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.
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