Stephanie Bodnar
After traveling the world with her parents as a child, lingerie designer Stephanie Bodnar developed a penchant for costume design. She’s fashioned outfits for several Bay Area theater and dance companies plus her work has even found its way into a couple San Francisco museums. Bodnar’s lingerie line Evgenia showcases pieces that are strong as well as delicate and features the technically complex art of insertion lace embellishment. Check out what Bodnar told us about her throwback strategy for outfitting chef and TV personality Carla Hall as well as her future plans.
theFashionSpot: Tell us a little about your background and design experience.
Stephanie Bodnar: While I’ve always loved apparel and costume design, I truly discovered to what extent when I was wrapping up my bachelor’s degree in creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University. I took a costume design class and realized that a career in fashion would have to be my trajectory. After moving to California, I worked in a lace shop and began my studies at FIDM in fashion design. Over the years, I’ve worked on a number of projects and for several San Francisco based fashion companies, but I finally found my true calling when I started my line of lingerie (formerly Honey Cooler Handmade, now Evgenia) in 2011.
tFS: How long have you been designing?
SB: I have been designing professionally since I graduated from FIDM back in 2007, but I have been sketching gowns since the moment I could hold a pencil.
tFS: How did you get involved with the Fashion Incubator program?
SB: I applied to be a Designer-in-Residence after meeting Jeanne Allen and Marc Grant at a fashion event in San Jose. I was ecstatic to be chosen as part of the class of 2014 at the Fashion Incubator San Francisco.
tFS: What were your thoughts when you were selected to design for the Red Dress Collection?
SB: I was so honored to be selected to design for the Red Dress Collection. Not only does the runway show benefit a very worthy cause, but I’m in wonderful company in terms of the designers represented. This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime for an emerging designer!
tFS: Tell us about your inspiration for the dress you’re designing.
SB: As a designer, I’m very much inspired by the evening gowns of the 30s — the fluid lines and feminine shapes are at once timeless yet fashion-forward. The dress I’m working on retains the nostalgia of the 30s with a modern twist.
tFS: What does the Red Dress initiative mean to you?
SB: The Red Dress initiative is an innovative way to bring attention to a disease that is far more prevalent than many women realize. By targeting women in its campaign to prevent heart disease, the Red Dress initiative helps to raise awareness and subsequently save lives.
tFS: How would you describe your design aesthetic?
SB: My design aesthetic is based on the marriage of strength and delicacy. I love clean, bold silhouettes, but I also appreciate painstaking embellishments, laces and other fine details. Most of the pieces I design incorporate this duality through the use of strong yet soft silks and feminine lace details.
tFS: Which designer(s) are you most inspired by?
SB: It’s hard to name all the designers I’m inspired by because so many of them speak to me for different reasons. At the moment, I am most inspired by Nina Ricci, Zac Posen, Christian Lacroix, Isabel Marant and Zimmermann.
tFS: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
SB: In 10 years, I see myself expanding my line and opening boutique presences in San Francisco and New York.
Sketch of the dress Carla Hall will wear in the Red Dress fashion show.
