Buf Reynolds is a true Omaha Fashion Week veteran! She has participated since the very beginning (ten years!!) and we are so excited to see her latest creations as she continues to make work that is genuine and that she loves.
How did you get into fashion? Tell me a little about your background.
I needed a homecoming dress when I was 15 and my mother helped me make one. After that I started tinkering on the sewing machine.
Sneak peek of the SS18 collection
Describe your brand and the point of view you wish to convey. What category does your brand fall under?
My brand probably seems a bit all over the place. I have done plenty of custom work but am trying to get away from that and focus on my own designs. I generally say I fall into evening wear or ready to wear.
What are your personal goals or goals for your brand?
My personal goal is to continue making the things that I feel are genuine to me. I want to create things that I love and care about and if people like it, wonderful. My goal is to create. I do it because I love it.
Texture created through shredding fabric
Describe your favorite project or projects that you have worked on.
I really loved creating my own show with an original set and then presenting my looks in that space. It was such a unique and intimate experience. Overall, I genuinely love Omaha Fashion Week and the platform it provides to designers. I appreciate how much love and effort goes into every aspect of every show.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I tend to find inspiration all over. I am surrounded by amazing humans every day. I have worked with antiques and vintage goods and I work around artists every day. All of these play a part in my process.
Describe some of the specific inspiration for your new collection.
My upcoming collection was inspired by accident. I wasn't feeling anything and hadn't planned on making a collection at all. Then I happened to find a photo by an artist who shoots parts of corpses that have been cleaned and well lit. It was a really beautiful series and I loved the textures and colors. I did some digging and found many more photos of corpses in various states of decomposition and they inspired this collection.
Sneak peek of fabric from the SS18 collection
What kind of materials do you use and why?
I use a ton of spandex. It sounds off-putting as evening wear, but the drape and flow of the material is really beautiful and unexpected.
What kind of special processes do you use and what effect does it have on your work?
For this collection, I am using some fabric manipulation techniques that I have not used before. I am taking a blowtorch to some pieces and creating a veined effect. I am doing a lot of hand sewing and gathering, wrapping, shredding, and layering to create various textures and visual interest.
A sneak peek of some fabric manipulation being used on the SS18 collection
Is this a new approach of you or is it consistent throughout your work?
I have used these fabrics for a while, but some of the techniques are new for sure. I have never taken a blowtorch to a dress. I have shredded fabrics and manipulated them, but never burned the crap out of them.
In addition to her work as a designer and on the OFW team, Buf is a fashion arts mentor for Joslyn Art Museum’s Kent Bellows Mentoring Program and many of her teen mentees will also be showing collections on the runway this season! Learn more about Buf by visiting her website and following along on Instagram and Twitter.