sept. 21, 2009 at 9:29 p.m. Lolavintage

I've had that Avant Garde coat hearted for so long, so cool. Nice picks!

Sept. 23, 2009 at 9:31 p.m. SweetOliveBlossom

I love the mix of textures...

Oct. 7, 2009 at 2:12 p.m. Nikifashion

COOL!

Oct. 8, 2009 at 6:05 a.m. lauratoal

Love the fingerless gloves! Please check out my shop for new autumn/winter items coming soon.

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