THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412010203
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Wanchese designer Barbara Epperley says she's got angels all around her. Good things are happening.
Epperley, 46, known as B.E. in the fashion world, has just had her first show featuring jackets and vests. It was a smash hit - standing room only at Sam & Omie's restaurant in Nags Head.
``I was overwhelmed by the bigness of it,'' she said.
So was the audience, who enthusiastically applauded her work and the work of several other designers.
Epperley's clothing is environmentally friendly. She takes second-hand men's vests and jackets and embellishes them for women.
``Waste and litter were always irritating to me,'' she said. ``One day I just thought, 'I think I'll recycle clothes.' I'm keeping them out of the landfill a couple of more years, I guess.''
The clothing is literally turned inside-out to expose its ``silver lining.'' Epperley finds the piping in the fastidiously tailored men's clothing fascinating, the linings rich. They become her canvas.
Her finished work exudes a passion for texture and color and unveils her inherent sense of design. The original designer's emblem remains as part of the new work.
Why men's wear? Epperley says it is generally made better than women's, and not worn as frequently. The coats and vests are more readily available and in better shape as a result. She has each article dry cleaned before reworking it.
Epperley hunts for clothing and cloth in thrift stores and fabric shops, where she also searches for buttons, old jewelry, carpet fringe and drapery tassels. Anything, really, that attracts her. These items become her palette.
She also hand-paints patterns - geometric shapes, plaids, fish or whatever the work calls for. The placement of unusual antique buttons, sometimes appearing solo, defies the usual symmetry evident in much apparel.
Fabric speaks to her. She swears she can tell you within three minutes what any one piece of cloth should be used for.
``I've got some antique cloth that's to die for,'' she said. And lace, especially black, is Epperley's idea of heaven.
Epperley also creates clothing for children. Small denim jackets sport vertical fringe strips and flannel panels. One jacket features plastic primary color numbers - the magnetic type that go on the fridge - across the shoulders, front and back.
As a child, Epperley showed design awareness. She can remember shopping for clothing when she was 6 years old and thinking: That's nice, but the buttons aren't right, or the pocket is in the wrong place.
While Epperley is turning jackets and the fashion world inside-out, she keeps her eye on the future, which includes a luncheon/fashion show featuring her 1994 line at the Dock of the Bay Cafe in Manteo Dec. 10.
Epperley also plans on renting a professional machine to help her design clothes from scratch.
``Next year's show is going to be different - new clothes, different themes.'' Recycled creations will also be included.
Epperley notes that each of her creations is one-of-a-kind. She does not repeat or take special orders, because then it becomes work, not art. Although each piece takes a lot of time to make, Epperley says the process of individual attention and expression suits her.
Epperley knows that fashions come and go. She's been observing the ebb and flow for decades. She's watched the 1930s and '40s fashion trends influence the clothes of the '70s. The '50s styles showed up in the '80s, and now the '60s are making a comeback in current fashion circles with baby-doll dresses and platform shoes.
Friends have asked her what she will do when vests and jackets go out of style.
``That part doesn't scare me,'' she said. ``I've always known what to do about three years ahead. I'll move on to something else when the time is right.''
Besides, one would be hard pressed to pin down the B.E. line era.
``It's a whole new time in the world,'' Epperly said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Black lace is designer Barbara Epperley's idea of heaven. She uses
it to turn second-hand men's vests and jackets into women's
fashions.
by CNB