Reco Chapple
TalkingWithTami: How did you get into the world of fashion? Well I remember my mom teaching me how to sew when I was around 8yrs old. She was a great seamstress, I grew up in the Alton Park Housing Projects in Tennesse. I would sit and sketch and watch tv alot. I remember one day seeing a guy on the Oprah show with an orange looking face wearing a tailored suit and he had some of the similiar dresses that I had in my sketchbook. I said to my mom,”hey he stole my designs”, my mom laughed and said,” thats Valentino”! Thats when I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer. I started sewing at 11yrs old,then later on my boyfriend bought me my first sewing machine. I would practice and practice sewing on it. I then went to college, first at Lane College then finished up my Bachelors degree at Tennesse State University. While attending college, I started making all the girls pageant dresses and thats where it begin.
TalkingWithTami: Name us some of your fav designers and why? I like Thiery Muegler because he started the whole shoulders and cynched waists, he’s a genious to me and if you look at Beyonce and Rhianna they are wearing his styles now. Bob Mackie for his glamourous gowns, they are beautiful. Christian Dior was innovative and his designs are timeless.
TalkingWithTami: If you could dress one female and one male who would it be? I would love to design for Michelle Obama because she is the” it girl” of fashion right now lol. I would also like to design for John Legend. He would be perfect for my menswear line.
TalkingWithTami: Give us something in your closet that you will never loan or part with? Ooh lets see? Hmm, Oh I know, my skinny jeans and my all star converses lol.
TalkingWithTami: You made some phenominal dresses on The Fashion Show on Bravo. Is that your fav thing to make?
Yes it is! I love making evening gowns and cocktail dresses. I actually won the challenge on the show with my black cocktail dress.
