Phoenix designer’s custom dress to make red-carpet debut at Tony Awards
For the duration of this year’s Tony Awards on June 12, the Broadway League’s Vice Chair of the Street and Arizona’s only Tony voter, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, will dazzle the purple-carpet ceremony in an authentic costume by Phoenix designer Melissa Torres.
“Fashion designers are artists,” claimed Jennings-Roggensack, vice president for cultural affairs at Arizona Condition College and govt director of ASU Gammage. “Creative and passionate award activities like the Tonys give nearby designers a chance to be observed, connecting the neighborhood style local community to the world of Broadway. It has been an honor to not only function with a nearby designer, but anyone with these types of huge expertise and passion for her craft.” 

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack at the gown reveal on the ASU Gammage phase on May 31.
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The gown produced exclusively for Jennings-Roggensack is the initially Torres style and design to ever hit the red carpet.
“This is my very first official pink-carpet debut,” Torres mentioned. “A huge part of my aim as a designer is to make outfits for the purple carpet. So it’s a dream occur genuine.”
Also regarded as Mia, Torres was born and raised in Phoenix and has always experienced a love for style. In 2019, Torres started to make her dreams a reality when she graduated from Phoenix Higher education with two affiliate degrees in arts and fashion design and style.
Shortly after her graduation, Torres debuted her manner line, web hosting an function in downtown Phoenix. That was where she connected with ASU Gammage and then Jennings-Roggensack.
“Colleen experienced presently been on my radar I realized she employed Arizona designers for her Tony dresses. I was past energized to get this prospect and style and design something just for her,” Torres claimed.
The method for Jennings-Roggensack’s dress commenced in December 2019, with the intention for the garment to be worn at the 2020 Tony Awards.
“I at first desired to join the dress to Broadway demonstrates set to open in 2020. I did my investigation and turned influenced by the musical ‘Diana’,” Torres mentioned.
Torres started operating on a robe motivated by Catherine Walker’s white pearl-studded dress manufactured for Princess Diana in 1989.
“As I began doing the job, I understood the dress was way too hefty and came off very bridal. Then the pandemic began, and I just realized that I wasn’t meant to perform on this design and style,” Torres said. “COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise since it gave me two a long time to redesign something which is comfortable and suits Colleen. I’m so pleased I acquired a second chance.”
Trying to keep “Diana” as her inspiration, Torres went again to the drawing board, introducing her possess flare to the new style and design.
“I switched it to purple and produced it my have by shortening the duration to give it that Melissa Torres truly feel,” she mentioned.
With the dress in the works for above two years, Torres and Jennings-Roggensack have built a solid romantic relationship, doing work together in the course of just about every step of the style procedure.
“My most loved element about performing with Colleen is her enthusiasm,” Torres said. “This dress is different from what she’s worn before, and I enjoy that she enjoys my thoughts and is eager to test a thing new. It’s astounding to get the job done with a consumer like that.”
Torres has designed it her mission to “design assertion parts for the influential,” with this robe environment the precedent for her long run designs and crimson-carpet seems to be.
“I am all about think it, imagine it, acquire it,” she claimed. “When I imagine about my future, I assume about operating with shoppers who are likely to walk the pink carpet at the Emmys, the Oscars, the Grammys. My intention is to be an EGOTEmmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. designer, and it all starts with prospects like this. If I can give everyone assistance it would be to never ever give up, think in on your own entirely and access for each individual chance supplied.”
