Tucson’s Marcela G. put a priority on personal expression when creating her dress. “I picked the materials thinking about how a woman would feel beautiful and triumphant: The shiny and soft fabric of the bottom part makes you stand from everybody else, the flattering halter top gives the wearer a sense of power and security, while the embroidery adds a sense of femininity,” she says of her feather and bead-accented sat...

Philadelphian Kate Spray flirty, free-spirited design, earned her first place in the Be Discovered: Design a Dress competition! Although not yet a household name, the 25-year old Ohio-native is well versed in style: She studied Fashion at Kent State University before landing her current gig at Anthropologie, where she is a Design Assistant. “I entered the contest because I had something to prove to myself,” she says. For mor...

Talk about having beginner’s luck: “This is the first original garment that I've made completely on my own from sketch to pattern to completion,” says Jill P. from Tennessee. “I’d never worked with satin before, but I’m proud that the finished dress looks like my original design.”

While this flirty party frock is guaranteed to turn heads on the dance floor, the designer behind it is modest about her style prowess. “To be able to juggle motherhood and still find time to go for my designing dreams is what I am most proud of,” says Philadelphian Jessica G. “Also, I’m proud that some of today's fashion leaders will be looking at my dress.”

While Janey R.’s halterdress may be fuss-free to wear, the construction of the sexy piece wasn’t so easy. “The crepe de chine fabric I used was so slippery! I admit I didn't really think much about this when I purchased it at C&J Textiles in New York City,” the Brooklyn resident says. “I really love the ultra-flowy feel of crepe de chine, but sewing it and especially hand-hemming it was pretty challengi...

Don’t let Drew S.’s breezy black-tie gown fool you: Making the colorful look proved to be a crash course in artful craftsmanship. “I hand-dyed my fabrics, which I really enjoyed because as an artist I like to get my hands dirty,” the Ohio native says. “I also enjoyed adding all the embroidery on the dress, even though I suffered a lot of battle wounds on that stage of the construction.” Surely some lu...

Californian Alexzandra C. had to rely on her resourcefulness when creating her flattering earth-friendly frock. “First and foremost I wanted to make a nice dress, not just something green,” she says. “But nice eco-friendly fabrics can be a little hard to find since they aren't mainstream yet, but I was able to find exactly what I was looking for after only a few phone calls.” Featuring a lapped zipper, delicate r...