If you ask Los Angeles based designer and illustrator Andrea Roady who her fashion icon would be, she would tell you without a doubt it is Queen Elizabeth I. Andrea has a fondness for the Elizabethan era and she draws much of her inspiration from it.  Oh, P.S. if you don’t know what “anachronistic” means, as I didn’t, it is a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place, especially one from a former age that is incongruous in the present.

Andrea likes taking fashion elements from historic eras and re-introducing them with a modern, fresh, and interesting twist creating something a bit anachronistic, which is the word of the day for me at this point.  For example, in 2008 as an advanced graduate student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Andrea created an entire runway show of Elizabethan fashion-inspired sportswear.  The line was such a hit that it earned her the award for “Most Creative Collection.”

Expanding on the success of her unique brand, Andrea’s most recent venture is a line of Elizabethan-esque pleated scarf neckpieces.  The intriguing accessory incorporates the romance of the Elizabethan era with the comfort and functionality of the modern age.  The new line, designed with versatility in mind, can be worn in several different configurations allowing for a hand full of fun options.  It is the perfect accessory for this fall and is sure to be a hit when it is released.  Andrea gifted 200 of her delightfully pleated accessory for the attendees of the ChinaShop “Fashion Night Out” party being held this Friday in New York City.  The new neckpieces will be available to the public through Andrea’s website, www.andrearoady.com, starting this Friday, September 9th.

Words by Mike Bucher