She made the cut, and Project Runway fans became familiar with her design aesthetic as she sewed her way around the workroom as a contestant on the show’s eighth season. She ultimately got the dreaded “you’re out” from Heidi Klum but has since gone on to grow Strangefruit, her own line of edgy, fluid and decidedly accessible urban apparel.
Citing experimentation, draping and knowing how to break the rules while keeping her garments wearable as her key strengths, Haskins-Simms has forged a reputation for her use of fabrics (think jersey and poplin) in a constructed manner. Standouts from her summer 2011 line include her origami blouse (the one that won over Gunn), a modernized prairie dress and an overtly feminine upside-down tulip skirt.
“I love designers who push boundaries and dare to be different,” she says. Devotees of her work would have to agree. Pileggi Boutique, 715 Walnut St. Bus Stop Boutique, 750 S. Fourth St.
