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As a child growing up in Birmingham, Ala., Andrea Lake wasn’t like the other kids. She was always interested in arts, crafts and weddings instead of playing sports with her peers. When she got to be a little older, her grandmother taught her how to make quilts by hand and the two would spend hours sewing together. Depsite her love for creating handmade pieces, when Lake first attended college she chose a traditional school. It wasn’t long before she realized how much she missed working with her hands.
Lake made the decision to transfer to SCAD and study fashion. The change paid off. Shortly after graduating with a B.F.A. in fashion design, her work was featured in “Emerging Fashion Designers I” by Sally Congdon-Martin, a Schiffer Books publication. Today, she simply goes by “Lake” and designs evening wear for her company, ALAKE.
On Feb. 5, Lake hosted a fashion show for her fall/winter 2011-12 collection at 7 Middle in Atlantic Station. The collection was full of variety. Some gowns were floor-length while others were short cocktail dresses. Lake had a dress to please every style. The combination of flowy material with choppy, geometric shapes created eye-catching contrast for the viewers. Lake’s collection fit together nicely, and she featured several ready-to-wear items. The dark color palette complemented the subtle hints of bright pops, which gave each piece a fresh, elegant touch.
“My design style is very sophisticated,” Lake said. “Evening wear is my forte and I try to incorporate something different into each collection.”
Lake would love to design for royalty one day — her dream client is reminiscent of figures like Princess Grace of Monaco and Princess Diana. Both women were “legendary” and Lake hopes to create a gown for someone just as influential one day.
“I enjoy seeing the fabric take shape,” Lake said. “To see a plain piece of fabric go from the bolt, to being manipulated, to the final garment is a beautiful thing.”
