Chat: The Rosewood Crescent Hotel lobby set the scene for my interview with emerging designer Chadwick Bell and his business partner Vanessa Webster. Both visited Dallas for a trunk show at Stanley Korshak last month, showcasing the Fall 2012 collection, which debuted at Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week in February.

When I think of this collection, one dress comes to mind—a jade green gown, with polka dots, feathers, and slim long sleeves. I had previously saved it on Pinterest and was excited to meet Mr. Bell—a designer I’ve been interested in for a while.

Max: Fall 2012 inspiration is Midnight Rose—tell me about this kind of women?

Chad: As designers, we all have this idea of our perfect woman, and who she is, but what happens if she gets a little messy. For some designers, she might already be messy, but what happens if our idea of the perfect women breaks out of her box and maybe tries to do something a little avant-garde? What if she is this perfect woman, who is put into an imperfect situation? Like, what if she fell asleep at an opium den? It was interesting to see our silhouette become sexy; our hemlines were higher than they’ve been before, and we had more fun with the embroideries, but in a kooky way, which we mixed with oversized coats and tailored dresses.

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