Fall 2012

Wrap yourself in a dark elegance this season with the new Fall line from Manic Designs! This collection is inspired by the unforgettable vintage fashion from the 1940's and 1950's when Dior introduced The New Look, celebrating both the end of the war, and the beginning of timeless style. Each piece collaborates classic silhouettes and details like high waistlines, boatnecks, and princess seam bodices, with intricate and edgy details like angled pin tucks and cut outs to create a fashion forward, yet wearable and versatile look.

Shop the line! 

The Lucy Lace House Coat. Available on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/111232417/the-lucy-lace-house-coat-w-open-front)

This line celebrates a muted color palette with pops of different texture like crochet lace trim, flattering angled pin tucks, low high hems, and separating panels to bring these timeless styles an edgy breath of life! 

The Marion Mini Dress https://www.etsy.com/listing/111229861/the-marion-knit-pin-tucked-princess and The Ginger Chiffon Maxi Skirt https://www.etsy.com/listing/111325066/the-ginger-chiffon-maxi-wrap-skirt-w

Come shop the whole line!!

http://shopmanicdesigns.blogspot.com/p/fall-2012.html

See this line rock the runway and keep up with Manic news on my Facebook page!! 

http://www.facebook.com/manicdesigns

<3 Rachel Riot

FashionART Santa Cruz 2012

I can't even begin to express how honored I am to have been a part of the FashionART show this year. It's such an incredible feeling to have my lifetime of work, hopes, and dreams come together so beautifully for this event! 

I want to send a big thank you to the coordinators of FashionART Santa Cruz for being so encouraging and helpful, and for working so hard to put this show together every year.

I would work with all of you again in a heartbeat. It's so refreshing to work with people who are driven and work so hard to put this event on for the community solely in the name of art and creativity!

I'm so honored that Angelo, Lisa, and Lindsay wore Manic Designs pieces to the show! You guys looked awesome and I appreciate your love and support!

Event Coordinator, Lisa Litten (left) and Gallery Owner, Angelo Grova (right) rockin' Manic down the runway. The Assistant Designer Coordinator, Lindsay, is the edgy gal in the tutu and combat boots behind them-  what can I say, she's got the look! Photo by Jana Marcus.

Stephanie and Raven, I don't know what I would do without you gals pullin' together the hair/makeup and accessories to complete the look AND reminding me to breathe and eat during crunch time before the show!

My awesome hair and makeup artist, Stephanii (left) and the always amazing Raven Jade of Creations by Raven Jade, Taxidermy jewelry and accessories.

To my gorgeous models, it was so much fun to work with all of you and you ladies rocked the runway! Check out all the pictures from the show on my Facebook page
www.facebook.com/manicdesigns

Death metal glam coming in for the kill! Photo by Marty at New View Photography

I'm so grateful to have had such an amazing group of people to work with and make my long time dream come true. I love you guys, and this is just the beginning ♥ The Riot

Step aside Tim Gunn, Tina Brown is in the house!

One of the best parts about being in FashionART was having the opportunity to work with the awesome team of people that are so dedicated to putting the show together every year. Tina Brown, the Designer Coordinator, is Santa Cruz's personal Tim Gunn! 

She took time out of her busy schedule to stop by each designers studio before the show to take a closer look at our collections. She has a great eye for detail and color, not to mention she always looks FAB!  

She was so charmed by my little skull buddies she posted a picture of them with a blurb about Manic on her styling blog, Ilka Style!

http://www.ilkastyle.com/2012/09/manic-designs/

Visit her site to check out all her visits to the talented designers behind this years FashionART show, and she's got some great tips on how to keep your wardrobe fresh, up to date, and most importantly, personalized to fit your unique style!

Step aside Mugatu, Manic is IN!

That Manic, SO hot right now!!! 

This month marks the 3rd anniversary of Manic Designs, and I promised myself at the beginning of the year that things were going to be different; that I was going to make this life long dream a reality even if it killed me.

This experience has been worth every streak of all nighters sewing collections to release the next day, every moment of overwhelming stress, the excruciating burn of carpel tunnel, and every Mugatu worthy bitch fit I've ever thrown!

I am more than pleased to announce that I will be debuting my Fall 2012 line at the Micheal Angelo FashionART Runway Show in Santa Cruz this September. 

Thank you so much to all my family and friends that have been so supportive through all of this, and of course to my wonderful Maniacs! I love you guys and I couldn't have done any of this without you!

Stay tuned for a sneak peek of Fall 2012!

Manic Designs Fall 2011

The 2nd Annual Hart's Craftacular Wonderfair!

I hope all my Maniacs in Santa Cruz had fun at the Hart's Craftacular Wonderfair last Sunday, because I did!!! 

I was vending with my girl Raven of Creations by Raven Jade, showcasing her always amazing jewelry and accessories!

Every single person that I met, fellow vendors as well as customers, was an absolute pleasure. 

