Project Runway 101
Illustration by Gabriel Conroy
Ever thought to yourself, I could be the next Yves St. Laurent—if only I knew where to start? If so, consider a class with couture designer Gabriel Conroy, a recent arrival to Basalt who has begun teaching fashion sketching at the Wyly Community Art Center.
As a designer, Conroy has a stellar resume: London College of Fashion, Fashion Institute of Technology, Colorado’s Art Institute; twice named top fashion designer by the Rocky Mountain News. As a teacher, he can take rank neophytes (as well as more experienced students) and in six weeks have them finish a complete sketch that could be handed over to a dressmaker. Conroy’s classes focus on design development—students find their “look” by perusing magazines, bringing in movies and anything else that inspires. The lone prerequisite is an interest in fashion. To inquire about future classes and to see Conroy’s sketches and the finished designs they inspired, stop into Aspen’s B’Jewel, where his work is sold exclusively.
