Halifax: Musicians take the stage at Off the Cuff, Week 4

Posted August 4th, 2009 | 11:21 am | By Nadine LaRoche |

Challenged to dress a local musician for the stage, the four remaining Off the Cuff competitors were back with new work on on August 2. Heather Rappard dressed her musician, a harpist, in a floor-length midnight blue gown–but was again warned by judges to step up her technical game.  Bree Mackin, paired with Mary Stewart, dressed the guitar-strummin’ songbird in a bubbly party dress trimmed in black lace that unfortunately won’t take her to the final round.
Neck-and-neck competitors Akshay Tyagi and Louanna Murphy were given the daunting task of outfitting male musicians, a challenge they both took in stride. Tyagi, dressing John Mullane of In Flight Safety, created an indie rock blazer seasoned with the Victorian charm of contrasting tweeds, a floral applique and pops of velvet inside. The witty designer also made good on his musician’s request for a long blue cape— “The cape was for fun,” Mullane explained to the judges. “It’s one of those rock and roll things.”

Murphy didn’t stop at outerwear. For Kolston Gogan of Stereo Penguin, she created a beautiful blue blazer lined in a punchy print, a Henley shirt with raglan sleeves and leather detail at the cuff and collar, and, ahem, dark-wash jeans (she made jeans!). Drumming up a hefty dose of applause from the audience and an “I just love you!” from one of the judges, Murphy bagged a well-deserved first-place—her third win of the competition.

Next up: The grand finale on September 13, when, after taking the next month to fashion four more designs, the remaining three will present their looks and a winner will be determined. Check out the Off the Cuff Facebook group for more details and photos from the events.

READ MORE: Off the Cuff Weeks One and Two and Week Three

Topics: Akshay Tyagi, Bree Mackin, Competition, Halifax, Heather Rappard, John Mullane, Kolston Gogan, Louanna Murphy, Mary Stewart, Music, Off the Cuff

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Posted August 4th, 2009 | 11:21 am | By Nadine LaRoche |

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