I sincerely enjoyed every single transaction, and each piece that I sold went to the exact person I designed it for-

An adorable pin up for the Demonic Dottie handbag, a gorgeous fashionista for the Arterial Shred Maxi Dress, a loving husband buying his beautiful wife a pair of lounge shorts, a delightful mother from Seattle for the Black Tara Infinity Wrap (she says black is her default color- she's my kinda gal!) and her darling daughter who will be wearing the Marion Mini Dress from the Spring line to her Home Coming Dance! I know, I got a little verklempt!

It was amazing to meet all of you and a pleasure to network with all the other great vendors at the show! We weren't lacking in the accessories department since we had Black Violets rockin' jewelry (www.blackviolets.com),Love Baggage's super cute vintage accessories (www.etsy.com/shop/Lovebaggage), Marikira Bags with her cute, handcrafted iPad holders and knitting needle caddies (www.etsy.com/shop/MarikitaBags), Ricala's gorgeous hand made leather jewelry (www.ricala.com), and of course my eccentric little Raven Jade with her elegant taxidermy jewelry and accessories (www.etsy.com/shop/CreationsByRavenJade).

We didn't forget about home decor either! Fish Princess Farm had beautiful handmade goats milk soaps (www.etsy.com/shop/fishprincessfarm), Rooted in Thyme with their charming garden and home decor accessories 

(www.rootedinthyme.blogspot.com) with Carly Gabarra Photography and her lovely hand printed wooden postcards (www.carlygabaraphotography.blogspot.com).

I want to send a big thank you the Harts Fabric for hosting this craft fair, Raven and I had a blast and it was so great to meet all of you! If you're in a rut I highly recommend going to Hart's and just looking through their amazing and unique collection of fabrics and notions- it always helps me!

www.hartsfabrics.com

Don't forget that if you came to the craft fair you get 10% off your next Manic Designs purchase on my Etsy store! Use coupon code HARTSLOVE10 at the check out!

www.etsy.com/shop/manicdesigns

Thanks again to everyone that came out and all our neighboring vendors, we will definitely be back next year! Oh and Raven is flipping you off in the most loving way possible- some people do bunny ears, Raven flips the bird- I love this girl! Visit my Facebook page to see all the pictures from the fair! (www.facebook.com/manicdesigns) 

Get Comfy Maniacs!!

The new lounge line is here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...

And we're ALL out of bubble gum! 

Manic Designs is excited to present the new lounge line! This line of basics is super comfy with a fun twist inspired by the 1960's and 70's MOD era. Thank you Twiggy and Mary Quant, now we can be comfy in style! 

What's that you say?! The new lounge line will be sold at a lower price point than other Manic collections?! 

OHMYGAAAAH THAT'S AWESOME!

Back off bitch, this one's MINE!

Aww don't fight girlies! There's plenty to go around! 

This line is great for relaxing at home but it can also be dressed up to wear out or to just stand around and look like you're too cool to care!

Don't ya just love being a girl?! The pieces will be posted on Etsy later this evening so keep an eye out, Maniacs!

XOXO,

The Riot

Calling all Maniacs!!

Welcome to my humble abode, Maniacs! 

For those of you that know me, I realize the website may have been the best place to start but I was just so damn excited to release my clothing line I couldn't wait...I also totally suck at HTML coding- but the most important thing is that I'm here now! Whether you've made your way over from Facebook, Etsy, Twitter, or Pinterest, come check out the new site to stay on top of updates and sales as well as new collections!

For those of you that just read that and are still wondering who the hell I am, my name is Rachel Riot, owner and designer of Manic Designs! Manic Designs is an edgy and unique women's clothing line that collaborates heavy metal music and timeless vintage fashion. I have been sewing since I was 7 years old and I will sew until the day I die. I can still remember sewing collections for my Barbies with Kleenex and spearmint dental floss for a runway show (those empty Kleenex boxes made a killer runway!)

Growing up, I got more and more into sewing and fashion design. After watching countless Hitchcock Films as well as other classics, I developed an admiration for vintage Hollywood starlettes like Audrey Hepburn, Yvonne DeCarlo, Grace Kelly and all the greats including Edith Head, the genius designer behind their simplistic yet breath taking gowns and costumes.

After growing up as the weird kid that watched old movies no one in my class had even heard of and sewed a bunch of weird shit (apparently that isn't cool until High School), I acquired a taste for heavy metal music, mostly death and thrash metal. Sick and tired of an abundance of the same goth and punk rock fashion tainting the industry, it finally dawned on me that maybe there were women out there feeling the same frustrations! I want to convey my passion for heavy metal music with garment details inspired by the beauty an complexity of the music incorporated with the elegance of vintage fashion. Thank you for visiting my site and helping me make my long time dream come true, stay tuned for new collections and upcoming events! 

Sincerely,

The Riot

“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.”

- Edith Head (1907-1981)