IN Peters Township October/November 2017 | Page 41

call him if something opened up. “That call finally came—on my birthday— after a year-and-a-half of waiting,” says Thompson. The designer spent the next few years working between restaurants and union calls and saving money to audition for “Project Runway.” He auditioned for three separate seasons. “At season three’s audition, I was told my clothes were well made but ‘lacked in design,’” says Thompson. “Season four they said my clothes were well made and had design but not ‘cohesive design’ and by season five, I was so determined that I quit my job, only to hear my clothes were well made and had cohesive design, but I lacked the ‘work experience’ others possessed for the show.” “Returning home was hard to say the least!” But the next day, Marianne Krostyne—owner of Krostyne Studio, a costume shop on the North Side of Pittsburgh—offered Thompson a full-time position. “I was ecstatic and in a state of disbelief a job would fall in my lap just when Ineeded it most,” he says. On April 15, 2008—his first day at Krostyne Studio—Thompson embarked on a new path toward his dream career. “Krostyne was the first job that challenged me to better myself in a professional manner, and taught me that close isn’t good enough and that perfection takes time,” says Thompson. “I learned there is beauty in all things we create.” On August 23, 2009, Thompson showed his first collection at an event called “Synergy.” He, along with 10 other designers, showed off their collections to a room of over 200 guests. Since then, Thompson has been fortunate to be part of several charity fashion shows for organizations including Children’s Hospital and Dress for Success, as well as several annual events like Pittsburgh Fashion Week and Fashion Week Downtown. Models Divauna Taravolla (top), Malori Bailes (center) and Joanna Wentling (bottom) pose in Brian David fashion at Fashion Week Downtown 2017. Today, Thompson has been at Krostyne Studio for nearly 10 years. He’s currently working on two fashion shows, a wedding dress and a competition gown for a Drag Queen, all while trying to find time to finish renovations on his new studio/work space. When asked which of his designs is his most prized, Thompson says, “It’s a really hard call to make, but if I had to choose, it would be the wedding dresses I designed for my sisters,” he says. “I always told them growing up that their wedding dresses would be my gift to them for their wedding day.” Both of Thompson’s designs came with interchangeable skirts—a large skirt with a train to be worn for the grand entrance, ceremony and pictures. At the reception, this skirt came off to reveal a completely different style dress and skirt. “My sister Dana’s dress did that change once, and Britney’s dress did it twice,” says Thompson. “Each dress was designed with both of them in mind, and was made to suit their own personality and styles.”   ■ For more information, email Thompson at [email protected]. Follow Thompson on Instagram @briandaviddesigns on Facebook @ Brian D. Thompson and on YouTube by searching briandaviddesigns. Peters Township | October/November 2017 | icmags.com 39